Olive Press Andalucia Issue 453

On track

A COSTA del Sol train is one step closer after two ‘working groups’ were formed to develop the ambitious project this week.

The transport ministry announced it will include representatives from Madrid, the Junta, local town halls and relevant stakeholders in the meetings.

One group will focus on the long-term vision of the coastal train from Malaga to Algeciras, while the other will address shorter-term mobility improvements.

The groups are part of a broader effort to assess the viability of a new railway line to the Campo de Gibraltar.

The formation of the groups follows a summit in July where it was agreed that smaller, more focused teams should drive forward planning.

Links

The second group will focus on improving transport links along the coast in the short and medium-term, recognising that the railway is a long way off – if it ever happens at all.

Secretary of State for Transport, Jose Antonio Santano, was optimistic that all the power brokers along the coast are finally pulling in the same direction.

"We are moving in the right direction, working collaboratively with the Junta, local councils, and the Provincial Council to improve transport in the region," he said.

He added that the government is ready to convene the first meetings of both groups in the coming weeks.

The government has also confirmed plans to tender a feasibility study for the railway project by 2025.

HOLIDAY WRECKER!

EXPAT Airbnb owners have called in police after losing more than €60,000 to an alleged Costa del Sol con artist.

Fabricio Anton is accused of pocketing the earnings from multiple holiday lets after being hired to manage them.

The charming Argentinian is said to have targeted ‘vulnerable’ women renting west of Estepona.

At least seven victims based in Manilva have come forward to the Olive Press, claiming to have lost a total of €61,900.

They said they were taken in by Anton, aka Fabri, who sold himself as an ‘honest, family man’ and was working freelance for a string of property management companies in the area.

Julie and Jon Laker, owners of Fairydust, claim they have lost €47,000 to the alleged scammer when they were forced to pay back various victims.

“As soon as we became suspicious of his working practices, we acted immediately, terminating use of his services and removing all access,” explained Julie.

“We notified all our clients, other companies and the police.”

She added: “Until a full police investigation is completed, no one can be sure when he started scamming people.”

By Yzabelle Bostyn

Natali Nikitina, a 45-year-old croupier based in London, reported losses of €5,000 in just four months after Fabri failed to transfer the payments of guests staying in her holiday home in Casares. At first, everything went well and she agreed to pay him €700 per year, plus 20% of each rental booking.

However, she soon realised something was amiss when the rental calendar was showing occupancy but no money was sent to her.

When she confronted him, Fabri told her ‘his accountant’ had ‘run off with the money’.

A few weeks later, she checked a security camera installed at her flat and to her horror realised there were men staying there despite no booking on the calendar.

This time, Fabri claimed it was a ‘last minute’ booking, again insisting he was an ‘honest, family man’.

Not believing him she flew in from the UK to find the group of men still staying in the property.

EXPOSED: The scammer who ‘robbed’ expat Airbnb owners of more than €60,000 and ruined countless breaks

While ‘afraid’ she bravely entered and removed their belongings, before changing the locks.

Another British owner Leigh-Anne Bingley, who lives in Devon, told the Olive Press she has lost €2,400 in rentals from her Duquesa flat.

Although Leigh-Anne had intended to use her property as a holiday let, Fabri rented it as a family home, giving the

All you need to know now the kids’ new term has started

tenants a ‘fake contract’. She grew suspicious when the tenants overstayed their welcome and refused to leave, stating they had a rental agreement.

“I was in a total state,” she explained, “Not only had he not paid me but he was scamming the renters too.” She eventually managed to take their stuff out and had the locks changed.

“Fabri needs to be stopped and exposed,” she insisted this week.

Loli, a 55-year-old Spaniard, claims she lost over €2,000 at her Sotogrande apartment.

“Fabri likes to target older, foreign women because he thinks they won’t know what to do,” she told the Olive Press.

“He just loves money, he thinks all the money he sees is his,” Loli said.

While she along with the other victims have reported Fabri to the police in Manilva, so far nothing has been done.

“What annoys me the most is the lack of action from the police, it's a total injustice. But we are warriors, I will feel better when I know he can’t do it to anyone else.”

The Olive Press arranged to meet Anton for comment but he failed to turn up at a meeting, saying his lawyer had ‘advised him not to speak’.

CONNED: Natali (left) lost €5,000 to Fabri (above) while another victim lives in Casares del Sol

Counting cañas

JAPANESE brewery Kirin has revealed Spain ranks 6th globally for beer drunk per capita, consuming an average of 95.1 litres a year.

Legend quits

JOSE Antonio Morante de la Puebla, widely regarded as Spain’s greatest matador has quit, citing his mental struggle with depersonalisation disorder and agoraphobia.

Airb ‘n’ bills

BARCELONA’S Airbnb owners are demanding €1 billion in compensation following the city council’s decision to revoke 10,000-plus tourist apartment licences.

Horse collapse

A HORSE collapsed in Fuengirola’s port after working in 23 degree heat. A witness claimed they saw the owner yelling and hitting the animal.

SPANISH authorities have sounded the alarm over the ‘scandalous proliferation of narcolanchas’ (drug boats) operating off the Cadiz coast.

More than 230 high-speed boats were spotted within six months along a stretch of coast from Barbate to Sanlucar de Barrameda, according to data from the Customs Surveillance Directorate.

Narco hotbed

Meanwhile, arrests and drug busts are down on recent years as police authorities find themselves ‘impotent’ in stopping the flow of hashish from Morocco to Spanish shores. The newly-released 2023 report from the Public Prosecutor’s Office shows a

drop off in the quantity of drugs confiscated, despite the occasional seizure. Authorities in Cadiz seized over 61 tonnes of hashish in 2023, down on the 75 tonnes caught in 2018 and more than 82 tonnes in 2019.

The surge in boats and the reduction in busts has been linked to the disbandment of the legendary OCON-Sur counternarcotics unit in September 2022.

ON THE ROPES

By Walter Finch

2020.

The private prosecution, funded by Perez’s family, is seeking 23 years in jail for Briggs in a trial set to begin on September 23. Sources tell the Olive Press that since being released on bail

PARTY’S OVER

SPANISH police have announced a record-breaking drugs haul after seizing over a million ecstasy pills in raids in Ibiza and Malaga.

The sophisticated European smuggling operation saw nine members arrested, including Italian bosses aided by Spanish and Dutch nationals. The operation, codenamed ‘Adriatic’, culminated in a series of police raids that uncovered a vast stash of drugs hidden in secret compartments of vehicles.

In addition to the massive haul of 1,071,327 ecstasy pills, investigators seized significant quantities of ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, and hashish with a street value of more than €25 million. They even seized three kilograms of ‘sugar’, a substance used to produce dangerous pink cocaine.

Briggs has been living in Benahavis and seen ‘down Puerto Banus driving a flash car.’ It has also been reported that the alleged killer has taken a trip to Dubai, indicat -

British expat boxer to stand trial over horror road rage murder of teen in Estepona

ing he is still in possession of his passport.

“He had already been warned by police before for carrying a knife in his car,” the source said.

Briggs and Perez got into a row after Perez was almost knocked down by Briggs in his white Mercedes at a zebra crossing. Perez had been returning home from the supermarket clutching several bags of shopping.

It is alleged that Briggs then parked up the car, got out and attacked Perez using his boxing training that he had learned at the

MGM gym in Marbella, which has welcomed stars like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

The prosecution claims that Briggs launched a flurry of blows with ‘enough force to lift [Perez] up like a doll.’

He then ‘pulled out a knife and with the precise and accurate blow of someone who knows how to kill, stabbed him in the heart’, prosecutors allege.

After the attack, which took place in broad daylight in front of horrified onlookers, Briggs made a ‘conscious and premeditated’ plan to flee Spain and fly to the UK via Portugal, it is claimed.

Brit victim branded ‘hooligan’

A SPANISH lawyer defending the alleged killer of a British expat insists the victim was a ‘hooligan’ who ‘provoked the incident’ that led to his death. Jose Ramon Cantalejo is representing the man accused of murdering Martin Allwright, 59, who was attacked with a gardening hoe while walking his dog in El Palaces, Almeria at around 1.10am on August 12. He died five days later in hospital.

The 59-year-old suspect was charged with murder and remanded in custody.

Provoked

But his lawyer Cantalejo insists the incident was ‘provoked by the English citizen’, who he claims ‘had already been reported previously and who the neighbours were terrified and afraid of.’ He said: “I’m not one to say how he was, but many say that he was a real hooligan.” He added: “The area of Zurgena, being cheaper, is not the same as Vera Playa or Mojacar, where we see English people with big cars… we are talking about people who even came to work, or who, when they retired, sold their house south of Glasgow or Birmingham and live here like real princes, but they do not fit into the social reality of the country.”

OSCAR-WINNING director Pedro Almodovar made history for Spanish cinema when his first En glish-language feature, The Room Next Door, took the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. By taking the prize, Almodovar now ranks alongside legendary director Luis Buñuel, who was until now the only Spanish director to have received it, for his 1967 film Belle de Jour.

SPANISH LION

The Room Next Door, which stars Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, tackles the subjects of the climate crisis and euthanasia, and received an 18-minute standing ovation when it premiered at Venice.

See What made the magician, P10

Dialing in the stars

Netflix in Ronda for Agatha Christie mystery featuring stars Iain Glen, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman

IT is a famous 1920s murder mystery that keeps readers guessing until the final page. So unsurprisingly the producers behind the Netflix series Seven Dials filming in Ronda this week were carefully guarding their cast and locations. But it was impossible to shield one of its biggest stars - Martin Freeman - from the eyes of the

press as he acted in the town’s famous bullring. An eagle-eyed Olive Press team worked out that you could watch the production from the rooftop terrace of the four star Catalonia hotel opposite. From the amazing perch - high above the world’s oldest bullring with a backdrop of mountains behind - you could watch the production on its first day of filming.

With a beer in hand, it was easy to spot Hobbit star Freeman as he marched in wearing a beige

BRITAIN’S richest plumber has revealed he is making a permanent move to the Costa del Sol amid fears of a tax raid on the rich in the Labour government’s upcoming budget.

Charlie Mullins, 71, the founder of Pimlico Plumbers, has already become a resident of Marbella, and now plans to sell his €12 million apartment which has views of The Shard and London Eye.

“I am taking all my investment out of the UK. The

safari suit and Panama hat. So far, there was no sign of fellow actors Iain Glen or Helena Bonham Carter, who are also starring in the production by London-based 72 Films, which

Mullin it over

government is driving people with money away from the country. Why would people stay in the UK?” he said.

Mullins made his money in London, where he grew up - selling his firm for €155 million three years ago.

He has long intended to move to Spain, telling the Olive Press in 2021: “I’m very permanently in Spain now,” adding his lawyers were sorting out full-time residency.

He was buying more properties on top of the seaside villa he owns in La Cala de Mijas.

made the latest James Bond movie.

Mia McKenna-Bruce, from Vampire Academy and How to Have Sex, is also appearing after winning the BAFTA Rising Star award last year.

The production is set to film at at least six different locations, including the Arabic Baths, the Ocho Canos fountain and the Virgen de la Cabeza chapel on the other side of the gorge.

The team, which numbers around 120 staff, includes a separate drone unit with their own uniform.

Seven Dials was an Agatha Christie mystery which tells the story of a lavish country house party, where a practical joke goes murderously wrong. It is up to budding sleuth - the inquisitive Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent, played by McKenna-Bruce - to solve the mystery.

THIS is the 21-year-old beauty queen who overcame a ‘rough’ childhood and online trolls to represent Spain at the November’s Miss Universe competition in Mexico. Michelle Jimenez, a Business and Marketing student, grew up in various children's homes on the Balearic Islands. The oldest of nine siblings, she ‘basically raised’ her brothers and sisters, something which she is very proud of. But Michelle hasn’t always received love and support, being criticised for her Dominican ancestry, the colour of her skin and her tattoos.

“The critique started when I was put in the top three. It’s hard to deal with but I won’t give into bullies,” she said.

Burned at the stake

SHAKIRA has likened her tax fraud ordeal to the Inquisition and accused the Spanish treasury of ‘publicly burning her at the stake’ in her stron gest statement on her highly-publicised crimi nal case yet.

The Colombian pop star blasted the Span ish tax authorities as sexist, racist and manipulative, saying she was ‘persecuted’ by the judiciary system before striking a plea bargain deal last November.

The singer was accused of six separate crimes of defrauding the state of a total of €14.5million in unpaid taxes.

In order to escape a possible eight-year jail term, she agreed to a suspended three-year prison sentence and a €7.4million fine on the first day of her trial in Barcelona.

CREDIT: Michelle Jimenez via Instagram/Jose Urbano

PICTURES BY: Paul Whitelock & Charles Pullan

By Yzabelle Bostyn & Paul Whitelock in Ronda

SNEAKY: We watched filming from a nearby hotel

A LOOK BACK AT DISASTER

THIS week marks three years since the start of the devastating Sierra Bermeja forest fire - the worst blaze registered in Spain in 2021 - that destroyed local wildlife and forced almost 3,000 residents to flee their homes, including on the Costa del Sol. The inferno raged on uncontrollably for a week, burning through one of Malaga’s most beautiful natural areas before it was finally tamed by heroic firefighters. The work to extinguish the

flames wore on for 46 continuous days, claiming the life of Carlos Martinez Haro in the process.

A statue now stands near the top of Los Reales in Estepona, near to the location where the valiant 44-year-old firefighter perished whilst battling against the blaze.

In total, the fire scorched 8,401 hectares of land in Estepona, Casares, Jubrique, Juzcar, Genalguacil, Farajan and Benahavis and 2,670 residents were forced to flee their homes.

On a knife-edge

SPAIN is considering toughening up drink driving laws that would result in one beer placing you over the limit. Currently, drivers in Spain cannot exceed an alcohol level of 0.5g per litre of blood (or its equivalent of 0.25mg/l of exhaled air).

If they are novice or professional drivers, the permitted rate drops to 0.3g/l (0.15mg/l in exhaled air).

Under the proposed new law, the limit for all drivers would be 0.2 g/l in blood.

One 330ml beer will likely produce 0.3 grams of alcohol per litre of blood in a man who weighs 70kg, and 0.2 in a man carrying 80kg.

It means having just one small beer would put you at risk of being over the limit.

As UK and Spanish foreign ministers meet to thrash out critical border deal over Gib, the cost of failure will ‘be huge’

THOUSANDS of undocumented livelihoods could be ruined if no deal is struck on the Gibraltar border this week.

That is the number of Spanish and expat tradesmen and handymen who cross the border each week to do odd jobs, usually paid in cash.

According to a government source, they need to be added to the already 15,000 documented work-

By Walter Finch &

By Jon Clarke

ers, who rely on the Rock to pay bills.

“There are loads of people coming in to paint homes and other part-time jobs,” he said. “That’s thousands of livelihoods who rely on a fluid border.”

His comments came as a critical meeting is set for this Thursday in Brussels to sign an unprecedented deal to bring Gibraltar into the Schengen zone.

It follows a high-level meeting in London between the Spanish and British foreign secretaries on Monday.

But, sources behind the scenes are decidedly pessimistic, the Olive Press can reveal.

“I am not optimistic at all. Things don’t look good. Both sides have red lines, which are hard to cross,” said the government source.

Queues

“If we don’t get a deal things are going to be very hard. We need to find a way though and it depends on the negotiations on the day,” he added.

Failure to reach a deal before the November 10 start date for the EU’s new Entry Exit System will likely see long snaking queues return to the frontier not seen for many years.

Every day over 10,000 Spanish workers cross the border for jobs, while 5,000

more are made up of 3,000 British and 2,000 other international workers.

The new entry system is expected to ‘wreak havoc’ for workers and likely cause major issues for tourists and Gibraltarians coming the other way.

Despite negotiations going on for nearly two years and nearly 20 political summits, no agreement has been reached on the use of the airport and the port. No deal could be very damaging for the Campo de Gibraltar, which gets around 25% of its GDP from Gibraltar, while an estimated €2 billion or more is made for Spain.

A breakthrough was thought to have been reached in April with the announcement of the ‘general political lines’ of an agreement.

Dragged

But since then, talks have dragged on causing heads to drop, despite the positive signals continuously emerging from both sides.

MIGRANT THREAT

THE Canary Islands government is facing serious accusations of child abandonment if it refuses to take in unaccompanied child migrants. The islands recently implemented a new protocol that makes the process for welcoming them stricter. Under these new rules, children will face police reports and individual interviews which can delay them being moved to specialised care centres.

In response, the region's chief prosecutor, Maria Farnes Martinez, issued a decree instructing prosecutors to intervene if the government fails to take in these vulnerable children. According to the prosecutor, these delays could lead to the government being charged with the crime of child abandonment.

