Olive Press Spain - Issue 416

Some are naturally cool, some are designed that way... the Olive Press Property Magazine (inside) takes a look at the hottest (well coolest) new buildings on the Costa del Sol

O P LIVE RESS The ANDALUCÍA

Frontier Justice

AN

been forced to sell her

home after

a

EXCLUSIVE

By Walter Finch

Will it rain on the parade?

While

might disagree, most locals and long-term expats are preying for the heavens to open this Easter as we approach a summer of drought...And as the Spanish will tell you it always seems to pour during Semana Santa. Happy Easter come rain or shine!

come to Motril court eventually found Gonzalez guilty of assault and various claims against her thrown out. However, despite her victory, Hermitage, a human rights lawyer, told the Olive Press she has been forced to sell up and move after the ‘threats, bullying and intimidation’ continued.

“It’s very remote and like the Wild West up there,” the anti-corruption campaigner insisted.

“When I first showed them my title deeds to my land they threw it on the

FLOORED: Hermitage was left writhing on the ground and in happier times with Stewart

floor. I then told them I would pull the poles out if they put them in again.”

Hermitage had bought her charming country farmhouse near the isolated village of Guajar Alto, in 2014, to retire.

It came after the lawyer and her late husband Stewart were forced to flee Tanzania at gunpoint after facing death threats and violence over another land dispute.

But, within months of arriving in the Granada region things started to turn sour once again.

It quickly became clear that Gonzalez and his family held undue sway in the mountainous area, running the local water authority.

When Hermitage complained about a loud water generator installed illegally by a river, things heated up.

A few months later, the fallout in-

+ + THE SKY DOCTOR Serious

Xtensified when he decided he owned part of her land and decided to fence it off to plant

avocados.

“It was completely clear who owned the land as I had the escritura and deeds, which clearly marked the boundaries,” she told the Olive Press.

“I obviously made that clear via friends and a lawyer but he just wouldn’t listen.”

When in September 2020 she woke up to find a new fence going in, she decided she had to act.

With a friend coming along to record the conversation she began to remove the posts, throwing them into a ravine in front of the Gonzalez workers.

Like a red rag to a bull, a dramatic video shows the moment Gonzalez aggressively drives up to Hermitage at speed along their shared track, only narrowly avoiding hitting her. A physical altercation quickly ensues between Hermitage and Gonzalez, who recently retired from the forest-

Continues on Page 4

expat has

country

taking

neighbouring landowner to court for assaulting her. Human rights campaigner Sarah Hermitage was left sprawled in the dirt after tangling with Vicente Gonzalez, 66, and his Guardia Civil son in September 2020.

A video shows the terrifying moment the British expat, 69, was thrown to the ground, as she tried to remove fence posts illegally installed on her land in inland Granada. A trial that took over two years to

‘West west’ border dispute with policeman’s family leads expat to sell up and flee remote mountain region

Shocking killing

POLICE in Huelva have arrested a 30-year-old man after he stabbed his former girlfriend, 34, to death after she refused to move in with him.

Women freed POLICE have freed 20 women, who were being forced into sex work, during 14 searches in Marbella, Estepona and Algeciras, with €82,000 in cash seized.

Brits nicked

POLICE have arrested four Brits for their alleged involvement in a gang that shipped drugs to the Netherlands, with 937 kg of hashish and another 53 of ecstasy seized from a house in Mijas.

Gun scare

A FRENCH woman was arrested in Madrid after she brandished a loaded revolver during an under sevens football game. She is being evaluated at a psychiatric unit.

TWO MEN accused of the 2019 murder of a British businessman in Mijas have been bailed by a Fuengirola court.

Aaron Asquith, 25, and Edward Taylor, 39, have been in Spanish custody for nearly three years, but the court freed them as the investigation still continues.

The two men have surrendered

BRITAIN’S former most wanted female fugitive, finally arrested last year, has had her jail sentence doubled after she failed to repay a seven-figure sum.

Former private school girl Sarah Panitzke will now spend 17 years in jail when previously being sentenced to nine. The penalty was imposed at the City of London Magistrates' Court after she failed to repay £2.4 million she stole as part of a massive VAT fraud scheme.

Panitzke had spent nine years on the run in Spain, living incog nito as a local thanks to her excellent Span ish, before being cap tured and returned

Alleged killers released

their passports and been ordered to check in to authorities twice-monthly.

Peter Williamson, 39, from Salford was shot dead outside his Riviera del Sol home in his UK-plated Audi as he returned

Abusive end

from the gym on November 21, 2019. The two suspects - both also from Salford - allegedly travelled to his street and one of them is claimed to have shot him seven times.

PAY IT BACK

Britain’s most wanted female fugitive who spent nine years hiding out in Spain has her jail sentence doubled

to the UK while out walking her dogs.

She had been living in the town of Santa Barbara near Tarragona under the alias ‘Maria’, where she had an apartment above an English academy. The fraudster was initially sentenced to 8 years in pris-

By Walter Finch

on, while being ordered to repay the sum, which was a tiny fraction of the £1 billion she is thought to have laundered on behalf of a scheme to sell mobile phones. Her part involved laundering millions of pounds of stolen money through offshore bank

Bogus booze Stupid fakers

AN ANDALUCIAN wine and alcohol distributor has been arrested for bottling and selling 2,250 bottles of counterfeit Verdejo wine.

The detained man operated from three warehouses in Cordoba where production and storage took place.

A police probe started after a complaint from a Valladolid winery about bogus Verdejo-branded wines being sold.

POLICE have arrested seven people in Marbella who were involved in distributing counterfeit notes. In total 107 ‘high quality’ counterfeit €500 notes were seized by the police. The notes have been sourced back to Bulgaria. Police say the fake cash was spent mainly in betting and clothes shops.

accounts set up by the criminal gang she was part of, which claimed to be importing and selling the phones legitimately. Despite going to great lengths to hide the profits, HM Revenue and Customs investigators uncovered the complex web of transactions used to launder the stolen money through international bank accounts. These included accounts in the UK, Andorra, Dubai, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Portugal and the US.

Panitzke's failure to repay the stolen money means she still owes the full amount plus interest, which continues to accrue at a rate of £538 per day, and has now reached a total of £3,782,779.

Nicol Sheppard, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said Panitzke’s actions had deprived the UK of vital public money.

“Panitzke was part of a criminal gang that stole millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and deprived our public services of vital funding,” Sheppard said.

A TEENAGE boy has been arrested for allegedly shooting and killing his step-father in an effort to protect his mother and siblings.

The deadly family drama unfolded in the early hours in an Estepona squat.

Two of the five children heard a commotion around 5am and reportedly came in to see their step-father stabbing their pregnant mother in the chest with scissors.

According to the mother, who is three months pregnant, a struggle ensued between the four. She told Area Costa del Sol: “He came to stab me - my whole chest is full of stab wounds.” Her 17-year-old son broke away and returned with a shotgun and the struggle continued until the step-father, 35, was fatally shot in the neck.

Balcony jump

A TERRIFIED teen ended up in hospital after she jumped from a second floor balcony to escape her axe-wielding ex. Emergency services rushed to the aid of the 17-year-old girl in Torremolinos, with medics treating her at the scene before transferring her to hospital.

Police arrived at the scene to find the 21-year old ex-boyfriend, who had cut his own neck with a knife and was taken to the Carlos Haya Hospital under police custody.

KRAFTWERK, the German grandfathers of electronica are set to dazzle a new generation of music lovers at Sevilla’s Iconica festival. Having virtually pioneered the entire genre of electronic music, the Dusseldorf synth artists will complete an eclectic line up featuring

Armageddon approaches

BRITISH comedian Ricky Gervais will be making a stop in Spain on his upcoming Armageddon tour, thanks to a show in Barcelona’s Auditori Forum, on August 31. The tour will kick off on April 4 in Newcastle at two soldout shows, and will visit a range of UK cities including Manchester, Liverpool and London, as well as Dublin in Ireland.

The international dates will see the award-winning comedian, director and writer visit the United States, Portugal, Sweden and Germany, among other destinations.

Gervais is the creator and star of The Office, Extras, Derek, and the critically acclaimed recent Netflix hit After Life.

The Armageddon show will also be recorded so that it can be released via Netflix.

JUST ELECTRIFYING

Spanish stars Pastora Soler and Lola Indigo among others. The festival has become one of the top musical events in Spain and has helped put Sevilla firmly on

the musical culture map. The festival is spread over several weeks from June 15 to July 22. Kraftwerk will be headlining the show on July 3.

Mum’s the word

SHE is seldom out of the society pages and now Ana Obregon has sent the Spanish celebrity magazines into a frenzy by revealing she has become a mother at the age of 68.

KING OF THE BEAT

Man of the People: King Felipe VI stuns flamenco box players in Cadiz by joining in

THE King and Queen of Spain surprised a group of flamenco box drummers by sidling up and joining in their cajoneada session prior to a theatre show in Cadiz.

The event was held outside the Gran Teatro Falla and involved Felipe VI sitting on a flamenco box and drumming alongside a group of students. The performance was intended to welcome attendees to

Spanish Phantom

ANTONIO Banderas is taking part in the production of a Spanish-language version of Andrew Lloyd Weber's hit musical The Phantom of the Opera. Lloyd Webber and Banderas teamed up a while ago with the aim of producing theatre, musicals and live entertainment shows for Spanish-speaking markets via their new company Amigos Para Siempre (friends forever).

The Spanish version of The Phantom of the Opera, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, is expected to premiere on October 4, at the UMusic Hotel Teatro Albeniz in Madrid.

the 9th International Spanish Language Congress in Cadiz - little did they realise they would attract the head of state to join in. As the King and Queen ar-

rived at the theatre for the opening show, Tiempo de Luz, they got out of their car and were immediately intrigued by the box-playing cajoneada.

The Queen and King then approached the two available boxes and Felipe VI briefly played one, joining in and singing the rumba Ali oh "The first cajon-playing king," proclaimed Guille, one of the percussionists who led the performance of 62 separate boxes - or cajones.

The Instituto Cervantes and the Cadiz City Council organised the cajoneada to commemorate the origin of the cajon flamenco. Members of the public attending the event were also free to join in.

The model, actress, TV presenter and scriptwriter hired a surrogate to bear her a baby daughter in Miami, USA.

Best known outside Spain for her role in Bolero alongside Bo Derek, Obregon lost her 27-year-old son Alejandro Lequio to cancer in 2020.

At the time she was comforted by old friends, King Emetrius Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.

Now she has said she has recovered ‘the excitement to live’ after the arrival of her new daughter.

Hiring a surrogate mother is illegal in Spain, however, there are agencies that allow wealthy families to ‘order’ a kid from Eastern European countries and the USA. Obregón is being highly criticised online and on some Spanish TV programmes.

People have also pointed out how she left the hospital in a wheelchair as if she had given birth to the baby herself.

Feline fantastic

A TOTAL of 43 new Iberian lynx cubs have been born throughout 2022 in different breeding centres managed by National Parks across Spain. The breeding season ended with the successful birth of seven cubs in the Doñana National Park (Huelva). A further nine cubs were born in Zarza de Granadilla; 14 in La Olivilla; 10 in Silves and three in Jerez Zoo. Additionally, last year saw a total of 33 lynx released into the wild at a national level as part of the Iberian Lynx Ex situ Conservation Programme.

QUIT: Maria Gamez

Quick spin at the top

THE Guardia Civil has a new female boss, a trained journalist, after its previous leader resigned over a corruption scandal.

Mercedes Gonzalez stepped in after Maria Gamez’ quit amid a scandal in which several commanders are accused of profiting from building work on police barracks. Gamez, 54, put the blame for her departure down to the implication of her husband, lawyer Juan Carlos Martinez, in a separate corruption case. He has been dragged into the high profile Mediador scandal, which involved backhanders and bungs in return for contracts in the Canary Islands. The new broom, Gonzalez, 47, who has worked in politics, studied journalism at university.

TERRORISTS!

Arsonists to blame as thousands are evacuated around Eastern and northern Spain - with over 100 blazes set deliberately

SPECIALIST fire units are counting the cost of one the biggest wildfires in Spain for a decade.

The Castellon fire is finally under control after raging for nine days, destroying 4,700 hectares of mountain woodland.

Some 1,700 residents were evacuated after the blaze started in the Alto Mijares region on March 23.

Strong gusts of wind caused a few embers to relight over the weekend but reappearing flames were quickly extinguished.

Most residents have finally been able to return to their homes, after being forced to stay at special emergency

By Alex Trelinski

centres.

While no properties were destroyed, a number of the 500 firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation.

The fire was described by Valencian president Ximo Puig as being more of a summer fire fanned by 'voracious' summer-like temperatures. Hard-working fire crews were able to prevent it from entering the valuable Sierra de Espadan natural park.

The fire is believed to have started from a spark of a machine ‘used to collect brushwood'.

YOUNG CITY

MALAGA has been shortlisted as one of the five finalists for the European Youth Capital 2026 award. This is an annual award given to a city that demonstrates a strong commitment to the development and participation of young people in society.

Malaga will compete with Sarajevo (Bosnia Herzegovina), Tromso (Norway), Izmir (Turkey) and Vila do Conde (Portugal) in the final round. The winner will be revealed in November.

STRONG GUSTS: Winds and hot weather blamed

“Everything points to the fire starting due to agricultural malpractice,” claimed regional fire chief Jose Maria Angel. So serious was the blaze that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez insisted the intensity was down to the alarming drought conditions currently threatening Spain.

"There is no room for denial because the climate emergency causes dramas like the one we are experiencing," he said on a visit to the area.

A further 600 firefighters were drafted in to battle an alarming 91 blazes in the north of Spain last week. Nearly 400 people were evacuated from a number of key inland areas of Asturias, as a

Wild West

ry department in Granada. Within moments Gonzalez’s son, a serving Guardia Civil officer, joined the row to help his father.

While Hermitage ends up on the floor, the son aggressively pursues Sarah’s friend who is filming the encounter.

In angry Spanish, the off-duty cop threatens to arrest her if she does not stop recording. He appears to push her away.

According to Hermitage, she had already been assaulted by Gonzalez a previous time when she complained he had illegally planted 650 avocado trees, in part, on her land.

shocking 135 fires were started around the Valdes, Villayon and Tineo areas.

“The fires were set by terrorists,” President of Asturias Adrian Barbon insisted. “They are real organised criminals.”

Devastated

Meanwhile, in Cantabria firefighters were dealing with 28 fires at the weekend.

Last year Spain had nearly 500 serious wildfires which devastated 306,000 hectares - three times more than in 2021. A serious lack of rain is feared to be set to make 2023 even worse.

In total, it took over two years for the Court of Motril to hear her case against the former forestry worker, who was found guilty of aggression and fined €90.

A judge meanwhile, twice threw out claims by Gonzalez that she had illegally removed the posts.

The saga came as a traumatic reminder of Hermitage’s time living in Tanzania.

In a frightening prelude to her ‘retirement’ in Spain, she and her late husband had to endure a campaign of harassment as a local businessman tried to steal their land. Hermitage, a member of the English Law Society, has now sold up and moved to the nearby Costa Tropical coast, hoping to avoid further harassment.

THE bosses of a beleaguered crypto company ‘took out €11 million’ just months before the company collapsed, it can be revealed.

Documents seen by the Olive Press suggest a Russian and a Gibraltarian withdrew the massive payments from online platform Globix in two big withdrawals.

Sole shareholder Damian Carreras, 39, withdrew nearly €8 million, while his associate Pavel Sidirov, the company’s tech guru, took €3 million, it is alleged.

Most alarming for investors desperate to recoup cash will be the discrepancy between the €40 million claimed to be in the company pot last June and the €13 million that Carreras claimed was left, recently.

Black hole

Liquidators probing Globix close in on suspicious payments taken out of the company

By Walter Finch

be ordered to court as lawyers talk of ‘compelling’ evidence of fraud. Suspiciously, the injunction specifically prohibits any third-party ‘persons unknown’ from accessing the funds.

set up and develop the Globix system and is innocent of all charges.

He said: “I was a freelancer hired to help develop the system together with a Ukrainian company. I received a maximum of €200,000 to €300,000 from Globix.”

According to liquidators, €40 mil -

A Gibraltar court has heard that money may have even been withdrawn after March 10 when the company was placed in liquidation.

Innocent

An exclusive Olive Press investigation first revealed the scandal on March 8, leading to mass panic among investors, believed to number in their hundreds around Spain.

The court has now granted injunctions against Carreras and Sidirov from accessing any further monies still remaining. They have also been ordered to hand over all documents regarding Globix, while they are set to

Footy plan

MALAGA FC is in line for some much-needed good fortune with the news its stadium could get a major expansion courtesy of the Spanish taxpayer.

As part of Spain’s joint bid for the 2030 World Cup, in conjunction with neighbours Portugal and Morocco, the 30,000 seater La Rosaleda Stadium has been listed as a possible host venue.

Now stadium owners - Malaga City Hall, the Diputacion and Malaga FC - presented preliminary plans to increase capacity to around 45,000, in line with FIFA requirements. The cost has not been revealed.

Naked truth

POLICE are probing the suspicious death of a Czech man in the hills near Nerja. His naked body was found at a finca next to a track leading to celebrated Cantarrijan beach.

The man had multiple injuries leading police to believe it could have been a homicide.

However, the man who was said to be a naturist, may have fallen to his death.

When reached this week, Sidirov told the Olive Press he merely helped to

He added he had no idea how much Carreras had taken. “He is the owner of the business, and had the right to withdraw anything.” lion was transferred out of Globix wallets during a period in which the company supposedly had ‘payment processing issues’.

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.

Voted top expat paper in Spain OPINION

Watching the watchers

WHEN it comes to the police, having trust in them is vitally important.

Corruption eats away at that trust and should be rooted out.

The days of slipping a traffic cop a few thousand pesetas to avoid a drink-driving charge may be over, but other forms of corruption still exist.

At the very highest level, Maria Gamez has resigned her position at the top of the Guardia Civil after her husband was dragged into the Mediator scandal involving bungs for building contracts.

And at the lowest level we report on how a Guardia officer has been embroiled in a violent border dispute with an expat (see front page), using his position to try to intimidate Sarah Hermitage into giving up part of her land.

They may seem very different cases but they boil down to the same thing - an issue of trust.

If we can’t trust the watchers to do the right thing then just who can we trust?

Easter warning

SO often have the Semana Santa processions been cancelled to the disappointment of millions that it’s become a bit of a running joke that ‘it always rains at Easter in Spain’.

This year, we could be forgiven for hoping the joke is fulfilled.

Much of Spain, as we report on page 8, is officially in drought. As reservoirs dry up, rain is desperately needed, with crops threatened.

Indeed, even a bishop has got involved to lead a special mass to call for rain (see back page).

But the real answer is, of course, nothing to do with prayer. There can be no doubt that climate change is taking effect.

It may be too late to reverse the damage, but it is within the power of all of us to at least try to stop things getting worse. Governments and big business must get their act together and take action much faster to combat CO2 emissions. Otherwise we had better all start praying.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Anthony Piovesan anthony@theolivepress.es

Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es

John Culatto

ADMIN Sandra Aviles Diaz (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

Spain’s Weirdest Easter Events

SEMANA Santa (Holy Week) is celebrated with great passion throughout Spain. Between April 2 and Easter Sunday on April 9, you can expect multiple processions day and night in the bigger towns and cities.

