Olive Press Andalucia Issue 484

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SKIS ON!

The Sierra Nevada ski slopes are open... find out more in our special guide inside See page 9

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COSTA DEL SKI The Sierra Nevada is the perfect winter escape for adrenaline-seekers, writes Iona Napier (above), recalling her ‘pizza-shaped’ teaching tips with an Olive Press ski virgin

I

T had been a tricky day on the slopes for ski virgin Rob Horgan.

And after a rather ambitious blue run with three consecutive wipeouts, his sense of humour had vanished without trace.

“There’s no way I’m skiing down that,” he barked at me. “I’ll walk up, get my ski and take the lift down.”

His grimace was all too apparent despite the layers of scarf, hat and goggles. And this time, fair enough, as he’d tumbled down at least 25 metres past one of his skis, that perched precariously on the edge of the run.

I was playing mother hen on an SNOW AND SUNBATHING: The Sierra Nevada has consistent snow from early December to May, when outing with a group of Olive Press It was always going to revellers come skiing in bikinis and be a testing outing and it swimming trunks him a bit of gentle cajoling, we set colleagues. didn’t help that the rest off down down the Olympic run, the highest mountain in peninsular While a few of us had been skiing had zoomed back to of our impatient group in the Laguna valley. base for a hot chocolate, making ‘giant pizza slices’, as my first Spain, Perhaps southern Spain’s most amazing view, from for years, a couple of them only without a second thought the top of teacher the Laguna slope you had called them, with our skis. knew the sport from the BBC’s Ski I had ended up becomingfor Rob. survey not just his impromptu ‘prothe Costa del Sol, but in the distance most of the Med and half He was soon back in the saddle and Sunday. fessor’ and after rescuing his ski the Rif mountains of north and giving considering a career change, as I later I was Africa. sped It was the beginning of the perfect Sierra perfect powder snow, bright sunshine Nevada weekend, with and some of Spain’s best après ski.

The Sierra Nevada is easily Spain’s pistes spread over 110kms, all abovetop skiing resort, with 134 1200 metres in height.

The longest piste, Aguila, is a dreamy magnificent views, while the series 6.3km of easy turns and of black runs, including Trampolin and Visera, that will test most skiers.

Bikini run

OLIVE PRESS

Of course the resort is most famous the adage of being able to ski in the for allowing tourists to test morning and sunbathe on the coast, a cava in hand, by late afternoon.

And on the subject of sunbathing, some fanatics - including me even brave the slopes in a bikini for late April or early May (‘la bajada enthe last day of the season in Believe me, it’s an unmissable day bikini’, as it’s called). near nudity and plenty of hedonism.festooned with champagne, But it’s not just for fun junkies; expert skiers insist the snow, particularly in springtime, is a soft the tightly-packed icy pistes found inand sumptuous ride, unlike The long termers call it ‘cream snow’many European resorts. say it is at its best from February to (nieve crema), and most often begins in late November, as April, although the season it did this year, weather permitting.

Best of all, the price for passes has not gone up much over re-

ANDALUCÍA

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Feliz Navidad, mate!

ADIOS amigos! It is the ultimate demographic takeover, and just in time for the holidays.

Spaniards have officially become an endangered species across vast swathes of the southern coast, with shocking new figures revealing that locals now make up as little as 11% of the population in some sundrenched hotspots.

Vibrant

By Alessio Ghirlanda & Dilip Kuner

Zero for this foreign surge.

In a revelation that will send shockwaves through Madrid (but cheers through the local English pubs), the map shows that in Rojales, just north of Torrevieja, a staggering 81% of residents are now European expats.

That means as Santa prepares his sleigh this Christmas, he’s going

to need a lot less coal for the Roscon de Reyes and a lot more stuffing for the turkeys. In these neighbourhoods, you are statistically four times more likely to hear Jingle Bells than a traditional flamenco ‘carol’.

And it’s not just a freak anomaly.

Just down the road in Orihuela, Spaniards have been relegated to just 17% of the community, while European settlers dominate a massive 70% of the census.

COSTA EXPAT: On the Costa del Sol, Europeans dominate around Mijas, San Pedro and Manilva

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Foreign

Further north, the holiday magnets of Benidorm, Teulada, and Javea are painting a similar picture, with foreign populations soaring between 65% and 70%. The streets are alive with the sound of English, German, and Dutch, creating a cosmopolitan Christmas cocktail that is shaking up the status quo.

Even the glitzy Costa del Sol is feeling the squeeze. While locals are holding the line in some neighbourhoods, areas of Mijas and Estepona have seen European numbers rocket to 45% - and the gap is closing fast.

The trend is sweeping the islands too. In

Ai image

A stunning analysis of census data has exposed the rise of vibrant ‘parallel societies’ where Spanish is rarely heard in entire enclaves and the menu del dia has been swapped for a Sunday Roast.

As we gear up for the most wonderful time of the year, the seismic shift laid bare by the National Statistics Institute (INE) shows the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol are Ground

Spaniards now a minority in their own backyards as expat ‘parallel societies’ turn the Costas into a festive home-from-home

southern Tenerife, the British invasion is in full swing, with the municipality of Adeje now 60% foreign-run, and Santiago del Teide tipping the scales at 52%.

But let’s be honest, this isn't a crisis; it’s a fiesta! These ‘parallel societies’ are breathing new life into the coast. While much of rural Spain empties out, these expat enclaves are booming, bustling, and bringing the spending power.

So, what is driving this population explosion? Put simply: You are. And you’re bringing your wallets with you.

While the official maps don’t name and shame specific nationalities, there is no guessing who is leading the charge. British buyers are officially the kings of the Spanish property market, snapping up more than 5,500 homes in the first half of 2025 alone.

Whether it's the lure of the winter sun or an escape from the UK gloom, Brits are arriving in droves to enjoy a Christmas dinner on the terrace in 18-degree heat. +Andalucia and Murcia remain the top picks, absorbing nearly a quarter of all British buyers between them.

This influx has pushed Spain’s total population to a historic high of 48 million, a boom fuelled almost entire-

ENCLAVES: Red dots show huge European clusters around Torrevieja and the northern Alicante coast ly by foreign arrivals. In fact, the expat community is now growing 20 times faster than the local population.

Lifeline

Spain now ranks fifth in Europe for foreign-born residents, with 9.3 million people - nearly one in five - born abroad.

For the economy, it’s a lifeline. The ‘silver economy’ of retirees is keeping bars open, contractors busy, and golf courses green. We might be creating ‘parallel societies’, but they are societies built on a love for the Spanish way of life - even if we do prefer our tea with milk and our Christmas pudding flaming.

Opinion Page 6

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CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Home invasion MASKED men burst into a Benalmadena home, brutally tying up a mother and her 18-year-old daughter before fleeing with gold jewellery and €1,400 cash.

Fed up A DAYLIGHT shooting in Marbella has ignited political outrage. VOX slammed authorities for failing to halt ‘constant gunfights’ and organised crime, demanding urgent police reinforcement. No one was hurt in the shooting.

Key warning A WARNING has been issued to Costa del Sol tourists after a thief swiped eight sets of keys from a porter’s lodge to rob beachfront flats. Police have since arrested a man in Fuengirola for four burglaries.

Silent victim POLICE are hunting for a gunman after a 41-yearold man was shot in the face in Torremolinos.

‘Do anything for money’ A SUSPECTED British hitman who carried out a double gangland murder in Fuengirola has long been feared in his local community, according to childhood acquaintances.

Scouser Michael Terrence Riley, 45, (pictured right) who is accused of shooting dead Glasgow gang figures Eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan

Suspect in Fuengirola mafia shootings is branded a ‘full-on lunatic’

Very dangerous. He will do anything for money.”

He insisted Riley had been at Monaghan’s Bar on May 31, linked to gangland violence was pictured for the first time long before the Costa del Sol last week. shootings,alleging: The acOne former schoolmate told quaintance, who asked not to the Olive Press be named, claimed Riley had he was ‘not sur- always been feared locally. prised at all’ to He continued: “He’s got monsee Riley now ey – that’s why I’m surprised accused of the he even took that job on. Must mafia-style dou- have been paid well for a double shooting in a busy bar.” ble hit.

“He was a full- Spanish police believe Riley on lunatic even acted with an exceptional VICTIMS: Eddie as a kid,” he degree of planning and skill Lyons and Ross said. “He’s dan- during the attack. InvestigaMonaghan gerous now. tors claim he walked up to the terrace of the bar, where the victims ing the results of an autopsy to dewere watching the termine the exact cause of death.

Champions League The Guardia Civil have arrested final, and shot the A MOTHER and her partner have the boy’s mother and a man - befirst man at pointbeen arrested after the body of a lieved to be her current partner blank range.

4-year-old boy was discovered on but not the boy’s father.

When his weapon a beach.

The man reportedly has a rejammed, officers say The body was discovered on a straining order against the boy’s he didn’t panic but stretch of beach between Garru- mother. calmly cleared it, cha and Mojacar in Almeria.

The local council in Garrucha anfollowed the second The death has been classified as nounced a day of official mournvictim inside the bar violent, with the authorities await- ing with all flags at half-mast. and allegedly shot him dead as he tried

Beach tragedy

EXCLUSIVE

By Walter Finch

December 17th - December 30th 2025

CRYPTO HORROR

to escape.

He then apparently fled the scene on foot, knowing where the CCTV cameras were in the area and what route to take to avoid them.

Malaga’s chief superintendent Pedro Agudo Novo noted the ‘professionalism’ and ‘coldness’ shown during the killings.

Riley is said to have escaped Spain within hours and remained on the run for two weeks.

When he was arrested in Liverpool on June 13, detectives believe he was hours from fleeing the UK to an offshore tax haven with no extradition treaty.

He initially resisted extradition to Spain in the British courts, with his lawyer arguing he suffered depression and anxiety and feared being targeted by rival gang members in a Spanish prison.

The defence cited Article 3 of the Human Rights Act in an attempt to block his transfer.

But on October 7 he abruptly changed course and agreed to extradition, clearing the way for Spanish magistrates to continue their investigation with the main suspect in custody.

