Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin May 10

FEATURED ARTICLES: "Best Spanish beaches—Spain awarded more Blue Flags than ever for 2024!" and "Red-letter day for expat homeowners in Spain"

It’s nice to be able to bring you an edition of the Editor’s Roundup Weekly Bulletin that is packed with plenty of good news. It seems that too often we have to break the sad news of drunken tourists dying while ‘balconing’ or of foreigners getting arrested on the Spanish coasts (though there has been more of that this week).

In this roundup, we’ve got a summary of all the Blue Flags awarded to Spanish beaches, certifying their quality. Spain has been the world leader in the number of Blue Flag beaches for about 30 years now, and this year is no exception.

More good news for foreign property owners in Spain as a landmark decision in Alicante could affect homes for the better all over the country, and a surprise announcement of an international pop superstar coming to give a series of concerts around the country this summer…

Wave your flag!

Playa de Aguamarina, Cabo de Gata

Spain has held on to its title as world leader in the 2024 Blue Flag awards, a distinction that recognises beaches, marinas and tourist boat operations around the world for their outstanding quality, facilities and services.

The Environmental and Consumer Education Association (Adeac), promoter of the Blue Flags in Spain, presented the complete list of these distinctions in Madrid on Tuesday May 7. The number of awarded flags has risen to 747 in total, 18 more than in 2023, including those awarded to beaches (638, eleven more than last year), marinas (102, five more than in 2023) and tourist boats (seven, two more than the previous season).

At a local level, the Valencian Community has again come out on top (159, six more than last year), followed by Andalucía (156, eight more than in 2023), Galicia (125, the same as last year) and Catalonia (118, two fewer than last year).

The rest of the communities according to the number of Blue Flags awarded are: Canary Islands (60), Balearic Islands (42), Murcia (34), Asturias (15), Cantabria (11), Extremadura (10), Basque Country (4), Melilla (4), Ceuta (2) and Madrid (1).

The Region of Murcia has put on an impressive show, winning a total of 33 Blue Flags, although this is one fewer than last year.

Of these 33 Blue Flags awarded to the Region, 27 will be erected on beaches and the remaining six in marinas.

Águilas is once again the municipality with the most blue badges, standing at nine for the 2024 high season. Cartagena gets six, plus a beach shared with San Javier. Mazarrón is left with five. San Javier has two, plus the one shared with Cartagena. And San Pedro del Pinatar receives three. The Mar Menor, however, is once again left without any flag for the eighth year in a row, and La Azohía has lost its Blue Flag.

While the Valencian Community is top of the list overall, the Orihuela Costa is the district here with the most accolades. Sadly though, Cala Estaca beach in Playa Flamenca has had its Blue Flag removed this year due to ongoing problems with drainage and unidentified spills.

However, even with this devastating loss, the other 10 shorelines which stretch along the 12 kilometres of coast have been recognised for their exceptional tourism quality.

Second in the shortlist was Andalucía, which is now the proud owner of no fewer than 156 Blue Flags, eight more than last year and the highest number of accolades the region has been awarded since the system began.

By province, Almería has obtained 35 distinctions (32 beaches and three ports), Cádiz 36 (30 beaches and six ports), Córdoba (one beach), Granada 14 (13 beaches and one port), Huelva 19 (12 beaches and six ports, Jaén (one beach) and Málaga 50 (41 beaches, six ports and three sustainable boats).

In total, Andalucía will have 132.33 kilometres of award-winning beaches in 2024, which represents 20.38% of the total number of Blue Flags nationwide.

All of the honoured beaches, marinas and sustainable tourist boats in Spain will be able to proudly fly their Blue Flags from June onwards.

She’s into superstition…

Got you singing? If you recognised just that first line and were able to sing the rest of ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ by heart, this section is for you. If you have no idea what I’m on about, you can probably skip ahead because you won’t be interested that Ricky Martin is coming to give a series of live concerts in Spain this summer.

The ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ and ‘She Bangs’ singer is returning to Spain on a nationwide tour, performing in 13 iconic venues across the country in the month of July.

He performed at the Starlite Marbella festival in 2023 and sold out. Now, following fan requests that he do it again this year, Ricky Martin has agreed to do a whole Spain tour.

He starts in Seville on July 3, then jumps straight over to Murcia city, where he will be performing at the Murcia On Festival on Friday July 5.

Granada, Cádiz, Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona and Mallorca all feature among the places he will be playing on his live tour 2024.

Tickets are on sale now. Grab ‘em while they’re hot!

Expat homes legalised after 20-year battle

A recent agreement reached between mainly expat homeowners and the Town Hall in the tiny little village of Llíber in Alicante could have far-reaching consequences for people all over Spain living in homes that are technically illegal.

