Olive Press Andalucia Issue 463

O P LIVE RESS ANDALUCÍA

right on the beach... the Olive Press exposes the antics of van-lifers as campervan registrations

GET OUT!

A DESPERATE grandfather is pleading for help after his Costa del Sol home was taken over by British squatters FIVE YEARS ago. Birmingham native Kenneth Jobe, 84, told the Olive Press he ‘hasn’t got much time left’ and is ‘exhausted’ after going back and forth with the courts in a bid to remove the English couple. K.B, an expat of 33 years, and his partner have allegedly failed to pay more than €50,000 worth of rent for the €400,000 three-bed house in Mijas, since 2020 - al legedly helped by a ‘squatter’s bible’ that is used by so-called ‘ok upas’ across the country.

DEFIANT:

Pensioner, 84,

at wits end after Malaga court refuses to evict BRITISH squatters who owe ‘over €50,000’

EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

They have also allegedly moved in their two sons, aged in their 40sa fact they have neglected to tell the courts. The Olive Press contacted K.B, but he refused his right to comment

Jobe, who is still reeling from the death of his own son from cancer last year, thought his nightmare was over when a Malaga court said they must be evicted and the locks changed.

But incredibly, the ruling was overturned on appeal last month after the squatters were deemed

vulnerable and at risk of homelessness.

Jobe said: “I

just want to get into my home… the tenant is pleading poverty but has two older sons living there.”

He added: “On top of that he’s not been paying community fees so they also want him out.

“And when I try and negotiate he outright refuses…he’s a really nasty person.”

Desperate

Jobe said he has been battling the family since 2020, when he first filed an eviction notice after they stopped paying rent for various months on the Balcones de Mijas home in Buena Vista. The area is filled with affluent Brits who are ‘sick’ of the squatters’ mess, with one video seen by the Olive Press showing mattresses dumped on the porch, next to multiple cars covered in dust.

“It’s tiring me out,” owner Jobe added, “I can’t believe the courts have sided with him, I haven’t got much time left.

“I’m just getting desperate. It’s dragged me down and it has cost a fortune on legal fees.”

Liverpudlian estate agent Paul Stuart, from local firm Palm Estates, told the Olive Press: “The eviction was cancelled because they claimed vulnerability.

Give our city back!

THOUSANDS are expected to take to the streets of Malaga for what could be the largest housing protest the city has ever seen.

The April 5 demo, organised by citizen platform Malaga Para Vivir (Malaga For Living), will take place alongside simultaneous protests planned across several Spanish cities.

FED-UP: British homeowner Kenneth Jobe (top), while (above) the street of the squatted Mijas home

“They know the law, they’ve got something called ‘the squatter’s bible’, which tells them all the laws and how to get around everything.

“They are British and are receiving their pensions and taking advantage of the legal system, it’s a terrible situation.”

A family friend, meanwhile,

branded the squatters ‘disgusting’, claiming that when he begged them to move out, they demanded a fee to do so.

“It’s absolutely disgusting,” he told this paper.

“Poor Ken has spent decades visiting Mijas and it had been his dream to spend his latter years there.

“Everything in recent decades has been done to turn the centre of Malaga into a tourist hub that only benefits a few, while expelling its neighbours,” he said.

The platform described government measures as ‘completely insufficient’ and has initiated neighborhood assemblies leading up to the April protest.

The platform is calling for housing to be treated as a right rather than a business opportunity.

Activists highlight that in certain areas, such as around Plaza de la Merced, some 80% of homes are now used as tourist accommodations.

Under the banner ‘Let's end the housing business’ the groups slam Madrid’s measures to solve the many housing issues locals are facing, particularly a lack of affordable rentals.

"Housing has become the most important problem for citizens," explained spokesperson Kike España, who called Malaga’s economic model ‘a scam’.

"There are 34,466 people registered as looking for homes, while there are 7,496 tourist accommodations with 32,132 available places. Does anyone think this is sustainable?" asked fellow organiser Noemi Escobar.

“They know all the tricks in the book, Ken lost one of his two sons in April and it took such a toll on him, and now he is still dealing with this on top, it’s vile.” He added: “I pleaded with them to leave and they said ‘we will work something out’, and they had the nerve to demand a fee to move out.

“They are holding the family to ransom, it’s sickening.”

British tenant refuses to leave Mijas home

Fatal consequences

AN elderly man was attacked in Torremolinos on Sunday, leaving him with possible brain damage and at risk of death.

Horror attack

A SPANIARD was slashed in the neck last Friday at Berlin’s holocaust memorial by a Syrian refugee.

Biting back

THE SURVIVOR of the horrific ‘Wolf Pack’ attack in Spain has called for detectives to be jailed for ‘spying on her’ after the incident.

Investigation opened

THE POLICIA Nacional have begun an investigation after a British tourist was found dead in a Fuengirola hotel room.

SPAIN’S Guardia Civil have claimed that they are still ‘unarmed’ one year after the killings of two officers and that drug trafficking is growing and ‘taking root in coastal towns.’

The cry came from Jucil, the association representing the rank-and-file, who it claims have to combat the growing narco scourge with insufficient resources that

port of Barbate.

Narco warning Russian mafia probe

endangers their lives.

Officers David Nuñez and Miguel Angel Gonzalez were killed on February 9 last year when their smaller Zodiac speed boat was rammed by a narco boat sheltering from a storm in the

Eyes peeled

THIS is the Scottish expat gangster who remains on the run after escaping from an Alicante prison 32 years ago - when his plot to smuggle €100m of Colombian cocaine fell to pieces.

In 1990, Julian Chisholm, a deep-sea diver turned drug trafficker, somehow convinced the feared Cali cartel to trust him with at least half a tonne of the Class A drug.

Attention has been drawn to the case thanks to the new BBC

Hunt for Scottish ‘narco’ who escaped Spanish jail 32 years ago

By Laurence Dollimore

documentary Cocaine and the Klondykers - a three-part series that takes a look at one of the biggest drug busts in UK history.

Chisholm, from Perthshire, quit his job in the oil industry in the North Sea in the 1980s,

Shocking stats

CASES of electricity theft to power indoor marijuana plantations are surging in Malaga, with drug cartels consuming more than 36% of the stolen energy, according to figures released by Endesa. The Spanish energy company reports a significant increase in electrical fraud, raising concerns about public safety and the strain on the electricity supply network.

In 2024 alone, Endesa opened over 3,000 fraud cases in Malaga province, marking a 9% increase from the previous year. Through 26,000 inspections, many prompted by anonymous citizen reports, the company recovered more than 42.2 million kWh of stolen energy, a 4% rise compared to 2023.

before moving to south-

“One year later, and we are still unarmed against the drug traffickers,” said general secretary Ernesto Vilariño.

“The situation has not improved in the area, in fact it has gotten worse, and the Guardia Civil still has insufficient resources to deal with drug trafficking… the problem is taking root.”

ern Spain and launching his criminal career.

While he successfully smuggled cannabis into Europe and Scotland, he wanted a bigger piece of the pie, and turned his attention to cocaine, aka ‘white gold’.

Chisholm successfully pitched his plan to the Cali cartel, which essentially consisted of at least half a tonne of cocaine being picked up by a freight ship off the coast of Trinidad in the Caribbean.

It then sailed to the Scottish coast, where two fellow Scots were ordered to use a dinghy to ferry the bales of cocaine to Clashnessie, a small beach on the rugged north west Highland coastline.

However, on the night of the operation in December 1990, the orders from their Spanish captain came despite them being caught in a category 10 storm.

A lot of the cocaine was lost to the rough conditions, with one fisherman later finding more than €1million worth floating in the water.

The Scottish smugglers managed to get to shore however they were later stopped by police and the plot was rumbled.

Chisholm was later arrested in Spain and was sent to the notorious Fontcalent prison in Alicante.

Chisholm was awaiting extradition to the UK when a decision was made to transfer him.

When the transfer van arrived to pick him and another prisoner up, guards said it was too large to fit through the entrance, insisting the pair would have to be walked out.

Somehow, while being escorted outside, they managed to escape from their cuffs and run into the desert. Chisholm has not been seen since and remains a wanted fugitive.

A RUSSIAN mafia that laundered millions of euros in Spain boasted of its contacts with 'well-known Spanish politicians', it has emerged.

A Policia Nacional probe that brought down the gang in January discovered they had phoned Cuban authorities about plans to build a solar energy farm on the island and told them they were close to several Spanish political leaders.

Raids

Among the gang’s clients were Serbian and Albanian cartels, the Mocro Maffia, Colombian cartels, the Armenian mafia, clans from Ukraine and even some from China.

Some 14 people have been arrested and properties were raided in Madrid, Malaga, Marbella, Torremolinos, Coin, and Ayamonte as well as Lisbon in Portugal, with €1 million in cash seized.

A Policia Nacional officer from Huelva was among the mafia's payroll and provided Spanish residency documents to its members, saying they needed asylum due to the Ukraine war. He also had 'political contacts', offering the mafia investments on the Huelva coast in land and hotel complexes.

Rubiales dodges jail

SPAIN’s former football chief Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of sexual assault for the infamous kiss he planted on Jenni Hermoso af ter the 2023 World Cup final. The judge fined him €10,800 after the nine day trial in Madrid’s National Court, but

ish Football Federation dodged a jail sentence. He was, however, acquitted of the more serious crime of coercing Hermoso into publicly saying that the kiss was consensual, for which prosecutors had demanded two-and-a-half years.

Last week’s ruling prohibits Rubiales from approaching Hermoso within a radius of 200

ROYAL RIP-OFF

A SPANISH mayor has called on Meghan Markle to change her As Ever logo, insisting it plagiarises her town’s ‘historic’ coat of arms.

As Ever is part of Markle’s personal lifestyle brand that she uses to sell a range of products such as fruit preserves and home essentials.

But Xisca Mona, leader of the sleepy village of Porreres, in Mallorca, told the Olive Press this week that she was ‘shocked’ upon seeing the logo.

It features a palm tree flanked by two hummingbirds, which Markle claims symbolises her home in California with husband Prince Harry.

Yet the design is remarkably similar to Porreres’

Megan Markle under fire for ‘copying’ historic coat of arms of Mallorcan town for her lifestyle brand

EXCLUSIVE

by Laurence Dollimore

coat of arms, which also shows two birds flying on either side of a palm tree.

Xisca told Olive Press: ‘We are still a bit shocked, we thought it was fake news at first, we didn’t know what was happening.

‘Then loads of newspapers and media started calling us and we realised it was serious.’

She said the similarities are ‘undeniable’, adding: ‘They are the same, except the birds are a little different and they used different colours, but they are nearly identical.’

She continued: ‘All jokes aside, we really want them to change the logo because our coat of arms is very special to our culture and has been linked to our

town since it was founded hundreds of years ago.

‘It is very important to our identity and now it is being used to sell products like jam.

‘The truth is that although this has given our once unknown town some publicity in just a few hours, we don’t like our coat of arms being used, we want them to pull the logo.’

However, while there is a desire to fight the Sussexes, Xisca said the town hall will probably choose not to.

She explained: ‘We simply cannot fight such a big company like that, we are a small town with limited resources.

‘We may send a letter ask-

REQUEST: Mayor Xisca

Sex bomb drops

IT’S not so usual that legendary 84-year-old Tom Jones is set to enter tain Spanish crowds once again. Far from embracing retirement, the Welsh crooner will post two concerts in Spain as part of his hectic Defy Explanation Tour 2025. Fans in Andalucia will be treated to a show in Chiclana de la Frontera, Cadiz, on Au gust 11, which he will follow by taking to the stage in Al icante just two days later on August 13.

Gere-ing down

HOLLYWOOD legend Richard Gere is looking to put down roots in northern Spain's picturesque Galician coast.

The Pretty Woman star, 75, and his Galician wife Alejandra Silva, 41, have been spotted viewing luxury properties in the exclusive enclave of Oleiros, just 15 minutes from A Coruña city.

Sources close to the couple confirmed they've been interested in purchasing a sea-view prop-

erty in the area for at least two years, though no deal has yet been finalised.

"They visit every summer and stay with Alejandra's family, but now they want their own place," revealed a local estate agent.

Oleiros, with its population of 38,333, has become one of Galicia's most desirable addresses.

It boasts the highest per capita income in the region and ranks among Spain's 25 wealthiest municipalities.

The coastal town is known for its Blue Flag beaches including Santa Cristina ing them to remove the logo and to find a new one.’

She added that the people of Porreres ‘invite Meghan and Harry to the town’ with open arms and joked that if they want to use their coat of arms as a logo, ‘they

and Bastiagueiro, historic Santa Cruz Castle, and stunning sea views along its maritime promenades.

Gere wouldn't be the only high-profile resident – Pablo Isla, former Inditex chairman, and Sandra Ortega, daughter of Zara founder – and Spain's second-richest person – Amancio Ortega already call the area home.

should at least sell apricot jam’ - in reference to the locally renowned apricots.

TWINNED: Megan Markle’s brand logo (left) bares a striking resemblance to the coat of arms of Porreres

Mona has politely asked Megan Markle to change her brand logo

Body found in port ‘after shooting’

A BODY has been found floating in Duquesa Port, in Manilva.

The discovery was made at 4.30am on Sunday, shortly after gunshots were heard fired in the area, according to local media group Manilva. ws.

Investigation

Emergency services were quickly called and the body was fished out the water, with the man pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards.

No further details have been made public, as the investigation continues.

