Unhappy campers left in the dark over caravan site closure

A seaside camping and caravan site in Torre del Mar has issued an unexpected letter to its customers saying it is being forced to close.

The statement from Camping Torre del Mar, which occupies part of the land used for large-scale events including the Weekend Beach festival, said, «We have been informed that the closure of this campsite will take place, for reasons beyond the control of the management, next September 2023.» The message added, «We are all affected by this event. We are sorry.»

Many of the popular campsite's guests have been returning for many years, staying for months at a time. They believe they are being kept in the dark about what is happening and have had no real explanation from either the managers or Vélez-Málaga town hall as to the real reason behind the sudden closure.

«There are a lot rumours going around» over the real reason for the site's closure, Vanessa and Mark Butler from the UK explained to Sur in English earlier this week.

The couple have been coming to the site for winter for six years and have got to know other campers, such as Nancy from Holland who has visited for 18 years and Marie Louise from Germany who has spent every winter here since 2011.

«It's a second home. When we come through the gates in autumn we always say 'we're home again',» Nancy explained.

Vanessa has written to the town hall and to the local tourist office but has not received a reply. According to town hall sources this paper has spoken to, the reason for the closure «could be that the lease on the site has run out and it is not going to be renewed, or that it will have to go out to tender when it expires.»

The same sources added that the closure is «not related to plans to build on the land».

However, the presence of cranes and building materials on the far end of the land suggests that the project to connect the Sub-12 residential area to the west of the town area to the rest of Torre del Mar is very much happening.

What the campers don't understand is why an alternative hasn't been found and why the campsite management can't tell them anything.

«What frustrates me is the idea that they close in September, but in two or three years' time the site is still here but abandoned because it hasn't been built on. They could keep the place open while an alternative is found and until they start building at this end,» Mark said.

As well as the two official campsites in the town, the number of caravans parked on the seafront has risen exponentially in recent years as Torre del Mar has become more popular, especially among foreign visitors.

The campers point out that there is clearly a demand for camping and caravan facilities in the town and argue that businesses at the western end of Torre del Mar depend on their trade throughout the winter months.