BRITISH relatives of people who died after taking the lethal drug Nolotil have blasted a ruling in favour of the painkiller by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The EMA revealed it would not be banning the ‘deadly’ medication after declaring the ‘benefits outweigh the risks’.

Nolotil, and other products containing the active ingredient metamizole, have been linked to over 40 deaths of British and Irish people alone in Spain.

British expat Chris Cooper’s ‘bright and happy’ wife Patricia died after taking Nolotil for a bruised leg at just 55.

Banned

He told the Olive Press: “It needs to be banned. There’s a high proportion of people that have died but money wins over victims.”

Eve St Pierre, whose beloved father Roy, 77, died after a brush with the drug, said the decision is ‘meaningless’, adding: “The money they spent on this inquiry and drafting this report could have been spent on creating an alert on the computer systems used by prescribers to stop them giving it to ‘at risk populations’.”

“The only positive I can draw is that the publicity might reach people from at-risk groups, who can read the information themselves and make their own decisions.”

The Olive Press launched a campaign last year to have the drug banned for tourists and expats.

THE official end of the summer - or the autumn equinox - starts on September 22, at 2.44pm, according to the National Geographic Institute.

But the changing of the clocks will not happen until more than a month later. We will return to standard time, or winter time, on Sunday October 27, 2024.

EXCLUSIVE

LONG WAIT: Queues could build up if no agreement reached

GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK!

HUNDREDS of disgruntled concert goers are demanding answers after waiting more than six weeks for a refund following a string of cancelled shows.

The majority of them tourists and expats had been looking forward to events from international stars including Blue, Pete Tong and Nancy Ajram throughout August.

However, just a week before, promoters Fiesta Live cancelled all but one of the events.

Just Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics show went ahead, with ticket holders for other shows offered refunds. Now, more than six weeks on, they are still waiting for their money back.

Altogether, four concerts were cancelled including: Centreforce 883 x Clockwork Orange, Arabian Nights, Generation: Music and a Drum and Bass Club Night

At the time Fiesta Live explained: “The transitory nature of Marbella in summer and the reliance on last minute ticket sales meant it became too big a risk, which ultimately led to this decision.

“We will be contacting ticket holders by email to explain the process of switching their tickets or requesting a refund.”

But as we went to press those failing to get a refund included Cathy Smith, who paid €120 to see Generation: Music featuring Blue and Chesney Hawkes.

The 51-year-old described the situation as ‘morally wrong’ and added: “People have worked hard all year and looked forward to these concerts, some even flew over and got hotels only to find there was no concert.

“It’s really bad for Marbella.”

This week a spokesman for the organisers Steve Durham and Bill Blenkarn said: “We sincerely apologise for the delay in processing refunds.

“Our management team is working diligently to ensure that all refunds are completed as quickly as possible.”

She agreed they had ‘exceeded our standard 14-day refund policy’ adding: “we deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused.”

The organisers behind Fiesta Live, Steve Durham and Bill Blenkarn, have apologised to punters. It is not the first time Blenkarn has been forced to cancel an event, the Olive Press can reveal.

HORROR DISCOVERY

A BODY has been found floating in the sea off a beauty spot in southern Spain.

The corpse of the ‘foreign’ man, aged 49, was spotted by a passerby in Nijar, Almeria, at around 5pm on Sunday.

The body was seen in the water between the popular beaches of Los Genoveses and Cala del Barronal.

The area is a popular beauty spot known as Cala Principe.

The witness who called in to report the body said the area where he was floating was difficult to access.

The Guardia Civil, Policia Local and Maritime Rescue service were all called to the scene.

An investigation has been opened to identify the man.

Concert goers fume after promoters fail to refund tickets of cancelled shows

EXCLUSIVE

By Yzabelle Bostyn

In 2015, the event organiser came under fire after cancelling a Hullbased pop festival just days before it

was due to start.

Blenkarn claimed he lost £200,000 after only selling 1,000 of the estimated 3,000 tickets needed for the West Park Party, to go ahead. Ticket holders were promised a ‘full refund’.

Our new man in Madrid

SIR Alex Ellis has arrived in Madrid to replace Hugh Elliot as the British Ambassador to Spain. Sir Ellis will be serving His Majesty King Charles III as the British Ambassador to Spain and Non-Resident Ambassador to Andorra.

He will present his credentials to His Majes ty King Felipe VI in a ceremony due to take place in the coming weeks.

"I am honoured to represent His Majesty Charles III and my country as Ambassador to Spain and Andorra," said Ellis.

"Our countries enjoy a close and enduring rela tionship across so many areas: between our citizens, our cultures, our armed forces and across the world of academia, sci ence and commerce. I am looking for ward to supporting this relationship to become even stronger."

YOUR EXPAT INSURANCE MADE SIMPLE

paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

OPINION

Lawless

THE Costa del Crime is alive and kicking with fraudsters now taking advantage of Spain’s chaotic tourism market.

Fabri Anton is just one of the many scammers operating in areas saturated by tourism, including Malaga, Mallorca and the Costa Blanca. The impunity with which the Argentinian has stolen money from expats and locals alike via holiday rentals is shocking but believable at the same time.

We have discovered he started his schemes in Italy, where he ran a dodgy tour company known as Maggiore Tours.

Most likely mistakes there caught up with him and he ran to Spain, a long time safe haven for scammers and criminals alike.

Here, it seems they can operate freely without worrying about the strong arm of the law.

Seemingly a dozen-plus victims have reported Fabri for allegedly stealing their money, but the police have so far done nothing.

Despite the obvious immorality of the situation, authorities claim the issue is purely a ‘civil matter’ and refuse to act.

What is even more disgusting is the fact Fabri targets older and expat women.

Expecting them to be vulnerable, it seems the Argentinian didn’t expect the women to fight back. That was his biggest mistake as eight brave victims told the Olive Press about their ordeal. When the law fails, it is only thanks to newspapers like ours that fraudsters can be exposed. We hope that with our reporting, one more scammer will be taken off the streets.

Many of the victims are also pushing back with civil suits against Fabri, but unfortunately, not all of them can afford to take legal action.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es

Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es

Makarova (+34) 951 154 841 admin@theolivepress.es

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Simon Hunter simon@theolivepress.es

Cole Sinanian cole@theolivepress.es

Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es

(+34) 951 154 841 distribution@ theolivepress.es

Live Forever (or nearly)

WANT to live for a century? Consider moving to Galicia, home to the highest number of 100 year olds per capita in Europe.

According to a new study carried out by the Galician Geriatric Society (GGS) and the University of Vigo the northern region has some 75.79 centenarians per 100,000 inhabitants.

But that’s not all: The region is also home to two particular ‘blue zones’ or ‘hotspots’ where, chances are, you can live even longer. Ourense and Pontevedra are now being studied by GGS president Jose Failde alongside fellow group, Ourensividad, to identify why the locals live so long.

According to Pablo Garcia, of Ourensividad, the amount of centenarians is certainly connected to the Atlantic diet, consisting of fresh, seasonal produce, including fish. He also credits the water in the region as a ‘fountain of youth’.

Roberto Fernandez, a local GP, says: “Healthy habits and resilience are big factors to longevity in Ourense, although we haven’t yet found any other common factors in the centenarians here.”

Perhaps we need to ask some of the long living locals themselves.

Take 103-year-old Eustaquio Perez, who insists his ripe age is down to physical exertion and resilience.

Living in the village of Beade, surrounded by green mountains, he reckons getting up early, maintaining a routine and not eating dinner helps.

His diet consists of natural products from his garden only and his dinner is often so

light that he skips it altogether (two biscuits and some milk).

Galicia has the highest number of 100 year olds in Europe - and skipping suppers, dancing and writing books might help

GO WITH THE FLOW: Eustaquio advises accepting life’s changes

By Yzabelle Bostyn

“I get up every morning at 5am to look after my sheep. Then, I have a siesta and watch a film,” he explains.

Contrary to medical advice, he has almost always avoided medicines and isn’t even vaccinated against Covid-19. However, he has received treatment for hernias and prostate cancer.

When it comes to mental health, he says:

“My philosophy of life is to accept what comes and adapt to the changes, always having a sense of humour and not being scared of death.”

Esperanza Cortiñas (left), is 107 years-old and was born in 1916. She still has the ‘en-

ergy of a teenager’, something which she owes to ‘music and dancing’.

“I love tango, but I am a lover of all music and I have more than seven awards from dance competitions. It’s music and dance that have helped me reach this age,” she explains Despite living for over a century she has glowing skin: “My beauty trick has always been to use a simple cream from the supermarket. Nothing more.”

ARE THEY OVER YET?

Sick of the feria season? Looking forward to the cold and the tourists going home? You’re not the only one, writes Lenox Napier

IKEEP hearing the same question now the local fiestas, concerts and sporting events are largely over: ‘Who exactly do they benefit?’

There’s an apocryphal story of my late mother, who moved here in the Sixties, stomping down to the main square in Mojacar wearing her slippers and dressing gown – before slugging the mayor shouting ‘turn the music down, I’m trying to get some sleep!’.

In those days, there’d be a few strings of bunting, a local band and the bars doing a brisk trade for days on end into the early hours. The local families would dance together, from small children to grandparents, all holding hands and bobbing around. There were songs like La Chica Ye

Ye or the grisly Las flechas del Amor… Brandy was just three centimos a tot. A small glass of local tooth-rotting vino cost even less. They were differ-

Although she suffered a broken hip just two months ago, she is recovering with surprising ease.

“My health has always been good,” she says, “I don’t drink besides a shot of coffee with sugar and aguardiente in the morning. I eat everything.”

Ever the socialite, her daughter Aurora adds that she ‘can’t walk more than 20 steps without someone stopping her for a chat.’

Another centurion, 100-year-old Jose Salgado, owes his longevity to working on the land until 97 years old. “I began working at 14 years old and since then I’ve done a lot of things, taxi, businessman, farmer and miller,” he explains. “Until 97 I was working in my orchard, with the same dedication as a young man.”

Despite retiring three years ago, he keeps active by reading the newspaper and carving models.

Jose has also never drank or smoked, although he admits his guilty pleasures are ‘salt and fat’.

He has even started writing a book about his life and says he has three more things to achieve: “Sort out some land, reconnect with a girl I liked and see a bit more of the world.”

The great-grandfather of five advises young people to ‘enjoy the little things’, saying ‘you don’t find happiness in grand travels and adventures’.

ent times. The only visitors would be those who had emigrated to Barcelona or France or Germany. There were practically no guiris I remember a family known as ‘los Marseillaises’, who would rock up in their Citröen Ami, look down their noses at their country-cousins, and then disappear again a few days later. These days, the fiestas are a joy for the shopkeepers and barmen who obligingly stay open late, but there’s not much pleasure for the locals. Even if one does attend, and has a pricey beer at the pop up chiringuitos (next to the deafening dance-band), who are you going to talk to? Who are you going to dance with? The music is too loud and too fast. Ultimately these events are not so

much fun even for the locals any more. They don’t live in the centre and they can’t usually park anywhere near when they come in and then, of course, they can’t drink. Ok, they make an exception for the first night’s fireworks, but often that’s it. Really these events are for the business-folk and the tourists, who all stay in the historic centres in their Airbnbs and hotels, the owners rubbing their hands with glee. I’m guessing they don’t love the noise and nor do us locals who have to pay for the music and the bunting. Meanwhile, there’s no one left prepared to stomp down to the fiesta at three in the morning, waving a handbag around and telling the mayor to go and pull the effing plug.

WORKING: Jose didn’t stop until 97

By Yzabelle Bostyn

Facing the facts

By Simon Hunter

Olive Press entices back former editor Laurence Dollimore from the Daily Mail

THE Olive Press website has undergone massive changes following the return of its former editor Laurence Dollimore.

Over the past year, he has been overseeing a new design and helping to overhaul our website.

As Digital Editor of theolivepress.es the eagle-eyed London journalist has helped the site reach new heights.

We are now seeing at least a million hits per month while the number of registered users continues to soar.

There are more than 50,100 people with a registered account on our website, having risen by 20,000 over the past few months alone.

Over 2,000 of you have signed up for an ad-free service 24 hours a day.

“SPANIARDS are fed up with being victims of assaults, machete attacks, robberies and rapes. Almost always at the hands of the same people; illegal immigrants that the PP party and the Socialist Party insist on bringing to Spain with a pernicious magnet effect that is only growing.”

Those were the words uttered by the leader of Spain’s far-right Vox Party, Santiago Abascal, after plans recently emerged to distribute illegal immigrants from the Canary Islands between regions on the mainland.

It has become such a hot potato that Vox has now withdrawn its support for the PP party in some of the regional coalition governments where it was propping up the administrations.

For the Vox party itself however, it is nothing new, with Abascal and his band of extremist politicians long seeking to link immigration with higher crime rates.

But is there any truth to that claim?

According to the centre right newspaper El Mundo there is no connection at all, once the statistics are analysed.

After cross-referencing population data from the country’s National Statistics Institute (INE) with the Interior Ministry stats on jails and crime, the conclusions are clear: there is no direct link between the number of migrants and crime.

The newspaper went back 25 years to 1998 when the population of Spain was just under 40 million, with 637,085 - or about 1.6%coming from abroad.

By 2023, there were six million foreign-born inhabitants, or around 13% of the 48 million people of Spain.

But crime rates have not grown in step with this ten-fold increase of foreigners, with the proportion of non-Spaniards locked up in prison holding steady.

In 1998, some 7,850 foreigners were locked up in jails, which was 18% of the total prison population, while foreigners accounted for

The figures that give the lie to far-right Vox party’s message: There is no direct link between immigration and crime rates

1.6% of the population.

That means that the percentage of foreign inmates was 11 times greater than the percentage of foreign residents in Spain.

Should that trend have continued, foreigners would now account for 142% of the prison population – an impossible statistic, as the newspaper points out. Instead, a different

trend has emerged. By 2009, the percentage of foreign inmates had reached 36%, with a total of 27,162 non-Spaniards locked up.

Since then this statistic has more or less held steady, with the figure for 2023 dropping to 31%.

In fact, as the migrant population in Spain continues to grow, the statistics have actually improved.

If in 2023 migrants accounted for 31% of the prison population, and made up 13% of the total population in Spain; the multiple between these two figures is just 2.45, or basically, a historic low. It emerges that this multiple has been steadily falling since 1998.

Another key conclusion from El Mundo relates to the nationalities of migrants.

This year, for example, has seen a spike in ar-

rivals in the Canary Islands.

Between January 1 and August 15 this year, 22,304 migrants reached the islands, compared with 9,864 in the same period in 2023 – an increase of 126 percent, according to Interior Ministry figures.

The phenomenon saw Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez make a three-day visit to West Africa this month, in a bid to address the root of the problem.

But it is not migrants that are arriving illegally from countries that Sanchez visited – Senegal, Mauritania and The Gambia –who are topping the tables for crimes and convictions.

The latest Interior Ministry figures show that only four countries have more than a thousand inmates in Spanish jails: Morocco (5,213), Colombia (1,634), Romania (1,301) and Algeria (1,170).

The next three on the list are Ecuador (584), Portugal (267) and Italy (264).

Alarmingly, despite the recently reported data, Vox is pushing ahead with its anti-immigration stance.

Vox deputy Jose Maria Figaredo asked the government during a debate in Congress last week about the cost to the taxpayer of ‘taking in 250,000 immigrants from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania’.

Shocked by this the Government minister for Migration Elma Saiz, slammed her for voicing what she called a ‘hoax’.

“It is not true that we are going to take in 250,000 people from Mauritania,” she insisted, adding Figaredo was ‘making absolutely despicable statements about the migrant population’.

She added it was in the ‘purest Trump style’. A fact clearly born out by the real statistics.

“I’m glad to see the Olive Press is now getting the recognition it deserves,” explains Dollimore, who preferred a new role at the Olive Press rather than a posting in New York with the Daily Mail

“We have hired great new talent and have reporters stationed around the country, with our main operations still running from the Costa del Sol.

“It has been a team effort and there are still many things to work on, but I want to thank all our readers for their support, particularly the thousands who have bought a subscription.”

Dollimore first joined the Olive Press in 2016, later becoming our News Editor before helping to launch our editions in Mallorca and the Costa Blanca. He was Digital Editor from 2019 to 2021, before leaving to work for the Mail Online for two years as a senior reporter.

After learning the ropes in a fast-paced ‘Fleet Street’ newsroom - which these days is actually in Kensington - he returned as Olive Press Digital Editor in August 2023 dividing his time between Marbella and Sevilla.

Over the years, the London-born reporter has enjoyed world exclusives on everything from Madeleine McCann to Monkeypox, and is one of the go-to journalists when British newspapers need a story covered in Spain.

He added: “I’ve always loved Spain and jumped at the chance to come back, I’m looking forward to taking the OP to the next level.

“We have a great team of reporters and designers that simply cannot be matched by our competitors.”

