ARCHIVED - Murcia and Spanish news round-up week ending 30th June 2017

Summer starts here in the Costa Cálida!

You'd be forgiven for thinking that today was the start of the Easter holidays, not the summer holidays looking at the images of the torrential hailstorm that dropped on Murcia City this morning, leaving more than 20mm of rain and hailstones in the capital and 11mm out on the coast of Cartagena.

Municipal operatives had to be called out to clear blocked drains which caused localised flooding in the main shopping centre of the city, while along the coast, astonished holidaymakers found themselves sweeping away the hail instead of slapping on the suncream on the 1st of July!

The weather has certainly been on the strange side this year; earlier this week we were all clinging to the fan with temperatures soaring into the high thirties, yet last night a grumpy husband was despatched to retrieve a quilt at 2am in the morning as it was too cold to sleep without one. However, this weekend marks the start of the summer for the tourism industry and across the region summer swiming pools are now open and full beach vigilance services are in operation along the coast.

The strange weather has caused all sorts of unusual problems; this week the regional wildlife recovery team revealed that the heat has been so intense in Murcia this spring that they've been inundated with young swifts attempting to fly their nests before time and regional fire services have already been faced with several forest fires.

Coinciding with the start of the peak tourism season, it is important to pont out that this year the traffic authorities are expecting some 3.65 million long-distance road journeys to be made in the Region of Murcia between now and the end of September. In order to deal with the extra congestion and risk of accidents hundreds of Guardia Civil officers are to be detailed on traffic policing duties for the next couple of months, carrying out random speeding and drink-driving tests in coastal areas.

It's also worth pointing out that social media has been awash with panic panic panic posts this week as the annual reminders that road safety norms need to be observed during the holiday season are issued; at the end of the day it's common sense, driving a car while drinking a bottle of water or eating an ice cream is as dangerous as using a phone at the wheel at any time of the year and if the traffic police believe that road safety is compromised as a result, they'll react accordingly. Remember, not all officers will issue a fine for those driving in flip flops or mules, discretion will be used, but accidents do occur when shoes slip off because there is no restraint and flip flops can bend and wedge under a pedal, so it's down to common sense.

We're also at that time of year when visitors drop their guard and start leaving handbags in shopping trolleys while weighing their fruit or at the side of a chair in busy promenade restaurants, putting wallets in back pockets when going to a busy market and leaving car doors unlocked when paying for petrol in motorway service stations, so  remind them to be as safety conscious as they would be at home and remember anybody who is obviously not a local will be more of a target for the scammers.

And if visitors are heading your way, remind them to check they have travel insurance as so many visitors forget every year that coming to visit mum in Spain is "going abroad" and they may injure themselves or lose possessions.......as thousansd of holidaymakers do every year!

Apart from that the news in Murcia this week has been dominated by a number of stories related to the weather and the environment - a broad catgegory which includes the Asian tiger mosquito, falling trees, sea temperatures and wild fires - while at the same time, as is fitting, a number of issues related to tourism have also been in the headlines. 

Read on to find out more...

The Mar Menor and other environmental news

19 hectares affected by Caravaca wild fire: another incident on Monday was in Puerto Lumbreras and the fire risk remains extreme in Murcia.

August sea temperatures on the Murcia Mediterranean coast at the end of June: according to the latest data gathered by the Spanish Oceanographic Institute the sea temperature off the coast of Cabo de Palos at the south-easternmost point of the Region of Murcia is currently nudging 24 degrees, whereas in other years it tends to be between 18 and 20 degrees at this time of year. Ecologists have expressed their concern at this increase as it may lead to a change in the balance of the eco-systems in coastal areas, affecting the marine flora and fauna within them.

The Asian tiger mosquito is spreading in Murcia: this insect was first spotted in the Costa Cálida in 2010, since when its population has grown and extended all along the coast and into inland areas. Larvae have been found in various locations, including a discarded plastic cap next to the spraying nozzles in a public park in the city of Murcia and an abandoned bucket on a patio in the countryside, and these locations underline just how important it is to follow a few simple rules in order to deny the Aedes albopictus and other mosquito species the breeding grounds they need.

Collapsing elms highlight hydrological stress of trees in Murcia: two large elm trees abruptly collapsed in Beniaján, damaging street lighting and telephone cables, and although no-one was injured traffic was disrupted while the fallen timber was removed. 

