As trivial as they are on Portuguese beaches, windbreaks are strictly prohibited in Spain since 2021. However, in recent years, the use of these structures has increased, especially in the sands of Galicia.
Earlier this week, at Samil beach in Vigo, police had to announce the ban in person after several unsuccessful warnings via megaphones.
The Galician press reports that many of the affected holidaymakers are Portuguese who, given normal use in Portugal, are unaware of the rules in the neighbouring country.
Galicians complain about the use of these folding structures on beaches where it is not justified due to the weak wind force. In addition, the images that outraged bathers shared on social networks show the distortion of the windbreaks, which are used more to delimit and divide the space than to protect from bad weather.
“It’s a shame,” writes user X (formerly Twitter). Another Internet user is ironic: “The sea on Samil Beach is beautiful today,” the caption under a photo in which the ocean is covered in windfalls.
The privatisation of public spaces using such facilities is irritating, as La Voz de Galicia reports, to holidaymakers who are calling for tougher sanctions.
Some comments lament the inaction of municipal police. The fact is that this year the authorities have stepped up surveillance and threatened people with fines that can range from 750 to 1,500 euros.
This Monday, Vigo Mayor Abel Caballero announced that local police had cleared Samil beach of its windbreaks after an information campaign among people who used the structures.
Author: Miguel Pinheiro Correia
Source: CM Jornal
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