Olive Press Andalucia issue 466

Mullins column ‘I’m never going back’... in a brand new column the world’s richest plumber Charlie Mullins insists he’s no tax exile

See page 3

WE NEED A HOME!

UP to 30,000 people have protested in Malaga against Spain’s housing crisis.

They were joined by hundreds of thousands of people around the country over the weekend demanding urgent changes to property laws.

Demonstrators in 40 cities, including Sevilla, Valencia and Palma, united under the slogan ‘Down with the housing business’, calling for an end to housing-for-profit.

They called for immediate action to tackle soaring rents, a lack of affordable housing, and the prioritisation of local needs over tourism-driven policies.

The protests come as average rents in Spain have doubled over the past de

'Housing can never be a commodity, it must be a right we protect:' Hundreds of thousands march across Spain

EXCLUSIVE

By Samantha Mythen, Dylan Wagemans and Walter Finch in Malaga

A report from Spain’s central bank revealed that nearly 40% of families spend over 40% of their income on housing costs.

Meanwhile, public housing accounts for less than 2% of Spain’s total housing stock - well below the OECD averActivists called for measures such as reductions and increased social housing construction.

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“In the centre of Malaga there are simply no locals any more,” Manuel Gomez told the Olive Press

“Only tourists and businesses that focus on

them.”

The engineer, who moved

there 10 years ago, added:

“My first rental price was €200 for a room. Now the normal price is around €500600, while my partner and I pay €850 between us.

“In the past five years, there’s been an increase of around 45% of the cost of living, and salaries simply

haven’t matched.”

This has meant that most local families have been forced to move to the outskirts or, often, inland villages.

A spokesman for organisers, Malaga Para Vivir, Kiki Espana, said: “There are 34,466 people registered as seeking property in Malaga, while there are 7,496 tourist apartments with 32,132 beds available.

“How can this be sustainable?”

The march started in Plaza de la Merced - Picasso’s birthplace, where 80% of properties are tourist rentals - and ended at Parque de Huelin.

Brazilian batucada drums. Young people are particularly affected by rising housing costs.

Mari Sanchez, a 26-year-old lawyer who shares an apartment with four others, explained: “I allocate 30 or 40% of my salary to rent.

“That doesn’t allow me to save. That doesn’t allow me to do anything. It doesn’t even allow me to buy a car.”

Similarly in Malaga, Elena Perez, a 22-year-old student working part-time while studying, told the Olive Press: “All of my friends are in the same position.”

The crisis is not limited to Malaga. In Madrid, more than 150,000 protest-

Top award for Olive Press

THE Olive Press has scooped a top UK journalism award: with campaigning young go-getter Yzabelle Bostyn.

Yzzy, 25, who joined us from uni versity in 2023, has won the UK’s prestigious NCTJ Trainee of the Year award.

MASS PROTEST:Up to 30,000 joined in the

marched through the city’s streets rattling keys and chanting slogans like ‘Get Airbnb out of our neighbor-

Protesters could be heard from miles away with hundreds of whistles and hoods’. Margarita Aizpuru, a 65-year-old resident of the Lavapies neighborhood, described how nearly 100 families in her building were told their rental contracts would not be renewed: “They’re kicking all of us out to make tourist flats.”

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She picked up the gong for her ‘hard-hitting’ investigative re porting on a variety of social and health issues in Spain. Her impactful reporting was praised for offering a ‘bril liant public service’ to our readers and ‘bringing im portant real world issues to light’.

Our exact DNA for the last two decades, she beat finalists from the Times and the Midland’s

The award recognised the high journalistic standards she demonstrated while learning her trade at the Ol, after studying journalism in Sheffield. Here in Spain, the Yorkshire native developed the skills, dedication, and investigative mindset that have propelled her career.

The NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) highlighted her dogmatic pursuit of a holiday rental scammer and a politician, who illegally evicted a British mother-of-three.

It also praised her work on our successful Nolotil campaign which exemplified her ability to dig deep into critical issues and present them in a clear, impactful way.

Sadly Yzzy is now leaving us for a year’s sabbatical in Canada, no doubt tracking down wrong-doing on the Klondike Trail!

Eviction

The demonstrations also spotlighted cases of imminent homelessness due to real estate speculation. In Torremolinos Yolanda Greta and Jimena Centurion are among 120 residents facing eviction after their building was auctioned off by Sareb - a bank part-owned by the state - due to unpaid loans.

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FACING EVICTION: Yolanda Greta and Jimena Centurion

Malaga march

Barbershop bust-up

FOUR men were injured after a gunman pulled out a pistol and opened fire in a barbershop in Malaga. A suspect has since been arrested.

French arrest

SPAIN’S most wanted serial murderer, the ‘Orchard Killer’ has been arrested in France, accused of killing three elderly farmers in separate Valencia attacks.

Jail threat

SMUGGLERS who supply fuel to narco boats will now be punished by up to eight years in prison. Previously, those caught supplying petrol only faced a slap on the wrist.

Rent dispute

A 31-year-old Sevilla father survived after being shot in the head at point-blank range by his 81-year-old landlord because he was two months behind on paying rent.

A MASSIVE narco submarine stuffed with 6.6 tonnes of cocaine worth €200 million has been intercepted en route to Spain in what’s being called one of the biggest drug busts in European history. The giant semi-submersible, believed to be the largest ever of its kind, was seized in a dramatic highseas operation 500 miles south of the Azores, with its final destination

STEALTHY SMUGGLER

being Sevilla’s Guadalquivir River. Spanish and Portuguese cops teamed up to take down the stealthy smugglers in a covert sting dubbed Operation Nautilus. Five men –including one from Sevilla – were arrested on board and are now in custody in Portugal.

Who buried him?

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Heartless’ Iberian Funeral boss died in Portugal as mystery into the missing millions deepens

THE Olive Press has confirmed the death of a beleaguered expat funeral planning boss, who vanished ‘owing millions’ to his clients in Spain.

We have established that Stephen Nelson, behind the defunct company Iberian Funeral Plans, definitely died in Portu-

KILLED

By Samantha Mythen

gal earlier this year.

The founder of the firm, which has shut leaving, likely, thousands of victims out of pocket, passed away on the Algarve. Portugal’s official register of-

fice confirmed the death and said it would be sending us a copy of the death certificate this week.

The Conservatoria dos Registos Civil branch, in Castro Marim, revealed British expat Stephen George Nelson had died ‘on the Algarve.

FOR HIS BACKPACK

A PAIR of brothers have been jailed for nine years after savagely beating a homeless Irishman to death on a popular tourist beach in Malaga.

The victim, a man in his 40s from Cork, was sleeping rough near a restaurant on Malagueta Beach when the pair – known to cops for a string of thefts – targeted him for his backpack, phone and €200 cash.

But when the Irishman woke up and tried to fight them off, the thugs

launched a vicious assault, kicking him and smashing his head in with a rock.

His bloodied body was found the next morning by a horrified jogger. An autopsy confirmed he died from a brain haemorrhage.

The brothers, both battling drug addiction and mental health issues, admitted to robbery with violence and murder as part of a plea deal. They must also pay €150,000 to the victim’s grieving family.

They declined to comment further, but gave us an official register number. It comes after Citizens Advice Bureau Spain (CAB) had rowed back on an announcement he had died, being unable to confirm it.

The group described the closure of the firm last month as ‘despicable’ and ‘heartless’, with many expats finding funeral services for their loved ones were no longer covered.

CAB paralegal Myra Azzopardi told the Olive Press today she has been ‘up to all hours investigating into the night.’

Her group has now spoken to a lawyer about possible legal action that could be taken. Several Iberian clients have begun legal proceedings and Azzopardi recommended those affected file a police report (denuncia).

Although the company website is still online, the firm has not been responding to any emails for the past month, and its telephone lines run dead.

Iberian itself has offered no information to its customers, many who paid up to €10,000. “There’s an English expression, which says, ‘It ain’t over til the fat lady sings,’” continued Azzopardi. “I cannot give up on these people, the affected parties.”

A SWEDISH fraudster who ripped off investors to the tune of over €2.3 million via a bogus investment scheme has been arrested in Marbella.

The 36-year-old man was detained under a European Arrest Warrant.

He is said to have enjoyed a high standard of living at his Marbella residence which was protected by extensive security equipment.

The detainee is accused of leading a Swedish gang who recruited Scandinavian victims into a ‘get rich quick’ scheme. Targets deposited large sums of money to generate high interest returns, but got nothing back at all. When clients contacted the group, they were fobbed off with excuses over why their money was not paid.

The gang's chief has been charged with money laundering and financial fraud.

A FAR-RIGHT group calling themselves National Nucleus is under investigation after posting a chilling video urging Spaniards to ‘defend the streets’ against migrants. The Guardia Civil has launched a hate crime probe after the group’s shocking footage – featuring hooded men in branded gear – surfaced on social media, calling for a ‘joint fight against the invasion’.

JUNGLE HORROR

IN a wildlife sting, Spanish police have busted a smuggling ring selling exotic animals - including a live leopard.

The Guardia Civil swooped on a gang peddling endangered creatures online, recovering not just the majestic big cat, but also monkeys, a flamingo, and even grim trophies like zebra skins and turtle shells.

A total of 26 suspects are now facing charges in a crackdown codenamed ‘Faunus’, with police uncovering illegal firearms and high-tech poaching equipment.

The rescued leopard, along with other traumatised creatures, has been placed in specialist care.

Jail for Carlo?

Real Madrid boss facing five years for tax fraud

REAL Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is facing nearly five years in prison and a fine of €3.2 million in a fraud probe. He has testified in court over the claims he illegally pocketed €1 million over a decade ago. The tax row involves image rights revenues with the accusation that he created a ‘confusing and complex’ system of shell companies to hide the earnings.

Prosecutors - who are asking for a four year, nine month sentence - claim he 'simulated' the transfer of his image rights to firms based outside of Spain as a tax dodge.

The Italian, 64, said he believed he had already settled his €1.2 million tax debt. However, it emerged he could

By Alex Trelinski

be classified as a Spanish tax resident in 2015 - the year he was sacked by Real Madrid during his first spell at the club.

He claims he was fired on May 25 and left the country four days later, which according to him means he did not live in Spain for the 183 required days to pay taxes. While his legal team insisted he only spent 155 days in the country, prosecutors think he was here for longer as he had a rental contract active for his Madrid apartment.

He replied that he

MULLINS IT OVER

NOT EVEN A CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT WOULD LURE ME HOME

In his first, exclusive column for the Olive Press, Charlie Mullins reveals that life as an expat in Spain trumps the high-tax grind back in London

AS my many friends know, as well as a load of haters in the UK, I’m now living permanently at my villa in Puerto Banus.

I love it here and after nine-months as a resident I can’t think of a good reason why I didn’t make the move a decade ago.

There’s a lot of misinformation kicking about in the UK about how I’m a tax-exile, but as anyone with half a brain knows the Spanish are very skilled at coming up with ways to squeeze a few more Euros out of their own citizens and particularly us expats.

I’ve paid a load in tax over the years, and with Labour running the show back home I decided enough was enough, and they won’t be getting any more of my cash to waste on hotels for illegal immigrants and crazy schemes for minorities, while taxing working people and businesses to death. That was the final straw, and now I’m here the world is a much better place.

I’ve had a villa in Spain for 20 years, and I can’t understand why it took so long to wise-up and trade the traffic and noise of London for a sandy beach and the sound of waves. It occurred to me soon after upping sticks and leaving Blighty that I had more friends here than I did in the place I’d called ‘home’ for 70 odd years… and a bit more thinking about this fact with a drink beside my pool, and it became obvious why.

It’s that life isn’t just about surviving here, fighting for every scrap of anything you want and then fighting some more to somehow hang on to it.

It’s the attitude of people; in London if you try to start a conversation with a stranger in the street or on a train, they think you’re a nutter or about to rob them.

Just the other day I was walking up a steep hill near my villa where there was an elderly lady struggling her way up in front of me.

I didn’t want to startle her when I caught up with her, so I mumbled something about the bastard hill

as I approached. Ten minutes later we were still chatting. That’s a very simple example, but for me it makes it crystal clear how the pace and quality of life on the costas is a better place for humans to live and enjoy life.

It’s like the environment turns people into better versions of themselves, or maybe it’s just that all the decent, nicer people relocated here in the first place.

Just having the time to go off for a beer or a coffee with people you bump into makes living a real pleasure. I love it! And it’s not like I miss my family in the UK since I can get back in a few hours, and they keep turning up on my doorstep and taking over the place. I said when I left that I wouldn’t return to the UK until these Labour imbeciles get thrown out of office, but as I approach my one-year anniversary I’m starting to think even a sensible party in charge might not lure me back.

FRONT PAGES: The world’s richest plumber landed in hot water last month in the UK, with a threat to take his OBE award away

was tied into a year-long con tract and had to give three months' notice which meant he had to carry on paying until October.

IMAGE RIGHTS: Ancelotti didn’t declare them correctly and ‘overstayed’ in Spain

GOING GAGA

POP superstar Lady Gaga is bringing her Mayhem Ball tour to Spain this autumn. It’s the first time she has been on tour since 2022 and follows the release of her sixth studio album, Mayhem.

She plays Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on October 28, 29 and 31.

“There’s something electric about a stadium, and I love every moment of those shows,” she said.

AT HOME: With his Bentley in Puerto Banus

IT’S sometimes known as ‘funkytown’ among certain expats.

But now Fuengirola has a true claim to the name with two Eurovision Song Contest links to the resort.

Not only does Spain’s entry next month Melody, (aka Melodia Ruiz, 34) live in the town, but Norway’s entrant Kyle Alessan-

Funky town

dro is an expat who grew up there.