New ant species discovered in Lorca: the nocturnal Temnothorax ansei lives in small colonies between Lorca and Pulpi.

Oceanographers complete third currents and ecology study in the Mar Menor: until now little has been known for certain about the currents within the Mar Menor, but the more is ascertained about both internal water movements and the interaction with the Mediterranean the easier it will be to design measures to restore the lagoon to full health.

Airports

Corvera business park plans unveiled: the Parque de Sureste is located just three kilometres from Corvera airport, and is designed to contain hotels and a shopping mall as well as industrial and business premises.

Third plane-spotting day at Murcia-San Javier airport: for the first time at San Javier this year’s event also provided plane-spotters with an opportunity to take night photos.

Tourism news

Over 25 per cent of all visitors to Spain in May were from the UK: almost a year after the Brexit referendum it appears to be clear that little if anything has changed regarding the traditional preference of the British public for holidays on the Spanish Costas. In fact, the number of people coming from the UK to Spain during May was 14 per cent higher than in 2016, meaning that the Brits accounted for just over a quarter of all visitors.

Aguilas and Mazarron report more hotel bookings for summer 2017: the regional government has launched a TV advertising campaign in an attempt to fill the remaining hotel vacancies at resorts on the coast of the Mar Menor, but the problems in filling hotels in some areas of the Costa Cálida are having positive repercussions in the south-west.

Half a million euros spent promoting the Mar Menor to last-minute Spanish holiday makers: click here to see the 20-second TV ad being aired on Spanish TV.

Murcia beaches awarded 37 Q for Quality flags: 20 flags for the Mar Menor as the Costa Cálida prepares for the summer, confirming that the facilities around the Mar Menor are still of high quality and underlining the importance of ensuring that actions to regenerate and protect the marine environment are both quick and effective.

Murcia accounted for 1.5 per cent of domestic tourism in Spain in the first quarter: in the first three months of 2017 the inhabitants of Spain made a total of 39.3 million trips lasting at least one night to other regions, but only 1.5% of those trips were to the Region of Murcia. During the same period spending by those coming to the Costa Cálida from abroad far exceeded the 60.1 million euros spent by Spanish visitors.

British schools tour operators visit Lorca: the visitors experienced the tours on offer for youngsters at Lorca castle, which the council believes has all of the attractions to make the city a successful educational tourism destination.

Controversial plans to open up Cabo de Palos lighthouse to tourists: the PP and Ciudadanos political groups in Murcia have drawn up a proposal to allow the lighthouse of Cabo de Palos to be used as either a tourist attraction of a base for scientific research, raising again the issue of what to do with one of the most spectacularly located buildings in the Region of Murcia.

The church of San Patricio in Lorca regains its crowning glory: each of the pinnacles weighs 450 kilograms, and will be secured to the building by means of steel spikes and a special adhesive resin after a complex operation began on Monday, finally restoring San Patricio to its full glory three months after it was reopened to the public to coincide with Saint Patrick’s Day in March.

Motor vehicle ban on Bolnuevo nudist beaches track: it is reported that the reason for this car and motorbike ban is that in recent years there has been a sharp rise in the number of people using the Bolnuevo track, due to the increased popularity of these spectacular wild beaches and that this has brought about problems such as erosion of the surface and large amounts of dust being raised in an area which now carries an environmental protection status. However, it could also be argued that these rock falls are more easily attributable to the succession of long periods without rain followed by cloudbursts, which makes it difficult to maintain the road in good condition without spending a substantial amount of money on maintenance. As a result of this, the road will be permanently closed to vehicles. Work began this week to improve the access for pedestrians and cyclists by Playa Pìedra Mala.

Six fun Holi Run events throughout Murcia during the summer of 2017: events are to be held in Águilas, San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, Mazarrón, Abarán and Alcantarilla, and that as well as glitter paint sprays there will also be plenty of foam in evidence to ensure that nobody runs the risk of going home with clean clothing!

Other items in the Murcia news this week

Hairy Bikers shoot footage in Lorca: TV chefs the Hairy Bikers, aka Dave Myers and Si King, have been at Lorca castle recently shooting footage for a forthcoming series which will be aired in February 2018.