PROTESTS: Vox’s extreme views have led to protests about immigration spurred on by leader Abascal

NEW LIFE: Most migrants want to earn a living

Autumn art

THE Metamorphose art gallery is welcoming the arrival of autumn with a new exposition of French art to match its complement of Spanish and international artists.

The conceptual art gallery, located in San Pedro Alcantara, is exhibiting the works of contemporary artist John Franzen, particularly his Each Line One Breath series.

Argentinian artist Daniel Bottero will also showcase his colourful abstract expressionist paintings.

Of the native artists, award-winning Spanish painter Consuelo Hernández stands out with her figurative and realist obras

A host of other artists contribute towards the gallery’s collection of paintings, sculptures and unique pieces of furniture that invite guests to reflect and learn.

LA CULTURA 8

HUELVA is celebrating its deep historical ties with the United Kingdom by hosting the first-ever British Legacy Fair until September 22. It is showcasing the influence of British culture on Huelva, particularly

A real legacy

during the late 19th and early 20th centuries when British companies played a key role in the region's min-

ing industry.

The fair will feature over 30 British-themed activities, including historical reenactments, cultural events, and sporting competitions. Iconic landmarks such as the Queen

Fiery resistance

The flame-haired Irish Chieftain who fought the English before finding a final resting place

A TRIBUTE to legendary Irish Chieftain Red Hugh O’Donnell has just been paid in the Spanish city of Valladolid to mark the 420th anniversary of his death.

A re-enactment of his funeral procession featured a symbolic coffin draped with the flags of

By Dilip Kuner

Ireland and Spain, carried by a horse-drawn hearse.

The procession was escorted by the historic royal guard on horseback and accompanied by Franciscan monks, soldiers car-

GO GAGA FOR STRAY DOGS

TRIBUTES to Lady Gaga and the top queens of pop will be singing up for Andalucia’s homeless dogs in Duquesa Port.

Starring versatile local artist Paige Lefley who can transition from Gaga to Gwen Stefani and Katy Perry to Pink at the tweak of an octave, the show kicks off at 7pm on October 4 at Ryder’s Bar. Proceeds will go to charity Forgotten Dogs of Andalucia.

A welcome glass of cava and a finger buffet are included in the price of the live show, at €15 per person. Tickets directly from Ryders Bar; Whatsapp Gillian 662 310 704 or Sarah 667 031 847; or email adoptions@animalangelsglobal.org.

rying torches, standard-bearers, and a lone Irish soldier playing the bagpipes. The event was organised by the Department of Tourism of the city council, in collaboration with the Hispano-Irish association and was attended by

in Spain

the Irish ambassador.

Valladolid is known to be the final resting place of Red Hugh, who had fled Ireland with other Irish lords in the famous Flight of the

FOR A

Earls after they and their Spanish allies had been beaten by the English at the battle of Kinsale. They had arrived in La Coruña and were received with great honour by the Governor of Galicia and the Archbishop of Santiago, where an Irish College was founded. There they plotted their return to Ireland to continue the Nine Years War against the Tudor monarchs who were taking over Ireland. For this they needed the help of Spain, so Red Hugh travelled to Valladolid to meet Philip III, who promised to organise a new invasion.

Red Hugh died on the journey, and was temporarily buried in Simancas Castle in 1602.

The story of ‘Red Hugh’ has huge importance for Valladolid, where he was believed to have been re-buried in the chapel grounds of a Franciscan convent. But when the monastery was leveled in 1836, the bones of Red Hugh were not there. Archeologists now believe his remains rest beneath a branch of Banco Santander in the city centre. So far several skeletons have been unearthed – but DNA tests from his descendants have so far failed to find a match.

HUMAN and animal remains dating back 26,000 years have been discovered during the construction of a €1 billion housing development. Items were discovered from the Pleistocene settlement, including ancient footprints, which have now been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.

Footprints

Archaeologists started working on a 2,000 m2 plot in the Mendez Alvaro district of Madrid in March and they are coming to the end of their time before the building project can resumes

Some 26,000 years ago the area saw the confluence of several rivers including the Arroyo Carcabon, next to which the site is located, and the Arroyo Abroñigal –above which the M-30 ring road was built.

Archaeologists have found human footprints and various stone artifacts, as well as footprints of herbivores and a rhinoceros.

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Victoria District, the Rio Tinto Pier, Casa Colon, and the Real Club Recreativo de Huelva - the oldest football club in Spain, founded by British workers in 1889 - will be at the heart of the celebrations.

FIT

KING: Procession honouring Red Hugh

Commercial revolution

THE Plaza Mayor centre just outside Malaga city has just got even better.

The stand-out destination for shoppers looking for high quality fashion and accessories now includes jewellers, leading fashion and accessories brands, ice cream parlours, and even a renowned local bakery.

Since late spring, the centre has been undergoing some changes, with the Parfois store, for example ,moving to a larger location during the first week of June.

The Portuguese brand of women’s accessories and fashion complements has opened its new store, which is double the size of the previous one, in the shopping area opposite Jack & Jones.

At the beginning of August, the Italian restaurant Amici officially opened its doors in the Patio Gourmet. This is the brand's first location in Malaga, and offers customers an ori-

Plaza Mayor takes the next step forward

ginal and varied menu full of recipes based on Mediterranean cuisine.

It’s also worth mentioning that in mid-June, the popular Spanish restaurant chain 100 Montaditos also opened up on the Patio Gourmet.

In the second week of August the artisanal jewellery brand Crismonity threw open its doors. This is a small local brand promoted by the Malagueña entrepreneur Mercedes Ruano, whose business had been exclusively online until the recent opening of the store through the support of Plaza Mayor.

This brand has been participating in the Plaza Mayor Flower Market since its inception in 2021 and its new stall can now be visited on Calle de los Claveles, opposite Cortefiel

But this will not be the only novelty in the jewellery and costume jewellery sector. The Spanish accessories

brand Mira Mira is opening imminently on Calle de las Hortensias, opposite the new Parfois store, and soon all visitors to the centre will be able to enjoy its wide range of earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets of the highest quality.

Calle del Zoco will also host a couple of new additions in September in two of its commercial spaces: the prestigious Italian ice cream parlour Lucciano’s will open with a new location next to McDonald's at the end of the month, and the clothing and footwear brand Koala Bay will do the same with a large store of more than 350 square metres. Finally, Plaza Mayor has welcomed the arrival of another well-known name in the province. This is La Canasta, a Malagueña bakery which has been baking for more than 40 years and has nearly 30 cafes throughout the pro-

vince of Malaga. It also now has its first base in the Churriana area thanks to this new location in Plaza Mayor.

Plaza Mayor is managed by Sonae Sierra, a multinational company that operates in the real estate sector in more than 35 countries, specialising in urban transformation, sustainability, and the innova tion of its assets.

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WHAT MADE THE

He is one of Spain’s most prolific and celebrated filmmakers, renowned for his bold, vibrant storytelling and willingness to tackle taboo subjects such as sexuality, death, and religion.

Pedro Almodovar has worked with actors of the stature of Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and most recently Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, and won countless awards, including two Oscars.

But throughout his career he has worked exclusively in Spanish, until now that is.

The 74-year-olds 25th film, and first production in English, The Room Next Door, has won critical acclaim, swiping the coveted Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival and receiving an 18-minute standing ovation.

Not bad for a man who was born in the impoverished La Mancha town of Calzada de Calatrava, where he

As he launches his 25th and ‘final film’,

we look at Spain’s most prolific

filmmaker Almodovar

By Yzabelle Bostyn

lived with his parents and three siblings.

However, he didn’t spend long there, as when he was eight years old, his family sent him to a religious boarding school in Caceres, Extremadura.

They hoped he would become a priest, but it was there that Almodovar fell in love with cinema.

“Cinema became my real education, much more than the one I received from the priests,”

These

Despite the closure of the National School of Cinema under Franco’s regime, Almodovar, then aged 19, persisted in learning the craft of filmmaking on his own. He took a job with phone company Telefonica and bought a Super 8 camera with his first paycheck. He then produced a se

ries of short films that

attention

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In 1968, Almodovar moved to Madrid against his parents wishes. There he found a vibrant underground arts scene while he supported himself by working at the Rastro flea market.

were in the days where Spanish dictator Franco reigned supreme with a repressive government that was certainly not open to boundary-pushing young filmmakers.

-

gained

within Madrid’s Movida Madrileña, a countercultural movement that flourished after Franco’s

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

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LA CULTURA

MAGICIAN

death in 1975.

Almodovar became a key figure in this cultural renaissance exploring taboo topics such as sex, death and religion.

Without the support of big studios, he could not add soundtracks to his films. He said:

“I remember that I became very famous in Madrid because, as the films had no sound, I took a cassette with music while I personally did the voices of all the characters, songs and dialogues."

first collaboration with actor Antonio Banderas.

Then in 1983, he released Dark Habits, a film about a cabaret singer seeking refuge in a convent of eccentric nuns.

The controversial film marked Almodovar’s first moderate critical and commercial success.

Finally, in 1980, Almodovar made his first feature film Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mum

The film had a tiny budget of 400,000 pesetas (€2,404) and told the story of Pepi, a woman seeking revenge on a corrupt policeman who raped her.

It quickly grew a cult following in Spain and is often compared to the films of American filmmaker John Waters, which pushed through moral and social boundaries.

Just two years later, Almodovar released Labyrinth of Passion, another cult success.

The film marked the director’s

Following a spate of equally shocking cult films, Almodovar established his own production company in 1987 alongside his brothers, Agustin.

El Deseo’s first film, Law of Desire, received great critical reception, scooping the first ever Teddy Award for LGBT representation at the Berlin International Film Festival.

His international breakthrough came with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), a feminist action-comedy that earned over $7 million at the US box office, garnered five Goya Awards, and earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

This film established Almodovar as a filmmaker of global renown, known for his vivid visual

style and intricate, emotionally charged narratives.

By 1997, Almodovar’s worldwide reputation was growing.

That year, he released Live Flesh, based on the book of the same name by British author Ruth Rendell.

The film marked Almodovar’s first collaboration with actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. By this point, the Spaniard had earnt an unshakeable reputation as a controversial, vanguard filmmaker unafraid of taboos.

In the next few years, he would release some of his best known works including All About My Mother, which won him his first Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1999, Volver and The Skin I Live In In 2002 he picked up a second Oscar for Talk to Her, scooping Best Original Screenplay, alongside a Bafta and a Golden Globe. This was also the year that he met his partner, actor and photographer Fernando Iglesias.

lel Mothers

The 2021 film follows the lives of two mothers who give birth on the same day and is the precursor to Almodovar’s upcoming movie.

The Room Next Door, to be released on October 18, is the filmmaker’s call for the international legalisation of euthanasia.

In the film, British actress Tilda Swinton plays a journalist suffering from cancer. Swinton’s character asks an old friend, portrayed by Julianne Moore, to help her end her life. Spain legalised euthanasia in 2021 and is one of only 11 countries in which a form of assisted dying is legal.

It is all a long way from his roots in a sleepy town in La Mancha

At a press conference at Venice Film Festival, the filmmaker said: “There should be the possibility to have euthanasia all over the world.”

With numerous Goya Awards, two Academy Awards, and countless other accolades under his belt, Pedro Almodovar remains a vital and influential voice in contemporary cinema.

BIKE BRILLIANCE

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ver the last 13 years, Cycle Centre Gibraltar has become the beating heart of the Rock’s cycling community.

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Following the Covid-19 lockdown, he and his brother released Paral-

It is all a long way from his roots in a sleepy town in La Mancha.

We are also proud to be GIANT bikes official distributor in Gibraltar, including LIV bikes and the women’s range.

A bike ride is nothing without a stylish jersey, so we stock a range of quality gear covering all disciplines.

We stock both male and female clothing from popular brands like FOX MTB, Madison-Shimano and FLAB.

Finish your look with a range of accessories from helmets, to glasses to gloves.

If anything goes wrong with your beloved bike, our technicians are on hand to fix it up, even offering bike maintenance packages before you undertake long rides like the Camino de Santiago.

Up to the highest standards, our mechanics have serviced bicycles and trained technicians from the Ecilpse superyacht owned by Roman Abramovich.

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If you’re visiting Gibraltar, why not hire one of Cycle Centre’s bikes to explore the area quickly and easily. We offer electric, road and mountain bikes for adventurous travellers on the Rock and beyond.

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IN CREDIT

SPAIN’S impressive economic performance has seen its credit rating moved up into the A band.

Currently the poster boy of Europe, Spanish debt has now been rewarded with an A3 rating by credit rating agency Moody’s – the fourth highest rating possible.

The Spanish economy had been labouring under a Baa1 rating for the past five years, although this is the highest rating in the B band.

The upgrade comes just six months after Spain was placed on a ‘positive watch’ thanks to its relatively good growth of 2.5% in 2023.

Spain's strong economic performance – outstripping

Roaring economy sees Spain’s credit rating upgraded by Moody’s

By Walter Finch

every large economy in Europe – and newfound political stability have bolstered its prospects.

Between April and June the economy grew 0.8%, above the OECD average of 0.5%.

The contrast with France, which grew just 0.3% in the same quarter, is particularly striking.

While France has faced political turmoil and concerns about its ability to manage its deficit, Spain has

ROBOTIC DEAL

A BRITISH robotics company has won a multi-million euro contract in Spain to deliver robotic assembly systems.

demonstrated stability and economic growth.

This has led to a significant narrowing of the yield gap between the two countries’ 10-year bonds, as lending to Spain becomes almost as safe as lending to the traditionally stronger economy of France.

Meanwhile, investors have been drawn to Spain’s bonds for the attractive yields they offer compared to Germany, the region’s safest asset.

Despite the recent decline in Spanish bond yields, they still provide a premium

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See page 15

How five Spanish architects have conquered the world See page 29

WELCOME ARRIVALS

MARBELLA’s luxury property market is booming with foreign investors - particularly the Britishdriving the demand.

A new report by real estate agency Panorama shows that international buyers account for over a third of property purchases in the Malaga region.

And British buyers continue to be Marbella’s largest foreign investor group, accounting for 19% of the agency’s sales over the past three years. Swedish and Dutch buyers follow closely, contributing 10.8% and 8.5% respectively, with the Germans making 5.9% of purchases.

Panorama’s CEO, Chris Clover, highlighted Marbella’s rise in prominence, stating that few other destinations worldwide can claim to be such a consol-

By Dilip Kuner

idated ultra-prime residential location.

The resort has seen record-breaking tourism numbers in recent months,

with Spain as a whole expecting to surpass 85 million visitors this year.

In Marbella this boom in numbers is helping drive demand from foreigners. And it is bucking a national trend where foreign sales have declined in percent-

age terms. (See Mark Stucklin on the next page).

The UK meanwhile still provides the largest tourist numbers, but Belgians and Americans have seen the most significant growth, which may be reflected in future sales.

Expatriates prop up market

FOREIGN buyers are propping up the coastal property markets around Spain. In some areas they account for almost 50% of sales, according to the Association of Registrars In Alicante, on the Costa Blanca, an incredible 44% of coastal homes are bought by non-Spaniards.

In Tenerife 35% of buyers are foreigners, followed by Malaga (33%). The Balearics sit at 31.7%, Murcia (24%) and Las Palmas (22%).

Brits continue to lead the pack of foreign buyers in Spain, accounting for 9.4% of sales to non-Spaniards. They are followed by the Germans at 7% and the French (6%).

Prices in Marbella have risen, on average, by 13.7% between June 2023 and June 2024, reaching a new all-time high of € 4.812 per square metre, according to Idealista

However, the town remains competitively priced compared to other luxury destinations, claims the report.

Of the 50 most costly municipalities in Spain, Marbella is only sixth, while Sant Josep in Ibiza comes top at €6,295/m2. Globally, Marbella moved from 16th place in 2022 to 13th place in 2023, just ahead of Mallorca and Vancouver in the Knight Frank 2024 Wealth Report, with Monaco the most expensive city to buy, at an eye-watering average of over €58,000 per square metre.

See Panorama Market Report, page 18

The charm of a thatched gazebo

Cape Reed can help you create a sustainable outdoor oasis

IN garden design, a thatched gazebo is increasingly popular for those seeking to blend functionality with aesthetics in their outdoor spaces.

More than just a decorative feature, a thatched gazebo offers a range of benefits that transform any garden into a haven of relaxation and enjoyment, boosting your property’s value in its wake.

A thatched gazebo brings a rustic, organic charm that integrates seamlessly into any garden setting. The natural texture and colour of the thatch add warmth and softness, complementing the greenery of your outdoor landscape. In sunny climates like Spain, a gazebo provides much-needed shade, allowing you to enjoy the outdoors, regardless of the weather.

Even during cooler months, a gazebo offers a cozy refuge since Cape Reed thatch is naturally waterproof and one of nature’s best insulators.