The 18-year-old singer-songwriter was born in Norway, but his Madrileno dad persuaded the family to move south where he grew up. Melody, who was born in Sevilla, shot to fame at just 10 with a hit El Baile del Gorila. The track catapulted her into stardom, going double platinum in Spain and even earned a Latin Grammy nomination. She has released six studio albums and numerous singles.

KICKED OUT

A DEVELOPMENT featured on Channel 4’s hit TV show A Place in the Sun has become the centre of a scandal.

It comes after dozens of expats claim they are being denied entry to their properties.

The buyers, who have paid hundreds of thousands of euros each, claim the new owner of the Residencial La Montaña development, in Murcia, is illegally forcing them out.

They claim Antonio Tovar Rabal, who acquired the project nine years ago, has ordered them to leave.

Their ordeal began over 20 years ago after the mostly British buyers bought into the scheme, in El Caracolero, 25 minutes from Murcia city.

Jill and William Dorrington bought their €200,000 villa in 2003 but two years later, the unfinished house was abandoned by the original builder,

Place in the Sun fury

as Brits evicted from their own homes due to legal mix up

By Yzabelle Bostyn

as it didn’t have proper planning permission. The Essex couple were left without electricity, water and even a kitchen, leaving them to invest thousands to make their dream holiday home liveable. Forced to remortgage their house in the UK to finish it, they have at least managed to visit a few times a year since. That was until last month when they were denied entry to their home by Tovar, who claimed they had been ‘illegally squatting’ for the past two decades. After entering their home and changing the locks the auda-

cious Spanish developer insisted they pay €90,000 to get back in.

“It’s been horrendous,” former legal secretary Jill, 76, told the Olive Press. “Tovar has been aggressive and intimidating. He’s broken into our house multiple times and changed the locks.

“We’ve even heard that it’s already been sold to someone else. We’ve been ripped off in every way possible.”

Fellow victim Phil Evans, 65, insists Rabal’s handling of the situation is giving him ‘sleepless nights’.

He said: “We’ve lost our investment of €159,000 and now just want our belongings back.

“We’ve got personal things in there, wedding presents and photos, even our car, it’s bewildering.”

When located, Tovar told the Olive Press he had purchased La Montana in 2017 and spent five years legalising it at a ‘high cost’.

He claims he has tried to negotiate with residents but that ‘they don’t want to reach an agreement’.

“If I were a different man, they would have been out within six months of me taking over, but I’ve let them stay for nine years,” he said.

“The fact is they’ve been living here for 20 years without paying a penny in tax. They are illegal squatters. All I’m asking for

is the €80,000 I spent to legalise each property.”

He confirmed that nearly two years ago he had started renovating and selling the abandoned homes via estate agent, Your Home Spain.

Agent Carolijn Bergman said: “Of course it’s sad for these people, but they made the wrong decision 20 years ago when they bought a property without a building licence.”

Incredibly the development appeared on A Place in The Sun, in March last year, to the fury of the original owners.

“The show went on about how lovely it is and how it’s now fully legal. It was a complete insult to injury,” insisted Dorrington.

POTHOLE CHAOS

THE recent heavy rains have wreaked havoc on roads across Andalucia, leaving highways riddled with potholes and cracks.

Urgent repairs are planned for the A-45 near Casabermeja and in Malaga city, likely causing traffic delays.

The A-357 out of Malaga, the MA-21 near the airport, and the N-340 near Algeciras are also particularly affected.

Meanwhile the A397 between Ronda and San Pedro could be shut for ‘up to a year’ a local business boss told the Olive Press.

A FORMER bodyguard of David and Victoria Beckham has been found dead after going missing in Spain.

Craig Ainsworth, who worked for the family in London, was reportedly found in the Alicante area.

His mother Sally Ainsworth announced his death online writing: “With the greatest sadness the world has lost Craig. He served in Afghanistan and he had PTSD.” She had previously turned to social media to find out about her missing son, an ex-Royal Marine, after he ‘posted a last message on Facebook to say goodbye.’

In the post, Ainsworth - who had also worked for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jennifer Lawrence - said he had been in ‘the most tremendous pain’ after the Covid-19 lockdown ‘destroyed everything’ he had built. The details surrounding his death have yet to be revealed.

Comedian coming

THE build-up to Gibraltar’s famous liter ary festival starts this month with the immi nent arrival to the Rock of comedian David Walliams. The sometimes-con troversial will appear in the ‘An Evening with’ format, which will include a mixture of stand-up and Q&A with the audience in Europa Sports Arena on April 24. The event has been billed as a ‘prelude’ to November’s Gibunco Gibraltar Literary Festival and a new govern ment strategy to focus on cul tural events on the Rock.

PRIDES OF THE TOWN: Alessandro (far left) and Melody have links to Fuengirola

ORDEAL: Jill and William Dorrington have been locked out of their property

Easter washout?

A new cold front is forecast to bring in the dreaded ‘blood rain’ in time for

Semana Santa

IT’S almost as predictable as London buses. Forget how late it is, or that it rained non-stop in March, Semana Santa could well be a washout. As is so often the case, as soon as procession season looms, the clouds in Andalucia start gathering.

Poor Mary and Jesus may have to stay at home again, with Andalucia’s celebrated Easter processions under threat from storms.

A weather system, known as Storm Olivier, is racing

MALAGA’S Michelin star maestros have been passing on their top tips to a new generation of up and coming chefs.

A magnificent seven of the province’s chefs shared their culinary stories at an event organised by Chefs for Children at Benahavis’ Cookery school.

They included double Michelin talents Marcos Granda of Skina and Benito Gomez, of Bardal, in Ronda.

“It’s a great opportunity to help these up and coming talents,” Benito told the Olive Press.

Granda meanwhile explained what he would have told himself starting out.

“Always believe in yourself and what you are going to create and do, and do it with passion,” said the Asturian, who has seven stars around the country.

“There must always be sacrifice and passion before talent,” he added.

in and set to land in Spain on Thursday night. Temperatures will start to drop and there will be some thunderstorms and showers in Andalucia, growing heavier by the af ternoon.

Looking ahead to Friday, the weather will not improve as Storm Olivier reaches Spain’s southern shores.

A Saharan storm, known as a ‘calima’, could also bring in ‘blood rain’ for the weekend.

The phenomenon causes chaos because it coats cars and buildings in a stubborn layer of red Saharan dust that’s difficult to clean.

It also worsens air quality, triggering health warnings for vulnerable groups and those with respiratory conditions.

The foreboding forecast coincides with the start of Semana Santa - Spain’s holy week, famed for its nine days of pageantry and processions that bring the crowds onto the street.

Many processions around the region were cancelled last year due to the rainstorms.

Brotherhoods are keeping an eye on the weather forecast this week, facing current warnings of rain falling at various times on Monday and potentially Tuesday and Wednesday. They will be hoping for no repeat of last year when several processions were cancelled.

These included that of the Lagrimas y favores brotherhood, in which Hollywood star and Malaga born actor Anto

nio Banderas was due to take part in.

But no matter the weather, Spain’s famously tough La Legion regiment will be out for their procession in Malaga and other parts of Andalucia come rain, sun or hail. However, Meteorologists encourage people to continue checking forecasts for updates.

FALSE FLAG

SPAIN has flown the wrong British flag for the third time running… this time at the high-profile G5+ Summit in Madrid. The botched Union Jack shows all three crosses the same size and in a pale blue - missing the bold design that properly represents England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The gaff happened again later that day, at a Ukraine meeting with Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, and again with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

DAMP SQUIB: Antonio Banderas consoled worshippers after last year’s procession was rained off, while, above, an attempt to keep Jesus dry

RAIN OR SUN: The Spanish Foreign Legion will take to the streets this Easter, no matter what the weather

SUNNY

SOLEMNITY: But (inset) the weather is not always so bright

ALL EARS: An attentive audience for Benito Gomez of Bardal, in Ronda

Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION

Fight for your rights

HOUSING is a right, not a commodity.

Everyone should be able to make their home a sanctuary, without having to worry about being evicted, or having to struggle to find somewhere to live.

Yet in Spain, this human right is not being upheld. And this explains the extraordinary turn out over the weekend when hundreds of thousands of people called on local and national governments to act urgently on the housing crisis.

The fact the protests took place in more than 40 cities, not just the key capitals, shows how vast the issue is. Protestors were of all ages as well, demonstrating how the housing crisis is affecting so many, not just young people.

The issue is clearly being accelerated by tourist rentals, with most standing empty for most of the year… yet also by the lack of government action on implementing social housing.

This is evidenced by less tu han 2% of accommodation available being provided for social housing, compared to an OECD average of 7%.

The cost of living is increasing alongside the rising rental prices, and yet Spanish salaries remain so low with employment rights not being upheld under the law.

The increasing rental prices and rising cost of living is an issue dominating headlines across the globe. For example, rental prices are also soaring each year in London, where you’re having to pay an average £1000 (approx €1170) just to rent a room in a shared flat. But at least there, most salaries are rising to match that. Some companies even pay a ‘London Living Wage.’

Here, salaries are falling so far behind daily living costs, many families are putting 40% of their earnings towards accommodation.

We need the Spanish government to get a grip on the problem and to put its money where its mouth is with more social housing, rather than making populist calls to tax foreign property owners by 100% or more.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es

Samantha Mythen samantha@theolivepress.es

Tom Ewart Smith tom@theolivepress.es

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

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Joshua Parfitt josh@theolivepress.es

Dylan Wagemans dylan@theolivepress.es

OFFICE MANAGER

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

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

SUCKING UP THE WATER

IT was one of the most extraordinary and revealing discoveries of last year.

In a clever, left-field investigation, the Washington Post discovered using AI software Chat GPT to generate a 100-word email used a stagerribg 519 ml of water, or roughly half a bottle.

The reason? Many centres use water-based cooling systems to remove the excess heat the hundreds of servers they hold generate. Air conditioning is simply not enough so cooling towers and ‘evaporation’ tech niques are used instead - at a high cost in water.

Shocking in the extreme, it left many people, particularly in drought-threatened countries like Spain, to beg the question: is investing in AI a good idea?

While many companies and most of our downmarket rivals now use it wholesale to create reports and stories, plus funny photos, it also helps undertake the most boring tasks.

By Yzabelle Bostyn

The reason: Spain has the second best high speed internet coverage in Europe, while also having relatively low cost energy and well connected electricity networks. It is estimated by Google’s Implement programme, no less, that Generative Artificial Intelligence could make up 8% of Spain’s GDP by 2034.

It is predicted to wipe out millions of jobs globally and, yet, if you believe many governments and the tech giants it is a force for good.

Spain is at the forefront of the AI revolution in Europe and the country is currently home to around 135 data centres with the number rising rapidly.

In Aragon alone, over €33 billion is set to be invested in building data centres, with many others planned for areas like Madrid and Barcelona.

But as water becomes scarcer and scarcer, activists are already starting to be heard, although the authorities don’t seem to be taking note.

“It’s shameful that in areas like Aragon, where farmers are struggling and unable to use their land because of a lack of water, the government is allowing these huge corporations in,” Ecologistas en Acción activist, Luis Garcia told the Olive Press.

Meanwhile, AI expert Katrina Ingram (left) added: “We live on a planet with finite resources and now we’re in competition with

How AI is not just threatening millions of jobs and dumbing us down on its front line in Spain. It is also worsening drought conditions here

technology for them.

Speaking to the Olive Press from Canada, she continued: “There have been situations in Latin America where data centres have been built and suddenly local people couldn’t get those resources.

“We need to ensure technology doesn’t penalise the vulnerable.”

One of the biggest setbacks so far for the AI giants came when Google was forced to rethink plans for a $200 million data centre in Chile last year after it was revealed it would use seven billion litres of water a year, equivalent to the usage by 80,000 people. It sparked outrage for locals already struggling with severe drought and after huge protests, the tech giant was forced to switch to fan-based cooling.

“There’s a narrative that everyone should be

The people’s pueblo

FUENTE Ovejuna means a lot to Spanish people. It’s a bit like Hamlet for the Brits, Faust for the Germans, or Huckleberry Finn for Americans…something you read in school, which has become part of the nation’s collective consciousness.

The village of Fuente Ovejuna (sometimes Fuenteobejuna) is to the west of Spain on the frontier of Extremadura, the land of the Conquistadors, La Mancha, the domain of Don Quijote, and Andalucia, the home of flamenco and bullfighting.

By Michael Coy

Everyone in Spain has heard of Fuente Ovejuna. Michael Coy explains why

province of Cordoba, it is very much a border town.

And appropriately in the year 1476, the people of Fuente Ovejuna rebelled against their overlord, and killed him.

The playwright

Introducing Lope de Vega, who is often referred to as the Spanish Shakespeare.

Born two years before Shakespeare, he outlived him by two decades and Lope’s achievements are, in many ways, more impressive.

penned an incredible 500, with 3,000 sonnets to boot. Somehow he found time for all of this while keeping FIVE mistresses happy –and he was also a priest!

His greatest play, it is universally agreed, was Fuente Ovejuna, which was written in 1612, the year Shakepeare penned The Tempest.

The drama

The village of Fuente Ovejuna has been ‘occupied’ by a group of knights from La Mancha. The leader of the knights regards the citizens as his vassals, and the women as his playthings. He rapes one of the village girls and the people, without thinking about the consequences, attack him, and kill him.

Just check the statistics. While Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, some probably with co-writers, Lope

In those days the King travelled around the country, ‘holding court’ – literally judging the big criminal cases in each community.

King Ferdinand arrives and demands to

know who killed Rodrigo, the head of the

AI PERIL: As large parts of Spain suffer from drought, questions are being asked about the massive amounts of water being used by data centres

THE PLAY: Is performed world-wide to this very day

investing in AI, every government is seeing it as an opportunity to grow their economy, but that scales up the problem,” continued Ingram, who is the founder and CEO of Ethically Aligned AI, a company focused on helping organizations to use and understand the new technology.