A MAN was tortured and executed in a terrifying 'crypto-kidnapping' on the Costa del Sol. The victim was ambushed in Mijas by a ‘commando-style’ gang dressed in black, who shot him in the leg as he tried to flee.

Dragged to a secret safe house with his partner, the couple were held hostage while thugs demanded their cryptocurrency passwords.

While the woman was dumped on the street at midnight, her partner was brutally tortured and murdered. His body was later found in a wooded area showing ‘evident signs of violence’.

Police have now smashed the ring, which has deep ties to Denmark.

Nine suspects have been identified.

‘No suicide’ THE father of one of two teenage girls found hanged in Jaen has rejected the police hypothesis of suicide, labeling the deaths ‘the perfect murder.’

Rosmed, 15, and Sharit, 16, were discovered in a park last week.

While police found no signs of violence, Sharit’s father insists she was ‘manipulated,’ denying claims she was bullied. However, classmates suggest both girls suffered harassment.

A judicial investigation is currently under a gag order and the city observed three days of official mourning.

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS

December 17th - December 30th 2025

NO STEP TOO FAR FOR DAD

HE battled hallucinations, uncontrollable shivering and agonising leg cramps - all to answer one question: How far can you go when you have nothing left?

George Nayda is a man who likes his comfort.

A sedentary real estate advisor, the 38-year-old is usually found safe inside the air-conditioned cocoon of his Peugeot 3008, cruising the Costa del Sol’s glitzy coastline. He admits he hates the gym. He averages a measly 5,000 steps a day.

But last month George traded his leather seats for a living

Expat’s agony as he walks ‘non-stop’ for 24 hours to honour father who died at 38 hell.

In a heartbreaking tribute on his 38th birthday, George set out to walk from Malaga city without stopping for 24 hours.

No sleep. No music. No distractions.

Why punish himself? Because 38 isn’t just a number to George. It is the exact age his father was when he tragically died, leaving George fatherless

SUNRISE: George took this photo at Carvajal seven hours into his journey

By Rachel Gore

as a teenager.

“Life is extremely short and comfort makes us forget what we’re capable of.”

Starting at the stroke of midnight at Muelle Uno in Malaga port, George stepped into the darkness, determined to stare down the ghosts of his past.

Most walkers would plug into a podcast or blast high-tempo tunes to drown out the pain.

Not George.

He chose total, deafening silence.

He wanted to be alone with his thoughts, to mentally commune with the father he lost too soon. But as the hours dragged on, the silence became a heavy burden.

“It was quiet, dark, and lonely,” George admitted to the Olive Press.

Without distractions, the night forced him to ‘stay present’ as

his body began to scream.

By the time the sun began to bleed over the horizon at Carvajal Beach just before 7am, George was already fighting a war with his own biology.

He was suffering from ‘micro-naps’ terrifying moments where his brain would shut down for one or two seconds during his brief 15-minute breaks.

By the time he reached the glitz of Marbella and San Pedro, the glamour was lost on him.

His legs had ‘stiffened up’ like concrete. Every time he stopped, starting again was torture.

But George, a self-proclaimed ‘global citizen’ who has lived everywhere from Singapore to Ukraine, where he was born, refused to quit. He was fueled by the gritty philosophy of ex-Navy SEAL David Goggins: The 40% Rule.

The theory claims that when your mind tells you you’re done, you’re only 40% depleted. You have a

3

EPIC JOURNEY: George and the route he took, covering 83 km in 24 hours

massive 60% left in the tank - if you have the guts to find it.

George found it.

He trudged into El Paraiso at midnight, exactly 24 hours after he started.

The stats were Herculean for a ‘desk jockey’: 83.15km covered, 112,299 steps taken.

But the physical toll was terrifying.

George was left with ‘uncontrollable shivering’, unable to regulate his own body temperature. He needed scalding hot baths just to stop the shaking. The next day, he couldn't even stand up.

Yet, through the physical ruin, something miraculous happened.

George says the agony ‘mentally changed’ him. The brain fog of modern life vanished, replaced by a crystal-clear mind.

“I feel more grounded, more mature and more confident,” he revealed.

He wanted to see the coast at ‘human speed’, but he ended up seeing his own soul.

George Nayda proved that while grief can weigh you down, it can also drive you to walk to the ends of the earth.

He hopes his journey inspires others drowning in self-doubt to get up and move.

Because, as George now knows, you never know how far you can go until you refuse to stop.

MULLINS IT OVER WHO NEEDS WEATHERSPOON WHEN YOU HAVE SPANISH BARS, ASKS CHARLIE MULLINS

Ai image

A shared past…

L

AST week I read that Britain powerful, our emand Spain are more alike than pires gone, and you’d think. the people we According to an Economist once colonised survey of OECD countries compar- demanding coming social, economic and cultural pensation using indicators, Old Blighty has more in the languages we common with España than with, for gave them. example, the US or Germany.

But there is good I will now shamelessly shoehorn a news here in Christmas theme in here by com- Spain. Two onceparing our nations’ ghosts of the great enemies, past. who executed Basically, from the 15th Century, thousands over both Spain and Britain conquered which version of huge parts of the world, treating the Bible was holy, now live side locals terribly, plundering wealth by side, sharing a love of food and and, in some cases, selling people drink. Thankfully, this mostly hapinto slavery. pens in the country We also wasted a lot with the more agreeof cannonballs chasable climate.

Spain has us ing each other around What of the future as in sailing ships trying we blend our cultures beaten hands to pinch the other’s further? There are down, with the things about the UK ill-gotten gains. The only real difference that I miss, but nothing best bar food seems to be which I’d recommend as the version of God we on Earth way of the future here. were working for as When it comes to hoswe raped and pillaged pitality, the locals in our way across the globe.

Spain have us beaten hands down, So, to the spirit of our own time, as with a great atmosphere and the the famous Dickens classic goes. best bar food on Earth.

We find our two nations much less So, with all this great fare for the

expat community to enjoy, why would anyone think that what Spain needs is a branch of Wetherspoons on every corner? There are some great traditional British pubs in the UK, but this Brexit-supporting, sticky-carpeted budget outfit does not come close.

And yet I see that somehow ‘Spoons’ - known for the beersoaked, unwashed early arrivals found in most UK towns - has managed to get a foothold at Alicante airport. This needs to be nipped in the bud just in case it catches on further.

And on that note, I wish all Olive Press readers a very Merry Christmas!

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4

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

Spain stands alone SPAIN has stood alone against the rest of Europe by rejecting a controversial new plan to speed up migrant expulsions.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska refused to back the EU proposal, which would allow member states to deport asylum seekers to ‘safe third countries’ - even if they have no connection to them.

While other ministers backed the hardline rules to fix the EU’s low deportation rates, Grande-Marlaska warned the move violates international law and endangers lives.

“We cannot accept measures that bypass our legal obligations,” he insisted.

The draft law still requires European Parliament approval.

December 17th - December 30th 2025

Let them in! n!

SPANISH bosses have issued a plea to the government: “Let more workers in or we go bust!”

Business chiefs in Catalunya have warned the country will cease to be competitive unless it opens the doors to hundreds of thousands of new foreign workers.

A report by the Foment del Trebell association claims Spain needs to welcome a staggering 140,000 immigrants every single year for the next decade just to keep the lights on.

President of the association Josep Sanchez Llibre didn’t mince his words, blasting: “Without immigration we cannot produce, we are not

BACK IN BUSINESS

Bosses ask for 140,000 migrants a year as Spain faces ‘competitiveness’ crisis

BRITS DECLINE THE number of British residents in Malaga province has fallen for the second year in a row, new census data reveals.

While UK expats remain the largest foreign community with 49,298 residents, the Brit population dropped by 1,531 in 2024.

But while the Brits retreat, others are flocking in.

Foreigners drove 77% of the province’s growth last year, with rapid surges from Morocco, Italy, and Colombia.

Moroccans remain the second-largest group (36,438), followed by Italians (21,549).

South American communities are also booming, with Colombians up 16%.

Overall, Malaga added more than 16,000 new residents, with Marbella recording a 4.4% population jump.

Fuengirola meanwhile recorded the second-biggest population drop in Spain - down 0.6%.

nationwide will sit empty, skyrocketing to 12% in struggling, competitive. Public authori- depopulated regions like Galicia.

‘IMMIGRANTS ties need to listen to us.”

The demand comes despite The report also pre- NEEDED’: new data revealing Spain has dicts a seismic de- According to already absorbed 1.5 million mographic shift. By Josep Sanchez immigrants in just three years 2035, one-third of Llibre - as many as the next four EU Spain's population - over 34% - will be nations combined. he insisted the economic reBut according to the bosses, first or second-generation mi- ality is stark. With an aging it’s still not enough. grants. population living to 84, the The study warns that without While Sanchez Llibre acknowl- country needs young workers fresh blood, over 6% of jobs edged rising political tensions, to pay the pensions. noting that It comes as Spain’s popula25% of peo- tion nears the historic 50 milTHE iconic Kempinski Hotel in Estepona ple link mi- lion mark, fuelled almost en(left) is set to rise from the ashes after being gration to tirely by expats, whose numsnapped up by luxury giant Melia Hotels In‘crime and bers are growing 20 times ternational. vandalism’, faster than locals.

The five-star landmark, which shocked locals by closing its doors last September after two decades, will undergo a massive renovation grooming scene. before reopening in 2026.

“I didn’t like the service offered Rebranded as the Hacienda del Mar, Bahía elsewhere,” said Charlie, whose Estepona, it will join the exclusive ‘Melia Colpremium hot towel treatments A COSTA del Sol barbershop has lection’. are already a hit with lobeen crowned the best in Spain The takeover ends months of uncertainty for cals and expats. just months after launching. the site, which first opened in 1999 and beThe shop even boasts Baron Blade Boys Club, in came a magnet for celebrities and wealthy Premier League royMarbella, swept the board golfers. alty; Charlie has cut at the Premios Soy BarbuMelia plans to totally transform the rooms, Manchester City star do, winning Best New Barpools, and spa to create ‘one of the jewels of Erling Haaland’s hair ber and Best New Design. the Costa del Sol’. multiple times, with Founders CharlieBYB and The move is part of a major Andalucian exhis signed shirts proudly Garrido opened on July 1 pansion for the group. displayed on the walls. to revolutionise the local

By Alessio Ghirlanda

A cut above

ALOHA ELVIRIA GUADALMINA WINE BEER SPIRITS CHAMPAGNE TEL: 951.272.216

YOUR WINE, OUR COMMITMENT

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es COSTA del Sol motorists have demanded the government slash ‘insufferable’ tolls on the region’s main highway.

