tive democracy’ due to its high levels of corruption.
The country now has a worse ranking than Saudi Arabia, Rwanda and Costa Rica, when it comes to transparency.
In its worst score for three decades, Spain came 46th out of 180 nations. It now scored just 56 out of 100 in the evaluation by Transparency International, which compiles data from many sources including the World Bank and World Economic Forum.
Spain dropped 10 places being slammed for its control of corruption, government efficiency, regulatory quality, and rule of law.
Scandals
The country ‘continues to lack a national anti-corruption strategy’ to counter scandals such as the Koldo case and the Jose Luis Abalos affair. The loss of the anti-fraud agency in the Balearics, and the weakening of the Valencian equivalent were noted, while only four autonomous regions tackle corruption head on.
The UK has also seen a decline of 11 points since 2017 scoring just 71 out of 100.
Overall Europe has declined for the second year running to 64 out of 100. Only six countries improved their scores, while Denmark remained on top being the least corrupt nation, with a score of 90.
Russia holds the worst position in Europe, ranking 154th globally with a score of just 22.
GOING ROGUE
Border officer facing ‘disciplinary probe’ after Olive Press video shows him ‘looking drunk’ and checking passports out of uniform
SPANISH police have confirmed to the Olive Press they are investigating a senior officer accused of checking passports at the Gibraltar border while allegedly drunk and off duty.
He may face ‘disciplinary proceedings’ after we sent a video of the cop swaying amid the traffic while donning civilian clothes.
Consequences
A well-placed La Linea source meanwhile, expressed ‘surprise’ that the policeman is the head of the Central Border Unit, Chief Inspector David Barrero. He should not have been checking documents because ‘he had been transferred away to other duties’.
A spokesman for the Policia Nacional said his force was ‘determining what consequences may arise and whether to start disciplinary proceedings.’
EXCLUSIVE
By Walter Finch
Barrero had already been dubbed a ‘rogue officer’ after he took it upon himself last year to impose Schengen controls at the border – against the orders of his own superiors.
In the video, filmed after dark a fortnight ago, a white-haired man in jeans and jumper is seen staggering around demanding to see passports. Drivers clearly look on in astonishment as other uniformed officers do nothing to interfere.
Despite the lack of sound, the officer can be seen lurching backwards and urging a car to come forward, before leaning on its bonnet to inspect the passport of a waiting motorcyclist.
Barrero has risen to notoriety in Gibraltar for his efforts to unilaterally
tear up the current transitional arrangement for the border with Spain since Brexit kicked in in 2021.
It was his instructions to stamp Gibraltar passports, on October 11 and November 22, that led to long queues gathering on the La Linea side.
As we reported on our front page in November this dealt a blow to economic activities on the Rock and led to him being dubbed by the Gibraltar government as a ‘rogue’ officer.
The disruption was so severe that St Bernard’s Hospital had to postpone various operations scheduled for the day due to a lack of cross-border workers.
On both days, the order was only later rescinded following an angry phone call from Madrid.
Barrero followed those stunts by filing a court against his own superiors
The Only Way is Trouble
SPAIN is seeking the ex tradition of a British re ality TV star for cocaine smuggling.
for misconduct and coercion.
The veteran border cop argued the current ‘relaxed’ border controls violate the Schengen code, leaving him with no legal protection in case of an incident, such as a terror attack.
A La Linea judge has now called Barrero to testify on the current border arrangements.
Vox
Spain’s far-right party Vox meanwhile, has backed Barrero submitting questions to the Spanish parliament. The Olive Press understands however, that Barrero directly disobeyed orders to ‘go to war’ against his superiors. It came after a new commissioner for La Linea, Maria Jose Martinez moved control of the border away from his unit into the hands of a specific border force in April last year.
Jack Fraser, 34, who appeared in TOWIE (The Only Way is Essex), is accused of playing a key role in trying to smuggle 184 kg of drugs into Spain through a boat called the Eulalia in November 2021.
Spanish prosecutors allege Fraser provided logistical support to a trafficking network, including paying for accommodation and renting properties for crew members involved in the operation.
The court heard that Fraser - who also appeared in MTV’s Ex On The Beach - left Spain just two days before the seizure.
His lawyers insisted he is innocent and was ‘not in Spain’ when the alleged offending occurred.
Fraser has a number of UK convictions, including a 15-month suspended sentence for dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle theft after ramming a stolen BMW into a police car in June.
The senior La Linea source told the Olive Press: “It is not his job to take the border and diplomacy into his own hands.
“It was a political decision whether he agrees or not. It is not something a chief inspector like Barrero should be deciding.”
The Gibraltatar government declined to comment on ‘the internal affairs of foreign uniformed bodies.’ There have been over 15 rounds of talks since 2021 to try and sort out the status of Gibraltar within Schengen. Meanwhile, 15,000 workers cross the border into Gibraltar every day to work, with a third of La Linea’s workforce earning a living on the Rock.
ROGUE: The ‘drunk’ man checking passports
Justice served?
A BMW driver who killed a baby while high on a cocktail of drugs in a hit-and-run in Sevilla has been sent to jail for three years.
Close one
SPANISH police have arrested three British men in a dramatic operation following an alleged kidnapping plot involving a UKbased cryptocurrency broker on the Costa del Sol.
Harrowing
A FRENCH man had to be carried to safety by police after a violent robbery in Las Galletas, Tenerife left him with injured feet and stripped almost naked.
Costly dip
A HOLIDAY accommodation owner in Tomelloso (Ciudad Real) has been fined over €4,000 after a guest cut their foot in a swimming pool.
THE brutal killing of a woman in Benalmadena has rocked the local community.
A Nigerian man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife of 13-years before setting fire to the two-floor family home, where she lived with their three young children and a fourth from a previous relationship. The victim, 48, who is thought to have re-
Family killing
cently separated from the alleged killer, 42, lived on the ground floor, while her mother lived above on the second.
The horrific incident occurred at around 5.25am on Sunday after the alleged killer called the 112 emergency number himself
to report a fire in the house, located in Benalmadena Pueblo.
Policia Local were the first to arrive at the scene and were able to rescue the children.
However, once the flames were extinguished, the woman’s body was discovered with ‘signs of violence’, leading to the husband’s arrest.
Priest murder arrest
A MOROCCAN man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an American priest was found dead inside a Malaga tourist flat. A further two suspected of being involved remain at large.
Father Richard Gross's body was found inside the ground floor holiday apartment on Calle Viento on January 21.
Police said the 80-year-old had a severe wound to the head and other ‘clear signs of violence’.
According to a forensic report, the priest’s body had serious facial injuries and signs of asphyxiation.
Victim
Investigators believe he was the victim of a violent robbery after his suitcase and belongings were found to be missing.
Police said at least one of the attackers was caught on CCTV fleeing the scene with Gross’s belongings. It comes after locals told
Locals blame mass tourism for tragedy that claimed life of American holy man
By Yzabelle Bostyn, Laurence Dollimore & Tom Ewart Smith
the Olive Press that they blamed ‘mass tourism’ for the tragedy, claiming criminals are increasingly attracted to the city to ‘take advantage’ of ‘vulnerable tourists’ staying in the area.
“I think tourism is to blame, 20 years ago when it was all locals living here, you’d check if you heard screams but these days people just assume it’s holidaymakers returning from the bars,” said a 44-year-old bricklayer whose entire family lives in the neighbourhood.
“I’m scared, we need more cameras, more police. But the government won’t say anything because it will scare off tourists.”
All of the locals consulted
by the Olive Press believed the crime was a robbery gone wrong carried out by ‘Moroccan’ immigrants. Franco, who owns nearby Bar Mariscal, said: “My TV
was taken a few weeks ago and the police did nothing. There are a lot more immigrants here who don’t have any other way to make money. Violent robberies are also becoming more common. It’s not safe, many of us can’t sleep, we’re at the mercy of God.
“There are robbers targeting tourists because they are vulnerable and won’t go to the police. They wait until the bars close and then they strike.”
The 38-year-old claimed ‘all of Malaga’ is the same, with areas outside the historic
Locked up
A WEALTHY American businessman has been jailed for eight years for the murder of his Russian wife in 2021. Michael Martin Hoseyni, 55 at the time of her death, admitted to strangling his wife, Yana Rose, 40, to death in a rented apartment in La Linea near Gibraltar on Christmas Day. He then embarked on a bizarre cross-country journey with her body in the boot of his hire car before burying her in a shallow grave near Valencia.
The American was also ordered to pay the family a further €75,000 on top of the €150,000 indemnity he has already paid via the Cadiz court. Hoseyni returned to Spain having initially fled to Italy and was arrested in Madrid, just a week after the body was discovered.
centre becoming ‘increasingly dangerous’ due to a lack of police presence and security cameras.
He added: “Once you cross Calle Carreteria (the street which separates the old town from the rest of Malaga), there’s no surveillance.”
Meanwhile, cooking teacher at Luz y Tierra Laura Aguilar disagreed: “I’ve lived here for eight years and I’ve never had any problems.
“But it is true that there are a lot of tourists and immigrants in this area, and that means you don’t know anyone. Anyone could be a suspect.”
SPANISH police have discovered 270kg of hash floating in the Strait of Gibraltar. Police patrol boats found the drugs while carrying out routine surveillance. Officers hauled three large burlap sacks on board and opened them up to find the illegal drugs inside. Further patrols in the area failed to uncover more bales of hash.
It’s thought the drugs were dumped in the sea during a high speed chase between police and the narcos.
KILLED: A man has been arrested over the death of Father Gross
I CHOOSE HAPPINESS
EXCLUSIVE: TV business mogul Charlie Mullins insists ‘people are happier’ in Spain compared to the UK, where a ‘doom and gloom’ attitude seeps into everyday life
IF you ignore the plush surroundings of his multi-million euro villa, the UK’s richest plumber Charlie Mullins could be any one of the thousands of expats who live on the costas. His reasons for moving south are remarkably similar to those of so many of his fellow countrymen, he told the Olive Press over champagne and beer at his four-storey Costa del Sol home.
Exuding an incredibly relaxed attitude to life, the man who made a fortune founding the UK’s most successful plumbing business explains that ‘people are simply happier’ here.
Back home where he sold his successful Pimlico Plumbers firm for a cool €170 million in 2021, a ‘doom and gloom’ attitude seeps into everyday life.
PRISTINE:
The expat and his shiny Rolls Royce
By Tom Ewart Smith
And it’s getting worse, just as many an expat will tell you.
His decision to move permanently to Mijas in July following Labour’s recent election win did not come out of nowhere.
Charlie had been mulling over the move for sometime, having holidayed on the Costa del Sol for 20 years.
Friendly
He has now taken the plunge and told the Olive Press he is really enjoying the much more ‘relaxed’ and ‘enjoyable lifestyle.
“There is a never-ending social life here,” he insists, adding ‘it is 10 times better’ than back home.
Luck of the Irish
HE is the rising star of the Spanish gastronomic scene, but by his name you may never have guessed.