“We also have to be aware, from an environmental standpoint, of which companies have a monopoly in this sector.”

According to Business Insider, 65% of the world’s data centre capacity is owned by just three companies: Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

This means they own over half of the essential technological infrastructure on which everyone else must use.

Ingram, like many experts, fears this could give the giant corporations immense political and social power.

“Large financial and governmental interests alongside the technology make this a perfect storm,” she explained.

“We have also seen a lot of governments and companies stepping away from their environmental commitments lately and that is concerning.”

Another issue is that instead of creating less energy intensive AI models built to carry out specific tasks, industry leaders like OpenAI are pushing for huge, generalised models able to do everything.

“It’s like building a bazooka and bringing it to a knife fight, it’s going to do a lot of damage, use a lot of energy and a lot of money without being particularly good at any one thing,” insisted Ingram.

“It also means there’s no competition which leads to a monopoly.”

In Spain, the big three, alongside social media en terprise Meta are heavily investing in data centres as the country shapes up to be come ‘Europe’s digital leader.’

It helped that leader Pedro San chez stood next to Amazon’s CEO

The AWS data centre (above) and the Microsoft centre in Madrid use huge amounts of water

drupled their AI investment in the country, a couple of months ago.

Dubbed the ‘fourth industrial revolution’, no country wants to be left behind, clearly including Spain.

“The government is definitely pushing towards AI and data centres,” Catalunya Polytechnic University professor Cecilio Angulo (left) explained.

“We need to be careful with where we put them because they produce heat and have to be cooled. If you’re in an area that doesn’t have much water, data centres could take it away from others.”

Andy Jassy as he announced the giant in vestment of €15.7 billion into three new data centres in Aragon last July.

He similarly praised Microsoft after they qua-

knights.

He puts each villager in the witness box, and asks the same question –“Who is responsible for this man’s death?” Every villager gives the same answer: “El pueblo.”

The idea

In Spanish, ‘el pueblo’ carries two meanings. It signifies ‘the people’, and it also means ‘the village’.

The king is impressed that these decent citizens acted together when their honour was outraged, and he rules that there was no individual murderer – “the pueblo did it.”

The play is dear to Spanish audiences because it’s about having two virtues: civic pride and a reliable moral compass.

Today

Every summer, the people of Fuente put on a production of ‘their’ play in the village’s main square.

They don’t need a theatre because this hot region gets no rain between March and October, and the actors can perform, and the audience can watch, comfortably in the open air. The only restriction is, the actors must be citizens of Fuente Ovejuna!

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Win tickets for legend Tom Jones concert

THE Olive Press is giving away two pairs of tickets to see legendary crooner Tom Jones.

Get ready for an unforgettable night as the Welsh icon brings his unmistakable voice and classic hits to the Plaza de Toros in Alicante on August 13.

Tom will serenade fans with timeless tracks like It’s Not Unusual , Delilah and What’s New Pussycat

Whether you're a lifelong fan or a newcomer to his music, there’s no doubt this is one night you won’t want to miss.

All you have to do to enter the competition is become one of our registered users. And nothing could be simpler than registering an account.

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Part of the solution, he claims, is to put the centres near bodies of water so that any steam leaving them returns to nature.

It is also possible to use closed water systems or alternative cooling methods to avoid water

The tech giants are so concerned about a backlash they recently made a pledge to only use non-drinkable, recycled water so that they replenish more than they consume by 2030.

While this is good in theory, it may not directly impact the communities affected by data centres, with water only replenished in areas where it is easy to do so.

The platform Tu Nube Seca Mi Rio (Your Cloud Dries My River) has now warned data centres could spell ‘devastation’ for Aragon’s agriculture and environment.

“Droughts are frequent and are likely to become more common due to climate change. If authorities do not consider stopping data centres in such situations, they clearly care more about Amazon than the region and its future,” a spokesman told the Olive Press.

In some areas of Spain, locals have already begun to turn against the new technologies, with Lleida, for example, in Catalunya, banning data centres as they ‘do not contribute to the economy’ and ‘consume too much energy and water.’ Spain’s AI boom may promise economic growth, but as data centres guzzle precious water, the question remains - at what cost to the country’s future?

What can I do?

Greater emphasis is needed on how we use not only AI but all digital technologies.

AI accounts for 5% of all use of digital technologies.

Yet ironically we use a lot more energy sending photos on Whatsapp than we do using AI because we do it more often.

A Google search also uses energy, but many more people use it compared to AI.

Try and use the giant tech giants as little as possible and use the simplest technology you can find, if available. Above all try and read books and newspapers to educate yourself more. You’ll take in information in a much deeper way. We promise that.

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Being an Olive Press member also means getting discounts on some of the top restaurants on the costas, as well as chances to win competitions for festivals, concerts and even sports events. In addition we offer chances to win free meals, as well as furniture giveaways.

Registered users can comment on stories and are also sent weekly newsletters on travel, health and property plus a news round-up each Saturday.

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THIRSTY:

LINK: Lope de Vega (left) chose Fuente Ovejuna as a setting for his play, which the townfolk perform every year (below)

GREEN MOVE

MOEVE, formerly Cepsa, has received €303 million from the Spanish government to aid in the first phase of the Andalucian Green Hydrogen Valley in Huelva.

The Onuba Project as it’s called, includes the construction of a green hydrogen production plant. This will lead to an indirect creation of 10,000 jobs. The infrastructure will supply green hydrogen to the company’s own facilities and to third parties.

The move comes in light of the EU Hydrogen Strategy, which aims to accelerate the production of green hydrogen.

Time to cash in

Spain reinstates electric vehicle subsidies for up to €7,000 for private individuals

THE Spanish government has reactivated its EV-subsidy scheme ‘MOVES III’. It has done so retroactively, meaning that the programme restarted at the beginning of 2025. It will run until December 31 of the current year.

Battery-electric and hydrogen cars and plug-in hybrids with an electric range of more than 90 kilometres are subsidised up to €7,000.

PHEVs with an electric range of 30 to 90 kilometres are still eligible for up to €5,000.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

By Dylan Wagemans

Commercial vehicles are eligible for grants of up to €9,000.

What’s important to note is that the grants are for cars not priced above €45,000. The tax break for electric vehicles that was instituted in 2023 will also be extended. This only applies to private individuals and includes a deduction of 15% of income tax on the purchase of electric vehicles.

The maximum deduction that can be claimed is for an amount of €20,000.

As mentioned earlier, the programme is retroactive. This means that people who have bought an electric car so far this year, will also be able to apply for a subsidy.

SEA YA LATER!

THE Junta has released two sea turtles back into the wild after they were rescued by fishermen. ‘Miguelita’ and ‘Macho,’ were reunited with their natural habitat on La Jara beach in Sanlucar de Barrameda.

The two loveable creatures were initially rescued by fishermen as part of the ‘SOS Caretta: Fishermen for Biodiversity’ project, and rehabilitated at the Andalusian Marine Environment Management Center.

The SOS Caretta initiative has rescued 63 turtles since it began off the coasts of Cadiz and Huelva.

1 Venerate (6)

5 Records (6)

8 Couturier --- Saint Laurent (4)

9 How children escaped Czechoslovakia in 1939 (2,5)

10 Algebraic x (7)

11 Old kind of computer drive (1,1,1-1,1)

13 Roman Empire expert (6)

15 Most senior (6)

17 The Gold Coast, once (5)

19 Offence (7)

22 Receive a title in their confusion (7)

23 See 21 Down (4)

24 Intricate network (6)

25 Churchmen (6)

2 Early chopper designer (2,5)

3 “A Doll’s House” playwright (5)

4 Goblin we took apart for rush-hour rudeness (8)

5 Manual alternative (4)

6 Hopped on (7)

7 Fruit sacred in India (5)

12 Inflexible (8)

14 Seats in the park (7)

16 Joins up (5,2)

18 Alpine heroine (5)

20 Arrested (3,2)

21 “... a billboard lovely as a ---” (written by 23 Across) (4)

The government will allocate €400 million to maintain support for the purchase of electric vehicles and the maintenance and construction of charging infrastructure.

MOVES III initially launched in 2021 to strive for a further electrification of the Spanish car network.

Restarted

The programme came to an end in late 2024, and due to initial successes, the government has restarted it. They did so while actively working to get rid of ‘systematic weaknesses’ in the programme.

With the €400 million increase in budget, the total funds allocated to MOVES III come to €1.7 billion.

Back to nature

MARBELLA council has announced an ambitious project to widen and renaturalise the Guadaiza River, aiming to address flood risks, restore ecological balance, and enhance community engagement with nature.

The €2 million initiative comes in response to recent flooding at Cortijo Blanco caused by heavy rains and dam overflows, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable infrastructure improvements.

The renaturalisation project will span 3.5 kilometres of the river, focusing on improving its flow and ecological health. Key measures include removing invasive plant species and replacing them with native flora to restore biodiversity.

The river’s banks will also be enhanced with pathways totaling 1,625 metres, creating accessible spaces for pedestrians while promoting environmental awareness. Bird nesting boxes and observation points will be installed.

LA CULTURA

Holy bust

THE face of Saint Teresa of Avila - one of the most influential figures of Spain's Catholic Church - has been reconstructed in a special bust to mark the 510th anniversary of her birth. Her image has been immortalised by Italian sculptor Bernini in The Ecstasy or a portrait by Rubens, as well as an El Greco wood carving.

General Franco even kept a sculpture of one of her hands on his desk.

Sculptor Jennifer Mann from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Australia has now created what she believes is a lifelike bust of Teresa.

Mann gathered all the existing information about her including body measurements, x-rays, and previous pictorial depictions.

Fallen cross

Giant symbol to stay at controversial Franco-era mausoleum

By Alex Trelinski

SPAIN'S biggest symbol of the fascist Franco era - the Valley of the Fallen cross - will remain according to the country’s Catholic Church.

The 150-metre tall structure will not be taken down as the government seeks to ‘resignify’ the site, according to church spokesperson, Bishop Francisco Cesar Garcia Magan. He admitted that taking it down had been an option but that had now been rejected.

The world's biggest cross stands over the Valley of the Fallen mausoleum situated 50

SPAIN'S Eva Yerbabuena walked away with a prestigious Olivier award at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday. She won the Best Achievement in Dance honour for her show, Yerbaguena she staged twice last year at the Sadler's Wells Theatre.

Eva, 54, is regarded as one of the world’s leading flamenco dancers.

She becomes the second Spaniard to win the same

kms outside Madrid.

The complex was built - mainly through forced labour - in the wake of the Civil War of the late 1930s.

Construction was finished in 1959 and consists of a basilica situated underground in an excavated space in the mountain, the cross, a Benedictine monastery, and a school, Up to 50,000 Spaniards from both sides of the conflict are

Olivier winner

award following in the footsteps of Sara Baras in 2020. Jorge Bosch was nominated for best supporting actor in Kyoto - a political thriller running at the Soho Place Theatre until early May, but lost out to Elliot Levey for his performance in Giant

interred there.

General Franco’s body was exhumed from the site on the orders of the Pedro Sanchez government in 2019 and transferred to a private plot.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the dictators’ death.

Initial plans for ‘resignifying’ the area included de-consecrating the church and closing the monastery.

Talks between Catholic authorities and the government however have ensured that worship will continue and the Benedictine monks will remain.

All religious elements outside the basilica will continue to be ‘respected’ including the cross.

Bishop Garcia pointed out that the deal still has to be finalised despite the government pressing ahead.

He added that he did not know what the timetable is for implementing the changes.

STAYING PUT: The giant cross in the Valley of the Fallen

Sol or Sombra?

As the bullfighting season starts, aficionado

Michael Coy gives some insiders tips on going to see ‘los toros’

THE bullfighting season has arrived, and, if you live in Andalucia, there’s no escaping the buzz.

Sevilla’s iconic ‘cartel’ (poster) is out, marking the official launch on Easter Sunday.

As tradition dictates, Sevilla kicks things off with a 10-day festival of toros, featuring three legendary matadors: Morante, Talavante, and Daniel Luque.

I should point out things are different over in Valencia where the

season started with the region’s Fallas festival last month.

So, you’ve decided to attend a bullfight. What should you know be fore stepping into the ring?

First, avoid buying tickets from a tout. You’ll find plenty of them hang ing around major bullrings like Sevil la’s historic La Maestranza and Las Ventas in Madrid.

If this is your first bullfight, however, you may find yourself in a smaller ring, such as Inca in Mallorca (and there’s a fascinating corrida there on Palm Sunday).

But even in Inca, beware of the ‘scalper’ - they’ve got an eye for tourists and will try to offload overpriced tickets to unsuspecting visitors. The solution? Head to the official ticket office (the taquilla), as even on the evening of the event, it’s rare that a bullfight will sell out, and you’ll avoid being ripped off.

Next, decide: ‘sol’, ‘sombra’, or ‘sol y sombra’?

Sol tickets are budget-friendly, but there’s a catch: you’ll be roasting in the sun for over two hours.

Plus, the matadors have a preference for the shaded areas of the ring, so the bulls will tend to end up there, leaving you squinting and missing much of the action. Sombra tickets, on the other

hand, place you in the shade, offering the best view of the action - but they come at a premium price. Then there’s the sol y sombra option, where you get the best of both worlds: part sun, part shade. Ticket-sellers might ask if you have a preferred ‘tendida’, which refers to the sections or ‘segments’ of the bullring.

