Olive Press Andalucia issue 481

WINE CITY TO WINE REGION

Take a trip to the historic city of Porto and through the vineyards of the Douro valley

ROMAN BACKING

THE boss of Marbella’s leading hotel group has stepped in to support the Olive Press’ anti-spiking campaign.

Puente Romano owner Daniel Shamoon has described it as an ‘important’ message to warn potential victims of the evils of spiking.

The father of three, who also owns Nobu and Marbella Club hotels, said ‘we take measures to prevent this from happening’.

“I have heard stories of this happening in holiday destinations and lucky we have not had any serious issues at our establishments.

“Luckily we mostly have a sit down clientele and we ensure that at any bar areas, there are CCTV cameras, very obviously pointing out, so that certainly is a good deterrent,” he continued.

Currently in Antigua, where he is opening a new Nobu hotel with Hollywood star Robert De Niro, he added: “People always need to be aware of what’s going on around them.

“Campaigns like this are an important way to raise awareness.”

SHOPPING CULTURE

The Olive Press presents some of the world’s most unusual supermarkets, and find out about the 25th anniversary of a cultural icon

Fatal attraction

Valencian president quits as blonde lunch scandal erupts over floods which killed 229

THE day of reckoning has finally arrived. Valencian President Carlos Mazon officially resigned on Monday, confessing to ‘unbearable’ moments after a poll revealed a staggering 75% of Valencians wanted him gone. But it took the 51-year-old PP politician over a year to do so as he grimly clung to power despite a dozen marches calling for his head over the October 29 DANA floods that killed hundreds.

His downfall is the bitter fruit of a political scandal fueled by the devastating flood and one fateful, lingering afternoon with an attractive blonde journalist.

The judicial inquest into the disastrous DANA storm, which claimed the lives of 229 victims, reached fever pitch this week as Maribel Vi laplana, the 50-year-old divorcee at the heart of the crisis, was forced to testify. Vilaplana, dodging the an gry screams of victims’ families outside the courthouse after months of mass protests (the latest attracting 50,000 enraged citizens), confirmed the explosive details: she was with Mazon,

By Dilip Kuner & Alex Trelinski

who is married with two children, for a prolonged ‘lunch and after-lunch talk’ (sobremesa) at the Ventorro restaurant, while the deadly weather system bore down on the region.

The key question haunting the public remains: Why was Mazon, the man responsible for issuing the catastrophe alert, extending an after-lunch talk instead of doing his job?

The attractive journalist’s testimony, while highly anticipated, was short on substance, confirming the suspicion that this case has ‘More Sensationalism Than Substance’ (Mas Morbo Que Sustancia).

Vilaplana, who is not currently under investigation, claimed she only had ‘personal im pressions’ of Mazon’s de meanor. She admitted he re ceived calls - but were those calls about saving the 229 lives, or ordering another bottle of Rioja?

LONG LUNCH: Mazon and Vilaplana dined through the afternoon as hundreds died

ANGER: 50,000 people joined a march in Valencia calling for Mazon’s resignation. He complied four days later

Legal experts claim her memory is now ‘imprecise, inexact, and full of gaps,’ a detail the public is already spinning into a spectacular cover-up. Was it the pressure of the moment, or was the memory simply washed away by a boozy, high-stakes midday party?

The gravity of the situation is horrifying: Mazon is under fire for potentially instructing officials to actually hold back the alarm, leading directly to the terrifying drownings.

In his tearful resignation speech, Mazon admitted:

“I know I made mistakes, I recognise it and I'm going to live with them all my life.” He claimed he didn't know the Poyo ravine was overflowing or the true scale of the tragedy until the next morning.

But his mea culpa was immediately savaged.

Rosa Alvarez, president of a flood victim association, slammed the speech as ‘painful and undignified’, claiming it was ‘steeped in lies’.

Socialist rival Diana Morant rubbed salt in the wound, declaring Mazon’s fall ‘good news’ and crowing that victim families had ‘claimed the scalp’ of the 'worst Valencian president in its history’.

Mazon has fallen, but the scandal continues. Now, a desperate succession battle has begun.

TIMELINE TO DISASTER

● 7.45AM OCT 29: Spain's weather agency Aemet issues a red alert weather warning for 'incredible risk to life' in the Valencia region

● MIDDAY, OCT 29: Mazon sits down with the blonde journalist, Maribel Vilaplana, at the Ventorro restaurant for a lavish working lunch.

● EARLY AFTERNOON, OCT 29: Catastrophe warnings and data showing a massive storm surge pile up on desks across the government, but the crucial public alert is not issued.

● MID-AFTERNOON, OCT 29: The DANA storm hits, overwhelming the Poyo ravine and engulfing towns. Citizens are left completely unaware.

● LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING, OCT 29: While the death toll mounts, Mazon and Vilaplana remain in their prolonged ‘sobremesa’ - the political leader only fielding a few calls, but crucially, still failing to grasp the gravity of the unfolding disaster.

● 8:11 PM, OCT 29: The Generalitat Valenciana finally issues the mobile phone emergency alert (ES ALERT), hours after the deadly floods began and with many people already dead. Mazon is still MIA - he doesn't arrive at the crisis center (CECOPI) until 8:28 PM.

● EARLY HOURS, OCT 30: Mazon claims he only found out about the 229 deaths and the true scale of the tragedy after the hours of boozy indulgence were over.

Juanfran Perez Llorca, the PP secretary general and Mayor of Finestrat since 2015, is already being touted as the favourite to claim the presidency. But the minority government relies on the far-right Vox party, which holds the balance of power. They could back Llorca - or force early regional elections to boost their own seats! Mazon, who shamefully remains a deputy, is effectively shielded from prosecution by legal privilege - even in defeat. But the long shadow of that single, wine-fueled afternoon hangs over the entire case, proving once and for all that sometimes, a politician’s biggest danger isn’t a political rival - it's a long, boozy lunch that seals his fate.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Road trip from hell

A FRENCHMAN kidnapped his ex and forced her to drive with her children across Spain at knifepoint, living in the car and eating petrol station food. Spanish police tracked them down in Malaga.

New wolf pack

FOUR men allegedly gang raped a young woman in Pamplona nine years after the notorious La Manada (wolf pack) assault during the San Fermin bull-running festival.

Machete mistake

SPANISH rising star race car driver Antolin Gonzalez, 23, killed his father by stabbing him in the neck with a machete. He claims it was an accident during a row in a warehouse.

Body dropping

SUSPECTED narco traffickers pulled up to a quay in Puerto Banus and dumped a body in front of shocked onlookers before tearing off into the sea.

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A SPANISH football fan could face a €4,000 fine after allegedly hurling racist abuse at Barcelona and England forward Marcus Rashford. The incident reportedly took place during Barcelona’s La Liga clash with Real Oviedo.

Shameful call

TV microphones at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere allegedly captured a racial slur, equivalent to the N-word, directed at the 28-year-old while he took a

corner. Footage quickly circulated on social media. Spain’s anti-violence commission recommended the fine, but the final decision rests with the Disciplinary Committee. La Liga filed a complaint with the Policia Nacional, and sta-

Bad influence

A NEW twist in the tale of fugitive British streamer and TikTok star Harrison Sullivan – better known as HSTikkyTokky – has been revealed after he appeared to voluntarily return to the UK to face justice. But it could be that he is actually trying to escape Spanish justice.

The notorious 24-year-old influencer, who boasts millions of followers online, was arrested in Marbella in September after a nightclub brawl. He is accused of glassing a man

in the neck and gashing open his jugular artery at a nightspot. The victim reportedly only survived thanks to being rushed to hospital for life-saving emergency surgery.

Police sources said Sullivan, described in official statements as a ‘YouTuber and boxer’, was tracked down thanks to his prolific social media postings in which he traipses around Puerto Banus talking with passersby and trying to chat up girls.

Videos posted from Marbella

BIN HORROR

A MOTHER has been sentenced to 26 years jail for dumping her newborn in a rubbish bin and leaving the baby to die.

Maria de los Angeles VV was convicted of attempted murder after judges ruled she deliberately tried to kill her child immediately after birth in Utrera, near Sevilla.

A passerby heard faint cries and found the blood-covered infant struggling among the rubbish. Rushed to hospital suffering hypothermia and dehydration, the baby survived and is now in protective care.

The mother, in custody since January 2024, showed no emotion as judges described her act as ‘cold and deliberate’.

Her partner received three years for complicity. She was stripped of parental rights and ordered to pay €45,000 in damages.

By Walter Finch

showed him driving a luxury car without a licence, which he had lost after crashing a £230,000 McLaren in Surrey last year.

Sullivan (pictured) had fled the UK to avoid facing motoring charges, preferring instead to hang around in Dubai and Marbella flaunting a supposedly luxury lifestyle to his followers.

He was even taking part in a forthcoming Louis Theroux documentary on the culture of toxic masculinity, in which he agreed to appear alongside his mother.

Despite claiming to earn £56,000 a day from online trading, sources told British media he was ‘constantly scrambling for cash’ to maintain his image, borrowing cars and props for his videos

dium footage helped identify the alleged perpetrator. Rashford has enjoyed a strong start at Barcelona, scoring five goals and providing seven assists in 13 appearances, already hinting he wants the move made permanent.

Fugitive Brit TikTok star returned to the UK to face charges because he had been arrested in Marbella for ‘glassing a man’s jugular open’

before they were repossessed.

After his arrest, officers in Spain discovered that Sullivan was wanted in Britain, who had put out a UK arrest warrant after he fled.

Sullivan returned to Britain on October 10 and was remanded in custody after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance at Staines Magistrates Court. Sentencing is due on November 14. The influencer had been wanted since failing to attend a UK court hearing last November following the crash, which left fellow influencer ‘General G’ injured.

Spanish investigators have opened a criminal probe into the Spanish assault, which remains ongoing.

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Tinder nightmare

A neo-Nazi sympathiser has been arrested for locking a Tinder date in his Benalmadena home and subjecting her to violent sexual assault.

The victim told police of her horrific ordeal, supported by medical reports documenting nine injuries.

The attack began after a day on the coast, escalating in his car and later in his home, where he reportedly made supremacist comments while assaulting her.

Captive

She was held captive from 8pm to midday the next day, forced to shower, clean, and endure repeated assaults and threats.

Police seized a handgun, ammunition, cash, and Nazi paraphernalia during a search.

The man denies the allegations but has been remanded in custody for illegal detention, sexual assault, threats, and degrading treatment, and must stay 500 metres from the victim.

The Lynx Effect

AN amateur wildlife photographer has sparked The Lynx Effect after capturing the first-ever image of a white Iberian lynx in Spain. Angel Hidalgo, 29, from Jaen, spends his free time photographing wildlife across Andalucia as an escape from his day job in a construction materials factory. He made the remarkable find in the Jaen mountains, describing the animal as ‘the white ghost of

FERGIE IN SOTO

Fixated on roast suckling pig, ice cubes for her daily bath and a breakfast table set in three locations ‘to give her choice’

A NEW book has alleged that the now former Duchess of York behaved in an outrageously extravagant way during lavish holidays at a borrowed €40 million, 350-acre, Sotogrande estate. According to Entitled by Andrew Lownie, Sarah Ferguson - who lost her Duchess label when her ex husband Andrew was recently stripped of his royal titles - allegedly demanded three separate breakfast tables be fully laid - complete

with food - each morning so she could ‘have a choice’ of where she ate. She also insisted on daily deliveries of ice cubes to pour into her bath ‘to help her metabolism’. Guests also recalled her sudden fixation with last minute parties and roast suckling pig and nightly feasts ‘fit for Henry VIII’ that went largely uneaten. Her entourage and luggage arrangements meanwhile, were also revealed, in par -

the Mediterranean forest’. Experts from the Lynx Project confirmed the discovery as historic – the first recorded white Iberian lynx ever documented. Hidalgo said he spent months tracking the elusive creature before finally spotting ‘a white shape that seemed to radiate its own light’ at dawn after rainfall. “I was paralysed,” he recalled. “It was a dream come true.”

FAMILY: Sarah

ticular, that she would regularly miss non-refundable flights.

She also allegedly travelled with 25 cases paying between €1000 and €5000 in excess baggage. “At least five of those cases were packed with toiletries and make-up. Another one would be used solely for clothes hangers.” In addition, the book claims, she brought in personal trainers, hairdressers and pilates instructors paid hundreds per hour to wait for

her to emerge for the day, often late in the afternoon. In particular the book recalls a long nine-destination summer holiday in 2009, including stays in Sotogrande and Granada, as she escaped a developing scandal over her finances. It comes out as her ex, nolonger-prince-Andrew, faces a mounting scandal over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein involving alleged sex trafficking.

MULLINS IT OVER

‘MAC-MILLIONAIRE’ BURGER AIMS FOR CULINARY LUXURY BUT LANDS SQUARELY IN PR GIMMICK TERRITORY, WRITES THE UK’S RICHEST PLUMBER, CHARLIE MULLINS

RICH PICKINGS

THE biggest con-job since a dodgy gunslinging, ferry-captaining ‘colonel’ mixed his kitchen scraps with chicken carcasses and called it a ‘secret recipe,’ a restaurant has unveiled a €10,000 super-slider.

But for my money, Colonel Sanders’ addictive, pressure-fried bird — coated in a mix of herbs and plenty of salt — blows the Asador Aupa’s €9,450 SUA burger straight out of the PR water. Sure, the burger joint (which has earned a less than stellar 3.7 out of 5 on Tripadvisor ) has got its share of headlines with its Mac-Millionaire, but who’s actually going to fork out for one? I’ll tell you who: a Mac-Idiot!

Like the Colonel’s secret formula, Asador Aupa is keeping its recipe locked away, only revealing that the SUA burger features a blend of three premium meats, an exclusive European cheese, and a ‘signature’ sauce made from topshelf spirits. Personally, I don’t think the geniuses behind this gastronomic monstrosity ever imagined they’d have to live up to that price tag

with something as simple as a meat sandwich. But that’s where they’ve miscalculated. Even if this place usually charges a modest sum for a cheeseburger and fries, there’s al

ways a certain

breed of pretentious, well-heeled a**hole willing to drag the family out for a feast, picking up an extra portion to bring home for the dog.

It’s obscene if you ask me. We don’t have to look far to see people struggling to eat — right here in Spain, times are tough.

The whole thing reminds me of Eat the Rich (1987), possibly the greatest dark comedy ever made about the absurdity of wealth and excess.

The plot follows the obnoxious upper-crust clientele of a swanky West End restaurant, Bastards, who are unknowingly served the freshly slaughtered and fried remains of their fellow diners.

Those unfortunate souls are dragged into the kitchen, thrown into a giant meat mincer, and turned into haute cuisine for the gluttonous elite. If you haven’t seen it, check it out, though be prepared for some bloody carnage and a lot of dark humour.

The point is this: the film, with its cast of Robbie Coltrane, Nigel Planer, Shane MacGowan, and Lemmy among others, and Asador Aupa’s ludicrous burger, both underscore the same tragic truth. When it comes to the ugly spectacle of greed and gluttony, there’s always someone willing to take the bait just to prove they can.

Serving up success

SERENA Williams (pictured) may have hung up her racket, but the tennis legend is still racking up accolades.

She has just been awarded Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for Sports – a tribute not just to her legendary career but also to her fight for gender equalty.

