We have to answer quickly because there are other interested people. There are eleven days left before the official mascletàs contest of the Bonfires of San Juan de Alicante begins and the spaces to contemplate the spectacle under cover, safe from the stress caused by being surrounded by a heated crowd, and from a height sufficient for the thunderous experience is complete, do not abound. They are paying, they tell us, 100 euros per person per day. But it is negotiable.
Given that the office they offer us has space for ten people (“more, they would be uncomfortable”, they tell us) the calculation is simple: one thousand euros a day, if the reservation is for the seven days of the official contest, it would be seven thousand euros. The company we spoke with closes the office during the festive week, and in addition to this office whose rent we negotiate, it has two more spacious ones that are already committed.
The place has a toilet, kitchen and fridge, but catering is our business. They do not set us a time limit, at least until we make a firm offer, but “normal” is to spend about three hours, from one to four at the most. While we are thinking about it, we found another offer published a few days ago on an ad portal: a balcony to see the mascletà in Luceros for 1,000 euros a day. It’s a similar deal, as long as we get ten people together.
It’s our fault for not being farsighted, as was J., a man from Alicante who reserves his “luxury box” months in advance every year. Several friends pay for it to invite whoever they want, just like some companies do, either because they have their headquarters in the square, like some law firms, or because they rent it. He booked in November and the apartment cost him 1,300 euros from June 20 to 25. We talked about how a similar rental for five days “is a bargain”, because it costs 260 per mascletá, and although the staff varies from one day to the next, they are never less than ten people.
The truth is that the matter is not without controversy. In the past Bonfires, banners were hung from some balconies protesting the celebration of the annual fireworks show in the square, which according to some residents sometimes causes damage to the Bañuls fountain, a monument that has occupied the center of the square since before everyone else. the buildings that surround it, and in any case, it is uncomfortable due to the spectacular noise -it is recommended not to close the windows completely to avoid glass breakage due to vibration- and scares the most defenseless members of the house, children and animals.
On Saturday, June 17, from 7 in the morning and until 8 in the morning of June 25, the restrictions on general traffic in access to the traditional center are activated in Alicante to facilitate pedestrian traffic for the celebrations of the Fogueres festivities. of Sant Joan.
The perimeter of the center will be permeable to the movement of vehicles and the avenues of Alfonso el Sabio and Estación will be closed to general traffic, arbitrating particular measures for the restricted traffic of public services and residents, measures that will allow pedestrians to circulate freely on these busy roads during all the festivities. Circulation in the downtown area of ​​the city will be limited to 20 km/hour as a residential area, with relevant signage being provided at the six entrances to the restricted area.
The delimited perimeter is formed by the avenue Dr. Gadea, Paseo de Soto, Marvá, avenue Benito Pérez Galdós, Musician Óscar Tordera Iniesta, Poet Carmelo Calvo, Padre Mariana, plaza de Santa Teresa, Cuesta de la Fábrica, Vázquez de Mella, Doña Violante, Juan Bautista Lafora and avenue Ramón y Cajal .
Access by private vehicle to the center will be closed on time when it coincides with the celebration of the different scheduled events such as parades, mascletà or cremà . From June 17 to 24, it will not be possible to access the Plaza de Luceros due to the shooting in it of the mascletÃ