The floats (pasos) carrying saints, candles and flowers are carried through the streets on the shoulders of men, preceded by the clergy and followed by a cloud of incense, a

Procession of the Drunken Mobs, Cuenca (Castilla-La Mancha)

crucifixion cross to Mount Calvary. The march gets under way at dawn on Good Friday, when ‘the mobs’ respectfully stage the ridicule of Christ to the sound of out-of-tune drums and trumpets while drinking resoli, the typical drink of Cuenca.

band or drummers, and penitents.

Biblical events are commemorated with great fervour in even the smallest of villages. But there are some places where the local population goes the extra mile, adding a personal touch or a twist on the Easter theme.

Here are some of Spain’s more unusual Semana Santa celebrations:

Descent of the Angel, Aranda de Duero (Burgos)

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Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5, Calle Espinosa 1, Edificio cc El Duque, planta primera, 29692, Sabinillas, Manilva

THE Spanish government is preparing a law to ban the sale of internal combustion engines by 2040. It is part of a concerted effort to be the first European government to meet the EU’s official target of a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2040.

Fair enough – we all want cleaner air.

In addition to the problems of polluting emissions, when you consider that fossil fuels (gasoline and diesel) are becoming exponentially more expensive, it stands to reason that the automotive industry is heavily invested in producing emission-free electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids. Yet the reliance of EVs on the electrical grid system creates its own set of problems (more about that later).

So what about a solar car? After all, solar energy is front and centre in any discussion of clean, emission-free energy – especially here in sunny Spain!

But the silence around the topic is deafening, so I looked into it.

As mentioned, the internal combustion engine is going the way of the dinosaurs. Since the Spanish government announced its intention, 31 countries, states and cities have internal combustion bans in place.

Copenhagen, for example, wants to end all diesel sales starting

ON Easter Sunday, they stage the appearance of the angel who announced the Resurrection of Jesus to the Virgin. Using a system of pulleys, a globe – suspended from a cable – is lowered into position above a statue of the Virgin Mary, cloaked in black. To gasps and cheers from the crowd, the globe bursts apart showering confetti to reveal a small child, also dangling somewhat precariously from the cable, dressed as an angel. The angel releases two doves, swoops down and removes the cloak to signify the end of mourning, and flies up and down at quite some height.

Drumming of Hellin (Castilla-La Mancha)

MORE than 20,000 drums sound through the streets and rattle the windows of this city – and almost all week. The first drumming session takes place on Holy Wednesday and the last ones boom out on Easter Sunday. Attendees dress in black tunics with red scarves tied around their necks.

Driving on sunshine

Fossil fuels are bad for the planet, electricity is expensive. How about we all drive solar cars? Jack Gaioni explores the options while waiting for a breakthrough

next year. Likewise, Paris, Athens, Milan, and Mexico City plan bans by 2025; Norway by 2025; and France, Germany and the UK by 2040. In the United States, California, New York, and Washington have a 2030 target date for a ban in place.

With the aim of reducing emissions paramount, it’s logical the auto industry is promoting EVs. Indeed, running cars on electricity does reduce emissions, but there are unintended consequences.

Here in Spain, the cost of electricity has skyrocketed and costs four times what it did just a few short years ago.

Blackouts are becoming more common everywhere: the US already has more than any other developed nation, and the situation is getting worse. Experts expect a 38% increase in electricity consumption by 2050,

mostly due to the projected sales of EVs. Add to that another 10-15% increase to reflect the growth of energy-consuming industries, and power grids will be hard pressed to keep up with demand.

Bottlenecks in the supply of batteries and the high demand for components have already caused some manufactures to suspend EV production.

Doomed

Factors like these undermine confidence in the EV and hybrid markets. But if the internal combustion engine is doomed, and there are doubts about the reliability and capacity of electricity grids, what direction does the auto industry turn?

A few established auto manufacturers in-

It’s Easter, and in Spain that means saints and processions . . . as well as Nero, flying children, and drunken mobs, writes Nadia McDonald

THIS procession reenacts the mockery that Jesus Christ was subjected to while dragging his

Seaborne Jesus, Alicante

EASTER celebrations in Alicante have a maritime flavour starting with the figure of Christ of the Sea coming into harbour aboard a boat, accompanied by port police. Another unusual event is the Last Supper, where a monumental float requiring nearly 200 bearers is paraded through the streets.

Genarin’s Burial, León, Castile-Leon

ONE of the most unusual traditions during Semana Santa is the pagan celebration of Genarin’s Burial. A mock funeral procession takes place in the historic centre of Leon on Holy Thursday, in honour of Genaro Blanco, a drunk known for frequenting all the brothels in the city. He was run over by a truck in 1929, and, on the first anniversary of his death, four of his friends staged the mock funeral in homage to their dearly departed party companion. Over time, it became an excuse to parody the Holy Week processions. Though subjected to censorship during Franco’s dictatorship, the tradition re-emerged in the 1970s.

Holy Week of Ben-Hur, Lorca (Murcia)

DECLARED a Festival of International Tourist Interest in 2007, this procession is more reminiscent of a flamboyant carnival. The city’s different religious brotherhoods spend months preparing floats for what has become something of a competition. Marc Anthony, Nero and Cleopatra are among some of the pre-Christian characters that feature in this Easter procession.

cluding Toyota and Hyundai have begun exploring solar-powered vehicles. The first order of business has been to enable normal ‘plug-in’ EVs to use solar to top up the batteries, providing ‘an auxiliary add-on’ to extend the EVs’ range.

Other manufacturers, mostly start-ups, are looking at ways to make cars that are totally powered by solar, or which use the grid solely as backup. Aperta Motors in California, for example, is on a mission ‘to build lightweight and aerodynamic vehicles powered by the sun that are able to handle most daily needs completely off the grid’.

Using solar roof panels, the Aperta charging system can provide enough energy to power a daily range of 44 km (as long as it’s sunny). The average commute in the US is 30 km per day (in Europe it is 28 km), and so, for the commuter, the need to stop and charge during the day is eliminated. Designed with three wheels, the vehicle can achieve speeds of over 95 km per hour, and, the manufacturers claim, reduce emissions by more than 6000 kg of CO2 per year.

At the time of writing, Aperta’s solar car is yet to pass all federal safety standards, but there is already a backlog of 12,000 pre-orders for the vehicles which cost between €27,000 and €42,000.

Germany’s Sono Motors aims to make ‘every vehicle solar for a world without fossil fuels’ and is developing an EV that charges itself. In a bid to achieve a ‘grid-free’ range of 305 km, more than 1000 solar cells have been adapted and embedded in the plastic body panels of the roof, the sides and the boot. Their prototypes use two to three times less battery power than any EV currently on the market, and already meet legal safety standards. They’re also more suited to today’s consumers, being four-wheeled, multi-passenger and traditional sedan style.

Prisoner freed, Malaga

WHEN plague broke out in 1759, prisoners rioted when they found out that Easter processions were cancelled. In the hope they could be saved from the plague, they then forced their way out of jail and carried a statue of Jesus through the streets before returning to their cells. King Carlos III was so impressed by their piety that from that day on he declared a prisoner should be set free in Malaga every Easter, so long as they had not been convicted

Dance of Death, Verges (Girona)

ON Maundy Tuesday, Verges lays on a Dance of Death. Two adults and three children dress up as skeletons and dance to the rhythm of drums. The origins of the tradition stem from medieval times when Christianity provided hope during the terror of the plague.

Look out below, Valencia

On Easter Saturday Valencianos like to make a noise. They celebrate Christ’s Resurrection with fireworks at midnight but they are not noisy enough for the locals. They join in the noise by throwing pots and old crockery from upper floor balconies. Take an umbrella if you are visiting - water is regularly dumped on unwary visitors too.

VERY SUCCESSFUL

Mail-out restaurant campaign bites BIG with our thousands of registered users

WITH a new restaurant opening looming and a need to spread the word, Malaga’s leading Metro Group turned to the Olive Press to help. Via two enticing emails, we hoped our 30,000 registered website users would bite. And bite, they certainly did.

For a limited period of just 11 days, our readers at www. theolivepress.es were offered a unique 50% discount code to redeem against a meal at the hot new restaurant Nomad, opening last month in Marbella. And boy, did they use it, with a staggering 83 BOOKINGS coming in for the launch.

“It was very successful and we have actually been a bit overwhelmed with the reservations,” Metro’s marketing manager Karen Wolfson explained.

“All in all we are very pleased with the result. Thanks so much. We will definitely be doing more with the Olive Press.”

One of the lucky readers to benefit from the generous meal offer was Danish expat, Carsten Christensen, based in San Pedro.

“We jumped at the offer and I took my wife for her birthday with friends,” he explained. “The meal came to €300, which dropped to only €150 after the discount code was applied.

“It was a great meal and we have already booked to come back, not to mention recommended it to a few of our friends.”

For more information on how to run a similar campaign for your restaurant or another business contact sales@theolivepress.es

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

1- Light at the end of the tunnel: Gibraltar’s new runway tunnel opens March 31 much to commuters’ glee

2- Why are the Semana Santa hats conical and are they linked to the KKK?

3- British parents pay £200 bill each after going on drinking session with their baby at a Gibraltar bar

4- Ryanair boss fumes over latest Spain flight disruptions caused by French air traffic controller strike

5- Spanish celebrity Ana Obregon become a mother at 68

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for more info

DRYING UP

Ongoing drought sees waters shortages and fires across Spain

THREE quarters of Spain is affected by water shortages according to reports from water management company Aqualia.

The country has been struggling with ongoing droughts since 2017 and last week weather agency Aemet declared the country to have officially entered a longterm drought period due to a lack of rainfall and increasing average temperatures.

This Autumn the country experienced 27% less rainfall than the average.

According to the Ministry for Ecological transition, reservoirs contain 35% less water than the average volume in the past decade. Water basins with the lowest levels of capacity are in Catalunya (33.8%), Ebro (35.4%), Guadiana basin (23%) and Guadalquivir basin (18.6%).

In many parts of the country restrictions have been

Electric delivery

OIL and energy giant Repsol is teaming up with delivery company SEUR to reduce greenhouse gasses.

They have signed an agreement under which Repsol will install and operate more than 150 recharging points in the 55 work centres that the transport company has throughout the country.

SEUR has pledged to carry out deliveries with low-emission vehicles in 64 Spanish cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants by 2025.

At the moment SEUR claims that 13% of its fleet is ‘environmentally friendly’ and, by 2030, the company plans to incorporate 3,000 electric vehicles.

PLASTIC FASHION

AS plastic pollution rapidly escalates, Spanish fishermen are salvaging waste from the ocean to turn into something useful.

Plastic bottles, fishing nets and other smaller particles are being recycled into fabric to make stylish fashion items and accessories.

By Nadia McDonald

put on water usage and consumption, including the entire metropolitan area of Barcelona.

The drought is striking farmers hard in Northern Spain, and has also led to an earlier than usual fire season. Around 100 blazes have started in Asturias, with the majority thought to have been set by arsonists. The tinder-dry conditions have also seen fires in the Valencia region.

On World Water Day the UN called for ‘governments to work up to four times faster’

in making changes to water management and consumption.

The sixth UN Sustainable Development Goal establish-

In 2022, thanks to the work of around 2,600 fishermen, a total of 189,844 kilos of waste was collected from the Spanish seabed via the Upcycling the Oceans Spain project, currently working in 45 Spanish ports.

es universal access to drinking water and sanitation. Currently 60% of the global population lives in areas with water scarcity.

THE WORLD IS GETTING HOTTER

THE last few years has seen the world experience extreme weather, record temperatures and rapid ice melt.

Latest reports indicate that we are running out of time for easier solutions and that human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented and irreversible ways.

CHECK OUT THE FACTS

● The 10 warmest years since records began in 1880 have all been recorded since 2010

● A total of 28 countries experienced their warmest year ever last year

● Record warmth was recorded in Western Europe…..including Spain, Portugal, Andorra, France, Belgium, Morocco and Germany. All very close to home.

● The UK hit 40·C for the first time ever

● In 2022 there was a heatwave in the Antarctic which briefly pushed up temperatures by 38·C above the average

● The drought in Europe last year was the worst for 500 years

● The Alps had unusually low levels of snow

PRETTY DISMAL READING

Berkeley Earth, a Californian based independent research institute, predicts that this year will be hotter than last year and that 2024 will break the record again. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change (which all European countries signed up to in 2015), set a target of limiting global warming to 1.5·C . We are on a trajectory to hit 1.5·C before 2034 and hit 2.0·C before 2060.

ATMOSPHERIC CO2 LEVELS

Last year levels of CO2 exceeded the recorded levels of 2021, which in turn were higher than the previous year.

This simply cannot continue.

Planting more trees and protecting carbon absorbing ecosystems is one of the most effective ways of capturing carbon.

But forests worldwide are shrinking at an alarming rate.

Destruction of tropical forests is far outstripping the current rate of replanting.

A massive concern is that over a quarter of the

Amazon now emits more carbon than it absorbs.

MELTING ICE

Arctic sea ice has shrunk.

The rapid loss of Arctic sea ice is not just a symptom of climate change. It is also a driver. There is less snow and ice now to reflect heat. The white reflective surface is being replaced by a darker heat absorbing surface, which leads to further loss of sea ice.

This is a vicious circle that has to be broken. Now is the time for governments to act. Therein lies the problem. Talk is cheap…..action costs money.

Green Matters By Martin Tye

DRYING UP: Reservoirs are at low levels

LA CULTURA

Roman visit

THE Roman Villa de la Estacion, the remnants of a large palatial building with thermal baths near Antequera, will finally be open to the public this summer. It was first discovered in 1998 during the construction of a ring road, and forced planners to reroute due to the archaeological importance of the ruins. The villa, dating back to the 1st century AD, will become the only suburban villa of the Roman region of Baetica that can be visited. Entrance to the site will be free, via appointment at the Museo de la Ciudad de Antequera (Museum of Antequera).

LOADS OF INK

A bizarre exhibition is celebrating the art of the tattooist

THE world’s largest expo on the history of the artform has opened at the CaixaForum Agora building within Valencia’s Arts and Sciences complex. The exhibition goes back to the origins of body art and showcases how its popularity has surged in recent years. A special feature is the bi -

Face to the name

THE Cueva de Nerja has managed to virtually ‘resurrect’ Pepita’s skeleton. This is the name given to the remains of a young woman found in 1982 in the Torca Room of the Cueva de Nerja during the archaeological excavations directed by Professor Manuel Pellicer. Since then, ‘Pepita’ has become the most emblematic piece of the Nerja Museum, which belongs to the Cueva de Nerja Fondation. Now, the face of the ancient skeleton, one of the best preserved of its time in Europe, has been rendered on computer to give an idea of what she looked like.

HAPPY CAMPERS

CALA Mijas Music festival will host its second edition this summer with a star-studded line-up.

By Alex Trelinski

zarre sight of 20 silicone torsos tattooed by masters of the art, as well as models of other body parts. ‘Tattoo. Art under the skin’ will remain in Valencia until August 27.

It has been put together by France’s Musee du Quai

Branly-Jacques Chirac, with exhibition coordinator Adrien Flament, saying: “A tattoo is still the expression of the relationship that an individual maintains with his society.

It showcases the likes of Florence + the Machine, The Strokes, Foals, Metronomy, IDLES and Slowthai. There will be a variety of genres including Pop, Indie Rock, Rap, Alternative Rock and Electronic Music. It’s set to take place between August 31 and September 2.

FACING

HISTORY: How Pepita (above) would have looked

“It is an expression of contemporary history that does not stop evolving,” Flament added. This exhibition brings together more than 240 historical and contemporary works from different parts of the world including contributions from Japan and Polynesia to Thailand and Los Angeles.

It documents tattoo artists and tattooed people both past and present to explore the development of the art form into one of global artistic expression. Displays include paintings, drawings, photographs, audio-visual displays and books, as well as objects such as tools, masks and stamps. CaixaForum Valencia head, Alvaro Borras, commented that the tattoo has every right to be included as ‘part of the history of art’.

Cala Mijas was awarded ‘Best New Festival’ and ‘Best Live International Performance’ by British band The Arctic Monkeys earlier this year at the Iberian Festival Awards.

The three-day camping festival is open to all ages and had its debut last year with 107,000 attendees.

PACKED: The festival

atelier vintage

COSTA TROPICAL ROAD TRIP

WITH summertime officially upon us, and temperatures rising, many people dwelling on the south side of the Sierra Nevada are visiting the Costa Tropical of Granada, an hour’s drive away.

Lying below the Sierra de Contraviesa, within easy access of the Alpujarra, the old N340 coastal road runs below the newer and straighter A-7 motorway. It winds past several unspoilt seaside towns that belong to the Costa Tropical.

As you drive along the coastline, you can enjoy endless panoramic views of the glistening Mediterranean Sea.

You’ll pass several fishing towns and villages en route, starting with Castell del Ferro to the west and La Rabita to the east. These are the perfect destination for a day trip or weekend away.

Going round the bend?

Although motorists who don’t like mountain passes can reach this part of the Costa Tropical via the fast A7 motorway from either Motril or Adra direction, the scenic option is to drive directly over the Sierra de Contraviesa. Various mountain roads wind down to the beaches, including the GR-5206 through Rubite to Castell del Ferro (this is extremely bendy), the GR-6204 through Polopos to Castell del Bano; and the A345 through Albunol to La Rabita. There’s also a minor route from Sorvilán to the tiny fishing village of Los Yesos. You can plan an exciting round trip, taking in various routes and viewpoints. Don’t forget the camera (or smartphone) to record the experience.

When you arrive at the seaside there’s a pleasant surprise: that the towns here aren’t over-developed. Usually, you can find a (free) parking place and walk directly on to the beach.

Castell del Ferro

With 4,500 inhabitants, Castell del Ferro is the largest seaside town that can be reached via the Contraviesa – from the route that starts just past the Tablones of Órgiva.

Part of the municipality

of Gualchos, Castell del Ferro has many amenities, including a beach with several coves, a pretty campsite (Huerto Romero), motorhome area, hotel, numerous restaurants and bars, shops, supermarkets, and a mobile phone store.

The town has a long history. The place name derives from ‘Ferruch’, which dates to the conquest of Granada. Debate continues as to whether it’s an ancient term for ‘iron’ or means something else.

During the 18th century, many Catalans settled in Castell del Ferro, to catch the wealth of local fish. Today, tourism is the town’s main industry.

You can choose from three beaches – Playa Cambriles-Lujar, Playa de Castell del Ferro and Playa del Sotillo, where the campsite is based. Nearby Playa Lances offers a nudist beach for the brave at heart.

Castillo de Baños

Just along from Castell del Ferro, the town of Castillo de Baños is part of Polopos municipality. The town is separated into two ‘barrios’ – ‘abajo’ and ‘alto’ – with the N340 running through the middle.

The main landmark is the Hornabeque Fortress. This takes a horseshoe shape and was originally built in the 16th century, during the reign of King Philip II. It was later reconstructed in the 18th century and stands intact today.

The town has a large campsite, located just off the seafront. This has a restaurant and swimming pool. However, it was closed during our March visit, although plenty of the local bars were open. Unfortunately, the beaches at Castillo de Baños are mainly formed of huge rocks jutting into the sea, so it’s not the ideal

destination for sunbathing.

