Olive Press Costa Blanca issue 166

HEARTBREAK PLEA

By Walter Finch

THE devastated girlfriend of a Swedish restaurant owner who was dragged to his death during a savage street robbery in Torrevieja is begging for help to repatriate his body and pay his employees.

Entrepreneur Christian Pikulak, 30, was killed after being dragged several metres under a car when thieves snatched his mobile phone in the early hours of October 3.

His grief-stricken partner Vivienne Fondo (pictured with Christian) is now struggling to raise funds to bring his body home to Sweden and cover the wages of staff at his restaurant, Smashed Burger, which he opened on the Costa Blanca three years ago.

“My dear boyfriend Christian was subjected to a brutal robbery,” she wrote in a heartfelt online appeal. “He was dragged several metres when the thieves stole his mobile phone – and his life could not be saved.”

The attack happened around 4am on Calle Pedro Lorca when a group of youths in a car asked for directions.

As Christian pulled out his phone, one of them snatched it. He tried to resist but was dragged beneath the car as it sped off, while Vivienne watched in horror.

He remained in a coma at Elche Hospital for several days before dying on October 7.

Vivienne, now in Spain with Christian’s mother, says she is overwhelmed by the costs of transport, wages, and legal fees. “The insurance doesn’t cover anything,” she explained. Police are treating the case as murder and have traced the signal from Christian’s stolen iPhone to Alicante city.

See page 3

Eyes Out for All

The Olive Press is relaunching its ‘Smash the Spiking’ campaign with Sala Group Holdings to tackle the growing menace of drink spiking across the Spanish costas

By Jon Clarke

hospitality groups to highlight the growing danger of spiking. We are relaunching our Smash the Spiking campaign alongside Sala Group Holdings to warn and protect revellers in the run up to the festive period. As well as encouraging other nightclub and entertainment organisations to take a stand, we hope local politicians and law enforcement agencies

Our appeal comes after hearing a string of stories of victims - both men and women - being attacked around Spain this summer.

Such is the problem that Spain’s Equality Ministry began a series of initiatives to gather evidence and protect revellers at festivals and ferias around the country.

SMASH the SPIKING

The so-called ‘violet points’ were set up to help victims and witnesses of sexual harassment.

Named after the colour connected to the feminist movement, they were rolled out at Valencia’s Medusa Sunbeach Festival and also at Malaga feria.

a night out in Ronda, while a female intern was previously assaulted in the UK.

“I know as many as 20 people over the last five years who have been victims on the coast,” explained Sala Group boss Ian Radford.

have been spiked.

Staff will be trained to understand the ‘Ask Angela’ system that is big in the UK, as well as helping potential victims leave the venue safely, often by calling a taxi.

also support it.

Aiming to unite them under one umbrella, our message is simple: ‘Eyes Out for all!’

While we have been frustratingly unable to get clear, up-to-date statistics from the authorities, we have received various reports from readers and fellow holidaymakers.

Whether it is victims then having their watches snatched in a taxi queue, golfers falling out of a bar, or girls getting sexually assaulted on a beach, it is occurring far too often.

One of our journalists is even convinced his drink was spiked while on

“Mostly for robbery, as opposed to the sexual side luckily. But that is far too often.

“It is time to make a stop. We need to do something about it and as business owners we need to be responsible.”

The 56-year-old, who owns La Sala restaurant, The Clubhouse and another beach club, is pledging to tackle the crime head on by training up all staff and making CCTV available to anyone who believes they may

Based in Marbella for nearly three decades, the father-of-three adds: “We are committed to beating this problem. We will be looking out. Eyes out all the time and I urge all businesses in our sector to come and join us.

“We need to raise awareness with the support of local media.”

Have you been a victim?

Have you got something to add? Contact us at newsdesk@theolivepress.es

BACKING:

From La Salas boss

Ian Radford (below)

Wet weekend

WARNINGS of heavy downpours up to Sunday have been forecast for large parts of the Valencian Community.

Day off

VALENCIA Day is celebrated today(Thursday) as a regional bank holiday with many institutions closed and altered shop hours.

Grape snatch

TWO Spaniards were caught red-handed by police stealing 100 kilos of bagged table grapes from a Vinapolo vineyard.

Book swap

TRAVELLERS using Murcia’s Corvera airport can now take advantage of a new book-exchange area next to the boarding gates.