Thatch is a renewable, biodegradable resource, making it an eco-friendly choice for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint. Its natural insulating properties keep the interior cool in summer and warmer during cooler nights.

A thatched gazebo is not only a beautiful addition to your garden; it’s also a valuable asset when selling your home, distinguishing your property from others on the market. Properties featuring such unique and luxurious outdoor structures tend to attract more potential buyers, often commanding a higher resale value.

For instance, the most expensive house on the Costa del Sol, which includes a stunning Cape Reed thatched gazebo, serves as a testament to how such features can elevate a property’s market appeal.

With proper care, thatch can last for decades, resisting weather and wear. The structure is designed to withstand strong winds and climate changes, requiring minimal upkeep while remaining attractive and functional for future generations.

Contact John today (+34 638 421 464 or john@ capereed.com) for a free consultation or quotation and open the gateway to Exclusive Living. Naturally.

Mark Stucklin www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

Good news and bad

Home sales ebullient in first half of year, but foreign markets off the boil

THE Spanish property market had an excellent first half (H1) of 2024 with the second-highest sales level in more than 15 years, up 6% on the same period last year to 350,818 transactions, according to the notaries.

The only time sales were higher was in the first half of 2022, when pent-up demand from 2020 and 2021 fueled a post-pandemic boom.

The second quarter (Q2) figure was even better, with sales up 10% to 189,909 suggesting the trend is turning increasingly positive as the year progresses.

With these figures in hand it’s fair to say that the market is one of the most buoyant in Europe.

SALES BY REGION

By regions of greatest interest to foreign investors sales were up the most in Madrid (H1 +10%, Q2 +16%) with most regions showing a similar pattern of accelerating growth in the second quarter.

Only the islands showed negative growth in H1, with transactions falling the most in the Balearics (-9%), and by -3% in the Canaries. But even in the Balearics the second quarter sales trend showed a slight improvement compare to H1

What factors are driving the strong sales?

The key drivers are a growing population, a change in interest rates, now falling, and a

UP: Sales have remained buoyant in most regions

shortage of homes for rent as government interference in the rental market reduces the quantity and quality of homes for rent in hot markets like Madrid, Malaga city and Barcelona.

Spanish house prices are also on the rise. According to the notaries, prices in terms of €/sqm rose by 5% in H1, and 3% in Q2.

Rising prices give buyers confidence that they are making a sound investment, and encourage them to buy before prices rise even further.

SALES INVOLVING FOREIGN BUYERS

What about foreign buyers, who have been so active the last few years?

Data from the land registrars based on deeds inscribed in the first half shows foreign demand down 6% in H1, and 4% in Q2, in both cases the third best period for foreign sales on record. So foreign demand is down from a recent peak, but still high by historical

standards.

By country the biggest increases in H1 came from Poland (+9%), Ireland (+8%) and the Netherlands (+5%), but in Q2 the biggest increase came from the USA (+21%). However, most countries sent fewer buyers to Spain in the first half. The big three markets of the UK, Germany and France were all down in H1, by 10%, 12%, and 24% respectively (Q2 was generally a bit better), whilst the Russian decline was 27%, no doubt related to that country’s isolation since Putin invaded Ukraine.

What’s driving foreign demand? The data suggests that house prices at home are one important factor that appear to be positively correlated with the number of buyers heading to Spain. House prices are declining in the UK, Germany and France, whilst increasing in Poland, Ireland, and the Netherlands (Source:Eurostat / Gov.co.uk).

PROPERTY

TENNIS star Rafa Nadal is serving up a €200 million development in Andalucia.

The Mallorcan wizard is doubling up with Ibiza hotel dynamo Abel Matutes to build up to 100 luxury homes on the Costa del Sol.

Under their new joint venture company, Palya Invest, they will deliver the series of

Height of luxury

A SKYSCRAPER in Benidorm has been crowned the best residential development in Europe.

Benidorm Beach scooped the award at this year’s International Property Awards.

The 126-metre high project, which has 36 floors, is being promoted by Alicante developers Alibuilding, and was designed by Chamizo Arquitectos.

There are a total of 196 apartments with two, three or four bedrooms, with prices starting at €690,000.

It counts on large open, common areas, an indoor pool, gym, spa and jacuzzi - plus two padel courts, a running track and children’s play area.

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

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LIFE’S A BEACH FOR RAFA

villas and apartments at two sites, ready by 2027 and 2028.

The duo plan to build around 50 beachfront houses in Estepona and some 40 in Nagueles de Marbella.

Palladium Hotel Group boss Matutes has long been involved in similar developments, while Nadal has worked with the Melia hotel group on a new brand called Zel. Matutes and Nadal have other business

holdings such as the production company Komodo which is behind the Mad Cool music festival. The name ‘Palya’ is a play on the Spanish word for beach.

Digital delights

A STUNNING inland region of Spain is offering digital nomads up to €15,000 to move there.

The programme is part of a plan to battle depopulation and help provide a much-needed boost to the economy in Extremadura.

The much overlooked region that borders Portugal has some of the wildest and most beautiful countryside in Europe.

It is also full of Roman ruins and historic gems, like Merida, Caceres, Trujillo and Guadalupe.

Now the regional authorities have set aside €2 million to spend on enticing entrepreneurial digital nomads to live there.

They point out the cost of living is ‘at least’ 30% lower than Madrid and the price of property purchases and rentals is among the cheapest in the country.

While it may not have the best transport infrastructure, the internet coverage is above national average.

“Extremadura offers a

By Laurence Dollimore

high quality of life. It is a natural paradise with exceptional gastronomy,” insisted Economy Minister Guillermo Santamaria.

“Attracting these high-skilled professionals with international incomes will have a very positive impact on our economy.

“They will boost local consumption, enrich regional talent and create significant networks and opportunities.”

Authorities are looking for highly qualified digital nomads who work in the tech industry. To meet the criteria, you

ing the UK, you can still take part in the scheme if you are part of the digital nomad visa programme. Those who brave the most abandoned towns (less than 5,000 inhabitants), will receive up to €10,000, while everyone else will get up to €8,000.

If those in the first group decide to stay on after the first

year, they get another €5,000, while the second group get €4,000 - giving totals of up to €15,000 and €12,000 respectively.

According to reports, people aged 30 and under will be given priority.

You can apply online via the Extremadura General Electronic Access Point. must be able to work 100% from home and online and commit to staying in Extremadura for a minimum of two years.

If you are an EU national, you must be a legal resident in Spain with an NIE. Foreign nationals with a TIE card can also apply. If you are not from the EU, includ -

RESIDENTS of a tower block in Malaga are up in arms over the number of tourist rentals that is creating a ‘living hell’ for them.

There are now an incredible 110 tourist rentals out of 252 apartments in the Martiricos building and the behaviour of tourists is causing despair.

“It's become a living hell,” one resident told Diario Sur. “We're losing our quality of life because of these tourist apartments.”

Residents find themselves powerless in the face of late-night parties, security breaches, noise and aggressive behaviour.

A recent forced evacuation of the building after a fire extinguisher was sprayed by tourists from the 17th floor has led to particular anger.

"We moved here for peace, but it’s become a nightmare," continued the neighbour.

"When one of us complained about a tourist apartment her car lock was broken that night,” he added.

“Another threatened to sue us for being racist and xenophobic.

"The owners claim if their apartments were not full of tourists, they would get squatters in. That’s simply not true.”

The resident group, numbering over 50, are seeking to have the tourist licences annulled.

They are asking for stricter rules and also threatening to take their gripes to court.

“We are willing to risk everything to get this solved,” added the resident.

A COURT in Sevilla has ruled that the council can legally cut off water supply to unlawful tourist flats.

The clarification came after three owners appealed the decision to disconnect six apartments.

But the judge ruled that as the homes were not the owners’ official residences it was legal.

Rentals

Authorities estimate that Sevilla, which has around 3.5 million visitors a year, has over 5,000 illegal apartments, while 9,000 operate legally.

The authorities hope the measure will dissuade further illegal apartments.

The number of holiday rentals is driving up prices and forcing residents out of the historic centre.

GRANDEUR: Of cities like Trujillo and Guadalupe (top)

BIG RELAXATION, Tiny house

LOTS of hotels, Airbnbs and campsites promise an ‘escape from it all’ but few achieve it quite like this extraordinary gem hidden in the hills just inland from the Costa del Sol.

The Little Wooden House was built by expat Elizabeth Wynn as a ‘refuge’ surrounded by nature, near the charming town of Monda.

Just 20 minutes inland from Marbella, the home is perfect for those hoping to recharge in the peaceful surroundings.

The carefully crafted building is nestled among olive trees and vineyards, providing an oasis of calm.

By Yzabelle Bostyn

A deep waft of wood hits you as you enter the house, making you feel instantly welcome.

I’d first heard about the rental via Channel

4’s hit show George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces and written about it in our Property magazine earlier this year.

So it was great to come back and stay.

Elizabeth has certainly used an eclectic mix of wrought iron and other recycled materials to further add to its charm.

The rustic, warm decoration including deep orange colours further adds to the autumnal feel, prompting a sudden urge to curl up in the sofa nook with a fantasy novel. Luckily, there’s a whole shelf to choose from, with titles ranging from Bill Bryson to Yann Martel. I’m soon undergoing a Fleetwood Mac moment. Though ‘tiny’, the house makes great use of space, with a small bathroom, kitchen, dining table, sofa and a bedroom. Each corner is illuminated by big,

bright windows looking out over olive groves and the Sierra de Alpujata. The calming views make cooking in the mini kitchen a pleasure and guests can

‘The Little Wooden House’ is one of the most charming - and unusual - hidden gems just inland from Marbella - and offers the perfect Autumn escape with a classic Fleetwood Mac flavour

even pick fresh grapes or figs for dessert.

For the resident chef, there’s two hobs, a microwave, fridge and stove top kettle on hand, accompanied by all the spices, utensils and pots you could need to whip up something delicious.

Outside, there are two tables to choose from to enjoy your meal and wherever you are, the resident cats are sure to come and say hello. Under swaying branches which catch the last of the summer sun, the garden is the perfect spot to enjoy a cold glass of wine before snuggling down for the night.

Up a small set of stairs, the mezzanine bedroom houses a surprisingly big double bed with soft sheets and fluffy pillows. Surrounded by small windows looking out onto the night sky, the cool country air

gave me the best sleep I'd had in months. After a relaxing lie-in, the next morning I was greeted by bright sunshine through the windows and for once, I did not feel grumpy. What better way to spend a Saturday morning than drinking a coffee and watching butterflies float by. Although I was heartbroken to leave the Little Wooden House, I was excited to see what the nearby towns of Monda and Ojen had to offer.

I was excited to see what the nearby towns of Monda and Ojen offered

A sleepy pueblo, there isn’t much to do in Monda, but it is nonetheless very pretty and the castle is well known for its restaurant.

Ojen, on the other hand, is known for its caves, including the Cueva de Columnas, believed to be an example of a prehistoric home. As well as the local towns, there is plenty of walking to do nearby, being slap bang next to the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. Elizabeth also offers arts and crafts workshops in her neighbouring property, Eden Whispers Art Farm. At just €82 a night, the Little Wooden House offers an idyllic escape for creatives, dreamers and most of all - anyone that needs a good rest.

Enjoy the mountain peace near Malaga

Experience true relaxation in authentic Spain

You'll leave behind fabricated luxury to stay in a pure, natural setting with friendly Spanish and international locals Enjoy the authentic Spanish atmosphere with breathtaking nature, all within walking distance through the vineyards from Cómpeta (4,500 inhabitants), a village nestled in the hills of the Costa del Sol, Spain

Cómpeta offers essential amenities such as dental services, a medical center, veterinary care, and schools (with English spoken). Three supermarkets and various shops meet everyday needs, while numerous excellent restaurants provide diverse dining options About 14 km downhill, you'll �nd a beautiful golf course, several hidden beaches, and great international shopping opportunities.

P R O P E R Y F E A T U R E S

- 700 m², completely renovated and built in 2021

- Heated pool, powered by solar panels and heat pumps.

- Status 2024: Successful boutique hotel with a separate Private residence, featuring two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two livingrooms and a large kitchen Private entrance

- Spacious terrace with views of the mountains and the sea.

- One hour drive from Málaga & Málaga Airport

IN THE IVY LEAGUE

MARBELLA has entered the ‘Ivy League’ of true ultra-luxury destinations, insists a new study of the resort.

It has entered the ‘hearts and minds of the most affluent classes on the planet’, and made it a place to live all-year round, as opposed to just taking holidays.

“Families of extraordinary wealth are spending more and more time in Marbella, and finding themselves increasingly among their circle,” writes Chris Clover, in his agency Panorama’s annual report.

“Hot spots show up every now and then, but few destinations in the world can really claim to be a consolidated ultra-prime residential destination.”

Marbella has recently won many prestigious accolades as a global resort and has also been recognised for its pristine beaches, having been awarded 11 Blue Flags this year (two more than last year) – and the most in Andalucia.

TOURISM: Brits lead the way, Germans are second, while Belgians and Americans have seen the largest growth

Quality tourism is not only important for the wealth it brings, but is the first step to introducing people to the area, many who later buy, continues the report.

Tourism numbers are impressive and soaring, with the resort breaking records this year, for example in March seeing 62,240 tourists staying in Marbella, bringing a 64% occupation rate.

Across Spain, records are also being broken and 2024 is expected to be considerably higher than in 2023 when 85 million tourists visited. Indeed, by the end of May, 33 million people had visited, an increase of 13.6% compared to 2023.

The UK continues to be the main source of arrivals with over 4.4 mi -

llion people recorded, followed by Germany with 3.18 million and France just behind on 3.14 million.

to exist in Marbella, continues the report. “This has always been the potential of Marbella, and the reason we opened an agency here in 1970,” explains Clover.

Marbella has 165,871 registered inhabitants, from 153 countries, to which we must add the ‘floating population’ of tourists staying in their own homes and visiting hotels, which in the winter months alone, adds another 100,000 people to make around 265,000 inhabitants. By summer the figure is at least three times that.

In the first four months of 2024 there has been an 18% increase in visitors.

The total of 8 million overnight stays indicates the virtual disappearance of seasonality in the market, with visits now spread more evenly throughout the year.

KEY MARKET INDICATORS: Market demand, supply and prices

Sales figures for 2023 were strong:

both nationally, 12.3% higher than 2019 and locally, 24.5% higher. The spike in sales in 2022 broke all previous records and was due to the pent-up demand created by Covid.

The two charts (above) show sales since 2007 on a national and local level, but also of the supply shortage: just compare the number of new homes built in 2007 (over 300,000) compared with those built last year (slightly over 60,000).

In 2023, 638,591 properties were sold in Spain of which 56,074 were new and 582,517 resale (used).

In Marbella, Estepona and Benahavis the total number of sales was 8,243, of which 708 were new and 7,535 resale.

What about prices?

Prices in Marbella have risen, on average, by 13.7% between June 2023 and June 2024, reaching a new all-time high of € 4.812/m2 – more than double the average

ANDALUCIAN MASTERPIECE, BENAHAVÍS Ref: OP14851

Built: 936 m² | Plot: 3,650 m² | Beds: 6 | Price: € 6,950,000

CONTEMPORARY VILLA, EL MADROÑAL Ref: OP15141

Built: 523 m² | Plot: 1,865 m² | Beds: 8 | Price: € 4,750,000

CHARMING HOUSE IN LOMAS PUEBLO Ref: OP15150

Built: 130 m² | Terraces: 41 m² | Beds: 3 | Price: € 995,000

EXCLUSIVE, HIGH-END VILLA, ATALAYA DEL RÍO VERDE Ref: OP15053 Built: 372 m² | Beds: 4 | Price: € 5,300,000

BEACHSIDE DUPLEX PENTHOUSE, SAN PEDRO Ref: OP14658

Built: 114 m² | Terraces: 146 m² | Beds: 3 | Price: € 1,995,000

SPACIOUS DUPLEX PENTHOUSE, LAS BRISAS Ref: OP15126

Built: 195 m² | Terraces: 55 m² | Beds: 3 | Price: € 765,000

Tel. (+34) 952 863 750 panorama.es

Offices at Puente Romano and opposite the Marbella Club hotel

asking price per square metre of 10 years ago, according to Idealista.

However, Marbella’s prices remain competitive. Of the 50 most costly municipalities in Spain, Marbella is only sixth, while Sant Josep in Ibiza comes top at €6,295/m2.

Globally, Marbella moved from 16th place in 2022 to 13th place in 2023, just ahead of Mallorca and Vancouver, as quoted in the Knight Frank 2024 Wealth Report, with Monaco the most expensive city to buy, at an average price of over €58,000 per square metre.

And as the chart (right) shows, you can get double the space in Marbella compared to Ibiza and three times that of Saint-Tropez.

