Having a house on the southern coast of Dénia is a privilege. It always has been, but now even more so. Although it was not within everyone's reach, in the past it was a more favorable place to accommodate second homes for those here, for the neighbors, but they were not even remotely the luxury that they are now. It was already a privileged place due to its location, proximity to the beach, tranquility and for being in the middle of nature. More before than now, in this sense. But it wasn't just reserved for, let's be clear, millionaires. It is now the case. You have to be to buy a house. The construction companies know this and plan knowingly, and this is going to cause the irremediable end of the broken.
Les Rotes, the southern coast of Dénia that the Barranc del Monyo road crosses, gave its name to the first houses that were built in the place. The rota does not have an official definition, but that is what we called the second home of the Dianenses, and also of people from "La Capital" (the capital prior to mass tourism: Valencia), which was built near the beach and between the pinnate. They used to have large tracts of land. Some plots that were not exploited, because they were not kind to the crop and ended up respecting the biome of the place. To have a rota, in short, was to have a piece of Les Rotes.
When the first families settled in that area, they saw worthless land. Speaking in economic terms, of course, because they were not productive lands and that is why they were bought in a big way. A lot of land compared to the house built. But to enjoy it. To disconnect, meet the family or for a beach house. Because nobody got rich in Les Rotes.
It was done.
Today it is hard to believe that those lands were not productive. Today it is hard not to be rich in Les Rotes. Because he no longer has broken to offer. Now in the place millionaire mansions rise at the expense of the historical buildings.
Where before there was a large plot of land there is now a development for millionaires. The greater the claim of the place, the more the land is divided. Like the floor of a building where there were two flats with four rooms and now there are four tiny flats with two rooms. Not out of solidarity, not for everyone to have their home. To squeeze. And from Les Rotes they are trying to get every last drop.
Millionaire urbanizations at the expense of broken
Where there was a huge piece of land, now there are dozens of houses planned. It is not hyperbole. We talk about real projects like the one presented after the controversial demolition of the historic Punta Negra estate. A house that respected the landscape allowing nature to grow inside. It will soon become a dozen houses for between one and two million euros. A development of mansions.
Nearby is the famous red house at the end of Les Rotes. The land has been parceled out and is now being sold in pieces. next to, in front of restaurant MenaTwo more luxurious homes with smaller plots have also sprung up. Two and a half million euros each. But it is no exception, it is difficult to find a home today that is sold in the area that does not reach a million.
And they are only the most visible cases, but there are many more projects in other areas that were virgin. But none will be used to build a route. In fact, the broken ones will disappear, since it is no longer a friendly land for them to germinate. Now it is a land of mansions.
It is true, unacceptable and shameful not to have acted intelligently towards the administration, respecting what Les Rotes were, a paradise, an exception in the environment. For decades the rulers protected the environment, they did not allow a brick, a window to be moved, a tree to be cut, a structure of the complex itself. It remained like an island within the surrounding maelstrom. Its location made it so. A road that took you to the end of civilization, with no possibility of continuing. A road that had no exit ending in a unique place on the entire Levantine coast, reached the end of the Valencian "costa brava", Alicantina. Hundreds of kilometers of sandy beach from the Catalan Costa Brava, to the small stretch of extraordinary and unique rocky beach that is Las Rotas.
They ended in front of Cape San Antonio.
Sandy beaches even before the welcoming port, privileged and not privatized by the disastrous Balearia for its lack of ethics and empathy for compliance with ordinances to safeguard the much acclaimed Marine Reserve of Cabo de S. Antonio, and the wonderful port of Denia.
Not to mention the overexploited, overcrowded area before the marinas, the beach and the unique environment of the beach system with dunes and sand and extraordinary sea as well. But here also came speculation and tourist development, the developers, what
As if they were not already obtaining considerable benefits with rational and quality construction, but without control or urban planning plans from the city council, they allowed all that natural and precious wealth to be devastated and exterminated, with its dunes, fine white sands and an urban development that was respectful of the environment. . Very different from the overexploited and overcrowded beaches along the edges of the Racons River, which separated the beach from the province of Valencia and Alicante.
And then came the profit motive of the construction companies and urban planning companies that devastated the Las Marinas beach, as far as they could reach in front of the national highway and the protected limits of the Marjal de Pego.
How beautiful, what a privilege, that extensive sandy beach of approx. 14 km until you reach the endearing and special port of Denia.
But of course the brick had arrived and they took advantage of it and destroyed the excessive construction and as if there was no end, not even thinking about a tomorrow, to protect those extraordinary sandy beaches. It was necessary to build, plunder and profit as much as possible from that limited piece of coastline, which reached as far as Denia, which stood as a containment, like a wall that protected the small rough coast of Valencia, Alicantina, anticipated by the minimal beach of Marineta Casiana, before the rock beach of Les Rotes, or Las Rotas is the same.
