Cala Llebeig - History.
There was a board at Cala Llebeig / Smugglers cove (now vandalised) which
read:
There were "Carabineros" on watch in the Cala de Llebeig for many
years, and until recently the Guardia Civil, with the object of stopping smuggling.
The ships laden with tobacco and cloth approached the steepest place on the
coast where men and beasts of burden were waiting to take the bales up the
cliffs to be subseuqnetly distributed.
The Royal Group of "Carabineros" was formed under Royal Decree on 9th March 1829 and was specifically to stop smuggling and fraud. These duties and some of the men were transferred to the Guardia Civil in 1940. The object was to avoid undeclared goods to be unloaded on the coast (smuggling). The Carabineros guarded the coastline and the hours of duties were known as "plantones".
Note: The "smiggling" is thought to be still going on - but now the trade is illegal immigrants. A resident travelling through Benitatxell in the early hours was stopped by Guardia Civil looking for cars which may be carrying such cargo from Smugglers' Cove
Notes by Joan Franklin
For more details see: