Palapas at Dawn

My Spanish dictionary has no entry for Palapas.  These are wood posts with umbrella-like supports, covered with palm leaves-- the permanently placed umbrellas on the beach in front of our hotel.  At dawn they are deserted,  but in the afternoon all the guests sit there reading while vendedores walk up and down the beach trying persistently to sell them jewelry and Hawaiian print dresses and sugary snacks.  I would prefer to take an umbrella in front of this mess and sit closer to the water, but alas, no umbrellas.  A security guy confronts me for my room number.  I am sitting on the sand.  I guess no one sits on the sand, so I look out of place.  This is not the only way in which I look out of place.