The long-running dispute over the Algarrobico hotel in Carboneras has entered a new phase. The Junta de Andalucía and Greenpeace have asked the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Andalucía (TSJA) to annul the building licence after Carboneras council postponed a decision until June 22. The 2003 licence lies central to a legal and administrative dispute that has lasted more than two decades.
Built on Algarrobico beach within the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, the hotel has become a prominent symbol of the conflict over coastal development and environmental protection in Spain. The council was expected to comply with a 2021 TSJA ruling requiring it to revoke the licence. Instead, a proposal from non-affiliated councillor Felipe Cayuela to delay the vote passed by seven votes to five. PSOE councillors backed it, along with a former PP member and a non-affiliated councillor.
Greenpeace has asked the TSJA to intervene directly and declare the licence null and void, arguing that a court-led decision could bring demolition closer. The Junta joined the request, describing judicial annulment as the most direct way forward. Greenpeace’s legal representative argued that, if the court acts, an appeal to Spain’s Supreme Court would be the remaining route to challenge the decision. A council-led process, by contrast, could face multiple rounds of administrative and judicial appeals.
The legal process has continued to evolve. Levante-EMV reported on September 3, 2026, that four appeals had been lodged against annulment of the hotel’s licence. On September 9, the newspaper reported that the Junta had activated a process linked to demolition. The developments point toward implementation, even as litigation over the licence remains part of the case. The Consejo General del Poder Judicial’s jurisprudence portal gives the public access to Spanish court decisions.
The council’s postponement has also deepened divisions within the PSOE. The party’s regional leadership, led by María Jesús Montero, had previously advocated expropriation as a route to demolishing the hotel and pledged to complete the process within five months. Legal challenges from the developer, Azata del Sol, have held up that approach. After the latest delay, the PSOE’s provincial secretary announced disciplinary proceedings against the five socialist councillors who supported postponement.
The regional government, led by Juan Manuel Moreno, has accused the PSOE of obstruction and inconsistency, citing the party’s role in the original licensing process and the current dispute over revocation. Junta spokesperson Carolina España questioned the motives behind the PSOE’s actions and announced plans for a joint government commission to seek explanations and accountability. The regional administration is also examining possible legal consequences for the councillors who backed the delay.
The Algarrobico case has become one of Spain’s best-known environmental and legal controversies. The hotel never opened to the public, and its continued presence on the coast has focused attention on disputes over planning decisions and environmental enforcement. Multiple court rulings have found the building permit invalid, while the National Court has repeatedly held that the developer is not entitled to compensation. The current proceedings put municipal licensing and regional environmental policy before the courts, in a contest with implications for how authorities handle disputed developments in protected areas.