Axel Smyth is in fact Galician born and bred, but his surname comes from an Irish grandfather. Alongside his partner (personally and professionally) Claudia Merchan (right), they have been crowned as joint breakthrough chefs at the prestigious Madrid Fusion event.
They couple, who run Simpar in Santiago de Compostela, follow in the steps of three-times World’s Best Chef Dabiz Munoz
He attributes this primarily to the weather, as well as the slower pace of life between La Cala de Mijas and Marbella, where he spends most of his time.
“People are a lot more friendly and inviting here,” he explains. “In fact I’ve got more friends here than in the UK.”
He adds that, in contrast, Brits are constantly concerned with day-to-day issues, which contributes to a depressing atmosphere.
The frantic nature of life in Britain means he sees more of his seven great grandchildren and 11 grandchildren in Spain.
“They can come out here for two weeks straight whereas if I go back to the UK, I would only see my family for half a day or a day at a time,” he explains.
He plans to stay in Spain indefinitely where he particularly rates the culinary scene.
His favorite hospitality spot is the nearby El Oceano Beach Hotel in La Cala, which is also frequented by many of his friends.
He also speaks highly of Olivia’s La Cala and La Sala in Banus, which he describes as ‘always
who took the award as a young man. Also honoured was Andrea Martin (left) from Tragata, in nearby Malaga, who was named ‘Best Front-of-House-Professional’. Tragata has a sister restaurant in Ronda.
STUNNING: Charlie enjoys expansive Mediterranean views
lively’ and he was sad that one of his favourites, Villa Tiberio, has shut.
Mullins is particularly drawn to such venues because ‘people dress up’, and he enjoys the ‘unpredictability’ of whom he might meet.
He explains how he could go out for a seemingly quiet breakfast but return home at midnight after a day of unforeseen socialising.
Despite his escape from the London rat race, like a true entrepreneur he is keeping busy.
Upmarket
He is developing several villas in the upmarket Los Monteros area, near Antonio Banderas’ former home, while he is also the non-executive chairman of a new company, WeFix, in the UK. He is also staying incredibly fit, working up to five times a week with a personal trainer.
“You can get out in the daytime a lot more”, he says, and the better weather encourages him to exercise more.
Does he miss anything about life in London, where his old plumbing firm employed over 400 people and turned over around €400 million?
In fact, no. He insists the city ‘hasn’t got that buzz anymore’ and lost its charm when David Cameron stepped down as Prime Minister in 2016.
Fortunately for him he has rediscovered that buzz again here in Spain.
Trump’s a thug!
RICHARD Gere has branded Donald Trump a ‘thug’ and a ‘bully’ while accepting his award at the ‘Spanish Oscars’ in Granada at the weekend.
The Pretty Woman star, 75, was picking up his International Goya at the Palacio de Congresos when he launched his verbal attack on his country’s new president.
It comes after he moved to Madrid with his 41-yearold Spanish wife Alejandra Silva last year.
Gere, who also starred in Primal Fear and An Officer and a Gentleman, told the crowd: “I’m coming from a place now... we’re in a very dark place in America, where we have a bully and a thug, who is president.” He paused as the crowd of Spanish stars began applauding.
The International Goya was first awarded in 2022 with the previous three winners being Cate Blanchett, Juliette Binoche, and Sigourney Weaver.
Sweet Melody
MELODY will again represent Spain at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest after her song Esa Diva won Benidorm Fest.
The 34-year-old from Sevilla finished as runner-up back in 2009 and her song tells the story of her career in the music industry. This year’s contest takes place in Switzerland in May and Spain will look to emulate the 2022 success of Chantel’s Slo Mo which finished third.
Photos by: Walter Finch
JUSTICE FOR DYLAN
A DISTRAUGHT dog owner is calling for justice after her four-year-old husky was shot dead in a residential area of Coin.
Dylan’s owner Melinda has collected an impressive 40,000 signatures for an online petition that demands the shooter be brought to justice.
In her Change.org petition she questioned: “What good is the Animal Welfare Law if we don’t ensure it is enforced?”
“Dylan was shot in broad daylight in a residential area when he ran away from home,” she wrote.
“He was a magnificent dog. He got along with everyone and never fought with anyone. He was part of our family and his loss has left a huge hole in our lives.”
She is now calling on Coin Town Hall to impose stricter penalties for animal cruelty.
On the up Tunnel hitch
PLANS for a rail tunnel linking Spain and Morocco will not be ready in time for the 2030 World Cup.
There had been optimism that it could be built in time for the tournament which the two countries are co-hosting along with Portugal.
However, the Punta Paloma to Punta Malabata link ‘could be delayed for up to a decade’ after initial studies discovered ‘complex’ geological challenges.
See Pipe Dream, p7
FORTRESS FOUND
EXCAVATIONS in western Spain have turned up a 4,900-year-old fortress on a hill in Almendralejo, Extremadura.
The pentagon-shaped fortress spans 13,000 m2 and was surrounded by three concentric walls, 25 bastions, and three ditches.
Arrowheads, axes, grinding stones, plates, bowls, and loom parts were found inside the structure.
“The complex system of walls and ditches, built from both stone and earth, demonstrates careful planning that required the coordination of a large group of people,” said archaeologist Cesar Perez.
It had a 70 centimetre wide single entrance - designed to make it virtually impregnable.
The fortress was ultimately destroyed by enemies and then abandoned 400 years after its construction.
‘WORRIED BEYOND BELIEF’
Professional US cyclist who worked at Olympics vanishes on inland backroads of Andalucia
THE family of a missing American Olympic cyclist told the Olive Press they
volunteers.
By Laurence Dollimore
WE NEED A SOCIAL MEDIA WIZZ / INFLUENCER/ EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
10-15 hours/weekbased Marbella
This is a part-time starter job for a tech savvy youngster with an interest in media and the news, plus experience of social media/influencing/ video editing.
Knowledge of Word Press, Office and Indesign an advantage as well as knowing your way around YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
ANDALUCIA’S reservoir levels have risen significantly yearon-year after recent rainfall… but they remain 8% below the past decade’s average for early February. Reservoirs were at 38.91% capacity on February 10 marking a 16% increase from the same period in 2024. This growth rate is double Spain’s overall increase, with national reservoir levels standing at 58.14%, up by just 8% year-on-year. Despite this improvement, Andalucia’s levels are still lower than the average for the decade which is 46.46%.
Desert
where his black Volkswagen van has been found. A helicopter has now been roped into the search, made all the more difficult by the mountainous forest terrain.
Meanwhile, his wife is spending ‘20 hours a day’ looking for him with a team of loved ones and
LOST: Matt Opperman is still missing after more than two weeks
Please email admin@theolivepress.es if you think you’ve got what it takes
His brother Marc told the Olive Press: “We are all worried beyond belief, but supporting each other how we can.”
He added that his brother is 6ft4ins, with blue eyes and weighs around 91 kilos, adding that he does not speak fluent Spanish.
“He’s been a well-respected and liked head mechanic for many cycling teams, including the Australian MTB team at the Brazil Olympics in 2016,” continued Marc.
He continued: “He competes regularly and rides long distances many times a week. As part of SpainDH he has amassed a lot of friends… many of whom are part of the volunteer search parties.
“The bike he took on the ride when he went missing is a turquoise and orange Yeti electric mountain bike.”
Matt vanished on January 25 after driving his black Volkswagen van and bike to a Jaen beauty spot.
Make it legal!
COLOMBIA’S president claims cocaine is ‘no worse than whiskey’ and should be ‘sold like wine’ - as Spain continues to battle record illegal shipments through its ports.
Gustavo Petro controversially claimed cocaine is only illegal ‘because it comes from Latin America’, implying it was part of a western plot to keep South American economies down. The leader of the world’s biggest cocaine producer argued that global legalisation would ‘easily dismantle’ trafficking networks.
Migrant hotel winner
SPAIN will spend almost €2 million housing migrants at a four-star Costa del Hotel hotel until April, the Olive Press can reveal.
The Hotel Oh Nice Caledonia, in Bel Air, is reportedly being paid €60 per person per night, according to a source in nearby Benahavis.
This amounts to €21,000 per night or €1.9 million over three months when the hotel is normally closed for the
winter season.
In comparison, one night at the hotel (right) for paying guests costs €65 minimum, though no bookings are being taken yet for this summer.
The migrants will stay un-
This data follows expert warnings that Spain is shifting toward a desert climate.
Research from the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC) predicts that by 2050, rainfall could decrease by up to 20%, leading to widespread drought. Rainfall has already been declining at a rate of 0.93 mm per year, contributing to severe droughts and drying up reservoirs.
Andalucia also continues to have the second-lowest reservoir levels among Spain’s autonomous communities. Murcia remains the driest, with reservoirs at just 20.95%, while Navarra has the highest levels at 86.75%. Within Andalucia, Almeria has the least water, with reservoirs at only 8.48% - unchanged from February 2024. Malaga (27.60%) and Cadiz (30.15%) recorded the second and third lowest levels, while Sevilla had the highest at 76.30%. Sevilla also experienced the most significant year-on-year growth, more than doubling from 34.46% in 2024.
til at least April 24, before being moved to other parts of the Costa del Sol including Marbella and Estepona.
However, most residents were supportive of the move to house the migrants, who came from Africa, via the Canary Islands, for four months.
“It’s a win for the hotel, probably more than they get in the high season,” said Bel Air resident Joerin Reiddel. “It’s too much to give to people who don’t contribute.”
The expat resident, 52, continued: “They shouldn’t be showered with money, clothes and food. If they want to become Spanish citizens they should prove it by serving in the military.”
“We are talking about basic things people should have,” Dutch resident Marjolijne Reedijk insisted. “We have everything we need, a house, food, safety, they deserve that too.”
The estate agent, whose 88-year-old father lives next door to the hotel, added: “At first I was a little worried about my vulnerable father but he’s fine. The migrants are lovely and educated. I feel safe.”
A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the
OPINION
The rising tide of anti-foreigner feeling
THE antics of David Barrero, the erstwhile Policia Nacional chief overseeing the border, is an uncomfortable reminder of Spain’s anti-Gibraltar sentiment that has so far been suppressed.
His one man crusade against the political agreement that has governed the border in recent years may be couched in terms of legality and by-the-book rule following.
But Barrero’s manoeuvres have often been petty and designed to punish Brits and Gibraltarians while sparing Spaniards, such as checking passports on a Friday afternoon at the start of the weekend.
He’s also been the man responsible for blocking passengers from entering Gibraltar after their flight was redirected to Malaga.
His actions have been a case of a police officer rebelling against his political masters, in this case a centre-left government that has largely taken a reasonable attitude towards the Rock – a piece of territory it formally considers its own.
It also harkens back to the large sigh of relief the British territory exhaled after Pedro Sanchez managed to retain the Spanish presidency and ward off a PP-Vox government in 2023 – by the skin of his teeth.