La Mamola

Another town belonging to the municipality of Polopos, and where its ‘ayuntamiento’ is based, La Mamola is an unspoilt fishing village that is growing in popularity. Interestingly, the locals don’t use its real name, choosing to call it ‘el pueblecillo’.

Presided over by an ancient watchtower, the Torre del Cautor, La Mamola offers various restaurants, ‘chiringuitos’ and two supermarkets. It has a long and spacious beach, equipped with football nets for the active, and is popular for fishing.

Fancy a hike? There’s a dedicated pedestrian seafront walkway, leading to nearby Los Yesos to the east, or Castillo del Banos to the west. If you want to stay overnight, Hostal Ontiente is an economical option. Situated just back from the beachfront, this has an adjoining bar/restaurant and is ideal for solo travellers and couples alike.

Los Yesos

A stone’s throw from La Mamola, Los Yesos is a tiny fishing village with a few properties nestling along a quiet stretch of beach. OK, this might not be the ideal destination for lively teenagers, or adults wanting to visit lively bars.

Melicina

Part of Sorvilán municipality, Melicina is a small and undeveloped fishing village, where

The tranquil seaside towns along the N340 of Spain’s Granada –a stone’s throw from the Contraviesa and Alpujarra

enahavis

LAND OF MILK AND HONEY

Sculpture

FREE tennis, football and golf lessons for kids, plus language, yoga and pilates for adults… is it any wonder Benahavis has seen nearly 30% growth in just over a year?

The statistics for this tiny, privileged enclave, a vulture’s wing flap inland from the Costa del Sol, are nothing short of remarkable.

Long the highest-earning place in Andalucia (with an average earnings of €38,000), its population (of which 65% is foreign) has soared from 7,300 residents to a healthy 9,244 since 2022.

“It’s a massive amount of growth and we are still amazed by it,” explains British expat councillor Scott Marshall, who grew up in Benahavis.

The growth is mostly down to digital nomads and teleworkers looking to live somewhere warm surrounded by nature and open spaces.

And Benahavis really has exactly that and, in particular, now that its nearby hills have been officially designated the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.

Spain’s sixteenth national park, its

soaring peaks are often covered with snow in winter (hence the name), and are some of the most amazing for hiking and bird-watching, with eagles and vultures soaring above with increasing frequency.

Best reached from the Benahavis urbanisation of La Quinta, a three-hour circular walk takes you up to the famous castano santo - holy chestnut tree - that at 1000 years old is said to be the oldest in Malaga province. But there are many other walks right from the village, in particular down into its famous river gorge, where many people combine hiking with swimming, or up towards the stunning country retreat of the wealthy Goldsmith family, where the UK’s former Prime Minister Boris Johnson stayed two years ago.

First revealed by the Olive Press, Johnson had turned up to enjoy what Benahavis offers best: a week of hiking followed by a dabble with a paintbrush out in the open air.

By coincidence his visit came at the same time as Netflix descended on the village to film a couple of scenes from the hit series The Crown.

Renting out a villa in the exclusive enclave of Zagaleta, they portrayed the mid-1990s holiday that Lady Diana took with her friend Jemima Goldsmith at her family estate, Tramores.

The cast and crew were regularly seen around the village, both filming various scenes, as well as enjoying their time off.

Continues on next page

Sitting beside Spain’s newest national park with the highest-earning locals in Andalucia, Benahavis is definitively Andalucia’s dream location and not just for Prime Ministers, writes Jon Clarke

PROTECTED: The new Sierra de las Nieves national park flanks the town, while (inset) it counts on many charming corners

From previous page

ESCAPE FOR PRINCESS DI

“It is the best possible promotion we could have had,” explains Marshall, who’s artist father David moved to Benahavis in the 1970s. Both visits were thanks to the village’s connection to the Goldsmith family, who are heavily focussed on protecting the local environment, in particular planting trees. Benahavis is already one of the greenest places to live in Spain with 75% of its land being protected and non-urbanizable, but now the town hall is slimming down its urban plans, even more.

In total, just 2,500 more homes will be allowed inside its borders, while there are plans to have its own 1,500-pupil school (see page 4).

Finally passed by the Junta, construction will begin later this year and will feature the ‘most impressive outdoor spaces’ in Andalucia. Visitors will be more impressed by the village itself, which is so nicely secluded from the buzzing Costa del Sol, yet only a short 10 to 15 minute drive to the hotspots of Marbella and Estepona. Lungfulls of pure mountain

air are on the house as you huff and puff up the cobbled streets to the top of this beautifully-kept pueblo hung with painted flower pots, and ornamented with stylish street lanterns, fountains and viewpoints, ten to the pound. Keep an eye out for a glimpse of President Putin’s yellow-ochre castle at the top of one nearby hill (not that he is likely to be using it again anytime soon), while I was impressed with the electric car charger points, not to mention innovative bike repair stations around town.

A village stroll is a free history tour taking you back to Moorish times, when this former Arabic stronghold was crowned by the 11th Century Montemayor castle, overlooking vast swathes of the Costa del Sol. The village takes its name from Havis, a Moorish prince who ruled from the castle, before his family were finally ousted and the village reconquered by the Catholic monarchs in the late 15th century. It was then that war broke out between Benahavis and

Marbella and raged on for 350 years until the village gained its independence. Near the village are a few things of note. On Sundays there is the flea market set in the feria ground on the way, stalls selling art, clothes, knick knacks and brica-brac as far as the eye can see. It’s well worth a rummage. Water babies meanwhile, will love the Rio Guadalmina gorge, which is one of its coolest natural attractions on the Costa del Sol.

Take a river ramble along its banks, go wild swimming in one of the deep rock pools or

try canyoning along the Canon de Las Angosturas. Not for the faint-hearted, the 50-metre descent starts at Charca de las Mozas - a popular picnic spot south of the water tower roundabout that’s become the unofficial swimming baths. Dive in - there’s no charge!

Parts of the river were chan -

A village stroll is a free history tour taking you back to Moorish times

NUPTIALS: At either chapel or church (below)

CORNUCOPIA: Thousands of second hand items at the weekly flea market

nelled by the Arabs in order to supply nearby farms and orchards. These routes have since been adapted for hiking with the addition of a suspension bridge over the Angosturas canyon, opening up the Sendero Acequia del Guadalmina, an easy family walking route of around four kilometres beside a water-

course dug for the farmers and shady to boot. Finally, there is the Benahavis for foodies.

With over a dozen restaurants and its own cookery school, it is no surprise it has been called the ‘gourmet capital’ of the Costa del Sol. There is certainly healthy competition between the

many restaurants in the heart of the village and each of them vie for your custom with enticing terraces facing out to the nearby hills. While they may not be free for local residents, they are anything but expensive and far better value than their nearby rivals in Marbella or Estepona.

MOST of the population growth in Benahavis over the last half decade has been wealthy pro- fessionals, and the majority come from abroad. Indeed, an incredible 65% of the population is now foreign, with hundreds of digital nomads relocating here from northern Europe and the States over recent years. But there were an incredible 101 nationalities registered on the local padron last year, with the British still the largest, counting for around 50% of the foreigners in the town and approaching 2,000 in number.

As well as the location and natural surroun- dings, foreigners are also drawn to the town’s

Quality not quantity

high-speed fibre optics as well as its excellent sporting facilities, which are mostly free to re- sidents.

So good are the free golf lessons that one youngster to benefit, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 20, has recently moved to Mississippi to compete on the competitive US women’s golf circuit. The town is modernising and upgrading all the facilities all the time and has recently installed a full size running track.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Benahavis Effect

BENAHAVIS is a great place to retire, explains local expat Barry Segal, 76, a former radio DJ. “I call it the Benahavis effect and once you’ve lived here for a year you won’t want to leave.

“The people are so friendly, the climate is perfect and the place is so nice and quiet,” he continues. “Plus it is great all the free Spanish and exercise classes and even trips around Andalucia, one we recently took to Antequera.”

WRITING’S ON THE WALL

FROM five star hotels to celebrities and sporting trophies to staircases, you’ll see the name David Marshall cropping up everywhere.

And that’s all round the world, with hundreds of his stunning, original items having sold in America to Germany and Denmark to Scotland.

Whether it is a bottle rack or a candelabra you’re looking for, or a picture frame or chimney accessory, his gallery in Benahavis stocks the lot.

But where you will most likely see it is on signs for shops, hotels or private homes.

The sand-casted brass and aluminum nameplates can be seen all along the Costa del Sol.

“We’ve been working with hotels like Finca Cortesin for years, not to mention Zagaleta country club,” explains gallery manager Kristi Marshall, 49, who today runs her father’s business.

“We work a lot with architects and do a lot of bespoke home signs,” adds the mother-of-two.

“We also work for Eva Longoria’s Global Gift foundation and do trophies for golf tournaments.” She explains that each item is created in a sandbox, via an ancient Romanian method at foundries in Malaga and Sevilla.

Call 952855192 or visit www.david-marshall.org

for more information

Lessons for all

A new school and a new emergency centre are putting Benahavis firmly on the map

CORNUCOPIA: Mix of items, while stars hold some trophies

PLOT: The 46,000m2 school has its location finalised ‘ instituto ’ will be able to teach 1,500 kids across primary, secondary and sixth form.

IT is set to become one of the most amazing schools in Andalucia.

When open, the new Benahavis

Sitting in an incredible natural location, surrounded by pine trees and with views of the nearby Sierra de las Nieves National Park, it will be an inspirational place to learn.

Expansive

Recently licenced, the public/ private school will be built on a 46,000 metre square plot, which will include expansive sports areas and other recreational space.

“It is being mostly financed by the town hall, like the new Estepona hospital, in order to speed things up,” explains councillor Scott Marshall.

“We envisage it costing around €10m and it will hugely benefit the town.”

In particular local kids will no longer need to be bussed to schools 30 minutes away at Salduba and Guadaiza, although there will be state-of-the-art facilities and smaller class sizes.

“We will have four classes in primary and secondary and three at instituto level, each class with no more than 25 kids,” continues Marshall. In order to reach the school, which sits in its own small valley, the council will be opening a new access road from the Capanes urbanization.

Another exciting opening for the town is the GREA emergency response centre on the Ronda road at Monte Halcones. Under construction for a year, the high-tech centre will be one of three key crisis response centres for Andalucia.

Drones

Kitted out with all the latest monitoring equipment, including drones and satellite communication, its team will be ready to mobilise within an hour. “With the increasing threat of fires due to global warming, as well as a continual risk of flooding, it is a vital and exciting addition to Malaga’s infrastructure,” explains Marshall.

LAUNCH: Malaga diputacion boss Bendodo at GREA centre

HAPPY AND THRIVING: Expats Barry Segal and Scott Marshall

SLIM SHADY

LIKE London buses, as the saying goes, you wait ages, then two turn up together.

And that’s certainly the case with a pair of brand new buildings just opened in Estepona.

Dramatically changing the coastline - and genesis of the once small fishing village - the Mirador del Carmen tower and nearby ‘carbon neutral’ town hall are very much a statement of current mayor Jose Maria Garcia Urbano.

Soon to enter his fourth term, they come after a decade of grand openings, including a hospital, athletics stadium and orchid museum.

Taking just 14 months to build, the unusual 12-floor Mirador del Carmen (left) comprises an arts and cultural centre, with close links to the Carmen Thyssen Museum, in Malaga.

It also has a library, an auditorium for concerts and a rooftop terrace with viewing platform.

At the opening at the weekend Urbano described it as a ‘colophon’, a Greek word, meaning inscription or stamp at the end of a book or manuscript.

Junta president, Juanma Moreno, added it was a ‘gift’ to the town and its visitors. It comes just weeks after the town also finally inaugurated its new €13 million town hall (right).

While its signature boast is an internal slide between the fourth and fifth floors to liven up the days of the 200 employees, the seven-floor structure also aims to be carbon neutral. Said to be the ‘most sustainable town hall’ in Spain, due to its renewable energy creation and ‘bioclimatic solutions’, the cube is sheathed by a white lattice designed to shield the inhabitants from the heat of the day.

Meanwhile, photovoltaic panels have been installed on its roof, which are expected to cover the entire electricity demand.

FOREIGN RUSH

FOREIGN property buyers accounted for 88,858 home purchases in Spain last year - up by 45% on 2021 figures.

The College of Registrars says deals struck by non-Spaniards worth at least €500,000 increased by 63.5% compared to the previous year, accounting for 8,975 transactions.

The registrars added that the percentage of foreigners entering the Spanish housing market is normally around 13% annually, but rose last

HighspendingforeignersboostpropertymarketwithBritsontop

By Alex Trelinski

year to 13.8%.

Overall, nearly 650,000 sales were carried out last year - the highest figure since 2007, just before the property bubble burst in Spain.

The breakdown of results by nationality puts UK buyers at 11.07% of purchases made by foreigners.

They are followed by Germans with

9.47%, French (6.97%), Belgians (5.21%), Moroccans (5.15%), Romanians (5.07%) and Dutch (4.91%).

The registrars deduced that properties with an area of over 100 m2 are bought by Americans, the British, Danes and Dutch, while those below 80 m2 are usually acquired by Moroccans, Romanians, Bulgarians, Poles and Italians.

Unsurprisingly tourist areas are the areas that most foreign buyers go

for- led by Alicante province with 41.7% of all house deals, with Tenerife on 35%.

In terms of regions, the Balearic Islands account for 34.38% of all non-Spanish sales.

That's followed by the Canary Islands (28.6%), Valencia (26.8%), Murcia (19%), Andalucia (15%) and Catalunya (13.5%).

Broadly speaking, British and German buyers led the list of foreign

buyers in coastal and island areas, while Romanians and Moroccans were the leading non-Spanish purchasers in landlocked regions like Aragon, Extremadura and Madrid. Total transactions last year were 646,241 deals - 14.5% more than in 2021 with used property sales exceeding 530,000.

The average price paid for a home in Spain was around €188,000 - a 4.5% rise, with bigger increases in the Balearic Islands, Madrid, the Basque Country and Catalunya.

SEEING DOUBLE: The new Estepona town hall and Mirador (below)

Home from home

ALICANTE province was the most popular destination amongst foreign buyers in 2022 by a significant margin, and also the province with the second-highest rate of growth.

Some 20,865 home sales in Alicante province involved foreign buyers in 2022, the highest level in Spain, and 68% higher than 2021, reveals the 2022 market report just published by the land registrars’ association.

Foreign demand in Alicante province was 50% higher than Malaga province (13,908), the second most popular province with foreign investors, and home to the Costa del sol. The chart shows foreign demand in 2022 in key regions and provinces of interest to foreign buyers. Alicante province attracted 23.5% of all foreign buyers in Spain last year, and Alicante and Malaga province between them accounted for just under

40% of foreign demand.

If you look at just key regions of interest to second-home buyers Alicante was 25.8% of the market and Malaga 17.2% (combined total of 43%), as illustrated in the pie chart.

In terms of growth, sales almost doubled in Valencia province (+97%) followed by Alicante province (+68%). Foreign demand increased the least in the Balearics (+22%) and Madrid (+15%).

The market share of foreign buyers was the highest last year in Alicante province (+42%) and Tenerife in the Canaries (35%) and lowest in the Madrid region (5%), excluding other areas that are not of interest to second-home buyers.

This information will be enough for many. For those who want more detail, subscribe to my website, Spanish Property Insight for unrestricted access to all the data and charts. www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

Yanks a lot

SPAIN is the second best country to relocate to for Americans.

Only Japan is a more popular choice to become an expat, while France comes third.

The research by Ibrinfo took the top 13 countries according to the number of American expats living there.

Next it scored the countries on nine factors: road quality, pollution, landmarks, healthcare, nature, monthly costs (without rent), salary after tax, average internet download speed and average rent for a one-bed flat in a city center.

Spain has an average monthly income after tax of 1839 dollars and average rent at 811 dollars, it discovered.

Meanwhile its healthcare index score is 77.9, 3.8 points higher than the UK, and has a pollution index of 39.6 out of 100.

It scored top in internet download speed, a factor that is crucial for those working remotely. The country also enjoys 5,666 nature spots, 17,264 landmarks and the third best road quality score, making it great for those looking to do some weekend trips.

In total Spain scored 81 out of 117 points, only 12 points behind Japan and 2 above France.

Good life beckons

A BRAND new website is encouraging townies to swap for the quiet life in the country.

The site Come and Live in a Village (www.venteaviviraunpueblo.com) aims to be a platform to help repopulate the many villages and hamlets in Spain that are suffering from depopulation.

There are 47 stunning inland villages in Andalucia already on the site, each with alluring videos extolling their best virtues.

As well as interviews with the local mayors, there are potted pointers on transport links and other key facts, such as closest hospital, wifi speeds and population statistics.

Feel the draft

EUROPE-wide plans to clamp down on drafty homes are expected to hammer Spanish property owners where many buildings are poorly insulated.

Under proposed new EU rules, homeowners will be expected to invest in reducing their energy wastage.

It is estimated that an alarming 80% of Spanish homes don’t meet the EU's criteria for energy efficiency.

Properties will be required to boost their energy ratings to at least a category E by 2030 and then push it up to a D by 2033, under EU plans.

Spain has around 28 million old and badly insulated buildings, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition.

Efficiency

Meanwhile, over 80% of homeowners believe they live in an efficient and sustainable house, and 60% do not know their own energy rating, according to real estate union UCI.

Initially the proposal was to restrict sales and rentals that didn’t fit the new rules, but now the EU is leaving the issuing of fines down to each member state.

The EU has recognised the costly investment of green renovations and has stressed the need for financial support and incentives.

Solar panels, insulating windows, thermal insulation, and low-consumption lighting are among the most popular changes people must consider.

Another survey found that 85% of owners, if able to, would be willing to invest in sustainable renovations, in particular as it will likely dramatically lower bills.

TIME TO SHUT UP!

SPAIN’S ombudsman has called on councils to do something about the noise caused by outdoor cafes, bars and restaurants, and crowds celebrating large events.

The platform also provides job offers and information on available housing in the area, plus average costs to rent and buy.

The platform, created by Ramon Pradera, showcases more than 300 villages all over the country, from

Galicia to the Canary Islands. It has so far enabled more than 2,000 families to start a new life in rural locations.

It points to the ‘hundreds of complaints’ it receives every year about the issue, and has reminded local leaders that they must ‘guarantee’ citizens’ right to peace.

The call came in the 2022 annual activity report from the ombudsman, which particularly singled out Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid.

LifestyleinSpainisseen aspreferabletoUKby youngBrits

ESCAPE FROM BREXIT

By Nadia McDonald

THERE has been a huge 31% increase in the number of young Brits (aged 18 – 24) looking to relocate to Europe. According to research, growing numbers of young people are considering a move to the continent as the cost-of-living crisis in the UK gathers pace.

Average house prices on the continent are significantly lower than the British Isles and lifestyles in Spain, Italy and Portugal are seen as preferable to the grey skies back home.

The average UK property price is £294,000, more than double the av-

erage prices in Spain of €120,000, France, €102,000, Portugal, €69,500, and Italy, €65,000 on Kyero.com.

Property prices are not the only thing enticing Gen Z-ers to hop across the

SPEEDY DELIVERY

A HEALTHY 20% of Spanish properties sold within a week last year. And only 14% took over a year from going on the market, according to property portal Idealista.

The quickest sales took place in Granada where 34% took under a week, while a quarter of Madrid properties sold within the same time.