THE protected cultural heritage status of bullfighting will be reconsidered by Spain’s Congress after a protest initiative gathered over 700,000 signatures. The No Es Mi Cultura (It Is Not My Culture) campaign delivered 715,606 signatures to the Electoral Commis -

Culture shift

sion, exceeding the 500,000 signatures required to force parliamentary consideration.

The initiative aims to repeal a 2013 law that designated bullfighting as cultural heritage, a status that provides government funding and prevents local municipalities from

implementing bans.

AnimaNaturalis executive director Aida Gascon, representing one of the organising groups, said the signature count demonstrates widespread public sentiment against maintaining bullfighting's protected status.

The initiative has received support from various animal welfare organizations, including PETA.

TOXIC FEARS

Locals slam steelworks for emanating cancer-causing fumes into the Bay of Gibraltar - while authorities ‘turn a blind eye’

THE Acerinox steelworks in the Bay of Gibraltar belched out a sinister cloud of orange gas over the weekend that insiders claim are ‘suspiciously frequent’.

Outraged residents have told the Olive Press the plant is ‘more polluting than ever’ amid claims the Spanish authorities turn a blind eye ‘out of fear of losing jobs’.

A denuncia filed to the Junta de Andalucia claims the plant’s system for filtrating the noxious fumes created by the smelting process is malfunctioning.

Sources connected to the plant told the Olive Press the release likely occurred because of a build-up of highly dangerous nitric acid fluoride in a storage

EXCLUSIVE

By Walter Finch

tank.

Residents in the neighbouring towns of Palmones and Guadarranque claim it is just the latest discharge in the Bay, home to hundreds of thousands of people, including 40,000 in Gibraltar, that has been going on for decades.

Local resident Paco Cervantes, 66, told the Olive Press that he lost his father and mother-inlaw to cancer, and more recently a neighbour.

The retired port worker, who lives in Guadarranque, added: "The Campo de Gibraltar has the highest levels of cancer, bronchi-

tis and asthma in all of Spain –we are top of the cancer list. “Here people die of cancer. But it’s difficult to draw a direct connection between the heavy industry and the cancer rate, which is why there has to be a study. But the authorities refuse to do it."

The heavy industry plant operates an ‘open air dump of slag and metal particulates which knowingly pollutes the air and, depending on which way the wind is blowing, causes havoc with nearby residents’, according to local environmental groups.

The Acerinox steelworks is part of a sprawling heavy industry zone that occupies a corner of the picturesque Bay of Gibraltar, along with the Cepsa petrol refinery and a coal-fired Endesa power plant.

The three plants employ a total of over 3,000 workers directly, and are responsible for well over 10,000 indirect jobs in a region that has traditionally struggled with high unemployment. However, the jobs have come at a cost.

One resident in Palmones told the Olive Press: “Pollution has always been a problem, for as long as I can remember, but many are unwilling to say it as most of the town works in the plant. There’s dust and particles in the air, which I find on my windowsills and in the summer when I’m sweeping the floor.

Shame

Another local, Javier Martin Delgado, 60, told the Olive Press: “We see black smoke from the Cepsa plant all the time, if anything it’s getting worse.

“Go to Punta Mayorga [on the other side of the industrial zone] and take a deep breath. You’ll know what we’re talking about.”

“The Bay of Gibraltar should be the nicest part of Spain,” Javier continued.

“But people can’t sell their homes and get out fast enough.

It’s such a shame.”

Acerinox did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Where is Grant?

EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

THE passport of a missing American financier has been found near a Costa del Sol beach.

Other items of New York banker Grant Barr have also been found on a jetty in Estepona, his family have revealed.

It comes after Grant's father told the Olive Press he may have travelled to Madrid following his disappearance on January 28.

However his brother James Barr confirmed this was likely based on miscommunication between the family and Spanish authorities, not aided by the 'language barrier'.

James told the Olive Press: "Grant's trousers, passport and boating licence were found in a jetty by the beach in Estepona."

He added: "My family and I are overwhelmed by the good people who have sent messages of hope and support, shared their stories, and offered assistance.

"Finding him will be the result of regular everyday people sharing the story with their friends, families and networks, recognising his face.

"Seeing so many people reaching out everyday really gives us hope and helps us continue

NO TINY SUM

THE mayor of the small inland town of Alora earns more than the leader of Granada and the same as in Salamanca, it has emerged. Francisco Martinez scoops up €74,040 a year, compared to the mayor of Granada, Marifran Carazo, who earns €69,400.

That is despite the provincial capital having 232,000 people compared to just 13,500 residents in Alora.

The discrepancies have emerged after Spain revealed the 2023 salaries of its mayors in a new drive for transparency.

In Malaga province, the highest earning mayor is Francisco de la Torre, in Malaga who has an annual gross salary of €90,815.

Fuengirola’s leader, Ana Mula, earns the second-most, with €78,110.

Salary

In Velez-Malaga the mayor gets €70,232, while in Antequera the mayor gets €62,609.

In Marbella, which has the second largest population in the province, Angeles Muñoz earns the 11th highest salary. The only two mayors to receive zero compensation in the province were from Estepona and Canillas de Albaida. Estepona has the sixth largest provincial population, with 76,975 residents, but its mayor, Jose Maria Garcia Urbano hasn’t been paid a single penny since he was elected in 2011.

Unsurprisingly, Jose Luis Martinez of Madrid is the country’s number one earner, with an annual salary of €108,517, followed by those of Barcelona, Bilbao and San Sebastian. The mayor of Sevilla earns just above Francisco de la Torre with €92,440. There is a salary ceiling for Spanish council leaders, regulated by the national budget based on the population of a municipality. However, no Spanish mayors reached the maximum amount for 2023.

our efforts." He confirmed 'there has been no passport activity since his arrival in Spain', adding: "And now we have his passport as it was found with some other belongings."

Grant is described as having brown hair and green eyes and is of a slim build, measuring around 5ft 7ins in height.

Grant visits the Costa del Sol regularly as he has relatives here. According to his LinkedIn page, Grant currently works for Alternative Funds Lending, and previously worked at major corporations, including Citi.

His father previously said that his son had planned to go sailing but changed his mind. He continued: "We spoke a few times, he was going through a difficult time emotionally... he then spoke to his brother and that was it..."

The US Embassy told the Olive Press it could not comment on the case due to privacy rules.

GOING HOME IN A COFFIN

A BRITISH expat who moved her entire family from the UK to Spain is urging fellow Brits to jump ship too. Real estate agent Nicola Powles made the life-changing decision in 2001 after a three-day holiday to the Costa del Sol that cost just £99.

The Portsmouth resident, who now lives on the Costa del Sol, said: “Britain is quickly becoming a third world country with nothing to offer for the people who live there.”

The mother-of-two continued: “It's a scary country with crime out of control, you can't see a doctor, ambulances don't arrive and it’s always grey.”

The Property in Spain agency boss claims to save €1,000 (£850) per month on bills and rent compared to UK prices, making her financial situation much more comfortable.

Cost of living

“We were paying the same amount of rent for one home than what we were doing for two in Spain, which both included a pool," she added.

Powles claims that many everyday expenses are lower in Spain, highlighting affordable dining options.

"I can get a three-course meal, including a drink, in a local hotel for £11 (€13)," she said.

A study last year by Kanan claimed the average cost of living for a family of four in the UK was approximately £2,200 per month, excluding rent. In Spain, this figure was around £1,400. Powles moved her entire family including her then-husband, two children, two horses, and two dogs to Malaga.

Flying cleaners

ESTEPONA City Council has become one of the first public administrations in Andalucia to use drones for building cleaning.

This innovative technology offers numerous benefits, including a 60% reduction in water consumption compared to traditional cleaning methods.

In a statement, the Town Hall announced that drones were deployed yesterday to clean the Mirador del Carmen, Estepona’s most iconic building. Rising eight floors, the structure features a viewing platform with panoramic views, a vertical library, an exhibition hall, a music conservatory, and an auditorium.

Beyond saving water, the drones use a reverse osmosis system that eliminates impurities without the need for chemicals, preventing the use of polluting products.

The Town Hall emphasised the drones’ environmental sustainability and operational efficiency.

By replacing risky manual cleaning tasks - traditionally requiring cranes and scaffolding - the drones improve worker safety. They also boost productivity, covering up to 3,000 square metres in a single day and significantly reducing cleaning time.

Estepona’s drone cleaning system is jointly provided by the public building cleaning concessionaire and KTV Working Drone Spain, a specialised company in drone technology.

British expat advises countrymen: ‘Get out while you can!’ as she claims the UK is now a ‘third world country’

By Walter Finch

she insists she has no plans to follow them back.

"I miss my daughter and grandchildren, who live in Britain, but the country has nothing to offer me anymore," she said. "The only way I'm ever returning to the UK is in a coffin."

Tragic end

aged 50, vanished during a bike ride in the Segura de la Sierra region of

Manuel Fernandez, a government minister in Jaen, confirmedthat the body found does belong to Opperman, who vanished on January 25.

EXPERTS WHO CARE ABOUT YOU

A BODY found next to a tree in Andalucia belongs to missing US cyclist Matt Opperman, police have confirmed.

The tragic news comes a month after the fatherof-two,

Jaen.

While her family has since returned to Britain,

Spain

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

OPINION

You can’t have it both ways

WHILE Spanish towns want to reap the economic benefits of motorhome travellers, it seems no one is investing in the necessary infrastructure to make this influx comfortable for both residents and caravaners.

Since Covid-19, Spain has become an exponentially popular destination for van lifers and snow birds, caravaners who come from northern Europe to escape the winter cold.

Despite over 350,000 people travelling around the country in motorhomes and caravans, there are just 1,100 official sites to park up – causing chaos for locals and tourists alike.

The lack of facilities means many caravaners pitch up in national parks, next to beaches and on abandoned lots.

Though most are respectful of their surroundings, there are some that couldn’t care less about the state they leave their winter homesteads in once they travel back to the UK, Switzerland and Germany.

We have heard multiple reports of caravaners throwing human waste into public drains, onto beaches and into bushes, producing a ‘foul stench’ and prompting public health concerns.

Others report seeing van lifers masturbating and committing other sex acts in public, often targeted at their female counterparts who are left feeling unsafe and disturbed.

It seems that the swathe of unregulated parking opportunities in Spain has attracted Europe’s riff raff and they won’t go away until local authorities do more to stop them.

Local councils could filter out bad apples by installing facilities and charging motorists to use them, like is often the case in France.

Police could also perform more checks on illegal car parks and clamp down on those overstaying their welcome.

It is a shame that a few disrespectful travellers give the rest of the van life and caravanning community a bad name.

Instead, we should focus on putting measures in place to ensure Spain attracts only the respectful, peaceful and clean people that local communities would welcome with open arms.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es

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

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Tom Ewart Smith tom@theolivepress.es

Estefania Marquez (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es

theolivepress.es

TIME TO MOVE ON?

Expats claim caravaners and van lifers are ruining the costas as they invade thousands of natural spaces and parking lots, dumping excrement, taking litres of water for free and even committing sex acts in the open air

WHEN Cor Vandenhoek moved to Torrox Costa nine years ago, he invested in one of the most expensive properties on the market under the promise that nothing would ever obscure his view to the sea

It was a vow that was sadly to be broken.

Just seven years later, the abandoned lot in front of the Dutchman’s upmarket Punta del Faro Urbanisation is ‘inundated’ with over around 60 new homes.

Not the sort of bricks and mortar properties that you might expect an expat homeowner would be complaining about sullying his view… but a phalanx of illegally-parked camper vans (see below), whose occupants’ behaviour leaves a lot to be desired.

The retired hotel owner has certainly got a point, with the long line up of campers stretching almost as far as the eye can see.

It is a similar picture at hundreds, possibly thousands of beauty spots, from Huelva up to the French border with Catalunya.

While ugly, it is what the so-called ‘van lifers’ get

up to in them - and outside of them, cruciallythat has most incensed Cor and, as the Olive Press has established, thousands of his neighbours and fellow expats along the costas.

“I wanted to retire and have a quiet life here but I have never seen such chaos. Torrox was a beautiful place, the Saint-Tropez of Spain, but now it’s being abused and we can do nothing about it,” the 75-year-old told the Olive Press Cor claims he has seen the caravaners ‘masturbate in broad daylight’ and ‘throw human faeces’ in the bushes from his balcony. And it’s a story we have been hearing for months, since we first reported on the issue.

“I can’t even walk my grandchildren to the beach because there’s dirty tissues, condoms and shit everywhere,” continued Cor, who sent us a series of photos as evidence, as have many other readers from around the costas.

The pensioner also claims the van lifers put

their rubbish, including human waste, into his urbanizations’ bins, paid for out of each resident’s €128 per month maintenance costs.

It is a similar story up the coast in Fuengirola.

Age Care volunteer Ray Mynott, 77, told the

Olive Press that he had seen many caravaners dump excrement around the fairground.

“They also dump their shit in the storm drains, blocking them, or directly dump them in the nearby Parque del Rosario.

“When we go to walk the dog, there’s a really unpleasant smell and I’ve even seen someone park his van over the storm drain to empty his waste directly into it. This goes down into the river and into the sea.”

The former chauffeur continued: “I’ve also seen people take around 16 litres of water from the park in a single day. They literally just park up and fill all their containers. They don’t pay any taxes for that.”

And the local welfare leader added that many expats believe the van lifers are up to no good.

“A lot of people in the Los Boliches area do not feel safe anymore because we don’t know who these people are,” he explained.

