See The Spanish Beach Being Ruined By Too Much Sex

This beach in Spain is being overrun by something tourists can't seem to stop doing in the dunes -- sex, and lots of it.

By Michileen Martin | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

spanish beach

Sex is often a polarizing subject and, for better or worse, that doesn’t seem likely to change any time soon. To many people, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, sex can be an expression of freedom and any attempt by outside parties to restrict it can understandably be interpreted as oppression. But on at least one Spanish beach, it does genuinely seem possible that people are having way too much sex. And it isn’t a question of who’s doing it or how, but where and how much.

CNN reports that researchers believe the Dunas de Maspalomas Special Nature Reserve is being ravaged by too many tourists doing the proverbial nasty on the Spanish beach. In a paper published in the Journal of Environmental Management, the researchers conclude that the dunes on the Reserve are being used so often for tourist sex that the dune system is being impacted in disastrous ways. Nor is it just the dunes, but the indigenous plant life and animals that are being impacted by the prolific waist-bumping in the sand.

CNN explains that in their paper, the researchers say they found nearly 300 different “sex spots” on the Spanish beach. Most of these spots are found in areas of vegetation and nebhkas, or “dunes that wad up around vegetation.” Once there, the tourists trample the plants, often leave garbage — such as cigarettes, condoms, and cans — and even urinate and defecate in what the researchers refer to as their “nests.”

Along with the obvious damage to the dunes and the plant life in the area because of the tourists’ waste, litter, and trampling, the abundance of nookie on the Spanish beach is sadly even killing animals. The giant lizards of the area have been known to choke to death upon attempting to eat condoms left behind by tourists.

The Dunas de Maspalomas Special Nature Reserve is located on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. CNN reports the reserve represents one of the last remaining shifting dune systems in Europe. The Spanish beach is often used as a rest stop for birds migrating between Europe and Africa. The reserve was established specifically to stop the kind of abuse it’s enduring. Indicative of what appears to be tourist carelessness, the researchers said they found 56 sex spots in the reserve’s “exclusion zone” where members of the public aren’t supposed to venture at all.

One aspect of the story that could stir some controversy is the fact that Gran Canaria has a reputation for being what the New York Post calls “a gay tourism mecca.” The researchers said they were aware of this, and that they had no intention of singling out the LGBTQ+ community. Their concern is not what kind of sex is being practiced on the Spanish beach but the frequency and the locations, and they’re quick to point out that there are plenty of heterosexual couples damaging the dunes by using them as love nests.