A third of homes took between three months to a year to sell.

Channel. According to data from Eurostat, the average cost for housing, water, electricity and other fuels in the UK was an alarming 68% higher than the rest of Europe.

Remote Companies are increasingly giving employees the opportunity to work remotely, making a move to Europe an option for many young people.

Several countries have set up attractive visa schemes for remote workers, such as the in creasingly popular Digital no mad visa in Spain.

The Defensor del Pueblo, as the ombudsman is known in Spanish, stated that noise is ‘the most-frequent and repeated reason’ for complaints received. ‘Only regulation and effective supervision will avoid urban centres becoming uninhabitable places,’ the text ruled.

Dustmen

The ombudsman also called on councils to better regulate extractor fans in restaurants, dustmen working in the early hours and the noise from air conditioning units.

The report also pointed to the regular complaints from associations and platforms during 2022 in Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid, in response to the ‘proliferation’ of pavement cafes, the invasion of public space by them, and the crowds of people that they attract.

It also called into question the fact that this invasion of public space was an effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, but that no changes have been made despite its ending.

Leaf it out

A TOWN hall has decided to take a stance against noisy leaf blowMarbella has bought a dozen new machines that are quieter, due to vibrating less. It means workers can begin the task of blowing trash and fallen leaves earlier in the morning as they won’t disturb residents.

RURAL IDYLLS: Benahavis and Alozaina (left)

WISE WALLS

Award-winning Casa Sophia is said to be Spain’s greenest home

IT is said to be Spain’s most renewable home.

Casa Sophia, near Madrid, is constructed entirely from recycled and low-impact materials which ‘protect the planet but also the health of its inhabitants’.

Covered in an incredible 60 solar panels generating a whopping 24,000 kWh of electricity a year, it creates much more energy than it can consume and can sell the rest back to the grid.

Its walls are made from stone and a natural photocatalytic mortar decontaminates the air while its interior has a fir cladding and all furniture is made from fully sustainable wood, free of formaldehyde.

It also has a green roof and a vertical garden, which climbs up the wall to give extra insulation and to further improve air quality as well as aid cooling.

Rainwater and wastewater meanwhile, are

collected and treated in a ‘bioplant’ to then be reused in toilet cisterns and for irrigation in the garden.

The award-winning house, in the village of Guadalix de la Sierra, has a garden planted entirely from native plants and trees. The firm that carried out the works, 100x100biopasiva, also recycled 100% of

its waste and offset all CO2 produced in the building process.

The building is the result of 28 years of research in green construction and two years of design. It has received some of Europe’s highest certifications for its sustainability, energy efficiency and carbon neutrality.

“We hope it will lead the way for many others,” insisted architect, Joaquin Ruiz, who has got a certification from prestigious German ratings company Passivhaus. Casa Sophia - which means ‘wisdom’ in Greek - has won many gongs, including the Excellence award from Europe’s Horizon 2020 programme.

ALMENARA, SOTOGRANDE

REF:

Modern house situated in a front-line Almenara golf position on a wonderful elvated plot with great views.

5 Bed | 5 Bath | Build 620m2 Interior 535m2 | Plot 4329m2 | Terrace 85m2

2.950.000 euros

SOTOGRANDE ALTO CENTRAL

Elegant villa with lovely private south facing gardens in the lower part of Sotogande Alto.

6 Bed | 6 Bath | Build 628m2 Plot 2638m2 | Terrace 58m2

2.995.000 euros

Holmes Property Sales S.L. Tel: +34 956 79 53 40

email: info@holmesotogrande.com

www.holmesotogrande.com

HSN3-736 REF: HSN1-268

Spanish stroll

THROUGHOUT Spain, the warm weather has drawn everyone outdoors. Now city streets are bursting with life and atmosphere, strolling about is the best way to learn a lot about the culture, history, and soul of each city and its people.

Andalucia is not short of quaint streets – wherever you go in the region, you’ll stumble upon picturesque calles, promenades, plazas, and passages to amble along, but every city has one or two that are simply magical. So here are seven Spanish strolls you won’t want to miss:

Carrera del Darro, Granada

EVERYBODY loves the Carrera del Darro. The ancient street starts in the neighbourhood of Albaicin and follows the Darro river, passing stone bridges, church and a convent, colourful 16th and 17th century houses, all the while nudging close to the Alhambra.

Less than one kilometre in length, it’s a picturesque stroll not a workout. On a hot day, the stone, the shade, the rippling water and the numerous cafes and ice cream sellers make this a cool option.

Calle Betis, Sevilla

THE neighbourhood of Triana lies opposite Sevilla’s historic quarter – and only the river divides them. The brightly coloured facades, and bars and restaurants of Calle Betis stretch along the waterfront on the Triana side. If you cross to Triana by the San Telmo bridge (near the Torre del Oro) you can stroll along this characterful street to Triana Market, enjoying spectacular views all the way, before cutting back at the next bridge (near the bullring). To experience this part of Triana at its liveliest, you’ll need to wait until after midnight, but dip into the side streets and you’ll find plenty of charm and history.

Plaza de la Constitucion, Almeria

POPULARLY known as Plaza Vieja, the square has been at the heart of the city for centuries, and was once the site of an Arab souk. Dotted with palm trees, it is now a calm, serene place –though the towering column at its centre, the Martyrs of Liberty monument, honours rebels who were shot when they came to recruit men to overthrow the king. The space is flanked by beautiful colonnaded buildings (including the City Hall) built or remodelled in the early 19th century, and many bars and restaurants. Located in the old town, right at the foot of the San Cristobal hill, it’s the ideal spot for a stroll between bars after visiting the Alcazaba.

Andalucia Country Houses

tel: +34 689 992 163 / +34 631 439 907 / +34 618 223 817 email: sales@andalucia-country-houses.com

Avenida de Andalucia, Montejaque, Malaga www.andalucia-country-houses.com

Amazing Colmenar

This edition we feature the lesser known Serrania de Ronda village of El Colmenar (otherwise known as Estacion de Gaucin).

Most people know all about Gaucin, the only Serrania village with stunning sea views and loved by the rich and famous for its discreetly hidden country mansions and Michelin standard restaurants.

But few know the hidden gem of Estación. Unsurpisingly given the clue in the name, there is a train station in the village!

The wonderful Mr Henderson’s railway that goes from San Roque to Ronda – makes a stop at the village – and each weekend the train deposits many walkers, ready to step out into the Alcornocales Natural Park and the amazing Cañon de Buitreras. El Colmenar is the gateway to the Alcornocales Natural Park and bordering the village is the meandering Rio Guardiaro, with its natural swimming pools, easily accessed from the picnic area at the lower end of the village.

The village offers two great restaurants and a couple of smaller tapas style bars and the usual array of local amenities. A charming and picturesque place for an idyllic holiday or permanent home.

Here you will find a fully restored spacious townhouse with an amazing roof top terrace and a thriving retreat business that is for sale due to the owner’s retirement. It’s a great investment – given it is fully booked for the 2023 season.

A genuine turn key business!

Continues on Page 8

Guest House, Gaucin

9 bed • 8 bath • Build 400m2 • Plot 10,000m2

Absolutely charming, authentic Andalusian rural wellness and yoga rebuilt on an ecological farm besides the beautiful Guardiario river and in a natural park, one of the most beautiful areas of Andalusia. 1 hour from Gibraltar. 1 hour from Costa del Sol (Marbella, Estepona). Located in a white village in Ronda mountain range. An ideal home and lifestyle business. The guesthouse has 7 ensuite guest rooms and a self contained 2 bedroom guest cottage: which could be used as an owner accommodation or for letting, making a total of 9 letting rooms rooms. Communal facilities include: dining room, living room, a small wellness spa with massage room, hot tube-jacuzzi, mud bath, and sauna. The kitchen is well equipped with professional equipment.

ref: ACHG2 – 750.000€

Estacion de Gaucin, El Colmenar

3 bed • 1 bath • Build 90m2 • Plot 0m2 Beautifully restored spacious townhouse in the heart of the village of El Colmenar. The elegant exterior is welcoming, once inside the entrance hall is wide and bright, leading into a light, spacious living room and large fully fitted country style kitchen with 4 seater dining table. To the left of the front door is a decent size WC.

ref: ACHEL4 – 140.000€

Spring has arrived and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to start indulging in the very Spanish practice of callejeando – taking a relaxed stroll. Here are our local picks...

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

Offices at Puente Romano and opposite the Marbella Club hotel

ALTOS DE PUENTE ROMANO Ref: OP13957 Beds: 5 | Baths: 5 Built: 814 m² (incl. terraces) | Plot: 1,180 m² | Price: € 4,500,000

Mediterranean-style villa designed by the renowned architect Melvin Villaroel in one of the most prestigious areas of the Golden Mile.

GOLDEN MILE Ref: OP11760 Beds: 8 | Baths: 6 | Built: 820 m² Terraces: 226 m² | Plot: 1,850 m² | Price: € 3,450,000

HACIENDA LAS CHAPAS Ref: OP13708 Beds: 5 | Baths: 4 Built: 500 m² (incl. terraces) | Plot: 2,995 m² | Price: € 1,900,000

MARBELLA Ref: OP13923 Beds: 2 | Baths: 2 | Built: 127 m² Terraces: 35 m² | Price: € 675,000

ESTEPONA PLAYA Ref: OP12981 Beds: 3 | Baths: 3 Built: 158 m² | Terraces: 51 m² | Price: € 1,375,000

From page 6

Streets of charm

Calle de Marques de Larios, Malaga

THE Fifth Avenue of Malaga runs from Plaza de la Constitucion to the Alameda Principal in the old town.

Wide, spotless, and pedestrianised, it is lined with fashion stores and designer shops aimed at a far more moderate budget than its New York counterpart – it’s the grandeur of the tall buildings that make this one of the most famous and expensive streets in Spain.

The Christmas light shows are legendary but, in spring, it’s people-watching that’s the top entertainment. Anyone with tired feet should do it from an outside table at Lepanto, one of the few places for a drink along its length.

Avenue Campo del Sur, Cadiz

THE seafront promenade wraps around the city from the Puerta de Tierras to the Baluarte de los Martires, with the Victoria and Santa Maria beaches on one side and the bustling city on the other. The views are spectacular, especially when the sun is hitting the golden dome of Cadiz Cathedral.

Calleja de las Flores, Cordoba

CONSIDERED to be one of the most beautiful streets in the world, Calleja de las Flores is in the Jewish quarter of the provincial capital, near the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba.

A narrow passageway between walls festooned with blue pots of geraniums and carnations, it leads to a plaza where even more flowerpots are hung in pattern formations on every side. With the cathedral’s bell tower framed in the distance, this is quite rightly one of the photographed corners of the city.

Calle Duque, Jaen

IN the heart of the historic quarter, this steep, cobbled street of old houses is not only pedestrian, but made up entirely of steps. It begins not far from the Plaza de la Merced and ends at a mirador looking out over tiled rooftops, the mighty cathedral and the mountains behind.

Anyone wanting a longer stroll and aerial city views, should keep going: A trail through olives and pines up to the Castillo de Santa Catalina starts nearby – but get a map, directions and the castle opening hours first.

9 LIONS, NUEVA ANDALUCIA

Elevated three bedroom groundfloor apartment.

3 Beds | 3 Baths | 159m2 Built | 67m2 terrace

REF: 176-02272P | 995.000€

The spacious living room leads you out onto the large covered terrace in a south westerly orientation with open views and plenty of sun. The layout is very comfortable offering 3 suites and a guest toilet. The easy access is direct from the garage where there is room for 1 car plus golf buggy to the apartment floor. The apartment is built to a very high spec with underfloor heating throughout, airzone ac system, security windows and a top quality kitchen with Gaggenau and Neff appliances. Within the complex there are 2 outdoor swimming pools, clubhouse with gym, spa, Turkish sauna and an indoor pool. The urbanisation also offers 24 hrs security. A truly luxurious apartment that has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

MAGNA MARBELLA

West facing spacious apartment.

3 Beds | 2 Baths | 202m2 Built | 40m2 terrace

REF: 176-02300P | 949.000€

Outstanding open panoramic views to the sea, moutains and Gibraltar. Distributed on one floor, entrance, comfortable size kitchen, laundry room with plenty of wardrobes, open large living room looking out West. Master bedroom to the left side of the living room, with ensuite bathroom, dressing room and access to the terrace. To the right of the living room you find the 2 guest bedrooms sharing a large bathroom. The terrace is large enough for a sofa area and sunbeds to enjoy the amazing views.

BUENAVISTA DE LA QUINTA, BENAHAVIS

Spacious apartment in popular complex.

2 Beds | 2 Baths | 174m2 Built | 32m2 terrace

REF: 176-02208P | 695.000€

Spacious apartment with amazing coastal and mountain views. First thing that strikes you when you enter the property is the natural light and views. The large living room has direct access to the covered terrace with room for lounge furniture and sun chairs. The well equipped kitchen looks over the boutique style communal swimming pool and garden, overlooking the Benahavis mountain range. The apartment offers two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room and large living/dining area.

REAL ESTATE WITH THE PERSONAL TOUCH

Imperial Estate brings more than 20 years experience to help smooth the way in your property transactions

LOOKING to discover and buy your dream home here on the Costa del Sol - or perhaps the time has come to sell or upgrade your property?

You can eliminate the stress, hassle and general headache which can tend to be part and parcel of the process by choosing Imperial Estate to help guide and navigate you, professionally and seamlessly, through the whole process, from start to finish.

Established in 1999 Imperial Estate offers clients a dedicated and personalised service, individually tailored to their clients’ individual needs and requests.

A family business, centrally located in Fuengirola, Fabiola and her team bring to bear an intimate knowledge of the local market. And as part of an extensive network of estate agents with a shared database they guarantee that your property will be visible and accessible to any potential buyers.

You can take advantage of the free cutting-edge virtual tours service, professional photographs, energy efficiency certification among many other features and personal touches which Fabiola and her team provide, as part of their service.

You can also trust the team at Imperial Estate to take care of renting out your home or property, and ensuring it is managed securely and professionally.

So why not drop into their Fuengirola office to speak to Fabiola or to one of her friendly, knowledgeable, multilingual team about your property requirements and take the first step in finding your dream home.

Browse their website and property listings on www.imperialestate.com and take the opportunity to list your own property on the website absolutely free!

Check out their handy online property valuation tool, and subscribe to their mailing list, and be first in line to receive the latest property listings.

Call or email Fabiola and her team on: +34 952 664 966 or +34 656 815 699, and at info@imperialestate.com

Have a look at our website and find your perfect home. Either second hand or under construction we are going to guide you all the way through your purchase experience.

EYE OPENING

La Termica is designed to battle winds and heat

LIKE a giant wedding cake or cruise ship, it is set to stand out as a beacon of style and ingenuity on the Malaga

The ‘La Termica’ project of 870 homes, plus hotel, commercial centre and offices, will begin this year after getting the green light in the city.

The low density project will see 80% of its space given over to public and green spaces, while it will conserve the original industrial tower, from which it gets its name.

The cubic homes will be painted white to ensure thermal regulation and lower energy consumption, while their rounded structures will ‘reduce the impact’ of prevailing winds.

A collaboration between Malaga city council and developer Numa, they are designed by French architect Francois Leclercq.

An impressive 500 residential units have already been sold and the complex is expected to become one of the most prestigious in Andalucia.

MORTGAGE THINK TANK

WE NEED PROPERTIES FOR KEEN CLIENTS WAITING TO BUY A HOME OR INVESTMENT PROPERTY. CONTACT US WITHOUT COMMITMENT AND WE WILL PROVIDE VERY INTERESTING AND USEFUL INFORMATION!

952 664 966 INFO@IMPERIALESTATE.COM WWW.IMPERIALESTATE.COM

mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola

DO IT YOURSELF

After all, what could be better than building your own home?

MORE and more people are coming to Spain to build their own villa. The advantages are several in that you can design completely to your own spec., incorporating all of those features you always dreamed of. Also, you would expect the finished article to cost 10-30% less than if you had bought a developer-built home.

But before you jump head first into the build, there are a few things you should know:

● Get expert (legal) advice regarding the plot and potential licence issues…the pitfalls are many.

● You should always apply for your mortgage before the work starts so that you know exactly what your budget is. A on self-build mortgages are known as hipotecas auto promotor.

● Always ensure you have sufficient funds for your initial up-front costs, ie., to buy your plot, pay for the architect and apply for the licences, as you will not be able to borrow against these.

● All banks will expect you to own the land outright including the project and licences and, when you have these, will offer a percentage of the total cost (construction, land) but, very

rarely, the percentage of the final value after completion.

● Check how the land is classified. If it is labelled ‘Rustica’, you will find it very hard to get any bank to give you a mortgage both during the build and after. Opt for ‘urbana’ classifications.

● Have a 10-year building warranty in place, as banks will always require one when the self-build is for personal use. This is because if at any point in the following 10 years you want to sell the property, the warranty must be available to the buyer, by law.

● Prepare to pay more interest than a standard mortgage due to the higher risk associated with lending to a project. The term is also likely to be shorter.

At the Finance Bureau we have helped hundreds of people get mortgages for their self builds, and can help you get all of the above right. Talk to us and the possibilities for your dream home are endless.

Fantastic villa built on one level on flat plot near the town, very pleasant and sunny it offers 2 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, lounge, conservatory, large terraces surrounding the house facing the garden and private swimming pool, lock up garage and parking area, it has great rental potential and makes a fantastic home!

Price reduced.

Ref: 198 – 295.000 €

Fuengirola centre within Pueblo Lopez area, spacious bright and sunny apartment in quiet position with pleasant views to the gardens and mountains, comprising of 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, utility room, lounge and 2 terraces. All exterior making all rooms sunny and bright. Ideal home with all public services, shops and beach within walking distance.

Ref: L001 – 265.000 €

Mijas Costa, El Coto very charming corner semi detached house built on different levels comprising of 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen, large terraces, very small splash pool, patio, overlooking the mountains and sunset, parking for several cars make a a great Family home with great views and lots of sun!

Ref: 143 – 295.000 €

Fuengirola centre very cosy apartment close to the sea, harbour, restaurants and all kind of shops and services, rented most of the year with great rental income, consisting of 2 bedrooms, bathroom, open plan kitchen, lounge and balcony, very tranquil area and low running costs.

Ref: L004 – 189.000 €

Fuengirola Centre very cosy and bright apartment close to all services and only a couple of minutes walk to train station, short walk to beach and amenities, very quiet position within a residential complex it offers, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, guest toilet, fully fitted kitchen, lounge and terrace plus underground private garage. Great position makes an ideal home!

Ref: 108 – 266.000 €

Fuengirola centre Pueblo Lopez, beautiful, bright and spacious corner townhouse within this quite urbanisation in the town centre, south west facing it benefits from sun all day, comprising of 2 floors with a total of 140 m2 built plus 50 m2 patio, 2 bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms, kitchen, very large lounge and patio. Community parking, enclosed complex very secure. Worth visiting!

Ref: 052 – 425.000 €

Puebla Lucia, Fuengirola centre, spacious apartment in the best complex in Fuengirola, comprising of 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen, utility room, lounge and terrace, excellent investment for rental income all year round, community pools, gardens and parking. Makes an excellent permanent or holiday home or rental income!

