End of the 2024 Season 

Chiringuitos in Formentera

Formentera, 1 November 2024

On October 31st, the first season of the new chiringuito concession holders in Formentera came to an end, closing out a summer that was both unusual and relatively short for these beach establishments.

The 2024 season was marked by its brevity and a high level of uncertainty, due to delays in the awarding of the current concessions. These delays meant that the first chiringuito, Chiringuito Gitana, didn’t start operating until mid-July, and the last one, Chiringuito KM11, couldn’t open until August 3rd.

For residents and frequent visitors to the island, this new era of chiringuitos in Formentera has brought significant changes. The new management teams, and in some cases, completely different offerings compared to the previous concession holders, have altered the traditional chiringuito experience.

In my opinion, the biggest changes are the excessively elaborate gastronomic offerings that resemble a restaurant menu more than that of a typical beach chiringuito, especially when compared to the older chiringuitos that became popular among both visitors and locals.

Opening Hours During Winter 2024-2025

With the end of the summer season, the chiringuitos in Formentera won’t completely shut down until next summer. Starting November 1, 2024, and running through early May 2025, the chiringuito concession holders are required to provide services from Friday to Sunday, as long as weather conditions allow.

This winter service allows residents and visitors to continue enjoying the chiringuitos… though it depends on the weather, as rainy days or strong winds are valid reasons for staying closed. On days when the weather is favorable, the chiringuitos will open from midday and operate until sunset, embracing the charm of Formentera’s winter afternoons, offering a space to gather by the sea for a drink or a snack with friends.

This regulation is a practice that also existed under the previous concessions and has proven to be highly appreciated, as it provides residents with the only seaside service option, considering that all beach restaurants in Formentera remain closed until the next summer season.

Dismantling of the Chiringuitos

The administrative concession regulating the operation of chiringuitos on Formentera’s beaches includes a requirement to dismantle and completely remove these installations for a period of 31 days each year. This regulation aims to preserve the natural environment of the beaches during the months of lower activity and ensures that these temporary structures don’t become permanent fixtures on the coastal landscape.

Unlike the older chiringuitos, which were much simpler structures that the concession holders themselves would set up and take down, the current installations are considerably more complex. Most of the new chiringuitos are high-quality wooden structures designed to meet safety standards similar to those for homes in certain parts of Spain. These structures, capable of supporting up to 200 kg per square meter, could quite literally be habitable in a different context.

This structural complexity means that the dismantling and reassembly of the current chiringuitos can no longer be managed by the concession holders alone, and must instead be handled by the same carpentry company that built them. This not only significantly increases costs for the new concession holders but also requires more time to dismantle and reinstall the structures. Additionally, the regulatory 31-day period during which the chiringuito must completely disappear from the beach adds an extra challenge to the operation.

Meeting with the Balearic Government

For this reason, the current concession holders have requested a meeting with the Balearic Government to discuss the situation and explore alternatives that could simplify the process and benefit all parties involved.

If no agreement is reached, the dismantling will have to take place between January and March, with the obligation to reinstall the chiringuito once the stipulated 31 days have passed. This dismantling process represents a logistical and financial challenge for the concession holders, highlighting the differences between current requirements and those that existed during the era of the previous chiringuitos.

Demands from Former
Beach Chiringuito Concession Holders

The former concession holders of Formentera’s beach chiringuitos are still, quite legitimately, pursuing their case in court to clarify the circumstances surrounding the current concession award process. This process, widely contested, left most of the previous operators out, despite many of them having run their businesses on the beaches for years. Only one of them, Chiringuito Bartolo on Es Copinar beach, managed to renew its concession.

Political Crisis in Formentera

The current political situation within the Consell de Formentera does little to clarify the lingering questions about the recent concession process. The president is governing without the support of any political group and has even lost the backing of the coalition partners with whom he won the last election with an absolute majority. The president and the remaining political groups were presenting completely opposing views regarding the awarding of the current chiringuitos.

Furthermore, the slow pace of the judicial processes in Spain suggests that it could take a significant amount of time before an official response is obtained. The implications of a judicial resolution could be substantial for both the current and former concession holders, as well as for the Consell Insular de Formentera itself. If the claims are upheld and irregularities in the awarding process are identified, it could lead to financial consequences, including potential compensation payments that would affect both the Consell and the residents—ultimately, those of us who pay taxes on the island.

This ongoing legal process represents a point of tension and a source of uncertainty, both for the chiringuito concession sector in Formentera and for the island’s residents as a whole.