OFFICIALLY MAGICAL TOWNS

ACCORDING to Spain’s Magicos accreditation scheme, magical towns should have traditions, festivals, gastronomy, architecture, tourist resources, views and a natural environment that makes them feel ‘alive’ and ‘unique’.

The scheme intends to give obscure towns ‘the presence they deserve’. Its vetting team includes historians and specialists from rural and local development, architecture, sociology, tourism and web development.

Obviously, the beauty and quality of the place is taken into account – although, from personal observation, the criteria can be applied to just part of a town, such as an old barrio or ancient castillo.

The scheme assesses architecture, recreational areas, hiking trails, parks, squares, fountains, monuments, plac-

By Jo Chipchase

es of worship, museums, and – what all visitors want - easy access and parking.

It also examines tourist accommodation, restaurants, gastronomy, and shops selling local produce. Not forgetting those annual fiestas and whether they are of cultural interest.

A town with historic monuments or architecture, or a legacy of prehistoric civilisation and culture gets bonus points.

Some ‘magical’ towns are set amongst national or natural parks or conservation areas and may have stunning features, like springs and waterfalls.

Which towns have this status in Granada?

A trip through the Granada region reveals there are several: Officially designated magical towns include Alpujarra de la Sierra, which comprises Yegen (former home of Gerald Brenan), Mecina Bombaron, El Golco and Montenegro.

The south-facing Contraviesa town of Sorvilan has just received the status. This beautiful mountain pueblo has striking views; steep, narrow streets; decorated balconies; and a history of wine production. Castell del Ferro (which the Olive Press recently featured in a guide to the hidden gem beaches of the Contraviesa) wins for historic features –and is perfect for a tranquil day at the seaside. Portugos, in the heart of La Alpujarra, no doubt scored points for its obvious attraction: the Fuente Agria, an impressive waterfall with red, ferrous water. Torvizcon also has magical status, possibly for its beautiful almond blossoms above the town, and its springtime rambla. Another magical town, Velez de Benaudualla, boasts the Nazari garden – listed among the Junta de Andalucia’s Assets of Cultural Interest – and a history of Moors and Christians. There’s also the Granada region town of Salar, which has a long and tumultuous history and a Roman villa; La Calahorra, on the road to Guadix, with its amazing castle; and several other places, including the pretty Gualchos, Víznar, Orce, Puebla de don Fadrique, and Polícar.

A ‘Magic Passport’ has been designed to help you plan trips to magic towns – and get discounts from some businesses. The passports are available from participating ayuntamientos and must be registered online. Sounds like an effort? Tripadvisor might be an easy option. Some readers aren’t convinced about what constitutes ‘magic’: “My ‘magic’ town has plastic from greenhouses on its rambla,” said one. “Ours is still dirty from the 2022 calima,” com- plained another, “and the main recreation zone has been filled with tarmac”. There’s more information about the scheme and a route map on the Pueblos Magicos website (www.pueblosmagicos.es).

The strange case of Trevelez

TREVELEZ, one of Spain’s highest villages, lost its ‘magico’ status in September 2022 for applying to be part of the rival ‘Mas Bonitas de Espana’ scheme, and for installing ‘plastic-type’ animals and effigies throughout its three barrios.

Although a cute tourist attraction, the magicos team would rather see the likes of traditional lavabos (public places where people used to scrub their clothes). Just down the road from Trevelez, the installation of spooky effigies and a witchy theme turned the once depopulating village of Soportujar into a trailblazing tourist success. Today, it is the most searchedfor tourist pueblo in Granada province. The beauty of the plastic animals is clearly in the eye of the beholder!

And the Pueblos

Mas Bonitas?

IT’S easier to see why the ‘beautiful’ towns have their status. There’s no denying that the traditional white villages of Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira radiate visual appeal, with colourful flowerpots adorning balconies; traditional crafts on display in the streets; Spain’s highest mountain peaks towering behind them, and a tourist industry that caters for every need.

Over at Los Mas Bonitas website, there’s a ‘merch’ section. You can buy a t-shirt (they aren’t the height of influencer looks) or a guidebook covering the many beautiful towns throughout Spain.

Highest of standards

Hotel Nueva Alcazaba de Busquistar –4-star luxury at affordable rates near the Alpujarra’s highest village of Trevelez

THE Nueva Alcazaba is a stunning hotel complex set in the heart of the Alpujarra Alta, just 4.5km from the area’s highest village of Trevelez, at 1,476m.

With this privileged position, the Nueva Alcazaba is one of the highest hotels in the Iberian Peninsula to hold a 4-star rating. It is also one of the few hotels in this area to admit pets, meaning Fido can enjoy the local walking routes with you.

On 1 July, the hotel celebrated its third birthday with its current owners, who offer a friendly, personalised service. They come from two families – one from the Alpujarra, the other from Argentina.

Although the hotel lies within the municipality of Busquistar, it shares a main road with Trevelez, and is ideally located for cyclists, hikers, remote workers, single travellers, and those wanting a romantic or family break.