“The council thinks it’s helping the economy, but when I asked one of the restaurant owners near the feria ground where they all park he told me all the campers do is use their toilets.” And it is not as if the van lifers disagree. Veteran traveller and member of the Catalan Caravaners Union (UCC) Cesar Semarro told the Olive Press this week: “There’s always some pigs that behave badly. They ruin it for the rest of us.” However, he claimed this was a small minority of motorhome owners who do not represent the largely ‘respectful’ community.

The 78-year-old, who has been travelling

ARE YOU BURYING THE SARDINE?

ASH Wednesday is approaching once again, and with it will come the rather strange sight of Andalucians ‘burying a sardine’.

Yes, odd but true, but this will mark the end of the indulgence of Carnival and the start of the restraint of Lent.

For the British, a sardine is generally just an inch long thing crammed in a flat little tin full of oil, and Lent merely vague childhood memories of pancakes sticking to the ceiling.

In Andalucia however, sardines are something very different, and Lent is a very important thing to celebrate. Let’s tackle Lent first.

turn to dust fairly soon.

To rub it in, as it were, he smears every forehead with real ashes, and the people wear this stain proudly for the rest of the day. It’s really all about the start of Spring, and the end of Winter.

Historians tell us it is actually pagan and existed long before Christianity hijacked it some thousand years ago.

This year it starts on March 5, better known as Ash Wednesday. Don’t be surprised if you see people out and about with a grey smudge on their foreheads. They’ve been to church, for a special ceremony in which the priest reminds them that we’re all made of dust, and will all re-

We are actually celebrating the return of flowers, lambs and baby birds etc, as we say goodbye to ice and snow. Which brings us to sardines. Have you ever seen a small wooden boat packed with sand at a beach restaurant here? With fish cooking on balsa-wood splints over a charcoal fire?

This is a classic Malaga delicacy, called espeto de sardinas

The migrating fish (big, oil-free and delicious) swim along the coast at this time of year, and a percentage of them end up as part of an espeto or ‘skewer’.

This is where we need to turn to Francisco Goya, the Spanish painter.

By Michael Coy

Goya (who died in 1828) loved to depict popular festivals around the country, and that’s why one of his canvases (right) is entitled, Burying the Sardine It is a ceremony which is still maintained today in many Spanish towns. Some say it dates back to King Carlos III after being served a plate of sardines which had ‘gone off’ in the 18th century. Understandably furious, he commanded the offending fish to be buried. Whether true or not, the festival is an Ash Wednesday event which is symbolically about destroying the past and being born into the sunny, warm future.

Many places have different versions of the ceremony, and expect to see people dressed in mourning. While others put on the disfraz (disguise) of priests and nuns. Some places carry the sardine through the streets – don’t worry, it’s a dummy sardine – and bury it, sometimes in a coffin, in an actual grave. And that’s when the fun begins. Are you going to bury the sardine this year?

SEX ACTS: And the leftovers in the bushes by Cor’s Torrox home, while Cesar (above right) with his van and quad

by Yzabelle Bostyn

in mobile homes for over 50 years, explained that the style of travel skyrocketed in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“People came to Spain because it’s a paradise with year-round sun. But because of the pandemic, they didn’t know the etiquette,” he confirmed. “Now they abuse the system, especially the snowbirds who come for winter,” he added. Above all, he insisted it was important to understand the difference between parking and camping.

Parking for a day or two he believes is an entirely acceptable norm and gives everyone a chance to enjoy places.

“But camping is staying for months and acting like the street was your back garden. These people give us a bad name.”

Huge growth in numbers

The Olive Press has established that around 350,000 motorhomes are normally to be found travelling around Spain at any time, with the majority coming from abroad.

According to the Spanish Caravaning Association (Aseicar) 6,459 new motorhomes were registered in 2024 in Spain, a 22% increase compared to the previous year.

Catalan Semarro claims these campers are a great source of income, especially in ‘empty Spain’ (by which he means the interior) which of course is largely true.

“Our association and others like ours offer guidelines on how to behave and if these rules are followed, you should be welcomed by locals

JOY: At Goya’s Burying the sardine festival

with open arms.

“That means spending money in bars, shops and restaurants,” he said.

“If a small inland village has 50 residents and four or five caravaners come and spend money, that’s a good income for the

local villagers.”

One inland village, L’albi, in Lleida province, allegedly calculated €62,000 in local sales from motorhome owners in just one year alone after providing a safe parking area, including toilets, water and picnic tables.

However, most towns in Spain lack these essential facilities, caravaners claim.

And it is not only losing vital income, but it is causing problems.

“The coast is oversaturated for sure and many campsites are booked up a year in advance,”

regular British traveler Alan Harris, from Dorset, told the Olive Press

“I think the solution is for councils inland to provide proper sites with facilities and then charge a small fee. That’s what they do in France and the situation is much better.”

frequently come under the crosshairs of the local police in Orgiva with claims of drug-dealing and other illegal activity.

Erikkson has crossed paths with many such undesirables, revealing on her YouTube channel that she frequently sees gay men having intercourse in bushes and has had to chase off men masturbating near fellow van lifers.

But being fair, most of the van lifers are simply looking to drop out and are largely harmless, choosing alternative ways of life.

It’s mostly Germans who don’t want

to spend money and overstay

The 70-year-old former plumber continued: “I once spent €1,000 in a week in Javea, if you multiply that by the amount of people, that’s an awful lot of money for the local economy,” he said.

“Despite this, Javea council moved the campers on and the nearby bars were utterly horrified, they’d just lost lots of business.”

However, he admitted that some caravanersmostly Germans - come to Spain with ‘huge’ vans loaded up with supplies.

“It’s mostly Germans who don’t want to spend money and overstay their welcome,” he claimed.

He also admits that many long-term caravaners are moved on following complaints from residents who own ‘expensive’ beachside homes.

One classic person who regularly overstays her welcome, by her own admittance, is Therese Erikkson, 33, from Sweden.

The vanlife videographer appears to like winding up local residents.

“My favourite spot in Marbella is in front of some million euro mansions,” she boasted in an interview with us.

“They hate us parking in front because they see us as a threat to normal society, they want you to be in the rat race with them.”

While describing life in Marbella, or anywhere on the costas, as a ‘rat race’ seems a little wide of the mark, it is the fact that van lifers and most winter visitors are not obliged to pay local taxes, that really annoys residents.

And some are unlikely to pay tax at all going on investigations of large van-lifer settlements by the Olive Press around Orgiva, in Granada, and in particular, up on the Algarve, in nearby Portugal.

One settlement ‘Beneficio’ that often had up to 1,000 people living in it, has

GREEN AND SEEN

Don’t waste paper, don’t waste your money - Olive Press nears 0.5% returns target

our target of

to our new high-tech delivery

In a promise to our readers - and more importantly advertisers - we are continuing to ensure that 99.5% of newspaper copies are accounted for.

After implementing the new tech for the first time last issue, we had just 0.67% of our papers returned across ALL of our pick-up points in Spain.

It’s all thanks to our new ‘Proof of delivery’ system which helps us guarantee 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 canopies left, literally sitting on the shelf. Unclaimed and unloved.

And some of them, including freelancer Erikkson, is all for contributing more to the local authorities.

“I think a subscription system would be good, a yearly membership to park wherever you want in Spain for €50 to €100,” Erikkson, who trains photographers, suggested.

“We’re mostly hardworking, normal people who want to travel. I hope Spain can see that we contribute to society.”

It’s a question that will raise much debate but, unless it is better regulated and can be proven to contribute to the local economies, it will end up causing much more conflict over the years to come.

What does the law say?

Caravans and motorhomes can legally park jas normal vehicles in Spain. How ever, Spanish road authorities (DGT) updated the law in June 2024 so that campers cannot take up more space than the vehicle itself (for example, by putting up a hammock or shade), stand on anything but wheels and emit any fluids such as chemical toilet waste. While it was lauded as ‘protecting’ car avaners, the law failed to include other types of mobile homes, including con verted vans.

The new regulation also did not clari fy if it is permitted to sleep in mobile homes, but most have interpreted the law as a green light, saying as long as vehicles are parked correctly, they can do as they please.

Many municipalities however, have their own rules when it comes to over night parking, so make sure you check before taking a lie down. Fines can range from €200 in prohibit- ed areas and up to €60,000 in environ- mentally-protected areas.

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.

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, monitor the numbers into the single digits.

ROOM FOR TWO: Therese shares her van with furry friend Tindra

GRIDLOCK: Charity worker Ray Mynott says vanlifers dump their shit in the nearby park and take up to 20 litres of free water a day

Ciao GREEN HEART

CHOCOLATE is becoming more expensive and less available thanks to climate change, a study has found.

US research group Climate Central found increasing temperatures are making the sweet treat’s main ingredient, cocoa, more difficult to grow. Over the past ten years, farmers have found that they can’t grow the year-round crop for three weeks of the year due to higher temperatures. This can also lead to a reduction in the quality of the harvest.

A separate report from UK charity Christian Aid suggested this is having a negative effect on cocoa farmers.

KNOCK IT DOWN! chocolate!

Working with water

The solutions to Spain’s drying-out rivers are not ‘crazy rocket science’ explains Leeds-based professor

A LEADING ecologist has set out to save Spain’s dwindling river systems from the twin threat of climate change and excessive demands on water consumption.

Julia Martin Ortega (left), a professor of ecological economics at the University of Leeds, has warned that rising tem-

THE JUNTA will meet with the central government on March 4 to discuss the demolition of the illegally-built, 24-storey Algarrobico hotel in Almeria.

The Andalucian government will be looking for a ‘quick, realistic and effective’ solution to the 20-year Cabo de Gata eyesore.

Carboneras Council will also be involved in the talks, following the Junta’s request in March 2024 that they reclassify the land as protected natural park land.

“We need dialogue, realism and pragmatism,” Junta spokesperson Carolina España said.

EXCLUSIVE

By Yzabelle Bostyn

peratures are causing ‘intense river dryness’ across parts of the country.

But the academic says her solutions to this ‘intense dryness’ are not ‘crazy rocket science’. They include creating more shade near rivers to cool down waterways, clearing forest to prevent fires and switching to less water-intensive crop farming.

“The natural system is disrupted and unbalanced, so to fix it we need to work with it,” Ortega, 45, told the Olive Press

One river that has been particularly affected has been the Rio Genal in Ronda, which flows through a number of villages, including Genalguacil, Jubri-

que, and Benarraba, before eventually joining the Río Guadiaro near Casares.

The Genal has been hit with longer dry spells in an increasing number of areas, according to Ortega, with knock-on effects for the local biodiversity and community.

The Sevilla native academic is part of an international study known as ‘DRYvER’, which has been studying rivers across Europe for the past five years,

measuring the effects of global warming.

“While it is normal for rivers to dry over the summer, this process is now starting earlier, finishing later and spreading,” she said.

“Patterns of river dryness are intensifying in Spain due to climate change and water use. It’s only going to get worse.”

Some of the consequences of these effects are that

they rob species of their habitats, flooding becomes more intense and the likelihood of forest fires goes up.

The lack of water also has a profound effect on local communities, Ortega warns – some residents even lamented the loss of their connection to the river during workshops.

Identity

“It affects them deeply because they have less opportunities to connect with the river, where they used to spend time with their families and nature. They lose this sense of identity and cultural cohesion,” she said.

“People really care about the issue but there’s not enough knowledge, we need more awareness so that people can take action.”

This may also have an economic impact, with tourist activities in the waterways limited and a lack of water for agriculture.

THE SPANISH government has called on the EU to protect green financial policies over fears they will be scaled back in the pursuit of ‘simplification’. It likened the changes to ‘open heart surgery’ and urged ‘surgical precision’ to avoid the collapse of EU green policy.

“Achieving our climate targets and strengthening the green agenda will go a long way towards reinforcing the competitiveness of the European Union,” said the letter, signed by the ecology minister Sara Aagesen. It comes after calls from businesses to reduce red tape that requires investments to be climate friendly. The ‘unprecedented simplification’ process aims to reduce the administrative burden by 25% for all businesses and 35% for SMEs. Brussels will present the first phase of the amendments on February 26.

tel: 670 461 330 www.skisierranevada.co.uk

SIERRA

DRY: Ecologists in action from Leeds doing hydrology studies in the Genal Valley

PARCHED: Rio Genal in Ronda is suffering from increased dryness

P

roperty

EXCLUSIVE: We run a rule over the u-bends at the Costa del Sol home of the world’s richest plumber

A YEAR TO DREAM

Valencia’s ‘starchitect’ Fran Silvestre brings his award-winning style to Sotogrande

SEE PAGE 12

Just can’t get enough!

THE British are still the most important international buyers in Spain. Despite Brexit they still bought 40% more properties here than the Germans last year.

Only Polish and Dutch buyers increased on a larger scale than the Brits, who bought a staggering 8,728 properties last year.

The Germans bought just 6,230 properties and the French 5,025, which is a worrying drop of 14% in 2023.

Overall though, it was almost a re-

BritishbuyersledstrongresurgenceinSpain’s foreignpropertymarketlastyear

By Walter Finch

cord year for foreign buyers, who bought 92,958 properties, which is a 6% increase on 2023 and only marginally below Spain’s record year of 2022.

According to data from the Spanish Land Registry, Polish buyers are the rising stars in the market with a dra-

matic 36% increase in purchases. Dutch and American buyers also showed strong growth, rising by 18% and 13%, respectively.

Norwegian buyers, however, virtually fell off the map, with a collapse in home purchases of 63%.

The final quarter of 2024 was particularly strong meanwhile, with 24,985 sales involving foreign buyers - a 27% year-on-year increase

and the best Q4 on record.

This suggests that international demand for Spanish property is accelerating as the market heads into 2025.