A Change.org petition is calling for urgent price cuts on the private AP-7, where summer rates can see a round trip cost nearly €40.

Locals say they are being held to ransom, forced to pay the exorbitant fees

?

5

the Malaga-Marbella trip to Highway robbery ping €5.50 - drivers argue it is not enough.

The Ministry of Transport pledged to to avoid the permanently gridlocked A-7 coastal road.

Campaigners are demanding a Galicia-style system, where return journeys within 24 hours are free for residents.

Although operator Ausol has just switched to low-season rates - drop-

STOP PRESS! IT has been another bumper year of breaking the biggest stories in Spain - from the

December 17th December 30th 2025

We’re taking a festive siesta… but get ready for a massive fiesta in 2026

expat population boom to the property market surge - but now the Olive Press team is putting down its notepads and picking up the Cava.

Break

We will be taking a well-earned break from our print edition over the Christmas period to recharge our batteries. But this isn’t just about turkey and tinsel. Behind the scenes, we are preparing for something truly spectacular.

2026 marks our 20th Anniversary.

That’s right - two

investigate discounts in July 2024, but nothing has changed.

Petitioners argue that matching the northern subsidies would clear traffic, improve safety, and finally stop penalising workers and students who rely on the route daily.

decades of campaigning for, investigating, and championing the expat community in Spain.

To celebrate this historic milestone, we are thrilled to announce a brand new national relaunch. FIRST EDITION: But what will we When we return look like after our relaunch (left)? to the stands next year, we will be unveil- never sleeps! Make sure to ing a totally new look. Ex- keep up to date with breakpect a fresh design, sharper ing stories and essential focus, and an evolution that updates on our website reflects the changing face of throughout the holidays.

Spain. It will be the Olive From all of us to all of you: Press you know and love, Have a wonderful Christbut bigger, bolder, and bet- mas and a Happy New Year. ter than ever before.

See you in 2026 for the start In the meantime, the news of a whole new era!

CASE NO. F2024-014840 Extract from complaint currently being dealt with

by Oslo Conciliation Board – Dept. 3 Case No. F2024-014840 Complainant: Kredinor Finans As, Postboks 782 Sentrum, 0106 Oslo Defendant: Francisco Javier Sanchez Sanchis. Sist kjente adresse: C/Pou No 3, Es-46184 San Antonio De Benageber, Spain The Complainant has filed a complaint against the Defendant with Oslo Conciliation Board with a demand for payment of NOK 188 598,42 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 02.02.2026 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.

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, 0033 Oslo, Norway. The documents can be sent to a new address supplied by the Defendant if the Defendant so requests.

6

NEWS FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es 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 No laughing matter IT is easy to chuckle at the headlines. The idea of a Spanish town where finding a Spaniard is harder than finding a decent pint of Guinness serves as excellent fodder for pub quizzes.

But the latest data revealing that locals now make up as little as 11% of the population in areas like Rojales isn't just a quirky demographic anomaly; it is a flashing warning light for social cohesion.

We often use soft terms like ‘expat enclaves’ or ‘residential tourism’. However, the experts use a harder phrase: ‘parallel societies’.

When a municipality becomes 80% foreign, integration doesn't just stall; it becomes unnecessary. Why learn Spanish when the doctor, the butcher, and the barman all speak English? Why adapt to local customs when the community is large enough to impose its own?

The result is a form of luxury segregation. We are in danger of creating sun-drenched ghettos where the host culture is not just diluted, but actively displaced.

There is also the economic double-edged sword.

Yes, the 5,500 homes bought by Brits in early 2025 injected millions into the economy. But this purchasing power prices young Spaniards out of their own birthplaces, turning vibrant towns into retirement dormitories for Northern Europe.

We claim to move here for the ‘Spanish lifestyle’ - the relaxed pace, the community focus, the culture. But if we simply replicate the UK in the sun, displacing the very people who created that lifestyle, we destroy the thing we came for.

Living in Spain should mean living with Spain, not just on it. If we don't burst the bubble, we risk losing the authentic charm of the Costas forever.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Walter Finch walter@theolivepress.es

Alessio Ghirlanda alessio@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Ben Pawlowski ben@theolivepress.es

Joshua Parfitt josh@theolivepress.es

Rachel Gore rachel@theolivepress.es

Michael Coy michael.k.coy@gmail.com

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Professional

‘Marc M’ has exploited Spain’s legal loopholes to illegally occupy vacant properties, blackmail owners, and evade jail time despite facing numerous lawsuits and detentions

squatter O

N July 17 this year, a man shattered the glass of a first-floor balcony window in Cardedeu, a small town south-west of Barcelona, and slipped inside the empty flat.

An alarm began to wail, but he sauntered over to the control board, switched the siren off, and quietly settled into the apartment.

That man was named Marc M., and he had done this before – more than 200 times in the past four years.

Marc, a 22-year-old man originally from Saint Boi de Llobregat near Barcelona, is a professional squatter.

He makes a living by illegally occupying empty flats in and around Barcelona. Most of his targets are owned by banks or investment funds: he will blackmail owners into paying him hefty fees to leave, or sell the keys to low-income families who are desperate for a place to stay and will move in once he is gone.

Since 2021, he has been sued 225 times over the scheme and detained 31 times – but he has never been to jail, because in Spain his offences are classed as minor misdemeanours and punishable only by fines.

Authorities in Barcelona are at their wits’ end, but as long as he continues to pay his fines, there is little they can do. That is how the law works.

In February this year, an exasperated judge took the most drastic measure yet: he barred Marc from entry into his native Saint Boi. The judge said: “He has made crime, especially in Sant Boi, his way of life for nearly four years.”

Marc simply shifted his sights to other towns in the province of Barcelona and has been operating undisturbed since.

Authorities do not know how much the scheme has fetched the squatter so far.

But in April this year, Marc threatened a property fund manager that he would occupy a house in Arenys de Munt, north-east of Barcelona, unless he was paid €17,000.

On that particular occasion the manager refused to oblige, and Marc sent back photographs of

the house had no electricity.

About a himself strutting into the property after he had month later, on May 15, power went out across the entire disabled the anti-squatting system.

But most owners prefer to cave in to Marc’s de- Arenys de Munt urbanisation.

A resident in Arenys relied on a respirator to mands and pay him to leave.

In Spain, when squatters illegally occupy prop- survive, so the electric company was forced to erty, the resulting court cases can drag on for intervene urgently. two or three years before an eviction order is Technicians traced the blackout to the house issued, so it is simply cheaper and faster to occupied by Marc and his associates.

The property owners pressed charges, and buckle and pay up. the group is now under invesPart of the problem is that Marc tigation for their most serious embodies a legal paradox. alleged offence to date, La Spanish legislation is designed Some 11,000 Vanguardia has reported, after to protect vulnerable tenants jeopardising the life of a local from fast-track evictions, but people were resident. the law is routinely exploited by In late May, officers returned investigated squatters for profit. to the house to find Marc was And despite the flurry of court or arrested for gone. A Romanian man had cases and injunctions against occupied the flat in his place – Marc, repeat offending is not squatting and even begun the process of considered an aggravating facregistering as a resident. tor in squatting cases.

Authorities believe the man Another issue is that Marc does not work alone. Police investigations have de- bought the keys from Marc.

In 2024, according to Idealista, more than scribed him as part of a structured group.

Different members handle different stages of 11,000 people were investigated or arrested the operation: scouting vacant flats, forcing en- for squatting in Spain – a record high, up 17% try, disabling alarms, negotiating payouts, and from previous years. ultimately selling the keys to new occu- Meanwhile, more than 23,000 properties listed for sale by September 2025 were identified pants.

Marc is often the face as being ‘illegally occupied’. of the break-ins, but That is about 3% of all property listings on maofficers say the jor real estate sites. network extends Squatting in Spain has become more than a across several towns legal headache – it is a mirror of the housing in the greater Barce- crisis, where empty apartments sit unused lona area, allowing while demand for affordable homes spirals out them to move quick- of control. ly when pressure The law struggles to keep pace, leaving both residents and authorities caught in a cycle mounts in one place.

On April 15, the day after of frustration and compromise – as people Marc blackmailed the fund like Marc seize the opportunity to prey on the manager over the Arenys de wealthy and the vulnerable alike.

Munt property, police turned In July, after Marc broke into the Cardedeu up at the house to find another man – apartment, police were called to the scene.

When officers called out to him from the street named as Ivan S. – lounging inside.

The squatter casually informed officers below, Marc emerged on the balcony brandishing a chair and threatened to toss it at them. that Marc had moved in.

When they pointed to loose cables snak- Sued over the incident, Marc is now scheduled ing across the floor, Ivan said he was to face trial in January 2026. By then, he may “making some adjustments” because have occu- pied dozens more homes.

By Alessio Ghirlanda

AI pick the lucky BE LUCKY! Can numbers for Spain's

W

ITH just weeks to go until the much-anticipated 2025 Christmas Lottery Draw, AI has entered the game, offering its predictions on the ‘luckiest’ numbers to snag the famous El Gordo prize.

As the December 22 draw approaches, thousands of hopeful punters are turning to artificial intelligence to help pick their lucky decimos (lottery tickets), hoping to get a bit of tech magic on their side.

The AI-driven predictions are based on data analysis of historical patterns, trends, and numbers that have appeared most frequently in previous years.

It’s a high-tech twist on Spain’s oldest and most beloved tradition, where, despite it being a game of chance, players believe these insights might offer them an edge.

HOW AI IS ‘PICKING’ THE WINNERS AI-powered programs don’t just pluck numbers out of thin air – they analyse decades of past draws, studying which numbers have won the most often, as well as identifying lucky number patterns, repeating sequenc-

‘El Gordo’ Christmas lottery? asks Dilip Kuner es, and geographical trends.

