Major blow to Brit tourists in Spain as popular Costa Blanca beaches shut bars, toilets and remove sunbeds
BRIT tourists hoping for a relaxing day on a Spanish beach are in for a harsh wake up call, as a major tourist hotspot is shaking things up.
Orihuela Costa's beaches are shutting down beach bars, toilets, and removing sunbeds and equipment hire in a major blow to Brits on holiday.
Due to council contracts not being renewed, the usual sights of beach bars and food trucks are no more.
Orihuela's new councillor Manuel Mestre revealed that visitors will have to bring their own refreshments for a day by the water.
The contract allowing beach bars and sunbed rentals to operate in the area expired in January, and no agreement has been met yet.
Beaches such as Campoamor, La Zenia, Cabo Roig and Mil Palmeras will all undergo the major changes.
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It comes as Brit tourists were facing smoking bans at 28 beaches this summer, including Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca.
It comes amid an effort to crack down on cigarette butts plaguing busy beaches.
Authorities are also hoping to make areas smoke-free zones to improve the health of locals and holidaymakers alike.
The ban includes Ibiza's Playa de Santa Eulalia de Rio and Playa de Talamanca, while in Menorca smokers will have to resist in Binissafuller and Platja Gran.
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Meanwhile in Majorca, the ban will be in place in Sant Joan, Sa Platgeta, Santa Ponsa, Cala Estancia, Cala Sant Vicenc and Calo des Moro.
It comes as Brits heading to Palma have been warned of a major crackdown on tourists in the city.
Authorities are looking to stamp out excessive boozing and will flood the Majorcan capital with cops within days.
Days ago, another beloved beach was called a "ticking timebomb" which could become a "dead zone".
The situation at the popular hotspot Port de Pollensa in Mallorca has been described as "delicate" after fuel leakage from a ship that sank in the bay was spotted.
The ship which "had been anchored illegally for years," according to marine conservation group Arrels Marines, sank in the bay last month.
A last year found that part of the problem of increasing pollution was "excessive pressure from boats."