A HOMELESS man died after a fellow rough-sleeper stabbed him with part of an umbrella in a Valencia doorway. An Algerian national, 31, was remanded in custody by a court following the death of the 37-year-old Moroccan victim. An argument broke out over sharing a blanket in a building entrance in the city’s Plaza Viriato.

UMBRELLA KILLING

The Moroccan then wanted to use an umbrella which belonged to the Algerian, as rain poured into the porch they were sleeping in. He refused and stabbed him multiple times with one of the umbrella’s

iron rods.

As the victim lay in a pool of blood, the aggressor just rolled over to sleep on some cardboard. The police said that both men had been drinking alcohol.

Got away with it

Ex-mayor is convicted of illegal villa scam that hoodwinked British buyers, but stays out of jail

A FORMER mayor of Lliber, Jose Mas, has been convicted of fraud over fake licences granted to allow the building of 290 illegal villas

The properties were marketed at between €300,000 to €500,000 to United Kingdom and European buyers.

Construction took place in the Marina Alta town between 1999 and 2003 on land which was classified as non-developable.

Prospective purchasers were given assurances that there

By Alex Trelinski

would be no problems, but were left high and dry as builders vanished before everything was finished.

A British pensioner couple said in 2009 that they had to fork out an extra €20,000 to get their villa completed only to then discover there was no water or electricity connection. It was all topped off by the news that they held an illegal licence

BEACH THIEVES

THREE thieves nabbed a woman’s backpack when she went for a swim at Alicante's Postiguet beach. Witnesses told her what happened and provided descriptions to the police of the two male robbers and a female. Within minutes, a police patrol spotted the trio close to several pawn shops in the city centre. They were arrested and officers found a key to the victim's car which had been thrown into a waste bin.

EX-MAYOR: Jose Mas has managed to avoid a jail term

from the local council produced by the municipal architect, Amador Signes, who was paid to execute the fraud.

The Alicante Provincial Court said many of those affected by the scam ‘would not have bought land and had homes built if they had known about the difficulties and illegalities regarding construction’.

Jose Mas was found guilty of fraud along with Amador Signes and three developers. They were each given two-year prison terms which they will not serve as they were first offences.

A mitigating factor in a ‘lowish’

sentence from the court was the ‘undue delay’ in bringing the case to trial.

Mas and Signes were also fined €1,800 each for the crime of urban prevarication.

Two other developers were acquitted of fraud and urban prevarication.

Also cleared of urban prevarication were three councillors at the time illegal approval was granted including the current Lliber mayor, Jose Juan Reus. Two ex-councillors died before the matter was finally resolved after the initial arrest of some of those accused including Masway back in 2009.

Caught

out by GPS

A FRENCH fugitive wanted for murder stole a boat from his native country but was arrested on the AP-7 motorway thanks to the craft’s GPS tracker.

Two men took the €120,000 vessel from the marina at SaintCyr-sur-Mer.

They then coupled it up via a trailer to their SUV before fleeing the same day to Spain. The boat’s active GPS unit revealed they were in Alicante province with the Guardia Civil waiting to pounce on the car by the Tibi service area on the AP-7.

The driver didn’t stop, leading to a chase over several kilometres before he pulled over on a slip road. Officers found a second man trying to hide between the rear seats of the SUV.

A check revealed he had a European Arrest Warrant in his name for murder.

AN ALICANTE man has been arrested over a residency scam which allowed his mother to get €9,000 of free health treatment. The Policia Nacional said he fraudulently used the ‘letter of invitation’ system to get family members into Spain. Both of his parents were registered at the same address which was his home. After the 90-day stay limit passed, they had not left Spain and accessed the health system.

ROD’S ORIENTAL DATE

POP legend Rod Stewart has chosen Valencia for his only concert in Spain next year.

The veteran will take to the stage of the new Roig Arena on June 30. Stewart, 80, took to social media to

say: “I'm bringing the show to you next year!” Tickets will go on sale from midday this Friday (October 10) via the venue's website.

BIG WIN

THE Olive Press has been hailed as the ‘best English newspaper in Spain’ for its honest, accurate and fearless reporting.

The paper scooped the coveted Joan Hunt Communication Award at the prestigious Diputacion de Malaga ceremony. Malaga President, Francisco Salado, praised editor Jon Clarke and his team for helping integrate expats into Spanish life through ‘up-to-date and accurate information’.