The jury hailed Serena as ‘one of the greatest tennis players in history’, pointing to her 73 singles titles, including 23 Grand Slam wins and four Olympic golds. But it’s not just her sporting achievements that have earned her this recognition.

The ceremony saw Serena rubbing shoulders with Spain’s elite, including the heir to the Spanish throne, Princess Leonor (the Princess of Asturias herself), who presented the award. The evening was one of many memorable moments for Serena, who has joined the ranks of other legendary winners such as Rafael Nadal, Eliud Kipchoge, Lindsey Vonn, and Carl Lewis.

Ferguson and daughters in Sotogrande in 2009

A BURGER topped with edible diamond dust and rose gold has dazzled visitors and claimed victory at Spain’s biggest gourmet burger festival.

The Diamante Azul, created by Cordoba’s Nolito’s, has now won 11 of 13 stops in The Champions Burger Smash Edition, a travelling competition seeking Spain’s best smash burger.

The eye-catching creation features a blue brioche bun dusted with diamond and rose gold, aged smash beef,

Sad debate

PUBLIC pressure is mounting for a national anti-bullying law after the suicide of 14-year-old Sandra Peña, who reportedly faced sustained harassment from classmates at her Sevilla school. Her family has joined Trencats, a foundation founded by Jose Manuel Lopez Viñuela, whose 15-year-old daughter Kira died by suicide in 2021 after similar bullying. The group is demanding legislation that forces schools to act at the first signs of abuse.

Trencats says it has gathered 225,000 signatures for a proposal but has received no government response.

Education Minister Pilar Alegría has said the initiative fell short of the 500,000 signatures required for debate. Families linked to the foundation plan to rally outside Spain’s Congress on November 6, urging political action. Peña’s school faces two investigations for allegedly failing to activate anti-bullying protocols.

Trencats stresses both victims and aggressors are children who need protection and education.

Just diamond!

American-style ribs, bacon jam, melted cheddar, crispy bacon, smoky mayo, and a signature Emmy sauce. It recently triumphed in Torrent, Valencia, beating 20 top restaurants competing for a place in next year’s national final. Second place went to Zaragoza’s Madison for its

A POLICIA Nacional border guard admitted to the Olive Press they were very much ‘in a trial stage’ at Malaga airport with their Entry/Exit System (EES) digital passport machines this week.

It comes as some British travelers forced into the new system found their chip and pin documents working while others didn’t.

To complicate matters further, border guards insisted that any UK passport holders WITH Spanish residency couldn’t use EES machines at all.

pink-brioche Miami Vice burger, while Bilbao’s Tximist took third with The Queen, topped with truffle cheese, slow-cooked ribs, and edible gold.

The festival, now in its eighth year, has drawn over 850,000 visitors across 13 cities. The tour concludes in Avila from November 6–16, where the final votes will determine Spain’s ultimate burger champion.

GATEWAY TO DELAYS

“You’ll need to continue with the queue,” a policeman told the Olive Press on Monday at Malaga airports’ B Terminal.

“It won’t work if you live in Spain and have a TIE.”

DIFFERENCE: Anne and hubbie got different treatment

He added: “It’s your fault for Brexit.”

Perplexingly, it came after one of his colleagues had told this newspaper that we ‘could use’ the scanning machine to continue to the boarding gate.

“But that’s only till 1pm,” she said. “We are only trialing it for three-hour periods at a time.” And when cross-checked at the border kiosk, none of three policemen could explain why our resident journalist’s UK passport wouldn’t work. Even odder was the need

By Jon Clarke

for British travelers to register at an earlier machine in a bank of 12 up against one wall of the terminal.

And once they had checked in with a face scan they needed to go to the second electronic gate.

“It was the exact same process at the second machine…but while my passport worked, my husband’s didn’t,” explained Anne, 67, from Glasgow, in Scotland.

“And the strange thing is he has a new black one while mine is the older burgundy one.”

She continued: “Even stranger was that both worked fine in Mallorca last week and also in Faro, in Portugal.”

It comes after EES border

Confusion reigns at Malaga airport as both British tourists and residents are bamboozled by contradictory instructions

control machines have sat dormant at Malaga airport for over a year.

It has meant that long queues - sometimes taking 30 minutes - have built up often all the way to Duty Free.

Confusion has reigned at Malaga airport since the EES came into effect on October 20.

Unsure

British residents in Spain have been especially affected, with many expats reporting being unsure whether to join the EU lane – as legal residents of Spain – or the non-EU queue, which is now controlled by the biometric kiosks.

The Olive Press asked Spain’s Interior Ministry to clarify the rule.

Officials told us that British passport holders with a TIE residency card must use the

queue for the EES system, meaning they should join the non-EU or ‘third-country nationals’ queue when arriving in or leaving Spain. However, the ministry insisted that, with a valid Spanish residence card (TIE), they will not be treated as tourists and won’t be subject to the 90day stay limit that applies to non-residents.

In practice, this should mean travellers should present both their passport and TIE when passing through border control as normal – hitches and glitches notwithstanding. The Interior Ministry’s clarification comes as Spain gradually introduces the EES at its major airports, starting with Madrid first and then followed by Malaga. Alicante and Barcelona followed on October 27.

GOURMET: The winning burger comes in a blue brioche

Orange alert

Andalucia braces itself for a fresh battering as ex-hurricane Melissa brings more rainstorms to Sevilla and the Costa del Sol

ANDALUCIA is steeling itself for yet another battering just one week after flash floods swamped Sevilla city centre and left parts of Huelva under several feet of water.

Dramatic scenes of cars submerged above the wing mirrors and people clinging to street signs could be repeated as the remains of Hurricane Melissa – one of the most powerful on record – sweeps in from the Atlantic after levelling swathes of Jamaica

Spanish met office AEMET has activated orange alerts once again for today (Nov 5) for the provinces of Cadiz, Huelva and Sevilla, while Malaga and the Costa del Sol are on yellow warnings.

Flooded

The new round of alerts comes barely a week after record-breaking storms tore through western Andalucia on October 29 – exactly one year on from the deadly Valencia DANA that killed 229.

Although there were no fatalities this time round, local authorities once again came in for criticism of the timing of their alerts.

In Huelva, many residents were already at work or on the school run when phones buzzed with warnings of ‘extreme risk from rain’ at 9.30am.

The towns of Mazagon and Almonte were flooded, while a tornado tossed chairs into the air as it ripped through the bars and terraces of Gibraleon.

Further inland, Sevilla logged the heaviest rainfall in its history – 115mm in 13 hours – flooding hospitals, schools and hundreds of homes. The deluge triggered more than 600 emergency incidents across the

ASIAN PERIL

THREE men have died in Galicia within two weeks after being stung by Asian hornets, sparking concern that Spain is losing control of the invasive species.

All three were attacked by underground nests, including one man in Cospeito (Lugo) who reportedly stepped on a swarm while hunting.

Experts say the unusually late-season attacks show the hornets are adapting to changing climate conditions.

Veterinarian Xesus Feás criticised the Galician government’s “lack of urgency,” warning that many nests remain untreated due to limited resources. Officials, however, claim progress, reporting a 30% fall in alerts and a record number of captured queen hornets this year.

Asian hornets have plagued Galicia for 15 years and continue to pose a “public health problem,” experts warn.

By Walter Finch

city and inspired stories of people trapped in cars and heroic rescues –but not a red alert.

AEMET later defended itself, insisting that the weather system had intensified unexpectedly overnight after initially being forecast to hit southern Portugal.

scenes

Fatal plunge

A BRITISH man aged 56 has died and a 54-year-old man left critically injured after they plunged 20 feet when a Lanzarote hotel balcony railing gave way.

The terrifying incident took place in the early hours of Saturday morning with emergency services arriving at the scene at around 1.30am.

Upon their arrival, the death of one of the men was confirmed whilst the other was stabilised and rushed to the intensive care unit of Doctor Jose Molina Orosa Hospital. Foreign Office officials have told the Olive Press that they ‘are providing support to the family of a British man who has died and to the family of a British man who has been injured in Spain’.

FLOODED: Unprecedented

in Sevilla after recent record rainfall

DEADLY: Hornets have claimed three victims in Galicia

Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

OPINION

Gone at last

THE resignation of Valencian President Carlos Mazon is the result of a devastating combination of political negligence and scandal that has left 229 dead. His tearful speech on Monday, acknowledging mistakes, rings hollow in the face of overwhelming evidence that his incompetence directly contributed to the loss of life during the October 29 DANA floods. Many would argue that his mea culpa came 12 months too late. Rather than hanging on to power by his fingernails until a 12th protest march calling for his resignation, he should have gone a year ago. Mazon’s decision to spend a long, indulgent lunch with journalist Maribel Vilaplana while the storm surged across Valencia – and his subsequent failure to issue an emergency alert – paints a damning picture of his priorities.

As public officials scrambled to assess the severity of the flooding, Mazon was seemingly more concerned with ‘sobremesa’ than saving lives. His blasé attitude towards the gravity of the situation raises crucial questions: was he unaware of the disaster’s scale, or was he simply too distracted?

Vilaplana's testimony, while sensationalised, adds fuel to the fire. Her vague account of a ‘lunch and after-lunch talk’ offered little clarity on Mazon’s actions during the critical hours.

What is clear, however, is that his political fate was sealed not just by the storm, but by his reckless disregard for the responsibility he held.

While Mazon’s resignation is a step toward accountability, it is not enough.

The families of the victims deserve more than apologies. Children are still suffering the mental damage the terrifying storms caused.

The Valencian government must act to restore faith, and those responsible for withholding the alarm system should face the full consequences. Mazon’s resignation is just the beginning of the reckoning that must follow.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner

dilip@theolivepress.es

Yzabelle Bostyn yzabelle@theolivepress.es

Tom Ewart Smith tom@theolivepress.es

ADMIN Victoria Humenyuk Makarova (+34) 951 154 841 admin@theolivepress.es

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FURY & GRIEF

TEARS, fury and frustration have gripped Valencia as the region marked one year since the catastrophic floods that claimed 229 lives and left entire communities in ruins.

The solemn week of remembrance was a powerful reminder of the anger still simmering over the government’s handling of the disaster – and the deep scars it left behind.

Valencian president Carlos Mazon delivered what became his final speech before quitting in the grand surroundings of the regional parliament, acknowledging failures and pledging that ‘no one will be left behind’.

Just days earlier, the streets outside had filled with tens of thousands of protestors demanding his resignation – and justice for those who died.

The floods struck on October 29 last year, when torrential rain turned roads into rivers and swept away homes, cars and

‘Things should have worked better’ admitted beleaguered Carlos Mazon in speech just days before he quit, as Valencia remembered its 229 dead

By Dilip Kuner & Alex Trelinski

entire families.

Within hours, 229 people were dead. The region’s emergency response was widely criticised as chaotic, with alerts issued too late and coordination between services breaking down at crucial moments.

A year on, Mazon admitted his government’s efforts ‘were not enough’.

“We tried to do our best in unimaginable circumstances, but in many cases it was not enough,” he told the assembled throng. “Things should have worked better.”

He described the floods as ‘an unfathomable tragedy’ and said October 29 ‘will

never be forgotten’.

Declaring it an official Day of Remembrance for the victims, he promised to continue efforts to ‘accelerate recovery, reinforce security and improve prevention’.

“The pain was and continues to be immense,” Mazon said. “Nothing can give us back the people we lost, but we can honour their memory with commitment, affection and respect.”

He added that Valencian society had shown its best side in the worst of times:

“In its most difficult moment, our people came together. That day and the following ones will always remain etched in our collective memory.”

But outside the parliamentary chamber, sympathy was in short supply.

Four days before the anniversary, Valencia’s streets were filled with fury.

Up to 50,000 protestors marched from Plaza de San Agustin to Plaza de la Virgen in what was the 12th and largest demonstration so far against Mazon’s handling of the disaster.

Relatives of the victims led the march, holding aloft photos of their loved ones and banners demanding justice. They were joined by firefighters, 112 emergency call operators and local residents – all united in grief and anger.

‘Mazon resign!’ rang out across the old city for more than two hours. Some shouted ‘Mazon to prison!’ and ‘We don’t want him at the state memorial!’

The families wore T-shirts printed with ‘20:11 Ni oblit ni perdo’ (‘20:11 – Neither forget nor forgive’) – the exact time the government finally sent an emergency alert to phones, long after the floods had already killed dozens.

As the procession passed, onlookers applauded and threw white flowers in support.

Rosa Alvarez, president of the Associa-

Stuff of nightmares

THOUSANDS of Valencian children remain haunted by the terror of the Valencian floods. A report called ‘With Mud in the Backpack’ by Save the Children and Valencia University has found that more than 30% of children in flood-hit areas are still afraid of rain, storms or thunder, while a quarter continue to suffer sleep problems, one year on.

Researchers surveyed 2,300 families affected by the floods, alongside teachers, social workers, charity staff and local officials.

The findings paint a stark picture of a generation scarred by climate catastrophe.

One mother, Mari Carmen, explained her daughter is terrified every time it rains. “When it rains, she doesn’t want to go to lessons and she’s afraid,” she said. “Other mothers say the same – the children don’t want to go to extracurricular activities.”

The report documents widespread behavioural changes among young people, including heightened anxiety, stress and

Children still traumatised a year after Valencia floods, report finds

By Alex Trelinski

dependence on screens as a coping mechanism.

Among adolescents, 12% struggle to concentrate, 11% spend more time on electronic devices, and 7% have withdrawn socially.

Nearly half of families (45.7%) said their biggest worry is their children’s emotional wellbeing, while over half (52.4%) said their education has suffered since the disaster.

Save the Children’s Valencia head Rodrigo Hernandez (pictured below) said reopening schools quickly after any emergency is crucial.

“In a crisis, school helps children recover a sense of normality and hope,” he said. “It’s not just a place of learning – schools provide vital services such as cafeterias, which many low-income families rely on.”

In October 2024, more than 18,000 children in flood-hit zones depended on school cafeterias for daily meals. “Keeping them open ensures healthy nutri-

tion for those who need it most,” Hernandez added.

The inability to return to class, the report says, has deeply affected children’s emotional (71.6%) and social (33.3%) wellbeing.

Hernandez warned that psychological scars often last far longer than physical ones.

“After an emergency, the wounds that last the longest are psychological,” he said. “We saw a lack of safe, caring spaces to help children recover emotionally.”

The report also highlights how normal childhood activities have been disrupted. Since the floods, 45% of children have stopped doing sports, 28% no longer join outdoor activities, and around a quarter have quit cultural or extracurricular clubs.

“We don’t understand how, even today, many spaces where children used to play and learn remain unrestored,” said Hernandez. “They are essential for their development.”

The arrival of Storm Alice this

October reignited trauma for many families, underlining how climate change continues to threaten those already scarred.

Save the Children warns that 93% of children in the region will experience at least one extreme weather event each year, making the Valencian Community one of Spain’s most vulnerable areas. Families living in poverty are hit hardest. “Those with fewer resources have lost homes and jobs and face huge diffi-

Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es

tion of Fatal Victims of the Dana, gave a searing speech that captured the mood.

“It’s brutal that a year on, we are still in the same position,” she said. “He abandoned his people and continues to be expendable.

“There is so much pain and so much anger that we cannot stop fighting. Almost no one has been able to start mourning.”

