The long-running dispute over the Cabo Roig coastal walkway has finally been resolved, clearing the way for its reopening this summer — and at a fraction of the cost originally demanded by landowners.
The Provincial Expropriation Board has set the final compensation at €26,180, significantly lower than the €3 million initially sought. In 2024, Orihuela City Council had budgeted €600,000 to cover expropriation and related works; the final settlement frees up substantial funds for future infrastructure projects.
The contested 227 square metres of land, crucial for restoring pedestrian access between Aguamarina and La Caleta, had been at the centre of a bitter legal and financial battle. Landowners first claimed €3 million before reducing their demand to €1.2 million.
In contrast, municipal appraisers valued the land at approximately €70,000.
With no agreement reached, the matter was referred to the Provincial Expropriation Board, which issued the final valuation last week.
The affected properties include:
142 square metres owned collectively by 52 residents, whose claims dropped from €2 million to around €170,000, and
85 square metres held by Cabo Roig S.A. for hotel development, initially valued at €1 million.
Following the Board’s decision, Orihuela Council has requested the €26,180 from the municipal Treasury to deposit the compensation and initiate the occupation process. The walkway is expected to reopen in time for the summer tourist season.
A PROTRACTED LEGAL BATTLE
The dispute dates back to 2013, when residents of the Bellavista residential complex constructed a wall along the cliffside path, blocking public access. The Leader Newspaper ran the story on it’s front page, whilst simultaneously petitioning local councillors for their support.
Though initially demolished by city workers with court approval, subsequent legal challenges reversed the decision. In 2016, a court ruled the path was not formally part of the public domain, ordering the City to rebuild the wall.
The City, then under the PP (Popular Party), did not appeal the ruling, making it final. However, they continued appealing parts of its execution.
In May 2017, the Provincial Coastal Service stated that the Aguamarina land is subject to a right of way, meaning the 52 residential owners could not legally close it.
On October 4, 2018, another court order instructed the City to rebuild the wall. The City appealed, but the TSJ dismissed the appeal in November 2020, ruling that the wall was legally built before the current Coastal Law came into force — undermining the Coastal Service’s claims about a right of way. The TSJ also annulled the City’s 2013 demolition orders.
Thus, to comply with the 2016 judgment requiring the land to be restored to its original state, the walkway was closed again in December 2021.
After years of appeals and counterappeals, Orihuela was ultimately compelled to close the walkway in December 2021, forcing pedestrians onto a two-kilometre detour to bypass just 60 metres of coastline.
The final €26,000 settlement now brings an end over a decade of legal and financial uncertainty. With the final expropriation figure now settled far below initial expectations, Orihuela, at long last, can finally close the chapter on this costly legal battle — and reopen one of Cabo Roig’s most iconic seaside routes.
