There's been a big change in the sun lounger concessions on the beaches of San Jose this year. In the four-yearly auction run by the council to sell licenses to allow people to hire out sun loungers on the beaches there have been many changes with over 20% of the former licensees left loungerless.
The problem is that the new concession holders have had to pay out so much for the right to hire the loungers that they are desperate to make enough profit to cover their initial costs. As the maximum they are allowed to charge for a sun bed or parasol is €4.50 there have been many complaints to the police and local newspapers that they are resorting to skulduggery to make more money.
There have been several cases reported whereby sunbathers have been told that they are not allowed to put their towels on the sand in the area where there are sun loungers and that they must use (and pay for) the sun beds.
In Spain, all beaches are for public use and members of the public have a right to put their towels wherever they wish.