Her final words echoed through the crowd:

“They are not dead, they are killed.” Within seconds, thousands were chanting it back.

Other speakers accused the regional government of stonewalling investigations and dodging responsibility.

Marilo Gradoli, president of the Dana Victims Association, said they were still demanding ‘truth, justice and reparation’.

“All we have received are lies,” he said.

“We have seen no trace of solidarity or empathy towards the victims and those affected. We have been ignored and de-

culties balancing work and family life – especially single parents,” Hernandez said. According to the report, 15% of families lost their homes, and one in four now consider their housing unsafe for children. In the worst-hit municipalities, 80% of families still live in damaged or unrepaired buildings. While reconstruction has focused on infrastructure and economic recovery, Save the Children warns that children’s wellbeing is being sidelined. The charity urges the government to make young people a priority in disaster planning and rebuilding.

“It’s essential that children’s welfare is considered in every decision,” Hernandez stressed.

“We must strengthen support for education, mental health and vulnerable families – and put children at the centre to ensure their rights and resilience in future emergencies.”

ceived.”

Garcia, who lost her husband and daughter when their car was swept away, said it was ‘unacceptable’ that Mazon remained in power.

“He has shown he was not up to the task,” she said quietly, her voice breaking as she addressed the crowd.

But on Monday, Mazon finally bowed to the inevitable and resigned, citing exhaustion and ongoing public pressure.

“I can’t go on anymore,” he told reporters after announcing his decision.

He fiercely criticised the national government’s handling of the crisis, but stopped short of confirming whether he would also step down from his regional assembly seat – a move that would end his parliamentary immunity.

The resignation followed weeks of mounting anger and polls showing that three in four Valencians believed he should quit.

The floods have become a defining moment for Valencia. Streets once filled with water now carry the weight of remembrance.

Memorial plaques are starting to mark the spots where people died. Families gather periodically at vigils to light remembrance candles at makeshift shrines.

For many, the pain remains raw. The storm didn’t just take lives – it tore families apart, wiped out livelihoods and left deep mistrust in local institutions.

Mazon’s government has since launched new flood prevention schemes and promised upgrades to emergency infrastructure. But critics say the progress has been glacial and that too many victims

have yet to receive full compensation.

Even Mazon’s own allies admit the political damage could take years to heal.

“He was caught between empathy and accountability,” said one regional official privately. “People don’t want words – they want justice.”

As Valencia prepares for another winter, the memories of that terrifying night remain close to the surface. The names of the dead are now read aloud every October 29 – a tradition that will continue for generations.

But for those who lost loved ones, remembrance isn’t enough. “We will not stop until there is truth,” said Alvarez. “Our families deserve more than silence and speeches.”

A year after the rain stopped, the storm of anger has finally claimed its most powerful casualty.

Three pairs of tickets to see The Psychedelic Furs live in Malaga

FANS of 70s rock rejoice – the Psychedelic Furs are coming to Malaga, and the Olive Press has got three pairs of tickets to give away.

The legendary post-punk romantics, led by brothers Richard and Tim Butler, return to Spain with their unmistakable mix of swagger, melancholy and melody.

Get ready to love your way to their exclusive La Trinchera show on November 18, where the brothers Butler will be strumming out some of their greatest hits.

From the moody pulse of Sister Europe to the irresistible shimmer of The Ghost in You, the Furs have soundtracked generations of dreamy outsiders and late-night thinkers. They’ll also be performing tracks from their latest album, 2020’s Made of Rain – a reminder that heaven is indeed the whole of the heart.

It was their first release in nearly 30 years, but the band’s influence never waned, with modern acts such as Interpol, The Killers, and The 1975, all citing the Furs as inspirations.

As part of their Spain 2025 tour, the band will also be gracing Barcelona (Nov 13), Sevilla (Nov 17), Madrid (Nov 21) and Valencia (Nov 22).

To be within a shout of winning one of the pairs of tickets, just answer this fiendishly simple question:

What year were The Psychedelic Furs formed?

Send your answer to: newsdesk@theolivepress.es by November 14.

Winners will be picked on November 15 – so keep the date open!

Scan the QR code to subscribe to the Olive Press

ANGER: Demonstrators took to the streets in protest at Mazon still clinging to power

TEARFUL: Mazon has finally fallen on his sword a year after the floods

FIRE PROTEST

LEFT-wing parties in Castilla y Leon have joined together to protest against the Junta’s handling of this summer’s wildfires, which saw five victims and 150,000 hectares of burnt forests. Political and consumer groups, alongside trade unions, have combined to form ‘ Plataforma Respeto’ - a platform which believes that the northern region’s deadly summer 2025 fires are evidence of mis-management. Calling for a demonstration on November 23, the platform demands that the wildfire-fighting brigade be fully public and hired yearround. It also demands that rural areas are not abandoned as current neglect is amplifying fire risks, especially in sparsely populated provinces.

Nuclear request

Power companies request extension to life of the country’s largest nuclear power plant

THREE of Spain’s largest energy firms - Iberdrola, Endesa, and Naturgy - are reportedly preparing to request a three-year extension for the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant, the country’s largest.

The plant’s first reactor is due to close on November 1, 2027, but the companies want to push that deadline back amid growing concerns over grid stability.

The move follows a decision by Extremadura’s Partido Popular-led government to cut the plant’s environmental tax from over €80 million to around €15 million annually.

GAS ALERT

A UN agency is investigating Madrid’s Valdemingomez landfill after satellites detected massive methane emissions from the site. The International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) launched the probe following data showing unusually high leaks compared to official reports.

Methane traps 25 times more heat than carbon dioxide, making it a major driver of global warming.

IMEO found eight leaks at Valdemin-

By Ben Pawlowski

The concession, championed by regional president María Guardiola, was a key demand from Vox, whose support her minority government depends on.

Vox has long opposed Spain’s nuclear phase-out, arguing it threatens energy security and regional jobs.

The plant’s owners say that without the tax cut and additional national levies for nuclear waste, keeping Almaraz open is financially unsustainable. Any extension request must

be

gomez (pictured) since 2023 and six more at the nearby Pinto biogas plant. The agency aims to pinpoint the sources to curb emissions, with final results expected in 2026.

Created during the 2021 COP26 summit, IMEO has issued over 3,500 methane alerts worldwide, stressing that cutting methane is the fastest, most effective way to slow global warming.

NEEDED?: The Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant

Transition (MITECO): maintaining safety standards, ensuring supply security, and avoiding higher costs for consumers.

Supporters warn that closing Almaraz could endanger Spain’s electricity supply, particularly after April’s major blackout.

Blackout

The European power lobby ENTSO-E and former REE chair Jordi Sevilla have both cautioned that shutting nuclear plants increases blackout risks.

Meanwhile, Spain’s gas demand for electricity rose 37% in the first nine months of 2024 as reliance on renewables fluctuated.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

SPAIN has reaffirmed its support for the EU’s 2035 ban on petrol and diesel car sales, urging European allies to stay committed.

In a joint letter with France, Spain argues that transitioning to zero-emission vehicles is essential for meeting the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target.

The letter calls for stronger protections to ensure the shift doesn’t lead to job losses or increased dependence on non-European supply chains, especially China, which dominates global EV production.

The countries also stress the need to prioritise full zero-emission vehicles over plug-in hybrids. However, the proposal faces opposition from several EU members, including Germany and Italy, where the move is criticized as ‘madness ideology’ by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

filed with the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) by the end of this month and comply with three conditions set by the Ministry for Ecological

Slowing down

SPAIN’S economy showed signs of cooling in the third quarter, with growth slowing to 0.6%, down from 0.8% in the previous quarter.

This marks the end of a nine-quarter expansion streak, although GDP still grew 2.8% year-on-year, ahead of the eurozone average.

Analysts point to weaker exports, partly due to shifting global trade patterns. Imports surged 1.1%, driven by cheaper products from China and Vietnam, as a result of US tariffs. Despite this, domestic demand remained strong, with consumer spending up 1.2%, and investment rising 1.7%. Economists see the slowdown as a natural deceleration after years of strong growth, with forecasts for a 2.7% GDP rise for 2025, still above many European peers.

SPAIN'S labour market experienced a paradox in the third quarter of 2025, with both rising employment and a growing unemployment rate.

According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), between July and September, the number of workers increased by 118,400, reaching a record high of approximately 22.39 million.

However, the unemployment rate also edged up to 10.45%, from 10.29% in the previous quarter, despite the surge in workers.

This represents the first rise in unemployment after three consecutive quarters of decline.

Around 60,000 people lost their jobs, bringing the total number of unemployed to about 2.61 million. Although the unemployment rate is Spain’s lowest for a third quarter since 2007, it remains high compared to the European average of

Good news, bad news

Unemployment rate in Spain rises to 10.4% despite record number of workers

By Ben Pawlowski

under 6%.

The number of people either employed or actively seeking work exceeded 25

BBVA has reached a market value of more than €100 billion for the first time, just two weeks after its attempted takeover of Banco Sabadell collapsed.

The milestone makes the Madrid-based lender one of only four Spanish companies worth over €100 billion on the stock market, alongside Santander, Iberdrola and Inditex. Its shares have jumped around

million for the first time, driven by a 0.7% increase from the previous quarter.

Significant employment growth was seen in health and social services (+112,700), administration

Top dollar

12% since the failed bid, as investors welcomed the end of uncertainty surrounding a deal that would have required heavy capital spending and integration costs.

Analysts say the market is now refocusing on BBVA’s solid balance sheet and strong earnings outlook.

GAME, SET, MATCH

years of earning top US and Spanish credentials, I’m helping expats win at crossborder wealth management

HAVE you ever sat courtside at a tennis match, swiveling your head back and forth as you watch a shot on one side of the net followed by a return on the other and then back again?

If anyone had watched my activities while working at BISSAN Wealth Management the past few years, they might be reminded of a tennis contest. Instead of hitting shots across a tennis net, I have been adding to my financial knowledge on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. First in Spain, then in the U.S., then once again in Spain and then back again. I do so in order to provide exceptional financial advice to Americans who live in Spain. Cross-border financial planning is complicated. An advisor who lacks firsthand knowledge of the financial infrastructure of both countries may inadvertently be giving guidance that doesn’t match

the specific needs of Americans expats living in Spain. That’s why I earned a CERTI -

15-love.

In 2024, I served up two winning shots within Spain by 1) earning a master’s degree from Nebrija University in Spanish taxation (Máster en Fiscalidad y Tributación) and 2) writing a useful finance book in Spanish entitled “La Hoja de Ruta Fiscal y Financiera para los Españoles en España”. My book received the Literary Titan Book Award. Recipients of this award “are commended for their ability to transform complex topics into accessible and compelling narratives that captivate readers and enhance our understanding.”

(+47,500), and arts and entertainment (+35,700). However, job creation slowed, with the 118,400 increase being the smallest since 2019.

The education sector saw a notable decline (-174,400), while information and communications (-39,100) and agriculture (-17,400) also lost workers.

Additionally, gender disparities deepened. While male unemployment fell by 22,000, female unemployment rose by 82,700, pushing the female unemployment rate to 12.11%.

Year-on-year, employment has risen by 2.6%, with 564,100 more people in work.

POWER GRAB

THE Spanish government has agreed to transfer some banking oversight powers to the European Central Bank (ECB) following criticism of its interference in BBVA’s failed hostile bid for rival Sabadell.

The ECB will now oversee mergers and acquisitions, including the failed €16 billion deal between the two banks.

This change will take effect when Spain implements the EU’s new capital requirements directive, due by January 2026.

The European Commission had previously warned Spain against blocking the merger, asserting that restrictions on the free movement of capital were unjustified.

Collapsed

BBVA’s bid collapsed earlier this month after only 25.47% of Sabadell’s shareholders supported it, failing to reach the 30% needed for a second offer.

The failed deal was seen as positive by some, including Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz, who called it ‘good news for the country’. The merger would have created Spain’s second-largest bank, raising concerns over financial stability and customer impact.

15-30.

In 2023, I scored two points in the United States by 1) earning a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® certificate from The College for Financial Planning and 2) writing my first financial planning book: “The Dougherty Code: Secrets of Financial Planning in Spain Revealed”. This book, which I wrote in English, describes the financial opportunities and challenges facing

expats in Spain. It offers practical advice and demystifies the Spanish financial system, covering topics such as investments, taxes and regulations.

40-30.

I scored another point in Spain in 2021, when I was awarded a European Financial Planner certificate by the European Financial Planning Association of Spain (EFPA Espana). To

this day, I’m the only American to earn this certification. Deuce. We don’t need to wait to find out who the winner is: it’s clearly any American in Spain who seeks cross-border financial planning and investment advice.

LAP OF LUXURY

Fancy being a hotelier? These stylish multi-million euro hotels in Catalunya are all for sale - find out more on page 20

Billion battle from Booking

SPANISH hotels are gearing up for a $4billion battle with Booking.com.

In what could be one of Spain’s biggest legal battles, hundreds of hotels are expected to join a lawsuit.

The joint action estimates hotels lost around 2% of their annual revenue due to unfair practices from the giant holiday portal.. Under controversial pricing rules it forced firms to sign contracts containing ‘parity clauses’ - meaning they couldn’t offer cheaper rates elsewhere.

It meant any discount or special seasonal

By Walter Finch

rate had to also be offered to Booking.com, and this even included direct bookings to the

The landmark ruling last September has opened the floodgates for hotels to seek compensation. It comes after the country’s finance watchdog CNMC slapped a record €413 million fine on the giant for abusing its dominant market position - the biggest penalty in its history. Now law firm Eskariam is spearheading the joint action, estimating a total of around €4 billion, with €1 billion lost to hotels in An-

dalucia alone.

The lawyers’ analysis suggests hotels suffered damage worth between 1.65% and 2.12% of their annual revenues during the years these clauses were active.

It meant a hotel earning €5 million annually over a decade might claim €750,000 plus interest - or around €1 million in total. Eskariam is expecting around 500 hotel firms to join and the first lawsuit is planned for next year.

Booking.com disputes the claims, insisting the EU ruling doesn’t cite anti-competitive practices.

CROWNING

GLORY: First part of the cross (right) has been fixed to the Sagrada Familia

WHIP HAND

HOMEBUYERS have the best negotiating power for a decade – but only in certain areas.

While much of the country remains firmly in sellers’ hands, with housing stock incredibly low, on the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca the opposite has taken place.

According to new data, Alicante province now has 138% more homes on the market compared to 2014, when Spain’s property crisis bottomed out.

Malaga meanwhile has seen an 89% rise in available properties, though Malaga city itself has only 17% more, according to figures compiled by Idealista

By contrast, 35 provincial capitals – including Madrid, Sevilla and Valencia – are at record-low stock. Nationally, housing availability is still just 9% above the all-time low recorded in early 2014.

Yet along the Mediterranean coast, the dynamics are shifting. Buyers once faced with limited choice and inflated prices are now finding more options and sellers willing to negotiate. Properties are staying on the market longer, giving buyers time to weigh up their decisions. Andalucia is leading the change, with Granada showing a 173% increase in available homes since 2014, Cordoba up 93%, and Jaen up 108%.

BARCELONA’S iconic Sagrada Familia has officially become the world’s tallest church - almost a century since the death of its master architect.

