ARCHIVED - Murcia and Spanish news round-up week ending 2nd August 2019
Tourist season in full swing as holidaymakers are joined in the Costa Cálida by loggerhead sea turtles, whales and a ray fish!
As August starts the annual influx of visitors to the beaches of the Costa Cálida is now in full swing, but while the majority of them may be coming from the cities of Murcia and Madrid - with traffic police using drones for the first time to dish out fines to drivers as they make their way to the coast - it's others who have been making the headlines this week!
The visitors arousing most interest have been not the sun-seeking tourists but marine animals, and this week, following the start of the whale-spotting season in July, the focus has been largely on a loggerhead sea turtle in the regional park of Calblanque. In recent years various females have attempted to lay their eggs along the coastline of Murcia, and this week it was confirmed that at last one of those attempts had succeeded at the beach of Cala Arturo.
This is the first successful nesting by a loggerhead on record in the Region of Murcia for over 100 years, the last occasion being in La Manga in the late 19th century – and there are some doubts over the reliability of that information. When the distinctive tracks left by the turtle’s flippers were found the beach was hastily cordoned off and bathers were re-directed to other areas of the park as an expert from the University of Valencia made his way to Calblanque to verify that these are indeed genuine loggerhead eggs, the news being confirmed on Saturday.
This triumph was celebrated by naturalists and but was followed by a minor disappointment, when another attempt to lay eggs failed in La Manga on Wednesday night. The tracks on the beach indicate that the same turtle clambered onto the sand three times but failed to find the right spot to nest on each occasion, but she is likely to continue her search for an appropriate spot nearby.
As well as whales and loggerheads, another surprise visitor to Murcia was spotted on Tuesday at the beach of Percheles in Mazarrón, where a ray fish swam close to the shore and was so unperturbed by bathers that it returned later in the day!
In terms of human visitors, on the other hand, figures were released this week regarding international tourism in Spain in June, with the data showing that the UK continues to be the most important source of foreign visitors by some distance. 2.06 million people came to Spain from the UK during the month of June alone, spending 1,945 million euros – that’s an average of 2.7 million euros PER HOUR – and the country provided over 20 per cent of the totals for both visitor numbers and contribution to the Spanish economy.
And yet both June figures for UK visitors were lower than in the same month last year, a fact which may be attributed to the resurgence of other holiday destinations in the Mediterranean but which could also have a lot to do with renewed fears of a no-deal Brexit. Over the last week the value of the pound against the euro has dropped still further to 1.09 – as recently as late 2015 it stood at 1.41 – and there is no doubt that in the long run those living and earning in the UK are noticing a decrease in their spending power in Spain and the rest of Europe.
Against this backdrop, the start of August finally saw the composition of the new government of the Region of Murcia being finalized this week, with one of the main challenges facing the coalition of the PP and Ciudadanos parties including raising passenger numbers at the Region of Murcia International Airport in Corvera, which opened in January. The new-look team certainly have their work cut out in this respect and others, including the implementation of measures to improve and protect the marine environment in the Mar Menor and improve the regional economy, as well as to reduce the huge loan burden borne by the region at the moment.
Other news regarding tourism and the beaches of the Costa Cálida
Alarm in San Pedro del Pinatar as the Mediterranean bubbles like a jacuzzi! The harmless incident was caused by maintenance at the local desalination plant, it later emerged.
Lifeguard attacked by sailor at the beach in La Manga: the boatman broke through anti-jellyfish netting near Playa Veneziola on Sunday before assaulting a conscientious lifeguard.
La Manga Club sold to leading Spanish hotel group: Hesperia aim to consolidate La Manga Club as the finest resort of its kind in southern Europe.
70-year-old man drowns at the beach of Playa Honda: the body was found floating by the anti-jellyfish netting in the Mar Menor.
Cartagena Town Hall promises action to meet demands of Los Urrutias residents: beach cleaning, the seafront walk and bathing jetties are among the main concerns on the coast of the Mar Menor, and this week after the strong wind on Wednesday the beach cleaning operation was stepped up to make sure the coast was cleared for the weekend.
Improved access planned at Playa Amarilla in Águilas: this highly attractive beach is located opposite the Isla del Fraile in Águilas.