A short film shown to the 400-strong audience highlighted the Olive Press’s reputation as a trusted source, regularly quoted by the

Olive Press crowned Best English newspaper in Spain

BBC , New York Times and The Guardian. It also pointed to its ‘top-tier professionals’ and the paper’s million monthly readers, which make it the most widely read English-language publication in Spain. La Opinion de Malaga praised the Olive Press for ‘combining independent journalism with an international feel’ and for ‘building bridges between cultures on the Costa del Sol’. Clarke, 56, who was nom-

The Scotsman has regularly performed in Spain in recent years but not in 2025. His last gig in the country was in December when he brought his ‘One Last Time’ tour to the Coliseum A Coruña.

inated by former Sur in English editor Liz Parry (above), collected the award at the Edgar Neville Auditorium in Malaga. Speaking in Spanish, he joked it was rare for a ‘ guiri periodista ’ to win such recognition before thanking his team and reaffirming the

mis- sion to ‘ask the difficult questions’ and ‘fight for the underdog’. He cited campaigns such as Save Our Costas and the investigation into Ronda’s controversial Los Merinos macro-golf project. Other winners at the awards included the Mijas Lions Club, poet Lorenzo Saval, Olympic swimmer Nina Zhivanevskaya, Estepona Town Hall and Los Castanos Hotel in Cartijima.

LINE UP: The award winners including editor Jon, at the back

MULLINS IT OVER

WHO’D HAVE THOUGHT? FROM LEAVING SCHOOL AT 15 TO AWARD-WINNING COLUMNIST ON AN AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER!

And another winner is…

There’s not much that pulls me back to the UK these days. Visiting family is the main exception - but my son Scott and grandson Ashley now run the family business, WeFix London, and most of my media work can be done from my villa here in Spain. Truth be told, I think the lads prefer me out of the way so they can run the show without interference!

There is one other thing that gets me on a plane: the charities I’ve supported for years. When one of my all-time favourites, Variety, calls me to Manchester for their annual charity dinner, I don’t think twice.

Last year, at the same event, I had the honour of presenting my good friend James Whale MBE with a Broadcasting Legend award - an emotional moment for us both.

And speaking of awards... I’m now a columnist for an award-winning newspaper, since the Olive Press scooped the Best English Newspaper prize at last month’s Joan Hunt Diputacion de Malaga Awards (see above). Quite the achievement! Oh, and while I was up in Manchester helping Variety raise an impressive £150,000 on the night, I was also sur-

prised with an Entrepreneurial Legend award. A great honour - and for once, I managed to get off stage without cracking any terrible jokes.

Since founding WeFix London, we’ve donated £1 from every job to Shooting Star Children’s Hospice. Alongside Variety - a children’s charity dedicated to helping disadvantaged and disabled young people across the UKit’s been a core part of what we do.

I’ve always believed that part of the obligation of businesses is to be part of, and give something back to, the communities that keep them afloat.

I know the Olive Press are big fans of Ecologists in Action, and one I’ve worked with in Spain, Cudeca Cancer Care Hospice. It’s also good to see the paper launch a new campaign into drinks spiking this issue.

As a newspaper with a very defined

... And would you believe it!

community – the readers of 100,000 copies a month and the 1 million monthly visitors to the website – I know that a huge part of what makes the Olive Press Newspaper of the Year is being in tune with its readers. It’s a shame more businesses in the UK and Spain do not understand this crucial relationship with customers. Politicians the world over could also do worse than carry through on the promises they make to their communities.

OSCAR winner Jennifer Lawrence picked up the Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award at Spain’s prestigious San Sebastian Film Festival, becoming its youngest-ever recipient at 35. Lawrence received the award from Spanish director J.A. Bayona to a standing ovation.

In her speech, she praised the festival’s love of storytelling and confessed a passion for Basque cuisine, joking, ‘I’m so happy to be here – not just for the food, which is reason enough to visit’! The star’s speech skirted around political themes, though at a press conference earlier in the day Lawrence denounced Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, saying: “What’s happening is no less than a genocide and it’s terrible.”

Offering a scathing critique of politics in her native US, Lawrence added: “What makes me so sad is the disrespect in the discourse of American politics right now and how that is going to be normalised to the kids right now. It’s going to be normal to them that politicians lie.”

Previous Donostia recipients include Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Antonio Banderas.