Construction workers added the first part of the cross to crown the final Tower of Jesus Christ l, bringing the basilica to an official height of 162.91 metres tall.

The addition means the Antoni

Gaudi-designed church, which began construction in 1882, has now surpassed the record previously held by Ulm Minster in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, which stands 161.53 metres high.

And that is not all - further construction over the coming months will bring the Sagrada Familia to a final height of 172 metres.

REACH FOR THE SKY Payback time

THE European Commission (EC) has ordered Spain to end what it calls ‘discriminatory’ tax rules targeting foreign property owners. It has warned Madrid could be dragged before Europe’s top court if it fails to comply.

The country is facing financial penalties and could be forced to reimburse foreign owners for overpaid taxes. Such a punishment could affect tens of thousands of homeowners from the UK, Germany and Scandinavia.

The EC believes Spain is breaking European law by unfairly penalising non-resident homeowners, particularly if they use them as holiday or second homes.

It has now begun proceedings against Spain over two key areas –the way it taxes rental income and how it handles capital gains when assets are sold in instalments.

Non-residents who own a home in

BOOM OVER?

FOREIGN appetite for Spanish property continued to boom in the first half of 2025, according to the latest figures from Spain’s notaries, marking the second-highest number of foreign purchases on record for a six-month period.

A total of 71,155 home sales involved a foreign buyer, up 2.5% on the same period last year and a hefty 26.5% above the ten-year average. Only the first half of 2022 saw more, when the post-lockdown rebound inflated the figures. Strip out that exceptional year, and 2025 would be the strongest H1 ever recorded.

But while foreign buyers remained highly active, local demand grew even faster. Spanish buyers increased their purchases by 10% to almost 300,000 homes, pushing domestic sales to their highest level since before the pandemic. That surge meant the foreign share of the housing market slipped to 19.3%, down from 20.4% a year earlier.

The biggest markets

The UK remained Spain’s largest foreign market with 5,731 purchases, followed by Germany (4,756), Italy (4,513) and France (3,980). Together, these four countries made up roughly a third of all foreign sales.

Other significant players included the Netherlands (4,166), Poland (2,768), China (2,575), Belgium (2,908) and Ukraine (2,165), reflecting the wide spread of international demand for Spanish property.

Winners and losers

The standout growth came from Portugal (+24%), the Netherlands (+19%) and the United States (+15%), all showing double-digit gains helped by lifestyle migration trends and strong

Spainmayreimbursethousandsof foreignersas Brusselsgoesafter‘discriminatory’secondhometax

By Walter Finch

Spain have to pay tax every year as if they were earning rent from it, even if it sits empty.

The amount is based on 2% of the property’s official rateable value –known in Spain as the cadastral value. Spaniards who live in their own homes don’t pay this tax.

The Commission argues this unequal treatment violates EU law guaranteeing the free movement of capital within the bloc.

By forcing non-residents to pay more, Spain creates an unjustified barrier to cross-border investment.

The country is also unfairly taxing capital gains.

When Spanish residents sell property or other assets and agree to be

Foreign buyers surge in early 2025 — but slowdown might be on the way

paid in instalments, they are allowed to defer their tax payments – paying progressively as the money arrives.

Non-residents, however, must pay the full amount immediately at the time of sale, even if the payment is spread over years.

The Commission says that difference gives residents a cash-flow advantage and leaves non-residents at a financial disadvantage, again breaching EU law.

Spain has had years of warnings.

The Commission first raised the issue in 2021 with a formal letter, followed by a detailed ‘reasoned opinion’ in 2024.

If the EC is successful lawyers argue that any such ruling against Spain could also open the door to retrospective claims.

currencies against the euro.

By contrast, Russia (-17%), Poland (-11%), and Argentina (-7%) were the biggest fallers, while Belgium (-5.5%) and the Nordic countries (Sweden and Norway, both around -2.4%) also softened. Even the once-dominant UK market declined by -2.3%, extending a slow slide that began after Brexit.

A maturing cycle

The overall picture is one of resilient but stabilising foreign demand.

After years of rapid post-pandemic growth, the market now looks to be entering a more mature phase, with steady sales volumes but slower momentum in some traditional source markets.

Early signs of a slowdown

However, the notary data only covers the first half of the year. More recent figures from the Housing Ministry – which provide a quarterly breakdown – suggest the market may already be cooling. While foreign demand was marginally higher overall in H1, foreign sales fell 6% in Q2, driven by a 14% drop in purchases by foreign non-residents buying second homes.

That’s quite a slump in sales after a strong period of growth.

In short, Spain’s foreign-buyer boom rolled on through the first half of 2025 — but the latest data hint that the tide may now be turning.

Blink and they’re gone

THE Costa del Sol's red-hot property market shows no signs of cooling, with nearly one in five homes snapped up in less than a week.

Malaga province recorded 19% of properties sold within just seven days during the third quarter of 2025. One of Spain’s fastest-moving markets, the figure represents a leap from 15% the previous year.

The so-called ‘express sales’ put the Costa del Sol well above the national average of 13%, and ahead of major cities including Barcelona at 15% and even Palma at just 12%.

Madrid nearly matched Malaga's pace at 18%, while only Avila and Granada recorded higher rates at 28% and 24% respectively.

Nationwide one in eight homes are sold within a week, while another 21% take between one week and a month to find buyers.

Just 8% of properties remained on the market for over a year, according to the research by Idealista.

The number of express sales nationwide is the same as last, which stood at 13%. Coastal cities, including Valencia, Bilbao and San Sebastian all recorded 17% express sales, while Sevilla registered 16%.

Some of the fastest sales are in the inland cities of Teruel at 18% and Segovia at 22%.

By province, Granada topped the national rankings with 23% express sales, followed by Segovia and Avila at 19% each. Madrid, Navarra and Cantabria all recorded 17%.

COUNCIL CARE

NEARLY

300 council houses have been recovered by the Junta in Malaga after they were taken over and converted into squats or drug dens.

The Andalucian Housing and Rehabilitation Agency (AVRA) says it has reclaimed 288 publicly owned properties since 2019, many of which had been boarded up, damaged or converted into safe houses for criminal activity.

More than half of the recovered homes - 157 in total - are located in Malaga city.

One block in Llano de la Trinidad has now been refurbished at a cost of €500,000, returning 18 flats to the local council. Another block on Calle Canoa underwent a similar process.

Officials said some interventions required police raids to dismantle drug operations and remove criminal groups.

One building was even used by a jihadist cell, according to Patricia Navarro, the Junta’s delegate in Malaga. “They used these homes to commit crimes and run fraudulent businesses,” she said. “Every time a council home is misused, we are denying it to a family who needs it.”

Once recovered, the flats are repaired, inspected, and reallocated to people on the social housing waiting list, including low-income households, single parents and vulnerable residents.

To prevent further takeovers, the Junta has launched a €7.7 million inspection plan to regularly monitor all public housing stock across Andalucia.

In Malaga province alone, AVRA manages 7,290 public homes.

29thDecember 12th 2023

SCI-FI SKYLINE TURNS 25

Santiago Calatrava’s futuristic City of Arts and Sciences – once mocked as a white elephant – celebrates its silver anniversary as a magnet for tourists, culture lovers and luxury homebuyers

VALENCIA’s futuristic City of Arts and Sciences is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Museo de les Ciencies – and it’s still one of Europe’s most jaw-dropping feats of modern design.

The gleaming white complex, which has become the city’s most recognisable landmark, was dreamt up by local architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, with Mexican-Spanish designer Felix Candela helping shape its spectacular curves.

Built on the dry riverbed of the old Turia, the space-age project was meant to catapult Valencia into the new millennium – and it did, albeit with a price tag that rocketed to an eye-watering €1.2 billion.

Opened in stages from 1998, the sprawling site includes the Museu de les Ciencies, the ocean-themed L’Oceanografic, the opera-house-meets-spaceship Palau de les Arts, and the huge IMAX dome of the Hemisferic.

Together, they’ve turned this once-deserted stretch of riverbank into a global magnet for tourists, film crews and, increasingly, high-end property

buyers keen to live near Valencia’s most photogenic postcode.

When it first opened, critics accused the complex of being a white-elephant vanity project.

But time has been kind. Today, the City of Arts and Sciences is the pride of Valencia – a futuristic playground where culture, architecture and science collide.

Its Museu de les Ciencies, shaped like the skeleton of a whale, remains the star attraction, packed with hands-on experiments, VR adventures and dazzling new exhibitions including Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius to mark the anniversary. It’s little wonder the complex was no-

minated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe architecture prize in 2001 and continues to appear in design magazines worldwide. Its shimmering pools, soaring bridges and sweeping concrete fins have become a magnet for luxury development – with nearby apartments now fetching premium prices thanks to those cinematic views.

This year’s anniversary celebrations bring everything from family science shows to space-themed films and Renaissance art in motion. But the real wonder is how Calatrava’s vision – equal parts cathedral, spaceship and sculpture – has stood the test of time.

Twenty-five years on, Valencia’s once-controversial science city has become a triumph of imagination and ambition – proof that daring design can transform not just a skyline, but an entire city’s identity.

IMPRESSIVE: Calatrava’s designs have stood the test of time

INSIDE: Is just as impressive as out!

this! Picture

JUST outside Marbella sits a mega mansion that boasts the only swimming pool with a grand master’s artwork at the bottom.

The work by local lad Pablo Picasso (below) graces the amazing pool that sits just metres from the famous beach at Puerto Banus.

Once the home of celebrated flamenco dancer Antonio ‘el Bailarin’, El Martinete, is a luxurious property with a storied history.

Now you can rent it cool €15,000 a night if you’re feeling flush, and that’s with a minimum three-night stay.

But either way, it’s an impressive tale that begins in 1961

Rent this villa that boasts the only pool in the world with a unique artwork by Spanish grand master Pablo

By Rachel Gore

when handsome Bailarin did a turn at Picasso’s 80th birthday.

So inspired was the artist, born up the road in Malaga city, that he was inspired to sketch the dancer and wrote next to it, ‘Para Antonio.

29/10/61’.

Picasso

WINNING AGAIN: ARE TENS OF

IT was yet another giant victory over the banks for Marbella lawyer Diego Echavarria in the courts this month.

Handing his clients a €16,000 cheque in their battle against Sabadell bank was ‘yet another proud moment’ for the bilingual brief.

The Madrid-born boss of Fairway Lawyers won Peter Cooper, from Fuengirola, the healthy sum in a one-off payment.

“He got it after we found that he had a floor clause inserted into the mortgage he needed to buy a property in 2005.

“He had literally no idea that for many years the rate never went below 3%, even when interest rates dropped to nearly zero.

“To say he was overjoyed with the payout is an understatement.

The key points

● Was your mortgage acquired between 2000 and 2010?

● Payments were the same amount for often many years.

● Despite paying off the mortgage and even selling up you can still claim

● There is no deadline since the latest ruling from TJUE (Tribunal de Justicia de La Union Europea)

● Fairway Lawyers acts on a No Win, No Fee basis

“It was a giant gift for his family, who are planning a big holiday this Christmas and a new car.” The battle against Sabadell came after the British family took on Fairway Lawyers in a ‘no win, no fee’ deal three years ago. While it wasn’t a quick process, Diego admits, it is just a matter of doing things by the letter of the law.

Popular lawyer beats Banco Sander again and believes there are thousands still owed big bucks, plus compensation over shameful ‘floor clause’ mortgages

“You just need to be diligent and cross the t’s and dot the i’s,” he explains.

Having taken on and won over three dozen cases over the last decade, he has become probably Spain’s number one legal specialist on the so-called ‘Floor clause scandal’.

The scandal stems back over two decades when many Spanish lenders secretly insert ed a clause in their clients’ contracts that ensured interest rates could not drop below 3.5% or 3%.

This was called the ‘floor clause’ and when for a decade, between 2011 and 2021, the interest rates in Spain sat at a record low, between 0% and 1%, they did not benefit.

It meant hundreds of thousands of peo ple spent years paying usually hundreds of euros more per month above what they should have paid.

Diego (right) estimates that tens of thousands of home owners - over half of them British - could be owed €50,000 or more in compen sation.

It wasn’t until many years later that Antonio took that very drawing only piece of Picasso’s work that is submerged in water.

This pool is, however, only the beginning. Over the years, Antonio opened up his home to Hollywood stars, dukes and duchesses, and a stream of glittering celebrities.

Without a doubt, Antonio’s influence contributed to Marbella’s association with prestiand had it permanently silkscreened onto the tiles of the outdoor pool at his Marbella property… and to this day, it is the

THOUSANDS OWED TO YOU?

“The average is likely a little lower, but whatever happens they are owed money and with interest on top,” he explains this

“It was a really shocking abuse of legitimate trusting clients and the banks were very crafty,” he adds.

“I have spent years exposing these hidden clauses inserted into their mortgages.

“And there are around 100,000 mis-sold mortgages that have yet to be resolved in Spain.”

He explains that most banks, including La Caixa, Sabadell and Banco Popular, used such clauses.

“And it will only take me a few minutes to work out what you have paid and what you are owed today,” he continues.

Over the last year he has had a series of payments, including one for €21,075, plus legal costs, in Mijas, and another for €48,359 for a British family, the Brighouses in Estepona. In one urbanisation in the Malaga resort, Mirador de Costalita, he has four happy clients alone.

The huge golf lover, who named his firm after the sport, added: “It always involves lots of legal letters being sent and it’s a bit of a game, to be honest.

“Luckily I know all the tricks and how the banks try and slow things down.”

He currently has ‘over 100 clients’ he is working with around Spain, most of them expats, who became victims, but also some Spanish buyers.

“I am handling cases all over the country and travel around the place all the time” he adds.

If you want to claim for a mis-sold mortgage - NO WIN, NO FEE - or feel you may have been affected, contact diego@fairwaylawyers.com or send a message via Whatsapp to +34 606

FRONT LINE: The spacious property has a huge garden and indoor pool

ge and fame as he hosted eccentric parties with numerous A-list attendees.

Now available as an exclusive rental, El Martinete offers guests the chance to walk the same marble floors and peer through the same arched windows as its illustrious former guests.

Guests - who must book for a

minimum of a week in summer

- spend tens of thousands for a taste of timeless luxury where classic style mixes with modern luxury in an enclosed private compound with a gate with direct beach access.

With a sun-drenched raised terrace, marble fire -

places, stone polished floors, and a dining room with columned archways, the property seamlessly flows from indoor to outdoor living.

Guests can stay in one of the main villa’s six bedrooms, or one of four others located in two guest houses on the property.

These main house rooms are lavish suites that feature dressing rooms and en suites –some even have their own terraces and seating areas. A lift descends below the villa and into the property’s spa - a sanctuary complete with a sauna, treatment rooms, a fitness space and an indoor pool.

On call 24/7, a concierge team caters to every guest request - from private chefs to security, childcare and curated events.

The villa even boasts its own wines which are produced especially for the property in the Province of Salamanca.

The villa’s expansive gardens make it a dream setting for weddings, parties and intimate gatherings while its interior can act as a place to host grand galas and receptions.

At El Martinete, each room carries a story that guests can step into - but only if they have tens of thousands of euros in their pockets.

For more information visit www.elmartinetevilla.com

Offering you help, support and advice during your search, through the buying process and personal after sales services.

We have a wide range of properties to interest our clients, from small village houses to large country fincas or cortijos.