Despite the slight slowdown in 2023, the 2024 figures indicate that Spain’s appeal to foreign buyers remains robust, with Brits continuing to lead the charge.

With no signs of demand waning, the Spanish property market looks set to maintain its momentum in the year ahead.

But buy-to-let investors have been

spooked by Spain’s new housing legislation, which has included ‘tenant-friendly’ policies such as rent controls in ‘strained’ neighbourhoods.

Nationally, properties sold as investments account for one in four sales.

In Madrid, which has so far weathered the regulatory storm, it’s still a healthy one in three. But in Catalunya, where investors are getting cold feet, it’s dropped from to less than one in four – its lowest level ever.

Mark Stucklin

FOREIGN buyers conti-

nued to drive the Spanish property market in 2024, with purchases involving international investors increasing by 6% compared to the previous year, according to figures just released by the Spanish Land Registry.

This marked the second-highest level of foreign demand on record, highlighting the ongoing strength of international interest in Spanish real estate.

Over the course of 2024, a total of 92,958 property sales involving a foreign buyer were inscribed in the registry. This was not only a 6% increase from 2023 but also represented a 38% jump compared to the average number of foreign-buyer transactions over the past ten years.

The figures confirm that demand from overseas buyers has not faded following the post-pandemic boom, which peaked in 2022.

Rental rut International boom

Foreign buyers boost Spanish property market in 2024

Instead, the market appears to have bounced back after pausing for breath in 2023.

British buyers retained their position as the most active nationality in the Spanish property market, accounting for 8,728 home purchases. They were followed by buyers from Germany and France. Despite retaining their place among the top three, French demand showed signs of weakening, with transactions down by 14% compared to the previous year.

Several other nationalities made notable moves in 2024. Polish buyers increased their acquisitions by an impressive 36%, reflecting growing inte -

rest from Eastern Europe. Dutch buyers also expanded their presence in the market, with purchases rising by 18%, while American buyers increased their acquisitions by 13%. These nationalities have been showing increasing interest in Spain, drawn by its climate, lifestyle, and relative affordability compared to their home markets. However, not all nationalities shared the same enthusiasm. Norwegian buyers sharply reduced their activity, with purchases plummeting by 63%. Russian demand also fell, down 17%, likely reflecting the ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties. While French demand also contracted, other Western European buyers, including the British and Dutch, have remained resilient. The final quarter of 2024 was particularly strong for foreign transactions. Between October and December, 24,985 sales involving international buyers were recorded, making it the best fourth quar-

ter on record. This late surge suggests that demand from overseas was gathering pace as the year drew to a close, providing optimism for the start of 2025.

Local estate agents have reported a steady stream of inquiries from foreign buyers, many of whom are seeking holiday homes or investment properties. Coastal areas and popular inland regions continue to attract the lion’s share of interest, with regions such as the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, and the Balearic Islands remaining top choices.

Market observers believe that several factors are driving foreign interest in Spanish property. These include Spain’s reputation as a safe and attractive destination, the flexibility of remote working, and the enduring appeal of the Mediterranean lifestyle. With international demand showing few signs of slowing down, foreign buyers look set to remain a key pillar of the Spanish property market in 2025 and beyond.

SPAIN’S property rental crisis is worsening with long-term rentals falling for the 14th consecutive quarter – while tourist apartments surge across major cities.

The latest data from property portal Idealista reveals permanent rental supply dropped another 3% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year, with twelve provincial capitals now recording their lowest availability since records began.

The crisis has hit particularly hard in tourist hotspots, with Barcelona seeing 43% of its rental properties now dedicated to holiday lets – the highest proportion in Spain.

San Sebastian follows at 36%, while Madrid has seen tourist rentals climb to 15% of its market.

Teruel suffered the steepest decline in permanent rental availability, plummeting 35% year-on-year, while Barcelona dropped 26% and Pamplona 23%.

The numbers underline Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s recently-announced plans to raise the tax levy paid by nonEU residents who buy a second home by 100%.

“Our obligation is to prioritise homes for locals over tourist use,” he stated. “We will make a change so tourist apartments are taxed as a business so they will pay the same as hotels.”

Idealista spokesperson Francisco Iñareta warned the situation has reached ‘absolute emergency’ levels, with even middle-class families – alongside vulnerable groups – now being priced out of the market.

“The situation of exclusion from renting affects an increasing number of families,” he said.

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

Council house winner

A REVOLUTIONARY social housing project in Spain has bagged the RIBA International Prize 2024 - the world’s most coveted award for cutting-edge architecture.

Modulus Matrix: 85 Social Housing, designed by Peris + Toral Arquitectes, is turning heads in Catalunya with its unique, eco-friendly design.

The six-storey, timber-framed block in Cornella, near Barce-

Spanishsocialhousing projectscoopstop architectureprize

By Dilip Kuner

lona, is home to 85 apartments that are nothing like your average council flats.

Inspired by Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu, the building’s layout features modular rooms that all measure the same size (3.6m x 3.6m) and are arranged around a central communal courtyard.

The clever design encourages socialising, with open spaces that can easily adapt to different family structures and needs.

Every flat benefits from cross-ventilation and dual orientation to maximise natural light and airflow. Plus, the building is made from timber, cutting down

on carbon dioxide emissions and slashing con

Inside, there’s no fixed layout: the rooms can be rearranged as residents see fit, and spaces like kitchens are at the heart

of the home, challenging traditional gender roles by making domestic chores visible.

Private balconies and Barcelona shutters offer added privacy, while thoughtful acoustic measures ensure peace and quiet between flats.

The project was completed in 2021 and aligns with the goals of IMPSOL, a public body behind socially innovative housing in the area.

The group has won plaudits after churning out similar projects in the area, each aiming to de-

WE SOLD €50 MILLION OF PROPERTY IN OUR FIRST YEAR!

THE boss of Marbella’s upmarket realtor

The Agency has revealed the results of his first year in the resort… and set a tar get for 2025.

Leif Orthmann told the Olive Press he was ‘pretty happy’ with the results in 2024, which included a €10 million villa sale in the Sierra Blanca area.

And now the giant American agency has hired five new agents it is aiming to sell €120 million of property this year.

“I don’t think it is unreasonable, given how

upmarket this place is and the amazing demand,” added Orthmann, who grew up between Germany and Switzerland.

The bottom line, he explained, has been getting a better website and generating stronger leads.

“Now we have our lead gen under control we are able to get really good agents, who will earn lots of money,” he said.

He explained how high end property prices rose by 3.2% on the Costa del Sol last year, with an average price exceeding €3 million.

The most expensive town is Benahavis where prices are just over €26 million, while the average price per square metre stands at €7,185.

Both Marbella and Estepona are not far behind and are breaking records of their own.

In particular, he revealed that a friend of his had sold a luxury penthouse property in the Puente Romano area for a record of €50,000 per metre square last year.

He declined to give the final fee, but described this as ‘Knightsbridge prices’.

“We are experiencing a golden age in the luxury real estate market. International buyers increasingly recognise Marbella not only as

a secure investment but also as an unparalleled place to live,” con tinued Leif, who divides his time between Marbella and Chelsea, in London.

“Things are really starting to grow here and it is helping that a bit more culture is coming in, a few new art galleries and places like the new jazz club, Claude’s Bar, at Puente Romano hotel.”

Spain and Europe

liver affordable, high-quality housing to more people.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) - which has been celebrating outstanding work for over 180 years - was particularly impressed with its social premise.

RIBA President Muyiwa Oki hailed the de sign as

long-term housing solutions. And it seems the locals agree — many residents initially sceptical about the layout have since come to love how the design suits their everyday needs.

Meanwhile, the RIBA Emerging Architect Award 2024 went to ARCity, a firm from Shenzhen, China, for their bold Six Bricolage Houses project, which blends modern design with old-world charm.

He expects 2025 to be as good a year overall as 2024 and it helps with the number of digital nomads looking to live here.

Meanwhile, the Agency is looking for a new bigger office on the Golden Mile to absorb the new employees. It will also employ a new marketing manager.

One of the world’s biggest real estate firms by volume, the Agency became famous from the Buying Beverly Hills Netflix documentary The Californian real estate titans are celebrated for selling iconic properties such as Hugh Heffner’s Playboy Mansion and Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.

The agency was founded in 2011 by Mauricio Umansky, who is well-known from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Visit www.belleside.com for more information.

Dancing on

A NEW €6.9m music and dance academy has been approved for San Pedro Alcantara. The project was first proposed by Marbella Town Hall five years ago but is only just out for tender.

It is thought construction of the 6,423 square metre facility will take at least 20 months and will clude a public square on the roof. It will include a performance hall, a music wing, dance wing and parking spaces for 63 cars and 15 bikes. Work could begin this summer.

EMERGING AWARD: went to ARCity for blending the old with the new in Shenzhen, China

GAME CHANGER: Scheme is a ‘new blueprintforadaptablelongtermhousingsolutions’ around

Spain’s most trusted

AT Universal Eco Homes, we are proud to say we are not only rated five stars by over 1000 reviews on TrustATrader, we also have over 30 years combined experience.

As a family run and owned business, all our teams are our own and we have our own in-house Health & Safety Officer!

You are really putting your exterior walls, roof and patios in safe hands.

We are also approved by proPerla, for which we are Platinum Applicators in the UK. Our high quality products both protect and transform your property.

Our exterior wall and roof coatings come in a variety of colours allowing you the opportunity to really put your mark on your home.

Not only will you be making your neighbours envious, you will also be protecting your

Put your home in good hands: Let Universal Eco Homes take care of your exteriors

home from damp with the wall coatings, which, might we add, are also self-cleaning, making life a lot easier with those Calima sands, but also comes with up to a 20 year manufacturer warranty. The roof coatings have a 10 year warranty, also available in a selection of colours too!

We are super excited to have landed here in Spain, and are proud to bring our experience to this climate.

We offer free, no obligation quotations, with transparent details.

You know exactly what you are getting with us, no hidden surprises. Why not contact us today?

February 26thMarch 11th 2025

WHITE Magic

IMPACT: The home is designed with the environment at heart

Fran Silvestre’s latest Sotogrande design is the work of

a magician

HE has done it again. Renowned Valencian ‘starchitect’ Fran Silvestre has unveiled his latest jaw-dropping home, and it is no disappointment.

His firm of architects has become a household name in the past two decades with its iconic houses, which are predominantly white with edgy, clean cut lines - and very expensive.

On his seeming obsession with white, Silvestre explains: “We use white for three reasons.

“There is a strong contrast between blue and white. It is a symbol of culture. The second reason is scientific. When you have a white interior it makes it look more spacious.

“There is also the thermic question. You cannot have a big black box under the Spanish sun. “And lastly, it is the subjec -

tive reasons about the perception of beauty.”

His latest creation overlooking Sotogrande golf course exemplifies Silvestre’s vision of harmony between architecture and its surrounding environment.

dary between indoors and outdoors blurred by a cantilevered roof that brings both elements together.

This generous roof not only provides shelter from the scorching Cadiz sun but also protects against the heavy rains that often fall from the nearby Sierra de Grazalema, known as the

The design centres around what he calls ‘the interplay of shadow and light’ with the bounrainiest place on the Spanish mainland.

Silvestre explains that the house is divided into four zones: the ground plane, the shadow cast by the roof, the transparent glass that facilitates efficient temperature control, and the soft, warm wood interior.

The design also incorporates a layer of water actually on the roof (it could be called a roof-wide paddling pool!), which serves as both thermal and acoustic insulation.

The goal for Silvestre was to create minimal impact on the environment while offering an immersive experience of ‘inhabiting shadow’ in the serene surroundings of Sotogrande. This latest home is a fitting continuation of the stunning designs that Fran Silvestre Arquitectos have become renowned for - and is indeed his latest signature design. No costings have been revealed, but you could think of a number, add a few zeros, and you probably won’t be too far wrong!

WATER-USE: There are pools on the roof to aid with cooling in the heat of summer

INHABITING SHADOW: This is the aim of Fran Silvestre in Sotogrande landscape

29thDecember 12th 2023

INEFFECTIVE

A LEADING Costa del Sol property

group has warned that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's proposed new tax measures targeting non-EU property buyers could damage one of Spain's key economic sectors.

The Leading Property Agents of Spain (LPA) has criticised plans to increase taxes for non-EU buyers, impose new levies on holiday homes, and scrap the 'golden visa' scheme for foreign investors.

In a strongly-worded statement, the association, based in Marbella, pointed to other countries, where similar measures have failed to achieve positive results.

“The proposed measures are not grounded in solid evidence and have failed to deliver results in countries like Canada and New Zealand, where similar strategies were tried,” said a spokesman.

“Instead, they penalise investment and fail to address the structural issues of

The Property Insider

by Adam Neale

WHEN Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a raft of new property proposals last month, not just the country but half the world followed it up.

Proposed to improve a range of housing problems, all they did was lead to panic and controversy, not helped by the headline figure of the introduction of a ‘100%’ tax for non-European buyers. First things first, take a deep breath. None of the 12 measures are currently law and, given the gridlock in the current parliament, most of them won’t make it through in their original form.

Also, many of the measures are not controversial. They are largely cosmetic measures showing the government apparently doing something not politically costly.

For instance, Socimis – corporate real estate investment societies – would lose their tax benefit unless they are investing in affordable housing. This is likely to have little effect on the rental market since there’s not much profit to be had in affordable housing. If they haven’t invested in affordable housing up to now, that’s unlikely to change. But it gives the appearance of taking on speculators.

