Photos, Unfortunately, they repeat every summer, especially in August. Hundreds of young people go to the mountains of Puntal de Somo, in the Bay of Santander, to make bottles. The spectacular 4.5 kilometer stretch, which hugs the beach, is the perfect place to spend a day at the beach, but a increase it threatens this special place.
And its value is not only for its golden sand beaches, but, as it is a beach arrow, it works as. A dynamic sediment system that balances water currents it is temporary, and only the mouth of the Miera River. That is, it has a big role in driving at sea.
Puntal de Santander will be an island for 15 years
Year after year, however, climate change – the sea level rises by 3 millimeters every year in the Cantabrian Sea – and human activities are destroying the area which, according to the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of the University of Cantabria, It could break up and become an island in just 15 years, with dire consequences for the entire bay.
See Puntal de la Bahía de Santander, which according to experts will become an island in 15 years. / ALBA VIGARAY
Faced with this, the PSOE of Cantabria brought to one of the last sessions of the Non-Conventional Assembly to strengthen security of the site by controlling the number of visitors it receives. “It’s a very difficult place, no doubt, because it’s a place for people to enjoy and they have a special responsibility to protect it,” he said. THE STORY OF SPAIN Pablo Zuloaga, PSOE spokesman in Cantabria.
Bottles in the legs
“Maintaining the mountains of Puntal de Somo is difficult because of the proximity to the city of Santander, because it is a connected beach. and the city directly on the boat. The two existing beach bars have already reported that they are unable to serve guests. which arrives and there are big bottles of cruelty in the sand” insists Zuloaga, who remembers that the dunes allow the Bay of Santander to be navigable and that the port can always carry out its activities on the coast.
This summer there has been a Dantesque scene, he says, and cranes that move into the strut to remove vehicles parked in dune areas.
Views of the African elephant establishment in Cabárceno, with a natural pond in the background. / ALBA VIGARAY
For all these reasons, the PSOE recently presented a decision in the regional assembly, which was rejected by votes against the PP, in the Government, and Vox (total 19 votes) and votes in favor of the PSOE and the PRC (16 votes). “We just asked and asked for weapons to be made which is shown in the special protective order”.
The increase in tourism has worried the residents of Cantabria for some time, as the newspaper has reported in several articles. For example, in Cabezón de la Sal. City Council, and the Cantabrian Government, They are forced to establish an entrance to the redwood forest, a unique place in Europe, which may receive around 800 visits per day (the daily limit should be around 300).
In addition to land degradation -roots of several examples can be seen-many visitors – one in ten – tore the bark off the tree to take with them as a souvenir.
A helicopter rescues a tourist from danger in the summer at Faro del Caballo. / 112 CANTABRIA
In Faro del Caballo, in Santoña, the problem is repeated. This summer there were endless lines down 763 steps a Horse Lighthouse, he settled between the rocks after crossing the dense forest and is considered one of the most beautiful in Spain. During the summer, due to various events – falls or heart problems – the rescue of several guests had to be done by helicopter.
Because of this increase, Santoña, together with the Government of Cantabriaare implementing energy management measures that could begin to be implemented by Easter after pilot tests in recent weeks. The strengthening of the protection of the entire community’s economy was fully carried out by the PSOE and in this case the PNL was approved. “There are accidents on the stairs, falls and heart accidents. As visitors increase, rescues increase.”
Ecotax like Asturias and the Basque Country
The idea that was also rejected by PP and Vox is to establish a Tourism ecotax existing in Catalonia or the Balearic Islands, which the Government of Asturias and the Basque Country are also considering. “The government of Cantabria refuses to have a law that allows town councils to charge an ecotax on the arrival of tourists,” adds Zuloaga, who explains that he will prepare a legislative framework to make the measure more progressive, depending on the type of establishment. it’s time. “We need money to travel to Cantabria.”
“Cantabria,” he thinks, “is sick summer service problems. Visiting hours should also be extended for long-term employment. “. According to the PSOE spokesperson, the change in tourism caused by the Covid epidemic, and, to a lesser extent, climate change – more and more holidaymakers are going to the north of Spain because it is hot – has caused it. “massive tourist arrivals” that have consequences.
According to the information provided by Cantabrian Regional Society for Tourism Promotion (Cantur) a THE STORY OF SPAINthe number of travelers staying in hotels and non-hotels in the area it increased by 0.5% this July compared to the previous year and 3.7% in August. In total, 788,380 visitors visited the community last summer.
See the redwood forest in Cabezón de la Sal, in Cantabria. / CABEZÓN DE LA SAL tourism
Mortgage rates have skyrocketed
In addition, Zuloaga says, the emergence of guest houses has led to this increase and increase. “Rental prices are higher than ever before Spain“. “We want tourism, nature and social stability because Cantabria is growing inextricably from tourism,” says the PSOE spokesperson, who presents the same issues in the region as the Cantabristas, a new political party that last May. brought together thousands of people in a demonstration in which one of the slogans was “preventing Cantabria from becoming the Ibiza of the north.”
The call, which called for the suspension of the construction of a tourist center in a valuable natural area between Loredo and Langre, which included 350 “second homes” and a golf course, was a success. “We want to stabilize and improve tourism,” says Lobete, whose party got 1.7% of the votes in the last municipal elections, but hopes to find relief in 2027 following the strategy of “protecting Cantabria and its people.”