(+34) 669 249 539

SKETCHY: But that’s the Picasso design in the pool of Antonio El Bailarin (below)

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

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SPICE UP YOUR WEEKLY SHOP

From Mallorca’s brutalist concrete bunker to Venice's frescoed masterpiece, where buying your groceries feels more like visiting an art gallery

Will grow to dominate The Commons in Bangkok

TOKYO’S SLIM RED TREASURE

In the heart of Tokyo sits Yagicho-Honten, a dried-food grocery store with a 280-year history of selling essentials for Japanese cuisine.

The store occupies the ground floor of a slim, nine-storey office block designed in the late 1970s, and it’s just 3.65 metres wide.

Tokyo-based Schemata Architects recently renovated the space, painting all fixtures and fittings the same vibrant red as the building’s façade.

Wooden display boxes, painted the same shade and stacked to resemble a bustling marketplace, create a dynamic, immersive shopping environment.

At the centre sits a cash-counter island that doubles as a demonstration kitchen. The design encourages a ‘non-hierarchical communication between hosts and guests’, according to the architects.

By Dilip Kuner

THINK all supermarkets look the same? Think again. Across the globe, a handful of architects are turning the humble weekly shop into something extraordinary – part art installation, part social experiment.

Whether it’s Mallorca’s brutalist bunker, Tokyo’s tiny red treasure,

Estonia’s boulder-bound store, Bangkok’s green markets or Venice’s frescoed wonder, these supermarkets prove that architecture can turn even the most mundane chore into a moment of wonder.

Next time you’re trundling down the fluorescent aisles of your local chain, remember: somewhere out there, someone’s doing their food shop under a ceiling of recycled crates, beside a 280-year-old dried-food shop, or beneath a frescoed ceiling – and loving every minute of it.

BANGKOK GOES GREEN

In Bangkok, supermarkets are sprouting new life – literally. Across the Thai capital, architects are embracing vertical gardens and living façades, integrating hydroponic farming with shopping.

One striking example is The Commons, in Thonglor… not a supermar-

ket per se, but a community market where lush greenery wraps the façade and herbs grow beside the café counters. It’s part of a growing trend across Southeast Asia to make urban retail spaces greener, cleaner and more sustainable.

VEGETATION:

MALLORCA’S BRUTALIST MASTERPIECE

Mallorca’s Voramar Supermarket is shaking up the grocery game in Pollensa. Designed by homegrown design firm Minimal Studio, the project – nicknamed Plastic Box – looks more like a modern art museum than a place to grab milk and tomatoes. The building’s stark concrete shell and dark portals give off serious Bond-villain

energy, while the ceiling inside is made from more than a thousand recycled plastic crates, filtering the sunlight into geometric shadows that shift through the day.

The project won Gold at this year’s Japan International Design Pioneer Awards, and it’s easy to see why. It’s not just a cool space – it’s a clever critique of con-

A SUPERMARKET BUILT AROUND A BOULDER

sumer culture. The crates, once symbols of mass consumption, now form the heart of an eco-friendly ventilation and rainwater system.

“We wanted to expose what’s usually hidden,”explains a spokesman. “It’s raw, honest architecture – but with a conscience.”

In Haabneeme, Estonia, supermarket Viimsi refused to blast through a huge rock sitting in its foundations – and simply built around it. Discovered during foundation work in 2014, this 22-metre-wide erratic rock, that was left there when glaciers retreated in the last Ice Age, was almost destroyed until locals rallied to protect it. So the developers built the shop around it, honouring its place in the land and the community.

Shoppers at this quirky store now pick up groceries beside a towering natural boulder, a surreal reminder of the landscape just outside. It’s a practical decision turned design statement – and a magnet for curious tourists who want to see ‘the shop with the rock’.

Continues on next page

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SHOPPING CULTURE: A trip to the Spar in Venice is about more than just groceries

Losing their stripes

Architects are rising up against Spain's new trend of zebra housing blocks - sometimes described as 'fast food' homes

By Rachel Gore

THE jury is out on a wave of black and white striped buildings spreading around Spain.

While some find the blocks pleasing on the eye, a number of architects are dubbing them ‘fast food homes’.

Known colloquially as ‘zebra housing blocks’, they are popping up all over the country, from working class barrios to upmarket areas.

The striking properties are characterised by horizontal stripes, dark glass panels and both polymer and glass-reinforced concrete.

The backlash has spawned a series of social media pages, where they are described as ‘repetitive eyesores’ constructed rapidly and ‘feature a one-size-fitsall design’.

They also add they are unsustainable, neither climate-friendly, nor built with lo -

cal materials.

“They are all about efficiency and boil down to a lack of architecture,” claim the group at bloque_cebra on Instagram

A number of developers have defended the blocks, insisting they are a solution to high-rise housing demands, since they are built quickly and efficiently.

So far they have been built in Malaga, Bilbao, Madrid, Valencia and Pamplona with the Council of Architectural Associations ruling their extensive spread could be harmful.

The council prefers that architecture should ‘adapt to the environment’.

This zebra style harks back to the 1960s and 1970s when they went up to house migrants.

While tied to local communities, the modern-day blocks are often ‘hyper-private’, complain architects.

Most feature exclusive paddle tennis courts and swimming pools that can only be used by residents.

SPROUTING UP: All over Spain including Bilbao (here)

COMING SOUTH: The zebra blocks are now in Valencia and Malaga (here)

Bed and brilliant!

Boutique hotel for sale in Cadaques is one of only two of its kind

DEMAND for hotel rooms in Cadaques is almost as high as a painting by former resident Salvador Dalí.

So it’s incredibly rare for a hotel to come up for sale.

With proportional demand for hotel beds in summer beating Roses, Begur and every other destination on the Costa Bra-

va, it’s a guaranteed money spinner.

Cadaqués’ only problem is that supply can’t catch up.

Official data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute show that in August 2023, Cadaqués recorded 33,508 hotel stays with barely 1,182 beds available.

That isn’t counting AirBnb stays.

But with Spain’s government beginning

the removal of 65,000 illegal holiday rentals in Spain, those hotel beds in Cadaques are about to get very rare.

And you know what’s rarer still?

The boutique hotel for sale in

Cadaqués named “Mas dels Arbres”. It’s one of two of its kind in a 25km radius surrounding the town that National Geographic named the ‘most beautiful in the world’ in March 2025.

Cadaqués,Spain’s“best keptsecret”

Cadaques has been heaped with praise this year.

First, The Times called it the 2nd-best destination in Spain for an autumn break. Then, the New York Times placed an image of Cadaques’ beachfront and whitewashed buildings atop its Costa Brava hotel guide. Most recently, Condé Nast Traveller named Cadaques Spain’s “best kept secret” in September 2025.

Of course, none of these got there first.

Salvador Dali was the first to call Cadaques – with the world-famous Salvador Dali House Museum – the ‘most beautiful place in the world’.

A few decades later, the El Bulli restaurant was #1 on The World’s Best 50 Restaurants list five times, and brought 3 million restaurant reservations a year to Ca-

Pals is now for sale – priced at €11 million.

This 17th-century masia turned luxury estate sprawls across eight hectares of woodland and meadows, offering 30 rooms, two pools, a spa, tennis court and even a helipad. Hidden in the Quermany Natural Park, it’s a ready-made resort blending rustic Catalan charm with five-star indulgence.

Vineyards & Vows

Raise a glass to this 12th-century Catalan masia-hotel near Barcelona.

Mas Cabellut is a luxury retreat named ‘Spain’s best vineyard wedding venue’ where vines, olives and weddings grow side by side.

Set on 30 private hectares with five under

vineyards and two of olive groves, it boasts seven suites, 18 bathrooms, a pool, amphitheatre and Mediterranean gardens - and costs ‘over €10 million’. Restored to perfection, it runs as a profitable hospitality and events business – and has hosted everyone from NFL stars to Louis Vuitton models.

daques.

The town with a population of 2,918 could not accommodate them all.

But it’s Cadaques’ charm as an artsy fishing village with incredible food that continues to make it the “best” of many things high on the upmarket tourist’s list.

One of two of its kind

So what makes Mas dels Arbres so rare?

It’s a 17th-century farmhouse renovated in 2021 into a boutique hotel with a rural hotel licence.

It still has hooks outside its doors for farmers to hang a torch.

But that’s not what makes it rare.

A rural hotel licence is not like a regular hotel license.

This Turisme Rural licence lets hotel owners use a range of business models. For example, unlike an urban hotel, you can operate on a per-room basis and rent out the entire building.

You operate as a short-term boutique hotel, a wedding venue, a retreat centre and a private residence – all at the same time.

And that’s exactly what Mas dels Arbres does.

One week, it’s hosting a retreat by a world-leading Dubai-based psychologist.

The next week, it rents out its two suites and three rooms for prices starting from €360 a night, according to a local property rental portal.

Imagine the potential.

A boutique hotel. A 15-minute drive from Spain’s ‘best-kept secret’. And it doesn’t need peak-summer day tourists to turn a profit.

Mas dels Arbres is one of two boutique hotels with a rural tourism license in any of Cadaques and its neighbouring three towns.

It’s a rare opportunity for investors. Stringent regulations in the Cadaques area mean another boutique hotel with a rural license won’t be seen for decades.

Won’t be seen for a ‘generation’

There’s another thing about boutique hotels for sale with a rural licence.

Put it this way.

You won’t find another one this close to Cadaques for a ‘generation’, according to Cottage Properties co-director, Angels Sabater Anell.

“Mas dels Arbres is inside the Cap de Creus Natural Park, which surrounds Cadaqués and is one of the most protected landscapes in Catalunya,” she told the Olive Press.

“Securing a rural tourism licence here is impossible. You have to meet requirements covering everything from environmental integration, architectural preservation, energy efficiency and accessibility standards.”

She said her real estate agency, Cottage Properties, not only sells Catalan farmhouses but also restores them. Their rehabilitation of Mas dels Arbres was so true to regulations it featured on Spain’s Canal Decasa television channel as an example of authentic restoration.

For example, on the property’s listing page, we learn the property is fully self-sufficient with a solar energy installation. It has its own well. Plus wheelchair access.

(It’s also connected to the national grid for backup power.)

Historical features were preserved during the restoration, such as dry stone walls, historic floor tiles, a private chapel and original arches.

The property preserved its olive grove with 40+ centennial trees, plus almond trees and apricot trees.

According to Ponç Feliu, the director of the Cap de Creus Natural Park: “I really think Mas des Arbres is the best farmhouse restoration in the Park so far.”

As a bonus, future owners can access public grants to plant the 100-hectare plot with traditional crops such as grape vines, or extend the olive grove to make olive oil.

Still Seeking Its Knight

Perched above the Baix Emporda, the 12th-century Castell de Foixa is still waiting for the right investor to claim its crown - for a cool €10

million.

This 2,000 m² fortress –lovingly restored over 15 years – blends medieval grandeur with modern comfort: vaulted halls, a chapel, library, eight bedrooms and sweeping

views from its

and

a

a

and

The Times’ Choice

Once hailed by The Times as one of the top 14 hotels on the Costa Brava, Mas Salvi in

Castell de Foixà

Mas Salvi

Mas Cabellut

tower.

With gardens,

pool

guest quarters, it’s

ready-made luxury hideaway steeped in history

romance, just an hour from Girona’s coast.

FROM MALIBU TO MORAIRA

Meet the Netflix property

tycoon who’s betting big on the Costa Blanca

MAURICIO Umansky can be forgiven for checking his phone a lot. Before sitting down with the Olive Press in Moraira, the Los Angeles property mogul has been closing a ‘multi-million-dollar’ deal back across the pond.

A client wanted to buy a home in Aspen, offload two houses in Miami and California, and then purchase one in Texas.

All in a single phone call.

It is this high-octane lifestyle that turned Umansky into the global face of luxury real estate –and a Netflix star to boot.

Just as The Agency Costa Blanca North was opening its doors in January 2024, season two of Buying Beverly Hills was about to launch. It’s enticing stuff: with one episode covering the sale of a $28 million mansion, another a peek around an NBA stars’ home.

Married for nearly three decades to actress and television personality Kyle Richards –known for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and as the aunt of Paris Hilton – Mauricio has built an empire grounded in family, authenticity, and ambition.

Three of his daughters – Farrah Brittany, Alexia Umansky, and Sophia Umansky – have followed in his footsteps, working within the business closing $12.4 billion in sales each year. And this relentless drive to grow The Agency’s empire is what brought Umansky to the Costa Blanca on a sun-splashed autumn day.

Something about the Costa Blanca reminds him of Aspen – the world’s most expensive ski resort.

And that, he says, holds the secret to his next big venture.

By Joshua Parfitt

‘Bullish’ on the Costa Blanca

To understand Mauricio Umansky, you have to roll the clock back 24 years.

It was during the recession of 1991–92 that Umansky walked away from his father’s textile business to take a gamble on California’s high-stakes property market.

His first sale was a modest $700,000 home.

His second closed at $6 million.

Within a few years, he had become the top-selling real-estate agent in California – and the third in the United States.

Following a high-profile split from Hilton & Hyland, he co-founded The Agency in 2011.

You can see a theme here.

Just as the global economy began bouncing

back from the COVID-19 downturn, Umansky was already plotting his next business expansion across the Atlantic.

The Agency’s Spanish footprint began in Port d’Andratx in Mallorca, then followed Marbella

In January 2024, the Costa Blanca North office in Moraira became the third European outpost.

“I think there’s great potential in Spain,” Umansky tells the Olive Press. The Agency now has six offices in Spain.

“The value for money is incredible compared to other luxury markets. I’ve just been at a villa today, right on the beach in the town, that you can purchase for just over five million.

“I haven’t seen many properties in the world with that much frontage on such a beautiful, beautiful ocean.”

With low interest rates and steady demand for luxury homes in enclaves like Moraira, Xàbia and Altea, he says he’s ‘bullish’ about the Costa Blanca.

Then comes the comparison that makes property insiders lean in.

“Aspen is its own little micro-climate,” he explains, referring to the Colorado ski haven that tops global charts for prime-real-estate values.

Even when the wider market slows, Aspen keeps moving, because the people who buy there always buy.

It’s a comparison he doesn’t make lightly.

The Costa Blanca, he believes, has that same enduring allure of limited space, international appeal, and a market that shrugs off trends.

Of course, The Agency isn’t the first luxury brokerage to spot opportunity along this coast, where Moraira regularly posts the highest land values in the Valencian Community.

Others have come before.

But Umansky insists his company holds a few secrets that give them an edge.

Innovations, he hints, that could soon change the way Europe’s most exclusive properties are bought and sold.

Secrets of success

Keen-eyed readers will have seen the trump card Mauricio Umansky holds over competitors.

If not, I’ll let Alistair Barton, Managing Partner at The Agency Costa Blanca North, spell it out.

“Most estate agencies hate it when somebody walks into the office and says, ‘We’re interested in Moraira, but we’re also looking at the Costa del Sol or even Portugal.

“For us at The Agency, that’s fantastic.”

Barton explains how the company’s global network has already allowed him to sell homes to clients based in Canada and then, from his desk in Moraira, assist with transactions in Mexico, Portugal the Netherlands, and Florida.

The result, he says, is a client-focused service that keeps people coming back.

Unlike traditional agencies that treat each sale as a one-off transaction, The Agency builds

‘long-term relationships’ that span continents –and years.

