A resident of Santander denounces the situation experienced during the summer in Cantabria due to mass tourism.

In Cantabria , the images that occurred more than a week ago on Puntal beach , 700 meters from the Bay of Santander, are deeply concerning. 5,000 people gathered for a massive party , leaving the natural area littered with trash and disturbing the tranquility that residents normally enjoy.

Tourism in Cantabria has been on the rise in recent years, although Cantabrians might think it's not necessarily for the better, as evidenced by scenes like this one, which have put residents and organizations seeking to defend their own interests on alert.

"It seems that calls for proposals circulating online have left these unfortunate and worrying images. In Cantabria, there are organizations that have been denouncing for years that this tourism model leads to images like this, because we're talking about a protected area where an activity like this has a huge impact ," said Paulu Lobete, Secretary General of Cantabristas, on Antena 3 .

At the beginning of 2025, the regional president, María José Sáenz de Buruaga, announced the tourism figures for 2024, which were clearly positive for Cantabria, which closed the year with a new record for both visitors , which grew by more than 2% compared to the previous year and exceeded 2.1 million, and overnight stays, which rose to almost 6 million.

"There will be Cantabrians and there will be tourists, both. During peak tourist season, this is when you see these kinds of images . Cantabria is undergoing a dramatic transformation with tourism; it's increasing dramatically in these areas. This is giving rise to these kinds of issues precisely because there's no tourism model," warns the Secretary General of the Cantabristas.

These types of gatherings are quickly organized through WhatsApp groups or messages spread on other social media platforms commonly used by young people, who have been the main subjects of these images, which have come to be known as the "Magaluf of the North."

Not only do residents suffer, but also the owners of beach bars in these areas , forced to collect tons of garbage so their businesses don't suffer. This is in addition, of course, to the deterioration of these protected natural spaces.

"I don't know if it will be repeated on this show, but I'm convinced that these kinds of images will be repeated in Cantabria in the coming years if we don't change course. Although it may seem like a one-time drinking party, I think it has to do with the tourism model being implemented. It should serve to make the people of Cantabria live better and be an economic sector that contributes to that, and yet it's harming natural spaces and damaging some of the best things we have here ," said a concerned Paulu Lobete, Secretary General of the Cantabristas, on Antena 3 .