There ended the speculation, the unbridled exploitation of the construction companies and developers, who in the absence of protection of the environment and landscape and a general urban plan run rampant, stealing and privatizing the landscape and the surroundings, the view of the splendor of the Montgó. , one of the icons of Denia, which has been, how I say, usurped from the population who could previously enjoy the landscape, now sees the buildings of the residents of the exclusive urbanizations in the area. The construction holding companies, urban developers and others, scratched their faces, tore their clothes, their clothing. » Cement, cement, asphalt, light pollution, overcrowding. They missed the privileged areas of the rock beaches of Les Rotes.
Cement, speculation, excessive and abusive enrichment, as if there were no other purpose, no planning, no urban planning, after long years of protection and respect for the environment of its extraordinary rock beaches and urban distribution of the area. They could not miss that unique and privileged environment of the five kilometers of beach and land, almost all except for some delimited plots, which linked the town with the idyllic and unique end of the Barranc del Monyo road, a road with its special personality vaulted by the vegetation, type although with other tree species to that of Marqués de Campo street.
The special Las Rotas highway ended before the impressive Cabo de San Antonio.
That's where civilization came. It is the end of the route for motor traffic.
The continuation of the maritime protected area of Cabo de San Antonio. Afterwards, a short path recently opened between the pine trees and the sea ended in the mythical Cova Tallá. The last of the treasures of Las Rotas.
What a wonder of nature. A grotto, a cave, a natural space that previously could only be reached by sea and now said path had been enabled that led you through an authentic speleological area, there was an intermediate point of absolute darkness, not even the light of day could be seen. the entrance or the end of the route, with various corridors that made it fearsome and risky to those who were unaware of it, to come across the pool that collected the drops of very pure water that slid down a timeless stalagmite to the pool that collected it. . It was the final reward for the extraordinary adventure of entering the bowels of the imposing Montgó.
It was an exciting, extraordinary and risky adventure to get there. More recently, to facilitate access, they put a rope to hold onto to avoid getting lost and the danger of falling due to the unevenness of the route. On the way back, from the exit from the interior of the grotto, the wonderful absolute darkness disappeared, giving way to the clarity of arrival at the high vault of the "Cova". Once there, what a wonderful spectacle awaited you. The windows to the sea.
Incredible, a wonderful show. It's like looking out from your home, your shelter at the edge of the sea, in the blue light of the exterior landscape, of the limitless horizon, of the sea.
In short, something difficult to understand and relate if you don't experience it firsthand. After exiting the cave, with its very high and colorful vault mentioned above, large stones and rocks detached from it, a small shallow surface and irregular floor that connected you to the bright exterior with several windows and doors, some very small esplanades like terraces that opened you to the infinity of the sea and the horizon.
Incredible and wonderful show.
And to finish my very extensive description and personal reality, which I hope you can forgive, for those unfamiliar with the environment, comment that the origin of the name of the wonderful cave is due to the fact that it is made of limestone, Tosca stone, which was carved leaving the trail of the three points that marked the extraction of the Tosca blocks that were extracted and carved uniformly for the construction of the fabulous Denia Castle.
But hey, that's another different story, with which I'm not going to abuse taking your time and attention.
Thanks for all this.
A lover of Denia, its surroundings and its very varied wonders.
I see in this article a mixture of valid concern and stupidity. Valid concern because nobody wants mass development at the tip of the shovel in Las Rotas. Stupid because it criticizes and does not give solutions. He criticizes the economic injustice that prevents people with an average salary from living in Las Rotas and gives the impression that social class apartheid exists in Las Rotas. It is true to a large extent that families with more resources live in Las Rotas, although it is not exclusively true. But how do you want to change that? If Denia is dedicated to tourism, there will be rich people who want chalets. If Denia wants to benefit from tourism, it has to attract people with money. Or do you prefer to deny people with money living in Denia? Or if you let them live in Denia, do you want them to live in a small Soviet-style apartment? It is absurd to simply complain about the increased urbanization of Las Rotas and the increase in housing prices without finding answers, simply complaining. The most sensible thing would be to allow the construction of chalets, but to emphasize environmental protection in Las Rotas, to have green areas, open fields, which allows the soul of Las Rotas to be maintained. But the increase in prices in Las Rotas is an inevitability due to the demand for housing in Las Rotas, it is the punishment of being such a loved area. So better to keep quiet about "if so much millionaire and if so much chalet", it seems that there is a bit of envy here (although I can sympathize to some extent). We will not be able to return to Las Rotas 1950, nor will we be able to do anything by scolding the rich. A protection and restraint plan should be the route taken. The quality of the report in Denia.com is terrible
By God how horrible!!!! A rich town!!! That they pay high taxes and that their municipal corporation uses to keep the city clean, its gardens beautiful, its streets and highways well-lit and paved, well-lit, with quality services... Ahhh, sorry, this use of taxes well does which is a chimera... Sorry sorry.