You see, in the Valencian Community alone, an estimated 200,000 rural properties lack legal status as they were sold without building licences. A significant portion of these properties are owned by expats who were often misled when they were sold the house since their lawyers, driven by conflicts of interest, prioritised facilitating sales over informing buyers of the properties’ legality, leaving many unaware of potential risks.

The consequence of owning an illegal property is severe. Restricted from obtaining building licences for renovations or extensions, these properties face eventual demolition or decay. Despite some additional legal protections which have been brought into law, such as immunity from prosecution after a statute of limitations expires, these properties remain illegal unless they were built before 1975 and the challenges of owning a home that you cannot refurbish or modernise still stand.

Recent legal reforms have extended the statute of limitations indefinitely, removing the urgency for authorities to detect violations. However, the path to legalisation has been fraught with challenges, compounded by the lack of collective solutions.

In 2019, regional Director General Vicente Garcia Nebot introduced an innovative MIT ecosystem to streamline the legalisation process, offering both individual and collective routes to legalisation along with initiatives to combat illegal construction and expedite technical approvals.

Llíber Town Hall’s groundbreaking decision to use these MIT licences to ‘mass legalise’ all such homes in the town on April 30 marks a potential turning point in legalising thousands of previously illegal properties not only across Valencia but also in Andalucía, Murcia and across Spain.

But it wasn’t an easy road. The road to legalisation in Llíber faced additional hurdles due to a corruption scandal involving the Town Hall itself and invalid building licenses. Despite these obstacles, progress has been made, with 26 cases so far approved for legalisation. This is largely thanks to the neighbourhood collective the AUN, led by tireless Llíber resident Adrian Hobbs, to fight for more than two decades to receive justice.

With their watershed success, municipal authorities across Spain can now aim to establish standardised procedures for technical approval of illegal homes, paving the way for future legalisations, which would lead to increased property values, social integration and, not least of all, peace of mind for homeowners and their families.

Power to the people!

Murcia

The San Javier Air Show, about which we made so much fuss in this news roundup last week and which was held over the weekend, was, by and large, a flying success. It’s estimated that, in all, around 280,000 people turned out to watch the various aerobatic spectacles and to enjoy the other activities taking place across the course of the weekend, 180,000 of them on the Sunday alone.

Sunny Sunday was the main day for watching the planes do their thing, with the beach of Santiago de la Ribera packed to bursting with people staring up at the sky writing, the parachute jumps, the loop-the-loops and the rest of it. There was the Spanish Air Force Acrobatic Parachute Patrol, flying the Spanish flag as they sailed down over the Mar Menor; a water rescue drill from the Region of Murcia’s Emergency 112 helicopter team; Team Raven from the United Kingdom who flew in impressive formation with their six synchronised aircraft; the Swiss PC7 Team doing more aerobatics; and the popular local team, the Patrulla Águila.

One of the highlights for many was the double act from aerobatic pilots Camino Benito and Olivier Masurel, who pushed their aircraft to the limits to perform knife-edge passes, mirror breaks, ultra-fast barrel rolls and free-falls. But there was tragedy for the latter after the Air Show finished when Spanish-French pilot Masurel sadly lost his life in a plane crash in the province of Ciudad Real while he was flying back to base up in Castilla y León, in northwestern Spain.

Not far out of the Region of Murcia airspace, a vulture crashed into the front of Masurel’s aircraft and sent it spiralling down to the ground, whereupon it caught fire. There was nothing the experienced pilot could do.

San Javier Air Show organisers said they were “devastated” by the news, and expressed their condolences. “We accompany his family and friends in this heartfelt loss, flying was his passion and this fatal accident has taken his life; fly high, dear Olivier.”

Olivier Masurel, 42, was one of the most recognised names on the international show flying scene, being crowned Spanish Unlimited Champion at the Spanish Aerobatic Flying Championship last year.

It was a black mark on an otherwise incredibly enjoyable weekend, but overall San Javier Town Council are obviously thrilled with the more than enthusiastic response from the public to the Air Show, the first to be held since the military displays were discontinued six years ago, and they are looking forward to hosting another commercial Air Show in 2025.

A strange story coming out of Águilas now, where three mulberry trees which have stood on Paseo de La Constitución near the seafront of the Playa de la Colonia beach were deliberately killed in an unusual way.

According to the town’s Councillor for Green Areas, José Luis Moreno, the trees were “deliberately attacked and as a consequence they have dried up.” It seems that someone came along and drilled holes in the trunks of the trees and then poured in “petrol or some kind of acid” to kill them off. Who it was or why anyone would go to such lengths to kill a few trees is anybody’s guess.