Ref: C140 – 280.000 €

Mijas Costa Cerros del Aguila, within beautiful and exclusive complex this garden apartment offers lots of space making an ideal home with beautiful communal areas and surroundings. Offering 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully fitted kitchen, spacious lounge, large terrace leading to private garden with mountain views. Private parking. Ideal home and and great rental potential.

Ref: L002 –335.000 €

HAVE A LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE AND FIND YOUR PERFECT HOME. EITHER SECOND HAND OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION WE ARE GOING TO GUIDE YOU ALL THE WAY THROUGH YOUR PURCHASE EXPERIENCE. WE NEED PROPERTIES FOR KEEN CLIENTS WAITING TO BUY A HOME OR INVESTMENT PROPERTY. CONTACT US WITHOUT COMMITMENT AND WE WILL PROVIDE VERY INTERESTING AND USEFUL INFORMATION!

TEL: 952 664 966 INFO@IMPERIALESTATE.COM

WWW.IMPERIALESTATE.COM

Have a look at our website and find your perfect home. Either second hand or under construction we are going to guide you all the way through your purchase experience.

MIJAS COSTA

FUENGIROLA CENTRE

ALHAURIN EL GRANDE

FUENGIROLA CENTRE

FUENGIROLA CENTRE

FUENGIROLA CENTRE

PUEBLA LUCIA

MIJAS COSTA

TASTE OF SPRING

WITH Semana Santa upon us, it’s time to resume outdoor living.

Summer ranges are about to drop in store… and will usually be gone by the end of May. So, if you want to get ahead outside, here are some top terrace tips.

On your marks, get set, go: More-is-more maximalism – a hot trend right now, and our strong sunlight, deep blue skies, staggering sunsets, and colourful landscapes can certainly handle it. Add in plenty of patterns with different

As we finally move outside back into our gardens and roof terraces, Julia Begbie, takes a look at a few hot options

sized repeats, lots of strong colour (a wide range from light to dark) including the frames of furniture, and a variety of surface textures too.

Not a style for shrinking violets - if you have a go and it looks a bit sad, you probably need to add more!

Quiet minimalism – if bold colour and pattern set your nerves on edge, then follow Nicky Dobree’s advice (below) and take inspiration for colour from the landscape.

Establish a base neutral palette (e.g. off-white, beige, taupe, or grey) and hold back with the accessories, limiting the colour palette to soft and muted tones and shades picked up when you survey your surroundings.

Invest for long-lasting style – use high quality sun and weather-resistant textiles, such as Designers Guild fabrics, to get years of pristine performance.

According to Jacqueline Roberts of TerazzaBella, in Estepona, among the biggest developments in terrace design has been the huge increase in exciting colour and pattern, not just in textiles but in outdoor rugs and wallpaper too. Now you can have whatever you want, inside or out!

Visit www.telabella.es

Live like Jackie O

HARD WEARING:

Materials from Designers Guild

JUST between us, there is something special going on at Ikea right now: a partnership with cult Finnish design brand Marimekko – beloved of Jackie O and Carrie Bradshaw. If you know, you know. These star designer collaborations sell fast and are one season only. The Marimekko products

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PROS

Designer

British interior designer Nicky Dobree is best known for a portfolio chock-full of sumptuous, snowblown ski chalets.

So Plaza 18, a boutique hotel in sun-baked Vejer de la Frontera, is

quite a departure and is Nicky’s first hotel project. Judging by the ecstatic guest reviews, it won’t be her last.

You might wonder how an outsider - even a professional one - could drop in, flawlessly convert a venerable Andalucian building, and deliver an impeccable sense of place.

It helps that Nicky has been a regular visitor to Vejer and is a true champion of the Andalucian vernacular.

Plus she’s a veteran when it comes to getting wide things up narrow tracks.

Of particular interest from an interior design point of view is how Plaza 18 manages to feel both historic and contemporary, and cool and cosy, all at

are branded ‘bastua’: use this term to filter the Ikea website and discover a small but perfectly formed capsule range of kimonos, floor cushions, rechargeable lanterns, trays and platters, glorious glassware, and all manner of beach and terrace textiles to get you and your home summer-ready!

The branded carrier bag (watch out for late summer resale prices on eBay) is just €0.99 and would make a great gift / beach bag.

the same time.

Here she gives the Olive Press her tips for renovating and decorating in Spain.

ON COLOUR: Take local inspiration for colour, look to nature and local culture, so for example, against the soft stone tones of the south of France you might pick a palette of soft pinks and greens, whereas in the south of Spain, you start with a black and white canvas and you can afford to use bolder colour.

ON MIXING OLD AND NEW: Even if you want contemporary style, don’t strip out beautiful original details, instead invest in restoring these. Furnishings don’t have to work so hard when the architecture is beautiful; you can mix very modern pieces with antiques in a well-restored period building, particularly when you select local pieces.

ON PUEBLO BLANCO STYLE: The pueblo blanco vernacular is strongly black and white, but in an older building, the patina of use alters colour. Plaza 18’s blacks and whites are off-blacks and offwhites, and not off-the-ferretería-shelf. All colours

were carefully tested on site. Culturally, Africa also has a role to play in Andalucian style, and in Plaza 18 artworks by African artists were also woven in.

ON OUR CLIMATE: A room that is decorated using light-coloured linens to alleviate the summer heat can also be cosy on a chilly winter’s night when you turn on lamps, sink your feet into rugs, plump cushions and surround yourself with a collection of art and decorative objects.

ABOVE ALL: Save time and money by getting professional design help, learn about local style by working with an expert who knows instinctively what’s right and where to find it.

Nicky Dobree on how she was inspired by the local vernacular to create the sumptuous look of hip Vejer hotel Plaza 18

“EVERY project has to be grounded by its location and its architecture…having a sense of place for any building is absolutely vital.”

Let us help you

Sierra Blanca

Bedrooms: 6 | Bathrooms: 9

8,500,000€

Terrace size: 224m2 | Build size: 882m2 | Plot size: 2168m2

Villa Quinta

Bedrooms: 8 | Bathrooms: 10

Build size: 1446m2 | Plot size: 1740m2

14,000,000€

Marbella Club Benahavis

Bedrooms: 6 | Bathrooms: 9

9,500,000€

Terrace size: 615m2 | Build size: 1370m2 | Plot size: 6000m2

Lomas de Marbella

Bedrooms: 6 | Bathrooms: 6

6,500,000€

Terrace size: 284m2 | Build size: 647m2 | Plot size: 1441m2

Villa Arboleda

Bedrooms: 5 | Bathrooms: 4

1,695,000€

Terrace size: 159m2 | Build size: 296m2 | Plot size: 609m2

Beach Villa

Bedrooms: 4 | Bathrooms: 5

Build size: 414m2 | Plot size: 434m2

3,950,000€

Los Flamingos, Benahavis

3,395,000€

3,395,000€

Top quality villa built to the highest standards situated on one of the best plots in Los Flamingos Golf Resort. South facing with spectacular views to the Mediterranean.

Los Flamingos, Benahavis

Bedrooms: 6 | Bathrooms: 3.5 | Terrace size: 114m2 | Build size: 533m2 | Plot size: 2122m2

Bedrooms: 6 | Bathrooms: 3.5 | Terrace size: 114m2 | Build size: 533m2 | Plot size: 2122m2

3,395,000€

Main floor: Spacious hallway, large living area with fireplace, dining area with open plan fully fitted kitchen, three guest bedrooms sharing one bathroom, guest toilet, garage for 3 cars. Direct access to the covered and uncovered terraces, the garden and the private heated pool.

Top quality villa built to the highest standards situated on one of the best plots in Los Flamingos Golf Resort. South facing with spectacular views to the Mediterranean.

Top quality villa built to the highest standards situated on one of the best plots in Los Flamingos Golf Resort. South facing with spectacular views to the Mediterranean.

First floor: Master bedroom suite, two guest bedrooms sharing one bathroom, laundry room. Terraces and porches with every bedroom.

Main floor: Spacious hallway, large living area with fireplace, dining area with open plan fully fitted kitchen, three guest bedrooms sharing one bathroom, guest toilet, garage for 3 cars. Direct access to the covered and uncovered terraces, the garden and the private heated pool.

Lower floor: Separate extra room/area with bathroom (fitness). Storage and technical room.

Main floor: Spacious hallway, large living area with fireplace, dining area with open plan fully fitted kitchen, three guest bedrooms sharing one bathroom, guest toilet, garage for 3 cars. Direct access to the covered and uncovered terraces, the garden and the private heated pool.

First floor: Master bedroom suite, two guest bedrooms sharing one bathroom, laundry room.

First floor: Master bedroom suite, two guest bedrooms sharing one bathroom, laundry room.

Italian marble floors, A/C with heating, underfloor heating, alarm system. Gated community with 24hrs. security. Close to all amenities and the beach, 10 minutes to Puerto Banus. Next to the 5* Villa Padierna Hotel with all its facilities.

Terraces and porches with every bedroom.

Terraces and porches with every bedroom.

Lower floor: Separate extra room/area with bathroom (fitness). Storage and technical room.

Lower floor: Separate extra room/area with bathroom (fitness). Storage and technical room.

Italian marble floors, A/C with heating, underfloor heating, alarm system. Gated community with 24hrs. security.

Italian marble floors, A/C with heating, underfloor heating, alarm system. Gated community with 24hrs. security.

Close to all amenities and the beach, 10 minutes to Puerto Banus. Next to the 5* Villa Padierna Hotel with all its facilities.

Close to all amenities and the beach, 10 minutes to Puerto Banus. Next to the 5* Villa Padierna Hotel with all its facilities.

tel: +34 662 562 083 info@marbellaestategroup.com

Avenida Del Prado S/N office 1 , Aloha Garden

tel: +34 662 562 083 info@marbellaestategroup.com

www.marbellaestategroup.com

tel: +34 662 562 083 info@marbellaestategroup.com

Avenida Del Prado S/N office 1 , Aloha Garden

Avenida Del Prado S/N office 1 , Aloha Garden

www.marbellaestategroup.com

www.marbellaestategroup.com

END YOUR REAL ESTATE SEARCH TODAY

END YOUR REAL ESTATE SEARCH TODAY

Let us help you

END YOUR REAL ESTATE SEARCH TODAY

Let us help you

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La Zagaleta, Benahavis

Bedrooms: 5 | Bathrooms: 6 | Terrace size: 370m2 | Build size: 1080m2 | Plot size: 4826m2

La Zagaleta, Benahavis

Contemporary renovated top quality villa in La Zagaleta. Fully private and south facing with sea views.

Bedrooms: 5 | Bathrooms: 6 | Terrace size: 370m2 | Build size: 1080m2 | Plot size: 4826m2

9,400,000€

9,400,000€

Main floor: Living area, dining, fully fitted kitchen with Miele appliances, office, two guest bedrooms en suite, guest toilet.

La Zagaleta, Benahavis

Direct access to the private pool and gardens.

9,400,000€

Bedrooms: 5 | Bathrooms: 6 | Terrace size: 370m2 | Build size: 1080m2 | Plot size: 4826m2

Contemporary renovated top quality villa in La Zagaleta. Fully private and south facing with sea views.

First floor: Master bedroom suite and two guest bedrooms suite.

Main floor: Living area, dining, fully fitted kitchen with Miele appliances, office, two guest bedrooms en suite, guest toilet.

Two lower floors: Gym, sauna, indoor pool, intergrated cinema, entertainment area, staff quarters, garage.

Contemporary renovated top quality villa in La Zagaleta. Fully private and south facing with sea views.

Direct access to the private pool and gardens.

An exceptional property!

Main floor: Living area, dining, fully fitted kitchen with Miele appliances, office, two guest bedrooms en suite, guest toilet.

First floor: Master bedroom suite and two guest bedrooms suite.

Direct access to the private pool and gardens.

Two lower floors: Gym, sauna, indoor pool, intergrated cinema, entertainment area, staff quarters, garage.

First floor: Master bedroom suite and two guest bedrooms suite.

An exceptional property!

Two lower floors: Gym, sauna, indoor pool, intergrated cinema, entertainment area, staff quarters, garage.

An exceptional property!

SELLER’S MARKET

QDID HOUSE PRICES GO UP OR DOWN IN 2022?

In 2022 house prices went upwe’re talking a rise of about 6%. And almost everyone had record sales last year. A lot of real estate agencies - including us - had their best year ever.

This year, 2023, started a little bit slowly but now it looks like the market is on the move again and moving faster. This is a slight shock as last year the market took off spontaneously.

What’s more, spring is our busiest season, as everyone in Northern Europe realises how bad the weather is up there and they want to move down!

I don’t expect prices to go up this year by as much as 2022 - I think we will see an estimated increase of 2% over the year. But it is going to be a difficult market for buyers with a budget under €1 million still expecting to find the criteria they’ve seen in properties in the last couple of years. The market has made it to a spot where demand is a lot higher than supply, and this plays on the side of the vendors. They do not need to negotiate too much on prices - if at all - compared to the price drops for sale agreements we have seen over the past couple of years.

WHAT IS DRIVING DEMAND?

In spite of the economic problems the world is experiencing postCovid with inflation and other factors, demand is still high. But the wealthy, those who have the facilities to ride out the storm, are the ones who are driving the market in the Marbella area.

Also I believe that there is a fear with all the economic changes happening worldwide and many wealthy people prefer to keep their wealth in properties in a luxurious bubble such as Marbella instead of risking a big loss in the banks or stocks.

We have to keep in mind that properties are like gold, they will never lose value no matter what, the market fluxes going up and down, but pinned points such as the Costa del Sol will always keep their value. As always, the middle classes are the ones to feel it most. They may find they can not afford to buy a property and then have to suffer high priced rentals as well.

IS A PARTICULAR TYPE OF PROPERTY BECOMING MORE OR LESS POPULAR? IF SO, WHY?

In my eyes resale property is becoming more valuable and this has to do a lot with the most popular areas.

Companies doing renovations are more and more in demand with people preferring to buy well-built older properties. They prefer to have a solid structure that has lasted for years rather than the not-so-solid plaster-board walls of new properties.

I am not saying new builds are not in demand, but we have to keep in mind that the most popular locations only have so much land that is allowed to be developed.

Areas such as Nueva Andalucia,

Sierra Blanca, parts of the Municipality of Benahavis such as El Pariaso La Quinta, Los Arqueros are now mature. This means that many buyers prefer to take over a property in these areas and renovate it to higher standards, rather than move further away just to have a new build property. Or as a last resort, if they can find a plot, they can build their own. But in this case we’ve experienced many months of delays in paperwork in Marbella. This is not acceptable from our point of view as real estate brokers, knowing the vast income we bring to the Town Hall…

WHAT CHALLENGES ARE PEOPLE TYPICALLY FACING WHEN BUYING OR SELLING PROPERTIES?

The challenges today are that sellers who want to sell as high as possible need to realise that they may not get what they really want for their property. If they need to sell quickly they should take the offer that’s on the table.

The buyer’s challenge is that when they find the right property they should not be stubborn in an attempt to get the best deal! Try to close the deal ASAP as the market has almost nothing good left!

WHAT NATIONALITIES ARE MOVING OVER TO THE AREA AND HAVE ANY INCREASED OR DECREASED

SIGNIFICANTLY IN 2022?

We still have a lot of Scandinavians, and we see a lot of British people. We also have a lot of French and Belgians here as well.

So we could say that it is mainly central and particularly northern Europeans who are the ones bringing in the money for investments or holiday homes.

Even though we have to keep in mind that the Russian-Ukrainian war has affected the market, every day we see more Eastern Europeans investing in properties for holidays or just as a pure investment. They want to keep their wealth somewhere physical and not in the bank.

Despite what is said and heard, in my eyes many Eastern Europeans hold a lot of funds and I do believe they will come and start investing more in the next few years. I believe they were not really familiar with this area, which is becoming more famous by the day around the world.

We also have a growing portfolio of North Americans coming over to retire or simply work remotely.

The cost of living is a lot cheaper than California for example, and property prices are more affordable - you definitely can get more for your money! (Without expecting a tsunami or hurricane to hit you - joke).

ARE THERE ANY NEW LEGAL/ TAX/PLANNING IMPLICATIONS OF BUYING OR SELLING PROP -

ERTY EITHER IN DEVELOPMENT OR ON THE HORIZON OF BEING APPROVED AND IMPLEMENTED THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF?

Not as far as I am aware. We keep on top of such matters for our clients. Searches are taking more and more time though, compared to the past two years. We always keep up to date with our friendly lawyers, who get us up to speed on any laws that we should be aware of.

CONSIDERING ALL OF THE ABOVE, HOW DO YOU EXPECT THE PROPERTY MARKET TO CHANGE AND DEVELOP IN 2023?

I thought there would be a lot more property on the market, keeping in mind everything that was sold last year. All those projects bought last year should be renovated and up-selling by now but they are not. All I can say is that I am uncertain if this is due to the increment in prices of materials and manpower or just that they have not finished the works yet. This could explain very easily the lower numbers of properties on the market to the benefit of owners who can hold out for high prices without fear of losses.

The Olive Press carried out a Q&A with the man behind the deals and CEO of Marbella Estate Group Sam Shaje about the state of the Marbella luxury property market in 2023

FIRESHIELD: MAKING WOODEN STRUCTURES SAFER

Cape Reed’s Fireshield could play a crucial role in fire prevention

MARBELLA , February 2023. International thatch and carpentry expert, Cape Reed, has launched a unique fire-retardant coating which is specifically formulated to help prevent fires from catching on structures built with natural sustainable materials. Approved by insurers and industry standards alike, the treatment provides an additional layer of protection against the possibility of wild fires for the many businesses on the Costa del Sol that have thatch roofing, reeds and natural wood structures.

LAGUNA VILLAGE FIRE… COULD IT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

In 2020, Laguna Village (pictured), famed for its Polynesian style Tiki thatched roof buildings, was razed to the ground.

If Cape Reed Fireshield’s flame retardant coating had been applied to the structures, it could have prevented the spark from turning into a devastating fire, slowing the progress and thereby making it more manageable.

AN EXTRA LAYER OF FIRE PROTECTION

Andre van Heerden, Managing Director of Cape Reed explained: “In Spain alone, in 2021 more than 283,000 hectares were badly damaged by wild fires.

“This poses a very real threat to business owners on the Costa del Sol who would face financial ruin if their chiringuitos, beach clubs and many other natural structures dotted along the coastline were to catch fire.

“Cape Reed has created many beautiful highly durable structures that need to be protected against the possibility of fire, that could be caused by extreme temperatures, by accident or even intentionally.

This is why we launched Cape Reed ‘Fireshield’.

Now we can offer all business owners ac-

cess to our unique patented flame-retardant coating which is suitable for all types of structures, including pergolas, gazebos and of course thatched roofs”.

INTERNATIONAL FLAME RESISTANCE STANDARDS

Cape Reed Fireshield is a specially formulated chemical that can be applied to thatch, timber and various other natural materials to significantly increase resistance to fire.

The fire-retardant water based tumescent coating doesn’t contain any toxic elements, making it both environmentally and user friendly. The treatment conforms to all relevant international standards, including the EU, Dubai and UK standards, and offers an overall B-Roof (t1) fire rating.

APPROVED BY INSURERS

Most insurance companies require professionally administered fire-retardant treatments on any natural structures within the terms and conditions prior to providing full insurance cover. Cape Reed’s Fireshield fulfils this requirement.