There will be complaints from the Socimi backers, which will burnish the government’s political credentials with their base. However, the reform just means that they will pay tax at the same rate as other corporate entities. Of course, this is the overall model

CostadelSolagentsslam'ineffectiveand populist'planstotaxnon-EUproperty buyersandoffers‘real’solutionsforSpain’s housingcrisis

By Walter Finch

the housing market.”

They also warned the ‘populist’ proposals could face legal challenges in European courts for discriminating based on nationality.

The LPA argued that foreign investment is ‘fundamental to economic growth and sector stability’ and proposed alternative solutions to Spain's housing challenges.

These include promoting affordable rentals through tax incentives and public guarantees for landlords who charge

reasonable prices. Meanwhile, the existing housing stock could be renovated through government programs, while other land could be freed up for development with a focus on affordable housing for younger generations.

“The government should prioritise responsible policies that benefit citizens and investors alike, rather than fuelling discontent with divisive rhetoric,” the LPA urged.

The controversy comes as the Costa del Sol continues to attract significant foreign investment, with the region remaining a preferred destination for

international buyers – despite political uncertainties.

Sanchez has justified the proposed nonEU ban, which is still in the discussions stage, on the grounds that it would curb speculation driving up prices to unaffordable levels.

Sanchez said: "We are going to propose to ban non-EU foreigners from buying houses in our country, in cases where neither they nor their families reside here and they are just speculating with those homes."

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE IRRESPONSIBLE

The government’s dozen planned housing reforms are a mixed bag of populism and good ideas, writes Olive Press Property Insider Adam Neale

being followed by all political parties in Spain – make noise, do little. They want maximum electoral benefits for minimal effort or risk. Nobody wants to go up against any sector that wields any power.

As a result, there’s a lot of dancing around the edges and big announcements for small beans. Here is my take:

THE BAD

The most controversial and rage-inducing plan was raising the tax on house purchases by non-EU foreigners to 100% of the price of the house.

Given that the official release from the government points to Canada and Denmark as models, this would seem the more realistic interpretation. Canada, for instance, has a speculation tax on foreign purchases of 25%.

Sending up balloons to measure reactions to an increase in tax

Doubling the price of a house to discourage speculative purchases of property is, of course, insane and would never make it through Parliament.

However, the wording in Spanish is a bit ambiguous – and maybe that’s intentional – but it can be read as suggesting a 100% increase in the tax, which would raise it from 6.5% to 13%.

Denmark imposes a 20% tax on luxury properties, though they don’t distinguish in terms of the nationality of the buyer.

Now, that’s not to say that this isn’t the wrong direction. But the problem of high housing costs in Spain remains a problem due to a lack of construction, not of foreign speculators buying up all the property.

Most importantly, it’s almost certainly not going to happen. There’s the gridlock in Parliament mentioned before.

The EU itself also has rules on the kinds of taxes that are permissible. A discriminatory tax based on nationality would be in violation of article 63 of the TFEU.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, land transfer taxes are determined at the regional and not the national level. Most regional governments have been busy pledging to reduce this tax.

That’s not to say that the government doesn’t have levers to pressure regional governments into doing their bidding.

But the idea of going into battle with regional governments over a tax that wouldn’t pass through Parliament, is a non-starter.

This is about sending up trial balloons to measure reactions to the idea of an increase in this tax. Irresponsible given the potential im-

However, with foreign purchases being dominated by nationals from EU member states – namely Germany and the Netherlands – it’s debatable how much impact the measure would have. German buyers dominate many areas, particularly in the Balearics where they account for over 50% of foreign interest in some locations.

Meanwhile, Dutch buyers show strong interest in Alicante province, particularly in Moraira where they make up 27% of searches.

pact? Yes.

An announcement of an actual policy that is coming in the near future? No.

THE GOOD

To be balanced, it is worth noting that there are positive measures in the 12 housing reform proposals that should be considered. For instance, Sanchez proposed a plan to modernize, make more efficient, rapid, and sustainable the construction industry.

This program is called PERTE and would be in Valencia as a contribution to increasing the pace of reconstruction in the city after this winter’s tragic storm.

As always, the devil is in the details as to whether this is a white elephant or a real program that will make a difference.

To facilitate long term rentals, the government proposes giving landlords a 100% tax rebate if they provide it at affordable rates.

This too could provide an impulse to the rental market and is much preferable to the model that penalizes landlords and makes them not want to rent at all.

Even the tax increases on Airbnb’s doesn’t seem unreasonable.

Platforms like Airbnb will face higher taxes, reclassifying tourist apartments as businesses to match hotel taxation levels, it was reported.

There needs to be a recognition of the different service offerings and market niches filled by hotels and Airbnb rentals. But who can deny that both are businesses and should be treated as such. Anything else is an unfair subsidy to one over the other. Likewise, the government is proposing

to reestablish a Ministry of Housing, which was eliminated during the post2008 housing crisis. Given Spain’s percentage of social housing is the lowest on the continent and that there is a housing crisis, having a Ministry of Housing is not a bad idea.

And let’s make sure it does something with the housing sitting empty that it inherited from bad banks. However, it must also be said that these proposals will most certainly not resolve the deficit in housing.

According to a Caixa bank study (far left) at the end of 2024, the gap between new households and home building permits remained at about 30,000.

That is better than it was during the post-Covid explosion of household growth, when the gap was 90,000/ year. But it’s still not good. It remains to be seen if toying around the edges and ‘sending signals’ about cracking down on a number of areas that in themselves make little difference, will be sufficient. It seems unlikely and the question remains whether any political party in Spain has the courage to deal with the problem.

We need to move beyond scapegoating wealth generators or low income tenants as being the source of the problem.

To conclude, we need an evidence-based attitude to dealing with the problem and to avoid panic responses to government proposals.

RESPONSIBLE POLICIES: are needed to stop damage to markets like Marbella

DECLUTTERING FOR BALANCE AND RENEWAL

Time for a Spring clean?

WHEN clutter takes over it starts innocently: a drawer that won’t close, a chair overtaken by things meant to be dealt with ‘later’ or a collection that quickly grows. Clutter becomes a mental weight, adding stress and making a space feel heavier.

Clutter doesn’t just sit in a cornerit seeps into the mind, creating unfinished business or chaos, turning a restorative space into something overwhelming. Even small things impact focus, mood and well-being.

Ever walked into a room that made you feel instantly drained? That’s clutter at work.

Creating a Balanced Home

A balanced home isn’t about perfection or minimalism; it’s about designing a space that supports daily life.

The difference between a space that flows and one that doesn’t lies in what we choose to keep or let go of.

Clearing out the excess (old clothes, forgotten gadgets, or things that no longer serve us) brings a space to life.

Decluttering creates room for what truly matters: peaceful moments, inviting corners, and a home where you can recharge. Your space should nurture, not drain.

The Real Benefits of Decluttering

The Queen of eliminating clutter, Brandi Freeze, explains how her company Airy Spaces can work miracles for you this spring

With only what truly matters in sight, everyday choices (what to wear, what to cook, what to focus on) become simpler and more intentional.

● More time for what matters – No more wasting hours searching for lost items or shuffling piles of ‘stuff’.

A streamlined space frees up time for hobbies, loved ones and moments of bliss.

SIMPLE STEPS: Brandi explains that decluttering creates room for what truly matters

ing a great head start this Spring.

Clearing the Kitchen Counter

Letting go isn’t losing, it’s gaining freedom. The less clutter in your space, the more room there is for the life you actually want to live and build.

“

● Instant stress relief – Clutter is visual noise, keeping the brain in a state of tension. Clearing it out creates an immediate sense of calm and ease

● Sharper focus and mental clarity – A clutter-free space reduces distractions, helps the mind to think more clearly and boosts productivity

● Deeper, more restful sleep – A tidy, peaceful environment signals the brain to unwind, making it easier to fall and stay asleep

● More energy and motivation – Clutter drains mental and physical energy. Letting go creates space for fresh ideas, new habits and a lighter, more inspired way of living

“ Spring invites a fresh start, not just for our homes, but our mindset

Spring Cleaning: Revitalize Your Space: It is a lot More Than Just Tidying Up

Spring invites a fresh start, not just for our homes, but our mindset. Stripping away the old creates space for new possibilities and a vibrant environment. Start with a seasonal wardrobe reset. We hold onto clothes for many reasons - past jobs, occasions, or sizes we hope to fit again.

● Easier decision-making – Less stuff means less overwhelm.

Asking, ‘Does this reflect who I am now?’ helps simplify decisions. Letting go makes getting dressed easier and more enjoyable. Here are a few of my tips for mak-

The kitchen is often the bus iest space. Clutter here adds stress before a meal begins. Clear countertops make meal prep a simple, creative process.

The One-Year Rule for Gen eral Spaces

A helpful guideline: if an item hasn’t been used in the last year, it’s likely not essential. This applies to books, electronics, and sentimental items. Letting go frees up space and mental energy.

Mindful Tech Declutter

Technology is a hidden clutter source. Unused apps, outdated gadgets, and overloaded inboxes

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

INSPIRATION:

Clearing Out Common Areas

Living rooms, entryways, and hallways often accumulate clutter, but they set the tone for how we feel at home. Keeping them clear creates a welcoming atmosphere that promotes relax-

es distractions and streamlines tasks.

Simple acts such as tidying shoes, sorting mail, or clearing away old magazines will have an immediate impact.

Keeping It Simple: Small Habits for Lasting Change

Once decluttered, maintaining balance doesn’t have to be a chore.

A quick tidy-up before bed prevents buildup. Designating key areas (like counters and bedside tables) as ‘no-clutter zones’ creates calm and a welcoming start to the day. Being mindful of what enters the space is just as important. Before adding something new, ask, ‘Does this bring value, or will it just take up space?’

Over time, this keeps things intentional and meaningful. When a home is in harmony, life flows more smoothly. Small shifts create more ease, calm, and a home that supports the life we want to live.

ABOUT AIRY SPACES

Brandi Freeze is the founder of Airy Spaces, which is based in Sevilla.

She is passionate about helping people and creating functional homes and nurturing spaces. Specializing in decluttering and home organization, Airy Spaces offers customized solutions that bring balance and harmony to homes while working towards a simpler, more intentional way of living. For decluttering tips, challenges, and inspiration, please visit www.airyspaces.com or follow @airyspaces on social media. Happy Decluttering!

CLEAR VISION: Decluttering helps to keep the mind focussed and clear spaces aid thinking and planning

The incredible ‘Setas’ buildings near Brandi’s home in Sevilla

Let the train take the strain

LOOKING to buy a home in southern Spain with a great business opportunity in the deal?

A new high-tech freight line between Algeciras and Zaragoza, then heading into Europe is creating a series of decent investments en route.

A total of 21 tunnels are being upgraded to take the new longer electric freight trains, while train stations at Campillos, Gaucin, Bobadilla and Almargen are being specially adapted.

The AF Autopista Ferrovia proj ect has been handed €78 million to prepare the line over the next two years.

This includes further investment into the so-called ‘dry port’, or Puerto Seco, near Antequera.

The high-cost freight corridor between Algeciras and Zaragoza is creating some exciting opportunities for property investors around Ronda and Antequera

Work has already begun in the area between the inland Malaga town and nearby Campillos, with new roundabouts installed and the grid of roads planned.

The inland port will eventually have hundreds of warehouses and businesses and will be where much of the freight from abroad is broken down.

“It will become a top-level logistics hub for storage

and distribution,” explained the Junta de Andalucia’s Development

Minister Rocio Diaz, as she signed agreements with dry port owner Patrice Lafargue this month.

“This new line will really help to boost the Andalucian economy,” she added, having also signed logistics deals with Algeciras and Mal aga ports.

Looking for a great investment, this huge six-bedroom farmhouse (below left) near the dry port is on sale for just €430,000.

As well as having over 1000 metres of actual built property that can be developed, it has a number of hectares of land inside the official dry port area that could be developed.

“In total it has over nine hectares of land and an enormous farmhouse to live in,” explained Thorwald Boden-

siek, the exclusive agent for the property at Serrania Services.

“It’s a brilliant investment opportunity as there are already two warehouses built of over 100 metres squared each that can be used right away

for a business… but you can also build a lot more.

LOCATION: This former equestrian centre is on good flat land by Ronda

“Even better half the land is inside the Puerto Seco area and any businesses set up there will be tax free without business rates for the first few years.

“And the cortijo is huge with six bedrooms and already has its own swimming pool…plus there is a lot of good agricultural land around it where you can grow whatever you want.”

An added bonus is its close proximity to the AVE fast track train station at Santa Ana, which takes you to Madrid in just two and a half hours.

The Ronda-based agent, who has lived in the area for two decades, also has another great development opportunity in Ronda.

The former equestrian centre (above) has a series of warehouses on the edge of the charming inland city, for sale for just €750,000

“It has great flat land and lots of built buildings and a few warehouses, so you could plan any project you like,” explained Bodensiek. “It would also, of course, be perfect for horses.” He continued: “On top of that it’s just five minutes from the main train station and has amazing views.”

For more information contact Thorwald on 608765990 or visit www.serrania-services.com

INVESTMENT: Six-bed farm with warehouses is in tax free ‘dry port area’

DUPLEX PENTHOUSE, LA TRINIDAD Ref: OP15297

GARDEN APARTMENT, MARINA PUENTE ROMANO Ref: OP14482

144 m² | Terraces: 41 m² | Beds: 3 | Price: € 3,500,000

VILLA WITH STUNNING VIEWS, NUEVA ANDALUCÍA Ref: OP15069

669 m² | Plot: 1,590 m² | Beds: 7 |

UNIQUE FAMILY VILLA, EL HIGUERAL Ref: OP15331

396 m² | Plot: 1,050 m² | Beds: 5 | Price: € 2,195,000

GROUND FLOOR APARTMENT, MONTE PARAÍSO Ref: OP14674

€ 3,995,000 BEACHSIDE TOWNHOUSE, MARBELLAMAR Ref: OP11731

Offering you help, support and advice during your search, through the buying process and personal after sales services.

