This Beach Is Using a New Reservation System to Assign Spots so Visitors Can Keep Their Distance This Summer (Video)

A beach town in Spain will require sunbathers to make reservations in advance for a spot on the sand this summer.

Canet d'en Berenguer, a Mediterranean beach town just 20 miles north of Valencia, will set up a grid system on the sands that will only be available by reservation. Those who want a spot will have to download an app to book their spot and times.

"This summer will be very different," Pere Joan Antoni Chordá, the town's mayor, told CNN. "There'll be more space between your neighbor. Like a 'business-class' beach."

According to Chordá's plan, a system of nets will spread across the sand, delineating square sections that visitors can book. Each of the areas is separated by a distance of six feet.

The town will only allow a maximum of 5,000 people on the beach per day, about half of its normal capacity. People who snag one of the 5,000 spots will be able to book a session for the morning or the afternoon but not both. Arrival times will also be staggered to avoid crowding at the beach entrances.

Once visitors arrive at the beach, they will have to check in with staff to confirm their reservation. After check-in, beach-goers will be led to their section of the beach — to avoid confusion and unnecessary mingling between sunbathers.

On the other side of the country, the Atlantic beaches of Sanxenxo plan to limit on a first-come, first-served basis. The beach will also be split up by section, with wooden oles and cords marking out squares, each separated by at least five feet. There will be smaller sections for just a couple people visiting together and larger ones for groups of people.

The towns hope to open their beaches in June but cannot announce a firm date until Spain’s lockdown has been completely lifted. Spain is undergoing a four-part lockdown, with restrictions lifted slowly as its “Transition to a New Normal.”

The country currently has 224,000 cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University.