Tourists warned to stay away from Instagrammable lavender fields in Spanish town at weekends
Tourists told not to visit famous Spanish attraction amid overtourism crisis
- The mayor of Brihuega, Spain, has urged tourists to avoid visiting the town's popular lavender fields at weekends due to severe overcrowding.
- Brihuega's 1,000-hectare lavender fields attract thousands of visitors, especially in July, boosting the local economy by millions of euros and increasing the town's population over the past decade.
- However, the influx of over 100,000 visitors in July alone has strained local services, causing significant traffic and parking issues in the small town.
- Mayor Lusi Viejo described a recent Saturday as the village "collapsing" and advised tourists to visit between Monday and Thursday for a more manageable experience.
- To address the issue, the town plans to implement a permanent park-and-ride scheme with shuttle buses, as they cannot limit visitor numbers or charge entry fees for the free-access fields.