“Already, I have the phone ringing constantly with valuation requests,” Barton adds.

“And within the nearly two years we’ve been open, we’ve already had buyers come back and give us other properties to sell. I’d say we’ve reached about a 50–50 seller and buyer split in our client base.”

Across the table, Umansky glances up from his phone.

“I just checked last night,” he says, grinning.

“Globally, sellers make up 50.6% of The Agency’s client base.”

It’s a staggering statistic – especially at a time when the Bank of Spain estimates a national shortfall of around 400,000 to 450,000 homes, and estate agencies are scrambling for homes to sell.

But that strength is about to become something even more powerful.

At several points in the interview, Umansky and Barton refer to a new ‘tech system’ quietly being developed within The Agency.

Umansky predicts it will cause what he calls “a disruption” in how high-end property is bought and sold.

“We’re the leaders now.”

And with that, the man who’s conquered Beverly Hills hints how his next real estate revolution is about to unfold, ri-

ght here on the Costa Blanca.

PROFESSIONALS: Mauricio (left) with Managing Partners Leonie ter Brugge and Alistair Barton

HIT: Mauricio, with fellow Netfix stars (above left), has recently been on the Costa Blanca

A family-run business, since 1970, offering the full range of traditional agency services

30 highly skilled professionals speaking 14 languages

Two prestigious offices on Marbella’s Golden Mile

Highest qualifications, regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

952 822 111 info@panorama.es panorama.es

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

At the limit

BARCELONA City Council has voted to cut the number of tourists visiting Park Guell (above) by half a million a year from 2027.

The new limit will reduce annual visitors from 4.5 million to 4 million – an 11% daily drop, or 1,365 fewer people each day.

The measure, proposed by the left-wing ERC party and backed by the ruling socialists, aims to protect the UNESCO-listed site and ease pressure on nearby neighbourhoods such as Gracia and Horta-Guinardo. The move follows growing anger over mass tourism in the Catalan capital, where 32 million people visit annually. It comes after the mayor announced a 2028 ban on tourist rentals and a rise in tourist tax to tackle soaring housing costs and preserve local life.

A THRILLING new walkway through Ronda’s dramatic Tajo Gorge will open early next year, giving visitors the chance to walk 100 metres below the iconic Puente Nuevo bridge.

Built by the same team behind the famous Caminito del Rey in El Chorro, the 500-metre wooden path will wind three metres above the Guadalevin River, offering views of cliffs carved more than 65 million years ago.

The new section will complete the Garganta del Tajo trail, which drew 200,000 visitors in its first year. Highlights include crossing beneath the Puente Nuevo bridge and passing La Mina, a 14th-century hydraulic tunnel once used for defence.

View from below

SEEING DOUBLE

GOURMANDS in Marbella could be forgiven for thinking they were seeing double. Yes, there really are two restaurants with the identical name, La Petite Maison. The favourite Côte d’Azur eaterie of Elton John, Bono and Madonna opened two new sister joints on the Costa del Sol around the

But ‘bad faith’ means that one of two La Petite Maison restaurants in Marbella must shut

same time – one in the grounds of the Golden Mile’s Boho Club, the other at the five-star Puente Romano resort.

The problem is… only one of them is legal.

After a two-year licence battle that ended in Madrid’s Audiencia Provincial Court, founder Nicole Rubi has retained the rights to the name, proving the trademark is hers in Spain.

Her original Nice restaurant, opened in 1987, has long been a haunt of the rich and famous. With its simple Provençal menu and rustic charm, it became the go-to

EXCLUSIVE

By Jon Clarke

bistro for foodies in the know.

“It’s one of my favourite restaurants,” Puente Romano owner Daniel Shamoon told the Olive Press. “So I was delighted when the Rubi family gave us the opportunity to open a sister joint in Marbella. We signed the deal in 2023, but had to postpone opening until the outcome of the court case.”

That verdict arrived on September 25, with the court ruling that the Boho Club’s trademark was registered in ‘bad faith’. Judges traced the dispute to 2007, when the Rubi family granted rights to UK restaurateur Arjun Waney’s Azur Limited, which was licensed to open restaurants worldwide until 2022.

However, no Spanish venue was launched, and just nine months before the licence expired, Azur applied for a new international registration via a Dubai company.

The Spanish Patent Office –and now the Madrid court –agreed this was an attempt to keep control of the brand.

Costs

The Rubi family can now move ahead with Puente Romano, while Azur’s Dubai holding must pay legal costs.

A spokesperson of LPM (La Petit Maison’s holding company at Boho Club), claimed that the trademark proceedings have ‘not reached final conclusion yet’.

She added the hotel had ‘valid registered trademarks’.

“The decision has been appealed, and the trademarks are still active under our company,” she said. “The proceedings have not yet reached a final conclusion.”

QUEUE QUANDARY

CONFUSION continues to reign at Spain’s airports over which queue British residents should use as the EU’s new digital border system, the Entry/Exit System (EES), begins rolling out.

Many expats have reported being unsure whether to join the EU lane – as legal residents of Spain – or the non-EU queue, which is now controlled by biometric EES kiosks.

The Olive Press asked Spain’s Interior Ministry to clarify the rule.

Passport

Officials confirmed that British passport holders with a TIE residency card must use the queue for the EES system, meaning they should join the non-EU or ‘third-country nationals’ queue when arriving in or leaving Spain.

However, with a valid Spanish residence card (TIE), they will not be treated as tourists and won’t be subject to the 90-day stay limit that applies to non-residents.

In practice, this means travellers should present both their passport and TIE when passing through border control.

The Interior Ministry’s clarification comes as Spain gradually introduces the EES at its major airports, starting with Madrid first and then followed by Malaga, which became operational on October 20. Alicante and Barcelona followed on October 27.

FAVE: Elton John with staff at La Petite Maison in Nice

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

DON’T PASS ON PORTO

But you must also head inland up the wonderful River Douro to explore what has been described as the ‘Most Beautiful wine region in the world’

ABy Jon Clarke

GLASS of chilled Alvarinho on the terrace of the landmark Yeatman hotel was the reward of an adventure that spanned some of the wildest, most alluring scenery of inland Portugal.

And after half a day’s sightseeing over the cobbled streets of historic Porto, we were certainly ready for an aperitif before lunch.

We could have been sipping the city’s famed sweet wine, but somehow the 2016 Milagres Alvarinho – from the nearby Vinho Verde region – seemed more appropriate at this time of day; its flinty, yet honeyed consistency matching the scenery that unfolded out in front of us.

A magical perch high above the south bank of the city, from Dick’s Bar you watch the world drift down the famous Douro river that begins as the Duero some 900 kms east in Soria, in Spain’s upland Castilla y Leon.

This is pole position, in particular to appreciate the amazing feat of engineering that Gustave Eiffel sprinkled on the city in the 19th century with his impressive Maria Pia bridge.

We are actually sitting in Vila Nova de Gaia, which is the traditional business end of Porto, an industrial zone across the river steeped in the history of winemaking and not dissimilar to Jerez or Bordeaux.

It is an intriguing barrio to explore, in particular to see how many of its ancient bodegas, known locally as ‘lodges’, have been converted into

apartments and shops, as well as what is, certainly, one of the world’s best wine museums.

The WOW, World of Wine is a fascinating look at Portugal’s drinks industry with films, exhibits and plenty of practical information. It is fun and eye-opening in equal measures with plenty of interactive content for kids.

Opening five years ago it has completely transformed this part of the city thanks to a giant 105 million euro investment from the Fladgate partnership, the company behind the aforementioned five star hotel the Yeatman. There are four separate museums here, including a fascinating cork one, a tribute to the important industry to Portugal, as well as a chocolate one and plenty of space for temporary exhibitions, a wine school, shop and restaurants.

But while the city’s wines may define this ancient city, they go nowhere near doing it justice. Porto, known locally as Oporto, is indeed, a lot more than its sometimes rather cloying, oversweet vino.

A grand, yet easily manageable metropolis that spans one of Europe’s most famous rivers, it is hilly and historic, and civilised and rough-roundthe-edges in equal proportions. Its geography beside the swift moving Douro river, as it approaches the sea conjures up a mesmerising possibility of walks and scenery that combine both urban chic and seaside vistas. Portugal’s second largest metropolitan area with 1.8 million people, it dates back to before the Romans when Celts and Phoenicians traded here and its historic core was declared

The history of the

a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Above all, its people are urbane and hard-working (said to be the true grafters of Portugal), and take great pride and pleasure in offering up the best their city has to offer.

But the city would not be what it is without the inland region that helped make its name.

The Douro region is a must visit for anyone who’s interested in scenery, food and wine.

Into the Valley

It was in 1756 that the leading wine connoisseurs of the time decided to demarcate the borders of the Porto wine region.

The first regulated wine region in the world, they carefully drew up the boundaries of the inland Douro Valley ensuring the best vineyards got property recognised. A guarantee of quality, what they wouldn’t have known was they were protecting one of the most stunning areas in Europe for generations to come.

Nowadays also a World Heritage Site, this steep-sided valley is a tableau of vertiginous terraces interspliced with the odd stand of pine or olives.

The famous vineyards are best appreciated on a slow boat or gentle drive upriver, with a two or three night stay in Porto at one or both ends.

If money is no object then you must plan at least one night at Portugal’s most luxurious hotel, the Six Senses Douro, that has just celebrated its 10th anniversary (see review online)

Thankfully, there are a large number of historic bodegas and farmhouses - known as quintas - you can stay at that are rather cheaper than the €1,500 base rate for a room at Six Senses.

Many are well known names and also offer wine tastings to boot.

Top value is Quinta da Salada, where the owner, Rui, a member of the Douro tourist board, not only knows every nook & cranny of the region, but also makes his own wine. A little more Grand Cru is Vintage House Hotel in Pinhao, a sister of Porto’s Yeatman, with both owned by the celebrated Taylor’s brand, founded in 1692, and steeped in history.

You get a real sense of this sitting for lunch at its restaurant Rabelo, particularly with the 19th century Eiffel-designed bridge in the foreground and acres of vines as a backdrop.

Curiously, the Parisian engineer lived in the 1870s in nearby Barcenas from where he also designed the more famous railway bridge in central Porto. Perhaps he

RE-Purposed: The ancient wine ‘lodges’ have been turned into the new WOW wine museum, while (below) the past has been conserved

GRAND CRU: The Eiffel bridges in Porto and (right) in Pinhao, where lunch at Vintage House is a must

TRIBUTE:

world’s oldest demarcated wine region is explained well at WOW

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

preferred the sweet wines here over the Sauternes back home.

Under a shady pergola, we whiled away lunchtime watching the distinctive Chinese junk-shaped ‘rabelo’ boats bob up and down the rolling river ferrying as many tourists today as they once transported wine barrels.

Named after the boats, Rabelo is definitely one to watch, thanks to its up-andcoming chef Milton Ferreira, a local lad who conjures up genuine Harry Potter magic over the stove (see review next page).

There is not much to do in Pinhao, mind,

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STREET SCENES: While the architecture of down town Porto is fascinating

but do take a stroll up the river bank and sit and watch the world go by.

The drive between here and Peso da Regua is extraordinary. It’s a stunning stretch of river, which National Geographic recommends driving through and CNN recently described as perhaps the ‘world’s most beautiful wine region’.

We loved picking out the names of the famous Port houses that lined the road.

The likes of Sandeman and Croft among them.

The Douro region broadly runs along the

Continues on next page

BEAT THE RED TAPE

Law firm Buenaley offers legal assistance in several languages, including English, to obtain a NIE in as little as 10 days

ANIE is a unique identification number that is necessary for foreigners in Spain to complete administrative activities, such as work, study, or purchase property.

Buenaley’s online lawyers offer a comprehensive service that makes the process of obtaining a NIE uncomplicated. All clients need to do is indicate the reason they need the number – whether it is for work, study, or property purchase reasons – and then verify their identity by taking a picture of their passport or national ID and a selfie.

After the client’s identity has been verified, a specialised lawyer handles the case and begins the NIE application process.

In a maximum of 10 days Buenaley guarantees that clients will have received their NIE – recently they have obtained NIEs within a week.

As Buenaley optimises each part of the process, no intermediaries are needed and therefore they can offer a cheaper legal service – the company can get you a NIE for a fee of €279. This includes the notarisation and legalization of the authorisation required, payment of the official fee, submission of the corresponding form, and the appointment, which they will attend in person on behalf of the client, who won’t need to travel at any stage of the process. This convenient and secure process makes gaining a NIE straightforward. The company’s chartered lawyers inform their clients of progress and changes to applications and are contactable by email or Whatsapp should there be any questions.

Once Buenaley has secured an individual their NIE, the client can proceed to formalise their residency in Spain, whether by applying for a TIE card, or, in the case of EU citizens, obtaining the Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión Europea.

Grapes of paradise

river, which comprises 215 kilometres in Portugal, all of them navigable, with three key sections (Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior) running alongside it.

What makes the region, and wine, so unique is the schist rock soils, which, aside from being sparkly due to their minerals, retain heat during the day in summer, which it only later releases in winter. This is perfect for wine growing, particular in the Superior Corgo region that rises up to 900m in altitude.

What’s particularly interesting is the amount of grape varieties grown here (over 100) and almost every bottle being a blend of a few and some with as many as 20 varieties.

Aside from the WOW museum we were given a fascinating lecture on the region from Rui at Quinta da Salada, which is a 10 hectare vineyard with rows and rows of vines charging off in all direc

Drinking with the bomb!

THEY were among the most tender slices of beef I’ve ever tried.

Served up like chocolate drops, with a pinch of salt and a twist of pepper, the tataki melted in the mouth and left me literally weak at the knees. This was the highest grade of Japanese Kobe beef available, our host Agustin Polo assured us, explaining that it had a ‘Beef Marbling Standard’ or ‘BMP’ of 12, no less.

After heating them up with a hand-held burner, he quickly located the label which proved it, and even better, we discovered it came from a cow called ‘Hiroshima’ culled earlier this year.

By Jon Clarke

An authentic ‘bomba’ as the Spanish would say, the main issue was what on earth should you serve up to drink with it.

A simple question for a man, whose family have been buying and selling wines since 1982.

“You need something with plenty of strength to hold it,” explained Agustin, 49, who has been running El Cid Distribution since 2013.

A click of the fingers and out came a big beast called Ver sus Mare, made out of Syrah grapes from Condado de Huel va and with ‘a real hint of salty air,’ Agustin insisted.

The pairing was indeed perfect and we sat in silence for half a minute to take it all in.

We were trying a new wine pairing idea that El Cid is organizing at the family’s own vinoteca, La Tizona, in San Pedro Alcantara.

Mixing five wines with a similar number of dishes is the brainchild of Agustin, a former padel teacher who was eventually encouraged back into the fold to work for the family firm.

bought

tions.

In his wife’s family since 1842 when it was bought off the church, it is a simple place with just six rooms and a superb terrace to enjoy breakfast and the wines at night with a wonderful sunset.

For something more exclusive and an hour you won’t forget, you must arrange a wine tasting with Elisabeth Fernandes, the Wine Director of the Yeatman hotel downriver in Porto.

She is in charge of the largest collection of Portuguese wine in the world, with 1,400 references and over 30,000 bottles.