While experts insist that lotteries remain ultimately a game of luck, many punters find the data-driven suggestions a fun and interesting way to make their choices, moving beyond gut feeling and superstition.

THE TOP 5 NUMBERS TO WATCH IN 2025 According to one of the most popular AI prediction systems, these are the five lucky numbers to consider for the 2025 Christmas Lottery Draw: 1. 5.213 – This number stands out thanks to its recurrent appearances in winning combinations over the years. While not a top pick traditionally, AI suggests it has the potential to strike gold.

2. 22.202 – For fans of numbers with repeating patterns, this one’s a top recom-

mendation. AI has flagged it due to the repetition of the number ‘2’, a sequence that has popped up in past winners.

3. 13.406 – Breaking with superstition, this number features the often "cursed" number 13. However, the data shows that historically, numbers considered unlucky have still bagged big prizes, making it a

December 17th - December 30th 2025

The Olive Press highlights three ways in which YOU can help this Christmas Ai image

Time TO GIVE

7

By Rachel Gore

I

T’S officially the giving season; a time where many not only purchase presents for their loved ones but also donate to those in desperate need.

So with Christmas around the corner, the Olive Press is spotlighting some ways that you can give back during this year’s festive period.

TIS THE SEASON:

Age in Spain Urgently requesting that the local community support its latest initiative is Age in Spain, a charity that believes companionship is a vital gift to give during this holiday season.

Their new campaign, ‘Nobody should be alone at Christmas’, focuses on their Friendline which offers weekly calls between volunteers and isolated older people in Spain.

The chats bring joy, encouragement, and human connection to ‘thousands of older foreign residents who face loneliness’.

This isolation is particularly felt during the festive period - for many, family are overseas and language barriers make communication challenging.

Therefore, through Friendline, Age in Spain trains a team of volunteers who provide a ‘safe, friendly, and non-judgemental space where older people feel seen, heard, and valued’.

A half an hour long conversation is had between each pairing at a regular time every week with the volunteers and elderly being carefully matched through the sharing of basic information.

‘You come off the phone and you feel like life is worth carrying on,’ said one Friendline customer.

This Christmas the charity is calling for individuals to support this initiative so that no one has to deal with loneliness and sadness alone in the coming weeks, or at all.

One does not have to volunteer to support Friendline, a simple donation goes

bold but potentially lucky choice.

4. 37.808 – A number with symmetry and mathematical progression, it stands out in the AI’s analysis. Similar patterns have shown up in previous winners, making it one to watch this year.

5. 61.739 – This number is statistically significant, with AI finding a consistent recurrence in past draws. Its combination of digits has made it a standout in the predictions for 2025.

CAN AI ACTUALLY PREDICT RANDOM OUTCOMES? Well, not really. Mathematicians agree that a true random draw can’t be predicted by any system, no matter how clever.

While AI can spot trends and patterns in past results, each lottery draw is independent, so patterns from previous years don’t hold much predictive power.

But AI’s predictions can still offer intriguing insights into the historical distribution of winners, showing which numbers have appeared more often in the past.

But don’t bet the farm on it, experts warn – it’s like looking at roulette results: past spins don’t affect future outcomes.

HELPING HAND: Christmas is the perfect time to give to thoe in need a long way.

Just €10 matches an elderly person with a volunteer, €25 covers a month of weekly calls, and €50 funds the training and supervision of new volunteers, who are essential for Friendline’s continuity.

Donating now will help towards Age in Spain’s aim that no older person faces Christmas, or any other week, without a friendly check in from someone who cares.

Blood donation Another way to give back this Christmas is through blood donation an act which those who lived in Britain between 1980 and 1996 can now participate in.

Spain had prohibited people who fitted into this category from donating blood due to fears that they could transmit the human form of ‘mad cow disease’ (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) from being exposed to the illness during its UK outbreak in the 1980s and 90s.

That was until this summer, when a long awaited rule change permitted those who lived in the UK during this time period to donate blood.

A scientific advancement showed that the actual risk of transmission of ‘mad cow disease’ through these individual’s blood is extremely low - therefore Spain has copied the move made by other countries, such as Australia, the US and Hong Kong, and changed their rules.

This change is particularly relevant on the Costa del Sol due to the high number of Brits in the area who previously could not give blood.

Donating blood is vital as it cannot be fabricated but is essential for surgery, transplants, cancer treatments, and many medical emergencies.

One donation can save up to three lives according to the Centro de Transfusion Tejidos y Celulas de Granada.

What you donate is usually only 10% of what you possess, a percentage that in

no way interferes with the work that your organs carry out.

Therefore there is no reason not to give blood this year, every single donation saves lives.

For more details visit your local region’s website.

Cudeca Cudeca Hospice, which is based in Malaga and has pioneered palliative care in Spain, has launched a new donation campaign, titled ‘You are the key piece’, which will run through the festive period and into the new year.

Aiming to raise €355,000 for their Inpatient Care Unit, the charity is appealing to the public in this campaign which marks their 20th anniversary.

Cudeca sends teams to care for patients at home and also has a Daycare Centre in addition to its Inpatient Care Unit.

‘You are the key piece’ focuses on the latter which costs €735,000 to run annually - €380,000 of this is covered through a contract with Andalucian Health with the rest being raised entirely through crowdfunding.

“The care Cudeca provides is totally free, it offers medical help to patients but also emotional support to them and their families,” said Marisa Martin, the Manager and Medical Director of Cudeca Hospice.

The hospice cares for adults and children alike with its Inpatient Care Unit having ten beds and treating 240 individuals every year.

Demand for palliative care is growing - in 2024, over 300,000 people in Spain required care of this kind but only half were able to access it.

Every donation to Cudeca ‘is a key piece in continuing to provide specialised care and dignity to those who need it most,’ says Martin.

By the end of this year Cudeca’s spending is set to reach €8 million, highlighting the complexity of the services it provides.

So this Christmas become a ‘key piece’ in the work that Cudeca does - your donation will support so many.

Gift an Olive Press subscription to your loved ones with 30% off

T

HE Christmas season is now fully upon us, as is the interminable search for suitable gifts to shower on our friends and family – and in-laws.

Why settle for another pair of socks or a generic box of chocolates when you can give the gift of what’s going on in Spain, delivered directly to their inbox?

This year, give a gift that really does keep on giving all the way up until next Christmas – an annual subscription to the Olive Press for your friends, family, or anyone who loves Spain.

For a limited time, you can purchase an annual digital gift subscription at a special Christmas discount of 30% off!

What they'll get with an Olive Press Digital Subscription: ● Unrivalled coverage: Access to all our in-depth news, features, and investigations across Spain, covering everything from travel and culture to politics and property. ● Breaking news of what is going on in Spain, from costa content to national news and how Spain interacts with the world. ● Exclusive content: Dive into our archives and enjoy content not available anywhere else. ● Delivered daily: A clean, easy-to-read digital edition delivered straight to their inbox every week. ● Support independent journalism: Help us continue delivering the trusted, vital news that matters to the expat community and lovers of Spain worldwide.

Don't miss out on this fantastic offer. Spread the Christmas cheer with the best of Spain!

Offer valid until December 31st.

Happy Holidays from the Olive Press team!

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951154841 for more info

8

GREEN

17 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS Scan to find out more

December 17th - December 30th 2025

Catastrophe calling Desertification threatening huge areas of Spain as land dries up

THE Balearic Islands and Murcia on the mainland are hurtling towards an ecological catastrophe, with a staggering 85% of the archipelago and an incredible 99.8% of Murcia facing desertification.

New findings from the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), paint a terrifying picture: years of relentless human pressure, from farming and livestock to the massive tourism industry, are pushing the islands to the point of no return.

A new report, the first-ever De-

By Dilip Kuner

sertification Atlas of Spain, has unified the work of dozens of experts to reveal the shocking scale of the nation’s environmental crisis.

Spain has been over-exploiting its natural wealth for too long, and the consequences are now brutally clear. The Balearics are a major flashpoint, with huge tracts of once-vibrant land becoming increasingly barren.

Nearly 40% of Spain's entire

TEST APPROVAL

territory is now caught in the grip of desertification.

The crisis is widespread, but the Balearics are singled out as a critical hotspot with an alarming 85% of land deteriorating rapidly.

The Region of Murcia leads the grim statistics, with a devastating 99.8% of its land now classified as arid.

The Atlas confirms that 43.35% of Spain is officially vulnerable to degradation. Even more concerning, 60.94% of the country's existing dry zones are

already showing unmistakable signs of desertification. This totals an immense 206,203 km².

The devastation is clearly ELON Musk’s Tesla has been given a major boost after seen in areas the Spanish government approved nationwide tests of like Alicante, its fully self-driving vehicles – without a human onwhere a chillboard. ing 98.9% of The decision makes Spain the leading European testing arid land is ground for Tesla’s Full Self Driving system, FSD, allowunder threat. ing more than a dozen cars to operate in real conditions Valencia folwith no limits on time, traffic or routes. Onboard safety lows with operators will be optional, while remote monitoring is 81.9%, and permitted under a deal that runs until November 2027.

Castellon But the move comes as Tesla sales continue to stall in with 57.3%.

Spain. Industry group ANFAC revealed that new regisExperts warn trations fell 8.75% in November to 1,532 vehicles comthat Spain is pared to the same month in 2024, despite a 103% surge rapidly losing in overall electric car sales. its ability to The slump mirrors a wider European backlash, with sustain its hissales plunging 58% in France and 49% in Denmark. torically fertile regions.

Hotels • Homes • Restaurants • Hammam +34 956 447 730

califavejer.com

Plaza de España 16, Vejer de la Frontera

DRYING UP: Swathes of Spain are turning into desert At the very core of this environmental nightmare is Spain's profound water scarcity. Jaime Martínez Valderrama, a lead project scientist, highlighted a crucial fact: four out of five Spaniards now reside in arid zones. The attraction of the ‘mild climate’ is masking a growing resource conflict.

Martínez Valderrama stressed that managing water is paramount.

Spain is drastically over-consuming its water supply.

The scientific consensus is clear: we need urgent, multifaceted solutions, including vast improvements in wastewater recycling, greater reliance on desalination, and essential upgrades to water networks to halt catastrophic leakage.

