Hogging a spot at this popular beach could cost you $400

It’s the holiday gripe that just won’t go away.

Whether at the hotel pool or the beach, the practice of hogging a spot before most people even get out of bed continues to be rife around the world.

But now, one popular beach in Europe is taking extreme measures to snuff out the habit.

Council at popular Costa Blanca resort of Calpe in Spain has ordered local police to remove sunbeds, towels, and parasols placed on the sand before 9:30am.

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The Costa Blanca is a stretch of over 200 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline in the Alicante province, on the southeastern coast of Spain.

“This measure prohibits the indiscriminate occupation of the public domain, especially the beach, with items such as chairs, hammocks and parasols at the start of the day,” a spokesman shared in a statement on X.

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According to authorities the “bad habit” actually makes it difficult to keep beaches clean.

“The by-law establishes that all these items and others installed on the beaches before 9:30am can be removed and the owners reported,” the statement continued.

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A approach is being taken to tourists or locals who try to keep the best spots, while going for a long lunch followed by a siesta, leaving their belongings unattended for more than three hours.

“Those umbrellas, chairs or hammocks that are left for more than three hours without the presence of their owners throughout the day may be removed and transferred to a municipal depot,” the new rules state.

The new rules are in response to complaints received by the council over the last years.

“For some years the council has received complaints during the summer about the reservation of space on the beach, with people arriving in the middle of the morning to find large parts of it already occupied without the owners of the items laid out on the sand being present,” they said.