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Cartagena City Council is going to pour €1.5 million into preparing its Mediterranean and Mar Menor beaches for the summer season, one of the largest investments in recent years, but the improvements have been clouded by mounting frustration over the delayed opening of chiringuitos across the coastline.

 

Although the Council has renewed 70% of the beach furniture, installed new floating pontoons, enhanced facilities for people with disabilities and even added new Blue Flags and Q for Quality awards, residents and visitors are questioning the city’s priorities.

 

 

The municipal upgrades include everything from refurbished footbaths and chemical toilets to shaded pergolas and revamped accessibility features. Beaches such as Playa Honda, Playa del Cavanna and the Playa de San Ginés have been fitted with adapted bathing equipment, while an external contractor is now smoothing the sands of the Mar Menor nightly. Special attention has also been given to sustainability, with coastal workers trained in protecting local flora, fauna and sandbanks.

 

But for many, the improvements feel hollow without the seasonal chiringuitos in place.

 

The Council blames the delay in opening the beach bars this year on strict new regional rules, ranging from limitations on shaded areas to constraints on decking and sunbed spacing.

 

At Playa de San Ginés for example, a Blue Flag beach, the bar only opened last Sunday and is still operating only erratically. Across Cartagena, beachgoers have faced the absurd reality of well-equipped, lifeguard-patrolled beaches with no refreshments in sight.

 

Locals have not held back in voicing their dismay. “For a while we were in the situation of having lifeguards on duty, disabled bathing facilities, chemical toilets and no bar,” one resident lamented. “Spending money on new bins and plastic benches does not make up for this.”

 

While the council’s investments are clearly visible – recycled plastic benches, new American-style watchtowers, and informative signage – the lack of open chiringuitos during peak beach season has left a bitter taste. The beach bars are more than just places to grab a drink; they’re part of the social and cultural identity of the Spanish summer.

 

Cartagena remains the municipality in the Region of Murcia with the highest number of Blue Flags, now totalling 10. It has also opened three dog-friendly beaches. Yet many feel that until the regional authorities ease their tight regulations or streamline the chiringuito permitting process, the city’s beach season will continue to fall short of expectations.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena