SSUENN 1555 //7 -23 29 APRIL 2015 IISSUE OO . .1605 13- April 2016
COSTA DE ALMERÍA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
In pursuit of beauty BRITISH buyers undeterred by Brexit
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
A rare sighting HUGE cruise ship makes emergency stop AN enormous American-owned cruise liner captivated the attention of crowds in Mojacar and Garrucha after a passenger health emergency struck and it was forced to divert its Tangier bound journey. See page 14
Swedish stars MOJACAR shone on Swedish reality show MILLIONS of lucky Swedes caught a glimpse of beautiful Mojacar on a popular reality television programme featuring the trials and tribulations of elite athletes. See page 22
Eco warriors ALBOX goes solar to save the world THE sunny climate will be a key partner in Albox Town Hall’s ambitious plan to run the municipal building with 100 per cent renewable solar energy derived from a pioneering panel system. See page 68
By Adele Land Property sales in Spanish coastal areas continue to improve despite the uncertainty regarding the so-called Brexit. Online data recorded by property valuation expert, Tinsa, showed the turnover of property in resort areas including Mojacar has steadily risen over the past 12 months. While figures showed that the market in some coastal areas was very active, other areas with large amounts of unsold newly-built housing stock, such
as Roquetas del Mar, were more static. Almerimar was the only town in the Poniente area of the province to show any signs of improvement. National figures for Spain show the housing market to still be stagnating but the figures are diluted by cities such as Madrid and Valencia, where local people are struggling to get on the property ladder. There has been much discussion on local community forums on how expatriates and UK property purchasers would
be affected if the UK was to leave the EU. Some people said they had chosen to rent before buying until they know the outcome of the referendum, while others remained unperturbed and continued with their plans. Mojacar estate agent, Alex Lawson of New Wave Villas, told Euro Weekly News: “We saw a continued improvement in 2015 with a 33 per cent increase over 2014, with buyers from the UK taking advantage of a seven-year high exchange rate, combined with competi-
tive property prices.” He went on: “The first few months of 2016 have seen this trend continue, despite a weakening pound.” Recent data showed that around 40 per cent of property buyers were foreign with an emphasis on the second-home market. While property prices have yet to reach those of the height of the boom around the start of the new millennium, prices in some areas have risen in accordance with increased demand.
The saga continues FORMER Albox mayor defiant in defeat THE strange soap opera that is fast becoming Rogelio Mena’s life saw another bizarre plot twist, as the maverick politi-
cian published a statement quoting Nelson Mandela and claiming a moral right to the mayoral throne. See page 70