Set up as a ‘wine hotel’ this is fitting and insist she gives you a tour, where you will likely see around 10% of the wines that are drunk on a weekly basis.

“Our intention is to conserve and promote our local wines and 99% of all our references are from Portugal,” she tells me.

They have a total of 30 wine partners and many of them host a string of events, most with food throughout the year, including sunset parties and an exciting Christmas wine experience on December 6 & 7.

Having spent a year in Liver-

Distributor El Cid serves up 350 different wines for the Malaga region - and organizes a range of food pairings to try its most exclusive bottles at its Marbella vinoteca La Tizona

in 1980 (the first in San Pedro), El Cid started out from a little shop on its ground floor.

Growing little by little, particularly since re-launching in 2013, it now works with 350 individual references from 30 wineries in Spain and dozens from

This includes one of France’s leading champagne producers Nicolas Feuillatte, of which El Cid sells four different bottles, from the basic costing €40 up to the tete de , a nine-year-old vintage called Palmes d’Or at €215 a pop.

“We sell around 100 bottles of that a year and maybe 1,500 bottles of the basic one,” explains Agustin, who runs the business with his brother and sister and with 25 employees on top.

We try the entry level sparkler, alongside a mixture of anchovies, from Cantabria, and naturally, oysters, size 2, from France.

It’s a terrific start to a lovely lunch, which soon leads on to wine number

two; a Sauvignon Blanc, Cote des Roses, 2024, from the Langoudoc region of France.

This honeyed chestnut is the perfect balance to, easily, the dish of the day: a brioche with bluefin tuna ham, caviar and shavings of smoked butter on top. These two rich bites of heaven are hard to beat, with the tuna coming from just up the road in Barbate, Cadiz, where Agustin spends a lot of time, he tells us.

His firm has been one of the main distributors of Barbadillo wine from Sanlucar for many years and they also sell plenty of sherry. “But we get a lot of our food from Cadiz as well,” he continues.

It’s time to move on to a rose, but we are sadly not trying the ‘best in the world’ as Agustin claims, a €242 biodynamic bottle, also from the Langoudoc, called Clos du Temple, which he waves around in front of us.

However, its substitute, Gris Blanc (left), is El Cid’s most sold and is a very refreshing drink, chilled from the fridge and bristling with goodness.

For this pairing he insists we should try the tortilla Espanola, which quickly leads on to a discussion about the small Galician town of Betanzos, about an hour from Santiago de Compostela, where the world’s best tortillas are made. I’ve been there twice and we all agree, there really is no comparison anywhere else.

Our effort in La Tizona today is not a million miles off, saying that. Actually pre-

pared by a company in Galicia it comes fresh by the day and is merely warmed up in situ.

“We love experimenting with the best products we can,” explains Agustin (whose father and son are also called Agustin). “We were lucky to have acquired this restaurant during the COVID pandemic when everyone was on lockdown and stuck at home.”

While the pandemic had stopped his wine business in its tracks, slashing its annual turnover in half, things are really looking rosy again now.

“The restaurant is open all day and full of professionals and foodies,” he explains.

“And we are starting to cover the whole of Malaga now with lots of our wines.

“There is no doubt 2025 will be our best year for five and next year even better.” Keep serving up Kobe beef this good and I’m sure it will.

UNCORKED KNOWLEDGE: From the Yeatman’s Elizabeth

PERFECT: The view to Peso da Regua from the Six Senses Hotel

Taking its name from a hotel his father had

LUXURY: La Tizona dishes include oysters and brioche of bluefin tuna

CARE: Agustin heats up our tataki of Kobe beef

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

pool where she joined the Court of Master Sommeliers, Elisabeth has a razor sharp understanding of vintages and blends.

“We open around 90,000 bottles a year here, which is incredibly high, and we always have dozens of wines by the glass,” she continues.

Alongside British visionary Adrian Bridge, who joined the company in 1994 and married the daughter of the owner, they realised they needed to move beyond tradition.

“What we have tried to do with the hotel and the nearby WOW museum is to demystify port wine and make new lighter drinks for young people and teenagers to enjoy.”

Few thought the hotel, which opened in 2010, would be successful and equal numbers scoffed at WOW.

But the hotel has been doing really well (helped by the arrival of Ryanair and Easyjet from around 2014) and

WHERE TO EAT

Rabelo restaurant, Pinhao

HE picked up his skills working in New York, Brazil and Thailand and at, among other famous spots, three Michelin star joint, Arzak, in San Sebastian.

Now Milton Ferreira has 34 chefs under him, he explains, and intriguingly, his father is also a chef from India, who worked many years in Switzerland.

“For that reason I’ve got spice pouring out of my veins and love adding

WHERE TO STAY

The Yeatman, Porto

Built as a wine hotel this amazing spot has the best collection of wines in Portugal and the best views of Porto. www.the-yeatman-hotel.com

Vintage House Hotel, Pinhao

This historic gem sits in the heart of the Douro region right beside the river. www.vintagehousehotel.com

Quinta da Salada, Peso da Regua

A great budget option in the heart of the Unesco-protected Douro valley, this vineyard counts on six decent double rooms and a fabulous breakfast. Each guest gets a bottle of wine. Visit www.quintadasalada.com

Six Senses, Peso da Regua

If money’s no option, a stay in Portugal’s most expensive hotel will the luxury experience of a lifetime www. sixsenses.com

now it has its own two Michelin star restaurant, whose chef Ricardo Costa is one of the country’s most famous, since arriving ten years ago from nearby Aveiro.

Each of its 109 rooms is sponsored, designed and curated by a local wine producer, meaning each is individual, making guests feel special.

What was more special for me though, was to try a wine from the nearby Ba-

new touches to all the traditional Portuguese recipes from the area,” he tells me.

A true rising star his menu is unusually heavy on vegetables, with dishes like ‘different interpretations of beetroot’ which sent a shiver up my spine, long hating the rich red root.

I was however prepared to give his ‘Cauliflower in textures’ a whirl and it turned out to be a great mix of dishes, one in chick peas, olive oil and herbs that bowled me over.

Next up, his bacalao cod starter was so darn pretty and as good as you’ll get

DEMARCATION: The Douro region was carefully mapped and divided up by quality in 1756

HISTORY OF THE DOURO DENOMINATION

It was on September 10, 1756, that one of Portugal ‘s key historical figures, the Marques de Pombal, set up the so-called Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhos do Alto Douro.

Later renamed as the Real Companhia Velha - or Royal Oporto - it was blessed by the Portuguese royal family, but was run with an iron fist by the marques (below) himself. Its main goal was to ‘uphold the reputation’ of the Porto wines, and it crucially set a fixed price for the growers and shippers who worked in the It wanted to standardize quality and create a high, but not extortionate price, and effectively created a monopoly in the wine world and very much putting the Porto wines on a global stage.

irrada DO region recently becoming notable thanks to its extraordinary process of ageing and marketing.

That is the three-variety Principal, first blended in 2012 by celebrated French oenologist Pascal Chattonet (best known for his work in Bordeaux, including Latour).

Mixing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Touriga it has only just been released on the market after an extraor-

anywhere in the Iberian Peninsula.

A real textures man, his presentation is second to none and our mains came out in stunning colours: A Seabass in a bright green seaweed foam with caviar on top, asparagus and chard, and the most unusual stuffed cannelloni with saffron rice and Parmesan-style cheese from the Azores. Joyous. And then the ‘Bisaro’ pork cheek served in port wine with craftily created potato gratin, served on fava bean base was a major standout dish. I even enjoyed the beetroot and asparagus puree that came with. Of course the wine helped, with the splendid Pinot Noir Bella Elegance worth writing home about.

Castas y Pratos, Peso da Regua

This charming spot sits in a railway siding by the main train station - seductive lighting, great planting and right by the line. A true wine joint there are 700 references, most from the area…plus a good simple, but delicious menu.

dinary 13-year wait.

“It has been a huge success and has amazing ageing potential,” explains Elisabeth. “And when we recently did a blind tasting of the 2013 alongside Chateau Latour, the Principal won. It is going to be legend-

ary.”

Opened by Elisabeth for her boss to try earlier that day there was still three quarters left by my estimation… more than enough to take for dinner at the Yeatman’s second restaurant The Orangerie that night. “Yes of course,” Elisabeth trilled. “But let me cork it now and keep it somewhere cool.”

And suffice to stay it made an appearance under the stars, with Eiffel’s famous bridge lit up in front of us. And OK, maybe this wine may not be from the Douro and it may not be sweet, but, hey ho, who cares! And anyway, the night ended with one of the best creme brulee’s I’ve ever tasted, washed down appropriately with the most amazing 2007 Tawny port. Sweet dreams.

SPICE IN THE VEINS: Milton and his dishes at Rabelo

VISTAS: Views across Quinta da Salada’s vineyard are best at sunset

TREAT YOURSELF

Estepona salon wins hearts with bridal and beauty expertise

LOCATED in the heart of Estepona, The Hair Fairy offers a wide range of treatments from hair styling, colouring and cuts, to semi-permanent make up and manicures.

Each member of staff speaks fluent English making the experience comfortable and easy for those coming from the UK.

The salon has earned numerous five star reviews, not just for everyday treatments like cuts, colours, and extensions, but also for its specialised bridal services.

One happy customer had her hair – as well as that of her bridesmaids, Mum, and mother-in-law – styled by The Hair Fairy for her big day. She praised the salon saying, ‘Everyone wanted something different and she did all styles perfectly! I got so many compliments on my hair and it stayed in place all night.’

The salon’s wedding services are tailored to each bride, wedding party, and event – they save time and ensure privacy and comfort on each wedding day.

With a passion for bridal hair and make-up, the salon’s owner, Louise Kiely, ensures that her team provides services at wedding locations across the coast.

Keily has herself specialised in bridal work for 17 years. Before brides became her focus, Kiely worked in hair salons – she began her career at Toni & Guy in Cork 20 years ago. It was there that she qualified as a hairdresser – then in 2023, she relocated from Ireland to Spain and launched The Hair Fairy, bringing her expertise to the Costa del Sol.

To find out more about The Hair Fairy and book an appointment you can visit their website www.thehairfairyestepona.mycanva.site/ or ring 0034711035914

Rape of the land

Dear Olive Press

YOU are the only newspaper here that fights for people’s rights, and I would also expect that you are sympathetic to preserving the natural flora and fauna of this beautiful land. The rape of the campo continues without any restraint by developers both Spanish and foreign. This is, of course, good for employment and taxes but the long term effects are going to be disastrous for the plant, animal and insect life unless the developers are prepared

PRAISE

FOR COY

MY husband and I (we are American) came to live in Andalucia in 1971.

We left for a couple of years but this is, and always has been, our home.

I just want to say how much I enjoy Michel Coy’s historical articles on Spain. Thank you!

Maria Parkes

to replant and provide water tanks. They have the resources but must be legally obligated to do this.

The new complexes being built in los altos are large, expensive and not necessary when there are many unfinished buildings up and down the Costa del Sol closer to facilities.

The idea of providing water troughs and planting vegetation is a very good idea but the developers who are driving boars out of their natural habitat are the companies that should be funding these projects.

Lay off the coppers on the EES confusion

IT’S nothing new that sometimes the passport scans ok and other times it doesn't.

When we go back through Newcastle sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and then I have to go to the desk.

I wouldn't expect a police officer to know any more than I do why that happens?

Bob Dunford

Not only are the boars affected but the insects and other fauna and flora is also being destroyed by the disturbance of these companies and their ongoing rape of the land that is taking over what once was quiet and peaceful hills full of bird, insect, small creature life and natural flora. I understand that the initial and ongoing taxes are good for the local councils and presume that the owners of these areas are benefitting from the sales but little or no thought has been discussed, or if so, dismissed outright, as to the long term damage being done.

DANA trauma

I AM afraid of the rain and get very little sleep when it rains –and I am an adult in Malaga. I had to reform my house after the last big Dana storm. I can't imagine how those little ones [in Valencia] must feel. Poor children. I really hope they never experience that again, at least not until they are grown up anyway. We should get a bit of a break from so much mud now.

For further information call:

+350 200 74950 Or to download a brochure go to: www.visitgibraltar.gi

Eli Shaw

Carole Petit

LA CULTURA

EXILED Emeritus King, Juan Carlos, has said that democracy is the ‘legacy he left to Spain’ in his new memoir.

The book coincides with this month's 50th anniversary of the death of dictator General Francisco Franco (pictured with the king), but will not be published in Spain until early December.

The memoir also sees Juan

Royal democrat

Carlos expressing his desire for a good relationship with his son, King Felipe, and to see out his remaining years in Spain. In the book he says: “I hope above all, during my life, to have a quiet retirement, to renew a harmonious relationship with my son and, above all, to

return to Spain, to my home.”

Juan Carlos gave two interviews plugging the memoir to French media, including one to Le Figaro newspaper, where he talked about his part in restoring democracy after Franco's death- in November 1975.

He said: “After 40 years of dictatorship, I gave Spaniards a democracy that is still alive; it is my inheritance.”

POLICE investigating the disappearance of a tiny €600,000 painting by master artist Pablo Picasso believe they have found the missing work.

Naturaleza muerta con guitarra (Still Life with Guitar), a gouache and pencil work measuring just 12.7cm x 9.8cm from the Malaga-born maestro, vanished into thin air en route to an exhibition in Granada. The artwork was due to be displayed at the CajaGranada foundation, but never arrived from its normal home in Madrid.

Policia Nacional believe they have found the paintingsubject to confirmation from experts The investigation initially focused on an overnight stop near Granada, where two people took turns to guard the cargo - but it is believed the discovery has been made in Madrid, suggesting the work never made it to the van in the first place.

Beni’s the star

TV detective drama Death in Benidorm to bring Costa Blanca intrigue to UK screens

A NEW British detective drama set in Benidorm is now filming on the Costa Blanca, promising seaside sunshine, expat bar culture and murder mystery in equal measure.

The six-part series, titled Death in Benidorm, centres on Dennis, a former UK police officer who has moved to Benidorm to run a bar and leave his old life behind. But when suspicious deaths begin to ripple through the resort, he finds himself pulled back into investigation. Working alongside him is Rosa, a sharp, observant barmaid who knows the rhythms of the town better than anyone. John Hannah (Four Wed-

By Walter Finch

dings and a Funeral; The Mummy) plays Dennis, while Carolina Becquer takes on the role of Rosa.

The supporting cast includes Ariadna Cabrol and Damian Schedler Cruz.

Filming is taking place in Benidorm and across the wider Costa Blanca, with the production leaning heavily into recognisable locations –beachfront promenades, British bars, hotel terraces and late-night streets. Producers say the tone will combine classic whodunnit storytelling with dry humour and the

everyday social life of a Spanish coastal resort. Death in Benidorm is being made by Blackbox Multimedia and Clapperboard, with international distribution handled by ZDF Studios.

HAUNTED BY HACKERS

JUST when you thought Halloween was over, the real ghosts come out to play and they’re hiding in your inbox.

AnyTech365 adapt its product and technical support solutions to individual needs, offering a safe online experience to any user.

Forget haunted houses and creaky floorboards; this November, the true horror is digital. It’s called Black Friday, and lurking behind every ‘limited-time offer’ are hackers disguised as friendly retailers, ready to drain your wallet faster than you can say “add to cart.”

