Spring into action

SPRING has arrived in Almeria with a bang, bringing with it a flurry of exciting activities and guided tours. Six lively events have been planned, along with 19 guided tours, to keep locals and visi‐tors entertained throughout April.

Kicking things off was the popular GastroArt festival at the Parque Nicolás Salmerón on Saturday, April 1. On the same day, the ‘I Love Chollo’ commer‐cial campaign brought shoppers into the centre, supporting local businesses.

Other events this month include a vi‐brant planetarium which has been in‐stalled in the Plaza de las Velas, where visitors can explore the world of astron‐omy from 11am ‐ 2pm and 5pm ‐ 8pm each day. Bookworms can also enjoy a book fair on the Rambla de Almeria, which runs from Wednesday, April 26 until Monday, May 1.

To round off the month, Parque

Nicolás Salmerón will host a craft and antique fair on Saturday, April 29, an event where visitors can enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of antique treasures and crafts.

In addition to these activities, 43 guid‐ed tours of the city are scheduled to take place during April, May, and June, allowing locals and guests to discover more in the heart of the city.

Bike bandit busted

POLICE in Almeria have apprehended a notorious bike thief who operated in the region for more than a year. The Guardia Civil finally caught a 44-year-old man on suspicion of stealing half a dozen bicycles on Monday, April 10.

The culprit allegedly targeted bikes in garages and on the streets of Almerimar by waiting for the owners to leave their bikes before taking them. The brazen thief also stole bikes from public bike shelters.

Thanks to the hard work and determina- tion of the police, two of the stolen bikes have already been returned to their rightful owners. The investigation began after two victims reported bikes missing in 2022, which led to the discovery of the thief’s other crimes. As it turned out, the culprit had a lengthy history of similar offences.

The arrest of the thief means that the community can now rest easy knowing that their bicycles are safe. The Guardia Civil thanked officers for their hard work on the case which led to an arrest.