With its large restaurant and public salon, it is also perfect for special events including weddings, vow renewal ceremonies, communions, baptisms, private parties, and other celebrations.

The restaurant, which is open to the public, serves a range of Mediterranean dishes, using fresh ingredients. There are vegetarian and vegan dishes and special dietary requirements can be met. Many dishes are available as half portions, all are at reasonable prices.

The Iberian Peninsula’s highest 4-star hotel complex, in the heart of the Alpujarra

Just 4km from Trevélez. Spacious rooms and apartment. Mountain views. Large salon available for private events. Restaurant with fresh Mediterranean ingredients. We cater vegans & vegetarians. Pool open until October.

Pet friendly! Cyclist friendly, facilities for remote workers.

HOTEL NUEVO ALCAZABA DE BUSQUISTAR

Carretera Órgiva Laujar km 37, Busquistar, 18416 – Granada Tel: +34 679 07 63 38 contacto@hotelnuevaalcazaba.com

10% DISCOUNT – USE CODE OLIVEPRESS VIA WWW.HOTELNUEVAALCAZABA.COM OR WHATSAPP

Guests can enjoy a cocktail from the bar or chill out on the terrace with a quality ‘vino’.

For those wanting to stay in this inspirational hotel, the accommodation ranges from double rooms to junior suites and apartments for 2, 3 or 4 people. All rooms are bright and airy. Many have mountain views and private balcony, where you can relax amongst natural beauty.

The hotel has a well-equipped gymnasium, large games room (including ping pong), kids’ play area, basketball court and an outdoor swimming pool - open until October. Cyclists benefit from a workshop and secure parking for their bikes.

In the winter, the hotel is occasionally below the snowline, for a picture-postcard scene. Some rooms are equipped with wood-burners for the colder months.

The hotel has ample free parking with video surveillance.

Visit www.hotelnuevaalcazaba.comand use the code OLIVEPRESS for 10% discount or contact the hotel via WhatsApp for bookings

Hotel Apartamento Nueva Alcazaba

Carretera Órgiva Laujar km 37, Busquistar, 18416 – Granada

Teléfono: +34 679 07 63 38 contacto@hotelnuevaalcazaba.com

Vox threat looms over Gibraltar

IN the light of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Spain, residents of Gibraltar are seriously concerned about the settlement of the dispute over our territory. The right-wing radical party Vox has a real chance to seize power and start having a significant impact on the policy pursued by Spain.

As you know, Vox representatives are actively promoting the idea of returning Gibraltar to Spanish sovereignty and even have paid special attention to this issue in their election campaign.

In their email, the deputies from Vox Santiago Morón and Manuel Acosta once again confirmed the intention of the right-wing radicals to conduct a policy of

Children’s poor future

NATIONALIST

THREAT: Vox has Gibraltar in its sights protecting the interests of Spain in Gibraltar. They are ready to work on restitution of the territories occupied, in their opinion, by the British Crown.

I READ the tragic story of the toddler who died trapped in a hot car on your website and found it a sobering metaphor to the behaviour of the human race towards its children in general. We are in an escalating climate and ecosystems breakdown, and yet we are still pursuing the growth economics that deny us all a future. Anyone who is aware of the cascading tipping points that are now falling fast will realise how irresponsible it is to bring a child into such a ‘lost cause’ scenario.

With our current attitudes and trajectory, all our children will experience insurmountable existential challenges in their lifetimes. We have now denied them any sliver of a chance at enjoying stable climate and ecosystems, and yet we still perpetuate the economic model that is exacerbating the collapse.

As parents we have categorically failed, we need to recognise that we are all unfit as guardians.

Barbara Williams, Oxfordshire

In this regard, it is possible that the would-be right-wing government of Spain will exert significant pressure on all participants of this negotiation process, which can lead to extremely negative consequences for Gibraltar.

It is very important to take into account the fact that Spain has lots of leverage that can make the life of Gibraltarians much more complicated. There are the agreements concluded earlier with the EU which are under threat, being extremely important for the security of Gibraltar and the well-being of its residents.

Marie Ross, Gibraltar

Going down

INFLATION in Spain has dipped to below 2% for the first time since March 2021.

Inflation fell by more than one percentage point in June, reaching 1.9% year-on-year, down from 3.2% in May, with fuel, electricity and food price increases easing.

The June inflation rate puts Spain in a better place than most of its neighbours within the eurozone, where inflation reached 6.1% in May.

It’s a significant change from a year ago when inflation in Spain hit 10.8% in July 2022its highest level since 1985.

SME’s struggle

COSTS for SME have increased by 27% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And they crept up a further 2.2% in the first quarter of 2023.

A new report shows that labour costs have risen by 4.4% in the same period. This has been put down to increases in social security contributions and minimum wage. But the main struggle for SMEs is linked to energy prices.

While electricity prices fell by 3.5% in the first quarter of the year, they are still 107.8% more expensive than two years ago.