Vélez-Málaga plans new site for motorhomes

Vélez-Málaga town hall on the eastern Costa del Sol is planning to facilitate an area for motorhomes next to the A-7 motorway at the Cajiz exit. It has approved a project promoted by Venta La Redonda de la Axarquía S. L. on an 18,200-square-metre plot next to the motorway.

The motorhome movement gained considerable momentum during the pandemic. Until 2020 and 2021, the winter months were the peak season for these tourists, but now the number of vehicles travelling around Malaga province has skyrocketed and are visible all year round.

This has led to problems in various municipalities related to the dirt, waste and overcrowding they cause. In an attempt to tackle the problem, local councils are increasingly looking into setting up authorised parking areas, with public and privately-run services.

In Vélez-Málaga the town hall has approved an action plan to set up an overnight parking area and services for motorhomes on plot 631 of industrial estate 36, in the La Fuente area, near the Cajiz exit of the A-7 Mediterranean motorway. The plan has been submitted for public information for a period of one month following its publication in Malaga province's official bulletin (BOP) on 16 February.

According to the project report and maps, the development is located on land classified in the current PGOU (General Urban Development Plan) as non-developable, meaning that a development project is required to authorise its use for facilities linked to itinerant tourism. The documentation includes the topographical study, environmental and administrative implications, as well as the delimitation of road easements and building lines.

The project is in the initial stages of processing and "acceptance for processing does not imply final approval" but rather the start of the regulated procedure to assess its urban and sectoral viability. The town hall has said that technical and sectoral reports must be issued before any authorisation is granted.

However, the location on rural land will require an analysis of compatibility with current planning regulations, environmental impact and compliance with protection distances with respect to road infrastructure, aspects that are included in the technical plans provided. The file will remain available for consultation for one month on the municipal website, during which time residents and groups may submit comments. After this phase, the municipal technical services will assess the comments received and continue with the administrative process.

The Axarquía region already has several overnight parking areas and services for motorhomes, but these are mainly concentrated on the coast and in more established tourist areas. In this context, the development of the La Fuente area, in the municipality of Vélez-Málaga is being proposed as an alternative aimed at improving road accessibility and reducing the number of improvised parking spaces on the coast.

In Torrox-Costa, there are clearly tourist-oriented motorhome and campervan areas near the beach, such as Paradise Beach Camper, which is even included in the official catalogue of tourist attractions in Andalucía. These types of facilities tend to compete in terms of services (water, waste disposal, showers, electricity, etc.) and location on the coast, which makes them a magnet for this type of tourism, especially in the mid and low seasons.

There are also other private areas on the Torrox coastline that are geared towards stays, such as MiluCar and Área Miramar, which promote comprehensive services and operation for much of the year. The comparison here is relevant: the La Fuente (Vélez) project relies more on easy access to the motorway than on the appeal of the beachfront location.

Caleta de Vélez harbour (also part of Vélez-Málaga) operates an area that is part of the Andalusian Network of Motorhome Areas managed by Puertos de Andalucía, with user information and services associated with the port area. This format tends to be more regulated and controlled (access, internal regulations, restrictions on use), which reduces conflicts between users but usually involves a less flexible model of stay with stricter regulations.

In Torre del Mar, various specialist guides highlight an area near the coast as a base for visiting the promenade and the town centre. However, the experience of many tourist towns shows that when accommodation is concentrated on the coast, pressure increases in high season and the debate shifts to coexistence (noise, parking, turnover, use of services).

This is where the La Fuente project, if it goes ahead, could play a different role: strengthening a more balanced network between the coast and inland areas, offering a location for passing through and overnight stays with quick access, and potentially diverting part of the flow that is currently concentrated in the most touristy municipalities on the coast. In regional terms, it would be a complementary site: less based on the front line and more on logistics (entry/exit, services and parking management).