Spain's secret costa

Good evening. At the start of the summer, locals in the Canary Islands took to the streets to protest against excess tourism which, they argue, is detrimental to the welfare of the population and the environment. The protests quickly spread to the Balearic islands and to Barcelona, with entrances to hotels being cordoned off and tourists in restaurants squirted with water pistols.
Spain was one of the first destinations to experience mass tourism driven by a post-war boom in package holidays, so it’s perhaps not surprising that it’s also been one of the first to witness a coordinated public backlash against overtourism. Despite the chants of “No more tourists!”, campaigners are not actually calling for a ban on tourism. Instead, they are asking, not unreasonably, for a more sustainable approach to development in tourism hotspots, restrictions on the sale of property to foreigners and a more equal distribution of the wealth created by the industry. Not only will this benefit locals, but tourists too.
As Alyssa McMurtry, a long-time resident of Spain, writes: “Spain’s love-hate relationship with tourism reaches boiling point on its costas each summer. It’s scorching, the beaches are packed and the mood can be frantic.” But this is only part of the story. “The Spanish coast still holds some secrets, even in the middle of summer: places where tourists can unwind without any hassle and locals seem genuinely happy to host them.” One such place is the fishing village of Luarca, in Asturias, which McMurtry describes as the “anti-Ibiza” with its affordable seafood restaurants, laid-back atmosphere and off-beat attractions such as the Giant Squid Museum. On Spain’s northern coast, it also has the advantage of being several degrees cooler than the southern Spanish costas. Buen viaje!