The lid that is currently jiggling on the simmering pot of right-wing discontent and nationalism in Spain is fragile and flimsy.
We have seen it unleashed recently in the USA with the arrival of Trump and his immediate deportations, while the UK suffered its own anti-immigration backlash during last summer’s riots. So far Spain has been, thankfully, immune from this strain of toxic xenophobia.
But even the supposedly more benign government of Pedro Sanchez has been taking aim at foreigners, this time in the form of the 100% tax levy on non-EU second home buyers.
It’s likely that everyone reading this is a foreigner in Spain. We must all hope and pray that Barrero’s border brinkmanship is not a sign of the times to come.
PUBLISHER / EDITOR
Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es
Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es
Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es
Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es
Humenyuk
(+34) 951 154 841 admin@theolivepress.es
DOWNFALL OF THE COCAINE QUEEN
Nicknamed ‘The Model’, the narco boss who has run out of runway and crash landed in jail after a 25 year reign as Spain’s stunning Reina de Cocaine
By Dilip Kuner and Jon Clarke
SHE was known as La Modela (The Model) due to her taste for €700 blouses and €1,000 Jimmy Choos, all financed by the drugs trade.
Now Maria Teresa Jaimes Caicedo is cooling her heels behind bars rather than parading through Marbella as if on the fashion runway. But given her 25-year year reign as Spain’s ‘Queen of Cocaine’, she could be forgiven for thinking that she has in fact ‘got away with it’. She has been sentenced by Malaga Provincial Court to just five years jail for crimes against public health and membership of a criminal organisation.
The prosecution had been asking for a 10 year sentence but a plea bargain that saw her admitting to being the boss of a narco gang that exported drugs from here to Northern and Eastern Europe saw that cut to five.
It does not seem to be very much considering her high-profile, not just in the cocaine trade, but also on the glitzy Marbella social scene.
The glamorous Colombian expat lived a life of luxury in a giant mansion with two swimming pools, a tennis court and ‘a garden that resembles the rainforest’.
A long police investigation eventually snared her as the ringleader of a gang of 16, behind a European-wide cocaine smuggling operation. Eight of her co-conspirators have also been jailed.
Speaking exclusively to the Olive Press, a lead investigator revealed how she had managed to ‘live the high life’ for nearly three decades, while quietly pulling the strings behind one of Spain’s biggest drug smuggling operations.
Describing her as ‘a real black widow’ - who has already seen two previous husbands put behind bars for smuggling - the undercover officer added it was ‘remarkable’ she had somehow flown under the radar.
The policeman from Greco, part of the National Police’s Udyco organised crime and drug unit, revealed how his colleagues were ‘amazed’ when they started investigating her opulent life.
3,000-metres squared in size and with a garden like the jungle with a tennis court and two pools.”
He continued: “She was supporting around 10 people, including her mum and four children and she had a daily fitness trainer and also went to crossfit classes.
“If she needed a plane ticket, someone got it. A hotel, it was always five stars, a restaurant, always the best. A boat, her friends had them. The cars, always changing, but nothing too flash.
Think BMW or Audi.”
He continued that the €3m villa in central Marbella was ‘like a fortress’ with numerous CCTV cameras, high walls and incredible security.
“She actually slept in her own panic room bedroom, which was only reached via a false door from a library.”
He added it could only be accessed by pushing a button that, like a Hollywood movie, opened to a staircase up to Maria Teresa’s suite.
The suite itself featured an elevated marble jacuzzi, supported by marble columns, while a giant mirror was placed on the ceiling above the bed.
Inside a giant walk-in wardrobe amid racks of Prada shoes, Dsquared2 jackets and Gucci bags was a packet of cocaine that gave everything away.
IT would undoubtedly be the crowning engineering feat of the 21st century so far, eclipsing the likes of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge or the Three Gorges Dam (both in China).
The unlikely bearers of this crown, should they ever succeed in realising their fantastically ambitious dream of digging a tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar, would be Spain and Morocco.
The plan to connect the Iberian peninsula with the African landmass under the waterway – 17km wide at its narrowest point – has been around since as far back as 1930.
But for most of this period it has been considered little more than a literal pipe dream, given the immense engineering complexities involved in drilling a tunnel between two separate continents.
All comparable engineering feats pale into comparison: far deeper than the Channel Tunnel, far longer than Istanbul’s Marmaray Tunnel – the only other that connects two continents – and in far more hazardous than Japan’s Seikan Tunnel.
“From the street her house didn’t look anything special, but when we entered it was like a city, with interlinking paths and numerous outbuildings where all her family lived,” he told the Olive Press “I’ve seen many homes of criminals, but this was something else. Some
MOST of us have never heard of Spaniard Julio Camba, but this charming author wrote wittily and amusingly about the British, and mostly got it spot on. Camba lived and worked in many parts of the world 100 years ago, but perhaps the climax of his career was the time he spent in Britain.
While there between 1910 and 1912 as a correspondent for El Mundo, he took a wry look at the British and had an uncanny knack at picking out the many varied differences they had with his own race.
Take this: ‘If you want to meet a Spaniard at 11am, tell him to be there at 10am. And anyway, he won’t show up at all. Make an appointment with an Englishman and arrive 15 minutes late,
Adorned with, appropriately, a Rolls Royce logo - the kilo of cocaine had clearly been used to show off the quality her family in Colombia could supply.
“A corner was missing that had clearly been syphoned off for potential clients and friends to try,” explained the Greco operative. “It was a big mistake for her.”
While she claimed to work as a ‘commercial mediator’ and regularly travelled between Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Colombia, police began to probe her after a tip off two years ago.
Called Operation Dryad (after the nymphs in Greek mythology, who lived supernaturally long lives and were tied to their homes) the probe found her to be the ‘brains’ behind a big Polish/Danish gang, which smuggled drugs around Europe.
But the Spain to Morocco tunnel took another step closer with the recent awarding of a €300,000 feasibility contract to German drillers Herrenknecht through their Spanish subsidiary in Madrid, following on from a pre-
ALL BRITS ARE COPPERS!
The acerbic Spanish journalist who had a keen eye for the foibles of the British over a century ago
he’ll be as angry as if you came the following day!’
And this: ‘Britain is a waterproof country. It has to be!’
And with regard to alcohol: ‘When they get a little tipsy, British people almost seem human. They start using gestures and even facial expressions. Some of them even laugh!’
English ideas of romance were not spared his sarcastic wit. ‘You know what an Englishman does to show his woman that he’s aroused? He buys her a box of chocolates.
In Britain, a night of passion means eating the whole box.’
These and many other of his observances of the British race have now finally been published in a new book, Viviendo a la inglesa (Living the English Way).
And how topical they are, after our recent
By Michael Coy
wrenching from Europe care of Boris and co with Brexit.
‘For English people,’ he wrote. ‘living next to Europe is as irritating as having a nextdoor-neighbour who is always practising the piano.’ Some things clearly never change! One of his funniest remarks was made on his arrival at Victoria Station in London in December 1910. ‘The worker grabbed my suitcase and shouted, so I started to shout too,’ he wrote. ‘Given I’m Spanish, I shouted much more than he did and finally, he shut up.’ In Camba’s new book, you certainly won’t find much dwelling on world events, who was in power, what policies were being in-
BLACK WIDOW: Maria (top) dealt ‘Rolls Royce’ cocaine
DEEP: The tunnel will have to go nearly 400m under the Strait
PIPE DREAM
Spain and its North African neighbour are contemplating taking on one of the challenges of the century – but what exactly is involved in digging a tunnel to Morocco?
By
vious technical study carried out in 2021.
Famous for using the world’s largest boring machines to dig Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland, the longest and deepest in the world, Herrenknecht has been tasked with assessing the likelihood of drilling a tunnel from Tarifa to Tangier.
Extreme
“Current deliberations assume a distance of over 30 kilometres and a depth of several hundred metres below sea level,” a Herrenknecht spokesperson told the Olive Press this week.
“This construction project poses extreme challenges in terms of technology and logistics – can these challenges be overcome and what solutions would be necessary?
troduced, etc. Similarly, you’ll look in vain for self-pity or any hint of bragging. He simply did not care about political parties or celebrities. He just liked observing people.
And he got us Brits spot on, when he wrote: ‘All Englishmen are policemen, deep down. Deep down, all Spaniards are anarchists.’
Let’s face it, all of you must have heard a British person in a bar in Spain telling a smoker to go outside (yes smoking laws are often broken in small pueblos).
I’m equally sure that you’ve seen a Spaniard park his car next to a ‘no parking’ sign, or a disabled bay.
Camba was 13 years old when he arrived in Argentina at the end of the 19th century.
For five years he made a precarious living writing pamphlets, until in 1902 he was thrown out of the country.
Proof
TUNNEL VISION: The plans envision three tubes 8 metres in diameter running under
“This is what we are setting out to find out. Herrenknecht was unable to comment further due to ‘confidentiality’ clauses in their contract.
However, the list of challenges to overcome is daunting.
Almost a kilometre deep at its lowest point, the Strait is home to a soft, unstable seabed and strong currents that transfer water between the Mediterranean and Atlantic.
Even avoiding the worst depths, the tunnel will have to go under the Umbral de Camarinal, a giant underwater ridge in the Strait of Gibraltar around 280 metres below the surface.
At such depths, the pressure is enormous, requiring a tunnel not just deep but in-
Back in Spain, with typical independence of spirit, he launched his own newspaper (he was 21 years old) and what title could he possibly give it, but The Rebel?
After writing some sarcastic mickey-takes of Spain’s leading politicians, he was hired by a now defunct national newspaper to be its correspondent in Turkey, of all places.
That’s where he ended up getting picked up by El Mundo – a collaboration that would make him famous.
During the First World War and the years leading up to Hitler, he held posts in London, New York, Rome and Berlin. His articles were so highly-regarded that many were compiled as books, and sold well.
Camba died in Madrid on February 28, 1962. It would have amused him to know that he left this life on Andalucia Day, and no doubt he would have had something acerbic to say about it.
credibly strong to prevent a catastrophic collapse.
Meanwhile, the tunnel may collapse anyway due to the seabed, which is made of soft clay, loose sediments, and fractured rock – unlike the stable chalk of the Channel Tunnel. Boring through loose materials is far more difficult because the tunnel lining has to reinforce the entire structure as it is dug.
rock in which the tunnel would sit.
And all of this coupled with some of the fastest and strongest currents in the world.
Current plans imagine two single-track train tunnels with a diameter of 7.9 me tres separated by a six-metre-wide cen tral service tunnel running interconnect ed by cross-passages every 340 metres.
The total length would be 42 kilometres, with roughly 27.7 running under the wa ter.
Early projections estimate the project will cost between €5 billion and €10 billion, with some less optimistic forecasts be lieving it could approach €25 billion and not be ready until 2040, dashing hopes of opening the tunnel in time for the 2030 World Cup, jointly hosted by both coun tries.
Meanwhile, the majority of the costs will likely be put up by the respective govern ments of Spain and Morocco, raising the issue of whether the political will is really there for such an exorbitant and challeng ing endeavour.