If you’re aiming for authenticity, tendida 7 is where the true aficionados sit. Be prepared for some loud cheers, occasional catcalls, and the spirited energy of diehard fans. Now, with your ticket bought, you’ve got an hour to kill before the event begins. The tradition here is that the real

locals won’t be at the ring just yet. They’re all in nearby bars, enjoying a pre-fight drink. If you show up early, don’t be surprised to find yourself surrounded by a sea of foreigners - Spaniards are in no rush. When it’s time to head in, find the gate marked with your ticket details. If the signs aren’t clear, don’t hesitate to ask one of the helpful stewards. They’ll point you in the right direction. Once inside, it’s time for the ul-

It’s time for the ultimate Spanish experience: the ‘cushion dilemma’

timate Spanish experience: the ‘cushion dilemma’. For a few euros, you can rent a charity cushion to soften the hard concrete seating - highly recommended if you want to survive the two-and-a-half-hour ordeal without discomfort. And then the fun begins. A steward will lead you to your ‘fila’ (the row of seats you’re assigned). It’s perfectly fine to tip them for their help, though it’s not obligatory.

IMPORTANCE OF THE RIGHT CHOICE

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GARDEN OF EDEN

Estepona has been transformed over the past decade from sleepy seaside town to the Garden of the Costa del Sol, writes Walter Finch

ONCE a bit of a backwater, Estepona has morphed into a thriving metropolis that rivals Marbella, all while retaining its authentic Andalusian charm.

The town has seen more than €100 million invested in public works since 2011. From new car parks and an athletics stadium to an art gallery and even a skyscraper, the town’s development has been nothing short of ambitious. Now, plans for a retail park and a mega-park promise to take Estepona’s evolution even further.

A modest municipal population of 48,000 in 2003 has exploded to, officially, 75,000 in 2022, a population increase of 56%, and it is likely to be far higher in reality - and it’s definitely still growing. Marbella, in comparison, has grown by just 29% in the same period.

Over a quarter of Estepona’s population (19,000) is foreign, Brits Germans and Scandinavians to the fore.

Estepona is one of the fastest-growing towns in Andalucia for population. Its GDP per capita has spiralled and, it’s clear, the quality of its restaurants and hotels has kept up.

There is a distinct change about the place, in particular, with its emphasis on pedestrians and the demographic of its residents shows a real shift towards the Scandinavian countries.

Like the Vikings, Estepona has rarely stood still. Indeed, since the days of the seafaring Phoenicians - who sailed in and established a colony nearly 3,000 years ago - it has seen numerous influxes of migrants.

Be it the Romans, the Vandals or the Moors - or the Catholic reconquest or pirate raids from Africa in the 18th century - the town has frequently been in a state of flux.

This latest incarnation is driven by wealthy international visitors flocking in all-year round.

The formerly car-clogged roads have been replaced by idyllic outdoor spaces and the colourful flower-filled streets have allowed the resort to retain its image as one of the last ‘authentically’ Spanish resorts left on the costas.

Yet the beauty belies the massive population spurt it has seen, driven by constant the construction of new homes and expansion of the town’s limits.

A modest municipal population of 48,000 in 2003 has exploded to, officially, 75,000 in 2022, a population increase of 56%, and it is likely to be far higher in reality - and it’s definitely still growing. Marbella, in comparison, has grown by just 29% in the same period.

Continues on next page

Photo credit: Jon Clarke

UNSPOILT: The Estepona coastline as seen from the Torre de Casasola, while (inset) two town centre snapshots

From front page

Estepona

TRANSFORMATION TOWN

The arrival of the foreigners has gone hand in hand with the PP ayuntamiento’s ambitions to transform the town - often to the grumbles of the locals.

The greatest recent transformation has been the total redesign of the old N340 highway which went along the beach promenade.

It is now completely cut off with traffic redirected in a, frequently, 15-minute detour around the centre.

It has made for an almost car-free centre, with the final paving stones and flower beds between Avenida de Andalucía and Calle Terraza laid just last month.

The cutting of the ribbon on the new paseo maritimo (or beachfront prom enade) makes it one of the longest in Spain at one and a half ki lometres.

The next phase of the transforma tion is equally ambitious, with the brand new Park Cen tral Boulevard with hundreds of new trees and thousands more plants.

The popular San Lorenzo car park will go, exac erbating the chronic parking problem in the town. However, the town hall in sists this will be remedied by the construction of a new network of underground car parks

across the town costing just one euro a day.

The PP town hall has overseen the transformation, and while it is often viewed as controversial it has certainly made the town into a green paradise as part of the ongoing ‘Estepona, Garden of the Costa del Sol’ project.

Anyone who hasn’t visited for a decade will be forgiven for rubbing their eyes at the sheer number of plants and trees that line the streets.

There are tens of thousands, in fact, probably hundreds of thousands, of flowers bedecking almost every available surface, including the central reservations.

Meanwhile, thousands of potted plants have gone in on every street in the old

The profusion is hard to ignore and very impressive. There have been two new additions to the city’s skyline with a modern and sustainable town hall, and a new 45 metre-high mirador near the port, with an art gallery below.

While the Mirador claims to boast a restaurant and museum, neither is currently in operation, leaving just the view from the top to show for its construction.

Somewhat suspiciously, the building was built by a company called Bonifacio

Solis, whose director of operations is none other than the mayor’s son, Pablo Garcia.

But the allegations of nepotism have never really stuck on his dad Jose Maria Garcia Urbano, who has serenely glided through all the slings and arrows and was comfortably reelected mayor in the most recent elections.

Eyebrows however, do continue to be raised on the mayor’s selection of racy statues (left) that have gone up all around the resort… the most suspicious being an expensive golden one of a couple having sex on a roundabout.

A sculpture park on the outskirts meanwhile, includes a naked woman in the throes of passion.

That said, the once traffic-heavy Avenida España along the beachfront has been subsumed into the newly sedate promenade, dotted with new restaurants, cafes and shops.

Next to it, is easily one of the nicest city beaches in Spain, Playa de la Rada stretching for over 2 kilometres.

Known for its clean, soft sand, crystal-clear waters and excellent facilitiesit has good views towards Gibraltar and Africa on clear days… not to mention numerous beach chiringuitos.

Looking for nightlife, the bright young things flock to the bars and clubs in the port on weekends, where bartenders free-pour drinks according to the ye old Spanish ‘say when’ system.

Louie Louie’s is the perfect spot for a live music set and an enthusiastic crowd getting down.

Or, if you prefer to watch, the Peña Flamenca in the old town puts on fortnightly flamenco shows with renowned performers who come from all over Andalucia. No trip to Estepona would be complete without a visit to the aptly-named, Plaza de las Flores (Flowers Square).

kinds of excursions, including a murals tour (more of which later) and a host of reasonably-priced restaurants and cafes.

Also nestled among the flowers, and spilling out onto Calle Terraza, are a handful of stylish clothes shops, mixing independent and quirky with more famous brands such as Mango.

In this charming hive of activity you will find the tourism office, with maps for all

UPGRADE: The promenade has been much spruced up while the church and

thought to be among the largest in Europe - painted with incredible skill and daring will take you aback.

It’s one of a kind – the only asymmetrical bullring in the world

Strolling around, you won’t help but notice that a number of buildings are decorated with incredible street art, bringing the façade - and the surrounding streets - to life.

Murals as high as the buildings - some

The largest one, by artist Jose Fernández Ríos, depicts a fish on a line covering six separate building façades and measuring almost 100,000 metres squared. Further into the town, past its historic centre head for the exotic glassdomed orchidarium - the largest in Europe.

The futuristic greenhouse is home to more than 8,000 species of orchids, three waterfalls, streams and a butterfly house.

Staff care lovingly for these delicate and beautiful plants, watching them bloom and flower and then fade away every three months, to start the cycle anew.

Another spot worth seeking out, near the port, is the Plaza de Toros, which isn’t the oldest, biggest or best in Spain but it’s one of a kind – the only asymmetrical bullring in the world. Its clever shape was designed to offer spectators more seating in

PORT: The marina area gets lively at night

orchidarium are must visits

the shade than under the hot Spanish sun, and it has hosted numerous sport and cultural events since it opened in 1972.

Just a short hop from the bullring you will find the 20-metre tall Punta Doncella lighthouse, which has been blinking away its light to ships and boats up and down the coast in its present incarnation since 1922.

Oh, and if you are looking for nature

and green spaces, there are plenty of other beaches up along the coast, not to mention excellent tennis clubs, like Forest Hills, plus great golf courses, including El Paraiso, now 50 years old. Back to history, Estepona was officially founded during the golden age of the Caliphate of Cordoba in the 10th century. Destroyed by the conquering Christians in the 15th century and rebuilt by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand

almost a century later, King Philip V granted the town a charter for 600 families in 1728. Compare that to the ever-growing number of residents today, plus the visitors that see the population triple in summer months. And rentals do fill up quickly at this time of year, so book early if you want to discover why Estepona should be number one on your Costa del Sol bucket list.

Estepona

Estepona’s seafaring tradition is the salt adding seasoning to its tourist offer

STILL a working fishing town, much of Estepona’s cash flow surges from the port.

The importance of the maritime trade is obvious at the Ethnographic Museum, which showcases the ancient craft of boat making and the cornucopia of marine life living off this golden coast. Museum guide Mariano Jobreas, who

VINTAGE: Estepona was once a quaint fishing village

moved to the town from Madrid, shows off a wall displaying dozens of complicated knots.

“To become a fisherman you have to learn to tie every single one of these.

“You have to be prepared for all eventualities out at sea,” he says gravely.

The models of fishing boats still in use look so real, he jestingly assures me that the working vessels are much bigger. On a trip to the

HUB: The port is still a hive for fishermen, but also offers a melting-pot of bars and restaurants these days

port Miguel Ferrer Gonzalez explains his boat trips.

“I came here because Estepona is more of a family town,” he beams, explaining that he spends his days sailing around in search of dolphins. It sounds like money for old rope as dolphins aren’t hard to find - beach goers often spot shoals of them frolicking offshore.

“It’s not an office job, and if you like the sea, this is the job for you,” agrees Miguel.

If you’d like a turn at the helm yourself,

the Real Club Nautico houses a sailing and kayak school with a dry dock for sailboats and a nautically-themed restaurant for hungry sailors returning home from the sea.

Estepona is still home to hundreds of working fishing families whose ancestors have been casting their nets here for centuries. Now this great maritime tradition is continued by their offspring who brave the elements to this day to put fresh fish on local dining tables.

HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY (HBOT) AS A KEY TOOL IN POSTOPERATIVE RECOVERY

BENEFITS

• Compensates for poor microcirculation

• Improves immune system

• Reduces inflammation

• Improves healing

• Activates deep repair mechanisms

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is an essential tool in postoperative recovery, especially fordiabetic patients and smokers, who often face serious complications due to poor circulation and a weakened immune system. This therapy, based on inhaling pure oxygen in a pressurized environment, alters the body’s internal conditions, facilitating a faster and safer recovery after surgery.

One of the greatest benefits of HBOT is its ability to compensate for the poor microcirculation commonly found in these patients. The therapy enhances cellular oxygenation by allowing oxygen to reach affected areas more effectively, promoting the healing of damaged tissues.

Additionally, HBOT strengthens the immune system by activating leukocytes and macrophages, reducing the risk of postoperative infections – a crucial factor for the success of any surgical procedure.

HBOT is also key in inflammation modulation, helping to prevent issues such as fibrosis and seroma formation, which is essential for the proper integration of grafts and other implants. Moreover, it improves skin healing, even in high-risk areas, by stimulating collagen production and promoting angiogenesis, the formation of new capillaries.

In cases like osteomyelitis, HBOT increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, improving tissue oxygenation even in areas with poor circulation. It also enhances the effectiveness of antibiotics and improves white blood cell function, facilitating the elimination of resistant bacteria while reducing inflammation and pain.

In summary, hyperbaric oxygen therapy offers multiple advantages in the postoperative recovery of diabetics and smokers, improving oxygenation, strengthening the immune system, and promoting effective wound healing.

Don’t miss the opportunity to access the best technology and results. Your health deserves the best and at HMCE they have it for you.

Contact us today and experience the exclusive treatment that only the Hyperbaric Medical Clinic of Estepona can offer.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Christian Keller

Communications Department HMCE Avda España, 242-29680 Estepona Málaga

tel: 952 806 796 WhatsApp: 663 418 023 comunicacion@centrohiperbarico.com centrohiperbarico.com

OLDEN DAYS: Estepona seafront has changed dramatically

SPILER BEACH CLUB

Reopening April 7th! Open daily from 12:00 to 17:30 for lunch and cocktails.

Relax on a sunbed (from €39), which includes towels, welcome water and access to the pools and gardens – ideal for families. Join us for Paella & Sangria Saturdays, and live music every Sunday from Easter and all summer long!

BALTAZÁR BAR & GRILL

Enjoy a stylish yet cozy dining experience overlooking the pools and gardens.

Serving delicious food from 18:30 to 22:30. Our open kitchen serves incredible meats and the freshest fish, complemented by a superb wine list and stunning cocktails crafted by our mixologist. Live music every Saturday night from Easter!

Kempinski Hotel Bahia

Autovía del Mediterráneo A-7, Km. 1066, Estepona, 29680, Spain

Reservations +34 95 280 9500 | reservations.estepona@kempinski.com

Estepona

HOME FROM HOME

Spain is the furthest you can get from New Zealand, but I’m excited to call Estepona my new home for the year, writes new Olive Press journalist and Kiwi Samantha Mythen (right)

ARRIVING on the Costa del Sol during the rainiest March the province had seen in decades had me questioning my decision to move to Spain.

I had just spent the last two months travelling through the endless sunshine days of South East Asia.

It was 35 degrees in Cambodia but only five degrees in Granada where I began the few two weeks of my year in Spain. I moved so far from home to stay here on a working holiday visa, my main goal being to learn Spanish.

I’d studied the romance language for a year at university but all I could really do confidently was sing the lyrics of Shakira songs. I knew the best place to learn would be here, surrounded by Spanish voices every day.