Who is buying? Brits come top, Swedish second

British, Dutch, and Swedes are the top foreign buyers in Malaga, con -

12th 2023

tributing to a third of all purchases in the province. British buyers lead with 15%, with the Dutch and Swedish buyers at 8% each.

A third (33.7%) of all properties sold in the province went to international buyers.

In Marbella, British investment has grown by an average of 20% over the past two years. Contrary to initial expectations following Brexit, British residential tourists continue to buy properties on the Costa del Sol, particularly in the luxury market. Despite economic challenges, confidence in the Spanish market remains high and there has been resilient demand for quality homes, especially in golf-related properties.

In Marbella, Panorama’s sales over the last three years have been to clients of 45 nationalities, with the

● Marbella’s property market stands on the brink of a sustained period of exceptional growth. The market indicators consistently point towards a continued upward trajectory, with demand and investor confidence driving the market to new heights. We expect this momentum to increase in the coming years with a profound and sustained expansion phase.

● The lack of supply coupled with an increasing demand, will continue to drive prices higher, but the increase in prices in the most expensive areas may be more moderate.

● Prices are still competitive compared to other luxury destina-

‘OUR CONCLUSIONS’

tions. Although prices in the ultra-prime areas have risen to record highs Marbella remains competitive.

● The market’s success includes neighbouring areas. Estepona, Benahavís and other neighbouring municipalities along the whole Costa del Sol, will continue to enjoy an increasingly solid market.

● There remains a lot of work ahead to maintain, preserve and especially improve the quality and sustainability of our

environment and the professionalism and quality of our services in the private and public sectors.

● Quality of life is what really matters to us all. Sunshine matters. A friendly and welcoming community matters. A beautiful, well-cared-for environment matters. Great restaurants, year-round events and activities, music festivals and concerts, sporting competitions, sophisticated nightlife matter. And of course, quality properties are an essential ingredient of the formula.

MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: Double the space of Ibiza and triple Saint-Tropez

TIME FOR A FRESH START

As a new school year dawns, what you need to know

AS the summer sun begins to fade families across Spain have adapted for the return to school.

The start of a new academic year is a time of excitement, anticipation, and a touch of anxiety for students, parents, and educators alike.

In Spain, the education system has plenty of choice between public and private institutions, each offering their own advantages and challenges.

For parents, understanding these differences is crucial if they are to make informed decisions about their children’s education.

While the terms are underway it’s usually not too late to change.

The education system in Spain is structured into several stages, beginning with early childhood education Educacion Infantil followed

By Dilip Kuner

by primary education Educacion Primaria, secondary education Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, or ESO, and finally, post-secondary education, which includes both vocational training and university studies.

Education is compulsory from ages 6 to 16, encompassing primary and secondary education.

The country offers a mix of public and private schools, each with its own distinct characteristics.

Public schools are funded by the government, making them accessible to all students regardless of their socioeconomic background and are free.

These schools are managed by regional governments, leading to variations in educational policies and curricula across different regions.

In contrast, private schools operate independently and charge tuition fees. They usually offer far smaller class sizes, specialised programmes, and a more rigorous academic environ-

ment. As the new school year begins, families across Spain engage in a flurry of preparations.

The traditional back-to-school shopping spree is a common ritual, with parents and children alike selecting new school supplies, uniforms, and textbooks.

This ritual symbolises a fresh start and a new beginning, helping students transition smoothly into the academic routine.

But which should you choose?

The decision between public and private education is a significant one for many families. Several factors influence this choice, including location, academic performance, extracurricular activities, and personal values.

Public schools

are renowned for their accessibility and diversity. They are obligated to accept all students within their catchment area, fostering inclusivity and promoting a rich educational environment through the diverse backgrounds of their pupils.

However, public schools can face certain challenges, particularly in terms of class sizes and resource allocation.

In some regions, class sizes may be larger, and schools might experience resource shortages. Meanwhile, private schools offer a more personalised learning experience, with smaller class sizes and greater attention to individual needs.

These schools often provide specialised programmes in areas such as arts, sciences and sports.

International schools for a British syllabus

In the case of many schools, these offer Cambridge exams

and allow pupils to take GCSEs and A-Levels.

Most offer an individualised learning plan, which wouldn’t be available in state schools and they are likely to have excellent purpose-built facilities.

They communicate with parents in their native language, making parent-teacher meetings a breeze.

International schools also provide a convenient pathway to enter the UK university system seamlessly. They are a popular choice with parents who come to Spain for contract work, or a limited time only, and don’t plan to remain here.

Parents can expect to pay from €10,000 to €35,000 per year, depending on whether the child boards at the school.

Parents will also have to buy uniforms and other extras for their children.

They can cater to students with specific interests or talents due to the resources they have access to.

Private schools often provide a variety of extracurricular programmes, including sports teams, clubs, and arts activities. Participating in extracurricular activ-

September 2024

ities can help students develop new interests, build confidence, and make friends.

A parent’s view – state versus independent

Jenni Stephanides of Sevilla is both a parent and teacher, with one daughter attending a state school, while the other is at the international school where she teaches.

“Both girls started at the international school, as my

STATE EDUCATION

PROS

3 Your child will be involved in your local community

3 Their friends will live locally

3 They will quickly be fluent at Spanish / bilingual

3 There’s no need to transport your children to school

3 It is free of charge

CONS

2 Rigid structure based on continuous assessment

2 Difficult for parents who don’t speak Spanish to understand what’s going on

2 Not much creative learning, in terms of art, drama, etc.

2 It is relatively easy for your child to repeat a year. Re secondary education, the repetition rate is 5.5% for state institutions combined to 1.4% for independent.

The choice is yours...

husband and I work there.

We were offered free places, which ensured the girls could continue their education in the British system, in case we decided to move back to the UK.

“But after three years, my eldest daughter was moved up a school year. Because of her birthday, she had been placed into the correct academic year for the UK, but not for Spain –this was holding her

back educationally.

“My youngest meanwhile was placed into the correct academic year.”

“When we decided to stay in Spain, we gave both girls the choice to move to the Spanish system to integrate more with the local community. Both declined at the time.

“My eldest is about to start her final year and intends to attend university in the UK.

PRIVATE EDUCATION

PROS

3 Cambridge exams are provided

3 Caters for entry to UK universities

3 International Baccalaureate entry

3 Individualised learning plan

3 Constant contact with parents / partici- pation in the learning experience

3 Speak to educators in English

CONS

2 The cost each year

2 Paying for school uniform, that your child must wear

2 Less immersion of your child in their local community

2 Friends might live further away

2 Child is less likely to be fluent at Span- ish

2 The need to transport children to school – possibly at a geographic dis- tance

2 The school holidays do not match Spanish holidays

However, my youngest moved to the Spanish system last year and thrived immediately.

“In the international school, she had many friends from around the world, but the Spanish girls didn’t include her, and she

GET A HEAD START

AS students across Europe return to school, many families begin to consider how they can give their children a head start in an increasingly competitive academic landscape.

Unlike many traditional schools, CGA offers academic acceleration - allowing students to take on additional subjects or advanced courses like A-Levels or Advanced Placement (AP) beyond what is required for graduation or university entry.

So how does this help? Through a flexible curriculum and personalised learning environment, students have the opportunity to broad-

The key to accelerated learning in Europe

en their knowledge, showcase their ability to handle advanced study, and strengthen their university applications.

THE BENEFITS OF ACCELERATION

For students who want to excel academically or have clear university ambitions, acceleration offers a chance for them to deep dive into subjects of interest, take on additional courses, and build an impressive academic portfolio.

For example, student Caterina from Italy, has been able to pursue her flexible studies with CGA to advance her academics while balancing her career as an equestrian.

“The previous online schools that I had found did not have anywhere near a program like CGA does. And I really like that you could choose what type of programme you want to work with, for example, if I wanted to continue doing A-Levels or if I wanted to go with the American system, that was a very big plus for me.”

The Da Vinci program allowed her to progress at her own pace, excelling in areas of strength and receiving support in others. Her ability to take advanced courses, like calculus, despite a long hiatus from Maths, demonstrated the effectiveness of CGA’s approach.

As Caterina says, “If I wanted to do something more advanced, have fewer classes, or do a bit more on my own, then I could choose the Da Vinci program and tailor my program according to my needs.”

For students aspiring to attend prestigious universities in Europe and beyond, acceleration offers a significant advantage. By completing

wasn’t confident speaking Spanish.

“Now, she is fluent in Spanish, has achieved fantastic grades in her first year in the public system, and has many friends from the state system. My eldest stands by her decision to stay at the independent school.”

Peter Jones is the opposite.

Both his children started their education in inland Valencia province at a state school from a young age and enjoyed it and thrived.

But as they entered their teens Jones, a businessman, who spends his time travelling around Europe, agreed with his wife and their children that they should try out a private school on the Costa Blanca coast.

The investment has definitely paid off. They are completely bilingual

The family felt that they would get more chances to excel in arts and music and, above all, meet a more international group of children, who would in turn ‘broaden their horizons’.

“It has definitely worked and they are both loving it, with the eldest taking her A-lev -

els and planning a good university in the UK, while our younger daughter will probably do the international baccalaureate and go to university in Holland or Germany.” He continued: “While it meant coming up with around €2,000 more a month, it has definitely paid off. They are completely bilingual and still friends with their old local pals, who, of course, are all planning universities, if at all, in Spain.”

advanced subjects earlier than their peers, students can prove their ability to thrive in a demanding academic environment - something that is particularly appealing to universities looking for candidates with a strong academic track record.

KEY BENEFITS OF ACCELERATION AT CGA:

● Ability to take advanced subjects beyond the standard curriculum

● Personalised learning pathways tailored to each student’s strengths and needs

● Flexibility to explore different academic systems, like A-Levels or the American (AP) system

● Opportunity to build a stronger academic profile for university applications

● Support to balance advanced studies with personal interests and extracurricular activities

DEVELOPING ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE

Taking extra courses not only enhances academic achievement but also helps

students develop key skills such as time management, discipline, and independent learning. CGA student Eva from Russia demonstrates how balancing a demanding academic workload alongside her music career has made her more organised and independent in her studies.

“During high school, I want to achieve a deep knowledge of all my subjects… to do well on the external exams and at the same time I want to have enough time to work on my music… because of CGA I can at the same time focus on my academics and on my musical career,” says Eva.

For families across Europe considering academic acceleration, CGA offers a flexible and supportive environment where students can study at a pace that suits them, rather than having their courses and class schedules determined by their age.

This approach allows students to excel in their areas of interest and pursue a more challenging academic experience.

FACILITIES: at International schools, like Laude, are impressive

Starting September 2024!

Svenska Skolan Marbella

international education

Discover the Future of Education

We are thrilled to unveil our brand-new International Curriculum, launched in September 2024! Perfect for secondary students and those eager to continue their studies in English within our vibrant Swedish environment, this programmme offers:

Globally Recognised Education: Equip yourself with the skills and knowledge to excel in our interconnected world.

Native English-Speaking Team: Benefit from the expertise and support of our dedicated, native-speaking educators.

Small Class Sizes: Enjoy personalised attention and a unique learning experience tailored to your needs.

Swedish Community: Immerse yourself in a supportive and culturally enriching Swedish setting. Optional additional Swedish lessons ensure a smooth transition back into the Swedish system with additional Swedish language support.

Unique International Environment: Experience a diverse, multicultural atmosphere that provides students with a globally recognised education that will equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Unlock endless possibilities and embark on an exciting educational journey with us.

Where every student reaches their full potential!

All education is in English, but we continue to emphasize Swedish language and culture while promoting global awareness. By offering grades in Swedish language, we ensure the possibility for students to continue their studies in Sweden.

Located in Marbella, our school offers a unique international environment with great opportunities for cultural and social exchange.

20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Welcome to Svenska Skolan Marbella

WE’RE thrilled to announce the launch of our new International Curriculum, starting with Year 8 this academic year.

This innovative program aims to provide students with a globally-minded, culturally enriched, and academically rigorous education.

At Svenska Skolan Marbella, our mission is to nurture lifelong learners who are globally minded and culturally aware, ensuring they are prepared to thrive in an ever-changing world. We offer a safe and supportive environment where students are encouraged to reach their full potential and become responsible, compassionate members of society.

Our curriculum, based on the Cambridge Pathway, offers a broad and balanced education that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and a passion for learning. Subjects include English, Mathematics, Science, Global Perspectives, Modern Foreign Languages, Art and Design, Computing, Music, Physical Education, and Wellbeing.

We believe in the value of experiential learning. Students will have opportunities to participate in educational day

trips, residential trips, and a variety of extracurricular activities, including sports, arts, and clubs. Our state-ofthe-art facilities, including a football pitch, multi-activity area, padel courts, outdoor swimming pool, and indoor gymnasium, provide ample space for outdoor learning and recreation.

Invite

Swedish students will also have the opportunity to learn Swedish through the Sofia Distans program, ensuring they stay connected to their cultural heritage and have the option to continue their studies in Sweden in the future. We invite you to come and discover our facilities and learn more about our International Curriculum. Contact our admissions department to schedule a visit. We look forward to welcoming you to Svenska Skolan Marbella!

For more information please call +34 952 868 252 or visit the website www.svenskaskolanmarbella.com

September 2024

BE CYBER AWARE

Bullying worries lead to ban on mobile phone use

THE increasing use of mobile phones by Spanish schoolchildren has raised concerns about the potential for cyberbullying. Experts warn that the unrestricted use of these devices can create a fertile ground for online harassment, especially among vulnerable young people.

A recent study revealed that a significant number of Spanish children have access to mobile phones at a young age. By the age of

By Dilip Kuner

14, over 90% of children have their own devices. This widespread availability has made it easier for bullies to target their victims online, often leading to severe emotional distress.

The National Police have observed a concerning trend of traditional bullying escalating into cyberbullying as children gain access to smartphones.

They emphasise the importance of educating young people about the potential dangers of online interactions and providing them

Maths and reading targeted

THE Spanish government has targeted the three Rs as it tries to improve academic results.

Earlier this year it announced an initiative aimed at improving students’ math, reading and writing skills.

According to Education Minister Pilar Alegría the programme will focus on providing students with the tools and resources they need to excel in these essential subjects.

“We're seeing too many kids struggling with basic maths and

with the tools to protect themselves.

reading,” the minister said. “This is unacceptable. It's time for a change.”

1 1 1 1 2 3

Resources will be devoted to teacher training and the programme will target younger students to ensure they have a strong foundation in these subjects from an early age. The minister also indicated that children who need extra support will have access to after-school tutoring and mentoring programmess, and parents will be encouraged to take a more active role in their children's education.

THE BENALMÁDENA

In response to these concerns, the Spanish Government this year introduced regulations aimed at limiting the use of mobile phones in educational institutions. These include a complete ban on mobile phones in Early Childhood and Primary Education facilities, as well as restrictions on their use in Secondary Education. While these measures are a step in the right direction, experts argue that more comprehensive strategies are needed to combat cyberbullying effectively. These include raising awareness among parents, educators, and students about the issue, promoting responsible online behavior, and providing support for victims.

Your International School in Marbella

British and Spanish Curriculum

• Multidisciplinary Education

• Academic Excellence

• Experiences beyond the classroom

• Extensive Facilities

96%96%

of UoG students feel satisfied that the knowledge and skills they take away from their programme will support their career aspirations.

Put your head down

FOR the 50% of Brits who go to university or college moving into a damp, cold, shared flat with strangers has become something of a rite of passage.

Increase in Spanish students moving away to university causes the dorm industry to boom in Spain

Many discover the endless washing up and how much toilet paper and energy bills cost.

For Spaniards, this is a relatively uncommon experience with only around 17% of students leaving their region to study.

By Dilip Kuner

Most students live at home or with grandparents, which perhaps explains how there are only 100,000 student beds in

Further learning

THE UK and Spain earlier this year signed an agreement that streamlines access to universities in both countries.

This means easier transitions for students from either nation who wish to pursue higher education abroad.

Both UK and Spanish qualifications will be recognized for entry to universities in the respective countries. Students from either system can apply under the same conditions as those from EU member states.

This means that Spanish students can still access UK universities with recognition of their Baccalaureate results.

Similarly, students holding UK qualifications (including A-levels) will no longer need to take the Spanish general university entrance exam. Their qualifications will be directly translated through an agreed conversion table. A-levels and equivalent qualifications will be credited up to 10 points in the Spanish university entrance system.

PUTTING STUDENTS FIRST

LOCATED in the bustling heart of Sevilla, Nido El Porvenir, part of the Europe-wide Nido Living, is known as the premier choice for students seeking full-service, centrally located accommodation.

Being next to the Escuela de Comercio de Sevilla (EUSA) and just a five-minute walk from all major faculties of the University of Sevilla, it is an ideal location for both local and international students.