However, experts believe the train line could carry 13 million passengers each year and stimulate economic growth in both countries.
TWe have always vowed not to waste paper and guaranteed fewer than 1%
This year however, we are going one step further insisting that less than 0.5% of our papers will go to waste. In a promise to our readers - and more importantly advertisers - we are ensuring that 99.5% of copies are accounted for.
In a new ‘Proof of delivery’ transparent system we are guaranteeing that Spain’s most popular English newspaper gets into all the right hands.
This is a stark contrast to our rivals, whose newspapers get left in huge piles each week and often end up getting blown around the streets.
Yes, wherever you live, you will have seen hundreds of copies left, literally sitting on the shelf. Unclaimed and unloved.
Indeed, rival distributors tell us they now call delivery day ‘pickup day’ as there are so many papers going unread that have to be returned.
We have never had that problem and are always the first free newspaper to get picked up wherever we distribute.
To guarantee this continues, we have teamed up with the UK’s largest free newspaper delivery company, Self Select Media. A company that distributes millions of newspapers each week.
In a high-tech and vital new way of delivering our newspapers, we get proof of delivery of every drop with photos and exact numbers distributed… and even better,
But before any of that can be considered, we must await the result of the feasibility report, due out in June this year.
Walter Finch
Scan to find out
100% organic produce from local farms, directly to your door organictogo.es
NEW LIFE
SPANISH scientists have discovered a new species of mud dragon (kinorhynch) a vital part of the marine ecosystem.
The Universidad Complutense de Madrid researchers identified the animal 6,000 metres deep in the Orkney Trench, part of the Antarctic Ocean.
Mud dragons are tiny animals measuring between 100 micrometers and one
millimetre, often occupying sediments.
They are a kind of meiobenthos, a key part of the marine food chain and breakdown of organic material.
“This discovery significantly expands our knowledge of the biodiversity of these animals, adding to a very limited group of species known at these depths,” said Alberto Gonzalez Casarrubios, researcher at the UCM Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution.
BUSINESS
Libyan dream
SPAIN has dispatched its first business delegation to Libya in over a decade in a signal that the war-torn country could be returning to normality.
In a series of bilateral meetings, Spanish delegates showed an interest in Libya’s agricultural investment opportunities, especially in the fields of equipment and modern farming technologies.
Technology
The Libyan Business Council organised field visits to nurseries and model farms to showcase the possibilities and agricultural potential. The council signalled its eagerness to receive Spanish technology and introduce advanced production techniques to its farmland.
FLYING AWAY
Fewest number of aquatic birds in Doñana since records began
THE numbers of aquatic birds hit an all time low in Doñana National Park last year, a new report has revealed. The Doñana Biodiversity
By Yzabelle Bostyn
of forest planning and subterranean water use,” said -
As the marshland dried, birds were forced to the nearby Veta La Palma
However, just 30% of birds took refuge there and though spring rain gave some respite,peratures quickly dried up Doñana
to how we were three years ago. Aquatic systems are resilient and things will improve with the modification
SIESTA TIME!
Plans approved to ‘modernise Spain’ by reducing working week across the board to 37.5 hours
SPAIN has approved a plan to reduce the standard working week to 37.5 hours for private sector workers – making it one of the shortest in Europe.
Some 12 million workers across key sectors including retail, hospitality, and agriculture, will be affected, but the plan faces stiff opposition from business.
While public sector employees and many large compa-
The Santa Olalla lake at the heart the reserve dried up for the third year running,firm that permanent lakes have now disappeared from Doñana.
“I have faith that if we
By Walter Finch
nies already enjoy a 37.5-hour schedule, this extension will mark the first time workers across the spectrum stick to it.
Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz (above) proclaimed the plan will ‘modernise Spain’ and enhance productivity in an economy that posted a 3.2%
manage to maintain this large and complex park, the waterbirds will not abandon it, because they have the ability to identify the best nesting sites,” said Revilla. Conservations are also concerned about flora and fauna struggling to survive in the dry conditions. The European pond turtle was not detected in 2024 and only two Spanish pond turtles were spotted. Wild boar population also reached an all-time low last year. Rabbits have also been in decline since 2013, a blow to the park’s predators - including the rare Iberian Lynx.
growth rate last year that outpaced its European counterparts.
“This isn't just about working less – it's about being more efficient and giving hope to workers across Spain,” Diaz declared following the cabinet meeting where the measure was approved.
The proposal, emerging from the coalition agreement between the Socialists and the
THE European Commission will investigate fines of €179 million imposed on five budget airlines, including Ryanair, for abusive practices.
The penalties were announced last November by Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs over hand-luggage charges and reserving adjacent seats for family members.
Ryanair was hit with the largest fine of over €107 million.
The EU probe was launched in response to a complaint sent to Brussels by airline associations A4E, IATA and ERA.
A European Commission spokesperson said: “Although the Commission generally supports consumer protection measures that comply with the rules of the EU internal market, these must respect the freedom and transparency of prices.”
far-left Sumar party, aims to implement the reduced hours without any salary reductions by the close of 2025. However, the path to implementation faces significant hurdles.
While Spain’s two main unions have thrown their support be-
hind the measure, business leaders have withdrawn from negotiations after 11 months of discussions, expressing concerns about the potential impact on competitiveness.
The government now faces the challenging task of securing parliamentary approval, with key pro-business Catalan and Basque separatist parties showing reluctance to support the measure.
GLOBAL warming could cause more than 2.3 million extra deaths in Europe by the end of this century. A study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has warned heat related deaths could increase by over 50% if urgent action is not taken to control carbon emissions. Published in Nature Medicine journal, scientists stated some 70% of heat related deaths are avoidable.
Green project starts
IBERDROLA and BP have started building Spain's biggest green hydrogen plant in Castellon.
Costing over €70 million, the 25 megawatt site will produce 2,800 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. It will replace some of the grey hydrogen used by the local BP refinery.
Ceramics
The facility will become operational in the second half of 2026 and reduce CO2 emissions by 23,000 tonnes per annum. Future plans could see the plant make green hydrogen for other Valencia region industries such as the ceramics and chemical sectors, as well being used to fuel heavy goods vehicles.
Bank battle continues
SABADELL Bank has offered bigger payouts to shareholders to fend off a hostile takeover by BBVA.
It has raised its payout pot to €3.3 billion as it tries to convince them to not sell to their rival.
Meanwhile, Sabadell CEO, Cesar Gonzalez-Bruno, said that BBVA had not done enough to appease concerns that it would have too much dominance on the Spanish banking sector. BBVA has promised not to close branches where there is no alternative nearby within a 300-metre radius. It also says it will maintain commercial terms for individuals and SMEs in areas where fewer than four banks operate. Spain's government cannot stop Sabadell shareholders selling to BBVA but it does have the power to stop a full merger.
Heat warning
LA CULTURA
Going with a Boom
ESTEPONA’s Boombastic music festival has sold 10,000 tickets within minutes of being released last week.
From July 2426 2025, the Parque Ferial will host one of the biggest musical events of the year.
Big names such as Melendi, Maria Becerra, Steve Aoki (below) and Gordo will take to the stage. They are just some of the stars announced for the festival and more will be revealed shortly.
Boombastic is a nationwide event, with dates in other locations such as Asturias and Gran Canaria.
The Asturias edition has already confirmed huge names such as Bad Gyal, Tiago PZK and Omar Cortes.
Meanwhile Gran Canaria is leading the way with American singer Nicky Jam.
Prices for the Costa del Sol event range between €85 and €200.
Picture perfect
Culture vultures should head for Madrid to get their fill of Spanish heritage and particularly art
IF you want to find culture in Spain head for Madrid.
The city has topped the charts for the most cultural city and region, according to the Cultural Observatory 2024.
The annual research reveals where Spain’s culture vultures are hiding. In Madrid visitors can immerse themselves in world-class art at the Museo del Prado, home to masterpieces by Velazquez, Goya, and El Greco.
The city also boasts the Reina Sofia, where Picasso’s iconic Guernica resides. For a taste of local culture, one can explore the vibrant street
By Yzabelle Bostyn
art in the Lavapies neighborhood or catch a flamenco show at the historic Corral de la Moreria.
In second place is Barcelona, followed by Bilbao, Malaga and Valencia.
Barcelona offers architectural marvels like Gaudi's Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. The city’s Gothic Quarter is a labyrinth of history, while the MACBA showcases cutting-edge contemporary art. Meanwhile the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao has striking
architecture as a cultural attraction in itself, complemented by exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.
Malaga has the Picasso Muse-
PAINTING STAYS
THE joint owners of a painting attributed to Velazquez have been told by the Supreme Court that they can't sell it at an international auction house.
The work - Portrait of a Cleric - was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest by Madrid in 2020.
The Court backed a lower bench ruling that it was a cultural asset, and therefore cannot be taken out of the country.
Five members of the Royo-Villanova family have been battling for nine years to get permission for the painting to be sold abroad - potentially for millions of euros.
That's despite it not being 100% certain that it is a genuine Velazquez.
um and the artist’s childhood home, also a museum. The city’s Carmen Thyssen Museum houses an impressive collection of 19th-century Spanish paintings.
Valencia combines tradition with futurism at the City of Arts and Sciences complex, while also preserving its historic central market, a feast for all senses.
Sixth spot was snapped up by Sevilla, with San Sebastian, Santander, Valladolid and Zaragoza rounding off the top 10.
In terms of regions, Madrid also took top spot, followed by Catalunya, the Basque Country and Andalucia, which overtook the Valencian Community to take fourth place.
Language barrier
KING Felipe has criticised US President Donald Trump's administration for scrubbing out Spanish from the White House’s official communications, website and social networks. Speaking in Madrid at the AGM of the Cervantes Institute, the monarch described the move as ‘striking’. The Institute is a worldwide non-profit organisation created by the government in 1991 dedicated to Spanish culture and language. The king said he hoped the decision is temporary because Spanish will become the second most spoken language and will continue to consolidate as a language of influence in the US. He emphasised that the teaching of Spanish is 'inseparable' from the dissemination of culture, celebrating the fact that last year, the Institute carried out more than 7,800 activities around the world.
THE PRADO: The Madrid museum is a top attraction
November 29thDecember 12th 2023
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LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE
SPAIN’s second Banksy museum has caused controversy after opening in Madrid.
The museum claims to have Europe’s ‘largest ever’ collection of life size Banksy ‘creations’ but has drawn criticisms from art lovers. The problem? None of the pieces are actually by the artist.
In fact, the 170 works on display are recreations of Banksy’s most famous pieces by uncredited Spanish painters.
While it has received rave reviews from visitors since it opened in January, the museum has also drawn criticism from fans, who believe the controversial artist’s work is being ‘copied for profit’.
“It goes against Banksy’s own message against the marketisation
New museum accused of ripping off works by elusive artist for ‘profit’
By Yzabelle Bostyn
are reportedly donated to refugee charities.