How much better would be a town full of squatters, with streets full of shit and the smell of urine, Third World asphalt and entire neighborhoods without lighting... Well, all this already, if we don't have it, we'll get to it shortly.
I think that all the houses in Las Rotas should be expropriated and made communal, for open use and free squatting, it is democratic and ecological… But not only those in Las Rotas, all the better ones in the town… No, better all the ones in Alicante , and Spain... What a beautiful future...
What a horror... A town of rich people!!!
Ay Jesús… He. The middle ground exists… I'm not rich but fortunately I'm not a squatter either. I think that the people of Dénia of a lifetime were not millionaires but that does not make them pig beggars. It is good that there is tourism, Dénia has always lived from it but a balanced formula must be found that allows the arrival of tourists without this passing so much to the residents... Since when is it normal for the same home to be a holiday and winter season? Is it normal that people who are rented have to leave the house from May to September?... Are these people the dirty squat?
In Denia there is no problem with environmentalists or with costs? Many years ago the massification that it would entail was already seen coming, it will leave money but the charm that it had will never return.
This phenomenon where speculators get rich and smallholders think they touch the sun with one finger is called Gentrification. Unfortunately, only speculators earn from this because once the residents of Dénia sell, they are left without the property and the profit obtained will not be enough for their descendants to buy a home in Dénia. They, those children and grandchildren who will not be able to buy a home in the future in this city, must - like the others - forget their roots and start their lives in other cities because it will be in the hands of foreigners whose intention is not to enjoy Denia but to put them for vacation rental. Thus, this charming city will be relegated to hosting a continuous coming and going of strangers. I recommend watching the documentaries of the German channel Deutsche Welle, known as DW., and which broadcasts in Spanish. Do a search on Google putting the words gentrification, dw and look for the documentaries on this global phenomenon... Among them you will see a very interesting documentary on the gentrification of Jaffa... Although there are others
What a legacy we will leave to our descendants! A city of millionaires… Cleaners and waiters. Those of us here will die and our children will either leave here or work for those millionaires or for speculators. That is called… the only love… money… Ignorant
I would like to know what all of you would do if you were the owner of some land in Las Rotas where an evil and ruthless builder comes to offer you millions of euros for your land...
Yes, yes… with the goods of others we are all very melancholic, romantic and ecofriendly, but with ours that is another story….
Go stop bullshit and accept reality. to cry to the cry
Well, you're right, there is a lot of good-natured hypocrisy. The one who has written the text is sensitive but it would be necessary to see if he had inherited a piece of land and they tempted him with millions for selling land. What he does not say is that the city council also gets a slice.
And for the record that I have nothing in the broken... I would like to, but I don't criticize anyone who does what they want with their own without disturbing.
Las Rotas with some houses or others is still beautiful. What remains is to clean the beach of algae, at least Marineta Casiana is full of dead algae, which the sea expels to the shore so that they do not contaminate it, and we should remove it from the shore, recycle it and use it as compost or as paper …the chemists will say.
Let's thank our dear councilors and vote for them again.
It's called real estate tourism speculation. What exactly don't you like? Who sells those lands to the builders? Their owners. How come those lands are not productive? That in the end there won't be an unbuilt hole, killing the ecosystem? Yes, they will charge it. Do you still think not?
They are going to burst EVERYTHING….
Mr money is a powerful gentleman!!! I lived the Rotas of the 70s with crabs and crystal clear waters. French people eating sea urchins and throwing their shells on the seashore. The algae accumulating on the coast for the enjoyment of those of us who were children at the time. Doors open without fear of intruders. Sun and innocence in abundance. Ahhh what times those!!!
Christen Blom-Dahl
Christen, I lived it too and that increases my helplessness and anger
Money money money!! Where will be the essence of Denia, of the much-loved Rotes? only in our hearts
And to make matters worse, the city council turns a blind eye when they cut down adult pine trees so that the chalet of the millionaire on duty has views of the sea. The most serious thing is that the builders are to blame first and then the council for turning a blind eye. I say this with knowledge of the facts, 2 years ago a company from Denia began work on a luxury villa and without thinking twice one morning they began to cut down pine trees from an adjoining plot of land to have views of the sea... I went to report it and still I am waiting for an answer….. it is one more example of the tricks and shenanigans that builders and local administration are up to
Before 2030 we will cry about this and want to turn it back
Many of us are already crying with enormous impotence and rage, but we have no chance
Honey is not made for the donkey's mouth... goes the saying.
People who want a glass house that has nothing to do with the surroundings, with built-up streets and lampposts that will not allow the light of the stars to be seen, that they go to the large soto grande-type urbanizations, and that let us enjoy this privileged environment full of pines and mastic trees... Damn town hall and smeared by the builders! Allowing to demolish houses with history to make glass houses that have nothing to do with the environment that those of us who truly love Las Rotas enjoy! Pity speculators! With them bread be eaten