Torrevieja Council has started removing 20 large palm trees from Paseo Juan Aparicio after technicians identified a potential structural risk. The work began on Tuesday and is being carried out by Actúa, part of Grupo Hozono Global, which maintains the town’s parks and gardens.

Councillor Concha Sala said the most vulnerable specimens are being removed before the busy Easter period, when thousands of visitors gather along the seafront. The work will pause during the holiday and resume afterwards.

The action follows an urgent inspection ordered after a palm tree fell onto the CV-905 on 15 November 2025, killing a young driver. That tree, which was infected with red weevil, was listed in the მუნიციპаl census of more than 5,500 palms. While only one other infected tree was found, several showed structural weaknesses.

The council has confirmed the removed palms will not be replaced, in order to create more pedestrian space. Some of the date palms are more than 50 years old and form part of the seafront’s traditional image, although more than 15 have disappeared over the past 25 years without replacement.