We have a wide range of properties to interest our clients, from small village houses to large country fincas or cortijos.

Tel/WhatsApp: (+34) 669 249 539 email: info@andalucianpropertysales.com www.andalucianpropertysales.com

Flush with

ENTERING through a massive wooden gate, I am greeted by a gleaming purple Rolls Royce Dawn and a navy Bentley - both as flashy as you’d expect. The striking vehicles sit in the driveway of the multi-million Costa del Sol villa owned by celebrity British plumber Charlie Mullins.

Often dubbed the ‘world’s richest plumber’ after selling his Pimlico Plumbing business for around €150 million in 2021, it is exciting to be getting a tour of his stunning new four sto-

Luxury

The Olive Press gets a tour inside the home of the world’s most famous plumber Charlie Mullins

By Tom Ewart Smith

retro signs inviting guests to unwind. He’s drinking champagne, naturally. It sits off his airy open-plan kitchen and living room which carry contrasting light and dark tones. Cream-coloured chairs and sofas rest on a teal ceramic floor, facing a jet-black wall with a sui -

tably massive TV.

In the corner, a glass kitchen island is flanked by multiple drink fridges, making it ideal for entertaining.

Down a corridor to the left, two luxurious guest rooms sit either side of a stairwell. The beds are expansive - easily large enough for three or four people - each room equipped with a large telly.

Curiously, Mullins has even placed baseball bats by the bedside tables, offering an unexpected touch of personal security.

En-suite bathrooms boast illumina-

mirrors,

TENS of thousands of mostly British homeowners in Spain could be owed a cool €50,000 in compensation after crafty banks were exposed for putting a hidden clause in their mortgages.

If you had a mortgage from Sabadell, Unicaja or many other banks, you could be in for a big windfall.

It stems back to the early 2000s when a string of lenders secretly wrote in their clients’ contracts that interest rates could not drop below 3.5% – in what is now known as a ‘floor clause’. However, for a decade, between 2011 and 2021, the interest rates in Spain sat at a record low, between zero and 1%.

What this meant was tens of thousands of homeowners spent years paying hundreds of euros more

Thousands of homeowners in Spain could be owed giant sums, plus compensation over scandalous ‘floor clause’ mortgages – this is how you claim ‘no win, no fee’

per month than they should have done.

One legal firm in southern Spain has been at the forefront of winning back money for affected homeowners – and on a promised ‘no win, no fee’ basis.

Fairway Lawyers boss Diego Echavarria, based in Marbella, told the Olive Press that one of his latest clients, the Coopers, were recently awarded a total of €21,075, plus legal costs.

The British family had bought a home in Riviera del Sol, in Mijas, in 2006, but didn’t sell up until recently. They were totally unaware of the floor clause issue until they read about it in a copy of the Olive Press last year. Now, after six months of legal wrangling, Echavarria, originally from Madrid, has won them the fee, plus compensation.

“It’s always a bit of a game and involves plenty of legal letters being pinged backwards and forwards, but I know what I’m doing having done this for years now,” he explained.

It comes after the golf-loving lawyer, a member of Guadalmina, won another British couple, the Brighouses, €48,359, last summer. The couple had bought an off-plan apartment in Mirador de Costalita, in Estepona, in 2004. They took over the mortgage from the developer, which contained the hidden clause and they ended up paying an extra €250 per month than required. It was the fourth case Fairway Lawyers have won on homes in Mirador de Costalita alone.

“Right now I am handling cases all over the country,” explained the father-of-two.

Warning signs

There are two tell tale characteristics to look out for; Your mortgage was signed off between 2001 and 2010 and your payments were the same amount for a large number of years.

From Marbella to Mollina and Mijas to Manilva Covering the Costa del Sol and inland for 20 years

“What is key is they will not have lowered for years,” continued the lawyer, who also handles many other legal work, in particular conveyancing from his office in Marbella.

He added: “Even if you have sold the property and paid off the mortgage, you can still claim.

Simple process

WHAT BANKS WERE INVOLVED IN FLOOR CLAUSES?

Most Spanish banks, but especially Banco Popular (now merged with Santand- er), Caja Duero, Caja España (merged with Unicaja), La Caixa, Solbank, Sabadell and many other savings banks which have since been taken over by major banks.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR MAKING A CLAIM?

There are thousands of similar cases all around Spain in which expats or former expats had no idea they were victims.

“There is no deadline since the latest ruling from TJUE (Tribunal de Justicia de La Union Europea).

“There are around 100,000 missold mortgages that have yet to be resolved in Spain.”

You need to submit a claim before the bank to try to reach a settlement out of court. Then comes a three- month period in which you await their Unfortunatelyresponse. the Spanish banks do not want to reach any kind of agreement or set- tlement and they always force the clients to go to court to get a positive ruling. They do this because they hope clients will get fed-up with the process and drop the claim – which is why we oper- ate on a no win no fee basis.

If you want to claim for a mis-sold mortgage or feel you may have been affected, contact diego@fairwaylawyers.com or send a message via Whatsapp to +606 307 885

Diego at Fairway Lawyers diego@fairwaylawyers.com Tel: 952 77 11 50 WhatsApp: 606 307 885

ted

black-bottomed bathtubs, spacious showers, and stacks of plush

GUIDED: Olive Press stalwarts Walt and Tom were treated to a full tour of the amazing villa

purple towels.

And yes, I checked - no faults in the Pimlico founder’s tap quality. And one must assume there are u-bends.

As I was taken down to the bottom floor, I was introduced to an assortment of his prize collections and toys.

The ‘games’ room is fitted with a purple-car-

hand, David Bowie records, and, appropriately, Mullins’ own OBE medal.

Mullins’ grand master suite appropriately sits at the top and opens onto a terrace fit for royalty, offering sweeping views of the Med, with Gibraltar and Morocco visible on the horizon.

Another pair of baseball bats rest beside his bed - definitely a theme.

A black, glass ladder leads to the top floor’s outdoor lounge area, furnished with plush seating perfect for sipping sunset drinks with friends and family. I expected to find a helicopter, but perhaps he’d prefer to use those baseball bats if in need of a sharp exit.

LOUNGING: Charlie has a variety of options when he wants to relax and unwind both inside and out

ENTERTAINED: The basement boasts a signed guitar collection, piano, signed football shirts and a pool table

OTHER HALF: Charlie with his partner Malak

peted pool table, a darts board, various signed football shirts (including Lionel Messi’s), a colourful piano, an imprint of Muhammad Ali’s

The Official Distributor of Sunflex Glass Curtains

Enhance your property with a superior system

Feeling chipper

ONE of the UK’s leading architects has taken over the spearheading of the Costa del Sol’s first skyscraper. And Galicia-based David Chipperfield insists the Torre del Puerto de Malaga will be higher, but also more minimalist.

Originally led by local architect Jose Segui, who resigned at the end of 2024, the project has now taken a totally new direction.

In particular, Chipperfield told bigwigs at Malaga town hall that it will no longer be circular but horizontal.

British architect confirms controversial €120 million Malagaskyscrapercouldbe completedby2028

He also revealed the tower, planned for the Levante Dock, will now rise to 144 metres - up from the originally planned 116 metres. When the project received preliminary approval in 2023, it was set to include 378 rooms. The tower will incorporate lighter materials

inspired by Malaga’s bright light and open skies. Chipperfield has placed strong emphasis on environmental sustainability and aims to reclaim more public spaces for residents in the city. As part of the broader redevelopment plan, the architect proposed revitalizing the Levante area and enhancing the Paseo de la Farola in

the Malagueta district. These plans include the creation of six expansive public spaces featuring landscaped green areas and a convention center with a 2,000-person capacity. The development is being led by Marina San SL, under the oversight of the Qatari investment fund Al Alfia and in partnership with the Hesperia hotel group. The final design will be officially unveiled on March 6. With an investment ‘exceeding €120 million’, developers anticipate completion by 2028.

IT is one of the most complicated building projects of the year. The second phase of Ronda’s ambitious Camino del Desfiladero is already 20% complete.

The walkway that takes visitors down to the bottom of the famous Tajo will open up one of Andalucia’s most unusual geographical features. Work so far includes platforms ascending from the San Miguel en Padre Jesus chapel, connecting with the Puente Viejo section. Some three metres above the river, wooden walkways have been put in place using special machinery. The €1.1m stage will stretch over 500 metres, adding to the 200 metre section already open to the public. Since it opened last April, some 75,000 people have visited the first phase of the project.

NEW MAN: David Chipperfield (above) says the skyscrapper will now be taller

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

THE PERFECT PORTAL

HEN Louise and Martin

WDell moved to Spain in 2003, they came like many expats to get away from the rat race in their lives back home.

Both working in stressful jobs in the city of London, they wanted to recharge their batteries and chance their arms at a career change.

After setting up a diving school, they quickly launched a property business, after countless frustrations and errors in buying homes in Spain. Now, after just two decades of their arrival in Spain, their successful online portal Kyero has been bought by one of the giants of the property sector in Eu

In an exciting tie up, just announced, the British-run real estate portal has been ac quired by Idealista.

In an, as yet, undisclosed deal, the partnership will be finalized this spring,

The exciting journey that has just seen the expat owners of property web giant Kyero join forces with Idealista

with the two companies merging while working independently.

It means the 8000 global estate agent clients of Kyero will benefit from the incredible high-tech platform of Idealista.

Launched from the charming seaside resort of Almunecar, in Andalucia, where the couple long owned a home, it grew from 5 to 33 staff based across six countries.

Headquartered now in Bath, in the UK, the team of professionals oversee a portal that offers over 850,000 properties around Europe, mainly in Spain, Portugal and France. The Dells adventure began when they drove south from London to Spain in 2003 in

a VW Combi van. They fell in love with the country almost immediately and settled in the charming Costa Brava town of Begur. But after buying a rural plot and attempting to launch a diving business,

they hit a few snags. And it was also ‘quite a shock’ to find snow settling on the resort in winter, so they jumped back in their van and headed south, eventually arriving on the Costa Tropical of Granada.

It was there that Martin was able to pursue his love of diving in nearby La Herradura, and the couple had soon set up a watersports business. But the myriad of issues buying a property led to them setting up a property business to help people find the right home for them in Spain.

This included lots of advice about how to avoid the pitfalls in Spain over legal issues and other common problems, and soon grew into one of the country’s most successful online portals.

Kyero is today the leading online platform for UK buyers looking for European overseas property.

“This partnership validates our team’s hard work and opens exciting new opportunities to further enhance the experience for our agents and property buyers,” said Louise.

“Idealista’s success as Southern Europe’s leading real estate marketplace is one we’ve admired for years, and we look forward to collaborating closely.”

Jesus Encinar, idealista’s founder and Chairman, added: “I am delighted to welcome Kyero, Louise, Martin, and their talented team to idealista.”

He continued: “Together, we can drive innovation and deliver even greater value to clients across all our active markets.”

VILLA, MONTE BIARRITZ, ESTEPONA

Elegant villa, recently gone through a total renovation.

5 Beds | 4 Baths | 365m2 Built | 1250m2 plot | 72m2 terrace

REF: 176-02809P | 2.795.000€

As you enter you are greeted by an abundance of light and space where the chosen materials blend perfectly. The generously sized ground floor of the villa has an open plan distribution with both formal and informal dining area, an office and a bedroom suite. The large terrace doors take you to the covered terrace, to the bbq area and out to the garden and heated pool. On the second floor you have the beautiful master suite, a relax area and 2 bedrooms sharing a bathroom.The basement area has been fitted with a home cinema, big laundry area, a family bathroom and the 5th bedroom, there is also direct access to the garage from here. Situated in a well established residential area between Puerto Banus and Estepona only a short drive to Marbella & the Golden Mile with amenities nearby and the beach is only a short distance away. A true gem of a property with a total of 455m2 constructed area.

LOS JARALES, ALOHA, NUEVA ANDALUCIA

Large townhouse in Los Jarales, frontline to Aloha Golf.

3 Beds | 3 Baths | 180m2 Built | 43m2 terrace

REF: 176-02824P | 1.350.000€

As you enter you are greeted with a very generous space consisiting of the large living & dining room with direct access to the covered and uncovered terrace with fantastic golf views and out over the valley. On this floor you also have the kitchen and laundry room fitted with high quality appliances. On the 2nd floor you have 3 large bedroom ensuite with the master suite having a private terrace outside. The property underwent a big renovation a few years back using only top qualities throughout.

AZAHAR DE MARBELLA, NUEVA ANDALUCIA

Sleek and modern apartment located in a popular urbanisation.

2 Beds | 2 Baths | 119m2 Built | 32m2 terrace | 653m2 build

REF: 176-02848P | 825.000€

Situated on the first floor ensures magnificent views over the valley and towards the sea. The spacious apartment is open plan with the kitchen, dining and living room all connecting to the large partly covered terrace in a south orientation. The master bedroom suite also has access to this terrace. The complex was finished in 2008 and features airzone ac system, underfloor heating in bathrooms and shutters on all windows and doors. Easy parking in the garage where you also have a storage room.

Don’t bite back

AMERICAN companies in Spain have reminded a Trump administration planning to slap tariffs on the EU that the US has a trade surplus with Spain.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Spain sent a letter to the US stressing Spain imports more from the US than it exports.