A journalist by profession, I was keen to continue storytelling, and you’ll be able to find a lot of my stories here at the Olive Press. With a job in hand, I needed a place to call home.

The flat hunt started on Idealista and I joined the local community groups on Facebook.

Estepona stood out to me. Although a quarter of its residents are now foreign, the whitewashed walls of the old town centre felt like Spain was still alive and beating in the fishing village. I came to Spain of course to learn Spanish, not to improve my English. The town has a lingering history of migrants. More than 3000 years ago, the Phoenicians - renowned seafaring traders of the Mediterranean, founded nearby Malaga. There’s evidence they mixed with local tribes. Roman relics, such as Villa Romana de las Torres reveal the later influence from one of the world’s greatest empires. By the 20th century, Estepona had settled into a village made of farmers, weavers and fisherpeople. Now, there’s more than 70,000 inhabitants. Add to that me, a Kiwi migrant, who has travelled here from the opposite side of the world.

The antipode to Estepona is the san-

AROUND THE ESTEPONA AREA

dy-shored Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf of Aotearoa New Zealand. Like Estepona, it’s a popular tourist destination with visitors taking a 30 minute ferry ride over from the mainland. Approximately 80 people live there permanently. Growing up on an island nation, I spent almost every holiday camping at the beach.

My family and I would spend Christmas (summer in New Zealand) at a place called Matauri Bay, not far from Kawau Island. My dad would spend the day fishing and diving and then my mum would turn the fresh seafood into dinner for us.

Even long weekends were spent at the beach. My flat last year in New Zealand’s capital city Pōneke Wellington was a ten minute walk from the sea, and I’d even go for an icy dip in the winter months.

I didn’t realise just how important the ocean was to me until I left the towering historic buildings of Granada and drove over to Estepona to view a few potential flats. As the car rounded over the highway bend and the seaside town, I felt like I could finally breathe easy again, with the endless azure blue horizon stretching out before me. I needed to live by the ocean.

A change from the past few weeks of the grey roofed-sky and continuous rainfall, Estepona was bathed in sunshine. It felt that it was meant to be, like it was showing off its best side just for me.

I spent my first morning wandering through Old Town. I absolutely adore historical architecture, something you do not see a lot of in New Zealand. My country is one of the newest countries in the world, with the oldest surviving European building, the colonial Kemp House, only built in 1822.

Our local indigenous population Māori, pre-colonisation, traditionally lived in wharepuni (sleeping houses) made of timber, rushes and ferns with thatched roofs and earthen floors. These natural buildings fell away as victims of time.

The first thing that struck me about Estepona was how clean the streets were. I was instantly impressed. It felt like those who lived here really cared about their town. They tend to its streets like tending to an abuela, with love, care and attention.

dreamed about sitting on a bench in the sunshine and reading a novel. On some walls I noticed historical notices and poetry written, of course, in Spanish. It´s now my goal to be able to wander those streets again in a year and actually be able to read what they say. Watch this space.

I stopped for a cappuccino at Art Bakery at the Goya and there I met Jakub, the talented barista who is also fairly new to Estepona. He moved to the seaside town from Poland six months ago. The Google reviews for the little bakery nook all mention how friendly he is. He shared some Estepona living ‘secrets’ with me, such as the best grocery shop and some dinner spots to save for later. We ended up chatting for an hour or so as thunder clouds rolled in and back came the rain keeping me huddling inside.

Once the rain had passed, I strolled along the esplanade, a spinach empanada in hand, looking out across the ocean. I screwed my eyes up tight and searched for any sight of Africa. I’m excited to learn more about the Arabic influence on Spain’s southern coast and hopefully will take the ferry over to Morocco for one weekend too.

They tend to its streets like tending to a well-loved abuela

The one piece of plastic I saw blowing down the road, I quickly cleared away into the bin. Workers were strolling the streets with me, either wielding a leaf-blower or rubbish grabber in their hands.

My favourite part about the Old Town were the colourful pots lining the whitewashed walls, with blooming flowers spilling over the sides. As I ambled through one plaza after another, I day

This is my first time in Andalucia. The first time I ever stepped foot in Spain was in 2022. I spent a week in Barcelona in hot sticky July, and then an autumn weekend in the Basque country, visiting my Kiwi friend who was teaching English in Bilbao. It feels good to be back, to be chasing down a bucket list dream to learn Spanish and experience all the seasons here.

Even the rain couldn’t take away Estepona’s charm. That evening, I stopped by Restaurante Asiatico Long, a local restaurant run by a sweet family originally from China. Their ten-year-old son practiced English with me and I practiced my Spanish with him. They served mapo tofu, a favourite dish of mine that originated from China’s Sichuan province, a place notoriously known for its spice. It felt homely to have dinner with migrants also from the other side of the world. I wondered what it was like to live

in Spain so different in culture and language to China. After dinner, I walked back over to the esplanade and found a seat outside to relax in the evening air and sipped on tinto de verano for dessert. As the days get lighter, longer and warmer with summer on its way, I cannot wait to swim in the ocean’s arms. While friends back home are buying houses and settling down, I feel pretty lucky to be able to hang out in Spain. Who knows when I’d get the chance to do something like this the older I get. Estepona definitely feels like a place I could call home for the year.

HISTORY: The tower in Guadalmansa and next door Roman villa

PRIDE: The locals really look after their streets

BACK ON THE BEACH: Samantha loves living by Estepona’s La Rada beach

Credit: Walter Finch

GIVE IT A GOGH!

Immersive art show set to wow crowds this summer!

By Dilip Kuner

ART lovers, get ready for a spectacular Van Gogh extravaganza which is set to take over Estepona this summer.

The Van Gogh: Greatest Hits immersive exhibition will light up the Palacio de Congresos from June 5 to September 21, offering visitors the chance to step right inside the world of the tortured Dutch genius.

With 40 projectors, a multi-screen digital setup and cutting-edge tech, this isn’t just an art show – it’s a sensory adventure.

Images of Van Gogh’s masterpieces will burst into motion, towering up to six metres high and surrounding

visitors in a 360-degree explosion of colour and sound.

Night shimmering around you, Sunflowers blooming before your eyes, and Van Gogh’s famous self-portrait staring right back at you. Using state-ofthe-art holographics, kinetic visuals, and morphing 3D effects, this spectacle breathes

new life into the Dutch master’s work, making the experience as electrifying as it is emotional. It’s not just about pretty pictures, either – Van Gogh: Greatest Hits delves deep into the artist’s tormented soul, offering fascinating insights into his tragic life.

Penniless

Fans will learn how this once-ignored painter, who struggled with mental illness and died penniless, went on to create some of the world’s most expensive and beloved artworks.

For more details and ticket sales head to www.van-gogh.es

DESIGNS - RE-MODELLING - CREATIONS

After working for many years in Paris (France) for high-end jewellery brands, they move to Estepona where they have opened their own jewellery store and workshop. They can fix all kinds of jewellery, design your ideas and make exclusive jewellery for you. If you are looking for a reliable jeweller, do not hesitate, they are what you are looking for.

DISEÑOS - FABRICACIONES - CREACIONES

www.joyeriaesquivelymoreno.com

Castillo 9, Estepona, Málaga

Think Starry

OLD BUT GOLD

BACK in 2018, a group of football-loving expats found themselves playing with another club - but something just didn’t click.

Determined to take the beautiful game into their own hands, they decided to form a team built on friendship, passion, and a shared love for football.

And so, Estepona Old Boys was born.

One of the players stepped up to take on the role of manager, and with everyone united behind the vision, the club began to grow rapidly.

Word spread, new faces joined, and before long, they had enough players to create not one, but two full teams. Today, the Estepona Old Boys are thriving, with two dedicated squads - an over 35s team and an over 50s team, fondly nicknamed ‘The Codgers’.

At the heart of the club is a strong sense of camaraderie and community.

Matches are held at least once a week, often mixing the two squads, and the team loves welcoming visiting sides from the UK, Portugal, and the Netherlands for friendly fixtures.

The Codgers are especially well-travelled, heading out on biannual tours, the most recent of which saw them return from the Algarve with a trophy in hand.

More than just a football club, the Estepona Old Boys is a hub of fun, friendship, and unforgettable memories. Whether it’s a kickabout on a sunny afternoon or a weekend away competing abroad, the team always has its eyes on the next adventure.

Pollo de la Mar Tel: +34 623 74 11 81

Avenida Braille, Local 30, Estepona

BARDS OF ESTEPONA

INTERNATIONAL poetry competition Ciudad de Estepona has smashed records in its fifth edition, with 2,321 entries – nearly 300 more than last year.

In just a few years the competition has already cemented itself as one of the most prestigious literary contests in Spain.

This flood of entries highlights its growing status and popularity among poets worldwide.

The contest, which was launched by Estepona Town Hall in 2021, continues to attract submissions from across Spain, Latin America, and Europe.

With a cash prize of €7,000, the competition has become a coveted accolade for Span-

Call us to reserve your chicken!

Poetry festival breaks record as it gets bigger and bigger

ish-language poets. But the real jewel in the crown? The winning work will be published by the prestigious Pre-Textos publishing house, which boasts literary heavyweights such as Francisco Brines (Cervantes Prize 2020), Anne Carson (pectured left, Princess of Asturias Award for Literature 2020), and Nobel laureate Louise Glück among its authors.

Estepona’s mayor, Jose Maria GarcIa Urbano, said: “We are proud to support the literary arts and provide a platform for creative talent.”

Meanwhile, the competition’s director, poet and writer Alejandro Simon Partal, called it ‘one of the most sought-after poetry prizes for Spanish-language writers across the globe’.

He added that the award goes beyond the prize itself, as the city hosts educational

activities and literary events to bring poetry to the streets and encourage reading.

With submissions now closed, the judging panel will begin the challenging task of selecting a winner, who will be announced on May 8 at the Felipe VI Auditorium.

and composer

Free tickets will be available from April 21 at the

TOpen everyday 12:00 - 22:00

TUESDAYS

seekers and climbing enthusiasts flock to Estepona to tackle what is Spain's largest outdoor climbing wall, the Rocodromo Located within the Parque Ferial, Deportivo y de Ocio Permanente, this state-of-theart facility caters to every type of climber, from complete beginners to seasoned pros.

Whether you are looking to test your speed, tackle a challenging climb, or try your hand at bouldering, this place has it all!

Spanning an enormous 662 square me tres, the Rocodromo is divided into spe cialised zones: 115 m² for speed climbing, 363 m² for more challenging ascents, and 184 m² dedicated to bouldering. Its impressive design makes it the perfect venue for both casual climbers and elite athletes, even hosting national and in ternational competitions.

The structure is a 3D-modelled, high-pressure wall, supported by a massive 130-ton steel framework,

Aiming for the

which provides an authentic rock-climbing experience in a safe and controlled environment.

Climbing sessions at the Rocodromo are run by the Grupo de Montana de Estepona (GRUME), which offers courses and workshops for all levels.

Whether you are a total beginner or looking to refine your skills,

The event will feature a special performance of La Travesía by renowned artist Martirio, accompanied by musician

Raúl Rodríguez.

Centro Cultural Mirador del Carmen.

POET OF ESTEPONA: Alejandro Simon Partal (left), while Luis Alberto de Cuenca is one of the famous writers published by Pre-Textos

POETRY IN ACTION: Martirio and Raul Rodriguez will perform

HRILL

Estepona Old Boys: United by Football, Driven by Fun

Great experience

At The Experience Group, we understand that choosing the right real estate agency to list your property can be a daunting task, given the wide array of options available. However, with over 55 years of experience in the Costa del Sol

market, we stand apart from the majority of agencies. Real estate has been our core business for decades, allowing us to develop unparalleled expertise in every facet of the industry. From accurate valuations to seamless listings and smooth completions, our dedicated team is here to guide and support you at every stage of the process.

Additionally, as part of a robust network comprising over 600 collaborating agencies, we offer unmatched exposure for your property.

Whether you’re selling or buying, this extensive network ensures maximum visibility and access to one of the world’s most sought-after real estate markets. With The Experience Group, your property journey is in trusted hands.

The property market is particularly buoyant at the moment, so for a no obligation assessment of the market value of your property, please visit our office in Benavista, call or WhatsApp on +34 661 371 168 or email Ian directly on ian@exgspain.com

We recently received THE TOP AWARD as ‘TOP INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS’ on the Costa del Sol Our services and products list is extensive, so if you are a home owner here, you need our services: EVERYTHING YOU COULD NEED FOR YOUR HOME! Our highly qualified experience teams are here for you to utilise, as we have been doing for thousands of clients in the last 55 years.

JUST CALL +34 952 883 168, ITS AS SIMPLE AS THAT.

MEET THE TEAM: The Experience Group staff are friendly and professional

Estepona

A rising star on the Costa del Sol

ONCE a quiet fishing village, Estepona has transformed into a thriving cultural and travel hub. With a population nearing 79,000 in 2024, the city has retained its Andalucian charm while embracing modernisation through strategic infrastructure upgrades, cultural projects, and beautification efforts.

Estepona’s leadership has spearheaded significant urban renewal projects, including the pedestrianization of over 130 streets in the Old Town and waterfront areas. These efforts have enhanced the city’s appeal with potted flowers, shaded walkways, and improved public spaces. Two major revitalization projects are underway: the remodeling of Calle Terraza and the transformation of San Lorenzo Boulevard into a 22,000-square-meter pedestrian zone connected to the Old Town.

Cultural initiatives have also flourished. Estepona boasts a Poetry Walk and Murals Walk featuring over 60 large-scale artworks. The Mirador del Carmen Arts and

Property Insider Adam Neale casts his eye on Estepona with his latest market report

Cultural Centre is already enriching the city’s cultural landscape, while the forthcoming Starlite Music World—a €286 million project—will host up to 15,000 attendees at year-round events.

