Jason MoorePalma31/08/2018 00:00
TW

The joys of Arenal beach! Magalluf is always in the headlines for the wrong reasons but probably Arenal, home to its German equivalent, is just as bad. Mid-afternoon in late August; the beach is packed; in fact you can hardly move. But every five minutes a street vendor wanders by trying to find a clear path through the sun-worshippers. They are selling anything from sunglasses to beach towels. Two Chinese women are on the lookout for anyone who wants a massage on the beach and nearby a group of German youths, beer cans in hand, are singing football songs. I thought the city council had brought in legislation which was meant to curb all the things I have mentioned but no - all the so-called bad practices are ongoing.

But like all stories there is a heroine. A young woman working at a fast-food restaurant refuses to serve a group of German tourists because they are just dressed in their swimwear. Full marks to her. Judging by what I saw she was the only one who was paying any attention to all the bylaws which have been introduced by the city council.

So what did I learn from my brief visit to Arenal? Well, despite promises of a crackdown, little or nothing has changed. Don't get me wrong, I was able to enjoy a nice afternoon at the beach but Arenal remains the same. If council really want to clean up Arenal, then I would urge them to join me on the beach. If they don't and are happy with how it is, then keep quiet.