One of the standout features of Nido El Porvenir is its impressive rooftop swimming pool and terrace. This inviting space allows students to cool off and unwind after a long day of classes, providing a perfect setting to relax and socialise, while enjoying stunning views of the city.

The pool area not only combats the heat but is also the place for many of the activities the residence team organises to foster commu nity among resi dents.

The dedicated site team at Nido El Porvenir is available 24/7, ensuring that stu-

dorms versus 1.6 million students in Spanish universities. Recently, Spanish students have realised the benefits of moving away to study causing a surge in demand for student housing.

Spain’s popularity for Erasmus students has also influenced the demand, along with Latin American students.

The boom of dorm beds really took off during the pandemic, with investments reaching €140 million in the first part of 2021, up a whopping 140% from the year before.

The dorm industry in Spain escaped the economic impact of the pandemic, with hundreds of millions being invested by foreign companies from Canada to France.

There is a shortfall of 450,000 beds, partly due to the fact that most student dorms have historically been run by nuns who have laid down morally restrictive rules like splitting up girls and boys.

dents have support whenever they need it.

This commitment to service is reflected in the positive feedback from residents, who appreciate the staff's attentiveness and willingness to assist with any concerns. Regular social activities are organised to promote well-being and interaction among students, enhancing their overall living experience.

Nido El Porvenir offers hassle-free living, with all utility costs, included in the rent; from electricity and water, to internet and cleaning. The weekly cleaning and linen service further simplifies life for busy students. Rooms start at €595 per month, with options for private studio apartments and shared rooms in apartments sharing a kitchen and bathrooms.

For parents seeking a safe and engaging living environment for their children whilst they embark on their university careers, Nido El Porvenir stands out as the top choice in Sevilla. With its modern amenities, strategic location, and a supportive community, it is clear that this residence prioritises the needs and well-being of its students.

TIP TOP: The facilities at Nido El Porvenir include a rooftop pool

EXCELLENCE, DIVERSITY, A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES.

I am passionate about creative play and active involvement for both children and adults as the best way to learn a language. Together we can unleash your potential for fearless and fun adventures in English… in the classroom… and beyond…

I have worked across Primary and Secondary for 25+ years

METHODOLOGY

Immersion English + Co with Georgina Gamble is a multi-sensorial teaching style and learning experience where students are surrounded by the language and a purpose to communicate for real reasons.

Immersion English provides access to an authentic, native learning experience based on the natural aquisition of language.

Groups and levels

Take risks and experiment with language in a safe and playful space

THE THREE Cs

Communication Collaboration Creativity

At Immersion English + Co, “THE THREE Cs” are underlying every teaching and learning objective in the classroom in order to enhance students’ skills while learning English.

José Echegaray, 6, 29670 San Pedro Alcántara, Málaga

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

LOOKING FOR MORE PROPERTY STORIES?

Scan to visit our website

LEADING THE WAY

SPAIN has been home to some of the most influential architects in history, creatives who have consistently pushed the boundaries, leaving an everlasting impact on the built environment.

From Antoni Gaudi’s imaginative creations to Santiago Calatrava’s innovative engineering, the contributions of these architects reflect the country’s rich cultural heritage and avant-garde spirit.

The Spanish architects who have become some of the most influential in the modern world

By Dilip Kuner

Their commitment to preserving history while embracing the future have made them an inspiration for archi-

1. Santiago Calatrava: sculpting the skyline

tects worldwide.

In fact, the legacy of Spanish architects will continue to shape the architectural domain for centuries to come.

Here we explore the contributions and legacies of five of the best creative masterminds from the Iberian peninsula….

RESPECTFUL: Moneo works with the historic surroundings his commisions are in, from

and

Coming from Valencia, Santiago Calatrava has captivated the world with his structural marvels that blend cutting edge engineering with aesthetics.

His signature white, futuristic designs are a testament to his ability to unite form and function. From the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia to the iconic Turning Torso in Sweden, Calatrava’s creations continue to redefine the modern architectural landscape.

Rafael Moneo is renowned for his harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, crafting spaces that respect their surroundings while still being contemporary. His work, including the iconic Kursaal Congress Centre in San Sebastian and the Museum of Roman Art in Merida, are stunning examples of how to create timeless structures that engage with their historical context.

MOVEMENT: From the Turning Torso in Sweden, to the City of Life and Sciences in Valencia (left)

Kursaal (top)

Merida (below)

Keep the stress at bay

Casa Direct has the knowledge and experience to guide you through buying or selling a property

IN the competitive world of real estate, few agencies stand out as clearly as Casa Direct.

With a reputation built on trust, professionalism, and a deep commitment to client satisfaction, Casa Direct is more than just a real estate agency - it’s a partner for anyone looking to navigate the property market in this beautiful part of Spain. One of the key strengths of Casa Direct is its multilingual team. Fluent in English, Spanish, French, German, and several other languages, the agency is uniquely positioned to serve an international clientele.

This ability to communicate effectively with clients from around the globe ensures that no matter where you're from, Casa Direct can provide a seamless and stress-free experience.

Trust

But language skills are just the beginning. What truly sets Casa Direct apart is their unwavering commitment to building relationships based on trust. Whether you're looking to buy, rent, or sell a property, you can count on the Casa Direct team to provide honest, transparent advice and support throughout the entire process.

Their deep knowledge of the Malaga region, combined with their personalized approach, means that they are always focused on finding the perfect solution for your real estate needs.

Adding to their credentials, Casa Direct is proud to collaborate with the popular TV show A Place in the Sun in its 2024 series. This partnership highlights their expertise and solidifies their reputation as a go-to agency for finding dream properties in one of Spain's most desirable locations. With Casa Direct, you're not just making a transaction—you're making a trusted connection.

For more information or to find your dream property visit www.casadirect.eu or telephone +34 951 239 010

3. Ricardo Bofill: reinventing urban spaces

QUALITY THAT LASTS

RDMC’S glass manufacturers – a legacy of quality and craftsmanship

IN an ever evolving world,

and innovation are

speed, RDMC’S Glass Manufacturers stands as a beacon of excellence. With over 189 years of combined experience, this family run business brings unparalleled expertise in glazing, construction, and stainless steel.

Specialising in glass curtains, windows, doors, and stainless steel products, R-DMC’s dedication to craftsmanship shines in every project they undertake.

What sets RDMC’S apart is their commitment to using only the highest quality materials. Their use of 316 marine-grade stainless steel ensures that corrosion is never an issue, making their products both durable and reliable.

The company excels in producing UPVC and aluminium windows and doors, with a particular focus on bi-fold (concertina) systems.

Whether it’s an electric or manually operated sliding roof, glass balustrades, or even acoustic glass for soundproofing bars, RDMC’s versatility knows no bounds. Their service extends beyond just glass. From mirrors and table tops to walk-on glass and pool surrounds, they cater to all your glazing needs.

Whether it’s a large-scale commercial project or enhancing your home with bespoke designs, you can trust RDMC’S to deliver quality that lasts. Proud of the work they do, their reputation speaks for itself.

BOUNDARIES: Enric always pushes them from Edinburgh (top) to Shanghai Ricardo Bofilli’s career has been inspired by his passion for transforming and repurposing existing structures. His projects, such as the remarkable transformation of an abandoned cement fac

To explore how RDMC’S can assist you with your next project, contact them at www.rdmcsglass.com, via email at rdmcsinfo@gmail.com or call them on +34 952 477 963 / +34 663 69 62 80.

Known for his expressive and organic designs, Miralles pushed the boundaries of architectural language. His most notable work is the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh, a bold and innovativecome a landmark. His design of the Spanish pavilion at Shanghai’s Expo in 2010 was also

• Offices in Calahonda, Torrequebrada and La Cala de Mijas.

• All sales agents and valuers are Certified Estate Agents by GIPE.

• Multilingual, 12 languages spoken!

• Qualified property valuers with years of experience.

• Professional valuation report based on confirmed sales prices for the last 15 years of similar properties in the immediate area.

• 21 years established = Client list of more than 15.000 potential buyers!

• Professional presentation: Quality photos, Virtual Tour and Floorplans

• No sale - No fee! Call us for a free valuation!

Contact our property valuers Daniel Holmquist or David Hemmings to value your property!

• Your property will be published: on our web page in 4 languages, videos on social media, ads on national and international property portals all over Europe as well as on major MLS platforms. No one gives better coverage!

CALAHONDA

TORREQUEBRADA LA CALA DE MIJAS

GOOD NEWS FORECAST

Euribor interest rates on a downward trend

THE recent downward trend in the Euribor rate is good news for mortgage holders in Spain.

This key benchmark index, which directly influences the cost of borrowing for many homeowners, has been a little up and down over recent months, but the trend is downwards, offering much-needed relief to those facing rising monthly payments.

The Euribor rate has dipped below the psychological 3% barrier to 2.97% (September 9) and this represents a significant decrease from its recent peak of September 2023, when it reached 4.228%.

The European Central Bank (ECB) continues to signal its intention to cut interest rates, which is expected to further drive down the Euribor. Euribor is anticipated to continue to fall and Austria’s central bank governor Robert Holzmann has predicted it could settle at around the 2.5% mark in 2025.

This means that variable mortgage holders can anticipate a reduction in their monthly repayments - which can be a significant cash saving depending on the size of the loan held.

While this news may seem like a dream come true for many, it’s important to remember that the impact of falling interest rates can vary depending on individual circumstances. Most variable-rate

By Tancrede de Pola

mortgages are tied to 12-month Euribor base so rates are reset on the anniversary of the mortgage initiation meaning some won’t see the benefit immediately. Those with fixed-rate mortgages, for instance, may not experience the same benefits until the end of the term.

However, it’s worth noting that the overall trend towards lower interest rates could have a positive impact on the housing market as a whole, potentially leading to increased affordability and greater demand.

Informed

As a mortgage advisor, I encourage homeowners to stay informed about the latest developments in interest rates and to consider consulting with us at The Finance Bureau to assess how these changes may affect their personal situation. While the current outlook appears promising, it’s essential to be prepared for potential fluctuations in the market.

By understanding the factors that influence interest rates and making informed decisions, homeowners can navigate the complexities of the mortgage landscape and secure a more stable financial future.

For more information please call +34 952 801 401 or visit the website www.thefinancebureau.com

5. Antoni Gaudi: unravelling the wonders of modernism

No conversation about Spanish architects can be had without mentioning Antoni Gaudi. His creations are a unique blend of Gothic, Art Nouveau, and Catalan Modernism, with his distinctive designs becoming synonymous with Barcelona’s architectural heritage. The breathtaking Sagrada Familia cathedral and the whimsical nearby Park Güell are just a glimpse of his artistic expression and commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional architecture.

GENIUS: Gaudi’s work is amoung the most original in history

From page 30

EFPG - Your Friendly English Speaking Insurance Broker

EFPG is a bespoke insurance brokerage in Pueblo Nuevo, offering tailor made insurance solutions at special rates designed especially for the ex-pat market.

We value  every single one of our clients as individuals and prize ourselves on our high level of customer care. Our team are fluent in both English and Spanish, providing affordable insurance solutions from well known companies, with quick quotes available and all communication provided in your language.

Our experienced staff are very familiar with the industry and are available to contact at almost any time of the day. Reachable on their independent contact numbers on weekends and bank holidays, to be on hand to offer assistance and advice when you need it most.

We have a cradle to grave approach, meaning that the broker who assists you will be by your side throughout the entire process, from policy start to finish. Providing a helping hand throughout any renewals, adjustments and claims that may take place during the term of the contract.

Insurance can often feel like a waste of money, even when legally required. However we recognize that it is a necessary evil, in order to protect ourselves and our families from financial losses when accidents happen. With this in mind we always aim to provide our clients with the best insurance to meet their needs, finding the ideal policy, taking into consideration performance and price.

At EFPG we aim to match each client with the perfect policy to suit their needs. Along with health, life, marine, motor, travel, pet, buildings, home and other specialist policies, our qualified and experienced team can help you with all your financial planning and pension needs. If you are interested in any of our products please get in touch for more information today. Our office in Pueblo Nuevo is open on weekdays from 9am til 5.30pm, so feel free to come by in person, or alternatively you can call +34 951818001 or visit us on our website www.efpg.es.  As part of our 24/hr service you can also reach us at any time of the day via WhatsApp 0034 666 922 345.

Looking forward to connecting with you

Kindest Regards from the efpg team

“Here for what matters most”

MEET THE TEAM: Katya Shew, Scarlett Humphreys and Tamara Garcia

29thDecember 12th 2023

Rental nightmare

SPAIN’S growing rental nightmare has been laid bare by the latest statistics from the second quarter of 2024.

According to property portal Idealista, across Spain, the average flat has 32 people applying for a viewing before being taken off the market.

The figure represents a 55% increase on the same period last year. Malaga, which has become a mecca for digital nomads and expats, has seen interest soar to an average of 37 viewing requests per home.

The figure is a 20% year-onyear increase.

UP AND UP

SPAIN’S housing market continues to burn brightly, with purchase and rental prices seeing near-double digit rises year-onyear.

House prices have risen 8.6%, while rentals have exploded 10.4%, according to new data.

To buy a home in Spain will now cost you an average of €2,176 sqm – a new record for the country. The Balearics meanwhile will set you back the most, costing €4,512 sqm, a year on year jump of 13.2%

In the capital of Palma the rises are even higher at 18.7%.

Man of the people

Irish‘ex-gangster’Gerry‘TheMonk’

Hutch launches rental business for cash-

strappedlocalworkers

NOTORIOUS Irish crime lord Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch has turned over a new leaf and is now running bed and breakfasts in Spain for local workers priced out of the rental market, it has emerged.

The 61-year-old former leader of an Irish mafia group known as the Hutch Crime Organisation relocated to Lanzarote permanently after he was acquitted of murder in April.

He was found not guilty by a Dublin court of the murder of gangland rival David Byrne during his group’s feud with

By Walter Finch

the notorious Kinahan cartelwhich regularly spilled onto the Costa del Sol.

Since then Hutch has opened a string of bed and breakfasts on the north side of the popular tourist island, according to reports.

But instead of capitalising on Spain’s ongoing tourism boom, he has dedicated himself to helping out those who have been left behind and can’t find places to rent.

for his teetotal lifestyle and embrace of abstinence.

TURISMOFOBIA GROWS

PUBLIC opinion is starting to turn against mass tourism in Spain. Despite being the lifeblood of the economy at 13% of GDP and providing jobs for nearly three million people, the country stands out among its neighbours in the latest survey.

The YouGov European attitudes to overtourism poll found that one in three (32%) Spaniards believe there

are too many international tourists in their area, far higher than next-nearest France (18%).

A further 28% of people now have a negative opinion of foreign tourists.

Spain is the only country surveyed where more people are against tourist flats (37%) than in favour (33%).

The numbers far outstrip those surveyed in fellow tourism hotspots Italy and France.

to

around 30 or 40 residents at a ‘fair price’. He rents out most of the rooms on long-term leases for hard-pressed workers who have found that the rental market has increasingly been transformed into tourist rentals.

Despite heading up a recognised mafia group, Hutch has always been known

He famously refuses to drink alcohol or take drugs despite reportedly being at one time a major purveyor of the latter.

Enemies

He’s also reputed to have invested heavily in a number of pubs on the island and has opted against lying low despite his long list of enemies.

These days he is a friendly and recognisable presence, happy to chat in public – although he refuses to take selfies.

The source of his investment funds are unknown.

AFRICA TRAIN HOPES

SPANISH scientists will study seismic activity in the Strait of Gibraltar in a bid to determine the viability of an underwater train connecting Morocco with Spain.

The analysis will be carried out by the Spanish Society of the Study of Fixed Communications through the company, Strait of Gibraltar SA (Secegsa).

Secegsa plans to install four ocean bottom seismometers along the proposed route, which will be monitored by the Royal Observatory of the Navy (ROA).

Tunnel

After studies carried out last year and this year, the route of the tunnel, if the project goes ahead, will be between Punta Paloma in Tarifa and Punta Malabata, 11km west of Tangier.

The stretch between the two countries measures 42km, and was selected because the maximum depth would be 300m.

The former mafia boss refuses to rent out rooms to tourists and only offers accommodation

MOB: Hutch has turned to B&B to help hard-pressed locals

WINDS OF CHANGE

Housing and tourism crisis is changing Spain’s property market with bans on short term lets increasingly likely

IT’s already been another bumper year for tourism in Spain.

According to the national statistics institute the number of visitors had reached over 53 million by the end of July, a 12 % increase from the year before. The amount of money spent increased by a whopping 19% to €71 bil lion.

But this isn’t just a story about the lu crative tourism economy, which makes up between 12-14% of Spanish GDP. It’s also about crisis and transformation. It’s the crisis of housing primarily, but also of cities whose infrastructure is overwhelmed by the endlessly growing number of tourists. And of Spaniards’ frustration with how the situation is affecting them.

they will cut off the water to unlicenced Airbnbs and will shut down those that don’t meet new criteria for separate entrances. This is seen as unworkable and a diversion from more direct measures. It’s likely that restrictions will increase in Andalucia’s capital city.

