Lorraine Williamson
Dénia’s coastline has become a magnet for motorhomes. In peak season, it can also feel like a long, slow traffic jam that never quite moves on. Now the council says it is exploring a new tool to restore turnover: a digital system that logs when a camper arrives and how long it stays.
The idea, outlined by councillor Javier Scotto in local media, is an app that would make enforcement faster and less labour-intensive for police working a long stretch of seafront.
A crackdown? Not exactly. It’s a move towards traceable rules
Dénia is not trying to ban motorhomes from parking. It is trying to prove, digitally, whether a vehicle is complying with the rules that already exist.
Under Dénia’s municipal by-law, the time limits currently set out are 48 hours within the municipality and 24 hours along the seafront. The proposed app would record the moment a motorhome parks, so officers can quickly see if the permitted stay has been exceeded.
That matters because the status quo is messy: the council argues that manual checks across multiple beach zones are inefficient, while residents complain about the visual impact and the feeling of “permanent parking” in places designed for public access.
The legal line Dénia can’t cross: parking is allowed, camping isn’t
This is where many Spanish coastal disputes end up. Spain’s traffic framework treats “parking” as a normal manoeuvre. “Camping” is a different activity entirely, often regulated via tourism and local rules.
The national traffic authority, the DGT, has spelled this out in its instruction on motorhomes, emphasising that parking rights apply in the same way as for other vehicles, while local authorities can still regulate behaviour that crosses into camping.
That distinction explains why Dénia is now leaning into enforcement of time limits and service provision, rather than blanket restrictions.
Three new service areas are also on the table
Alongside the tracking app, the council is considering three designated plots equipped with basic services for motorhomes: wastewater disposal and fresh water refills. According to COPE, the intention is that these services would likely be paid, both to manage demand and to cover running costs, with management either kept in-house or outsourced.
For travellers, that could be the more significant change: proper facilities reduce the worst environmental risks and take some pressure off beachfront zones. And, for locals, it is a bet that a clearer “park here, service here” model will stop informal long-stay clusters from forming along the shore.
The political row: fairness for campsites
Not everyone is impressed. VOX councillor Alfonso Rossy, who works in the camping sector, has attacked the proposal as unfair competition, arguing that campsites operate under stricter obligations while the town would be offering parking and facilities for motorhomes. He also raised the question of coastal aesthetics when large numbers of vehicles gather in one place.
Supporters of the plan counter that motorhome tourism brings year-round spending, and that unmanaged parking is worse for residents and businesses than clear, enforceable rules.
Why Dénia’s debate isn’t just a local story
Across Spain, the boom in camper and motorhome travel is forcing towns to confront the same questions: who gets access to seafront public space, how waste is handled, and where the line sits between a parked vehicle and a campsite.
The Canary Islands, for example, are preparing a regulation aimed at providing legal clarity and pushing municipalities to create specific zones for motorhomes — a sign of how quickly this issue is moving from local argument to regional policy.
Solo camping in Spain is booming — and it’s not just about saving money
What this means for camper travellers in Dénia
If Dénia goes ahead, the message will be simple: you can park, but you will be time-tracked, particularly along the seafront. At the same time, the town may be offering more official options for servicing vehicles, which could make compliance easier for responsible travellers.
For Spain’s coastal towns, this is the bigger experiment: whether digital monitoring and basic infrastructure can reduce friction without turning every seafront into a policing headache.