The experts behind the Desertification Atlas hope their 66 detailed maps - covering everything from climate to biodiversity - will force political leaders to finally make sensible, longterm decisions about land and water management.

One major opportunity is better water recycling. Urban centres use 4,000 cubic hectometres of water annually, yet currently, only a mere 12% of this is being recycled for a second use.

The clock is ticking. The 85% desertification rate in the Balearics is an alarm bell.

With climate change accelerating the decay and over-exploitation causing irreversible damage, immediate action is no longer optional.

All about www.theolivepress.es

COSTA DEL SKI

December 2025

The Sierra Nevada is the perfect winter escape for adrenaline-seekers, writes Iona Napier (above), recalling her ‘pizza-shaped’ teaching tips with an Olive Press ski virgin

I

T had been a tricky day on the slopes for ski virgin Rob Horgan.

And after a rather ambitious blue run with three consecutive wipeouts, his sense of humour had vanished without trace.

“There’s no way I’m skiing down that,” he barked at me. “I’ll walk up, get my ski and take the lift down.”

His grimace was all too apparent despite the layers of scarf, hat and goggles. And this time, fair enough, as he’d tumbled down at least 25 metres past one of his skis, that perched precariously on the edge of the run.

I was playing mother hen on an outing with a group of Olive Press colleagues.

While a few of us had been skiing for years, a couple of them only knew the sport from the BBC’s Ski Sunday.

SNOW AND SUNBATHING: The Sierra Nevada has consistent snow from early December to May, when revellers come skiing in bikinis and swimming trunks It was always going to be a testing outing and it didn’t help that the rest of our impatient group had zoomed back to base for a hot chocolate, without a second thought for Rob. I had ended up becoming his impromptu ‘professor’ and after rescuing his ski and giving

him a bit of gentle cajoling, we set off down the highest mountain in peninsular Spain, making ‘giant pizza slices’, as my first teacher had called them, with our skis.

He was soon back in the saddle and I was considering a career change, as I later sped

down the Olympic run, in the Laguna valley.

Perhaps southern Spain’s most amazing view, from the top of the Laguna slope you survey not just most of the Med and half the Costa del Sol, but in the distance the Rif mountains of north Africa.

It was the beginning of the perfect Sierra Nevada weekend, with perfect powder snow, bright sunshine and some of Spain’s best après ski.

The Sierra Nevada is easily Spain’s top skiing resort, with 134 pistes spread over 110kms, all above 1200 metres in height.

The longest piste, Aguila, is a dreamy 6.3km of easy turns and magnificent views, while the series of black runs, including Trampolin and Visera, that will test most skiers.

Bikini run Of course the resort is most famous for allowing tourists to test the adage of being able to ski in the morning and sunbathe on the coast, a cava in hand, by late afternoon.

And on the subject of sunbathing, some fanatics - including me even brave the slopes in a bikini for the last day of the season in late April or early May (‘la bajada en bikini’, as it’s called).

Believe me, it’s an unmissable day festooned with champagne, near nudity and plenty of hedonism.

But it’s not just for fun junkies; expert skiers insist the snow, particularly in springtime, is a soft and sumptuous ride, unlike the tightly-packed icy pistes found in many European resorts.

The long termers call it ‘cream snow’ (nieve crema), and most say it is at its best from February to April, although the season often begins in late November, as it did this year, weather permitting.

Best of all, the price for passes has not gone up much over reContinues overleaf

10

December 2025

All about

The Sierra Nevada’s stunning slopes offer snowboarding thrills and spills

From front page

All a-board

CARVE UP: Superpark Sulayr and, below, Jesus and South Star

W

ITH snow like fine powder, the Sierra Nevada is a Mecca for thrill-seeking snowboarders.

For beginners and experts alike, Spain’s highest resort is a glorious setting and gets more and more popular by the year.

Stunning scenery is matched by the top-class facilities, which saw the resort host the Snowboard World Championships in 2017.

Novices should head to Borreguiles, where lifts deposit snowboarders on a smooth and groomed area where they can hone their skills.

Once ready, or for those of a higher standard, they then need to head up to the SuperPark Sulayr, Europe’s largest freestyle snowboard park.

At 2,700 metres on Borreguiles, Spain’s most famous snowboarding park also houses the country’s biggest halfpipe. Measuring an astonishing 165 metres in length with a height of six metres, the special design flattens the snow

on the side of the half-pipe so boarders can jump on both sides.

For the best deals in snowboarding equipment and rentals visit South Star, which has three shops in the resort.

cent years (from €50 for an adult day pass depending on time of year, with children from €30).

“It’s a magnificent place with sun and a great location,” explains Mercedes Delgado, who has worked in the resort’s admin team for over three decades.

“The temperature is usually pleasant and makes for excellent snow conditions, with late night skiing too, and the season usually continues to May making it very versatile.”

She continues: “And our proximity to Granada city is a huge plus, whereas many European resorts are very isolated.

“You can come to the Sierra Nevada and also see the Alhambra, eat some famous Granada tapas.. . there is something for everyone.”

She is one of many long-timers, who have worked in the resort for verging on half a century.

Take a wonder around and chat to the various business owners and you’ll be amazed at how experienced they are.”

Take Brits Giles Birch and Jonathan Buzzard, who set up their well known British Ski Center (yes, American spelling) in the 1990s.

And having worked here for 30 odd years, they are still relatively young, by local standards, with plenty of the Spaniards here having done five decades on the slopes, be it teaching or running hotels or restaurants.

Mix One of the best things about the Sierra Nevada is the great mix of visitors.

The strategic location is near the beach, not far from Madrid, and perfectly accessible from most of southern Spain (Valencia, Murcia etc) and Portugal.

While there is a loyal expat crowd, who flock in from the costas, the majority of the skiers are Spanish.

They are particularly drawn to the resort’s authenticity and charm that swanky French resorts have long since lost, with prices to match.

The place was quietly successful in the 1980s, but grew massively since the world ski championships in 1995.

Spanish is still the lingua franca – although virtually all restaurateurs speak English.

By contrast, in high-end Swiss re-

11

December 2025

POCKET-FRIENDLY RESORT

The Sierra Nevada is incredibly good value, blasting the international competition out of the water. A day ski pass averages at around €55, while Colorado’s Beaver Creek charges often over €250 per day, Whistler in Canada over €100 and Switzerland’s Zermatt costs from €93.75 and Meribel from €69. In terms of ski hire it comes in around €25, while skiwear is found as cheaply as €20 per day, with a small helmet supplement which is a must, regardless of your vanity. sorts or in France’s Courchevel or Meribel, where the super-rich walk their Chihuahuas in white skin-tight salopettes, you’re hard pushed to find a native French speaker.

The resort is very family friendly, with the majority of the runs at a beginner or intermediate level.

There are several zones purpose-designed for little ones: with magic carpet lifts, bike-skiing and toboggan runs for kids

or non-skiers.

More experienced skiers - and hundreds of snowboarders head to the Sulayr Terrain Park, where there are well over 100 different ramps and rails, with the largest ski-jump in Europe.

The cool kids also hang out in the Loma de Dilar area, which boasts the biggest permanent half-pipe in Spain, with a cross country ski and snowboard run.

And it’s not just the class ski-

ing that keeps punters coming back, the nightlife and restaurants are second to none.

And the Sierra Nevada’s businesses are delighted to meet you, friendly down to earth businesses that do not mock their customers with ski-high prices.

Try Nichi at Bar Ski for some apres-ski vibes of the highest calibre… his bar and the ones around it are perfect for a cheeky beer or glass of wine be-

‘The Finland of Andalucia’

● Angel Ganivet, Spanish Consul to Helsinki, gave birth to the idea of turning Sierra Nevada into a ski resort at the end of the 19th century. He likened his Granada homeland to the ‘Finland of Andalucia’ in a local newspaper. ● 1898 marked the creation of Diez Amigos Limited, a group that led skiing excursions around the area. ● Thanks to their continued success, the organisation was able to create the first youth hostel in the area not long after rebranding itself Sociedad Sierra Nevada in 1912. ● The main road from Granada to Sierra Nevada and a cable car were both put in place at the beginning of the 1920s, which allowed more people to discover the joys of snow-oriented fun. ● The boom years of the resort began in 1964, when Centros Turísticos S.A. (CETURSA), was created, allowing its rapid development. ● Sierra Nevada is the southernmost ski station in Europe and sits at the highest point in Spain. ● The station hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships in 1996. It has also welcomed several Alpine Ski World Cup events, with the first in 1977. In addition, it has been the main venue for the Winter Olympics. ● In 2017, Sierra Nevada hosted the FIS Snowboard and Freestyle World Championships, a major international contest put together by the board of the International Ski Federation.

fore heading to one of the nearby restaurants.

Looking for a bit of the high life, you will easily find yourself distracted by Marbella Club’s exclusive outposts, El Lodge and its sister hotel the Meribel.

It’s fair to say that perhaps half

of those who stay in these stunning joints don’t even ski.

These are the sort of top end places that rival anywhere in Ibiza or Cannes, and keep the wealthy expats on the Costa del Sol more than happy whether

there is snow or not.

And you can easily get a slice of it (even a high-end pizza slice) for a lot less money than you might realise as their restaurants are open to everyone.

12

December 2024

All about

A new generation is slip-sliding into position to take over the famous expat-run British Ski Center in the Sierra Nevada

WHERE TO EAT

We are family!

W

ITH over 60 years’ experience between experience and web building to good use to source them on the famous Granada slopes, clients for lessons and offer travel packages to the it is perhaps understandable that ski Sierra Nevada. dynamos Giles Birch and Jonathan Buz- Buzz, who had already been running a summer zard are looking at some succession planning. paragliding business along the beaches of MarbelWhile Jonathan's daughter Tasha, has been a la, was looking to expand upon his already well-deteacher at their well-established British Ski Center veloped winter client base and between them they business, his son Harry has now also joined the developed the British Ski Center ski school and it’s team. complementary holiday booking agency, Sierra EsGiles' daughter Carlota has recently begun com- sence. peting for the UK’s GB Snowsports federation spe- Their collision over Glühwein under the Sevencialising in the Moghuls freestyle discipline and oc- ties-style glitter balls at Crescendo, quickly led to casionally lends a hand, while his Portuguese wife an alliance to cater for a rapidly growing invasion is a fellow teacher too. of British skiers.

