THE chiringuito beach bars on Spain’s southern coasts have won a reprieve and will not be removed after all.
The secretary general of the sea, Juan Carlos Martin Fragueiro, had announced in March that the traditional beach bars would be removed to conform with the Ley de Costas (Coastal Laws).
There was an immediate outcry over the decision from bar owners and customers alike and an ultimatum was given by the Andalucian Bar Owners Association to the Madrid government to sort the matter out as soon as possible.
However, Jose Luis Reyes, head of the coastal authority in the Atlantico-Cadiz region, has announced that the bars may continue to work, at least for this year, albeit with certain restrictions; no bar may occupy more than 150 square metres and they must be at least 200 metres apart.
There are over 800 chiringuitos in Andalucia, employing 40,000 people.