A recent article in the New York Times, for instance, highlighted the number of people living in tent cities in the Bale aric Islands.

Literally the people who are serving the tourist economy, caring for the children and homes of the wealthy and even the police, have nowhere to live.

Other cities, such as Madrid, Cadiz, Valencia (for 1 year), and Granada (for one month) banned new tourist apartment rentals. Even some small towns are picking up the momentum to do likewise. There are also changes to the national housing law coming in the short term to strengthen limitations. One change will allow community housing associations to ban holiday rentals. These associations exist in every building and in many subdivisions (urbanizaciones). Previously, communities could restrict tourist rentals in various ways, including increasing community fees.

It has led to a summer of protests against over-tourism in major cities and small towns, as well as on Spain's popular island destinations.

It has also led to a raft of changes to legislation relating to shortterm vacation rentals like Airbnb. In Barcelona all Airbnb style rent als will be banned by 2028, includ ing those that currently have licences. In other cities there are different levels of restriction being applied depending on degrees of popular political pressure and who the governing party is. In Sevilla, the mayor has announced that

But they couldn’t outright prohibit them unless they had a unanimous vote. When the law changes, communities will be able to do so with a vote of 3/5 of neighbours. The law comes in response to two recent Supreme Court rulings that supported the right of community associations to ban them as economic activities in a residential zone. There is a widespread popularity to these measures. A poll by the Centre for Sociological Research at the beginning of September found that over 76% of Spaniards support controls on tourist apartment licenses. Almost a majority45% - support restrictions on the amount of tourism.

Where will this lead?

Because of all this, the question of tourism rentals has entered the consciousness of home buyers as well. I have had more clients asking me about whether tourist rentals were acceptable in a given community.

Some, particularly those interested in high end properties, want to ensure that it is banned in the community where they are considering making a purchase. High net worth buyers are paying large sums of money for privacy and security. They don’t want a party of wedding goers or holidaying students next door. They want to know who their neighbours are. Others want to finance their holiday home costs with Airbnb rentals when they are not in Spain. They want to ensure that an urbanization hasn’t banned tourism rentals – and in the case of off-plan developments this remains an unknown until the first community meeting.

I heard of a client taking possession of a new apartment in Malaga, which he intended to rent short-term only to find such activity banned at the first community meeting. Obviously - based on the protests that we've seen –those looking to buy in city centres want to see more accommodation dedicated to long term housing. They want to know their neighbours and they want affordable rents.

modated?

And what will it mean for holiday home buyers? At present many owners of second properties, whether houses or apartments, are only resident in their holiday homes for a few weeks or months of the year. If they can’t monetise the period when their property is vacant, how will that affect their buying decisions?

The biggest question of all, perhaps, is whether all of this change will solve the problem of a lack of affordable housing in Spain.

Spaniards now live at home longer and are almost twice as likely to spend more than 40% of their income on housing-related payments, according to a 2023 study by Caixa Bank.

Part of the problem in tourism heavy zones is the conversion of long term housing to tourism rentals. But really, it comes down to a lack of construction of affordable housing - or much new housing at all. Another oft-quote study makes this clear:

Social housing accounts for just 2.5% of the property stock in Spain

According to Spain’s Affordable Housing Observatory, the affordable social housing in the country accounted for 2.5% of the total housing stock in 2019, significantly below the EU15 European average of 15% for the same year.

It seems likely that restrictions will grow primarily in high-end, luxury communities and in city centres. Those developments that are dedicated to vacation properties will likely be far less affected. That could lead to some big changes in the property market and it’s hard to know exactly how it will shake out in the end. Will there be more separation between tourists and residents, as it was prior to the rise of Airbnb style tourist rentals?

Will there be a surge in developments and/or purchases of entire buildings to convert them into regulated tourist apartments, hostels and hotels?

How will the 70 or so million people likely to come to Spain every year be accom -

The concern that we should all have is that governments at all levels are creating new facts and paradigms not based on rational planning or well-thought out decisions - but for political gain and low political cost.

Instead of grappling with the shortage of housing they are offloading the problem to commmunity associations, which can increase conflict between neighbours.

This is a problem for all levels of government and could impact a number of sectors of the economy - housing, employment, tourism, zoning laws.

A rational, well-thought out approach is needed, not half-measures.

SWAMPED: Residents of these two tower blocks in Malaga are up in arms over the number of tourist lets which bring late night rowdy behaviour

by Adam Neale

From Jerez to the highlands

The Macallan safeguards its Spanish barrel supply

By Yzabelle Bostyn

A SCOTTISH whisky brand is joining forces with a Jerez cask producer in a brand new venture promising ‘incomparable craftsmanship and whisky mastery’.

The Macallan, a single malt whisky brand from Scotland, will collaborate with the Tevasa cooperage in Jerez and its sister wood supply businesses, Forestal Peninsular and Forestal Peninsular de Cantabria.

Tevasa creates Spanish seasoned oak casks used in the

production of whisky.

The Macallan will now own 50% of the share capital of Tevasa Forestal Group.

Managing Director Igor Boyadjian said: “This partnership shows our commitment to the

TARIFF PLEA

SPANISH prime minister Pedro Sanchez has called on the EU to ‘reconsider’ its position on tariffs of Chinese goods in an attempt to ease a long-running trade dispute between President Xi Jinping and the European bloc. The comments came following Sanchez’s second visit to Beijing in 18 months, where he met with the Chinese premier to discuss boosting exports, such as electric

craftsmanship in our Sherry cask supply chain. “As we celebrate The Macallan’s 200th anniversary, this expansion will ensure our reputation for richness and complexity for generations to come.”

vehicles and pork.

In particular, Sanchez suggested that the EU should move to eliminate tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

Last year, the EU opened an investigation into alleged unfair subsidies within the Chinese EV industry and has proposed to boost tariffs by 37.6%. In 2023, China imported €1.5 billion worth of pork products from Spain, with Spanish officials fearful that a tit-for-tat trade war would see exports slump.

BE PREPARED

The Importance of understanding your insurance documents The ongoing issue of not reading and understanding insurance policy documents remains important for all your insurance needs.

Very few people seem to be aware of the importance of first checking that their policy documents are completely accurate and contain all the correct information. Especially for car policies, ensure the licence plate number is correct. These documents should be kept in the car; however, it’s far better to ensure you have copies as well, in case the vehicle is stolen.

For your home insurance policies, verifying that the address is correct and matches the catastral reference will make things much easier if you need to make a claim. Without understanding your insurance documents, you won’t be fully aware of your exact coverage in the event of an incident.

Many people underinsure their properties, which is a very unwise decision. This is especially true now, with climate change and the ever-changing, unpredictable weather. With rising inflation and the increasing cost of living, burglaries are unfortunately on the rise, particularly for unoccupied properties.

Make sure you understand what you need to do to not only protect your property but also guarantee that you are covered by your insurance.

It’s well worth knowing what to do in case of an incident - have the necessary phone numbers readily available and understand what information you will need to provide. Health insurance can be a bit more complex. Ensure you know what information is required, keep contact details with you

at all times, and consider storing phone numbers and your policy number on your phone.

If you’re unsure how to use your health insurance, ask your agent or broker for clarification.

In case of a car accident, by default, emergency services will be called and you’ll be taken to a public hospital (Seguridad Social). From there, you can choose to be transferred to a private hospital, or you can stay at the public hospital and pay the bill if you don’t have a SIP card (Spanish health insurance card).

I understand that insurance documents aren’t easy to read, but taking the time to understand your policy will always pay off. It will make your life easier, less stressful, and in some cases, will prevent unexpected and expensive bills.

To assist you with claims, we have a dedicated claims administrator for Liberty Seguros (now Generali), an ASSSA administrator for your health policy, and a renewals department to ensure your coverage remains accurate and up-to-date.

All insurance companies also provide emergency contact information outside of our office hours, which is included with your policy documents.

The Legacy Continues Mark, Jennifer’s son, will be taking over the company to continue Jennifer’s commitment to excellent customer service and providing valuable information. This is just one of Jennifer’s insightful articles that remains relevant even today.

1 Some TV screens (1,1,2)

4 Corkscrew shape (6)

8 Two-bottle bottle (6)

9 Circle round parsonage personage (6)

10 Make anew (8)

11 Former Yugoslav chief (4)

12 Official stickers (5)

Disdain (5) 17 One-name actress (4) 18 Discourteous (8)

Teem (6)

Rodeo rider (6)

Lack of activity (6) 23 Opposite over hypotenuse (4)

Experimental standards (7,6) 3 Ape-like (6) 4 The beautiful game (6) 5 Look-alike nitwit goes berserk in Iceland (9,4) 6 One who’s often high (7) 7 Long narrow strip of fabric (4)

Display (7)

Rectifiers (6)

Historical periods (6)

Confiscated (4)

All solutions are on page 46

THE West Nile Virus is thought to have claimed yet more lives in Andalucia after two more fatalities were reported.

Health authorities have confirmed that a man and a woman, both from Jaen, have passed away in hospital in Cordoba.

If the deaths are confirmed to be from the virus, it will bring the total number of deaths in the region to eight this summer.

Virus strikes

Mosquitoes carrying the disease have been detected in Cadiz, Cordoba and Huelva, while the potential virus-carrying insects have been found in Malaga city.

The Junta confirmed that 70 cases have been detected so far this year.

BABY BOUNTY

THE parents of babies born in Valencia after January 1, 2025, will receive €300 from the city council, it has been revealed.

Maria Jose Catala, the conservative Partido Popular (PP) mayor of Valencia who governs in a coalition with far-right Vox, announced the support package as part of a series of 50 measures to improve ‘the state of the

Spanish region to pay €300 to families of newborn babies from January 2025

By Ben Pawlowski

city’.

Some €3 million has been allocated to Catala’s Maternity and Conciliation Plan,

Care crisis

BRITISH pensioners living in Spain are facing a growing care crisis as local volunteer networks struggle to cope with increasing demands.

Many expats rely on UK-origin charities like Age Concern and the British Legion for support, but these organisations are increasingly staffed by elderly volunteers who themselves require care.

According to Dr Kelly Hall, a social policy expert at the University of Birmingham, the situation could force many British retirees to return home unless a new generation of volunteers steps up.

Private care in Spain can set elderly people back between €2,000 and €5,000 per month, making the help of charities essential.

designed to support young families and promote higher birth rates.

Among the measures is a vow to extend the free education of 0-3 year-olds until July, subsidise nurseries, increase grants for canteens, provide free summer schools, and make a direct payment to the families of newborn babies.

Catala also pledged to build 4,600 new homes, 1,000 of which will be designated as social housing, as part of an updated General Urban Development Plan (PGOU).

The mayor, who described the previous iteration of the plan as ‘exhausted’, will also facilitate urban development in Tendetes, Marxalenes and La Zaida in an effort to provide accessible and affordable housing for all residents.

HEALTH

Nolotil setback

Health bosses turn down ban on killer drug

THE European Medicines Agency (EMA) has ruled out banning or bringing in tougher restrictions on controversial painkiller Nolotil - for now.

The EMA has been studying metamizole, the main ingredient in Nolotil, over its potential to cause a severe or total loss of white blood cells in patients (agranulocytosis).

It comes after hundreds of deaths of British expats and tourists - and other northern Europeans - have

By Laurence Dollimore

been linked to the drug. The cases have been compiled by health campaigner Cristina del Campo, who has been fighting against the drug for years and who is now seeking compensation for family members of those who died after taking it.

The Olive Press has also launched multiple campaigns to raise awareness of Nolotil and to plead for

A NEW LEAF

A RESEARCH team in Valencia has created a ‘revolutionary’ golden lettuce with over 30 times more vitamin A than normal. The new lettuces have a high amount of beta-carotene, a key source of vitamin A. It is important for eye health, strengthening the immune system and skin health. Researchers achieved the ‘super lettuce’ by first experimenting on tobacco and lettuce plants. Through advanced biotechnology techniques and the use of intense light treatments, they succeeded in multiplying the level of beta-carotene.

tougher regulations.

Despite this, the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), says the EMA found the benefits of Nolotil ‘outweigh the risks’.

The EMA began a review of medicines containing metamizole in June 2024, at the behest of the Finnish Medicines

Agency - after the country reported multiple cases of agranulocytosis.

Based on the evaluation of all available scientific evidence, the European Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the EMA has concluded that the benefit of medicines containing metamizole outweighs the risks.

It said measures must be reinforced to facilitate the early identification of symptoms and diagnosis of agranulocytosis. However, the information available to date does not allow them to rule out or confirm a higher risk in populations with specific ethnic or genetic characteristics.

British and other people of northern-European descent are believed to be more at risk from the drug.

The conclusions of the evaluation carried out by the PRAC must be ratified by the Coordination Group (CMDh) of the EMA, which includes all the European medicines agencies.

BREAK DOWN COVER

If your car breaks down it can be an upsetting experience, especially if you don’t have roadside assistance cover. But they are also the most common type of problem on the road.

STAY SAFE

If you break down, stay calm and safe until rescue support arrives. Remember that while you wait for help, your priority is to safeguard yourself and any fellow passengers. Línea Directa policyholders simply call 919 171 171 and inform the emergency hotline where you are.

Línea Directa provides emergency roadside assistance anywhere in Spain 24/7 and 365 days a year, with a national network of operators and recovery vehicles.

GEOLOCATION SERVICE

This service is exclusive to Línea Directa and allows breakdown recovery and roadside assistance services to pinpoint your location and send help directly to you. This service is available throughout mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. The technology is

simple to use and really useful when you need it most.

BREAKDOWN KIT

To help you stay safe here is a checklist of some important safety items in the event of a breakdown. This emergency breakdown kit should be kept in your vehicle at all times. The kit includes: a torch and spare batteries, warm clothes and blankets, high-visibility jacket, first aid kit, jump start cables, empty fuel can, food and drink, two reflective warning signs, a road atlas, and a mobile phone charger.

OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERTISE

As Spain’s most experienced provider of insurance for British expatriates, Línea Directa has been keeping motorists on the move for over 20 years.

We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Línea Directa please call 952 147 834. More information about Línea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

Green screen

LOCAL green groups will present a documentary at film festivals in Amsterdam and Sevilla.

The documentary, Vidas Irreversibles (Irreversible Lives), explores the impact of renewable energy on the ecosystem and rural communities.

“Renewable energy is destroying ecosystems, economies and the rural communities of Spain,” said the trailer.

“Something that was meant to save the environment and bring life back to pueblos has paradoxically become quite the opposite.”

The film is a joint project by the Associacion Valle Natural Rio Grande (the Association for Rio Grande Valley) and La Ruta de la Placa (The Panel Route).

It will premiere at the Universidad de Malaga on October 4.

WATER GOOD IDEA

New invention could reduce home water consumption by 50%

A YOUNG Spaniard has invented an incredible device which reduces home water consumption by up to 50%.

Martin Bello Urbez, a student at the University of Bristol in England, has created an ingenious roof tile to collect and store rainwater for drinking water, say-

Oil disaster

By Yzabelle Bostyn

ing it could cut household water use by 50%.

He has now submitted the device to the renowned James Dyson Award which has produced some revolutionary designs.

Martin, who studies Prod-

uct Design, came up with the idea when comparing his hometown, Valencia to Bristol.

He explained: “In Valencia water is a very precious but also very scarce commodity. Here, (in England) on the other hand, it rains all the time, but rainwater is rarely used.”

AN oil spill off the coast of Gran Canaria forced local authorities to close off several popular tourist beaches and declare an environmental emergency. Experts expressed fears over the health of the area’s marine wildlife after up to three tons of IFO 180, a sulphur oil, spilt from Liberian registered ship Akhisar while it attempted to refuel.

According to the president of Gran Canaria’s governing council, the oil slick produced by the spillage was approximately 2km long and 400 metres wide.

The beaches of La Restinga, San Borondon, El Baranquillo and La Restinga were closed to the public due to the risk of contamination.

The state of emergency was declared over after 73 personnel spent two days on the clean-up operation.

The Akhisar has not been allowed to leave Gran Canaria until its owners pay €340,000 damages and fines.

The main tile component captures rainwater and filters it through a two-stage process.

Firstly, a filter removes large particles and pollutants, followed by a second filter which ensures the water is suitable for storage in a modular tank of up to 500 litres.

The design includes water spillways in case of overflow, thermal insulation and barriers to stop rodents or insects getting in.

The only prerequisite to install Martin’s device is that the house has a roof and uses tiles.

Awards

His innovative roof tile has already been widely recognised, winning the Panasonic Design Impact Award and being shortlisted for the Royal Society of Arts, Student Design Awards, which will be presented at the end of the year.