Estepona’s efforts were recognised in 2023 when it was named Europe’s second-best city by the Academy of Urbanism.

TOURISM BOOM: HOTELS, DINING, AND FESTIVALS

The city’s hospitality sector is thriving, with new luxury hotels such as Mett Hotel & Beach Resort, Hotel Silken Maravilla Palace, and The Old Town Boutique Hotel opening recently or under development. Estepona will also welcome two new Croma HM Hoteles properties and a $40 million luxury hotel project by Unicorn Royal Emirates. Globalia Group has proposed additional developments worth €780 million, including a 1,400-room hotel.

Estepona’s culinary scene is equally vibrant. The Michelin-recognized El Palangre Seafood Restaurant set a high standard for gourmet dining

in the city. In 2024, the Mercado de Abastos was transformed into a gastronomic hub under Michelin-starred chef Robin Hall. The upcoming Eva Estepona beach club promises to further elevate the dining expe rience in 2025. The city is also positioning itself as an entertainment destination with events like the Boombastic Music Festival in July and the World Ham Com petition in August.

as a favorite. The city enjoys an enviable Mediterranean climate with 325 sunny days annually and mild winters.

These qualities have made Estepona increasingly attractive to tourists and investors alike. Its real estate market is booming, with property prices rising by 16.54% in 2024 to an average of €4,017 per square metremore affordable than nearby Marbella but growing at a faster rate.

NATURAL BEAUTY MEETS MODERN APPEAL

Estepona’s natural assets include 17 beaches spanning 21 kilometers, with Playa de la Rada—a pristine Blue Flag beach - standing out

• Sunday Roasts

• 2 for 1 Fridays

• Menu del Día

• Party Nights

• Markets

REAL ESTATE MARKET TRENDS

Estepona is emerging from Marbella’s shadow as a luxury destination with its own unique identity. While Marbella remains synonymous with high-net-worth individuals purchasing lavish estates, Estepona appeals to those seeking quality investments at more accessible price points.

Rental prices have surged near-

The Property Insider

by Adam Neale

ly 80% since 2021, reaching €16.99 per square meter by late 2024. This trend reflects strong demand for both long-term rentals and lucrative vacation properties. However, prospective investors should be mindful of potential regulations on shortterm rentals.

Population growth further underscores Estepona’s dynamism. The city grew by approximately 4.6% annually in recent years, driven largely by foreign nationals who now make up 27% of its residents.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

With declining interest rates and reforms in Andalucia’s planning laws expected to spur construction activity, Estepona is poised for continued growth. New luxury developments like Tyrian beachfront villas and Rafael Nadal-backed Palya Invest projects highlight its rising status as a premier destination for second homes and investment properties. As Estepona continues to evolve with a blend of tradition and modernity, it offers compelling opportunities for residents, tourists, and investors alike - solidifying its place as one of the Costa del Sol’s most promising cities.

The Sun Inn is on the rise

Family-run restaurant known for offering great food at great prices is becoming a social hub

LOOKING for a fun, family-friendly spot to eat and enjoy some drinks? Look no further! Nestled in the hills just outside Estepona, you’ll find The Sun Inn El Padron.

The Sun Inn is a cozy, family-run restaurant known for offering great food at great prices. They want to become a hub for the local community, which is why they’re open year-round, with extended hours during the summer months.

“At the moment, we’re closed on Mondays, but our goal is to be open every day in the future,” says Kaydi, one of the owners. Planning to visit by car? Parking is no problem, as there’s a spacious car park right out front. The restaurant also boasts a large terrace, plenty of outdoor seating, and a kids’ playground. Don’t miss the threecourse Menu del Día,

which includes bread and a beverage for just €13. The menu changes weekly, so there’s always something new to try.

The Sun Inn frequently hosts special events. For example, on April 12, they’re throwing a 70’s & 80’s party - but act fast, as tables are limited.

On Saturday, April 26, they’ll host a Charity Fun Day to support Asociación Gatos y Amigos for helping local cats in need.

The Charity Fun Day will feature pony rides, Easter-themed kids’ hunts with prizes, market stalls selling unique products, BBQ, and, of course, plenty of great food, drinks, and music.

To stay updated on upcoming events, be sure to follow The Sun Inn on Facebook and Instagram @thesuninnelpadron.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday, with a special menu available every Sunday. Happy Hour is every Friday from 4pm to 6pm, followed by a two-for-one offer on special menus from 6pm to 9pm.

Find The Sun Inn El Padron at Camino de Montesol in Estepona. Set your GPS and get ready for a fantastic experience!

EXTRAVAGANZA

Strolling along the cobble-stoned streets of Estepona is like visiting a fairytale seaside village. The whitewashed walls of the old town are adorned with colourful pots blooming with spring flowers.

Cosy plazas feature perfect places to sit and people watch in the sunshine, the air filled with the zesty scent of the citrus trees, which line the squares.

This lively pueblo has many cultural and social events running throughout the year. Here are some events to mark in your calendar:

There is so much going on in Estepona around the year

TRADITIONAL SPANISH FESTIVALS

Semana Santa Holy Week, is celebrated over Easter. Expect to see a pro cession of two different floats over the five days,

accompanied by live mu-

On the first weekend of May is Las Cruces de Mayo where tall crosses are decorated throughout the pueblo. Expect lots of food, drink, dancing, music and more merriment. The City Council has organised a competition for the best decoration of the May Cross. Register before April 12. You can get an official timetable for the event from the Tourist Office in the Plaza de las

For several days leading up to May 15, images of San Isidro, Estepona´s male Patron Saint, and of Nuestra Senora

del Carmen, Queen of the Sea will be paraded down the streets and up to the Fairground. Admire altars to the ploughman saint set up in Old Town with locals competing for

‘Best Decorated Altar’ prizes. Bonfires will light up the beach on June 23 as the longest day of the year, San Juan is celebrated with summer begin ning. The local fish ermen of the vil lage will celebrate their patron saint Virgen del Carmen on July 16. The ceremony centres around the Saint´s main church, while down by the fishing port, the community gathers for games.

Boombastic Costa

Del Sol is a three day music festi val being held at Parque Ferial de Estepona from July 24-26. The line up features artists Melendi, Steve Aoki, Maria Becerra and

HAM OFF THE BONE

restaurant. Andy flows at the Statue Park and Zinzi Yoga hosts lessons at Paseo Maritimo or Playa del Cristo.

LEARN ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY

See young people scrambling along a greasy fishing pole above the sea, attempting to grab hold of the Anda lucian flag at the end.

SUMMER FAIR

The annual Estepona summer fair takes place in the first week of July featuring day and night activities at Parque Ferial de Estepo na. You will see some locals dolled up in traditional garb.

Estepona is home to the prestigious world ham contest where more than 100 ham carvers from around the world descend on the village in early August.

It’s a great time to plan a picnic lunch paired with a ham and cheese sandwich.

Enjoy moving meditation by the seaside with many instructors holding morning classes in the village. Didem from Arching Cat Yoga hosts classes by Tikitano

From April 11 until May 11, learn how the nervous, muscular, skeletal, circulatory, digestive, reproductive, and respiratory systems work at this global exhibition which has made its way to Estepona. See real bodies preserved with cutting-edge technology.

FIESTA IN THE FISHING VILLAGE

YOGA IN THE SUN

LA CULTURA

But hold on - what if the old guy in the beret is sitting in your spot?

This is all part of the spectacle. In Spain, personal space is a foreign concept, and within seconds, the crowd will be up in arms, debating whether the beret-wearing man or you deserves the seat.

Don’t expect a quick resolution. When the old chap realizes you’re not going to back down, he’ll shuffle off, and you can finally settle in.

As you catch your breath, ensuring you’ve got your white linen handkerchief on hand, you’ll find that the real action hasn’t even started yet. Just another part of the unique charm of the bullfighting experience!

T is a name that resonates around the bullrings of Spain.

Simply known as El Fandi, David Fandila, is a 43-year-old, Granada-born matador who remains one of the most electrifying figures in the world of bullfighting - a true granadino de pura cepa (Granada lad through and through).

If you haven’t witnessed his daring artistry yet, now might be your last chance.

Catch him in Sevilla on Wednesday, April 30, or during Granada’s feria in mid-June. Why do bullfighters adopt nicknames? In Andalucia, names like Juan, Javier, or Manuel

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

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Pure blood I

The

‘reckless’ youth who became a torero legend

are so common that standing out requires a moniker with flair.

Take the legendary Manolete - his real name was Manuel Rodriguez, essentially the Span ish equivalent of John Smith.

Enter El Fandi, a name as distinctive as his style. Bursting onto the scene in the mid-90s as a teenage novillero (rookie bullfighter), El Fandi could have taken a very different path. He was once a star skier, his agility honed on snowy slopes serving him well in the bullring. But his choice wasn’t about fame or spectacle - it was about courage. “To face a bull without fear is nothing,” say the old masters. “To face it despite fear—that’s something.”

Yet El Fandi seems to defy this wisdom, showing no trace of fear at all. His daring is legendary. In 2012, during a hometown fight in

Granada, El Fandi took on all six bulls himself - a feat typically shared among three matadors. Gored in the stomach by the third bull, he refused to back down. After being stitched up, he returned to finish the fight.

El Fandi also revolutionised tradition by placing the banderillas (decorative sticks) himself - a task usually reserved for assistants. His speed and footwork are unmatched; he’s faster running backward than most people sprinting forward.

Early critics feared he might become a tremendista, prioritising flashy theatrics over skill. But he silenced doubters by proving himself not just as a performer but as a master of his craft. Today, he’s even respected as a bull breeder.

With El Fandi in action, expect breathtaking agility and fearless showmanship that leave audiences spellbound.

Whether you’re seated on your rented cushion or swept up in the fervor of the crowd, one thing is certain: this is more than just a performance - it’s history in motion.

Ready? Vamonos

DEATH DEFYING: El Fandi used to be a skier

SWARM WARNING Alzheimer’s hope Mornings only

HEALTH chiefs have issued an urgent alert as swarms of potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes are expected to explode following a stormsoaked March.

Relentless downpours from storms Jana, Konrad, Laurence and Martinho have left pools of stagnant water – the perfect breeding ground for mozzies. Now, with temperatures rising fast, experts say it's a ticking time bomb.

Early signs of increased mosquito activity have already been reported, especially in wetland and coastal areas. The Junta has updated its West Nile Virus (WNV) risk map, placing hotspots like Sevilla, Cadiz, Huelva and even Tarifa on high alert.

The virus, spread by bites, can cause serious illness – even brain inflammation – especially in the elderly or those with health conditions.

Locals are urged to dump standing water, use citronella, lemon oils, and have antihistamine creams at the ready.

By Alex Trelinski

DRINKING coffee brings positive health benefits, so long as you drink it at the right time of day - and in moderation Its benefits depend on things like how much you drink, your age, being biologically male or female, medicine you take, and even your genes.

Some plus sides are linked to caffeine, while other com ponents of cof fee will also bring health pluses. Evidence shows that the chances of getting Parkin -

Coffee is good for you - at the right time of day

HEALTHY MOVE

MOVING to Spain could be good for you.

New research has found that people who spend a lot of time in colder countries - especially during the winter - tend to have higher levels of brown fat in their bodies.

This is a special type of body fat that burns calories to generate heat and keep us warm.

THE Valencia region, in recent years, has become a magnet for expats, tourists, digital nomads, and retirees, offering a harmonious blend of cultural charm, modern amenities and breathtaking coastlines.

Many are drawn to the Costa Blanca for its coastal allure, or Valencia city and its history and energy.

However, for those willing to venture inland and who have a deep appreciation for nature and tranquility, the Requena-Utiel region presents a captivating alternative.

Less than an hour inland from Valencia city, this magical little-visited region is renowned for its high mountain peaks and rolling wine country, and it even has its own Natural park.

Full of vineyards (among Valencia’s best) and wonderful places to eat, it also counts on excellent outdoor activities and festivals that showcase its deep cultural richness.

Here, American expat Layi Ali, who settled here with his wife two years ago, picks out his top five reasons to visit:

1. Wine Tourism and the Excellence of Las Ocho

The Requena-Utiel region is steeped in viticulture, with a winemaking heritage spanning nearly 3,000 years. The area is particularly celebrated for the Bobal grape, native to the region and responsible for producing distinctive, high-quality wines. Visitors

son's disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimers's disease, as well as severe liver and kidney problems are reduced.

But cardiologist Aurelio Rojas believes that all of the benefits could be wasted if coffee is drunk at the wrong time.

He says on his social media channel that drinking coffee lat -

Researchers found that people living in colder conditions burned more brown fat than those in warmer climates. Cold temperatures appear to affect both how fat behaves and how the body processes energy. According to a Japanese study involving over 500 participants, people exposed to colder climates had a 5.8% higher total energy expenditure compared to those in milder environments.

er in the day will have negative metabolic effects and cause sleep problems. Rojas also suggests that drinking it all day is somewhat counterproductive and that the key time to enjoy it is in the morning.

He referred to a European Heart Journal study which showed drinking coffee in the morning cut the chance of death from heart issues by up to 31% while premature deaths fell by 17%.

The research says that drinking coffee at other times alters circadian rhythms and counters melatonin and cortisol which are two important hormones for staying awake and hav -

GO WEST!

can explore dozens of vineyards each with their unique history and wine-making traditions.

Many offer guided wine-tasting ses sions led by owners who have cen turies of deep knowledge of winemaking that has been passed down over the gen erations.

One of the standout wines from the region is Las Ocho from Bodega Chozas Carrascal in Requena.

This exquisite blend, featuring eight different grape varieties, represents the pinnacle of winemaking in the area.