Motion passed to speed up re-opening of Isla Plana neighbours association bar: the popular bar has been closed since last November and Cartagena Town Hall has promised to take action after residents have become vocal about their dissatisfaction at the lack of facilities…
40 per cent rise in the number of accessible beaches in the Costa Cálida say Famdif: the association for the disabled demands more comprehensive services at Murcia beaches while welcoming the progress made.
Other items in the Murcia news
Alcohol and driving in Spain: a clarification of the limits and what they mean to drivers in real terms.
Police drone in Cehegín will be used to locate hidden marijuana plantations: officers will also use the drone to detect other offences and to search for missing individuals.
Wildfire affects 130 hectares near the Cenajo reservoir in north-west Murcia: over 100 firefighters took part in the operation to bring the flames under control as strong winds fanned the flames.
July unemployment data in Spain show the smallest drop for 11 years: the totals fell only minimally in Murcia the whole of Spain and while the national figure remains marginally above 3 million both are now at their lowest levels since 2008.
Spanish inflation rate steady at 0.5 per cent in July: the provisional data show almost the lowest figure for 3 years during the start of the summer sales.
Number of fake euro banknotes in circulation drops by 16 per cent: the ECB reports that the chances of being handed false notes are “remote” as the introduction of new designs makes forgery more difficult.
Platform group denounces over-farming as melons are left to rot in the Campo de Cartagena: apart from the tragic wastefulness, the worry is the significant amounts of irrigation water and fertilizers used in growing them, and these fertilizers contain substances which may eventually be washed into the Mar Menor over the course of time.
Live shell deactivated in El Algar and British man finds two grenades in his basement in Fortuna: the Guardia Civil reiterate their advice to the public - if you find an explosive device DON’T TOUCH IT!!
First phase of summer paleontological dig ends at Cueva Victoria in Cartagena: visits to this fascinating site continue until 9th August while the second phase of the dig continues.
Mazarrón Town Hall lobbies for extra summer staffing at local medical centres: the health centres of Mazarrón and Puerto de Mazarrón always suffer severe overcrowding in summer.
Residents evacuated as wildfire breaks out below Yecla castle: suspicions of arson after the second fire in under a month on the hillside between Yecla and its castle.
15 migrants reach land in Cabo de Palos: the immigrants were spotted by staff at a chiringuito beach bar in Cala Fría.
7 arrested for marijuana cultivation and trafficking in Los Alcázares and Alicante: 4,500 plants were confiscated from private homes in San Vicente del Raspeig and Agost and a laboratory was busted in Los Alcázares.
Strikes cause widespread rail disruption all over Spain to coincide with the start of August: 2 Murcia-Madrid trains and 4 Murcia-Cartagena services were cancelled on Thursday and further strikes have been called for 15th and 31st August and 1st September.
Consumer spending in Murcia last year reached almost 11,000 euros per resident: spending by Murcianos increased by less than the inflation rate in 2018 and was well below the national average.
Lemon production expected to drop by 14 per cent this year: the bumper 2018-19 crop caused headaches for Murcia lemon growers and less productivity may bring more profitability.
Murcia police clamp down at last on illegal car park attendants: officers may soon be authorized to relieve the “gorrillas” of money taken from drivers as efforts to rid the regional capital of these individuals are renewed.
87-year-old British walker dies after falling into the sea in Calblanque: the incident occurred in the regional park of Calblanque last weekend.
Driver faces charges after 3 offences in 4 hours on the Cartagena-La Manga motorway: the man disobeyed an order not to drive until breathalyser tests proved negative after refusing to take the test when first stopped.
Fines for misuse of motor scooters being introduced in Murcia and Cartagena: the Murcia police insist that scooters may be ridden only in cycle lanes as the authorities struggle to legislate for the latest urban transport craze.
Disabled parking permits top the agenda in Mazarrón council meeting: an emergency motion was passed to speed up the issuing of permits for those of limited mobility.
Guardia Civil “unable to cope” in Mazarrón as the local population swells to over 100,000: the central government responds with an announcement that 5 extra officers are to reinforce the local force as the annual summer under-policing complaints begin.
Free parking in the streets of Murcia and Cartagena in August: parking meters are on holiday for the month in the regional capital! The same is partially true in Cartagena, although motorists still have to pay to use the blue parking zones during weekday mornings.
