SSUENN 1555 //1 -23 - 29 APRIL 2015 7 September 2016 IISSUE OO . .1626
COSTA DE ALMERÍA
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
Natural park threat
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
Natural heritage A THIRD of Spain’s protected natural areas are now located in Andalucia, which has more such spaces than any other part of the country and also beats Slovenia, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta. See page 4
Electric disgrace BRITISH pensioners in Spain who had their Winter Fuel Payment stopped by the UK government will be furious to hear the methodology used by the Department of Work and Pensions was basically flawed. See page 5
Mojacar fiestas MOJACAR fair was launched in style with a ‘pregon’ (opening speech) delivered by a prestigious Spanish
writer and journalist, Jose Maria Martinez de Haro. See page 6
Castles in Spain NIJAR Council has approved a decree which will enable it to carry out urgent work to fence off a footpath around the castle at Cala de San Pedro in the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park, due to the danger of the tower and outer walls collapsing. See page 8
By Eleanor Hawkins One of the favoured haunts of King Felipe VI and the site of scenes from films as diverse as Indiana Jones and Game of Thrones, Almeria’s Cabo de Gata Natural Park is being overwhelmed. With its lush underwater reefs, rich wildlife, black volcanic soil and beaches, the park attracts more than one million tourists every year. But it is becoming a victim of its own success.
The park’s president has now come forward warning the stress of overcrowding risks destroying the very purity that makes Cabo de Gata a powerful magnet for so many visitors from across the world. Fernando Alonso has condemned the building of new parking spaces, few of which will be used in winter, he says, and warned that cleaning contractors are being overwhelmed with the chaotic influx of caravans and private cars. He has now demanded strin-
gent new parking controls to protect the park’s future. His words have been echoed by the conservationist association, Friends of the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata-Nijar, who have called for a collective effort to deal with the crisis. They warn that if the park is transformed to accommodate public demand, the river of visitors will eventually dry up when it becomes just another urban beach resort. Meanwhile Podemos Andalucia has upped the pressure
on the regional government to finally demolish the Algarrobico hotel in Carboneras, which is now an uninhabitable 21storey eyesore squatting on one of the park’s most beautiful stretches of sand.
Historical horrors SEPTEMBER 11 marks the 125th anniversary of one of the darkest moments of the history of Albox, and the whole of Almeria. See page 53