"They were all sliding down black runs by the age Helping them from the airport to the slopes, sortof five, so it's no surprise most of them have gone ing out accommodation, lift passes and all, ended into winter sports as a career," explains Jonathan up being a successful business.

- better known as 'Buzz' - who spends half the year "I was looking for the ideal transport rep to support working for a yacht delivery business. me whilst working for Neilson Ski" recalls Giles.

The pair had first met trying to look cool at the sem- "I was told that Crescendo was the place to find inal Crescendo bar at the foot of the slopes back in the Brits-in-the know... and next thing in walks Buzz the mid-1990s. with just the right attitude, wearing a long flashers Giles as resort mac, 'big hair' and a friendly, outgoing persona." manager for Buzz was soon helping to divide and rule the arrival Neilson Ski tour of four full flights from the UK on a Sunday. operator and "We pooled resources, and we were certainly not Jonathan as an treading on anybody's toes, because we were foalready estab- cusing specifically on the English-speaking market. lished instructor "Unsurprisingly back then there were hardly any working with the instructors who spoke English, so we found ourInternational Ski selves expanding rapidly with the demand."

Still great mates some three decades on, they School.

Giles then qual- now have a fully staffed office next to the popified as a ski in- ular Tia Maria restaurant right by the main ski structor in 1998 lift up from Pradollano, and another office as working for the a meeting point for all lessons up in the BorreSpanish Ski guiles ski area.

School where They cater for hundreds of customers a month, as he began put- well as sorting out numerous trips, each year.

EXPERIENCED: Owners ting his previous Jonathan and Giles tour operations Visit www.britishskicenter.co.uk for more info.

BRAND NEW: The style of La Muralla and its range of wines is impressive

T

HEY used to spend the morning buying seafood in Motril, the afternoon in Mercadona and the early evening bashing out dough for the pizza oven.

Nowadays the restaurateurs on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada have to think days, often weeks in advance, while sitting back and resting on the laurels will get you nowhere.

And that’s no surprise looking at the quality of the new joints that have opened in the resort over the last couple of years.

Everything from style to comfort and quality to service has gone up 100% in the two decades I’ve been writing about the place.

You literally cannot stand still in Pradollano and you have to be constantly upping your game.

Long time stalwart La Muralla is a great example and one of the most attractive restaurants I’ve seen this year, since moving to a new base 100 metres away.

Partly shaped out of a cave, it has so many amazing touches, like the hidden electric fireplace, that seeing is believing.

One for the stylemeisters, no expense has been spared on the design, and thankfully the kitchen is still up to scratch serving up a great range of dishes with the milhoja of foie gras and the melt-inthe-mouth carillada bulls

Est.2002

Sierra Nevada

English Ski & Snowboard Instructors

Holiday Arrangements:

sierraessence@skisierranevada.co.uk

info@britishskicenter.co.uk T: 670 461330 www.skisierranevada.co.uk

13

December 2025

INGREDIENTS: The quality of local produce and skills of chef Tomeu (right) are key to Tito Tapas

The quality of the dining in the Sierra Nevada gets better each year, writes Jon Clarke (right)

HIGH

TABLES cheek among my favourites.

Owner Gonzalo Funes has always focussed on attention to detail and quality meats, thanks to his Argentinian roots, but now he has the venue and a wine list to match. Good luck to him.

Almost as stylish is Tito Tapas, which is a riot of bamboo wooden walls, hip sackcloth chairs and olive wood tables.

Getting better by the season, this is the modern domain of mates Luis and Xavi, who have been grafting in the resort for the last few decades at longstanding Tito Luigi.

Their masterstroke was bringing in excellent Menorca chef Tomeu Carbonell, a pal of Xavi’s, to get creative in the kitchen.

That’s immediately clear, having recruited him from the celebrat-

ed three Michelin star cathedral of dining Azurmendi, in Bilbao.

Boy, does he know how to cook and, not only do his gyozas (below) taste as good as any you’ll eat in London’s Chinatown, his steak tartare taco is a true dish of kings.

But it’s his handling of wild local Boletus mushrooms that so impressed me, cooked up with a free range egg and pork jowl.

Meanwhile, his ‘crujiente’ of brie is amazing, while the artichokes with foie worked well.

For pudding you might fancy

a tapa of blue Stilton cheese soaked in port, of if you are like me go for the cheesecake, which you will not forget.

Their sister restaurant, Tito Luigi (actually there are two of them, with another higher up the hill) is a place for royalty with at least two kings of Spain, and three former Presidents having eaten here.

The walls pay tribute to them with signed photos-a-plenty from the likes of Jose Luis Zapatero, hidden upstairs coincidentally. You must also look out for the many other international film stars, sportsmen, singers and bullfighters.

There is a cave at the back and it can serve up to 250 people in a busy sitting, so expect to be blown away on busy nights and make sure you book in high season.

Expect some of the best pizzas Continues overleaf

PURE ELEGANCE IN THE SIERRA NEVADA, WINES BY THE GLASS, CREATIVE NEW TAPAS BY THE WEEK AMBIENCE: and gyozas and tacos at Tito Tapas

Edificio Montblanc – in front of Hotel Melia Sol y Nieve, Sierra Nevada

14

December 2025

All about

WHERE TO EAT From page 23

TEL: 6 2 3 2 5 2 1 8 7 / 9 5 8 6 2 9 6 2 5

in the resort, generally splendid Italian fare, while a stand out dish is easily the squid-ink spaghetti with prawns.

Another cool spot is Calambrito, and particularly if Mexican is your thing.

This is the mission of Alexa, who heralds from Malaga, but is a frequent visitor to the central American country, bringing back new flavours and styles, each winter.

It’s a fantastic one for kids who love nachos and tacos - and they even have a veggie option Nuggets de Cheddar, some eight chunks with jalapeno peppers.

An Azteca sopa is a chicken soup with cheese, avocado, tomato and Chipotle. It comes out piping hot and smelling great!

Alexa has worked hard to make this the most exciting joint on the slopes and there are hats to don and games to play (one with electric shocks that the kids will love).

“We have been to Mexico many times looking for new dishes,” she explains. “We actually went with all the key staff and investors this year and loved it.”

Chema, one of the partners, actually lived and worked in Mexico as a chef and this really shows.

Another great place to eat is Ci Vediamo, where chef Stevie Silva is constantly coming up with new dishes from his frequent travels abroad in summer.

He’s recently been to Thailand

RIOT OF COLOURS: Mexican delights at Calambrito and Bali, as well as Japan and South America, so you should get the picture.

He describes it as his ‘rebel food’ and his kitchen and waiting staff are always young and enthusiastic, most of them snowboarders like him.

I always enjoy his dishes like

shin-bone of beef (tuetano) that comes with a giant bright red langoustine from Huelva, while his ‘Tempura special’, if it’s on the specials list includes prawns, squid, courgettes and aubergine with a Tentsuyu soup (soya, vinegar and dashi). Told you about the Oriental touch.

FESTIVE FUN THE resort is one of the most festive places to be in Spain, and the Spaniards know it, as they descend in their droves for Christmas and New Year.

‘Nochebuena’ or Christmas eve, when the Spaniards celebrate the festive season with a huge family meal and lashings of turron, is usu-

ally a sell out.

Meanwhile ‘nochevieja’, or New Year’s Eve, where massive screens show the countdown in Madrid’s iconic Puerta del Sol, with grapes galore, is a riot.

For the eve of the Reyes on Jan 5 the three kings duly arrive on skis. Kids will love it.

15

December 2024

FRIENDLY FACES: Pizza chef and Xavi, and Luis at Tito Luigi

Right next door you will find the resort’s best burger joint, Muralla Burger, run by the Funes brothers, Luciano and Gonzalo.

It specialises in quality and the ‘gourmet’ burger is stunning, made from oxtail ‘rabo de toro’ with a thin slice of cheese and mayonnaise and cooked in its own juice.

The pair also run popular Las

Gondolas restaurant and cafe just off the slopes and excellent for some apres ski light bites, a hot drink or a beer.

This is one of my favourite spots to take in the sunshine after an afternoon’s skiing and it will be rammed at lunch, that is certain.

Also perfect for apres ski and enjoying the sunshine is Tia Maria, where you have the

PERFECT TERRACE: At Las Gondalas at nightfall

best view of the slopes.

A good place for breakfast, lunch or dinner, it is normally busy, thanks in part to its great value.

A total institution run by Carlos (part of the Tito Luigi family) this is the spot to chill out and enjoy the sun for the afternoon and early evening.

For coffee, breakfast, and in fact just about everything, Vertical is hard to beat and also has a great range of snacks and light bites, including hot dogs for the British clientele.

Another great simple joint, but with great home cooked food, is Telesilla Burger.

It is one of the most popular joints with workers in the resort and the menu del dia is excellent value and changes by the day.

For coffee, breakfast, and in fact just about everything, Vertical is hard to beat and also has a great range of snacks and light bites, including hot dogs for the British clientele.

Sierra Nevada’s coolest new restaurant ONLY the Best Beef!

Edif Mont Blanc, Sierra Nevada (in front of Melia hotel)

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CASHING IN

Gold coins among first treasures recovered from €15 billion Spanish galleon dubbed ‘richest shipwreck in history’ THE first treasures of an 18th-century Spanish galleon dubbed the ‘holy grail of shipwrecks’ have been brought to the surface, with over €15 billion of lucrative bounty thought to be lying on the seafloor.

Widely believed to be the richest shipwreck in history, three gold coins, a cannon and a porcelain cup have been recovered by Colombian researchers from San Jose, a Spanish ship that sank in 1708 in the Caribbean Sea.

TREASURE: The ‘richest shipwreck in history’

By Ben Pawlowski

The 64-gun galleon vanished during the Battle of Baru near Cartagena, Colombia, after a chastening encounter with a British squadron under the command of Charles Wager.

A volley of gunfire is believed to have ruptured the hull and set the vessel alight, sending San Jose plummeting towards the seabed.

Of its 600-strong crew, only 11 survived.