“The message is more important than the technique and all the messages are here,” he said.
“A few months after I opened the first museum, Banksy came out and said he encourages people to make copies. I’m a conservationist.”
Museum coordinator Agustina Guzman, shared this view, saying:
“We respect the original size and technique used so the works are as similar as they can be to the original. We want visitors to feel like they are standing in front of the real work of
This is not the first time
British artist
Banksy has caused a stir in Spain.
An exhibition bearing his name came to Madrid in 2018 after Belgian authorities confiscated almost 60 pieces over licensing issues. It returned in 2021 with ‘original pieces, sculptures, installations and photographs’ according to event promoter IQ Art Management.
Although most of his pieces appear in the UK, Banksy has been linked to Spain on multiple occasions.
Last year, photos surfaced of a man believed to be the artist painting a circus truck in the Alpujarra mountains in Granada.
The 17-tonne lorry was painted in 2000 while Banksy was still radar’.
It later became known as The Turbozone Truck and went up for auction at £1.5million after being authenticated by his studio. Also in Andalucia, the artist was reportedly invited to paint a strip club on the set of failed BBC soap El Dorado near Coin.
According to an interview with Banksy in Level Magazine, he refused after being told to buy his own paint and spent the week ‘going to work’ along the Costa del Sol with a stripper. Then in 2018, a regeneration project in the Galician town of Ferrol de Coruña caused a stir after inviting the British artist to paint there.
A message spray painted onto a
wall read ‘reserved for Banksy’ and five months later an image of two Guar- dia Civil officers kissing appeared. Believed to be a nod to Banksy’s famous ‘Kissing Coppers’ in which two policemen are seen locking lips, the artist later confirmed the piece was not by him.
The museum has branches in Madrid’s Arganzuela neighbourhood and Barce lona’s Calle Trafalgar. It opens from 10am-8pm, with tickets from €14 per person.
POLITICAL: Banksy recent work (above) has critised the conflict in Gaza
SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET: The museum claims isn’t just a ‘cash grab’
IN SITU: The museum recreates how the graffiti was found
All about
TOWERING SUCCESS
A honeypot for the rich and famous, Benahavis offers an example of a true Spanish success story
IT just seems to keep on growing. The statistics for this tiny enclave, a short drive from the snazzy nightlife of Puerto Banus and Marbella, are quite remarkable.
Long the highest-earning place in Andalucia (with an average earnings of €38,000), its population (of which 68% is foreign) by last year had soared from 7,300 residents to a healthy 9,244 since 2022. It could
Is abundant for hikers
hit the magic number of 10,000 this Spring, predict experts.
It’s a massive amount of growth and is mostly down to digital nomads and teleworkers looking to live somewhere warm surrounded by nature and open spaces.
The free tennis, football and golf lessons for kids, plus language, yoga and pilates for adults does not do any harm either.
THE BENAHAVIS EFFECT
Benahavis really does offer something for everyone, particularly as its nearby hills have recently been officially designated the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.
Spain’s sixteenth national park, the soaring peaks often covered with snow in winter (hence the name), are some of the most amazing for hiking and bird-watching, with eagles and vultures soaring above with increas-
IT’s a great place to retire, explains local expat Barry Segal, a former radio DJ. “I call it the Benahavis effect and once you’ve lived here for a year you won’t want to leave.
“The people are so friendly, the climate is perfect and the place is so nice and quiet,” he continues. “Plus it is great all the free Spanish and exercise classes and even trips around Andalucia, one we recently took to Antequera.”
ing frequency.
Best reached from the Benahavis urbanisation of La Quinta, a three-hour circular walk takes you up to the famous castano santo - holy chestnut tree - that at 1000 years old is said to be the oldest in Malaga province.
Gorge
But there are many other walks right from the village, in particular down into its famous river gorge, where many people combine hiking with swimming, or up towards the stunning country retreat of the wealthy Goldsmith family, where the UK’s former Prime Minister Boris Johnson stayed three years ago. First revealed by the Olive Press, Johnson had turned up to enjoy what Benahavis offers best: a week of hiking followed by a dabble with a paintbrush out in the open air. By coincidence his visit came at the same time as Netflix descended on the village to film a couple of scenes
from the hit series The Crown. Renting out a villa in the exclusive Benahavis enclave of Zagaleta they portrayed the mid-1990s holiday that Lady Diana took with her friend Jemima Goldsmith at her nearby family estate, Tramores. The cast and crew were regularly seen around the village, both filming various scenes, as well as enjoying their time off.
“It is the best possible promotion we could have had,” explains Councillor Scott Marshall, who’s artist father David moved to Benahavis in the 1970s.
Both visits were thanks to the vil-
lage’s connection to the Goldsmith family, who are heavily focussed on protecting the local environment, in particular planting trees.
Lady Annabel Goldsmith wrote about the moment when she and her famous and talkative husband, Sir James, fell in love with the enclave. She said: “That day, as we stood on the terrace, looking at the mountains, at the amazing view, with no other sign of human habitation, and at nature at its simplest and most dramatic, Jimmy fell silent.” In total, just 2,500 more homes will be allowed inside its borders, while
IDYLLIC: The town is set in the wooded hills above Marbella and bustling Costa del Sol
WILDLIFE:
to spot
STILL FORGING AHEAD
there are plans agreed with the Junta - to have its own 1,500-pupil school - more on that soon.
Visitors will be more impressed by the village itself, which is so nicely secluded from the buzzing Costa del Sol.
Lungfulls of pure mountain air are on the house as you huff and puff up the cob bled streets to the top of this beautifully-kept pueblo ed flower pots, and ornamented with styl ish street lanterns, fountains and view points, 10 to the pound.
Keep an eye out for a glimpse of President Putin’s multi-towered castle at the top of one nearby hill (not that he is likely to be using it again anytime soon), while I was impressed with the electric car char ger points, not to mention innovative bike repair stations around town.
A village hike is a free history tour taking you back to Moorish times, when this former Arabic stronghold was
crowned by the 11th Century Montemayor castle, overlooking vast swathes of the Costa del Sol.
The village takes its name from Havis, a Moorish prince who ruled from the castle, before his family were finally ousted, the village reconquered by the Catholic monarchs in the late 15th century.
It was then that war broke out between Benahavis and Marbella and raged on for 350 years until the village gained its independence.
Near the village are a few things of note.
Water babies, will love the Rio Guadalmina gorge, which is one of the coolest natural attractions on the Costa del Sol.
Take a river ramble along its banks, go wild swimming in one of the deep rock pools or try canyoning along the Canon de Las Angosturas. Not for the faint-hearted, the 50-metre descent starts at Charca de las Mozas - a popular picnic spot south of the water tower roundabout that’s become the unofficial swimming baths. Dive inthere’s no charge! Parts of the river were channelled by the Arabs in order to supply nearby farms and orchards. These routes have since been adapted for hiking with the addition of a suspension bridge over the Angosturas canyon, opening up the Sendero Acequia del Guadalmina (see pic below), an easy family walking route of around four kilometres beside a watercourse dug for the farmers. Finally, there is the Benahavis for foodies. With over a dozen restaurants and its own cookery school, it is no surprise it has been called the
‘gourmet capital’ of the Costa del Sol.
There is certainly healthy competition between the many restaurants in the heart of the village and each of them vie for your custom with enticing terraces facing out to the nearby hills.
While they may not be free for local residents, they are anything but expensive and far bet- ter value than their nearby rivals in Marbella or Estepona.
SYMPATHETIC: The architecture of Benahavis, old and new, betrays its ancient roots
BEAUTIFUL: Benahavis has a multitude of scenic footpaths in and around the town
ROCKY RIVER RAPIDS
The Olive Press walking team takes on the infamous Benahavis river hike
AFTER battling our way down the Rio Guadalmina, forced to leave one of our team behind, we had eventually found what appeared to be a way back to civilisation. But a series of bent metal steps jutting out of the vertical rock face had never looked less enticing, as I clutched my shaking body and scanned the cliff for an alternative.
Two-and-a-half-hours before, four of us had set off just south of Benahavis on the river walk – sometimes called canyoning – with no idea what to expect. Driving up the valley towards the village gives no indication of the exhilarating, some would say hard-core, experience you are about to have.
After parking our car in the village, by the water tower roundabout, we walked down to the river and initially hovered awkwardly around the first pool, uncertain whether we were in the right place. Finally taking control in true Bear Grylls fashion, amid shouts of ‘It’s not deep enough’ and ‘You’re going to smash head-first into that rock’, I lowered myself onto a slippery waterfall and went plunging into the murky water below, screaming as I went.
As I resurfaced, shouting my approval while messily ejecting river water from my mouth, the others ditched their fears and bounded down to slide in after me, and that was it, we were off.
when it shocked me into losing all sense of balance.
The rocky path opened up into long, deep stretches of stream that required swimming, and we were soon engulfed in the beautifully peaceful valley.
But when we came upon a pitch black cave that had to be swum through, one of our three began to raise serious questions.
Questions like: ‘Are we sure this is even the right river?’, ‘Is there ever going to be a way out?’ and, most pertinent of all, ‘Are we going to have enough energy to go all the way back up when we eventually decide to turn around?’.
But untroubled by negative mumblings at the back, I surged forward through the narro w passageway and emerged clambering over slimy
A series of open pools, bridged by slippery rocks and feisty little waterfalls took us down deeper into the gorge, until the sun was obscured and the November chill began to take its toll on our exposed torsos. Little frogs and fish bounded around our ankles as we tried to locate a foothold in the riverbed, while an enormous dragonfly sent me crashing rocks, only to realise I was well and truly alone. After what seemed like an eternity of unanswered shouts and shivering, I beat a solitary path onwards; confident I would find the end and meet the weaklings in my group back at the car.
But at that moment I was overjoyed to hear a clumsy sloshing from behind me, with only one of the team actually going back.
And 10 minutes later we found ourselves face to face with the questionable metal ladder, one missed step and we were dead.
So instead of watching my violently shivering companion slip and slide his way up the perilous cliff edge, I got on all fours and improvised, hauling myself up the rock using grubby handholds and tree trunks.
Perhaps, in hindsight, canyoning down the river is more of a hot summer’s day activity, and a brilliant one at that. But even in the winter drizzle, it was a great adventure, and I can’t wait to do it again.