It comes after Trump claimed he was considering setting reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose import duties on US products.

“We call for dialogue and the search for consensual solutions that avoid trade retaliation and reduce uncertainty for companies and workers on both sides of the Atlantic,” the chamber ruled.

Hotel hotspot

Spain’s accomodation sector received the most investment in

Europe in 2024, beating the UK

SPAIN has cemented its position as Europe’s hottest hotel investment market after €3.3 billion poured into the sector during 2024.

Although down slightly from 2023’s €4 billion, it was still enough to beat competition from the UK into second place. Madrid and Barcelona remained key players, securing €589 million and €572 million respectively, but it’s the country’s secondary cities that are

Embassy threat

THE US Embassy in Spain is insisting that all Spanish suppliers that operate in America with ‘diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies’ will be dropped within days. It follows from the executive order signed by President Donald Trump to stop such policies. In Spain, the law imposes equality and LGBTI plans on companies that have a workforce of more than 50 people. Affected suppliers who have operations in the US have been given five days to comply with the new rules or the embassy will ‘suspend payments’.

By Walter Finch

increasingly catching investors’ eyes, according to consultancy firm Christie & Co.

The Balearic Islands emerged as a particular powerhouse, attracting €679 million in investment, outperforming the Canary Islands’ €598 million. This surge in island investment highlights the growing appetite for premium holiday

LA CULTURA

regulations.

destinations among international tourists and investors alike, with foreign investors accounting for 40% of all deals.

“We’re seeing a significant shift in focus,” explained Alberto Martin of Christie & Co.

“While Madrid and Barcelona continue to attract investment, secondary cities are becoming the new hotspots for investors looking for promising repositioning opportunities.”

The luxury sector dominated the market, with four and five-star properties accounting for 70% of all room transactions, reflecting a post-pandemic shift towards upmarket accommodations.

Several headline-grabbing deals marked 2024, including the €200 million acquisition of Madrid’s Miguel Angel Hotel

BONANZA: Spain’s hotel sector recieved €3.3bn in investment last year

(pictured) by Stoneweg and Lopesan, while the prestigious Six Senses Ibiza changed hands in another major transaction. Looking ahead to 2025, experts predict investment levels will remain robust, staying above the €3 billion mark.

Opportunities

Secondary cities and island destinations are expected to lead the charge, offering fresh opportunities for growth in Spain’s flourishing hospitality sector.

For potential investors and property watchers, the trend towards individual asset purchases, which made up 75% of all transactions, suggests a market increasingly accessible to family firms and private investors, rather than just large corporate players.

Eastern promise

SURGING investment from China is fueling the rapid growth in specialised law firms that employ Chinese-speaking lawyers in Spain.

The Chinese Law Association in Spain claims there has been a significant increase in legal firms catering to Chinese clients, particularly those advising on investments in strategic sectors.

The association estimates approximately 50 specialised firms now operate in this niche market.

This trend corresponds with China’s position as Spain’s fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching €51.8 billion.

Chinese investors are particularly active in renewable energy and electric vehicle manufacturing, attracted by Spain’s climate, infrastructure, and favorable geopolitical position. Major Chinese investments include a €4.1 billion joint venture between automaker Stellantis and Chinese battery manufacturer CATL to build one of Spain’s largest electric vehicle battery plants in Zaragoza.

Last summer, Chinese legal giant Grandall Law opened an office in Madrid, having previously operated through local partners.

Experts have noted that Chinese investors also value Spain as a gateway to North African and Latin American markets.

ROSALIA will appear in the third season of hit US TV show, Euphoria, it has been announced.

The Spanish singer will star alongside series regulars like Zendaya and other special guests including superbowl champion Marshawn Lynch. Filming will begin this week, some three years after the release of the second season by HBO.

Emmy

It follows the lives of high school students and their problems with drugs, sex and violence, gaining international acclaim and amassing 25 Emmy nominations.

Despite this, rumours the series had been cancelled swirled after multiple setbacks provoked by the Hollywood writer’s strike and unavailability of the actors involved.

A CAPE belonging to a legendary Spanish torero who died in one of bullfighting’s most tragic deaths has been sold for €5,000 by its owner, who needed to fund medical treatment.

The artefact carries particular significance as it belonged to a man whose death in 1984 shocked Spain and changed

A SPANISH short film about ‘empty Spain’ lost out at the BAFTAs last week.

The eight-minute stop motion picture Adios narrates a father’s struggle as his son moves abroad from rural Spain.

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HANDSOME CHEQUE

By Michael Coy

the trajectory of a bullfighting dynasty.

Francisco ‘Paquirri’ Rivera, once considered the most handsome man in Andalucia, met his fate in the small town of Pozoblanco – with inadequate medical facilities

The film, by Jose Prats, who has worked with animation giants like Aardman and Warner Brothers, was recognised for its ‘emotional depth and detailed visuals’.

Despite this, it lost to Wander to Wonder by Nina Gantz, which follows what happens when two children’s TV stars are left behind after their creator dies.

– during what should have been a routine late-season appearance.

The circumstances surrounding his death raised questions that persist to this day. Since penicillin was intro duced in the 1940s, hardly any toreros have lost their lives to bulls.

But Paquirri was as signed to face a bull named Avispero through an unex plained change in the traditional drawing of lots, which managed to gore him.

The bullfighter was losing so much blood that it was decided to transfer him to a hospital in Cordoba city,

but the ambulance changed direction and rushed him to a nearer military hospital - to no avail.

The tragedy left behind two young sons who would follow in their father's footsteps.

The younger son, Cayetano Rivera Ordoñez, himself a renowned torero, had no clue about the sale of his father’s cape until journalists approached him and told him.

He was so surprised that the woman, who had originally been given it as a gift by Paquirri, had chosen to sell it that he refused to make any comment.

MADRID’s El Prado museum will bring together eight El Greco paintings in a never before seen exhibition. The artworks were commissioned for the Monasterio de Santo Domingo el Antiguo, Toledo and will be on display until June 15.

Brought to Madrid from all over the world, the ‘extraordinary’ paint ings will be shown in the central gal lery of the Villan ueva building. The paintings come from as far and wide as Chicago with the support of the Fundacion Amigos del Museo del Prado

The affected companies must now try to work out how the new demand can be balanced up with EU

as

IT’S A WRAP!

FOR the Spanish, London could be just as exotic as Madrid or Barcelona might be for the British. This was an epiphany that Londoner Keren McConnell had as a child when gazing at a Spanish fruit wrapper that featured a design of the Tower of London.

The graphic designer, 59, has a business called McConnell Design that takes inspiration from these throw-away fruit wrapper designs, and she believes peo ple could take a page out of her book when look ing for creative in spiration, rather than relying on algorithms. It was during a trip to Spain in the 1970s that a six-yearold Keren began a fascination with the brightly-co loured papers used to wrap fruits like oranges and lemons. Not just for how they looked but because she also ‘liked the feel of the tissue’.

How Spanish fruit wrapper collection offered one artist authentic inspiration in a world dominated by online influence

By Tom Ewart Smith

during holidays to Spain and Italy.

As a result, Keren developed a scrapbook back in London in which she would stick these wrappers alongside other ephemera that she found locally. Keren’s artistic eye was clearly well trained from an early age as she mentions a ‘little denim jacket’ that she once had, on which she would sew small stop

She found a similar design on one of those fruit wrappers, showing her how ideas could spread and cross-pollinate.

As a result, the ‘Stop’ design is one of her favourite papers, along with the ‘Tower of London’ and ‘Volante’ features.

While these designs may be Keren’s favourite wrappers, perhaps the most significant one pic -

DRIVE SMART

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tures two birds with the word ‘sinfonia’ etched multiple times around the centrepiece. Keren says that the little birds have been deliberately used as inspiration for a ‘floral design’. The textiler also claims that the shape of the lemon images and road signs on various wrappers have influenced her work. This kind of authentic inspiration leads to questions about where young people today find their motivation when entering creative industries.

Unique

Keren be lieves aspir ing designers ‘probably get their inspiration online’, from Pin terest or Instagram, for example.

She claims that, due to the platforms’ algorithms, those looking for designs online will encounter similar results ‘time and time again’, limiting originality. Whereas, “if you have an authentic collection like this… you are getting imagery that you cannot get elsewhere”. Keren encourag - es young

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Londoner continued to collect these peculiarly artistic pieces of paper designers ‘to get off-line’ and engage with physical objects such as old books they can find or to be on the lookout for inspiration when travelling.

Beyond their creative value, collections like hers offer a chance to

Keren loved finding new designs through unusual inspirations

INSPIRATION: The Sinfonia wrapper, which she discovered discarded

a child, influenced Keren’s floral designs

DISCOVERY:

the pressures of everyday life.

Hobbies such as scrap -

LOOK AROUND: Ke ren urges young designers to seek inspiration in their everyday lives

booking and collecting may seem trivial to some, but these activities provide a sense of tranquility and a meaningful way to pass the time.

For Keren, the nostalgic value of her fruit wrappers is equally important.

27 HARMONIOUS RECOVERY

of her childhood travels and the fond memories she made along the way.

Her collection is not just a source of creative inspiration but a tangible link to a simpler, more vibrant time in her life.

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JOB OPPORTUNITY

Chocs away!

A LEADING Spanish scientist has revealed chocolate can help you live to a century.

Endocrinologist Florence Comite, who says dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that fights cell aging.

She eats the chocolate everyday, backed by numerous studies showing a link between cacao and lowered risk of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

Dark chocolate can help improve blood pressure, blood circulation and the elasticity of blood vessels.

It can also reduce LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol and increase HDL, or ‘good’ cholesterol. However, to achieve this desirable outcome, the chocolate consumed must have a high cacao percentage, ranging from 70-90%.

BABY MAKERS

THE rate at which people are procreating in Spain has gone up for the first time in a decade.

A total of 322,034 babies were born across the country in 2024, which was a modest 0.4% bump (1,378 more) on births compared to 2023.

The rise, small as it is, marks a turning point after ten consecutive years of declining birth rates – although the preliminary figures could be revised and eliminate the good news.

Experts reason that the birth rate bump has been driven by rising net migration to Spain.

"If fertility decreases but birth rates increase, it means the fertile population is growing,” explained Albert Esteve, director of the Center for Demographic Studies at the Autono-

Check your chickpeas

THE SPANISH consumer watchdog (OCU) has issued a warning about eating chickpeas and other legumes without cooking them.

Spain’s birth rate increased for the first time in a decade in 2024 thanks to net migration

By Walter Finch

mous University of Barcelona. “And the only way to increase the fertile population is through immigration."

Spain offset its low fertility rate of just 1.4 babies per woman in 2023 by welcoming net migration of 642,296 people – among the highest immigration rates in Europe. Regional variations were significant. Cantabria (13.3%) and the Balearic Islands (5.7%) recorded the highest increases in births, while Galicia (-4.4%) and the Basque

Uncooked chickpeas can interfere with the absorption of essential nutrients such as minerals and proteins. While not dangerous, OCU recommends cooking, boiling, sprouting or soaking chickpeas to remove the undesired-nutrients they contain, such as phytic acid. This also makes chickpeas more tender and easier to digest. However, it is worth noting that anti-nutrients have some benefits including protecting against insulin resistance and serving as an antioxidant.

Country (-3.7%) saw the sharpest declines.

Only five regions achieved positive population growth: Madrid, Murcia, the Balearics, Melilla, and Ceuta. The data also exposed Spain's continuing trend toward lat er motherhood.

Births to mothers aged 40 or older have increased by 8.5% over the past de cade, now represent ing 10.4% of all births compared to just 7.2% in 2014.

A recent CIS (Center for Sociological Research)

study identified economic constraints, work-life balance challenges, and housing costs as the primary barriers to family formation in Spain.

Over 77% of respondents cited ‘lack of economic means’ as the main reason for having fewer children. Even with this slight recovery, birth rates remain 24.7% lower than a decade ago, going to showing the demographic challenges Spain continues to face.

Heart healthy

A SPANISH cardiologist has revealed the best time to drink coffee for your heart health.

According to Aurelio Rojas: “People who only drink coffee in the mornings have better life expectancy and are less likely to have heart attacks.”

A European Heart Journal showed drinking coffee exclusively in the morning reduces cardiovascular illnesses by 31% and premature death by 17%.

“However, if you drink it all day, those benefits disappear because it can affect your circadian rhythm, increase the risk of inflammation and provoke high blood pressure,” he warned.

Crushing cancer

A SPANISH scientist in the UK has discovered a new way to predict and prevent the spread of cancer.

Victoria Sanz Moreno (above), of the Institute of Cancer Research London, revealed how malignant cells changed shape in response to their surroundings, making it easier for them to escape and spread the cancer.

“Our research uncovered the road map that cancer cells follow to break out of a tumour, enabling it to cause a secondary tumour elsewhere in the body,” the professor of cancer cell and metastasis biology said.

“Now that we understand this roadmap, we can look to target different aspects of it, to stop aggressive cancers from spreading."

Understanding how this phenomenon, known as metastasis, works is key to developing treatments and stopping aggressive cancers from spreading.

Drugs are already in development to target these cells and the genes which drive these deadly changes.

•

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

‘Costs more than the flight!’

PUNTERS have expressed their shock after spending ‘more on breakfast than their flight’ at a new Malaga Airport cafe.

TikTokers Carliyo and Natalia Palacios were shocked when they tried Madrid three-star chef Dabiz Muñoz’s Hungry Club

The pair suspected prices would be high before even looking at the menu, knowing the world-renowned chef’s fame. They soon got a wake up call when they realised breakfast cost them a whopping €36.50.