EASTER DISCOUNT OFFER

As a special limited-time Easter offer, Cape Reed is currently offering huge discounts on five different timber and thatch structures currently.

All structures will also be treated with our unique fire-retardant coating, Fireshield, absolutely Free!

Visit https://capereed.es/promotion/ for more details on this offer.

IBERIAN CONQUEST

A little-known Israeli chain has acquired eight new hotels in Spain in a year

WELCOMEINVITATION

Strand Properties invited into a tough club to become a world leader

STRAND PROPERTIES, the Spanish real estate company founded by Finns Serena and Anssi Kiviranta, has been invited to join the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World ® network.

The invitation is a testament to the quality of their work and their exceptional customer experience.

The network includes 550 companies from around the world. These companies are located in 70 countries, with an estimated 136,000 real estate agents working under them.

Each year, well over one million real estate transactions are made by the network’s companies.

All the companies invited to participate are recognised for their expertise and excellent knowledge of the local and global markets.

All brokers in the network have been vetted, using efficiency and performance as criteria, with a particular focus on commitment to a quality customer experience.

At Strand Properties, we are certainly pleased to be invited to join the ranks of the world’s best.

It feels good to be recognised in this way. Being part of the network gives us more tools to operate globally. Through us, you can now buy and sell homes anywhere in the world.

Strand Properties has offices in Marbella, Fuengirola, Malaga and Mallorca.

Sirena and Anssi Kiviranta were two of the founding partners of a very successful Finnish real estate concept Bo LKV.

They participated in growing the business from scratch to a company of 200 employees and €23M turnover in less than five years.

A capital investment company acquired the majority of Bo LKV in the autumn of 2019. In mutual understanding, the Kiviranta couple had the chance to start a real estate agency abroad under their own brand.

The Strand Properties chain has grown to become one of the most recognised real estate brands among agents, customers, and developers.

IT has been something of a silent takeover. But in just seven years an ambitious Israeli group has acquired 17 hotels in Spain. In the last year alone, the Leonardo chain has bought eight hotels in the country, with six in the Balearic Islands and one in Fuengirola. The giant €200m-plus splurge includes its first purchase on the Costa del Sol, the Leon-

ardo Hotel Fuengirola, which has had a total refit (pictured above and left).

Opening last week, the 184-room hotel is an emblematic hostelry with breathtaking views along the coast and over to Morocco.

Bought last March the hotel has had a year of total renovation, overhauling the furniture and decor.

“We want to be part of the revitalisation of this classic tourist destination, providing quality, comfort and service in the style of the Leonardo brand,” explained hotel manager Antonio Cantos.

The new look hotel, which is just a few paces to the beach and marina, has had a comprehensive overhaul of all its rooms by the group’s head designer Andreas Neudham.

In the latest Spanish splurge, the chain has also acquired the famous OD hotel in Mallorca, which has now just reopened as the Leonardo Boutique Hotel Mallorca Port Portals.

The 77-room design hotel - long popular with a hip island crowd and visiting DJs - has maintained its charm, while adding numerous stylish touches.

In addition, the group has added the frontline beach hotel Royal Palmanova and the Royal Mallorca, which will open shortly.

Meanwhile three more hotels are due to reopen after a complete overhaul in the Santa Eularia and San Antonio areas.

All of the hotels have been completely rebranded and taken to the standard of the Leonardo group, which owns 230 hotels in 111 destinations worldwide.

The global hotel chain - which has five different brands, including NYX and Herods - was launched by Israeli businessman David Fattal in 1998.

Last year, it also bought Hotel Dilly, in London, which is expected to have a total cost - including renovation - of 103 million euros. The hotel group is listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE).

For more information and bookings, visit www.leonardo-hotels.es

NEW: Three hotels glammed up in Santa Eularia and San Antonio

You can find more exclusive properties on our website. Are you interested in selling your property and having it advertised on multiple portals and newspapers or are you interested in buying a property?

CONTACT US: +34 676 90 15 19 | INFO@STRAND.ES | STRAND.ES

FUENGIROLA | 2 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 195 M2 REF: STRAND9676 | PRICE: 895,000€

MÁLAGA | 2 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 76 M2 REF: STRANDM9011 | PRICE: 430,000€

ESTEPONA | 2 BEDS | 1 BATH | 64 M2 REF: STRAND1617 | PRICE: 450,000€

MARBELLA | 3 BEDS | 3 BATHS | 294 M2 REF: STRAND2443 | PRICE: 1,995,000€

MÁLAGA | 3 BEDS | 3 BATHS | 511 M2 REF: STRANDM5041 | PRICE: 1,400,000€

MIJAS | 3 BEDS | 3 BATHS | 346 M2 REF: STRANDP5038 | PRICE: 1,050,000€

FUENGIROLA | 3 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 95 M2 REF: STRANDP2016 | PRICE: 579,000€

MARBELLA | 2 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 135 M2 REF: STRAND1610 | PRICE: 685,000€

MÁLAGA | 5 BEDS | 3 BATHS | 281 M2 REF: STRANDM8054 | PRICE: 785,000€

MARBELLA | 5 BEDS | 4 BATHS | 360 M2 REF: STRAND9622 | PRICE: 2,590,000€

MARBELLA | 2 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 99 M2 REF: STRAND9543 | PRICE: 376,000€

FUENGIROLA | 3 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 175 M2 REF: STRAND1517 | PRICE: 619,000€

ROOM WITHOUT A VIEW

IN the days of slow travel, you watched scenery passing the train window and, later, people passing below your hotel balcony. Then you went out and ate stuff you’d never tried before, and got lost.

Then along came glamping when being a real traveller meant booking a yurt, Airstream, barrel, train carriage or crate in a field and sitting outside it listening to owls.

A decade on, tourism trends have swung to the opposite extreme. In capsule hotels the views are non-existent and the only potential communing with nature is during a trip to the shower block. Capsule hotels have been popping up across Spain as different companies race to have the most and be the leading brand.

Each boasts its own set of perks, but they have fundamental things in common: You get a room without a view, or the space to stand up or swing a cat, or natural light; a selection of remote controls; generous, well-equipped, shared facilities; and you get a cheap night in a top city.

Optimi Rooms Bilbao [https://www. optimirooms.com] was one of the first.

Others include Art Seven [https:// www.artsevenhostel.com] and Oxygen Hostel [https://www.oxygenhostelcapsules.com] in Madrid; and Atypicap Capsule [https://www.atypicap.com] in Tenerife.

FUTUROTEL

As Malaga’s Futurotel Malagueta [https://www.futurotelgroup.com]

claims to be ‘the hotel with the most advanced technology of the moment’ I checked it out.

The advance online check-in didn’t go through, and the Virtual Butler who was to call or text before I arrived, didn’t, but the humans dealing with the large crowd (mixed ages, mixed sizes) at the front desk were friendly and helpful.

‘Room’ is misleading –what you get is a box or pod or capsule inside a room.

But, in contrast to the standard hostel design of open-sided bunks in an open plan dorm, the accommodation in a capsule hotel is individual, private, sealed shut, all yours.

I was led along a corridor and shown how to press this, that and the other, and waft my hand past a sensor to unlock a door to a dark and hushed space.

Two tiers of pods stretched along both sides, their sliding doors sealed shut like lids to a hatch, lights blinking denoting stuff. It was like something from Alien or The Matrix except for the shoes lying around– all trainers.

I was offered the choice of dropping to my hands and knees and crawling into a pod, or using fixed steps to access the one stacked on top.

Opting for the eye-level one, I concentrated as the man from front desk ex-

plained which buttons controlled the light, air, heat, temperature, door lock and flat screen TV. He handed me a bag containing remote controls, game controller, headphones, and towels; and I climbed in, slid the door shut, and examined my surroundings.

IN THE POD

Futurotel pods are entirely taken up by a small double mattress. You can kneel, but there is nowhere, and no way, to stand.

They are somewhere between an MRI scanner and BA long haul business class –not for the claustrophobic. But the beds with their white duvets and clouds of pillows are luxuriously comfortable (if you don’t think so, you can select a different mattress and pillow from a menu) and the space, if limited, is spotless and well-designed.

As well as USB and charging points, and a foldaway table, each has mirrors, mood lighting, a basket of snacks, and a large flat screen TV at the foot of the bed.

The TV screen is basically the control panel, not only providing access to Spanish TV, Netflix, HBO, Disney and whatnot, but hundreds of games (and players), room service and the front desk.

It also tells you the time, the date and where you are (vital given the absence of any other clues), and the current temperature out there in the real world should you ever wish to visit it. Theoretically, it would be easy to lie there for days. It would be a good place to get over a cold, or to put someone who didn’t like sunshine while you went shopping or sightseeing or took a cruise.

If you’re planning on applying to go to Mars, you could get a feel for the transport.

SHARED SPACE

The shared bathrooms are wellequipped, with eco-packs of shampoos and gels; taps controlled by sensors; and showers with a thrilling variety of settings. Even the toilets and mirrors are smart – smarter than me: I lost interest in trying to heat the seat, and play videos while cleaning my teeth, but I appreciate the fact that the technology is there for those who find these things important. There’s an attractive bright white

Continues on Page 22

Don’t you want a hotel with local character and a room with a view? Judging by the success of capsule hotels, apparently not all of you, writes Sorrel Downer

COSY OR CLAUSTROPHOBIC: You don’t get much space in a capsule and facilities are shared

The joy of living in Estepona

An avant-garde design that blends into the surroundings in a consolidated area that’s just minutes from the beach and the city center.

At Mesas Homes II, you’ll find the perfect home in the perfect place.

Spacious terraces

Swimming pool and gym

Design

600m from the marina

From Page 20

LIVING IN A POD

seating area (with plants) and an openplan kitchen with enough pans, crockery and cutlery to start a pop-up restaurant, though, aside from the kettles, and fridges (share one or rent your own), what guests use most is the microwave.

Vending machines run the length of the wall, some stocked with deodorant, toothpaste and chargers; but the majority contain late night junk food snacks, and readymeals from burgers and chicken wings to macaroni bolognese.

Though I’d passed two couples who appeared to be in their late-60s, and a couple of women in their 30s, and a family with teenagers, the vending machine content is confirmation of the hotel’s target market: the 20-something gamer.

Beyond the vending machines, the Subbuteo, the pool table, and vintage Mario Bros arcade game, some of them were visible in the Vegas-dim of the gaming area. Futurotel gives its guests Play Station 5 with more than 1,000 games and the sports stream-

SOMETHING IN THE AIR…

Tsome warmth and sunshine. Or perhaps it’s the buzz of the opening of new restaurants, various food markets, fairs and sailing regattas. The island is wak ing up.

There has been an increase of interest in buying a property on the island since 2020 and so far, this remains, even with increased inflation and the European energy crisis. Mallorca property prices re main among the highest in Spain. Have you been thinking of relocating to the Mediterranean? Of relaxing on your private terrace soaking up the Mediterranean sun shine and listening to the waves.

We are thrilled to introduce this magnificent waterfront property in the hidden bay of Cap

For more information on this and many more properties in The Agency’s portfolio, visit www.theagencyre.com or telephone on +34 871 610 678

ing service DAZN free of charge and says ‘you won’t want to leave the hotel during your stay’. If – despite this – you do, electric scooters can be reserved via app, QR code, your in-pod TV, or by walking to reception and asking.

THE REAL WORLD I was out of there like a greyhound from the traps in the morning, anxious to bask in daylight. At Malagueta beach, one block south, the sea was shimmering, parakeets were squawking in the palms, and there was a lot of jogging, cycling,

NOT BAD: You may live in a capsule but there is fun to be had

scooting and speed-walking going on.

Outside a café, people were drinking coffee and eating toast, yacking with friends, dogs at their feet. It was busy and invigorating. The light, temperature and fresh salty air were perfect.

Futurotel Malagueta’s location on Calle Maestranza is excellent – by the sea, just a five-minute walk from the Pompidou Centre, 15 minutes from the cathedral, the Picasso Museum, and streets of tapas bars and restaurants.

You wonder, if the goal is to create an immersive environment guests won’t want to leave, whether it would make more sense to stick hotels like this out by airports (like

Yotel at Gatwick).

But capsule hotels continue to make alien landings in top spots in popular tourist destinations. And they have their advantages: the miniscule sleeping area is offset by loads of public space and amenities, and for a city break they’re generally a bargain (Futurotel Malagueta has spotless pods for two from around €35). Just don’t forget to check out the real world just outside the door even – or especially if – you’re an ardent gamer. Most Spanish tourist destinations also offer lots of public space, free amenities, and a wide range of entertainment – as well as much, much better food.

SEEING DOUBLE?

Why are there two property registries in Spain? And why are they showing different m²? Property specialist Christofer Fogelberg explains

IT’S a question frequently asked by my clients.

There are indeed two different registries; the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) and the Tax Registry (Registro de Catastro).

Both have different purposes and the reason they usually show different metres squared for the same property is the way the information was collected.

The Land Registry is dependent on the Ministry of Justice and is the legal source of information about a property, i.e. from its sale.

The collection of the information for this registry is mostly done from title deeds signed before a public notary.

The description from the deed will be shown here, including the m².

The Tax Registry on the other hand, is dependent on the Ministry of Treasury and is the base for all the taxes payable for a property, such as rates (IBI) and purchase transfer tax (ITP).

The information in this registry, including m², is mainly based on estimations collected from aerial flight photos!

I will give a common example;

A villa built and registered in 1980 had a pool built in 1992.

added it for tax purposes.

All estate agents typically find these problems when assessing a property and should always advise the vendor to get the situation sorted out before putting the property for sale. The pool was built without a licence and was never registered

The pool was built without a building licence and was never registered in the property registry.

BUT the pool shows in the tax registry as the tax office discovered it on flight photos and

In 2015, a law came in to harmonise the information in both registers but – surprise - the authorities made it the responsibility of the owner to undertake it. So it mainly only gets done when a property is sold, and if the buyer and vendor get the correct advice.

To conclude, the Property Registry is the legal base for a sale of a property but the Tax Registry marks the taxable base of the sale.

A strange paradox is that it is voluntary to register property sales and properties in the land registry, but all properties are obligatory registered in the tax registry.

The responsibility that the information is correct and updated is the owners.

So before putting a property up for sale it is always recommendable to get a registered estate agent to properly assess the property.

Neale

GOLDEN VISA UNDER THREAT

As Portugal

popular

IRELAND and Portugal have recently announced the cancellation of their so-called ‘Golden Visa’ schemes.

These programmes gave residency to non-European Union citizens who invested a certain amount of money in their country, as does a similar visa in Spain.

The programmes generated substantial foreign investment, with Portugal taking almost €7 billion since the program was initiated in 2012.

So popular had been the uptake in Spain’s Iberian neighbour that in 2022, Portugal saw a 42% increase in investment through the Golden Visa program, harvesting €654 million in just one year.

Despite this success, Portugal and Ireland have chosen to revoke their programmes out of fear that it was encouraging money laundering and contributing to a speculative housing bubble.

And indeed, there’s no doubt that Portugal has a problem with a lack of affordable rental housing stock in its main cities.

Lisbon saw a rent increase of 37% last year, so it’s understandable the government wants to rein in uncontrolled price growth.

Recent data in Spain however, suggests house prices are, in comparison to other countries in Europe, anything but exuberant.

DEVELOP AND BUILD SERIES

TERRA Meridiana boss Adam Neale has been spending considerable time scouting out, researching and promoting properties in specific niche developments on the coast.

These include Sierra Blanca, Madronal and Cascada de Camojan, where the company is about to build a ‘huge’ luxury villa, alongside the architecture company, Ark, in Sotogrande.

In an informative YouTube video, architect Manuel Ruiz Moriche explains how the villa, Atrio, is a ‘very special project in the most privileged place in Marbella with amazing views.”

Adam also takes viewers around another extraordinary development in Sector B of Zagaleta, the most expensive, exclusive urbanisation in Spain.

In a series of films he explains the remarkably complex and costly way the builders have had to first drive giant concrete piles into the ground before

BAD TIMING

Yet Spain might now be considering doing the exact same thing.

In the same week that Portugal cancelled its program, Más País, a small left wing political party, proposed cancelling Spain’s version of the Golden Visa program.

The party, born out of the ashes of Podemos, has a reasonable following in Spain and a number of coalition partners in all its regions. But Spain’s Socialist-led government should think twice before taking this route because it could have an outsized impact on the real estate sector and economy as a whole. It comes at a moment when a year of interest rate rises, high inflation and political uncertainty are already creating serious headwinds for the housing market.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?

The Spanish Golden Visa scheme is a residency program designed to encourage investment. It grants long term residency to non-EU citizens who invest a certain amount of money in the country.

The required amount varies based on the type of investment, with a minimum of €500,000

for a property purchase.

A larger investment in a business or government bonds grants the same visa, though the property requirement has been the most popular. This residency allows the investor to live and work in Spain, access social services like public healthcare and education. It also puts them on the road to citizenship, if they choose. And finally, it allows visa holders to bring immediate family members to Spain.

The Golden Visa scheme has been incredibly successful, attracting around €1 billion in in-

vestments every single year in direct investments.

A big contribution to the economy it helped to increase the number of foreign buyers purchasing property here.

In the first half of 2022, foreign buyers accounted for 14% of all property purchases in Spain, the highest number ever. The visa scheme definitely helped.

Of these, the largest non-EU purchasers of property were the British, who made up 10% of all foreign purchases, that’s almost 11,000 homes in one year.

And let’s not forget that the majority of British purchases are under €300,000 and therefore the Golden Visa doesn’t apply. However, in the Costa del Sol, where 60,000 of Spain’s 400,000-plus British expats live, fully one-third made purchases over €1m.

DRILLING THE NUMBERS

Since the launch of the programme in 2013, about 25,000 people have acquired a golden visa.

Over half come from China and Russia, though Russians have now been barred from the program (despite many, as I understand it, getting around the rules in Madrid).

To put that 25,000 in perspective, that is for ten years of the program in total.

Last year Spain welcomed over 300,000 nonEU immigrants in total. That means that the Golden Visa represents less than 1% of residency permits.

The number of approved Golden Visa applications per year is about 2,500,which is a tiny number given that last year over 750,000 properties were purchased.

Foreign buyers were behind only 7% of Spanish home purchases worth over €500,000.

even beginning to sculpt terraces. Wearing a hard hat he talks to project manager Chris Warren about all the key stages needed to ensure that everything from the inside pool to cinema goes to plan. Across one day alone, the site sees an incredible 45 lorries delivering materials

for the one villa. Specific materials are mixed on the site and then taken away for testing in a lab over a month to ensure appropriate strength. The final part of How to Build a Luxury Villa in Zagaleta will air later this year.

So, it makes no sense to claim the visa program is responsible for a lack of affordable housing.

On the other hand, the actual impact on investment and the economy is large.

That’s true not just in terms of the billions that the program brought into the country.

The Golden Visa program has also contributed to the sense that Spain is an attractive investment location, friendly and inviting to foreigners who want to make the country their home.

We know, and I’ve written before, that the Spanish housing market has solid fundamentals. Much more so than, for instance, Sweden or Canada.

But it is vulnerable to negative sentiment in the context of the negative headwinds I discussed above.

If Spain begins to turn an unfriendly face to foreigners, even only the wealthy ones, it could create a further negative inertia in the real estate market.

