The Málaga City Council has initiated the process to evict caravans and mobile homes settled next to Sacaba Beach. Those affected have until next Tuesday to leave; afterwards, the tow truck will remove the vehicles.
The caravans installed at Sacaba Beach, one of the most emblematic beaches in Málaga, are living their final days. The Málaga City Council has issued an ultimatum to the occupants of the mobile homes that have settled on the former Butano land, just 200 meters from a luxury tower under construction. The deadline expires next Tuesday: from then on, the Local Police will tow away all vehicles that remain on the site.
Reasons for the eviction order
The council justifies the measure for reasons of "cleanliness and health", according to the informational poster placed by the Local Police. The councillor for the Carretera de Cádiz district, Francisco Pomares, was emphatic: "We are going to evict everything and will put in bollards to prevent re-entry to the Repsol site."
Pomares asserts that the decision responds to constant complaints from the residents of Sacaba and Parque Litoral, who have submitted letters "because they can no longer cope with the living situation". He also cites a recent fire in a caravan trailer that reached several palm trees as an example of the risks. "The last fire the other day is a cry to the heavens," the councillor stressed.
The councillor emphasizes that the settlement compromises "safety" and community coexistence. "I have nothing against caravans, but they must be in areas that meet safety standards. Here there are sewage waters and this site is not suitable," he stated.
Reactions from those affected: "Sacaba is not to be touched"
The decision has sparked discontent among the tenants, who have created the profile Sacaba is not to be touched to denounce the situation. "We wish we hadn't had to open this account, but we feel obliged to do so," they state in their post. They argue that behind each vehicle "there are people who, due to the severe housing crisis in Málaga, have found here their only alternative".
Those affected claim that the eviction, "justified under a supposed cleaning of the area", means "the end of the place that many people call home" and the "loss of a space that as city residents we must defend". They question "who is this change for": "For those living in the new towers? At whose expense?" they insist, while stressing that Sacaba is part of Málaga's identity. "It is time to defend this small corner of land and beach before it also disappears."
The eviction order comes just a month after the council committed to finding a solution for families living in caravans in the settlements proliferating throughout the city. At that time, it was agreed to conduct a census and design a specific social intervention plan. Now, the timelines have been accelerated.
What will happen after the eviction
Once the vehicles are removed, the City Council plans to place bollards at the access points to prevent them from being re-established. "It will not be fenced off because the last time it was done, a settlement occurred next to the enclosure," Pomares explained. Endesa has already authorized the action, as it concerns land over which their facilities run.
The councillor recommends that owners of caravans who wish to park their vehicles do so in "specific camps that meet the conditions". The measure, according to the City Council, aims to restore normalcy to an area that in recent months had become a hotspot for community conflict and coexistence issues.
For the residents of Sacaba and Parque Litoral, the news comes as a relief after months of complaints. For the occupants of the caravans, however, it is a new chapter in the search for a roof in a city where housing has become a luxury. Next Tuesday, the tow truck will decide who is right.
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