Natalia ordered a ‘posh’ ham and cheese toastie, totalling €15.40.

Meanwhile, Carliyo went for a stracciatella and pesto sandwich clocking in at €16.50.

“It looks great, but the truth is this is costing us more than the flight,” Carliyo exclaimed.

“Yeah and the uber!” Natalia agreed.

CHEF-OVER

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February 26th - March 11th 2025

MALAGA city’s most famous chef is taking the helm in the kitchen of the Costa del Sol’s hottest new hotel. Jose Carlos Garcia has been brought in to oversee the dining options at Marbella’s iconic Los Monteros hotel that is set to reopen this week.

The Michelin-star chef has brought an extra sprinkling of stardust for the luxury fivestar joint reopening after a three year refit under the American Kimpton brand. The 195-room hotel boasts 60 exclusive suites

and still ‘preserves the essence of Los Monteros’, with an ‘indulgent and casual atmosphere.’

The hotel first opened in 1962 and was one of Spain’s first five-star establishments, frequently visited by the rich and famous.

“We are working on something unique, never seen before on the Costa del Sol,” Garcia said.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were among the first to visit the luxury hotel, though it also put up Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Sean Connery and Antonio Banderas.

It is the first Kimpton hotel in Andalucia, having other outlets in Barcelona and Mallorca.

ILLEGAL RENTAL CRACKDOWN

Tough new tourism laws threaten fines of up to €600,000

A NEW law could see owners of illegal tourist flats in Andalucia slapped with fines of up to €600,000. The sustainable tourism bill has received preliminary approval and increases fines for ‘unregulated tourist activity’ in all categories. For serious infractions, fines will now be levied from €10,000 up to €100,000. Meanwhile, serious infractions will go from €100,000 to €600,000. The law will also give local councils the power to allow

By Yzabelle Bostyn

or deny homeowners to use their properties as holiday flats or villas.

This rental accommodation will become classed under the same umbrella as hotels.

“They will have the same rights and responsibilities,” explained Junta spokesperson Arturo Bernal.

Inspection measures will also be improved, utilising the latest technology and all guests

SLAPDOWN: Illegal tourist flat operators could recieve eyewatering fines

will need to be registered. Designated areas will also be established for tourist use, separate from residential zones although these may overlap.

Greater communication and collaboration between local councils, the Junta, businesses and social groups is being encouraged. The Observatory for Local

and Sustainable Tourism will work with the Andalucian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FAMP), the Andalucian Business Federation (CEA) and the Junta’s Tourism Board.

It is hoped the law will be pushed through in the first half of 2025 using €10 billion of European funds.

VERY MOORISH

EVER wanted to visit the Alhambra but don’t like the crowds? Try this hidden replica near Sevilla.

Just a 40-minute drive from the Andalucian capital, lies the historic town of Paradas and its Palacio Carmen de los Arrayanes.

The unusual reproduction of the Nasrid masterpiece was a labour of love of Jose Luis Romero Nuñez, who dedicated 12 years (from 1993 to 2005) to recreating it.

SOME 15 firms have declared an interest in the ambitious Costa del Sol train project. The Spanish companies are all competing for the €1.2 million tender to undertake a feasibility study.

Study

The study will assess the potential extension of the railway corridor between Nerja and Algeciras, focusing on five key segments:

1. Nerja - Malaga (52 km): Anticipated to generate 26,763 daily trips.

1. Malaga - Fuengirola (30 km): 70,000 daily trips, equivalent to 25.5 million annually,

1. Fuengirola - Estepona (combined 51 km): 55,615 trips per day, or 20.3 million annually.

1. Estepona - Algeciras (50 km): 13,387 daily trips.

stands out, housing a notable work by El Greco. Visitors can also enjoy the village’s picturesque squares, such as Plaza de Andalucia and Plaza de España, which epitomise the serene charm of Paradas.

With the assistance of skilled craftsmen, Romero's frequent visits to the original Alhambra informed the intricate details of his project.

Initially intended as a family residence, the palace has since become a tourist destination and even film location, showcasing the splendour of Moorish architecture.

Beyond this architectural gem, Paradas' historic centre is well worth exploring.

The 18th-century Church of San Eutropio

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

With a population of just 6,900 people you will certainly feel like you are getting away from it all. Paradas is also just a hop and a leap to three other relatively unknown inland Andalucian gems, of Ecija, Osuna and Carmona.

Across: 6 Botswana, 8 I P Os, 9 Seeing things, 10 Shaman, 12 Retool, 14 Tut, 15 Spider, 16 Hooves, 17 Commensurate, 20 Bill, 21 Ethereal.

Down: 1 Joes, 2 Esteemed, 3 Main entrance, 4 Mini, 5 Mongoose, 7 Afterthought, 11 Hypnosis, 13 Two pairs, 18 Malt, 19 Eras.

AT HOME WITH THE LEGENDS

Jon Clarke follows some of the world’s greatest golfers around Aloha golf course for the Staysure Marbella Legends tournament

AS they walked up towards the 11th green, they were unmistakably two of the greats of the game.

And one of them helped design the course, while the other gave the handful of lucky fans watching a true masterclass in how to escape a bunker.

This was the dream pairing of Colin Montgomerie with Miguel Angel Jimenez, who had been teamed up with one lucky amateur to do battle at the Staysure Legends tournament at Aloha, in Mar bella.

Puffing on his trademark cigars throughout the entire course, Jimenez (right), was the local lad, born and bred up the road in Malaga.

But make no mistake he is one of the giants of the game, a two times Ryder cup winner, with 21 European Tour wins under his belt.

Alongside him, with his trademark girth and jollity, was Scotsman Montgomerie, long a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame with 31 European titles to his name, the most for any British player. It was the opening day of the tournament, a

Friday, under blissful blue skies and the pair were having fun, regularly swapping banter and even chatting to the fans, many who walked the course with them.

I finally caught up with them half way up the 11th and watched the pair approach the green, with Monty dropping his ball into a nasty narrow sand pit, some 15 metres from the pin.

“Looks nasty,” commented a member, who had strolled up just behind me.

But Monty (who famously clinched the Ryder Cup, spanking the yanks, on the final hole up the road in Valderrama in 1997) is made of

sterner stuff. After watching Jimenez chip on to within a metre of the pin he scooped his ball out and dropped it at least a foot closer.

Without a doubt, one of the best shots I’ve ever seen, he then scored a birdie, as did his Spanish opponent. And so it continued for the rest of the round, with the pair both tussling to make the cut for the final day on the Sunday. This time though it was not to be for

the two genuine legends of the game, with a British pro Simon Griffiths taking the honours. Griffiths, who has not had an easy ride as a pro, snared only his second professional victory, both coincidentally in Spain. It was a dream come true for the Brit, who entered the final day with a two-stroke lead and somehow clung on against the string of Major winners and Ryder Cup Captains.

Most pundits had Jimenez or Monty as the likely winners, so Griffiths really had to keep his nerve.

Vicente Rubio, winner of the Legends Experience

As for the Legends Experience, the winner was Vi- cente Rubio, General Manager of celebrated near- by course and hotel Finca Cortesin and member of Aloha Golf.

“I really enjoyed it. I think that being able to play the first two days with professionals of the level that this tour has is a unique experience, it is exciting.

“We really enjoyed it, with a lot of nerves on the first shots and then you relax, but it is a great ex- perience that I recommend to everyone. Also, you play the course with a preparation that you don't usually find. It is different from playing a ProAm. You are competing, so you are concentrating on your amateur competition, and next to two gentle- men who are playing for their future, their money, and you have to be very involved in the game so as not to affect their game. It is a very special game and I recommend it to everyone.”

Having never played on the Tour before and still working as a caddie at his club back in Blighty, he really had to dig in and concentrate, scoring five birdies, including one at the 18th in front of a packed Clubhouse La Sala stand.

It left him on a credible 68 and 17 under par, beating, leaving Jimenez in fourth and Monty just below him, while Scott Hend came second with 13 under.

“I am delighted, absolutely happy,” he told the crowd standing on the winners podium. “I started with a birdie, Monty started making birdies and I knew I had to hold on, I was looking at the leaders because I knew Hend was doing well but the birdie on the 15th gave me a lot of peace of mind. I don’t know what it is about Spain but it is clear that I am good at it, I feel good, I like it... it is very special for me.”

tiful course. I love coming to Marbella.”

Local Marbella-based businessman, Ian Radford, from La Sala, absolutely loved the experience of playing as an amateur, but admitted it was ‘terrifying’.

“I played squash and padel for GB at the world championships and that was easy in comparison,” he told the Olive Press. “I played on my own with two pros, including Scott Hend, the whole time and you feel you shouldn’t be there, but on reflection it was really good fun, some great memories.”

He continued: “The event was superb and went perfectly to plan.”

In a word ‘terrifying’ playing with all those amazing professionals

The player who gave him the stiffest challenge was Aussie Scott Hend, who signed the best card of the tournament, with ten birdies on a 64-stroke round.

Jimenez, who helped to design some of the greens at Aloha, was quick to praise Griffiths and the event.

“It was a very good week, the course was in magnificent condition, the public, the people, the tournament, it was very good,” he said.

Ryan Howsam, President of Staysure and the Legends Tour, who also played, told the Olive Press: “It’s amazing to be playing here on such a beau-

Lisandro Vieytes, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Sports of Marbella Town Hall presented the awards to the winners, accompanied by Rafael Fontán, President of Aloha Golf Club, Pablo Mansilla, President of the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation, Gonzaga Escauriaza, Honorary President of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, Miguel Ángel Guerrero, Golf Director of Turismo Costa del Sol and Javier Gervás, General Manager of JGolf. The Staysure Marbella Legends is sponsored by Staysure, Marbella Town Hall and the Legends Tour, as well as Turismo Costa del Sol, Aloha Golf and the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation, and the collaboration of Titleist, Bodegas Juan Gil, Maximiliano Jabugo, Licor del Medit.

LINE UP: Winners Simon Griffiths and Vicente Rubio with organisers and sponsors

WHAT A FINISH: Griffiths grabs a birdie on the final hole to secure victory, while (top) Staysure boss Ryan Howsam hands over the cup

MASTERS AT WORK: Watching Monty approach his amazing bunker shot

Presented by

REuse

Doped on duty

A TRIO of Malaga police officers have been hospitalised after accidentally eating drug-laced sweets that they confiscated from a Fuengirola cannabis club.

Spidey scare

A PILOT with a spider allergy was bitten by a tarantula mid-flight between Dusseldorf and Madrid. The plane landed safely and the pilot was treated with anti-inflammatory medicine.

Tangled web

A CADIZ man, 36, has been fined for faking his own kidnapping to get out of paying €400,000 for a luxury flat he committed to buying to ‘prove’ he had won the lottery –which he had not.

NARCO NOUS

Secret tunnel between Spain and Morocco uncovered

– but this one used

to smuggle drugs

A TEAM of engineering specialists from Spain and Germany studying the feasibility of digging a tunnel to Morocco have been beaten to it. Commonly believed to be the engineering feat of the century, it turns out a mafia of enterprising narco traffickers dug one several years ago. Of course, theirs doesn’t connect two continental shelves

EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

under the Strait of Gibraltar. Instead, it runs between Morocco and the north African Spanish territory of Ceuta. Images show how the entry hole was built into the floor of a warehouse, before being hidden by a metal manhole covering, which opens up to reveal a

Toothy tourism

A NEW York architect has allegedly saved thousands by flying to Barcelona for emergency dental treatment.

David, who bought €428 return tickets to the Catalan capital just five hours before the flight, had three back to back appointments with an

series of ladders. These gave way to ‘a cavity approximately 12 metres deep,’

operation for a total of €333.

The dentist diagnosed him with nerve cell necrosis from an infection. David then underwent four tooth reconstructions, totalling €361 at a Vitaldent clinic, coming to a grand total of €1,123. When compared to the cost of dentistry in the Big Apple – €4,200 – the enterprising architect saved himself over three grand.

according to the Guardia Civil in a statement. It continued: “It led to an underground gallery propped up with wood that runs towards the border, which would have been used to transport drugs between Morocco and Spain."

NOSES IN THE TROUGH: Two Guardia were arrested over drugs tunnel

The authorities, unable to explain how such large quantities of drugs were entering Ceuta, had long been searching for the entry route, according to local reports.

The Guardia Civil added: "This is the third phase of the so-called 'HADES' operation, in which 14 arrests have been made in the last three weeks, two of them Guardia Civil officers. "These arrests are related to the seizure of three trucks that were hiding more than six tonnes of hashish in hidden compartments."

A GOAT had to be saved from a fifth-floor windowsill in Madrid, leaving rescuers dumbfounded as to how it got up there. Emergency services were alerted by a concerned neighbour who had noticed the sight of the animal trapped 20 metres above street level.

The goat, perched on the overhang in Villaverde district, was at risk of falling to not just to its own bizarre death, but potentially the even more bizarre ending for anyone walking below. Most bizarrely of all, the building, has been ‘empty for some time’ according to neighbours. It is so far unknown who owns the goat nor how it got there, with one local woman exclaiming that it ‘came from heaven’.

ANOTHER self-seeking daredevil has been hit with a fine for climbing up 25 metres onto a famous monument ‘for the gram.’ Emergency services quickly attended the scene at the old Roman aqueduct in Segovia, fearing the man might be preparing to throw himself off. After coming down to the assembled Policia Local and being identified, the man was hit with a fine that could be as high as €3,000.