The Spanish coastal area, the Costa Iberica, has become a tremendous economic success. In 50 years it has turned into the densest "city" in Europe due to a series of attractions that are lacking elsewhere: sun, sea, food, freedom and cheapness. But despite these huge advantages and its endless expansion, it is condemned for its monocultural behaviour, for its lack of history, taste and culture, its overwhelming hegemony over natural resources and its total ignorance of ecological responsibility. This controversy freezes its potential rather than activates it. What should be done with this paradoxical phenomenon that balances between disgust and charm, between attraction and repulsion? Could this controversy not be transformed into a more productive approach by capitalizing on its massive values, enabling the area to be turned into a more sustainable and elaborate example of the "leisure city"? This book is also available in a Spanish language version, ISBN 84-89698-95-3.