Hopefully central government will toss the proposal by Más País quickly into the dustbin.

cancelled its

visa programme a small left wing political party in Spain proposes scrapping it here too, writes Adam Neale

HOT OR NOT?

As it approaches its 20th anniversary, Spanish architect Enric Miralles’s Scottish Parliament has been voted the ‘ugliest in the world’. Is this fair, asks Nadia McDonald

AT home, Enric Miralles is seen as one of Spain’s most celebrated architects, with works including the Santa Caterina Market and Natural Gas Building, both in Barcelona.

Abroad however, it is sadly a rather different story, where he has become infamous for designing the much derided Scottish Parliament.

Causing much controversy, the building in Edinburgh, opened by the Queen in 2004, has recently been voted the ugliest in the world by architecture magazine Buildworld.

Described as a ‘disparate and disjointed muddle of concrete and glass’ and a ‘veritable eyesore’, there is no let up on social media or sites like TripAdvisor, where recent reviewers described it as a 'design travesty' and 'monstrosity'.

There is a caveat for poor Enric, how-

ever: The polarising design had been chosen after winning an international design competition, but he died halfway through.

Indeed, he never lived to see the finished product, passing away four years before its inauguration.

From its very outset the building divided opinions, in particular, with the appointment of a non-Scottish national at its helm.

That said, Miralles successfully brought together quintessentially Scottish motifs and local materials to create a tribute to the land and its people.

Despite the long-standing criticism, the architectural world initially looked favourably upon the building winning the Stirling prize for architecture.

The design was actually planned as a ‘mesh of brutalism’, a mix of postmodernism and cubism giving it an ageless quality, a 'dialogue across time', as Miralles described it.

Its deconstructivist style warrants further inspection with its cacophony of shapes, textures and heights.

At first glance the building is more reminiscent of a university campus than as a key political seat, but this self-effacing value creates a sense of a non-hierarchy and openness, while its scattered windows offer up an almost political transparency.

The structure 'heralds a modest democracy rather than anything more politically bombastic', as Claire Wright described it in the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) magazine.

ous buildings including the debating chamber. Its ceiling features leafshaped rooflights with oak beams that fragment the light as it penetrates the space, while the steel panels that surround the skylights form a map of the west coast of Scotland. The natural light enjoyed by the lobby is further amplified by the reflective granite from Aberdeenshire. Light and brightness are a part of the building's fabric, as much a material as any other.

In the Main Hall, Miralles used vaulted concrete ceilings which were cast in-situ and had abstract designs of the

Saltire cross etched into them. The tapering vaults hold a mysticism with carefully angled lighting casting shadows across the floors, while the acoustics of bustling politics reverberate off their walls.

The debating chamber spans 1,200 square metres with no supporting columns instead supported by oak and stainless-steel beams that form the main focal point of the room.

Seating is arranged in a V-shape promoting a more cooperative politics, in stark contrast to the commons of Westminster where opposition and governing party face each other in a

V-SHAPED:

for

is designed to be less confrontational

Catherine Slessor, of the Architectural Review, meanwhile described the feat as 'a Celtic-Catalan cocktail to blow both minds and budgets’. She added: “It doesn't play safe, energetically mining a new seam of National romanticism refined and reinterpreted for the twenty-first century'. In terms of blowing budgets, that certainly contributed to condemnation of the building, with the final project costing eight times more than the original price projection. Indeed, at £414 million (around €450m) it cost every Scot £85 in tax and ended up being part of a public enquiry, which finally exonerated Miralles.

A birds-eye view of the project reveals stainless steel roofs shaped like upturned boats, inspired by Scotland's coastline. From above it appears as undulating hills, a marker of the country's topography and its famed highlands.

It is expansive in its breadth rather than its height, laying-low so as not to obscure the view of its surroundings, with its different levels allowing for light to enter at every available point. The garden lobby connects the vari-

TERRIBLE TRIPLE

OTHER regulars amongst the world’s ugliest buildings include the pointed and space-like Hotel Ryugyong in North Korea (left), the brutalist concrete FBI headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington (above) and the postmodern, lego-esque residential Mirador Building in Madrid (right).

Image © Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Seating

SMPs

FETED CATALAN: Miralle’s designs in Barcelona are much loved

combative fashion.

Next year, the Scottish Parliament building will celebrate its 20th anniversary when further commentary on its 'hot or not' status will be thrown to the fore again.

Miralles was not trying to design a building that would placate public opinion, he wanted to create a timeless statement as practical as it is eye-catching.

Whether it is the world's ugliest building is a matter for the eye of the beholder. Ultimately 'parliament is just a way of sitting together', as Miralles once said, and that is exactly what he achieved.

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ARMY OF CHEFS

47 Michelin stars to descend on foodie paradise

IT is set to be a busy year for tiny Benahavis with two key events this Spring already set to make national headlines.

The first this month is the prestigious Chefs for Children event, between the Benahavis cookery school and the Anantara Villa Padierna Spa hotel, which will feature the biggest stars of the Spanish gourmet scene.

Aside from a staggering nine three-Michelin starred masters - including Elena Arzak, Eneko Atxa and Angel León - there will be 38 other Michelin-starred chefs, serving up food at a gala event raising money for terminally ill children.

Expanding boundaries

Sponsored by Porsche, Joselito ham and the Diputacion de Malaga, among others, the gala event on April 24 costs €350 a head, but will be a meal to beat all.

The event is in aid of the Pequeno Deseo Foundation, founded in 2000, and the chefs will be holding a series of workshops with 150 local pupils from the Atalaya and Daidin schools.

As well as the kids getting to cook with Spain’s top chefs, they will be able to learn about healthy eating and flavour combinations to take home with them.

Students from the Benahavis cookery school and teachers from Le Cordon Bleu school in Madrid will also help out. In May, the village will also be hosting the popular, national trail bike competition for the first time.

The Campeonato de Espana de Trial will pass through the nearby hills on May 28.

Restaurante Coto in Benahavis: Where the flavours, the architecture and the Andalucian landscape all flow into one incredible experience

ARESERVE - a place set aside where rare and precious things are protected and safeguarded. Restaurante Coto, nestled in the winding and sinuous Carretera de Ronda between La Zagaleta and El Madroñal, certainly lives up to its Spanish name.

A dazzling location overlooking the Andalucian landscape as it flows down into the Mediterranean Sea, the new-

ly refurbished Restaurante Coto is all about flow.

The flavours of the traditional European menu splashed with a modern twist flow into the eclectic and luxurious decor which in turn flows into the landscape. This concept is embodied in the impressive seven-metre-by-three-metre

three-dimensional artwork adorning a side wall created by Osvaldo Lobalzo. And the floor-toceiling glass sliding doors bring diners closer to nature and the mountainous outdoors.

And, in anticipation of long, lingering summer evenings and sunsets, the stunning

views can be enjoyed with a pre-dinner cocktail on the gorgeous roof terrace. Head chef and owner Clive Rogers, who hails from South Africa and trained in high-end hotels and restaurants in Oxfordshire, prides himself on a menu that extends beyond the boundaries of typical Andalucian cuisine.

Each dish is complemented with its own perfect garnish to marry the fresh vegetables to the succulent meat. And the high-quality produce allows the ingredients to just speak for themselves.

For those who wish to splash out, the wine list includes an incredibly rare, one-in-the-world bottle of 1994 Petrus Pomerol Grand Vi.

But Restaurante Coto is not just for highrollers; a meal for two and a bottle of wine can also come in at under €80. Still just a year young, Clive and the team have worked hard to make it one of the leading restaurants in Andalucia. The flow awaits you.

reservations: +34 951 74 47 77 / +34 627 12 14 43

clive@cotorestaurante.com

A unique dining experience in a inspiring location boasting stunning views of the Andalusian landscape all the way down to the Mediterranean Sea

Clive Rogers Head Chef/Owner

SIMPLY STUNNING: Restaurante Coto is stylish and elegant

ROCKY RIVER RAPIDS

The Olive Press walking team takes on the infamous Benahavis river hike

AFTER battling our way down the Rio Guadalmina, forced to leave one of our team behind, we had eventually found what appeared to be a way back to civilisation.

But a series of bent metal steps jutting out of the vertical rock face had never looked less enticing, as I clutched my shaking body and scanned the cliff for an alternative. Two-and-a-half-hours before, four of us had set off just south of Benahavis on the river walk – sometimes called canyoning – with no idea what to expect.

Driving up the valley towards the village gives no indication of the exhilarating, some would say hard-core, experience you are about to have.

Adventure

After parking our car in the village, by the water tower roundabout, we walked down to the river and initially hovered awkwardly around the first pool, uncertain whether we were in the right place.

Finally taking control in true Bear Grylls fashion, amid shouts of ‘It’s not deep enough’ and ‘You’re going to smash head-first into that rock’, I lowered myself onto a slippery waterfall and went plunging into

the murky water below, screaming as I went.

As I resurfaced, shouting my approval while messily ejecting river water from my mouth, the others ditched their fears and bounded down to slide in after me, and that was it, we were off.

A series of open pools, bridged by slippery rocks and feisty little waterfalls took us down deeper into the gorge, until the sun was obscured and the November chill began to take its toll on our exposed torsos. Little frogs and fish bounded around our ankles as we tried to locate a foothold in the riverbed, while an enormous dragonfly sent me crashing when it shocked me into losing all sense of balance.

The rocky path opened up into long, deep stretches of stream that required swimming, and we were soon engulfed in the beautifully peaceful valley.

But when we came upon a pitch black cave that had to be swum through, one of our three began to raise serious questions.

Questions like: ‘Are we sure this is even the right river?’, ‘Is there ever going to be a way out?’ and, most pertinent of all, ‘Are we going to have enough energy to go all the way back up when we eventually decide to turn around?’.

But untroubled by negative mumblings at the back, I surged forward

TAKING A DIP: Adventures on the Benahavis river

through the narrow passageway and emerged clambering over slimy rocks, only to realise I was well and truly alone.

After what seemed like an eternity of unanswered shouts and shivering, I beat a solitary path onwards; confident I would find the end and meet the weaklings in my group back at the car. But at that moment I was overjoyed to hear a clumsy sloshing from behind me, with only one of the team actually going back. And ten minutes later we found ourselves face to face with the ques-

FROM PAST TO PRESENT

Built to support Montemayor castle, Benahavis is still a highly prized location

WITH its lofty position high above the coast, Benahavis has long been one of the most sought after spots on the coast of Andalucia.

Its unobstructed views of over 100 kilometres of coastline and across to Africa were a prime reason why the Moors built a well fortified settlement here.

The town has its origins in the late 11th century, when it formed to support the nearby Castle of Montemayor, which was built about 100 years earlier.

Indeed, the town is named after Havis, the arabic chieftain who built the castle. Ben al Havis is Arabic for ‘son of Havis’.

The castle and town were strategically placed for the battles fought between Andalucia’s Arab kings before it eventually fell into the hands of the Catholic monarchs in 1485, as part of the Spanish Reconquista.

PRESERVED: The Torre de la Leonera

tionable metal ladder, one missed step and we were dead.

So instead of watching my violently shivering companion slip and slide his way up the perilous cliff edge, I got on all fours and improvised, hauling myself up the rock using grubby handholds and tree trunks. Perhaps, in hindsight, canyoning down the river is more of a hot summer’s day activity, and a brilliant one at that.

But even in the winter drizzle, it was a great adventure, and I can’t wait to do it again.

At the time Benahavis was a part of Marbella, but it gained its ‘independence’ in 1572 when King Felipe II granted it a Carta Puebla and it became a town in its own right. It remained strategically important for centuries, with its location allowing for the detection of pirate raids long before boats landed on the shores.

During the Spanish War of Independence (18081814), Montemayor Castle was used by the Spanish troops as a strategic point against Napoleon's army. Located 579 metres above sea level, the ruins of

what was once one of Andalucia’s greatest military gems is still home to some of the most outstanding views of the Costa del Sol. Some of its walls are preserved in good condition as well as the Torre de la Reina, which contains remains of what were once chambers and a well.

Another five towers are still standing that were built to protect the castle and village, with the Torre de la Leonera sitting in a park of the same name perhaps the best preserved. Spanish 20th century historian Antonio Maíz also described an entrance to a subterranean passageway, which is believed to lead all the way to the ruins of La Boveda Roman baths of San Pedro Alcántara. There are tales of treasures hidden in this passage, although none have ever been found.

Pic credit: Wikipedia ZCMarbella

Five towers are still standing that were built to protect the village

THINGS TO DO ON THE COSTA TROPICAL

● Motorbiking – there’s a moto club in El Pozuelo, near La Rábita.

● Fishing – remember to obtain a permit from your local agricultural office to avoid a ‘multa’.

● Eating - Enjoy fish that has already been caught at the many ‘chiringuitos’ and seafront restaurants.

● Hiking – seafront pedestrian walkways exist be- tween several of the fishing villages.

● Swimming – if you’re with your kids, bear in mind that, during summer, some of the more popular beaches have lifeguards.

● Relaxing – just sunbathe!

you’ll find a tranquil and cute little beach –and not much else, although it does have a breastfeeding salon for mums. Great if you want a quiet interlude.

La Rabita

La Rabita belongs to the municipality of Albuñol and is situated near a big rambla (dry riverbed). It is one of the larger towns on this stretch of the Costa Tropical.

This is a popular beach destination for residents of La Alpujarra, who can drive over the hills to relax on Playa Rabita. There are plenty of amenities, although the hotel is closed until summer.

The name ‘Rabita’ comes from a ‘ribat’ - or fortress-monastery - dating to the Nasrid kingdom of Granada: it was a strategic coastal defense. In the 18th century, the existing watchtowers of La Rabita and the nearby Punta Negra and Huarea were built.

The Torre Vigia De La Rabita (its full name) was, until recently, used as headquarters of the Guardia Civil.

During the mid-19th century, La Rabita was one of La Alpujarra’s most important ports, importing rice, cod, grains, wood, and coal, and exporting wine, raisins, almonds, figs, beans, and chestnuts. At that time, the main economy was fishing, with a variety of vessels dedicated to the trade.

In 1973, La Rabita suffered extensive flooding. Afterwards, the town was repaired and subsequently expanded. The economy today is based on agriculture, fishing, and the service industry.

The patron saint is Virgen del Mar – the sea virgin.

A BANGING EVENT

AS part of its pre-Semana Santa celebrations, the market town of Orgiva holds the most banging event on the Alpujarra’s cultural calendar. When the effigy of Christ is moved from his ‘dressing room’ in the 16th century church to the altar, the region’s noisiest fireworks (cohetes) are detonated in the town’s main street. People hold their ears as the pyrotechnic display reaches its explosive conclusion (before, left, and after). Historically, it was intended to make demons flee.

POPULAR DESTINATION: La Rabita (above and below) is on the Costa Tropical and attracts vistors from round the region

Burning issue

Dear Olive Press,

l FEEL l must comment on your reference on the front page of your paper to the burning of giant papier-mache caricatures (Olive Press Costa Blanca Issue 102).

For many years the fallas models have been made from polystyrene. The production of the models provide year round work for many artists and sculptors.

It’s a high-tech business using computer controlled cutting machines.

When the models were made of wood and papier-mache, smoke and ash were produced on their burning but it was sustainable. Now the burning of the polystyrene produces dangerous gases harmful to the environment and global warming.

On a side note, how about a feature on Denia? It is a very interesting and different town to Javea, which you just produced a supplement on.

We do enjoy reading your paper, it has wide ranging, interesting articles not covered by other papers.

Barbara Daly, Denia

Editor’s note: Many thanks for your kind words Barbara and thankyou for your suggestion about Denia. Watch this space!

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Campaigns work!

Thanks from our readers as the Olive Press continues to highlight issues that affect them

Congratulations

AS a reader for many years, may I congratulate the Olive Press for your untiring work in successfully campaigning for the reciprocal agreement for driving licences.

Please could you now turn your attention and influence on the plight of the more than 800,000 Spanish home owning Brits who for years have made Spain their second home and who are now severely and unfairly affected by the 90 day in 180 Schengen rule. Our ultimate wish would be for Spain to grant us the same visa free arrangement that the UK gives to Spain. Can you add your not inconsiderable voice to our campaign?

Freddie Lees, Staffordshire and Pego Editor’s note: We are very aware of the plight of many homeowners who now find they can not use their own property as they would wish since Brexit. We will certainly consider a campaign on the matter in the next few months.

Plastic query

I READ your article about plastics fished from the sea off Spain (Olive Press Online). I was interested in the assertion that if no solutions are found, by 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

I am an active member of the Marbella-Guadalmina Rotary Club and we organise and support activities in this area as part of our EndPlasticSoup

Keep it up

THE issue of solar panels covering swathes of unspoilt countryside that you have consistently highlighted is an important one.

I personally have embraced the concept of using solar, and have panels on my roof. Surely this is an avenue that should be exploited to its fullest before vast ‘mega farms’ are set up covering thousands of hectares, many in places of great natural beauty.

Take a walk in any town or city and you will see plenty of rooftop space just begging to have solar installed. The Olive Press should continue to report on this issue, which seems to be largely ignored elsewhere in the media.

Joan Armitage, Torremolinos

Initiative. We would be interested in using this as part of our promotional material, but would like to know where it comes from. Is it the scientific community or is it from an organisation that is doing work in this area?

I would appreciate it very much if you could clarify this for me

Barbara Collins, Marbella

POWER! FIGHT THE HAND S OFF OUR COSTAS

Editor’s note: The Olive Press has always covered and campaigned on environmental matters so thank you for your question that highlights an important issue. To answer your question - this information was provided by WWF UK, which states: “The amount of plastic in the ocean is expected to double in the next 15 years, and by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the sea (by weight).”

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Manuel labour

AMID a barrage of bright economic news, including GDP growth of 5.5% last year, Spain faces a deficit in one of its traditional strengths: a lack of waiters.

With bookings for Easter weekend up 20% on last year, there is concern among tourism chiefs that labour will be unable to meet demand.

The after effects of the pandemic are still lingering, with claims that it continues to put workers off from entering the tourism and hospitality industry.

Coupled with hotels forecasting occupancy to be at 90% throughout the whole summer season, Spain will need at least 60,000 additional workers in the sector.

Leading companies such as Meliá have been looking for young talent on social networks, while hospitality schools in Madrid have taken the unusual step of guaranteeing their students a job upon graduation.

Fixing investigation

By Alex Trelinski

SPAIN'S competition authority, the CNMC, has launched a probe into Google and its parent company Alphabet into alleged restrictive practices concerning Spanish publishers and news agencies.

The CNMC in a statement said: “Specifically, these practices consist of the possible imposition of unfair commercial conditions on publishers of press publications and news agencies established in Spain for the exploitation of their copyrighted content.”

“There are rational indications of possible infringements,” the CNMC added.

They will investigate whether

Business booming

Probe into search engine giant’s ‘restrictive practices’

VUELING FINED

BUDGET airline Vueling has been hit with a €30,000 fine in a landmark decision over discrimination between female and male cabin crews.

The penalty was imposed by Catalunya’s Labour Inspectorate after a complaint from the Stavla cabin crew union.

Barcelona-based Vueling - part of the IAG group - is studying the ruling and has the right to appeal.

It’s the first-such adjudication in Spain over cabin crews with the Inspectorate saying that Vueling committed a ‘very serious infraction’ by forcing female employees to wear heels and make up while their male colleagues only required ‘a clean and groomed appearance’.