The Town Council of Águilas has filed a formal report with the environmental arm of the Guardia Civil, Seprona, in the hopes that the culprit can be caught and brought to justice for what Councillor Moreno called “a cruel act against a living being”.

What’s more, as a measure to prevent such incidents in the future, Águilas Council said that “surveillance in the area will be increased” with the help of new CCTV cameras that will cost the town 9,000 euros. And they’re going to plant new trees in the same spot, so whoever it was who was so keen to get rid of them, whatever their motives, it looks like they’re in for a disappointment!

Finally, if you’re visiting Murcia in the next couple of months, or you’ve got guests coming over to stay, you could do worse than a one of the Cartagena Harbour Tours, which are starting up again for the summer at the end of this month.

The tours, run by operator Mediterranean Cartagena Tours, are a regular feature of the summer schedule in Cartagena, offering paying customers the chance to take a boat trip around Cartagena’s harbour mouth. It’s three hours, and paying customers don’t have to pay all that much – just 20 euros per person. For that, you get not only a ride on the boat but also a guided visit to the 18th-century fort at the mouth of the harbour!

If you’re the kind to get a little seasick, don’t worry. You know we’ve got plenty more events and activities for you coming up in the Region of Murcia…

Spain

In an ambitious bid to combat hazardous plastics and protect the environment, the European Union recently revealed plans to eliminate single-use plastic sachets from supermarkets, hotels and restaurants by 2030. This means the usual condiment packets we find on tables across Spain – ketchup, vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard etc. – will soon be no more.

The EU is also going to ban personal care products like the mini shampoo bottles found in hotels and plastic food containers containing so-called “forever chemicals” (PFAS) will be outlawed.

These PFAS chemicals don’t occur in nature, but once there they never leave as the substances hardly break down at all regardless of how long they’ve been in the environment. Over the years, traces have been found in the blood and breast milk of people and animals across the globe.

Sadly, our over-dependence on plastic has led to actual islands of rubbish forming in the ocean, the largest of which currently holds 1.6 million square kilometres of garbage – that’s three times the size of France. And that’s not the only one that exists, either: according to the Aquae Foundation, there are four other waste islands spread throughout the oceans around the world.

Given that each European citizen generated almost 190 kilos of packaging and wrapping waste in 2021, it is evident that this European law is more than urgent.

Art aficionados worldwide breathed a sigh of relief this week as a magnificent work believed to be from Italian maestro Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, called the ‘Ecce Homo’, has surfaced in Spain after a prolonged absence. The masterpiece has been purchased by a British collector who is resident in Spain.

Initially owned by the Pérez de Castro family, the precious heirloom traversed generations prior to being snatched up by the discerning British buyer for a mere 36 million euros – remarkably less than Caravaggio's standard market value.

Since the painting has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest by Madrid, it can never leave Spain, but many were surprised that neither the Ministry of Culture nor the capital’s government exercised their right of first refusal.

However, the new owner of the ‘Ecce Homo’ has graciously agreed to loan it to the Prado Museum, where it will be exhibited in a special installation from May 28 until October 2024. After this, it will be hung in one of the main museum rooms until the nine-month deadline approaches, at which point the Briton will presumably return it to his private collection.

After several years of legal battles, it seems that Colombian pop star Shakira has finally come to the end of her tax evasion battles in Spain. This week, the ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ singer reached yet another deal with prosecutors to whitewash her dodgy dealings, as she supposedly used corporate entities in known tax havens to avoid paying taxes she owed in Spain.

Last August, according to the singer’s representatives, she settled the tax debt before striking a deal with prosecutors ahead of her trial linked to an earlier tax dispute concerning earnings amassed between 2012 and 2014.

Shakira claimed that she didn’t move to Spain until 2015, and so denied owing the tax authorities upwards of 14.5 million. If the trial had gone ahead and she had been convicted, Shakira was facing more than eight years behind bars.

Alicante

There’s certainly no shortage of infuriating drivers on the roads, and even those speeding around without any insurance or a valid licence, but this next ‘genius’ in Alicante is surely in for the running as ‘Spain’s dumbest criminal’.

Since Brexit and the ensuing debacle over British driving licences, which forced many motorists off the road, this now infamous document is as familiar to Spanish police as their own driving permits. It therefore would seem like the last licence in the world anyone would choose to fake if they wanted to sneak under the radar. Well, you would think.

Enter a 29-year-old Elche man who was stopped at a routine police checkpoint on Avenida Alcalde Vicente Quiles, the stretch of Avenida de la Libertad that runs from the Municipal Park to the Renfe station, where he promptly handed over a British driving licence.