A member of the Spanish treasure fleet during the War of the Spanish Succession, the galleon’s wreck is believed to have gone down carrying a fortune in gold, silver and emeralds as it at-

DEPICTION: Of the San Jose being sunk tempted to ferry wealth from Panama back to the Iberian peninsula.

For centuries, its fortunes lay undisturbed until Colombian researchers located the wreck in 2015, lying at a depth of over 600 metres.

The discovery prompted a fierce custody battle involving Colombia, Spain, a US-based company and Latin American Indigenous communities.

Sea Search Armada (SSA), an American firm, claims it first located the wreck in the 1980s and struck an agreement with Colombia to share the site - as long as the company received a chunky share of the profits.

But the Colombian government refuted the claim and instead said they had the sole right to its fortunes as it lies

Life’s better with Lobster.

within the country’s territorial waters.

The government, currently headed by Gustavo Petro, has kept the exact location a secret and created a protected archaeological area to prevent the wreck being privately exploited.

Spain threw its hat into the ring, claiming the cargo remained Spanish public property under maritime and heritage law - but attempts to intervene were quashed at the Hague in 2023.

Some even argued that the fortune belonged to Indigenous communities in South America, as much of the treasure was largely extracted

by Spanish colonialists via forced or exploitative labour of the local population.

5G

Sad farewell THE legendary architect behind Bilbao’s iconic Guggenheim Museum, Frank Gehry (pictured), has died aged 96 following a brief respiratory illness.

Born in Toronto, Gehry moved to the US at 18 and went on to become one of the most influential architects of his generation.

His 1997 titanium-covered Guggenheim Museum (below) in Bilbao revitalised the city’s run-down port, boosting tourism and the local economy – a phenomenon now dubbed the ‘Bilbao effect’. In its first three years, almost four million visitors poured in, generating over €500 million.

Gehry also designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA and Paris’s Fondation Louis Vuitton. He is survived by his wife Berta Isabel Aguilera, two sons and two daughters from his first marriage.

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18

BUSINESS

SPANIARDS have rallied behind UK newspaper- after it ran a full-page advert accusing Spain’s tax agency of operating a ‘perverse’ system that punishes ordinary citizens.

The ad, funded by Amsterdam & Partners, claims the Hacienda rewards inspectors with bonuses tied to how

December 17th December 30th 2025

Ad reaction

much they collect – even when courts later overturn the bills.

Economist Marc Vidal said the ad simply states what many Spaniards have argued for years: a model that incen-

tivises inspectors to ‘collect first and justify later’, creating conflicts of interest and years of legal uncertainty.

Social media reaction was swift, with many calling the criticism ‘well deserved’ and praising an international outlet for exposing long-running frustrations with Spain’s tax bureaucracy.

NO ESCAPE

Spain’s tax agency will gain sweeping new powers to monitor every bank account in the country from 2026, as the government launches its toughest crackdown yet on tax fraud and money laundering.

From January 1, banks must supply the Agencia Tributaria with detailed monthly reports covering account balances, deposits, withdrawals, loans, and all card or digital pay-

By Walter Finch

ments. This includes transactions made via credit and debit cards, prepaid and virtual cards, mobile apps such as Bizum, and other electronic platforms.

Until now, banks were required to report only large or unusual transactions, along with annual account summaries. Smaller payments and

Rich get richer

SPAIN now has 32 billionaires after adding eight new ultra-rich individuals this year – but two thirds owe their fortunes to inheritance rather than entrepreneurship.

The findings come from UBS’s 2025 Billionaire Ambitions report, which tracks global wealth trends and the growing dominance of dynastic money.

Spain’s billionaire pool holds a combined €182 billion, equal to 11% of GDP, with wealth rising 21% in the past year. More

REAL-LIFE MONOPOLY

day-to-day card use often went unreported, authorities admitted.

Under the new system, banks will hand over far more data, far more often. The rules apply to both individuals and businesses, though the thresholds differ.

Freelancers, companies and professionals must report all payments they receive through cards or digital platforms, regardless of amount.

than half belongs to a single figure – Zara founder Amancio Ortega, whose €124 billion stake makes him Spain’s richest by far.

Only 34% of Spain’s billionaires are selfmade, one of the lowest ratios in Europe.

The rest inherited vast empires, including Inditex heirs Sandra Ortega and Marta Ortega, and the Del Pino siblings of Ferrovial.

Self-made fortunes are the exception, coming from the likes of Ortega, Mercadona boss Juan Roig and real-estate magnate Tomas Olivo, underscoring Spain’s status as a country dominated by legacy wealth.

Just like death, there is no evading taxes in Spain

Ordinary account holders will only be included if their annual card payments and charges exceed €25,000, or if they carry out significant cash deposits or withdrawals. Banks must also report all loans and credits issued, along with any cash movement above €3,000.

The reform follows repeated warnings about gaps in the old reporting system. Between 2016 and 2021, Spain lost an estimated €31 billion in corporate tax to “fiscal engineering”, according to El Pais. In 2022 alone, around €4.5 billion went uncollected due to fraud, evasion or errors.

Last year, however, the Agencia Tributaria recovered nearly €19 billion through two million inspections – a 13% rise on 2023. The new rules, in force since April, are designed to push oversight even further and tap into revenue the government believes is still slipping through the net.

You too can participate in the property market without committing your life savings

A

RE you tempted to buy a home before Spain’s rising property prices make them too expensive to afford?

In the game of Monopoly, we buy property so we can charge rent instead of paying it to other players.

In Spain, we buy property for similar reasons. What isn’t well known is that an alternative way to participate in the real estate sector has existed in Spain since 2012. One that doesn’t require committing much of our life savings.

It’s called a SOCIMI (Sociedad Anónima Cotizada de Inversión en el Mercado Inmobiliario).

Unlike the board game, we can’t buy SOCIMIs using Monopoly money. Nonetheless, they enable us to take part in the local real estate market without cashing in the bulk of our hardearned savings just to get started.

The game of Monopoly originated in the US in 1935, the UK version of the game began in 1936, and

Peter Dougherty • MBA in finance • MS in Spanish taxation • BS in economics • European Financial Planner in Spain • Certified Financial Planner ® in U.S. • Author of two financial planning books

Spain’s variation of Monopoly dates back to 1961. Coincidentally, 1961 is the same year that ordinary investors in the US were introduced to a new way to invest in real estate: the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). Prior to the creation of REITs, real estate investment was typically only available to those who could afford to buy and manage properties directly.

REITs changed that.

A REIT owns, operates or finances income-producing real estate and allows people to invest in that real estate by buying shares - just like buying stock in any other company. They were established to make real estate more accessible, diversified and liquid and they enjoy special tax benefits if certain requirements are met. Since they were first introduced in the United States, REITs have been established in a great many other countries includ-

ing Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and Germany.

The popularity of REITS is directly related to the numerous advantages they offer investors: ● Professional management ● Hedge against inflation ● Transparency: publicly traded REITs issue regular reports ● Investors gain access to highly diversified real estate portfolios ● Ease of valuation: like any other stock, REITs listed on an exchange are valued at market price ● Small minimum investment requirement ● Specific knowledge isn’t needed to invest in REITs vs. buying real estate directly SOCIMIs are the Spanish equiva-

lent of REITs. Since their creation in 2012, SOCIMIs give ordinary investors in Spain access to the real estate market in a diversified manner, with a low minimum initial investment, through a liquid product with favourable tax treatment. They provide investors with greater opportunities to access real estate assets.

Currently, more than 100 SOCIMIs are publicly listed in Spain.

Several conditions must be met to qualify as a SOCIMI: • At least 80% of its assets must be invested in land, urban real estate for leasing, or shares of other real estate companies ● Its properties must be held for at least 3 years ● At least 80% of its income must come from rental income or dividends from oth-

For more information, please visit the website www.financial-planning-in-spain.com

er real estate companies ● It must distribute most of its profits as dividends each year If all legal requirements are met, in most cases SOCIMIs pay 0% corporate income tax. Thus, unlike a typical company that pays corporate taxes and then passes after-tax dividends on to its investors who, in turn, pay individual taxes on the dividends they receive, SOCIMI income is taxed only once as a rule.

In the end, SOCIMIs may not come with Monopoly’s tiny green houses, but they’re redefining how the real estate board in Spain can be played.

(+34) 952 814 145 | RESERVATIONS@LASALABANUS.COM | WWW.LASALABANUS.COM

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

December 17th - December 30th 2025

Christmas cheer!

W

HILE globalisation has led us to expect a certain homogeneity on the high street - especially at this time of year when we can’t escape Jingle Bells as a soundtrack and Santa Claus as a motif - at the Christmas markets that pop up across Spain you’ll still find clues to long treasured traditions that are quintessentially Spanish.

Nowhere is this more apparent than at the annual Mercado de la Navidad in Spain’s capital where little wooden huts transform the cobbled square of Plaza Mayor into a veritable Santa’s grotto that won’t just get you into the Christmas spirit but provide a deep insight into Spanish traditions around the holiday season.

During the late 1800s when it was first

SWEET TREAT: Spanish cakes are for sale in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor Christmas market

OP QUICK CROSSWORD Across 7 Oil, to a garage man (4) 8 Soldiers’ wear (8) 9 Hot dish sounds cold (6) 10 Parade (6) 11 Italian sausage (6) 13 My Fair Lady song (4,2) 14 “--- Little Indians” (Agatha Christie) (3) 15 Le Carré’s superspy George --- (6) 17 Troubled lassie found in church (6) 19 Like Hawaiian shirts (6) 21 “Swann’s Way” author (6) 23 Spectator (8) 24 Chamber (4)

OP SUDOKU

Down 1 “You --- Know” (Alanis Morissette) (6) 2 Yacht stabilizer (4) 3 Dampness of the air (8) 4 Petty quarrel (4) 5 Vichyssoise base (8) 6 “Slim Shady” rapper (6) 12 Rag Ellen about nuts, for example (8) 13 False teeth (8) 16 Coconut rum (6) 18 Singer Sheena --- (6) 20 Nothing, on court (4) 22 Soup thickener aka lady’s fingers (4)

All solutions are on page 22

The streets are ablaze with colourful lights, Nativity scenes have appeared in plazas and the scent of roasted chestnuts is filling the air: it must be December and that means Christmas markets…everywhere!