Murcia and Spanish property news
Just a couple of property market items caught the eye during the week, the first of them bringing good news to those who either have a mortgage on a home in Spain or are considering taking one out.
Of late there has been a striking increase in the number of purchases being financed by mortgage loans, with the proportion having reached 50 per cent or so for the first time in a decade, and this trend seems likely to continue as interest rates fall to unprecedented levels. Most Spanish mortgage repayment terms are calculated with reference to the Euro Interbank Offered Rate or Euribor, which fell to what seemed an impossibly low level of -0.19 per cent early in 2018. The rate then gradually edged back up towards zero but over the last few weeks has plummeted to new record lows, and the 23-month rate now stands at -0.28 per cent.
One of the effects, of course, will be to reduce the monthly repayment quotas on existing variable rate loans, while at the same time, for those taking out new mortgages both fixed and variable rate terms will become even more attractive – fixed rate mortgages now account for around 40 per cent of all those being taken out in Spain.
Meanwhile, a report compiled by analysts at a major Spanish property portal concludes that the most expensive place to buy a home in the Region of Murcia is, perhaps not surprisingly, La Manga del Mar Menor, with an average going rate of 1,482 euros per square metre. However, La Manga is positively cheap in comparison with other exclusive coastal areas of Spain. The most expensive beach homes in Spain are to be found in the Balearic island of Formentera at 7,401 euros per square metre, with the rest of the top 5 also being occupied by locations in the archipelago, namely Deyá, Ibiza, San Juan Bautista and San José , all of them at least three and a half times as dear as La Manga!
Spanish News Today: News items from around Spain this week
The neighbouring provinces of Alicante and Almería have both been the source of interesting news stories over the last few days, with a couple of incidents of rather more than local interest.
One of the most perennially controversial aspects of Spanish culture is bullfighting and bull-related fiesta events, and these were placed under the spotlight once again on Thursday in Pinoso in Alicante, a municipality which shares a boundary with Jumilla in the Region of Murcia. The reason for the spotlight falling on this rural town is that the latest victim of bull-related fiesta revelry this year was a 26-year-old man who was gored by a young calf at the fiestas, sustaining a leg wound of some 20 centimetres and being rushed to hospital in Elda, where doctors were unable to save his life.
In response the town council of Pinoso decided to cancel the events which had been scheduled for Friday, meaning there were no firecrackers, no water park, no musical parade during the day and no freeing of more calves into the streets. Instead, a minute’s silence was observed at 12.00 outside the Town Hall and 24 hours of mourning were declared.
Closer to the coast, earlier in the week a Dutchman was arrested in Denia after he was found to be the brains behind the largest network of illegal horsemeat sales in Europe to be dismantled in recent decades. The man, identified as “J.M.M.C.F.”, was subject to a European detention order following investigations into the “Horsegate” case a few years ago, and although his activities were based in France, his network of sales was so wide that food was confiscated and taken out of circulation in the Region of Murcia among many other parts of Europe.
In Almería, meanwhile, the issue of homes which were bought in good faith by British buyers only to be declared illegal and become the subject of demolition orders continues to make the headlines after well over a decade, and there was considerable resentment and anger last week when a property promoter named Gordon Condrey accepted the “Society Award” for services to the community at the Premios Almanzora.
The reason for Mr Condrey being honoured in this fashion is that, according to the La Voz newspaper, he “arrived in Almanzora 30 years ago and ... brought thousands of his compatriots to live here”, but the AUAN group describe him as “a curious choice” on account of his having been “the promoter of houses sold to British residents in Arboleas and other areas”, some of which “turned out to be illegal”.
Finally, two unusual stories in Málaga and the northern region of Cantabria, one of them amusing and the other most decidedly not. In Málaga a bank robber has been arrested almost three months after aborting a bank heist when half of his toy pistol embarrassingly fell off during the stick-up – this was just the first in a series of robberies, some of them rather more successful – while in Cantabria police officers were stunned when, on visiting a woman to inform her of the unfortunate death of her husband in a car crash, found her dead in a pool of her own blood on the floor. The theory now being worked on is that the man killed his wife and suffered his injuries when she attempted to defend herself, before crashing his car either accidentally, as a result of his injuries and anxiety, or deliberately, as an act of suicide.
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