Between 1,200 and 1,300 people celebrated the arrival of spring at the annual ‘hippy’ festival at Los Cigarrones, close to Órgiva in the Alpujarras. This was despite the gathering being banned by the local Council and the presence of Guardia Civil riot police.
The Los Cigarrones area is in the process of reforestation, and this was one of the reasons that the Mayor of Órgiva, María Ángeles Blanco, banned the festival, known locally as the ‘Fiesta del Dragón’ – Feast of the Dragon. Other reasons for banning the festival were based on the rules in Andalucía governing the consumption of alcohol in public places and the fact that it annoys the local population, especially as regards noise.
About a dozen Guardia Civil were ordered to the area but have not so far intervened except to insist that revellers leave their vehicles outside the area and walk three kilometres to the site of the festival.
Attendance is down on last year when around 2,500 people took part in the festivities.