Theghostintheinbox

Here’s how it happens. You get an email from what looks like your favourite shop: “Exclusive offer! 70% off if you click now!”. The AI-gen logo looks legit. The site looks legit. Even the reviews are glowing (thanks, AI!).

AnyTech365

We all love a good bargain. There’s something thrilling about nabbing that half-price laptop or ‘today only’ smartwatch deal.

But the darker side of the internet knows that too. As soon as the pumpkins are packed away, cybercriminals start sharpening their phishing hooks and polishing their fake discount codes.

Beware

the clone sites

Channel 5’s commissioning editor Greg Barnett said the series aims to deliver ‘character-driven crime stories with a strong sense of place’.

The series is scheduled for broadcast in 2026.

FREDDIE Mercury, the flamboyant Queen frontman regarded as one of the greatest rock singers of all time, will be honoured with a statue in Barcelona. Speaking during a Catalunya Radio podcast to mark the upcoming 50th anniversary of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, mayor Jaume Collboni said Barcelona owed the legendary British vocalist a ‘pending debt’ thanks to ‘music that inspired an entire generation’. The monument, set to be installed in the recently-renovated Placa de les Glories, will pay tribute to Mercury and Montserrat Caballe (pictured together), the Barcelona-born soprano with whom he collaborated to produce Barcelona, the 1988 album, and its famous eponymous single. Despite Mercury’s death in 1991, the song became the de facto musical anthem of the 1992 Summer Olympics, held in the Catalan capital.

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But behind that shiny facade is a data-hungry monster, waiting for you to hand over your card details. Before you know it, you’ve gone from bargain hunter to victim of an online shopping scam. The worst part? These scams don’t even look dodgy anymore. Gone are the days of “Dear Sir/Madam, kindly send your bank details.” Modern phishing emails are slick, persuasive, and professional enough to almost fool your bank. Some even use stolen branding and AI chatbots to “assist” you with your fake purchase.

Scammers have a new trick up their sleeve this year: cloned websites. They copy the exact look and feel of trusted online stores, right down to the fonts, colours, and product reviews. You could be browsing a fake version of your favourite shop without realising it, until your money vanishes faster than a ghost at sunrise.

AnyTech365 Security

Olive Press is excited to announce a partnership with AnyTech365, the leading IT security and support company on the Costa del Sol. This collaboration offers Olive Press readers enhanced tech support and cybersecurity solutions. Subscribers will receive exclusive discounts on AnyTech365 services, ensuring their digital safety and worry-free use of any Internet-connected device, personal, or within the household or their small business.

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A quick cybersecurity tip from the experts: always double-check the website address before you buy. A single misplaced letter, like ‘Amaz0n’ or ‘Zara-shop.store’, can spell disaster. And if you see an offer that looks too good to be true, it probably escaped from the same digital dungeon as those miracle anti-ageing creams and eternal youth elixirs.

Smart cybersecurity for shoppers

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So, how do you stay safe online this season? Stick to official apps and websites - if you find a bargain through a random social media ad,

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Making a meaningful local impact, AnyTech365 has been a proud title-sponsor of the Andalucía Open tennis tournament, including the ATP 250 tournament in 2021, the biggest sporting event in the region. It has excellent online reputation scores with tens of thousands of end user reviews on Trustpilot (4.8/5) and Google Reviews (4.9/5).

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The final fright

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Picasso found

STARS: John Hannah and Carolina Becquer

November 5thNovember 18th 2025

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BUILDING SERVICES

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CONSTRUCTION

Journalnummer: 2504784866

Journalnummer: 2504784866

BOARD

currently being dealt with by Oslo Conciliation Board –021506 Finans As, Postboks 6354 Etterstad, 0604 Oslo, Org.Nr. 00913953517 Kleveland, Francisco Navarro 128, Es - 35120 Gran Canaria, Spain filed a complaint against the Defendant with Oslo Conciliation Board payment of NOK 740680,00 with the addition of interest at the legal rate

OSLO CONCILIATION BOARD

OSLO CONCILIATION BOARD

Extract from complaint currently being dealt with by Oslo Conciliation Board –Dept.1 Case No. F2024-021506

1/8 page setup at the paper.

Journalnummer:

Complainant: Lowell Finans As, Postboks 6354 Etterstad, 0604 Oslo, Org.Nr. 00913953517

to reply to the Conciliation Board in writing by 12.12.2025 stating Defendant acknowledges and accepts the Complainant’s claim. If a reply prior to the expiry of the stated time limit, judg ment by default can basis of the Complainant’s representation of the facts of the case. known address, service will be executed with authority in the The complaint and order to reply will be deemed to have been been posted at the legal venue for four weeks. to the case can be collected from the Conciliation Board’s offices Oslo, Norway. The documents can be sent to a new address supplied Defendant so requests.

Extract from complaint currently being dealt with by Oslo Conciliation Board –Dept.1 Case No. F2024-021506

CASE NO. F2024-021506

Defendant: Dag Johan Kleveland, Francisco Navarro 128, Es - 35120 Gran Canaria, Spain

The Complainant has filed a complaint against the Defendant with Oslo Conciliation Board with a demand for payment of NOK 740680,00 with the addition of interest at the legal rate and legal costs.

Complainant: Lowell Finans As, Postboks 6354 Etterstad, 0604 Oslo, Org.Nr. 00913953517

Defendant: Dag Johan Kleveland, Francisco Navarro 128, Es - 35120 Gran Canaria, Spain

Extract from complaint currently being dealt with by Oslo Conciliation Board – Dept 1 Case No. F2024021506

Complainant: Lowell Finans As, Postboks 6354 Etterstad, 0604 Oslo, Org.Nr. 00913953517

The Defendant is ordered to reply to the Conciliation Board in writing by 12.12.2025 stating whether or not the Defendant acknowledges and accepts the Complainant’s claim. If a reply has not been delivered prior to the expiry of the stated time limit, judg ment by default can be pronounced on the basis of the Complainant’s representation of the facts of the case.

The Complainant has filed a complaint against the Defendant with Oslo Conciliation Board with a demand for payment of NOK 740680,00 with the addition of interest at the legal rate and legal costs.

Defendant: Dag Johan Kleveland, Francisco Navarro 128, Es - 35120 Gran Canaria, Spain

The Defendant is ordered to reply to the Conciliation Board in writing by 12.12.2025 stating whether or not the Defendant acknowledges and accepts the Complainant’s claim. If a reply has not been delivered prior to the expiry of the stated time limit, judg ment by default can be pronounced on the basis of the Complainant’s representation of the facts of the case. As the Defendant has no known address, service will be executed with authority in the Courts Act Section 181. The complaint and order to reply will be deemed to have been legally served when it has been posted at the legal venue for four weeks.

OSLO CONCILIATION BOARD

As the Defendant has no known address, service will be executed with authority in the Courts Act Section 181. The complaint and order to reply will be deemed to have been legally served when it has been posted at the legal venue for four weeks. The documents pertaining to the case can be collected from the Conciliation Board’s offices at Pilestredet 19, 0164 Oslo, Norway. The documents can be sent to a new address supplied by the Defendant if the Defendant so requests.

Extract from complaint currently being dealt with by Oslo Conciliation Board –Dept.1 Case No. F2024-021506

The documents pertaining to the case can be collected from the Conciliation Board’s offices at Pilestredet 19, 0164 Oslo, Norway. The documents can be sent to a new address supplied by the Defendant if the Defendant so requests.

The Complainant has filed a complaint against the Defendant with Oslo Conciliation Board with a demand for payment of NOK 740680,00 with the addition of interest at the legal rate and legal costs. The Defendant is ordered to reply to the Conciliation Board in writing by 12.12.2025 stating whether or not the Defendant acknowledges and accepts the Complainant’s claim. If a reply has not been delivered prior to the expiry of the stated time limit, judgment by default can be pronounced on the basis of the Complainant’s representation of the facts of the case.

Complainant: Lowell Finans As, Postboks 6354 Etterstad, 0604 Oslo, Org.Nr. 00913953517

Defendant: Dag Johan Kleveland Francisco Navarro 128, Es - 35120 Gran Canaria, Spain

The Complainant has filed a complaint against the Defendant with Oslo Conciliation Board with a demand for payment of NOK 740680,00 with the addition of interest at the legal rate and legal costs.

As the Defendant has no known address, service will be executed with authority in the Courts Act Section 181. The complaint and order to reply will be deemed to have been legally served when it has been posted at the legal venue for four weeks.

The documents pertaining to the case can be collected from the Conciliation Board’s offices at Pilestredet 19, 0164 Oslo, Norway. The documents can be sent to a new address supplied by the Defendant if the Defendant so requests.

The Defendant is ordered to reply to the Conciliation Board in writing by 12.12.2025 stating whether or not the Defendant acknowledges and accepts the Complainant’s claim. If a reply has not been delivered prior to the expiry of the stated time limit, judg ment by default can be pronounced on the basis of the Complainant’s representation of the facts of the case. As the Defendant has no known address, service will be executed with authority in the Courts Act Section 181. The complaint and order to reply will be deemed to have been legally served when it has been posted at the legal venue for four weeks. The documents pertaining to the case can be collected from the Conciliation Board’s offices at Pilestredet 19, 0164 Oslo, Norway. The documents can be sent to a new address supplied by the Defendant if the Defendant so requests.

I OSLO - AVD. 1

Besøk: Pilestredet 19, 0164 Oslo Post: Postboks 2104 Vika, 0125 Oslo

FORLIKSRÅDET I OSLO - AVD. 1

Besøk: Pilestredet 19, 0164 Oslo

Tlf: 21014700 Faks: E-post: oslo.namsfogd@politiet.no Bankgiro: 76940518136

Post: Postboks 2104 Vika, 0125 Oslo

Tlf: 21014700 Faks:

E-post: oslo.namsfogd@politiet.no

1/8 page setup at the paper.

1/8 page setup at the paper.

Journalnummer: 2504784866

OSLO CONCILIATION

2504784866

YOUNG CANCER RATES SURGE

Spanish scientists link rising colon, breast, and leukaemia cases to soaring obesity levels

CANCER rates among young people are rising sharply, Spanish scientists warn, as global obesity reaches crisis levels, now affecting over one billion people.

Reviewing a landmark 2022 Harvard University study, researcher Montserrat García Closas found colon cancer diagnoses among adults aged 20 to 49 increased by 1.4% annually between 2003 and 2017. Rates of breast cancer, leu-

Listen up

By Alessio Ghirlanda

kaemia, and three other obesity-linked cancers are also rising across all age groups.

García Closas, of London’s Institute of Cancer Research, said obesity explains part of the surge but not all, highlighting other risks such as alcohol, sugary drinks, junk food, pollution, and inactivity. A 2022 WHO report shows one in eight people worldwide is obese - a figure that has more than doubled since 1990 and nearly quadrupled among

A NEW gene therapy based on Spanish research has enabled children born with previously incurable deafness to hear for the first time.

In a clinical trial of 12 children aged 10 months to 16 years, 11 began detecting sounds within weeks of treatment, and three regained completely normal hearing.

Developed by US firm Regeneron, the therapy - called DB-OTO - builds on over two decades of work by Spanish scientists at Hospital Niño

Jesus in Madrid and the University of Navarra.

It targets a rare mutation in the OTOF gene by injecting a healthy copy directly into the cochlea, restoring the ear’s ability to transmit sound signals.

Parents described emotional moments as their children responded to voices and began speaking. Experts call the results ‘a milestone’ in genetic medicine, with potential to treat other inherited deafness causes.

The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

obesity-related cancers are increasing, others - such as stomach, oesophageal, oral, and liver cancers - are declining, possibly due to reduced alcohol consumption.

García Closas’ review, based on data from 42 countries, excluded Spain due to its lack of a national cancer registry. However, it found that while

The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, warn that colon cancer now accounts for 9% of global cancer deaths, making it the second leading cause after lung cancer.

Harvard epidemiologist Shuji Ogino warned that without effective preventative measures, cancer rates will continue rising as younger generations age, underlining the urgent need for global lifestyle and policy interventions. children and young adults.

O P LIVE RESS ANDALUCÍA

Service with a smile

A GRANADA cafe owner overcharged an elderly customer by €22,000 over the space of two years by charging his card out of sight and adding on hundreds to each bill.

Chair thieves

A BAND of thieves had the innovative idea to steal chairs for bar and restaurant terraces in Madrid. They stole over 1,100 and fenced them to buyers in Morocco and Romania.

We’re sorry

THE Spanish government has finally admitted its regret to Mexico over the ‘pain and injustice’ inflicted during the colonial conquest of central America half a millennia ago.

FOUL CALL

SPANISH football fans can breathe a sigh of relief: La Liga has U-turned on its plan to host Villarreal vs Barcelona in the US. The clash, orig inally set for December 21 at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceram ica, was to be the first European league match played out side Europe after the Royal Spanish Football Federation ap proved the Mi ami venue. But the idea sparked fury. Fans hit the streets, and play ers staged a cheeky protest:

By Ben Pawlowski

for 15 seconds at the start of each match, all 20 La Liga teams refused to move. The Spanish Footballers’ Associa ‘symbolic against ‘lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence’.

Now,

the Miami event promoter Relevant, backed by the Hard Rock Stadium and Miami Dolphins owner, says there’s simply ‘insufficient time’ to organise the match. Villarreal vs Barcelona will instead take place at its original stadium on the scheduled date.

La Liga called the postponement a blow to Spanish football’s ‘international profile’, while Barcelona said it ‘respects the decision’ but regrets missing the chance to grow the competition’s image in the US.

The fiasco echoes the 2021

A EUROPEAN court has ruled that a dog lost while being loaded onto an Iberia flight is no better than ordinary luggage. Mona, an eight-kilo dog, bolted from her cage at Buenos Aires airport in October 2019 as staff prepared her flight to Barcelona. Despite frantic chases, she disappeared beyond the airport perimeter.

Villarreal vs Barcelona stays in Spain after fan and player uproar

European Super League saga, when fan fury sank a breakaway tournament in days.

But La Liga hasn’t given up on America entirely; executives continue eyeing the growing market stateside, hoping to compete with the Premier League and UEFA Champions League for global eyeballs and dollars.

For now, fans in Spain can rejoice: no jet lag, no Miami heat - just football where it belongs, at home.

Dog-gone it!

Owner Grisel Ortiz launched a years-long search, creating a Facebook page and offering a reward, but Mona was never found. Ortiz sued Iberia for €5,000 in emotional damages. The airline accepted responsibility but argued the dog was

Northern visitor

SPAIN isn't just about scorching sun and sangriathe Northern Lights have just made an appearance.

In a celestial spectacle, the famous green and pink hues - usually reserved for Nordic getaways - danced across the horizon thanks to a whopping Kp-index 6 geomagnetic storm.

Areas from Galicia to Catalunya and even as far south as Andalucia witnessed the impossible.

“We thought it was fake news!” one stunned tourist in Zaragoza said. “You come for the paella, you stay for the aurora!”

While not as intense as the May 2024 mega-storm, this display proves you don’t need a parka and snow boots to see Mother Nature’s best light show.

checked in as ordinary baggage without a special declaration. The Court of Justice of the European Union agreed, ruling that animals in aircraft holds are legally equivalent to luggage. Ortiz’s lawyer criticised the decision, saying it fails to recognise the ‘moral and psychological damage’ caused by losing a pet.