ANDALUSIAN DINNER
Iberian Charcuterie Board from Sierra de Huelva (Iberian Ham, Salchichón, Chorizo, Ventresca and Payoyo cheese from Sierra de Ronda)
Almadraba Barbate Tuna Tartar with Almería Aubergine guacamole Cuttlefish Croquettes in its black tint (traditional from Costa de Huelva) Fillet of Stonebass from Cádiz on Pumpkin Coulis and Wrinkled Potatoes and Mojo Verde Oxtail Córdoba Style with Potatoes Puré Coulis Tocino de cielo on Passion Fruit Gel
CENA DIA DE ANDALUCIA Surtido Ibérico de la Sierra de Huelva (Jamòn Ibérico, Salchichón, Chorizo, Ventresca y queso Papoyo de la Sierra de Ronda) Tartar de Atún de Almadraba (Barbate) sobre Guacamole de CroquetasAlmerienseBerenjena de Sepia en su Tinta Negra siguiendo la tradición de la Costa de Huelva Taco de Corvina del Estrecho de Cádiz sobre coulis de calabaza y Patatas arrugadas con Mojo verde Rabo de Toro al Estilo Cordobés con coulis de de puré de patata Tocino de cielo sobre gele de fruta de la pasión
RESERVATIONS: +34 951 74 47 77 clive@cotorestaurante.com www.cotorestaurante.com Monday to Saturday: 11am-12am Sunday: 11am-6pm Closed Wednesday Ctra. de Ronda, A-397, Km. 44, 29679 Benahavís, Málaga
TAKING A DIP: Adventures on the Benahavis river
FOOD CENTRAL
FOOD lovers will also love a visit to Benahavis.
As well as over a dozen restaurants, the village is home to a renowned culinary school, the Escuela de Hosteleria de Benahavis, which offers an affordable tasting menu at its restaurant from Tuesday to Friday at lunchtime.
Almost unique, Benahavis offers the culinary delights of a mountain vil-
Benahavis is well known as the dining Mecca of the Costa del Sol
by Dana Nowak
lage near the coast.
The menus feature typical mountain dishes such as rabbit, suckling pig and even venison, alongside costa classics like Zarzuela (a fish and seafood stew).
While there are plenty of formal restaurants there are also many great local tapas joints and bodeguitas found in the back streets and sleepy squares.
One of the best is the Mediterranean-style restaurant Bodegon Gallery which combines top-quality products with innovative, modern cuisine and also features a beautiful courtyard.
A glass of Verdejo should definitely be accompanied by the excellent octopus carpaccio.
In addition to a gourmet menu, it also serves as a wine shop, where you can purchase wines, champagne, cava, spirits, and other products such as extra virgin olive oil.
You can also join the wine club and participate in wine tastings or wine dinners.
With its personality, unique identity, and original character, the inviting restaurant La Escalera de Balthazar offers Mediterranean cuisine,
reinterpreted with local products, spiced up by the international experience of its chef Cyrille Troesch. Specialties include lamb shoulder with lemon confit, thyme, and rosemary, delicious smoked tuna carpaccio, and Galician mussels with saffron.
Meanwhile, La Taberna Fantastica offers Mediterranean cuisine based on the sea-
SPECIALITIES: from Cyrille at La Escalera
produce.
The chef prefers local and seasonal ingredients, serving dishes such as aged meat, fresh fish, or grilled vegetables.
And the restaurant’s allure is not confined to just the food. It is a lovingly restored centuries-old manor which features a charming terrace in the heart of the village.
Another classic spot is the restaurant Rufino, which opened in 1985 and also offers Mediterranean cuisine with a wide selection of meat and fish dishes.
For a more international experience head over to Amigos, which has one of the most beautiful terraces in the centre of Benahavis.
The kitchen specialises in international cui sine with French, Japanese, and Argentine influences.
Lovers of ‘the taste of the fire’ will be pleased to hear that the charcoal grill plays a central role in the kitchen, offering excellent quality meats such as T-bone, ribeye, lamb, and suckling pig, as well as fish and seafood.
As a representative of international cuisine, Indian Spice Benahavís offers a wide selection of authentic Indian dishes, as well as gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options.
The modern and original Legends is the only bar-restaurant in Benahavís equipped with a large-screen TV showing live It mainly offers refined interna-
tional cuisine and an impressive se lection of beers from around the world.
Every Sunday, its famous ‘asado casero’ attracts a sociable crowd
Every Sunday, its famous ‘asado casero’ attracts a sociable crowd.
La Terraza meanwhile offers a varied menu. The inviting atmosphere makes it a perfect place to enjoy one of the delicious cocktails on the terrace.
Traditional tapas can be found at
Bodeguita El Chico, which has an unmatched charm and authenticity. It’s ideal for meeting friends or family to enjoy fabulous tapas with a glass of wine or a cold beer. With its outdoor terrace, this place is known for serving the best gin and tonics on the Costa del Sol. Specialties include grilled solomillo and Pulpo a la Gallega.
Finally, Sabor restaurant is the ideal spot for tapas paired with excellent wines and drinks after the meal, just like the Bar El Guarda 1926 or Bar Las Cañas Viejas, both of which offer a cozy family atmosphere and beautiful terraces. Las Cañas Viejas also serves breakfast.
TRADITION: The team at Bodeguita El Chico and (far right) specialities at Bodegon Gallery
CHARACTERS: Benahavis mayor at Bodeguita El Chico and a waitress at La Terraza
sonal
ORIGINAL: One of the dishes at Legends
TOP TAPAS
Portuguese treats
AN iconic Portuguese bakery has made its Spanish debut. Manteigaria, famous for its pastel de natas, has opened on Madrid’s Carrera de San Jeronimo, adding to its shops in Lisbon, Oporto, Braga, Paris and Macao. Baked fresh in view of customers, Manteigaria promises an authentic Portuguese experience using the finest ingredients.
A RESTAURANT in Ciudad Real has Spain’s best tapas, according to the National Tapas and Pinchos Championship.
Mirador de La Mancha was given the accolade for its partridge, corn and escabeche tapas.
Chefs Ivan Anaya and Javier Donaire competed alongside 31 Spanish restaurants for the prize at the Madrid Fusion food convention. It was followed by Orixe do Campo in Lugo
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
with its Petisco Larpeiro tapas, a scallop tartare with avocado cream, Porco Celta ham foam and semi-dried tomato on a New York roll.
Finally, third place went to Martina, Albacete for their Manda Webos dish, where a metal chicken overlooks an ‘egg’ filled with jamon and egg whites, followed by emulsified yoke and migas
Moneybags Marbella
MARBELLA has become Spain’s most expensive tourist destination for hotel stays, according to the latest figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE). The data reveals that hotels in the Costa del Sol hotspot commanded an eye-watering average of €214 per night.
THE white village of Casares, often dubbed ‘the cradle of Andalucia’, has been voted the most beautiful in Southern Spain. It collected 4,922 votes in a survey off 99 towns in the region by travel portal Noradoa It was followed by Olvera in Cadiz, with 3,711 votes and Vejer de la Frontera, with 875 votes. Casares has long been on Spain’s official ‘most beautiful towns’ list – aka Pueblos Mas Bonitos. And this year, National Geographic magazine included Casares in its own 100 ‘most beautiful towns in Spain’ ranking.
By Walter Finch
The figure significantly outpaces other major tourist destinations, with Barcelona trailing at €173 and Madrid at €153 per night. Malaga city ranked notably lower at €139.
Top white town
an authentic, gastronomic experience on the beach with views of the Atlantic
by guest artists every weekend
Marbella Mayor Angeles Mu-
noz has lauded the town’s growth and profitability in the hotel sector
“These figures prove we’re successfully tackling seasonality while strengthening our position in new markets, particularly the United States.”
The luxury resort town broke its own record in eight out of 12 months last year, while also achieving historic highs in revenue per available room, averaging €148 throughout the year, with August peaks reaching €289. The statistics paint a picture of a booming tourism sector, with hotel occupancy between April and October hovering near 80% – showing the peak season is even growing. The city welcomed 719,151
Costa del Sol city more expensive than Barcelona or Madrid for hotel stays
tourists who accounted for 2,584,174 overnight stays.
Spanish tourists led the pack with 201,923 visitors, followed by British holidaymakers at 120,685. Germany (33,621), France (33,092), the Netherlands (29,130), Ireland (28,833) and the United States (26,588) rounded out the top markets.
Tourism Director Laura de Arce highlighted the varying length of stays among different nationalities.
“While Spanish visitors typically stay for 2.65 days, making shorter but frequent visits throughout the year, international tourists average 3.82 days, with British, German, and Irish visitors typically enjoying the longest stays,” she said.
SO good
THE SO/Sotogrande SPA & Golf Resort in Cadiz has earned a nomination for the 2025 National Geographic Travel in the category of Best Hotel in a Natural Setting. This nomination highlights the resort’s commitment to sustainable tourism, blending luxury with nature.
Known for offering a variety of activities such as hiking, sailing, and polo, the five-star resort stands out for its innovative approach to tourism. National Geographic describes it as ‘a contemporary country house where you can enjoy life the Spanish way’, due to the Andalucian elements infused into the building and garden architecture. Voting for the awards is open until February 21, and winners will be announced on April 22.
MADRID's first ‘robot cafe’ has opened prompting outrage from locals.
Cofe+ Robot Cafe serves over 50 different drinks but has zero employees.
Found in the ‘Ole Ole’ souvenir shop, visitors can marvel at the bionic baristas preparing their drink in just 50 seconds. From hazelnut matcha to ordinary coffee, prices range from €2 to €4. However, the innovation has drawn criticisms on social media, with some calling the machine ‘expensive’.
Bionic barista
FORGET THE HOTSPOTS
SPAIN is famously a great destination for tourists. While sun-worshippers head for the costas, those seeking culture tend to head for the big, well-known, cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Malaga, Granada and Sevilla. However, if you’ve already explored the well-known hotspots, you might be curious about what other gems the country has to offer.
And as you sit curled up at home staying warm and saving money at this time of year, there is not a better time to plan your 2025 holidays and daydream about the sunny destinations you can visit away
By Yzabelle Bostyn
from the tourist hordes this spring. From lush countryside to serene beaches and vibrant urban hubs, Spain has plenty to discover beyond the usual tourist trail starting with these five lesser known destinations.
REUS, CATALUNYA
While nearby Salou is famous for its proximity to the PortAventura theme park and mass tourism, Reus itself offers a quieter, more picturesque escape. Known for its art nouveau architecture, the city is a delightful spot to explore. Antoni Gaudi was born here, and although none of his works are found in the city, his modernist influence is unmistakable. Reus is also
celebrated for its vermouth, a fortified wine that locals love. Located just a 15-minute drive from Tarragona, home to a Roman amphitheatre and excellent food, Reus makes a great base for exploration. The nearby Priorat region, with its atmospheric villages and scenic vineyards,
FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL
Find your way to these five lesser known destinations that are well worth a visit
MARINA PORRAS
Microblading Specialist
Professionalism and Experience in Facial Treatments Hi-Fu • Fillers
To make the most of the experience, consider staying at the H10 Imperial Tarraco in Tarragona, which offers stunning Mediterranean views and an outdoor pool, starting at €100 for a double room.
JAEN, ANDALUCIA
VIEWS: The cobbled streets of Jaen are well worth a wander olive oil tours, and hiking trails, including one to the Santa Catalina Castle, offer-
ing sweeping views of the region. Jaen Cathedral is home to the Holy Veil, a relic believed to have been used by Saint Veronica to wipe Christ’s face on the way to his crucifixion.