2. Outdoor Adventures

Aged to perfection, Las Ocho offers a complex and elegant profile, making it a must-try for any wine enthusiast. The winery itself provides a top-tier tasting experience, where visitors can learn about the meticulous production process that makes this wine so special. Notable wineries such as MurviedroBodega Histórica and Pago de Tharsys also offer immersive experiences, including tours of historic underground cellars and tastings of their finest selections.

The region is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. The Hoces de Cabriel Natural Park (right), for instance, offers breathtaking landscapes ideal for hiking, cycling, and bird-watching.

The park's diverse terrain includes deep gorges carved by the Cabriel River, dense forests, and expansive meadows, providing a serene backdrop for nature walks and picnics.

The park is also renowned for its place in Spanish history because it’s also home to numerous bunkers that were built during the Spanish civil war.

For those seeking more adrenaline-fueled activities, the area's rivers and reservoirs are perfect for kayaking, rafting, and fishing.

Local adventure tourism companies cater to both novices and seasoned adventurers, ensuring safe and memorable experiences.

One of the unique highlights of exploring the region is the chance to encounter cabras montesas, the mountain goats that are the true kings of these peaks.

ing a good sleep.

Later drinking also raises blood pressure and the chance of inflammation, resulting in potential heart problems.

Aurelio Rojas said: “It seems that people who drink coffee only in the morning have a longer life expectancy and a lower probability of suffering a heart attack.”

He also said that he was surprised to see social media postings from people recommending coffee drinking later in the day.

“This would have a higher chance of raising stress levels, and therefore stopping proper rest,” he added.

The Olive Press offers five good reasons to visit this hidden inland region of Valencia

3. Cultural Experiences

The towns of Requena and Utiel are rich in history and culture.

Strolling through their medieval quarters, visitors can admire well-preserved architecture, ancient churches, and charming plazas.

The Cuevas de la Villa, in Requena, is a network of underground caves, offering a glimpse into the town's storied past, having served various purposes from wine storage to refuge during conflicts. In particular the town’s Grape

RESEARCHERS from the University of Barcelona have made a breakthrough in producing a drug for Alzheimer's sufferers after testing it on mice.

Though the disease is incurable, most of the current drugs used have a limited impact in its early stages.

Over 800,000 people in Spain have Alzheimer’s and the Barcelona research has come up with a drug that has neuro-protective and anti-inflammatory benefits.

The patent has been licensed to a pharmaceutical firm so that human trials can begin to get approval for the drug to be used.

The study is the culmination of seven years of research in which researchers have used a new approach, based on the inflammatory processes that contribute to triggering the disease and modulating its progression.

Barcelona team member, Santiago Vazquez, said: “This drug could help preserve neuronal function and reduce neuronal death associated with Alzheimer's disease.”

Harvest Festival in late August sees locals and visitors come together to celebrate the bounty of the grape harvests with music, dance, and, of course, wine.

4. Culinary Experience

No visit to the Requena-Utiel region would be complete without indulging in its culinary offerings.

The local cuisine features traditional dishes like ajoarriero (a flavorful blend of cod and garlic), casseroled rice, and hearty stews.

Many wineries complement their tastings with local cheeses and cured meats, providing a holistic gastronomic experience.

5. Rest and Relaxation

Whether exploring the nearby natural parks, visiting the region’s wineries, or simply enjoying the slow pace of village life, guests will find that every moment at the wonderful expat-run Hotel Raimblanc, which is infused with warmth and authenticity. The attentive team ensure a personalized experience, offering packages for local excursions and hidden gems. As the sun sets over the rolling vineyards, you will love relaxing by the fireplace in the lounge or in its restaurant savouring a glass of local wine and enjoying a delicious dinner, while recounting the day’s adventures.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Easy access

GATWICK Airport has introduced advanced computed tomography (CT) scanners across all 19 security lanes.

Travelers no longer need to remove electronics or place liquids in plastic bags during security checks.

Liquids can now remain in hand luggage if contained in bottles up to 100ml, streamlining the process while reducing single-use plastic waste.

Cyrus Dana, Head of Security at Gatwick, praised the upgrade as a ‘positive change’, ensuring smoother and safer travel.

GETTING A PASS

THE Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has launched new free Renfe and bus passes for May and June 2025.

Frequent travelers can apply from April 8 for bimonthly tickets valid on Cercanias, Rodalies, and Media Distancia trains via Renfe’s app, website, or ticket machines.

A deposit of €10 or €20 is required, now refundable after only eight trips instead of 16. In Asturias and Cantabria, passes remain valid for four months.

Free passes for state-run buses will be available later in April. In Andalucia, these offers combine with regional subsidies, reducing public transport costs by up to 50%.

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

HERE WE GO AGAIN

AN expat has issued a jellyfish warning to holidaymakers in Estepona after multiple Portuguese Men o’War washed up on a beach in Estepona. In the past few weeks, expats along the Costa del Sol have been issuing stark warnings after the jellyfish arrived

along the coastline. Now, four of the creatures have been snapped in Estepona, prompting concern from locals. The specimens were spotted in front of the town’s Grand Elba Hotel, Aldea beach and the area between Alcaidesa and Santa Margarita.

Taking the pi**

Airport wants

to make passengers

show their

boarding pass to use toilets as it grapples with 500 people living in the terminals

PASSENGERS flying through Madrid’s Barajas Airport may soon need more than just a sense of urgency to access the loo – they’ll need their boarding pass, too.

Airport operator Aena has launched a controversial pilot scheme requiring travellers to scan their boarding pass to unlock bathroom doors.

The system is currently being trialled in a family toilet in Terminal 4, with plans to expand across the airport if successful.

The move, officials claim, is aimed at keeping facilities in ‘optimal condition’ and limiting access to bona fide passengers. But critics say it’s another example of unnecessary

By Walter Finch

airport red tape – and could cause delays or stress for passengers in need. Sources close to Aena say the high-tech loos are part of wider efforts to modernise services and ensure toilets are clean, secure, and well-maintained. But the timing has raised eyebrows. Barajas Airport has recently come under scrutiny after a rise in the number of people living inside its terminals –with estimates putting the figure at around 500. In March, a 60-year-old undocumented man tragically died at the airport, throwing the issue into

the spotlight. While Aena insists the boarding pass bathroom system is purely about passenger experience, critics argue it's part of a wider clampdown on vul-

nerable groups using airport facilities as shelter.

For now, passengers should hold onto their boarding pass – it might just be their ticket to a toilet break.

New routes are announced

EASYJET has launched new summer routes from Leeds Bradford Airport to two popular Spanish destinations. Affordable getaways to Palma de Mallorca and Malaga are now available from the northern airport.

Flights to Palma begin on April 9 and run every Wednesday and Sunday, with extra services added on Mondays and Fridays from June 2.

Flights to Malaga currently operate weekly on Wednesdays, with Sunday flights starting June 1.

One-way fares begin at just £23, making it easier than ever for travellers to swap Yorkshire for the Spanish sun. The new routes are expected to boost tourism between northern England and southern Spain. Meanwhile Ryanair announced that it has started flying from its new summer destinations to Malaga airport.

Flights have started from Teesside in the UK, Lubeck and Munster in Germany and from Warsaw in Poland. This summer, Ryanair will operate 90 flights to and from Malaga airport. By announcing these new routes, Ryanair said it wants to ‘offer customers more options at the lowest rates when booking their new summer holidays’.

HOMELESS: Hundreds who live at the airport would be locked out

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

THE road unfurls before me, a silky black ribbon of tarmac meandering through a living painting of a landscape.

Rolling hills, cloaked in a pattern of shimmering silver-green olive groves, stretch out to the horizon. The gangly tree limbs reaching up to the Andalucian sun.

I turn my face towards the sky too and feel the soft spring warmth on my cheeks.

Have bike, will travel

Moving to a new job at the Olive Press, kiwi journalist Samantha Mythen takes the scenic route on two wheels from Granada to the Costa del Sol

hillsides, peeking out across the valley. Their terracotta roofs glow in the morning light.

Behind me, Granada’s historic grandeur has already faded, its labyrinthine alleys and towering Moorish relics now just a memory.

In a week, the charm had turned to claustrophobia, the narrow streets blocking out the generous spring sunshine.

But now, I am free. I am moving to Estepona and a job at the Olive Press

and rather than taking the bus - a quick, forgettable three hours - I have chosen the challenging, rather richer route: Nearly 300 kilometres of back roads in three days, just me, my bike, and the open road.

With Lujar set as my first destination, I set off, my wheels humming beneath me.

The city fades behind me as I follow a bike path out of Granada, soon trading smooth pavement for the unpredictable embrace of an olive grove

Whitewashed villages perch on the trail.

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Rocks and ruts conspire against my road bike, its tyres only just managing the challenge.

At one point, I heave my bike across a shallow stream, its clear waters gurgling in amusement at

my struggle.

Not exactly the smooth ride I envisioned, but this is what adventure looks like.

The first stop is Cafetería La Chula in Durcal, in the stunning Lecrin Valley, just under two hours away.

I am now in true Olive Press territory, with the paper regularly arriving in this pretty village.

Breakfast is a feast fit for a long day in the saddle: jamon, sliced straight off the bone, draped over toasted bread rubbed with ripe tomato, alongside a second helping topped with creamy avocado.

The waitress chuckles at my appetite, and in my broken Spanish, I explain that a big day demands big fuel. A café con leche fortifies me further as I roll on to the supermarket, where I

stock up on essentials - fruit, protein bars, nuts, and an oversized bag of Haribo sweets, my secret weapon against fatigue.

The next stretch is a gift. For five blissful kilometres, I coast downhill on an old paved road running parallel to the A-44.

It feels like my own private highway, the absence of cars making it even sweeter. But, inevitably, the climb begins.

The A-348 snakes its way into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, guiding me through the postcard-perfect villages of firstly Lanjaron, then Las Barreras, and, finally, Orgiva, where the story of my new job, first began (entirely unbeknown to me, I hasten to add, but the Olive Press was founded here).

Whitewashed houses with wroughtiron balconies cling to the mountainside, their flower pots bursting with fuchsia and crimson geraniums. A cool mountain breeze drifts down from the snow-capped peaks above, refreshing but also whispering of the challenge ahead.

A ‘shortcut’ lures me off the main road, but first, I pause for lunch. Settling among the grassy slopes, I glance back at the valley I conquered this morning.

The villages now sit far below me, their tiled rooftops a patchwork of earthy reds and oranges. I breathe in deeply, savouring the quiet joy of being here.

When you’re bikepacking, life distills into its simplest form: move forward, eat, rest, repeat. Having left my homeland of Aotearoa, New Zealand to start fresh in Spain, the weight of

FUELLED: Pizza, beer and supermarket snacks powered the journey

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

change lingers in my thoughts. But here, on the road, it all melts away. That peace, however, is short-lived. Ahead, the road writhes its way uphill, a serpentine stretch that promises two hours of slow-motion suf

loom above me, the sheer scale of the landscape making me feel deliciously insignificant.

When I finally spot smooth black pavement ahead - gleaming as if freshly laid - I could kiss it.

My supposed ‘shortcut’ turns out to be an hour-long descent on a gravel-strewn nightmare of a road.

My hands ache from gripping the brakes as I navigate through a gauntlet of jagged rocks. Towering cliffs

The last push to Lujar is short but steep, my tired legs protesting every turn of the pedals. The village is still, its narrow streets bathed in golden evening light and at the Albergue I have the eightbed dorm to myself - a luxury after such a grueling day. Dinner is a pizza, its crisp crust adorned with salty olives, lovingly prepared by the hotel-owners-turnedchefs. Sleep comes easily.

The next morning, my ritual begins: find coffee within an hour’s ride, then go. Dawn reveals one of the most breathtaking vistas I’ve seen all year. As I round the first bend out of Lujar, the Costa del Sol unfurls before me, its blue horizon melting into the sky.

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

LOOKING FOR MORE TRAVEL STORIES?

Today is a long one - seven hours, 120 kilometres to Malaga- but every few kilometres, I find myself stopping to snap another photo. The views are just too good.

A cyclist’s dream road greets me at sunrise: empty, sweeping downhills that let me fly.

Having learned my lesson, I ignore Googles’ suggestion of a gravel track and stick to the smoothly paved GR5207.

By breakfast, I’m basking in the sun outside a café near Motril, devouring a tuna-and-egg bagel and my second coffee of the day.

detouring onto beachfront promenades where Saturday sun-seekers lounge by the sea.

At La Herradura, I refuel at Coche Coche, a cycling cafe where a cappuccino revives me. Further on, in Torre del Mar, I indulge in a lemon-pie-flavored gelato at Heladería La Nonna.

I’ve pedaled 100 kilometres, my legs ache, but my heart is full

Along the coastal road, lycra-clad cycling groups surge past, and I shout cheerful ‘holas’ - it feels particularly good when I’m zipping downhill and they’re toiling uphill.

The N-340 carries me most of the way, but I veer off whenever possible,

By then, I’ve pedaled 100 kilometres. My legs ache, but my heart is full.

Looking back along the coastline, I spot the wind turbines near Lujar, now tiny silhouettes against the sky, a marker of just how far I’ve come.

The last of my Haribo stash disappears as I roll into Malaga.

Freshly showered, I celebrate at The Kiwi House of Beer, a craft beer haven run by fellow New Zealanders. A hazy IPA from DosKiwis Brewing in Girona is the perfect toast to the near-end of my journey.

The Final Stretch

With two days of relentless riding behind me, my body protests, but Estepona awaits.

The morning ride out of Malaga is gentle, leading me to Cafetería El Pasaje in Alhaurin de la Torre, where a vegetable-and-egg sandwich and a massive swirl of churro fuel me.

