Spain Demolishes Legal 1934 Homes in Guardamar

Guardamar Demolishes Legal 1934 Homes While Elche Protects Similar Properties

The Babilonia beach in Guardamar del Segura (Alicante) faces the demolition of a row of houses built between 1929 and 1934 under a public tender awarded by the Republican government. Although the Supreme Court validated their legality, it did not halt the demolition scheduled for 2025. Each owner will pay an average of €15,000 for the demolition, receiving no compensation or alternative housing, according to participants in the discussion. Five kilometers away, at El Pinet beach in Elche, the city council has approved a motion to declare those houses a local heritage site to prevent coastal authorities from demolishing them.

From Stabilizing Dunes to Paying for Demolition

The original project was not an urban planning whim. An architect presented it in 1929 to stabilize the dunes and prevent sand from encroaching on the pine forest behind the beach. The works were funded through a public tender and completed in 1934. At that time, the beach had 70 meters of sand in front of the facades. The Coastal Law of 1988 set a 30-year limit for such concessions, which began counting from its approval and expired in 2018.

Owners filed lawsuits. They lost in both first and second instance. The Supreme Court ruled that the houses were legal but did not assess their ecological impact or annul previous judgments. The demolition order proceeded. The case is currently before the European Court of Human Rights, although this route does not suspend execution.

The Breakwater That Ate the Beach

According to one participant, the key to the disaster is not climate change. In 1999, a small port was built at the mouth of the Segura River, just hundreds of meters from the houses. Its poorly designed breakwater diverts sediments to the opposite side of the beach. Babilonia lost all its sand. The city council has not replenished it. Boats also struggle to enter: the river mouth is blocked.

Some argue that with the sand present before the breakwater, the legal distance was met and the infrastructure is to blame. If so, the Government should restore the sand or demolish the breakwater. The paradox is that the same party that authorized the construction of the houses—the PSOE—governs Guardamar today and takes no action. In Elche, where PP and VOX govern, they do.

Two Standards Just Five Kilometers Apart

The case of El Pinet is identical, but the political response has been the opposite. The Elche plenary session approved declaring those dwellings a protected local heritage site. The majority formed by PP and VOX made this possible. In Guardamar, the PSOE has not promoted similar protection. The comparison stings.

This is not an isolated case. In Los Arenales del Sol, a district of Elche, there are buildings from the 1970s constructed less than 25 meters from the sea. In Benicàssim and other coastal areas, chalets have been seen less than 100 meters from the shore without being demolished. The question is what criteria are applied and to whom.

The Precedent No One Wants to Repeat

Demolition is not expropriation. Expropriations are compensated. Here, there is no payment, no replacement housing, and no relocation assistance. Owners bear the cost. The Supreme Court did not annul previous sentences, so the order stands. The ECHR could take years to rule, and by then the houses will be gone.

The issue leaves an uncomfortable question: if a license was legal, can a subsequent law erase it without compensation? This precedent affects any coastal property owner. And those who are not, too.