Jaen also has an astonishingly well preserved Arab bath complex that covers 450 square metres, making it the big -
The Holy Veil, a relic believed to have been used to wipe Christ’s face on the way to his crucifixion
urious stay, the Jaen Parador offers panoramic views of the city, starting at €120, while you can often get a double room at super central Hotel Condestable Iranzo from just €75. Jaen’s extreme temperatures make it best to visit in spring or autumn when the weather is pleasant.
OVIEDO, ASTURIAS
Located in northern Spain, Oviedo is known for its spectacular unspoiled beaches, scenic hiking trails, and Romanesque churches. It was also the Span -
Continues on next page
HISTORIC: Jaen has a rich cultural heritage including the stunning town hall
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
From previous page
GASTRONOMIC CAPITAL
ish Gastronomic Capital of 2024, famed for its cider and cheese, making it a must-visit for food
lovers. The area’s lush green countryside is nourished by frequent rain, so
tains, and recent
experience, try the local cider and visit one of the many food festivals held throughout the year.
LA GOMERA, CANARY ISLANDS
If you're dreaming of a semi tropical getaway without the hefty price tag, La Gomera in the Canary Islands is the perfect alternative.
This hidden gem is filled with lush forests, dramatic gorges, and fruit plantations, offering opportunities for hiking, cycling, and stargazing. It’s an excellent spot for nature lovers and those looking for a relaxing break in a tranquil setting. The island has a relaxed vibe, with friendly locals and delicious food, making it an up-and-coming destination.
Visit between November and April for a bit of winter sun, and consider staying at the Valle de Gran Rey resort for a laid-back experience or the luxurious Hotel Jardin Tecina for a more refined stay.
JEREZ, ANDALUCIA
speed rail connections make it easy to access from Ma drid. Accom modation is affordable, with stylish hotels like the Soho Boutique Hotel offer ing rooms starting at just €55. For a mem orable culinary
bars, or tabancos, often feature impromptu fla- menco performanc - es, providing an authentic experience for visitors. Jerez will also open the Flamenco Museum of Andalucia later this year, where you can learn about this iconic art form. Jerez is famous for its sherry, and you can visit the local sherry factories to learn about the production process. And of course, its world-famous visiting in the summer offers mild temperatures without the intense heat of southern Spain. The city is also home to brown bears in its moun
While many associate flamenco with Sevilla, Jerez is arguably the best place in Spain to experience this passionate art form. The city’s many sherry
OP QUICK CROSSWORD
‘dancing’ white horses are a ‘must see’ while you are
For a stay in the heart of the action, the Hotel Bodega Tio Pepe offers modern rooms and a rooftop pool, with prices starting at €120, including breakfast. Like much of Andalucia, Jerez is extremely hot in the summer, so it’s best to visit in the spring or autumn when the temperatures are
FANCY A TIPPLE: Jerez is famous for its Sherry
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
November 29thDecember 12th 2023
MAKING A SONG AND DANCE OF IT
BRITISH people have certain days of the year which are special to them, such as Bonfire Night, Pancake Day or maybe the FA Cup Final.
Well, so it is in Spain. One of the big ones is Carnaval, which is dependent on Easter. Because Easter is exceptionally late this year, Carnaval 2025 will be celebrated on the weekend of February 14-16. It's fun.
In Andalucia, two traditions have merged over the centuries. First, let’s talk about Shrove Tuesday. (This year it falls on March 4, but Carnaval can’t wait!) Lent almost doesn’t exist today, but within living memory, it was a big
As carnival is nearly upon us, Michael Coy takes a closer look at the traditions behind the event
deal. Lent (cuaresma in Spanish) is the six-week period leading up to Easter.
The idea used to be that Christians (there was a time when everyone in Europe was Christian) should imitate Jesus Christ. Forty days before his death, he went off into the desert and meditated. He hardly ate anything. This is why we used to ‘give up’ things we like (chocolate, cakes etc.) for Lent.
In the days before every
house had a fridge and freezer, this was a problem. If milk, eggs, butter and other perishables were not going to be used during Lent, best to eat them the day before - i.e., Shrove Tuesday, before they went off. All over the Christian world, the eve of Lent turned into a party day.
The other tradition is mocking the rich, powerful and famous. The city of Cadiz is well-known as a hub of democracy (it’s where the Spanish people first told the king he had to obey a constitution).
The locals (known gaditanos) have a reputation for being funny, and for laughing at pretension. They developed a tradition of chirigotas , which can’t be translated into English, but means something like ‘joker’. Groups of young men get together in secret and
IN ACTION: Chirigotas are a main attraction of carnaval
make up scurrilous, insulting but very funny songs about anyone in the news - the king, Rafa Nadal, Paris Hilton for example. This year we can expect a lot of Donald Trump jokes. These chirigotas go around town over the Carnaval weekend, entering into bars and restaurants and singing their libellous songs. It has been the custom for a long time now for them to dress up in identical costumes: if you’re out having a drink and a chat on this Saturday (February 15), your evening may be interrupted when five guys dressed as pirates (or bullfighters, or cartoon characters) burst in and start singing. It has become a kind of art form, and is taken very seriously in some places. Cadiz and Malaga have major theatre
Five guys dressed as pirates burst in and start singing
evenings devoted to chirigotas Malaga is gearing up for COAC (the official singing groups competition), and the city centre will be full of chirigotas. There will be parades, performances and all kinds of wildness. Anyone who wants to show up at ESAD (Malaga's School of the Dramatic Arts, in the calle Bela Bartok) up until Friday (February 14), can watch the knockout rounds of the chirigota contest. The semi-finals will be staged in the Cervantes Theatre from February 16 to 19. The Grand Gala Final is scheduled for Friday, February 21.
The knockout phase is free to the public: semi-finals tickets range from €12 to €19, while the final costs from €35 to €59 per ticket.
FUN AND GAMES: Even the kids join in the traditional events
LOOKING FOR MORE TRAVEL STORIES?
November 29thDecember 12th 2023
CAUGHT BY Cupid’s arrow
With St Valentine its patron saint, Arriate has good claim to be Spain’s true Pueblo de Amor (Village of Love), writes Jon Clarke
THE stunning white village of Arriate has no less than half a dozen songs in honour of its patron saint St.Valentine.
Known off by heart by many of the 5,000 locals, one legendary group of singers, the Auroreros famously goes round in the middle of the night serenading people with them.
But take a walk around the charming village in daytime and you will also find half a dozen other links to the fated god of lovemaking.
These include a heart-shaped bench designed for lovers as well as a giant Cupid’s arrow that doubles as the perfect viewing spot over the village and up into the surrounding Serrania de Ronda mountains.
You even tour the town by following a carefully curated route by Valentina, a lovestruck stork, who has been nesting in a high chimney stack on the edge of the village as long as anyone can remember.
ther to pay 352,739 Maravedies
- the currency back then - in order to buy their independence.
An auspicious day, it meant the village finally came of age and was able to take charge of its destiny.
With St Valentine declared as its patron saint (one of only two towns in Spain, the other in Aragon), it has had a public holiday ever since.
And the town hall has gone one step further, rebranding Arriate as Andalucia’s official ‘Pueblo de Amor’ and encouraging star-crossed lovers from around the world to take a visit. As well as promoting its romantic mountain backdrop in the heart of the Serrania de Ronda, it is championing its charming local architecture and its original cuisine.
Mayor Francisco Javier Anet, a photographer by trade, is leading the charge for romance.
A keen environmentalist, having studied Geography at university, he is pushing the village’s amazing green spaces that nudge into the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.
This means the creation of a four kilometre circular walk that leaves from the village up into the amazing hidden valley, the Arroyo de la Ventilla.
The little-known gorge - a mini version
breathtaking space and a real adventure for anyone looking for a genuine escape,” explains Anet. “It’s this natural way of life we want to promote to anyone thinking of visiting the area.”
LOOK OUT FOR
Make sure you visit one of a trio of ham factories that are in some cases centuries old. One of these in the charming pedestrianised Calle Callejuela has been open as a shop since 1900, a fact proven by the number carved into its pretty wrought iron doorway.
Best established is the family-run business of Melgar, which has a number of shops in nearby Ronda and Malaga, and serves its own cheese as well as ham.
Arriate is also famous for its love of partying and ferias, Semana Santa in particular, which is known throughout Spain for its intensity
Reaching fever pitch on Good Friday, practically every family has a member in one of the two main brotherhoods, despite not being a religious village and staunchly communist or socialist since Franco died in the 1970s.
Other ferias are the Romeria in Spring, the Dia de la Vieja, a day when all the pensioners are taken out to the countryside, and the now famous Fiesta en el Aire, which takes place in October and sees around 40,000 visitors this year. “It is becoming a key event not just for Arriate, but now for the whole of the Serrania,” explains Anet. “The revenue it brings in over three days is extraordinary and all the hotels that weekend in Ronda are now full too.”
Los Caireles restaurant and bar is a lovely conversion of the 1940s Cine Ideal, that is somehow still intact out back. It shut in 1988 due to dwindling audiences and firstly became a flamenco venue, before becoming a bar and restaurant, with much of its original memorabilia, advertising and film cameras still around.
CINEMA PARADISO
GUIDE: Resident stork Valentina takes you on a special route for lovers
LOVESTRUCK: Star-crossed lovers kiss on a giant bench, while Londoner Guy Shackle takes a pew on the love bench in hope of finding Cupid
LOOKING GOOD!
ANYBODY can agree on the exact numbers for the growth of prices and sales in the Spanish housing market, but everyone is agreed that they will be strong. That applies to Spain as a whole and to Costa del Sol in particular.
For instance, an article in El Economista at the end of November noted that there will be a “price increase that experts estimate to be between 4% and 10%.” At the conservative end was a study by Caixa Bank in Catalunya while the higher estimate came from a study by Forcadell and the University of Barcelona.
The latter study sees home sales reaching the numbers last achieved during the peak of the boom in the 2000s, before the 2008 crisis.
Of course, those numbers are an average for all of Spain and both sales and price increases are spread unevenly across the country. In Malaga province, for instance, there was an estimated rise in prices between 2023-24 of 13.9%.
Spain as a whole saw a 10.7% price increase, according to Idealista.com.
That means that Malaga province saw price growth substantially above the national average.
Whatever the final price numbers, another strong year can be expected on the Costa del Sol, barring any major shocks.
There are several factors behind this.
The first is that the economy in Spain remains one of the strongest in the EU, growing by over 2.83% in 2024, compared to Germany, which is in recession.
2025: Another strong year coming on the Costa del Sol
and resale. It’s important to point this out because, in comparison to 2007, the growth in prices is not driven by a speculative bubble, as El Pais notes. Supply problems, while less explosive than bubbles, are more protracted. “The solution is more complicated: I see it as more complicated to affect the market on the supply side and the production of housing than on the financial side,” according to professor José García Montalvo.
House price rises will continue above the rate of inflation
This year, predictions are that it will grow by 2.3%, compared to 1.3% for the EU as a whole.