Officers could immediately tell it was a fake for about a dozen different reasons. Among these, the license did not react to ultraviolet light, the expiration date was printed in flat ink instead of engraved, and the laser image on the bottom left of the cover did not react at different angles.

The young driver was promptly arrested.

Passengers frequenting the traditional railway connecting Alicante and Murcia may not be too shocked to discover that Adif, the Railway Infrastructure Manager in Spain, has deemed it as the conventional railway with the worst conditions in the entire country.

This is despite the fact that this stretch averages an occupancy of 63%, a level that no other single, non-electrified track in Spain can manage.

Stretching southward from Alicante city, the line navigates through Baix Vinalopó and Vega Baja before entering neighbouring Murcia.

Adif’s complaints aren’t exactly about the condition of the tracks themselves, but more about the limitations caused by the route having only one track and the pressure such a high demand puts on the facilities. The fact that the tracks aren’t electrified also creates problems, since this kind of set-up greatly increases the consumption of fossil fuels that clearly go against the country’s sustainability models.

Before Covid-19, the Alicante-Murcia route experienced a decline of approximately one million passengers annually. Even though a high-speed service has now been put in place, conditions haven’t improved all that much, and the experts believe the ongoing unpopularity with the line stems from a lack of rail connections to the southern coast of Alicante and, of course, the airport.

It’s therefore more than a little surprising that no plans are in pipeline to modernise or upgrade the Alicante-Murcia conventional train line, given that the route will be 60 years old in 2027.

There’s some great news for Orihuela Costa shoppers as the popular Aguamarina night market in Cabo Roig is set to return this summer after a hiatus of several years. This street, which sits at the back of the famous Cabo Roig strip right in front of the cliff promenade, is currently home to a weekly day-time street market, which opens every Thursday.

The council has opened the night market on a few occasions in the past, but its lack of organisation means it was more of a nuisance for businesses along the strip, and the picturesque seaside roads were strewn with litter the following day.

Not this year though, as companies have been invited to submit applications to manage the entire operation, from setting up the stalls and collecting fees, to installing portaloos for workers, hiring security and arranging a clean-up crew to come in after the market finishes.

All going well, the Aguamarina night market should be open for business between 7pm and midnight from June 15 and September 30, from 7pm until midnight. The 190-square-metre stretch of road will accommodate 29 stalls, selling everything from local artisan products and crafts to clothes and jewellery.

The initial contract, for which the successful bidder will have to pay Orihuela City Council 10,700 euros, will have a duration of two years, with the possibility of being extended for another two.

Remember to follow the Facebook group Costa Blanca What’s On and Where to Go to get updates on more activities and events around Alicante province!

Andalucía

It’s a story straight out of a Hollywood script, but the reality is even more astonishing. In the serene little town of Coín in Málaga, a shocking case of parental neglect has come to light.

The scene unfolded on March 18, near the La Trocha shopping centre when Local Police stumbled upon a teenager and her father, living in a dilapidated car, both in a dire state, with the girl appearing particularly vulnerable. But this wasn’t just any missing child case; it was flagged as high-risk due to potential parental abduction.

The twist? The girl, 17, and her two older sisters were ‘wolf children’, raised in isolation by their father in a Swiss forest, devoid of any societal norms, formal education or medical visits. The youth who was found was reported to have the mental age of a toddler, and there seems to have been a history of mental health struggles within the family, painting a grim picture of the girls’ upbringing.

The battle of the swimming pools in Málaga has reached a resolution, much to the relief of residents and holidaymakers alike. After much deliberation, the Junta de Andalucía has given the green light for all pools in the province, even those in private villas, to be filled this summer.

Initially, concerns over a looming drought cast doubt on this decision. However, recent rainfall has alleviated water shortages, prompting the Junta to revise their stance. This reversal comes as a boon for tourism, with the Costa del Sol gearing up for a bustling summer season.

To ensure seamless coordination, the Junta will collaborate with local councils to facilitate pool filling across the province. However, the situation remains uncertain as to what water restrictions will be in place this summer in the provinces of Cádiz and Almería, the latter having had a harder time of it drought-wise than even Málaga.

Said bumper summer season is already in sway, and American company United Airlines has launched its daily flights between Málaga and New York a whole month ahead of schedule due to unprecedented demand from eager US passengers itching to hop across the pond.

United are ramping up their Spain operations by 30% this year, introducing new routes and expanding existing ones. With a robust network spanning five cities, including Barcelona and Madrid, United is solidifying its position as a key player in transatlantic travel and underscoring the importance of US tourism for Spain.

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