By Fiona Govan

ed to their sale.

Back then while their parents would shop for food, children would gather in groups to sing villancicos - an olden day version of Christmas carolling - and although it’s unlikely you’ll come across modern day youngsters doing the same, you may spot zambombas, the little hand drums beaten to accompany the singing, still offered for sale among the Christmas decorations.

In Madrid’s Plaza Mayor, huge numbers of stalls are dedicated to the sale of Nativity decorations - for each

held in the Plaza Mayor, merchants from across Spain brought their luxury goods to the Christmas market. Once upon a time live turkeys were marched up the Calle Mayor in a cabalgata on Christmas eve when they would be slaughtered for the feast - until a municipal ban in 1894 forbade livestock in the city centre. Nowadays turkey isn’t considered much of a Christmas treat in Spain and families usu- Once they came home traditionally sets up its own ally dine on seafood and roasted in the form of Belén. These go way beyond the tradisuckling meats on Nochebuena tional figures you expect to find in the (Christmas Eve). peasants in a Holy scene. Alongside the handcarved Bakers and confectioners from white shirt and figurines of Mary, Joseph and the Baby across Spain would bring reJesus in a manger are the usual colgional specialities to sell at red beret lection of accolades; A donkey, some Christmas; crunchy almond tursheep, the shepherds, the wise men, rón from Alicante, crumbly cinperhaps riding camels and of course namon-dusted mantecado from an Angel.

Antequera, delicate marzipan made by cloisBut you’ll also find - in miniature - every aspect of tered nuns in Toledo and powdery polvorones village life, from a windmill to a washerwoman, to wrapped in brightly coloured paper. tiny market stalls laden with teeny replica fruit and Such dishes remain as much of a Christmas vegetables. Some families collect a new figurine to staple in Spain today as Quality Street chocplace in their Belén each year, replicating their own olates are in a British home and in markets villages or building one from their own imagination. across the country you’ll still find stalls dedicatOften Christmas markets are held in squares where the municipality has installed a Belén, some stretching across their own purpose built barn while others, such as the one in Alicante this year, are giant structures stretching into the sky.

Catalunya adds its own unusual twist to the tradition with the addition of a figurine known as a ‘caganer’ a Christmas crapper. You’ll find them squatting with their pants down in a corner of the Nativity scene, bare bottom visible above a little pile of poo in a tradition supposed to bring good luck and prosperity to every household.

Where once they came in the form of peasants in a white shirt and red beret they now depict famous figures from royalty and world leaders to sports icons and musical superstars. At a Catalan Christmas market you’ll find entire stalls dedicated to the sale of caganers with bestsellers listed each year Leo Messi and Donald Trump topped the charts last year.

Those in Catalunya should look out for another scatological figure, Caga Tió, a defecating log wearing a red beret and a big smile. Tradition dictates that the creature is placed in a fireplace where on Christmas Eve children thump it with a stick while singing a song urging it to poo out gifts to the well-behaved.

More familiar Christmas decorations such as fir trees and mistletoe will also be prevalent at your local Christmas market - the former usually sold in pots as there are bans on selling cut trees in many BELEN: Above and, below, choosing a caganer for Christmas!

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NAVIDAD IN MADRID: The Plaza Mayor Christmas market is a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike

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places across Spain, while harvesting mistletoe from the wild is illegal.

Of course you’ll find depictions of Father Christmas or Santa at Christmas markets, it is only relatively recently that he has become part of the Spanish festive season.

Traditionally it is the Three Kings - or Reyes Magos - that bring gifts to children and not until the eve of Epiphany. This highlight comes on the night of the 5th when processions are held across Spain with actors or local public figures dressing up as the magi to ride on elaborate floats and fling out candy to children lining the streets.

These days Spanish children expect stockings from Santa alongside their main gifts appearing on the morning of the 6th. Because if there is one thing better than getting presents - it’s getting presents twice!

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HEALTH

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FIND THE BALANCE

I

F there’s one thing that defines southern Spain, it’s the great food, the endless kilometres of coastline, the warm and open character of its people, and above all, the climate.

We live in a weather paradise where sunny days invite us to go outside and enjoy outdoor activities.

As a sports-loving physician, I’m often out practicing different activities, and I’ve noticed that sports like tennis still have incredibly loyal followers, as does golf, even with the rise of new sports such as padel and pickleball, which are starting to challenge the more traditional ones (I still consider myself firmly attached to those classic sports).

The truth is that the mix of excellent weather, the desire to stay fit, and the strong social component of these activities means we see more and more people every day who are truly passionate about them. But practicing these sports isn’t without a price, they often come with joint pain that limits our daily activities.

Even so, most of

In the third edition of his exclusive new Olive Press health column, Spain’s national football team head doctor Dr Claudio Vazquez explains how to avoid sports injuries

us are reluctant to give them up because of the pleasure, enjoyment, and endorphin release they provide.

THE RISKS OF SWING According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, up to half of all tennis injuries affect the elbow and shoulder.

Most are the result of poor technique, which creates biomechanical stress on the joints and leads to the dreaded tennis elbow or rotator cuff injuries.

If there’s one phrase that defines amateur golfers, it’s: “I never imagined my back could hurt this much.”

The swing, although it usually looks smooth, generates a huge amount of lumbar rotation. Studies show the forces placed on the spine during the swing can even exceed those

seen in some impact sports.

While lower back pain is the most common complaint, rotator cuff injuries, wrist tendinopathies, and hip issues due to repeated rotation are also frequent.

In the U.S., a recent study (Hess et al., 2023) found that pickleball-related injuries have increased by 90% since 2018, especially among people over 55.

Quick accelerations and sudden stops often in individuals who haven’t trained consistently in years lead to common injuries such as soleus tears (‘tennis leg’), Achilles tendinopathies, and ankle sprains.

On top of all this, the biggest risk factor is the continuous and repetitive nature of these sports, which leads to what we call overuse injuries.

At the start of physical activity, once the body warms up, tendinopathies tend to improve, allowing us to play relatively normally.

The real problem arises after finishing, when we cool down and the pain becomes constant, making everyday

tasks difficult.

The key to enjoying these sports more safely is combining them with strengthening and conditioning work.

A meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Lauersen et al., 2018) shows that strength training can reduce injury risk by up to 50%. Just two weekly sessions of 20 to 25 minutes focusing on the gluteus medius for hip and knee stability, core training (essential for both golf and tennis), and exercises for shoulder and wrist rotators significantly lowers the risk.

AND DON’T FORGET TECHNIQUE Even a single session with a tennis or golf instructor can reduce shoul-

der and lower back injuries by up to 50% (Elliott, J Sci Med Sport, 2006).

All these recommendations help, but the most decisive factor in preventing injuries is proper management of physical activity.

Sometimes the solution is something as simple as reducing the number of weekly sessions and combining your favorite sport with other activities.

In my consultations, I always say the same thing: it’s not about giving up what you love, it’s about balancing it with other sports or exercises that also bring you physical and mental well-being.

Finding that balance isn’t always easy, but it’s often the key to enjoying your sport without pain.

For more advise and consultations contact Doctor Claudio at his clinic at Vithas Almeria on 616169096 or Euroclinicas Vera on 950391300

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December 17th - December 30th 2025

Owl inclusive TWO American owls are living it up at a Spanish resort after a transatlantic journey on a luxurious cruise.

The pair of burrowing owls are currently enjoying a five-star ‘owl-inclusive’ break in Murcia after stowing away for a 4,500mile transatlantic voyage on one of the world’s most exclusive cruise ships.

The savvy pair, a mating couple from Miami, sneaked aboard the massive Royal Caribbean liner Allure of the Seas just before it departed Florida for a 12-night crossing to Spain. But they didn't settle for steerage.

Feathered freeloaders know how to travel in style

By Rachel Gore

Instead, the birds - a threatened species in the Sunshine State - bypassed the buffet and set up camp in the ship’s swanky ‘Central Park’ neighbourhood.

Surrounded by 12,000 real plants and al fresco dining, they spent nearly two weeks dodging the paparazzi (passengers with iPhones) and enjoying the high seas breeze.

Their free ride finally hit the rocks when eagle-eyed crew members launched a capture operation. While one was netted quickly, the other led staff on a wild goose chase, escaping capture until just hours before the ship docked in Cartagena.

Far from being thrown in the brig, the VIP detainees were handed over to Spanish officials and whisked away to the El Valle Wildlife Recovery Centre in Murcia.

There, they are currently enjoying a lavish quarantine ‘hol-

LUXURY: The owls sailed across the ocean in this ship iday’, dining on top-tier snacks before their next big adventure: a free flight back to the USA in mid-January, courtesy of the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

Amazingly, they aren’t the first.

In 2023, another burrowing owl enjoyed a two-week jaunt on the Symphony of the Seas.

Perhaps this pair heard the rave reviews on the grapevine and decided it was time for a European tour!

ROUGH TIME

WHAT was supposed to be a quick one-hour ferry ride from Algeciras, Spain, to Ceuta, Africa, turned into a three-hour vomit-inducing rollercoaster ride thanks to Storm Emilia.

The 3,500-ton ferry was tossed around like a beach ball, leaving passengers regretting every choice that led them to board the Ciudad de Mahon.

HUNTERS in the Valencian region will get €40 for every wild boar they manage to kill.

Environment minister, Vicente Martinez Mus, said they needed to combat rising boar numbers and to stop African Swine Fever from reaching the region.

Killed boars will be delivered to designated collection points for hunters to receive their fee.

The boar population is estimated to range between 100,000 and 200,000 in the region.

Action will also be taken in 353 hunting reserves and extra trap boxes will be installed.

“We need to maintain a buffer zone against swine fever,” said Mas.

Storm Emilia, wreaking havoc across the Strait of Gibraltar, had already canceled earlier sailings, and the boat was fully packed for the wild ride.

After a few hours of dodging waves and desperately trying not to lose lunch, the captain decided it was safer to turn around when he could not enter Ceuta port, leaving passengers to repeat the horrific voyage and causing some serious bumper-to-bumper damage to their cars.