Gangland shootings, deadly car crashes and scammers targeting tourists. It’s officially ‘silly season’ on the Costa del Sol.
As any expat knows, the tranquility and Spanish way of life that made many of us move here tends to be put on hold for four to five months of the year.
Between May and August, and increasingly September, holidaymakers flood the resort to let loose and forget their troubles back home – be that in Britain, Germany, the USA or Middle East.
It all begins with a sudden increase in traffic, making driving on the A-7 even more of a nightmare than usual.
While most tourists are respectful and well behaved, there are always a few idiots who zig zag at dangerous speeds in their rented Ferraris, while drunk drivers think it’s okay to get behind the wheel after a day of boozing at the beach.
Already this month we have witnessed tragedy, when a drunk woman without a licence ploughed into a building on Fuengirola’s paseo maritimo, instantly killing her friend in the passenger seat before swerving and fatally hitting a young man from Sevilla.
That incident came just hours before a beach club in Torremolinos was burned to the ground, another clue that silly season is upon us.
The torching of a chiringuito has become a time-honoured tradition along the coast.
In fact, I struggle to remember a year without at least one being burned to the ground.
Whether they are insurance jobs, warnings from mafia bosses or genuine accidents is anyone’s guess, but you can always guarantee there’ll be at least one.
If you are a tourist coming to the coast, please be aware of scammers, who are out in force during the peak season.
The notorious bird poo con artist is already targeting Brits, with at least two victims reported in Estepona this week.
Meanwhile, a ‘professional’ pickpocketing duo are reportedly at large in Torremolinos.
But overall, the coast is still a very safe place to visit. Just like any other tourist mecca in the world, you have to have your wits about you.
If you are expats living here, be extra aware while driving and make sure you plan your weekends and most importantly, make a reservation at chiringuitos or restaurants.
The days of rocking up and getting a table without a booking are dwindling fast as we enter May.
Soon, parking will become intolerable and the beaches will be packed out.
Don’t get me wrong, I love summers on the Costa del Sol and it’s a pleasure to see the resort busy and thriving.
But the best time of year is when the tourists go home in late September and we have the beaches back to ourselves.
After months of chaos and extreme heat, a sense of calm returns to the coast as – hopefully – an Indian summer begins.
So in the words of Green Day, wake me up when September ends!