The road weaves around the foothills of the Sierra de las Nieves, carrying me through sleepy villages where life moves at a blissful pace.

In Monda, I pause in the sun, savouring fruit and a cold Coke Zero, knowing the final stretch looms ahead.

The last push is an hour of chaotic highway along the A-355, but at least it’s mostly downhill.

In three days, I’ve seen more of Spain than in my first two weeks. My bike has been my ticket to freedom, a passport to winding roads, hidden cafes, and endless plates of Spanish cuisine. As Estepona finally comes into view, I know this is just the beginning.

La Ysabela NOW OPEN

Come and enjoy our new cafeteria for visitors

CHALLENGE: The route twists and turns largely on the back roads and tracks

Good cop, bad cop

Thank you for your entertaining newspaper.

I’m writing to point out the very aggressive attitude of Policía Local (in places like, for example, Granada and Nerja, controlled by the PP) toward musicians, artists, street performers, and poor people in general.

I have witnessed numerous instances of heavy-handed actions toward those who simply appear to be poor.

Whilst the noise from Madrid is tolerant and the Policía Nacional busy themselves pursuing actual crimes, the Policía Local seem to be mandated by the local government to persecute the underprivileged, which surely contravenes basic rights and liberties under the Spanish Constitution.

It’s important that this is flagged and questioned by the expat community.

The frequent justification for this behavior is to protect tourists, but as foreigners, we want more street life, not less.

Jonathan Addis by email

What’s the answer

Our online coverage of the recent protests in Malaga (see page 1) caused quite a stir, with many readers quick to question the real reasons behind property prices soaring

Prices on the up!

MOREOVER, prices will be going up again soon for the tourist season, meanwhile the A7 is so saturated, that cyclists are overtaking vehicles.

Mandy, by OP website

Taking its toll

WITH regards to your story about the Algeciras mayor complaints about the AP-7 toll road being too expensive - let’s face it, it is the rich people’s road. Firstly, they can drive faster. Secondly, they don’t have to queue up in traffic jams on the coast road. Thirdly, it means they can get to the airport and Malaga city faster.

NOT THE PROBLEM

TOURISTS aren’t the problem. It’s foreigners (and the Spanish) buying just to rent out to holidaymakers. That’s what the government needs to look at. Foreigners buying to actually live, work and more importantly SPEND their money here, are not the problem.

Ann Smith, Costa del Sol

Same as Paris

ALL cities in Europe have gentrification. If you have an average income in England you also can’t buy a house in London. Same for Amsterdam or Paris. It’s normal.

Eva, Valencia

Wrong targets

WHY are all the protests in Spain against tourism and property prices? Surely they should be protesting against their government, who should take a leaf out of Singapore’s book where the government builds housing at affordable prices and then sell it off to locals. Instead of cutting the hand off that feeds the face.

David White, by email

President Trump’s tariffs brought a sharp response…

IT is like dealing with a toddler. Unreal.

Ricky Bren

TRUMP’S goal is not free trade. That’s not what this is about. If anything, it is the opposite.

Tom Kline, Valencia

Sam Rodgers, Murcia

BUSINESS

GREEN BOOST

SPAIN is set to allocate nearly €300 million in grants to boost 34 green and renewable energy projects across the country.

The funding, coming from the Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO), will primarily support a €200 million initiative in Asturias, where Sunwafe will produce silicon ingots and wafers for semiconductor manufacturing – a key material for electronics.

The remaining funds will support a range of green tech projects, including the production of electrolysers for green hydrogen and wind power components.

Seven solar panel manufacturers, four energy storage firms, and a heat pump manufacturer are also in line for support.

This funding is part of Spain’s wider plan to green its economy (PERTE), in line with the EU's REPowerEU and Net-Zero Industry Act. Projects will be spread across 12 autonomous communities.

Why Choose AnyTech365?

Comprehensive Cybersecurity

WINE, OLIVES AND AEROSPACE

How Trump’s tariffs could hurt Andalucia’s €3.1 billion trade with the US while helping Morocco

THE imminent Trump tariffs have rocked the world and set the scene for an impending trade war that experts fear will inflict widespread eco nomic damage - and Andalu cia won’t be spared. From today (April 9), all EU exports to the US will be slammed with a hefty 20% tariff, and the southern Span ish region could see losses as high as €2.4 billion. The hardest-hit?

Olive oil and ta

SPAIN’S largest mobile operator, MasOrange, is gearing up for a potential stock market debut that could impact phone and internet bills nationwide.

By Walter Finch

ble olives, which are set to bear the brunt of the trade war fallout.

In 2024, Andalucia exported €3.1 billion worth of goods to the US, with nearly half of that coming from the agri-food sector. Olive oil alone accounted for a staggering €860 million. Now, producers are fearing the worst, as years of hard work expanding the market in the US could be undone. Experts warn thousands of jobs are on the line, especially in rural areas reliant on agri-food exports. Rafael Pico, head of the Asoliva exporter group, slammed the move as ‘unfair compe tition’, pointing to Turkey and Morocco, which will only face 10% tariffs, as winners in the trade war.

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tap into new markets in Asia and the Gulf.

Wines – including sherry –rice, vegetables, seafood and even natural stone have also been dragged into the dispute. Aeronautics exports worth €138 million in 2024 could also be affected.

TESLA REVOLT

Its portfolio includes Yoigo, Jazztel, Lebara, and Simyo. Backed by private equity firms KKR, Cinven, and Providence, a Spanish

AnyTech365 adapt its product and technical support solutions to individual needs, offering a safe online experience to any user.

stock market listing could come as soon as next year. While no immediate changes are expected for customers, the move may eventually affect service and pricing. MasOrange is also expanding its fibre optic network, partnering with Vodafone to reach over 12 million homes by next year.

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Black olives are already hit with a hefty 31.5% tariff following a 2018 dispute, and the new tariffs could push the total to over 50%, wiping out Spain’s remaining market share. Meanwhile, olive oil co-ops in Jaen, Cordoba, and Sevilla are desperately trying to

AnyTech365 AI powered unique software can pinpoint the root cause of a problem providing real-time protection and immediate response to suspicious activity. This proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of cyberattacks.

Strong

Not everyone is panicking. Some experts believe strong demand and high US consumer prices may absorb the extra costs. “A 20% tariff won’t stop olive oil sales,” said agro consultant Juan Vilar.

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez is pledging €14.1 billion in aid for struggling industries.

AI, ARE YOU TRYING TO REPLACE ME?

AnyTech365 Security

SALES of electric cars made by US manufacturer Tesla, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, plummeted by 49% in the EU across the first two months of 2025. Just 19,046 units were sold according to ACEA the EU association of car manufacturers in what appears to be a pushback against Musk working for US president Donald Trump. Electric vehicle registrations as a whole rose by 28.4% over the same period, with a big rise in Chinese imports.

Spain's automotive association Anfac reported that deliveries from China's BYD soared by 563.5% in the first two months of the year. It also said deliveries of the Dacia Spring have tripled as electric car registrations grew by 54.9% between January and February reaching 11,124 units.

Personalized

AnyTech365

AI started off as a cute little assistant—autocorrecting our typos, suggesting slightly too personal Netflix recommendations, and helping us find the ‘best pizza near me (which, somehow, is never the best). But now? AI is writing emails, answering customer service calls, and making decisions faster than we can say, ‘Wait, I wasn’t ready for that’. So, should we be worried? Or should we just sit back, relax, and let AI handle everything while we sip coffee and pretend to be productive?

At first, AI-powered chatbots seemed like the ultimate solution. No more waiting on hold for an eternity! But then we realised… they respond instantly, yes, but mostly with completely useless advice.

The (slightly terrifying) truth about our digital overlords

World class, cross-platform security platform with advanced scanning techniques to identify potential threats from files, programs and neutralization of viruses, malware, and phishing

You type: “My internet is really slow.” The AI bot, in its infinite wisdom, replies: “Have you tried checking our website for solutions?” Ah yes, brilliant. Let me just struggle through three minutes of buffering to read an article that will inevitably tell me to ‘restart my router’.

And when you finally give up and beg, ‘TALK TO A HUMAN!’, the AI re sponds: “Before I transfer you, have you tried turning it off and on again?”

This is exactly why AnyTech365 ex ists - to ensure that when technology fails, you get real, AI-powered solutions from actual experts, not just a bot pretending to understand your pain. Smart assistants are great - until they get too smart. You mention buying new running shoes, and suddenly your phone bombards you with ads for gym memberships and diet plans. You casually joke about moving to Spain, and next thing you know, AI is sending you ‘Great properties in Marbella!’ listings.

music, and even writing screenplays. Pretty soon, we’ll be watching Oscar-winning films written entirely by AI. But don’t worry - AI is powerful, but it still struggles with one thing: being human. That’s why at AnyTech365, we believe in AI-powered cybersecurity with a human touch. Sure, AI can analyse data in milliseconds and detect cyber threats before you even realize something’s wrong, but sometimes, you need an actual

Coincidence? Not a chance. AI isn’t reading your mind… yet. We used to think creativity was safe from AI. Then AI

expert to walk you through a problem - especially when your password ‘isn’t working’ (spoiler: CAPS LOCK was on).

So no, AI isn’t here to replace you. It’s here to make life easier, smarter, and more secure. And as long as it doesn’t start making life too easy (looking at you, AI-generated excuse emails for skipping work), we’re happy to

have it on our side. Because let’s be honestthe real threat isn’t AI taking over the world. It’s AI refusing to fix your Wi-Fi until you ‘move closer to the router’. And the best part? Take advantage of the exclusive offer just for Olive Press readers, so you can enjoy a worry-free online experience today!

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Across: 1 Admire, 5 Albums, 8 Yves, 9 By train, 10 Unknown, 11 C D R-O M, 13 Gibbon, 15 Oldest, 17 Ghana, 19 Umbrage, 22 Inherit, 23 Nash, 24 Tissue, 25 Canons.

Down: 2 Da Vinci, 3 Ibsen, 4 Elbowing, 5 Auto, 6 Boarded, 7 Mango, 12 Dogmatic, 14 Benches, 16 Signs on, 18 Heidi, 20 Ran in, 21 Tree.

OLD FOLKS’ HOTEL

Lovers tiff

A JEALOUS girlfriend caused mayhem at a packed nightclub in Malaga after pepper spraying her own boyfriend during a blazing row –triggering the evacuation of 300 clubbers.

Kinky thief

AN Alcoy (Alicante) man was arrested after twice breaking into a flat opposite his own to steal women’s underwear, using a ladder to access the window and escaping with lingerie.

Scooped up

A TRADITIONAL UK-style ice cream van operated by a British man has been seized by Benidorm police after locals shopped him for not having a licence.

Dog’s dinner

Gourmet squid and prawn dish for pampered pooches

MOVE over, Michelin-starred menus - there’s a new foodie craze in town, and it’s strictly for the ‘paw-sh’ crowd. Yes, Britain’s most discerning dogs are now dining on ‘chef-crafted King Prawn and Giant Squid Paella’. Because Pedigree Chum is so last season. Fresh dog food brand Years. com has unleashed its first dish in the swanky ‘Chef’s Collec-

By Dilip Kuner

tion’, and it’s a canine twist on a Spanish classic. Forget your average bowl of brown mush; this limited-edition delicacy features saffron-infused rice, fire-roasted piquillo peppers, and - wait for it - marinated squid tentacles. That’s right, your furry friend can now eat better than you.

A 27-year-old Brit got himself into a sticky situation in Benidorm after attempting to channel his inner Spiderman and getting stuck on top of a shop sign.

The daring tourist found himself trapped on Gambo Street, much to the amuse ment (and concern) of hundreds of onlookers.

Emergency services quickly swooped in, with police cordoning off the area and advising our wannabe web-slinger to stay put. Firefighters soon arrived to save the day,

The mastermind behind this tail-wagging treat? Luke Alke made, a chef with a resume so fancy it practically wears a cravat. From Michelin-starred kitchens to luxury yachts, Alkemade has now turned his talents to feeding Fido. Working with veterinary nutritionists, he’s created a meal that’s not just delicious but also delivers 100% of your pup’s daily nutritional needs.

Web you believe it!

though it's unclear what inspired the man to shimmy down the building facade in the first place.

No word yet on whether he was trying to avoid the pub crawl or just thought it was a new way to avoid the crowds. Local reports confirm he’ll be facing no charges, but surely he’s learned to keep his feet on the ground next time.

At £6.95 (€8.22) a pop, this isn’t just dinner - it’s an ‘experience’. But act fast! Only a limited number of these posh pooch plates are available online. According to Years.com CEO Darren Beale: “Too many dogs are stuck eating bland biscuits. We’re here to spice up their bowls - and their lives.”

So, if your pooch deserves more than pedestrian doggie food, why not let him dive into some decadent seafood? Just don’t be surprised if they start demanding sparkling water with their meals. Bon appetit, Bowser!

AFTER years of court battles and protests, the infamous Algarrobico Hotel in Almeria might finally have a purpose: a ‘luxury retirement home for rebellious seniors.’ Writer Luis Martinez Reche suggests turning the abandoned 411 room monstrosity built on a virgin beach into the ultimate pensioner paradise. With ocean views, spacious rooms, and endless staircases for fitness, it's the perfect spot for bingo nights and unlimited pudding. Environmentalists want it demolished, but let’s be real – it’s sturdier than most grandpas' hips. Welcome to ‘Algarrobico Seniors' Paradise’!

iThief

A BRITISH tourist whose bag was swiped at Malaga airport is tracking the thief’s every move through her Airpods. Lauren Morley, 29, has spent days spying on the thief’s routine, learning the street they live on and workplace - the airport. Frustrated by the police’s lack of action, Lauren’s now calling for an army of amateur detectives to help her catch the airport bandit and reclaim her stolen stuff.