Google broke Spain’s competition laws by abusing its dominant market position and hindering free competition.

The CNMC investigation will last for up to 18 months and was prompted by a 2021 complaint from the Spanish Reproduction Rights Centre

(CEDRO) - a group representing writers and publishers.

der competition rules or in the same manner as other similar companies operating in the market.”

The complaint talks about protecting intellectual property rights and asserts that Google is threatening the ‘plurality, independence, and freedom of the press’ in Spain

SPANISH companies nearly doubled their business volume in 2022 compared to the year before, thanks in large part to the energy sector.

Firms saw their volume of business increase by 41% in 2022 compared to the year before when the country was emerging from the pandemic.

Of that 41%, the energy sector accounted for nearly 17 percentage points, according to the Bank of Spain figures.

Electricity and gas firms saw joint profits of €12.8 billion in 2022, partly due to the rise in energy costs caused by the war in Ukraine.

CEDRO legal director, Javier Diaz de Olarte, said: “Google has not treated press publishers in an appropriate way un-

The CNMC did not specify the period to be covered by the probe, nor what sanctions Google could face if it is proven the company abused its strong market position in the country.

The European Union and several member states have taken steps to stop companies like Google from hindering competition, as well as tax avoidance on profits made from accessing news articles.

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INFLATION SURPRISE

SPAIN'S inflation rate in March clocked in at 3.3% according to preliminary figures from the National Statistics Institute.

That's down on February's figure of 6% and is attributed to falls in electricity and fuel prices and the big hikes recorded in March 2022 working their way out of the system.

The March inflation rate is the lowest annual figure since August 2021 and has

Price rises slow down but food still 16% more expensive

By Alex Trelinski

confounded predictions from economists who projected a rate of around 3.8%.

Angel Talavera, chief economist for Europe at Oxford Economics, said: “This should not make us believe that inflationary tensions are

Forecast beaten

SPAIN'S economy grew by 5.5% last year- the same rate as in 2021 - according to the National Statistics Institute(INE).

The 2022 rise was confirmed after the INE reported a 0.2% rise in GDP growth for the final quarter of last year.

Last year's increase was 1.1% higher than predicted by the government and confirms two years of growth after GDP fell by 11.3% in 2020 due to the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.The economy though still has not fully recovered to volume levels seen before Covid struck. Domestic demand contributed 3.1% to GDP growth in 2022, a figure 2.1% lower than that of 2021, while foreign demand contributed 2.4%- 2.1% above the previous year.

over.”

“Core and food prices will remain high, and in addition, the large fall in energy prices in the last months of last year will cause the opposite effect to that of March on the inflation rate in the last months of 2023,” he added.

Core inflation, which does not include variable fresh food and energy prices, was 7.5% year-on-year, slightly below the 7.6% recorded in February.

It’s the first drop - albeit marginal - in the core rate in 23 months.

Food

Food prices are the main issue for most people in Spain with the last stripped-out figure reporting a 16.6% annual rate in February.

The Bank of Spain has predicted that food inflation will remain in double digits for the rest of 2023 with the annual rate in December predicted to be 12.2% before falling to an average rate of 4.6% next year.

Fuengirola Marbella Plaza de las Orquídeas, Calle Orquídea, Local 5, Nueva Andalucia, Marbella, 29660, Spain +34 952 906 581 marbella@currenciesdirect.com

Nerja - Malaga Calle Antonio Ferrandis Chanquete 1 Local 1A, Nerja, Malaga, 29780 Spain +34 952 906 581 nerja@currenciesdirect.com

Avda. Alcalde Clemente Díaz Ruiz s/n Urb. Puebla Lucia, Edificio Leo Local 1, Fuengirola, 29640, Spain +34 952 906 581 fuengirola@currenciesdirect.com

Mojacar Avenida Mediterráneo 341, Mojácar (Almería), 04638, Spain +34 950 478 914 mojacar@currenciesdirect.com

Benalmadena Avenida Antonio Machado, Edificio Diana I Local 13, Benalmádena Costa, Málaga, 29630, Spain +34 952 90 65 81 benalmadena@currenciesdirect.com

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Fly Easy

EASYJET, the British lowcost operator, has reopened its summer operations base in Malaga airport and will connect the Costa del Sol to 15 European destinations over the coming months. It will have 1.8 million seats for sale to meet the demand of the high-season.

Flight routes this year will permit easier connections between Malaga and Amsterdam, Basel, Belfast, Berlin Brandenburg, Bristol, Geneva, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Luton, London Southend, London Gatwick, Lyon, Manchester, Milan Malpensa and Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Take the train

MALAGA’s long-awaited metro has finally reached the city centre after 17 years of promises and drilling. Coming in at €760 million, double the original budget, the metro extension saw two new stations open. Guadalmedina and Atarazanas, next to El Corte Ingles and in the Alameda Principal respectively, were officially inaugurated by Juanma Moreno, the President of the Junta, and Raquel Sánchez, the Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda.

A Happy Easter

Bumper Semana Santa for tourism businesses

SPAIN’S tourism sector is expecting to do big business this Easter, with forecasts suggesting that visitor numbers and spending will break records of recent years.

The end of Covid-19 restrictions will see the return of international visitors while Spaniards are also very keen to enjoy a domestic vacation.

This has led to many hotels and other establishments to already hang up the ‘no vacancy’ sign, according to news agency Euro -

By Simon Hunter

pa Press.

Melia Hotels International, for example, has reported a 22% rise in sales compared to 2019 thanks both to price rises and the return of tourists from key markets such as the UK and Germany. This boost has been felt in particular in the Canary Islands, where hotels are already above 65% occupation levels.

Barcelo Hotel Group also reported a rise in sales, with average occupancy expected to be 10 percent -

POLICE have arrested three men in Madrid on suspicion of stealing €25,000 worth of wine from shops in the city’s upscale Salamanca district.

Among the stolen bottles were Bordeaux wines from Chateaux Pétrus, one of which had a price tag of €6,700.

The suspects would first visit the stores in question to ask questions about high-priced wines,

age points above that of 2022, and a major boost in revenue. As for flights, bookings for trips into Spain are just

Pricey wine

before later returning to steal them. The arrests come after another high-profile case in Spain involving stolen wines. In early March, a former Mexican beauty queen and her partner were sentenced to four years in prison for stealing 45 bottles of wine worth an estimated €1.6 million from a hotel.

O’Leary anger

3% below the numbers for the same period in 2019, Spanish daily El Pais reported, while domestic flights are up 12% on four years ago, the last Easter before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Strikes

But there are worries that strikes in Germany where unions want above 10% pay rises could have an impact on popular destinations for Germans like the Balearics. The strikes have hit the aviation sector as well as ports and trains.

RYANAIR CEO Michael O'Leary has described a new wave of daily French air traffic control strikes disrupting flights to and from Spain as a 'scandal'. The budget airline boss has warned that holidaymakers ‘face chaos’ throughout April due to the industrial action. “The French are going to get worse and worse for the next three and four months”, O'Leary predicted. He added: “People are really f****** p***** off with flights getting cancelled left, right and centre because the French are on strike.”

Disruption

Ryanair launched a petition last month aimed at getting one million signatures from passengers in order to force the European Commission to take action to prevent further disruption being caused by the French strikes.

SEMANA FRIENDLY

IHAVE had the pleasure to live in Spain for 15 years.

When I moved here, I wanted to get involved in the Spanish community and traditions, and of these Easter is one of the most important events on the calendar.

From city to town, town to village, every community has its own way of celebrating Semana Santa. My first Easter parade was in Fuengirola and, being green behind the gills, the images of people dressed in what appeared to be KKK robes, did confuse me until I found out they were the traditional cos-

Easter in Alozaina is a very special event, writes Matt Jones tumes worn by penitents. Putting the robes to one side, the parades on the coast are magnificent and very large. Following Fuengirola, I attended the processions in Malaga, Marbella and San Pedro in the following years. Though they were amazing, I felt lost in a city environment. But when I moved to the village of Alozaina five years ago, I found it to be very special, especially around Easter

week.

The parades that we have are on a par with any of the large coastal communities. The difference is that in Alozaina,there seems to be much more of a closeness between the people and the parade.

This may explain why so many people arrive from coastal cities and towns just to view the processions.

Pop inland, come to my very special village and enjoy a more personal Semana Santa. Alozaina looks forward to greeting you.

TIMETABLE TO EASTER

HOLY WEDNESDAY April 5th

22:00 - Santo Viacrucis Cristo de la Veracruz (The Penance)

During the different processions saetas (traditional Andalucian religious songs) will be performed.

HOLY THURSDAY April 6th

18:00 - Santos Ocios at Santa Ana Parish Church.

20:00 - Procesion del Lavatorio: Christ Tied to the Column, San Juan Evangelista and Virgen de la Esperanza

During the different processions saetas will be performed.

23:00 - Holy Hour in front of the Monument at Santa Ana Parish Church

GOOD FRIDAY April 7

11:30 - Procesion del Encuentro: Our Father Jesus Nazarene, San Juan Evangelista and Virgen de los Dolores.

During the different processions saetas will be performed.

18:00 - Santos Ocios at Santa Ana Parish Church.

20:00 - Procession of the Holy Burial: Santo Sepulcro, San Juan Evangelista and Virgen de la Esperanza.

During the different processions saetas will be performed.

23:30 - Procesion de la Soledad.

Our Lady of Sorrows

During the different processions saetas will be performed.

HOLY SATURDAY April 8

21:45 - Easter Vigil at Santa Ana Parish Church

RESURRECTION SUNDAY April 9th

11:30 - Holy Mass at Santa Ana Parish Church

12:00 - Resurrected Christ Procession

During the different processions saetas will be performed.

SUNDAY, April 16th

09:00 - Ascent of the Christ of Veracruz

12:30 - Holy Mass in the Chapel of Jorox.

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

DISCOVER YOUR INNER INCA

Exciting new Latin American fusion restaurant COYA opens in Marbella - its tenth in ten years!

AN exciting new Peruvian fusion restaurant has opened in Marbella, this week.

COYA Marbella has opened its doors at Puente Romano Beach Resort.

Much more than a restaurant, it’s a global destination, a culture, and a luxury lifestyle… a place where guests

are taken on an immersive journey to Latin America through exceptional, authentic Peruvian food, innovative pisco infusions, cultural events and unforgettable parties.

Since it first launched in London’s Mayfair in 2012, COYA has taken its heady experience of Peruvian cuisine, pisco cocktails and music to new openings in Paris, Mykonos and Monte Carlo, as well as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh.

Its arrival in Spain however, is special, as it celebrates its tenth anniversary with its tenth restaurant opening. Most importantly, it’s the first COYA in Spain, and it has chosen Puente Romano Beach Resort in the heart of Marbella’s Golden Mile.

“This opening is even more special for us, being the first in Spain, and the fourth in Europe,” explains COYA COO Yannis Stanisiere.

“While Marbella is already globally associated with exceptional tourism and residential offerings, we continue to realise the forward-thinking vision of the

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 6 Allow, 7 Scurry, 8 Spur, 9 Noontide, 10 Dangle, 12 Gamma, 14 Dad, 16 Melon, 17 Retire, 19 Countess, 21 Togo, 22 Sloped, 23 Icing.

Down: 1 Warplane, 2 Blur, 3 Twinned, 4 Subtract, 5 Trod, 7 Shop, 11 Grown-ups, 13 Mortgage, 15 Drastic, 18 Bend, 20 Oily, 21 Trio.

brand by launching an allyear-long open-air dining venue, nestled along the charming Golden Mile.”

Peruvian Fusion Food

The team who created the concept found their inspiration in Peru, a vibrant country whose Incan heritage is a big part of its attraction for travellers, and a cuisine that is ‘the original fusion food’. It was a clever choice, as Peruvian cuisine is not nearly as well known in Europe as many others from around the world. And because Peruvian cuisine absorbed the cooking techniques and flavours of many other cultures that arrived there over the last 500 years it really lends itself to going global.

Welcome to COYA Marbella

If you haven’t already visited COYA in other parts of the world, you are in for a fabulous surprise, and an authentic and transformative Latin American experience. Make your reservation now: coya@puenteromano.com and +34 952 76 82 22

SPERM MISTAKE

A MAN who had a son via IVF treatment has discovered that the child is not his biological offspring and now wants €1 million compensation. The situation came to light due to a series of coincidences which included repeated comments from relatives about how little the child, who was born in late 2021, resembled his father. Then a friend with medical knowledge noticed that the blood group of the baby was

IVF baby is not biological offspring of father

By Simon Hunter

incompatible with those of his parents. This prompted the family to take a paternity test, the result of which showed that the woman was the child’s biological mother, but that the man was not the father.

BREATH EASY

HAYFEVER sufferers will be able to breath easy this year. According to the SEAIC allergology society, 2023 will likely be mild for allergy sufferers.

By using a model based on historical data and weather forecasts, the society has predicted that spring will be mild for pollen on the Mediterranean coast but a little worse in areas such as Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura. SEAIC reported that coastal cities such as Barcelona, Alicante and Murcia will see pollen levels of between 1,000 and 1,200 grains per square metre, rising to 2,000 in inland urban centres such as Lleida and above 4,000 grains in areas south of Madrid..

The cold winter has had an effect on pollen levels, in particular from cypresses and conifers, which are usually the first to shed their grains.

CHANGE IS POSSIBLE

The rise of generalised anxiety in an uncertain financial climate

IN an uncertain financial climate and an economic downturn, many families feel a generalised sense of anxiety about how they may meet the rising cost of living and ensure that they have enough income to cover costs.

The war in Ukraine, an unstable banking sector and steep rising inflation and food costs, all add to pressures on families.

A social environment that feels unstable does add fear and insecurity to those who are ‘breadwinners’ in families.

COUNSELLING THE GURU’

world events.

“The result was communicated to the family on February 27, 2023 and was devastating for them,” a lawsuit filed by pressure group The Patient’s Ombudsman states.

The family is suing the health system as well as the Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar in Cadiz. The regional health chief, Catalina Garcia, launched an investigation into what exactly happened.

Fears

The lawyer acting for the family, which has not been identified, also raised fears about how far-reaching the error could be: i.e. another family undergoing IVF treatment may have had a baby using the man’s sperm.

The group has opted to go public with the story in order to avoid such mistakes happening again. “It’s obvious that what happened cannot be sorted out, but perhaps if everyone hears about it, it won’t happen again,” a spokesman said.

This anxiety may show itself in a generalised form of anxiety, a sharp rise in fears and a rise in bodily tensions such as tighter muscles in the jaw, head and neck, feelings of dread or catastrophic thoughts and low moods.

Generalised anxiety due to stressors should be seen through the prism of a constant overactive bodily stress response. Sometimes this overactive stress response is related to a specific life event or sometimes, it starts to become the ‘norm’ in how people think and feel because the body has adapted to react to a consistent perceived threat.

If anxiety and stress is not countered long term, the body adapts to this hyper-active state which leaves the body and mind in a constant state of alert. This is what we call ‘generalised anxiety’ and the longer people feel financially unstable, the greater the risk that generalised anxiety can bed into those who are the main family earners. Counselling is one of a range of treatments to help individuals manage their stress levels and underlying thoughts and feelings that can trigger high stress anxiety reactions. Whilst many people may have events in their lives that lead to high levels of anxiety, generalised anxiety is more of a deeper rooted issue that points to historical events that have shaped the way that an individual interprets or reacts to

For example, trauma events, parents who projected consistent fears of the world to their children, as well as unstable home environments can all affect the subconscious of someone who has experienced such adverse life events so that they feel a deeper sense of the world being a risk to their existence. These innate fears trigger the fear centres in their brain which become sensitised over time and which remain on ‘high alert’ for risk.

Sadness

So whilst someone who has not been affected by adverse life events may look at the loss of their job through the prism of sadness tinged with a desire to get another job, individuals with traumatic childhoods or adverse life conditions may view the same event as another bad event in a catalogue of bad events in their life and that such depressing news was only a matter of time because ‘nothing good ever happens to me’. This in turn can trigger the same ‘fear centre’ in the brain, reconfirming a mental loop that the world is unstable and that the individual is somehow incapable, weak or unable to cope. Counselling can help such individuals make sense of where these thoughts come from and provide opportunities for an individual to develop self-compassion and a deeper sense of understanding of the root causes of why they think and feel certain ways.

For many, this realisation is life changing to the point that they are able to slough off old behaviour patterns that have held them back. Change is really possible and the first step is reaching out for help and acknowledging that there is a problem.

Fooled you

OLIVE Press writer Simon Hunter has attracted more than 2.3m views - and many outraged comments - with his April Fool tweet featuring a tortilla espanola including sausages and cheese as ingredients.

Speed freak

A BRITISH biker has been clocked speeding at 202kph on the A7 in Manilva on the Costa del Sol and is now under investigation for a crime against road safety.

Just learning

POLICE are investigating a 58-year-old man after he allowed his eight-year-old son behind the wheel in a Malaga car park used by parents to teach their children how to drive.

O P LIVE RESS The ANDALUCÍA

RAIN GOD

Villagers pray for end to drought at special Mass to Lady of the Torrents

A DROUGHT stricken village has revived an old practice to pray for rain.

The inhabitants of L’Espunyola in Catalunya decided to hold a special mass to Our Lady of the Torrents, a local virgin associated with rainfall, in a bid to save their crops.

Some 250 residents joined a procession, with worshippers bearing the colourfully paint-

By Dilip Kuner

ed statue of the virgin from its home in the local church (pictured) and around the village streets followed by the bishop and parishioners.

Together with tourism, farming is the main source of income for L’Espunyola, which is about an hour-and-a-half north of Barcelona.

Following three dry years, much of Catalunya is affected by drought, putting crops at peril unless it rains soon. All three reservoirs in the area

PLUCKY PEACOCKS

IT makes a change from rescuing cats from trees. Fire crews in Valencia were called out on a peacock rescue mission after four birds were spotted leaping across rooftops. Residents were surprised to see the colourful creatures enjoying freedom on top of buildings on Godella's Calle Mayor. There were concerns that one or more might suffer a fatal fall and that pedestrians might be injured as well. Firefighters from Burjassot and Paterna were assigned the task of getting the peacocks to safety.

are below a third of their capacity and nearby La Baells reservoir is at just 35% capacity. It may be an old Mass revived, but the villagers have tried the same method of ‘rainmaking’ in recent times. And they claim it workedsoon after offering prayers and hymns to Our Lady of the Torrents in 2008 the heavens opened. But Bishop Francesc Conesa (pictured) is being cagey over whether the villagers’ prayers will be answered this time. He said: “We have asked with faith, and many people have come and prayed with faith. “The Lord will give us what suits us.”

FIVE Komodo Dragons have been hatched in a

This is the first successful breeding of the world’s largest lizard in Spain for a decade. Currently there are only 1,300 of the endangered species in the

The breeding success at Fuengirola’s BioParc is a milestone for the species as it is particularly difficult to get the lizards to mate. Female dragons are only on heat for one week a year and spend the other 51 weeks actively avoiding the male.

Conceived

Each of the baby dragons have been named: Juanito (for being conceived on San Juan’s day), Phoenix (as his egg broke during incubation but he managed to survive), Embum (meaning ‘morning dew’ in Indonesian), Saya (a tribute to a previous female dragon at the zoo) and Drakaris (named by a team member who is a self confessed Game of Thrones fan).