Sun power

SPAIN’s renewable energy sources accounted for more than half of the country’s electricity generation in August. According to power grid operator Red Electrica de España (REE), renewable sources supplied 52.6% of Spain’s electricity – although that is slightly lower than the 55.3% seen in July.

Overall the country’s green energy complement produced 12,341 GWh of electricity in August, 13.6% more than in the same month in 2023.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology took centre stage, generating, at 5,400 GWh, 24% of Spain’s power mix in August –a 20.8% increase compared to the same period last year. This marked the fourth consecutive month that solar PV has been the number one source of energy for the country.

In terms of renewables, wind power also contributed significantly, generating 17% of August’s power output at 16 3,889 GWh – although this represents a slight decline of 9% compared to the previous year.

The lack of strong wind blowing across the Spanish hills and plains likely accounts for the dip in green energy production from last year.

Other renewable sources, such as hydro (8.57%), Concentrated Solar Power (3.12%), and renewable waste (0.36%), also played a role in the overall energy mix.

Nuclear accounts for 22% of power generation with 5,092 GWh.

Discover the charm of The Tipsy Mermaid bar

Discover the charm of The Tipsy Mermaid, a delightful bar that has become a beloved gathering spot in Sotogrande! Marc and Alison fell in love with this beautiful area during a week-long vacation and decided to make it their home. With their warm hearts and inviting personalities, they have transformed this little corner into a hub of friendship over the past year.

Often referred to as the “Cheers bar” of Andalucía, The Tipsy Mermaid is always ready to meet the needs of its customers. Marc and Alison are dedicated to expanding their business, not just as a café bar but also as a tapas bar (in the next month...work in progress), bringing even more delicious offerings to the table.

Join us for a cozy atmosphere, friendly faces, and a menu that will tantalize your taste buds. Whether you’re looking for a place to unwind after a day in the sun or a lively spot to enjoy with friends, The Tipsy Mermaid is the perfect destination. We can’t wait to welcome you always with a big smile!

TEL: 856 56 48 28

Tuesday-Saturday:10am-11pm Sunday: 10am-9pm Monday closed Puerto Sotogrande, Ribera del Marlin Local 11

tipsysoto

November 29thDecember 12th 2023 LOOKING

Tit for tat?

EUROPEAN Union travellers heading to the UK will soon need to pay to obtain permission to enter the country, the British Home Office has announced.

The new digital Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which comes into effect from April 2, 2025, will require visitors from Europe, Australia, the US and Canada to pay £10 (€12) to enter the country.

The ETA has been billed as a direct counterpart to the European Union’s upcoming European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which will require Brits to pay €7 to enter. Both systems are nominally designed to strengthen border security by gathering advance information on travellers and identifying potential security risks.

Splurge the cash

Record under threat for tourist spending this summer

ANDALUCIA is set to announce its best ever tourism season thanks to record-breaking revenue from international visitors.

The period from January to July is on track to deliver nearly €10.6 billion in revenue, announced the Junta’s Tourism Minister Arturo Bernal – a 5% increase compared to last year.

In July, the region saw €2 billion in revenue from international visitors, a historic high.

Pending figures for August and July, Bernal called it ‘pos-

DABIZ Muñoz, the highly-acclaimed Madrid-born chef, has premiered his first airport dining concept, which is set to land at four terminals across Spain this year.

The Hungry Club, a joint venture between Muñoz and the Swissbased travel retailer Avolta, has been unveiled at the T4 Satellite Terminal of Madrid airport.

The new outlet will, even tually, become a staple part of life at airports in Madrid, Barcelo na, Malaga and Pal ma de Mallorca as

By Walter Finch

sibly the best summer in the history of Andalucia’.

The boom in international tourism has added 11,000 employees to the workforce in July – ‘also a record figure.’

But one of the most pleasing statistics for Bernal was that the number of international visitors had hardly grown at all – just 2% – ‘which was what we were looking for’.

It chimes with the region’s ambition to attract ‘higher

quality’, higher-spending tourists.

Bernal also addressed the challenges posed by mass

Muñoz lands in Madrid

Muñoz seeks to ‘revolutionise’ the travel dining experience.

Muñoz, crowned as the world’s best chef at the Best Chef Awards in 2021, 2022 and 2023, has vowed to ‘shatter the conventional notion of airport food’ with an Asian-inspired menu that promises to provide a ‘revolutionary gastronomic experience’.

Travellers will be able to savour dishes including seafood laksa, Korean-inspired bolognese pizza, ramen topped with salmon, and flat croissants topped with marshmallows. Muñoz, 44, is renowned in gastronomic circles for his innovative, avant-garde cuisine.

His restaurant, DiverXO, is the only three Michelin-starred restaurant in Madrid, and was recently ranked as No.4 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

tourism, particularly in coastal areas.

He encouraged the cruise ship sector to work more closely with local communities to mitigate the impact of tourism, emphasising the importance of sustainability and zero-pollution initiatives.

When asked about the potential implementation of a tourism tax, Bernal was less enthusiastic.

“The introduction of a tourism tax has not proven to be a solution, either in Spain or abroad,” he said.

“It hasn't addressed issues of funding or tourist overcrowding.”

He also rejected the ‘populist’ backlash against tourism and the idea of ‘rushed measures’.

Lost customers

DOMESTIC tourism in Spain has experienced a significant decline in the first seven months of 2024 compared to the previous year.

This reversal follows a post-pandemic boom as Spaniards sought to make up for lost travel opportunities and spend their accumulated savings.

The number of domestic tourists went from 41.37 million over the January to July period in 2023 to 40.98 million in 2024 for the same period. International visits, meanwhile, continue to go from strength to strength, with 47.67 million foreign tourists in Spain during the first seven months of 2023.

Oil shortage

SPAIN’S main olive oil producers are warning of a potential shortage of the country’s ‘liquid gold’ due to poor harvests in recent years.

The ongoing drought has significantly impacted olive oil production, leading to dwindling stocks at cooperatives and major retailers.

The farmers’ union Asaja has described the situation as unprecedented but assures consumers that completely empty shelves are unlikely as major distributors keep their own reserves to tide themselves over temporary shortages.

Supplies should be replenished in the October harvest.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Brand new Estepona beach restaurant is even raising the quality bar for the already upmarket resort, writes Jon Clarke

Set sail this autumm with our Candela Marbella Yacht.

Capacity: 12 per, 3 cabins, 2 bathrooms.

Wifi, AC, outdoor shower and much more...

And a choice of four distinct menus, one vegan, perfect for a fun - or romanticday out on the high seas!

Puerto Banús, Pantalan 2

MALVA-LOUS

THEY say location is everything so Malva Beach is very hard to beat.

Sitting on Estepona’a La Rada beach its views stretch to Gibraltar and Africa one way and to the charming wooded Punta de los Marmoles headland to the east.

Now, mix in the key ingredients: the best fish, seafood and meat money can buy and a chef, Txema Palacio, who knows how to use them.

Bilbao-born Txema spent many years at the epicentre of global cuisine in the Basque region, around San Sebastian and just across the border in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, in France.

Having trained at Michelin-starred Goizeko-Kabi, he knows about his caviar, oysters and Wagyu beef, a trio of delights that pop up frequently on Malva’s new menu.

Our waiter described it as Marisqueria Siglo 21 (or 21st century seafood) which doesn’t actually do justice to much of it… the amazing acorn-fed jamon Iberico plate, or the wafer-thin Wagyu cured beef ‘jerky’, to name two dishes.

The latter (left) came out looking amazing, with extra virgin olive oil and was health personified with the fat marbled equally throughout.

The so-called ‘Raw and Natural’ section of the menu had a 'trilogy of bluefin tuna' - amazing quality tender

red tuna from Barbate, as good as it gets.

It classically melted in the mouth and was served (below) at the exact right temperature with a small bowl of soya.

The langoustines from nearby Sanlucar de Barrameda meanwhile, were absolutely amazing, perfectly cooked in the very thinnest rice flour tempura batter.

A plate of prawn croquettes then came out with compliments from the chef (I knew it was worth writing nice things about him).

We’d quickly settled onto our corner table, where everything is geared to maximising both the beach and sea and an overbearing sense of nature.

This is Ibizan-style Boho chic, with lots of crochet and fringed materials, rattan chairs and plenty of wood and earth tones. There are African decorations and a stripped down wooden veranda, which simply oozed a sense of glamour.

The wine list reflects this, with its share of French, American and Italian bottles, but I

TIP TOP: The best Wagyu beef and the best Sanlucar langoustines

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

Scan

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

-LOUS

was more than happy with the choice of six Galician Albarinos, the always reliable Blas Muñoz chardonnay from Toledo at €38, although, after discussion with the sommelier, we were guided to a crisp, flinty Verdejo, La Misión de Menada, from Rueda. Onto the conundrum of mains, we had debated going for a lovely-looking linecaught Pargo, from nearby Cadiz, or my favourite, a fillet of turbot, but I decided to try the ‘pil pil’ bacalao cod, which worked pretty well.

On another day (well, sadly never) I’d have gone for the Riofrio caviar blinis, which kicked off at €120 a pop, or the amazing ‘Cowboy’ steak of Gallega Blanca beef that my son wolfed down without hardly touching the sides.

When I did manage to finally grab a bite, I could understand why. It was one of the tenderest cuts of steak I’ve ever tried.

My wife went for the incredible Lobster roll on a toasted brioche with hollandaise sauce, while my daughter went for Gnocchi, an original dish for these parts, which came

with a truffle sauce and, slightly oddly, a few splashes of caviar on top.

As if by magic the sun suddenly set and on came some jazz, as the moonlight shimmered on the sea. Gibraltar could still be made out in the distance, while a few fishing boats were conspicuous by their flickering lights.

The perfect accompaniment was the lemon pie served on a biscuit buttery base, with space dust, while the warm cheesecake is an absolute must.

WELL TRAINED: Txema’s Basque Country roots pay dividends

Oro, from Priego de Cordoba. Oh, there was a special cocktail menu and a section just for the oysters, as well as the caviar.

Malva is about the quality and it’s at its very best when they keep it simple

What else to mention, well the amazing home-cooked bread is served with some of the world’s best extra virgin olive oil, a Picuda/Hojiblanca mix, care of Serie

What’s clear is that Malva is all about the quality and it’s at its very best when they keep it simple.

When I questioned our waiter whether Estepona was ready for such an ambitious, upscale, luxury menu, his reply was simple: “Do you know the Tyrian development will soon be built with homes starting at €3 million a piece just across the road?”

I guess you’d call this an even better location then.

We

CHIRPING AGAIN

LIKE so many destinations in life, half the fun is the journey in getting there.

A trip to El Mirlo, near Tarifa, is one perfect example.

Aside from the famous road past Gibraltar and then the horn of Spain with Morocco and Ceuta spread out in front of you, you still have one of the country’s most intriguing back roads.

The A-2325 is unlike any other you’ll find in Eu rope. Just two miles in length it weaves through a former army barracks after carving through a five-metre high sand dune that often encroach es the track.

Impossible not to stop for photos and admire the views, you’ll even forgive the many pot-holes when you arrive at a simple sign and sizable carpark.

While just an hour from the Costa del Sol, El Mirlo is a world apart in ethos.

Aside from the magical location, you feel it in its authenticity, the warmth of its staff and the very homeliness of its menu.

The arrival is dramatic down a long al ley full of wine vat table tops and stools painted in Mediterranean blue, while its planting is a riot of plumbago, palms and aromatics.

Based on four terraces and with a chill-out area, ideal for families, below, the decor is simple with crochet umbrellas, terracotta lamps and plenty of hand-painted tiles and menus.

Now 35 years old, the family-run restaurant has constantly evolved and recently set up a collaboration with the Shamoon family, who own the Marbella Club and next door Puente Romano hotel in Marbella.

While giving it a new lease of life and a helpful

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

AGAIN

injection of cash, it is the knowledge and enthusiasm of the long term staff that really makes it special.

Most of them are family, from Carmen in the kitchen, to Maria Chico, Antonio and Nene in the sala and, as manager Pedro Garcia, explains, ‘they give us the same energy as they have always done’.

The focus is very much on

The hidden gem of El Mirlo has reborn as a true dining secret, writes Jon Clarke

Andalucian cuisine, with seafood - particularly the amazing bluefin tuna (far right) from nearby Barbate - top of the pile. There are lots of Andalucian classics, including ham and squid croquettes, artichoke hearts and pil pil prawns, which are delicious. The pan macho corn bread is baked each morning.

Under the watchful eye of Marbella Club’s Executive chef Santiago Guerrero and Carmen - who arrived here 35

It is the knowledge and enthusiasm of the long term staff that really makes it special

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

LOOKING FOR MORE TRAVEL STORIES?

Scan

years ago from Barcelona - local lad, Samuel, from Jerez, is coming on leaps and bounds.

I particularly liked his delicious ‘tiradito’ of bluefin tuna, which comes in a Japanese ponzu sauce, spiced up with some black truffle.

Next, we had the crispy calamari in an aioli sauce, followed by an original version of a tuna tataki, served in a tomato salmorejo sauce and almonds. Staying with the local vibe I insisted on going with the local retinto steak that comes from the handsome brown cows that roam the nearby hills.

Served with padron peppers and new potatoes, it was as tender as could be.

As we kicked back to enjoy the strains of some late afternoon reggae with the best views in Christendom, I was starting to think about the journey home.

But not before at the insistence of Pedro we tried Carmen’s classic rice pudding, which came with a lemon, orange and lime zest demerara sugar crust on top. As corny as it may sound, it was a real departure in itself, a true journey to heaven. The sweetest send off home.

Open from March to October 6, you’ll need to get there fast. Visit www.elmirlo.es

WORLD’S COLLIDE: Teamwork is key with Samuel and Carman (left), while simplicity and breathtaking views over Africa add to the Romance

and

We work in and around Alcaidesa, Sotogrande, Manilva, Estepona, Cancelada, San Pedro, Marbella, La Cala, Fuengirola and everywhere in between including inland areas.

To see how we work visit us at www.casaresliving.com Jaime +34 630 344 897 or email: info@casaresliving.com

Shell shock

SCARY SOCIALS:

Posters thought the giant crabs are real

terrifying giant crabs on Indonesian shores was deemed a dark omen that was sure to sow panic.

A social media post appeared to show a pair of enormous crustaceans emerging from the sea and went viral in Kupang.

The 17-second video – which has racked up more than 7,900 views –had a local commenting ‘That’s not a good sign brother,’ while another chipped in, ‘That's terrifying’. But in fact, the photos were taken on Spain’s Atlantic coast in Chipiona, Cadiz.

They showed not real giant crabs, but an artwork by artist Alfredo Zarazaga of metal sculptures crafted from recycled materials.

The ‘crabs on the coast’ are supposed to ‘raise awareness about the future of the marine environment’.

Flight fail

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

‘Sea of plastic’ in Almeria ‘wins’ NASA prize of being the most visible man-made object from the International Space Station

IT is a grand prize but won for the wrong reason. The notion that the Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure visible from space has long been a myth.

A BRITISH woman heading to Paris from Leeds Bradford Airport was shocked when she arrived in Alicante.

The woman claims her boarding pass was checked at least four times

space.

By Walter Finch

Despite being one of the Wonders of the World, at about 21,200 kilometres long and with its tallest towers reaching

before take off. Despite the setback, she enjoyed a day of sightseeing in Alicante before heading to the French capital. She said: “If you’re ever in Spain I would recommend Alicante.

“I had a good time, I don’t think it will ever happen to me or anyone I know again.”

just 800 metres, the Chinese marvel is just too narrow to be seen from

Instead, according to NASA, the most easily discernible manmade object from Earth’s orbit is something far less wondrous: the vast expanse of the greenhouses of El Ejido on Spain’s Almerian coast.

But the achievement is far from a laudable one – the region represents 370 square kilometres of white plastic so bright that it stands out against the Earth’s surface, even from the International Space Station.

The region is home to thousands upon thousands of greenhouses that stretch between the

SPACE: The white mass of plastic can be seen from space

towns of El Ejido and La Mojonera.

The sea of plastic even extends south to Motríl and north to Níjar.

Activists have long criticised it for the enormous quantities of plastic employed which seeps into the surrounding environment as it degrades.

Other large human-made structures, such as the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah and the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, can also be seen from space, but none are as distinctive or as extensive as the greenhouses of El Ejido.

TWO Australian TikTokers have gone viral after trying and failing for two days to get pickpocketed in Barcelona.

Dog days

A DOG owner in Haro, La Rioja, has been fined €2,500 for ‘causing social alarm’ after their dog jumped into the La Vuelta cycle race.

Big mistake

THE family of a car crash victim in Madrid has been left in shock after they discovered they did not have the body of their loved one at his funeral, but instead another of the men who died in the tragic accident.

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