Groundhog Day for Orihuela Costa beach bars
Playa Flamenca and Punta Prima will be without bars, toilets and umbrellas again this Easter
It's astonishing that after years of bureaucratic delays and failed tender processes, the Orihuela City Council is once again putting out to tender the contract for the operation of the beach bars in Punta Prima, Cala Mosca and Cala Estaca.
This is not a minor issue; these are the only beaches in Orihuela Costa that will be without this essential service yet again, which will force bathers to go elsewhere, taking much-needed revenue from local businesses.
The previous tender, which was launched last summer, was declared void due to the Contracting Board's inability to approve the documentation submitted by the four companies bidding for the contract.
The contract is being offered as a single lot, covering all three beaches, with a base annual price of €82,000. The successful bidder will have the option to extend the contract for up to two years.
Sadly, the council hasn’t learned from previous mistakes and the new tender follows the same demands and timelines as before. The deadline for submitting applications is April 14, which means that the three beaches will be without chiringuitos, umbrellas, sunbeds and toilets for the third Easter running.
All going well, assuming no further glitches, they should be operational by the summer and will be allowed to remain open until October 30.
Ironically, Orihuela City Council itself has specified that the bar and other services on Cala Estaca in Playa Flamenca should be open by March 15, in Punta Prima by April 1 and in Cala Mosca, again Playa Flamenca, by May 15. However, while one deadline has passed, there’s no way the council will be able to award a contract in time to meet the other two either.
The estimated annual profit for the successful bidder is a decent €137,000, based on investments, expenses and projected revenues. However, this figure doesn’t take into account the cost of constructing the beach bars, pergolas or bathrooms, which the successful bidder will have to pay for.
By beach, the Cala Estaca beach bar is the most lucrative, with a profit of €55,200, followed by the Punta Prima beach bar with €50,900. The Cala Mosca beach bar terrace closes the list, with an estimated annual profit of €30,900.
The absence of beach bars on the Orihuela coast dates back to 2023, when the contract was terminated under the previous government. Since then, the council has been unable to get its act together, despite numerous attempts to put out the contract to tender.
After a very long slog, services on the rest of Orihuela Costa’s beaches finally reopened last summer.
Image: Archive
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