Secondly, the Spanish housing market continues to face a long-term lack of sufficient housing to meet the rate of new household formation. According to another Caixa Bank study, that
deficit in home construction is about 40,000 per year. A lack of supply is pushing up the price of homes, both new
The problem of inflation post-Covid took less than two years to solve using tight monetary policy. Building an extra 40,000+ houses per year requires more than one measure. As a result, house price rises, including on rentals, will continue above the rate of inflation. That is especially true in places along the Costa del Sol, where the demand is at a higher level than in the interior. That, for instance, is why house prices in Malaga province have surged more than anywhere else in Spain.
New Planning Laws
There is, however, hope for relief in this area as well. In 2021, the Junta de Andalucia passed a new plan ning regime known as LISTA. That seems to have either opened the doors to reforms at the local lev
The Property Insider
by Adam Neale
el. Or, at least, it has been part of a shift in thinking and policy urgency. Marbella will soon – after a decade in limbo – have a new overall planning law (POU). It will be followed later this year or early 2026 with a detailed law zone by zone (PGOU).
This shift is already having an impact in other Costa del Sol municipalities, with Vélez-Málaga moving to approve the construction of 3,500 homes.
This is the first of what will ultimately be 25,000 new homes, which will include at least 10% for affordable housing.
been recent announcements in the luxury housing area, with Rafael Nadal’s firm announcing 100 new homes, while the purchase of La Zagaleta - by an Abu Dhabi group - in Benahavís is also going to accelerate the development of several hundred luxury homes.
This will increase the image of the Costa del Sol as a luxury destination, which will strengthen the local market and provide tens of thousands of jobs. Another recent study by Caixa Bank also suggested that at the national level the gap was narrowing between new household formation and new construction as the former declines somewhat while the latter increases. There’s still a gap but it is a sign for optimism.
February 12thFebruary 25th 2025
types of construction from A-Z undertaken.
etc Planning, Building and
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Getting a full body health check in your own language with British-trained doctors is a real - and affordable - luxury, writes Jon Clarke
IT is probably the worst time to be going to a wellman clinic: Just after the festivities, which in Spain run till the night of the Reyes, the three kings, who arrive with even more bundles of calories and alcohol units on the night of January 6.
So heading into Gibraltar from the Costa del Sol in mid-January (only a ‘dry-ish’ January for me, being a near-suicidal Spurs fan) was with some serious trepidation.
The reasons though, to have an annual Well Man check in Gibraltar are many-fold.
First and foremost you are dealing with British doctors and nurses, which when it comes to health matters is almost a redline for many expats here in Spain.
Even for those, like me, who speak Spanish, it is so much more comforting to learn about when and why you are going to die in your mother tongue.
Yes, of course there are plenty of doctors in the private hospitals around Marbella and Mijas who speak English, but it’s not the same as speaking to a GP, who has dozens of years of experience in health matters in your own country.
Thankfully, there is one entirely standalone clinic that offers this service in Gibraltar, the Gib Med International Hospital. For just over 400 euros I was
offered the following:
● Well Man Screening (including exercise ECG if required)
● Full Well Man Health Assessment (including exercise ECG if required)
● Stroke screening
● Cancer screening (Bowel, Prostate, Lung)
● Aneurysm screening
A full comprehensive look at one’s overall health, it seemed like a no-brainer, particularly since the hospital recently expanded to include two operating theatres, under the watchful eye of celebrated British-trained consultant general surgeon David Deardon (below).
Getting into Gibraltar was an incredibly fluid process, despite what you may have heard, and once across the border it was just a ten minute walk to the hospital on historic Casemates Square. It was even easier at the clinic and I was in and out on my first first visit in an hour having had all my vitals examined by a nurse and with a quick chat to a GP. Yes, you need to have blood tests and you also need to provide urine and poo, which can be done at your leisure over the course of a gentle morning, having a look around the Rock.
Today, there is also a new simple litmus test that is dipped in your
urine to see if you’re suffering from any of the key illnesses that may be a concern. Thankfully for me, there wasn’t.
My nurse Antonia worked for many years in the British health service before moving to Gibraltar a few years ago. She was incredibly warm and friendly and gave me loads of health tips and information about what the clin-
ic was going to be looking for. In particular, I told her about the problems I was having with nasal breathing since I caught Covid badly two years ago and it was sometimes messing with my sleep. She told me she had the exact same problem, and it was no doubt long-Covid I was suffering from, quickly offering me a bit of practical advice that I can say I am now following seeing some improvements.
Next I was passed on to the GP Dr Aaron Dehghan, a Mancunian, who asked me a few questions about any health concerns and what I was worried about generally.
This was only a brief meeting, as the main discussions were to be held two weeks later once the results had come back.
“If
On my return last week, Dr Dehghan got straight down to business pulling out his charts and pointing at his computer. The good news was I’m going to live till 100-plus... that is if I give up alcohol, start walking two hours a day, and limit my chocolate intake to just one line of dark, and no more than twice a week. Being realistic, the main concern for the genial doctor, who moved to Gibraltar last year from Oxford, was my weight and my need for better sleep… which likely linked
to my alcohol intake, which he insisted was ‘too high’ (not helped by the festive period, as I pointed out).
“You really need between seven and eight hours a night,” he explained. “The crux is if your sleep problem is a nasal issue and a dry mouth, it’s quite a simple thing to fix.”
EXERCISE AND SOCIALISING ARE KEY
“Sleep is fundamental, alcohol is fundamental, diet is fundamen- tal, but one thing you can’t avoid is exercise,” says Dr Dehghan. And last but not least social en- gagements and being ‘part of the community’ are vital.
He then took me through a procedure using salt water spray and a steroid nasal spray and said I would need to do it religiously for six to 12 weeks. “And most people do it wrong and end up spraying the nose rather than the sinuses.”
your great grandmother couldn’t recognise it, don’t eat it,”
He told me that high alcohol content and snacking at night was also putting a strain on my body and I should try and lose five kilos of weight.
“The idea of a glass of wine a day is a myth,” he insisted. “There really isn’t a safe limit. Yes, there is a social element of alcohol, but you need to monitor it.
Get off your mobile before bed
Monitoring stress levels and getting a better night’s sleep is key to good health. Trying to spend more time off mobile phones, trying to switch off particularly the ‘blue light’ late in the evening always helps.
“Regulate that use before bed and you will have a better night’s sleep,” says Dr Dehghan.
“It’s an addiction and it has a dopamine effect, but you can break that addiction if you create boundaries.”
“The more you drink the more you’ll get high blood pressure, excess weight, the risk of liver issues, cardiovascular issues and even dementia, as it has toxins which go to the brain.”
It was certainly sobering. And particularly, as he insisted, I could only have a bottle and a half of wine a week - around 14 units - and ‘ideally spread out over the week’.
While he was happy with my attempt to get 8,000 to 10,000 steps of exercise a day (‘great for cardiovascular health’) he recommended some strength and balance training.
“You do need to keep building muscle, weights if you like it, but also pilates or yoga, which also has a calming effect on the body,” he said. “Above all a variety of exercise is important.”
Thankfully, despite my age, I am not pre-diabetic and my blood and poo tests were good (no signs of cancer or prostate issues), but my cholesterol was a concern and I really needed to get it down. I told you it wasn’t a good time to visit after the Christmas break.
So bad was it that he told me my heart was currently of a man some five years older (61) and I had an 8.7% chance of a heart attack or cardiac arrest over the next decade.
Fortunately, he told me I could easily reduce my cholesterol by drinking less, lowering stress and getting better sleep, as well as avoiding carbohydrates and processed food. In particular, pasta, rice and ready-meals.
“If your great grandmother couldn’t recognise it, don’t eat it,” he joked.
Above all, he told me to come back in six months to measure my cholesterol or I’d have to take pills, such as statins. It was certainly food for thought.
ANALYSIS: Experts Dr. Dehghan and nurse Antonia (below) instill confidence
O P LIVE RESS ANDALUCÍA
Holiday to remember
US comedian Chelsea Handler has admitted she gave an elderly couple LSD during a recent trip to Mallorca - telling the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast that they had 'the best night of their lives'.
Robbie date
BRITISH icon Robbie Williams will play Malaga port on April 9, where he will be named ‘godfather’ of German operator TUI Cruises’ latest vessel, the Mein Schiff Relax.
It’s a circus!
RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary dressed a Spanish politician as a clown to protest against a €179 million fine put on five budget airlines for bag and seat charges.
Don’t get dumped on!
AN expat couple has sounded the alarm after falling prey to a ‘classic’ bird poo scam on the Costa del Sol. Gomer Evans, from Wales and his German wife Hilke were enjoying a Sunday stroll
EXCLUSIVE
By Laurence Dollimore
in La Duquesa, near Manilva, when they were targeted.
He is now warning others to ‘be aware’ following the upsetting incident. He told the Ol-
Brit couple issue warning over ‘classic’ bird poo swindle
ive Press: “We were walking along the path when a man rushed over to us and showed us our coats and my wife's hair were absolutely covered in bird poo!
“It was far too much for any bird. He was very helpful and took us to the side behind a fence and produced lots of paper tissues.
Coming home
STOLEN works of art - including one by Spanish virtuoso Joaquim Sorollahave been handed back to Spain by Italian police. Sorolla’s Port of San Sebastian (left) and White horse, by Hermenegildo Anglada Camarasa, had been stolen from
“He helped us wipe our coats and offered us water to help clean my wife’s hair.”
He added: “Two hours later I discovered my credit cards were missing! And he seemed so friendly!”
He ended up buying three payments of €48 on tobacco.
an exhibition in a Madrid hotel in 2021. Also recovered by Italian police was a sculpture by Javier Martin, which had been stolen in 2022 from an art gallery in Barcelona.
Spanish investigators enlisted the help of Italian authorities to track down the stolen art. They were found and on Tuesday a ceremony at the Spanish embassy in Rome saw them handed over to the ambassador.
IN a baa-rmy twist of fate, a sacked shepherd in Extremadura has pulled the wool over his ex-boss’s eyes by nicking a staggering 264 sheep. The 41-year-old rogue farmhand decided to take matters into his own hands after getting the chop by fleecing his ex-boss.
The Guardia Civil has now collared the crafty culprit, but only 30 of the fluffy fugitives have been rounded up so far, leaving the authorities scratching their heads over the whereabouts of the rest of the flock.
The disgruntled former employee is also accused of helping himself to a whopping €31,700 worth of farm machinery.
ALICANTE City Council is facing a stinky sit uation as a mysteri ous culprit has been smearing excrement on a string of municipal buildings.
The malodorous mayhem began at the City Hall entrance, which had just reopened after a three-month closure due to falling debris.
Unsuspecting council workers were greeted by a foul stench upon their return, only to discover that someone had left more than just a calling card, with poo smeared on the building’s facade, windows and deposited outside.
The brazen bandit has since expanded his territory, targeting other municipal buildings including the Department of Social Welfare. Causing a stink