Eleven more African immigrants towed to port in Cartagena: as the summer starts and tranquil conditions prevail in the Mediterranean the trickle of illegal immigrants making their way across the sea from northern Africa to the coast of the Region of Murcia appears to be becoming a steady flow, and last Friday another eleven were intercepted by the maritime rescue service off the coast of Cabo Tiñoso.

60-year-old saved by La Manga lifeguards: the incident occurred on Sunday at the Playa del Barco Perdido, close to the Entremares hotel.

Mar Menor holiday home burglar arrested after 30 thefts: the arrest followed a Guardia investigation into approximately 30 robberies including various in La Manga, Playa Honda and Playa Paraíso.

Roman artifacts used as flowerpots in Las Torres de Cotillas: a hundred Roman relics are reported to have been confiscated from the Valentín Buendía primary school, where they had been openly on display for a number of years with no security measures in place.

Cartagena Mayoress withdraws Maritime Province flag from Town Hall: Ana Belén Castejón, who took over from José López as Mayoress last week, has made at least one of her differences of opinion with her predecessor clear by ordering the removal of the red flag bearing a white cross from outside the Town Hall. The flag in question is the emblem of Cartagena as a “Maritime Province”, and its significance is that it has come to represent the movement which advocates the creation of an independent province of Cartagena, with less dependence on the regional capital of Murcia.

Architect blamed for 44-million-euro overspend on Cartagena auditorium: originally, the construction of the Auditorio y Palacio de Congresos El Batel was budgeted at 20 million euros, but in the end the total cost of opening the building reached an astonishing 64 million euros.

Property news

Easter lull brings 30 per cent drop in Murcia mortgage activity: the latest figures concerning residential property mortgages reveal a relatively unsurprising year-on year decrease of 30.1 per cent in the number of new mortgages registered in the Region of Murcia this April in comparison with the same month last year.

Unsurprising, that is, in the context of the April sales figures which were published earlier this month, and the fact that Easter fell in April this year rather than in March. The broader picture seems to indicate that mortgage activity in the Murcia property market is still rising, albeit timidly, while during April the average loan capital on new residential property mortgages in Murcia is reported to have been 76,624 euros, following a 3.2% rise over the last twelve months.

The April year-on-year decrease in Murcia is one of the sharpest in Spain, but in general terms it reflects the nationwide drop of 11.4%, with the discrepancy perhaps explained in part by the fact that the Easter disruptions in the regional capital last for longer than in most of the country.

Solvia forecasts 7.3 per cent Spanish property price rise over three years: the increase may not sound spectacular, and there are differing trends at present from town to town and from district to district, let alone from region to region, but even so after the falls in value of the last decade this represents comparative prosperity.

Polaris World still owes 23 million euros in unpaid taxes: Facundo Armero, the co-founder of Polaris World, is associated with a total of 96 million euros of tax owed via the companies La Hita, Polaris World Development, Edonia Logistic, Suelos Urbanos Pacheco, Inversiones Pacheco and Seycon Ibérica 2002, while the football clubs of the Region also feature prominently on Hacienda’s list.

Spanish news: wild fires grab the headlines as at least one Inerian lynx dies in the Doñana national park

This week may have seen the end of the heatwave which has affected large parts of Spain for much of June, but unfortunately this was accompanied by the arrival of strong winds and very dry air, and several extensive wild fires have dominated the news over the last few days.

The most important of these was in the south-western province of Huelva, where a fire on the edge of the Doñana national park devastated vegetetaion in an area of well over 8,000 hectares and forced the hurried recapture and relocation of several of the Iberian lynx which have been released into the wild in an effort to save the species from extinction.

That fire is now under control, but at the time of writing another is causing headaches for firefighters in the mountains of Sierra Calderona in Castellón, and unfortunately it will not be surprising if these are followed by many other fires during the summer just starting.

Elsewhere there was more good news for the Spanish economy this week, with inflation dropping to 1.5% and economic growth speeding up slightly, but the attention of many Spaniards this 1st July is focussed exclusively on the start of the summer holidays. As mentioned above, a responsible attitude to drinking and driving is required as the Guardia and the police increase their presence on the roads, and readers are urged not to follow the example set by a man who was arrested while driving to court on a drunk driving charge after he was found to have four times the legal limit of alcohol in his bloodstream when stopped on a random check.

To compound the offence, the only reason he was going to court was to face another charge of drink-driving after being breathalyzed just two weeks previously.

Scroll down below for more stories in the Spanish news this week...  

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