Wheels turn slowly

THE European Commission has proposed giving Spain nearly €1.6 billion to help reconstruction work in the wake of the October 29 Valencia flood disaster.

The EU Solidarity Fund would pay out €945 million with a further €645 million allocated from its cohesion funds.

Commission president, Ursula von der Leyn said: “The devastation we witnessed almost a year ago in the region of Valencia and in Spain deeply affected Europe.

“We now commit European funds to support the vital work of recovery, repair and reconstruction,” she added.

The decision still needs to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU member states, which is regarded as a formality.

The Spanish government had applied for €4.4 billion.

Spain received a €100 million Solidarity Fund advance in April following the country’s application for aid in January.

A MURCIA City hotel will become the region’s only five-star rated establishment following extensive refurbishments.

The old Hotel Arco de San Juan on Calle Correos will be renamed as the Palacio Real de San Juan under the Royal Hideaway Hotel brand.

It has a provisional opening date of Easter 2026.

Two extra floors are being added along with two new restaurants and a rooftop terrace with ‘panoramic views’ including

FIVE-STAR MURCIA

that of the city’s cathedral. With 592 rooms, it will have the largest number of bedrooms of any Murcia City hotel.

Police probe after tragic British pensioner ‘took her life’ over fears for her home of nearly four decades

By Alex Trelinski

AROUND 50 people protested outside a Spanish campsite after a British resident allegedly took her life because she was worried about her future there. The demonstration saw the group, including many expats,

The project is a joint venture between Grupo Fuertes who bought the building

in 2022 and Grupo Barcelo who are in charge of the refurbishment and will manage the hotel.

Must remember Maggie!

In the clear

A FORMER Valencia police commissioner has been cleared of committing a hate crime after he said most immigrants arriving by boat in Spain are criminals.

He added that ‘all street crimes’ were down to foreigners. Prosecutors wanted Ricardo Ferris jailed for three years. He was tried in July for his remarks at a conference organised by the far-right Vox party in October 2022.

Ferris was stripped of his job by Spain’s Interior Ministry shortly afterwards.

The trial verdict came from the Valencia Provincial Court. It stated that he had a right to ‘freedom of expression’ and that his comments ‘did not constitute a general and indiscriminate attack on all foreigners’.

wave banners outside the gates of the El Portus campsite demanding justice for Margaret Stewart, 82. Margaret, who ‘lived in constant fear’ of being evicted, had lived with her 89-year-old hus-

band, Collin, at the naturist site for 36 years.

The pair had sunk their entire life savings into their home, revealed the organisers of the protest, the Cala Morena Association.

Her body was discovered inside their property on Friday with the Guardia Civil now investigating the circumstances behind her death.

Protestors claimed her mental state had suffered due to the pressure of not knowing whether they could stay much longer at El Portus. Problems started two years ago when the site was bought by Newtown Capital S.L.

The total of 400 long-term residents, most from the UK, France and Germany, has since dwindled to just 20. And many were allegedly forced to leave via illegal tactics and restricted access to their homes plus properties being demolished for no good reason.

There have also been accusations about violence used against residents.

Newtown refuted such comments saying there have been 'no forced evictions' or 'violence'.

“He used overly categorical terms and made more than debatable assessments, some of which could be annoying and even offensive,” it continued. “The preponderance of his speech didn’t denigrate an entire group but was his opinion over security and migration policies,” the ruling stated. The verdict can be appealed.

As for the problems faced by the Stewarts, a friend, Miguel Alamagro, said they suffered water and electricity cuts 'for days' at a time.

They also lived in 'constant fear' that they might not get back into their home if they went out, even for a day.

It came despite Cartagena City Council agreeing to mediate between the residents and Newtown in November 2023.

But nothing happened.

Suffered

“In the end there had to be a death and we don't know what has to happen for this to be solved," explained former resident Juavier Suarez.

The council claims the Stewarts rejected help from social services to find new accommodation on three occasions.

“But they didn’t want to go somewhere that did not belong to them,” continued Suarez.

“They just wanted to stay in their home and for someone to explain to them why they had to move.”

A spokesman for the campsite told the Olive Press: “Above all else we wish to express our most sincere condolences and to express our sorrow and shock”.

SPAIN’S most important national park is finally getting the cash to tackle its depleted water resources.

Doñana National Park – one of Europe’s last great wetlands –will have money pumped in to save it from drying up.

After years of hand-wringing and empty promises, central government and the Junta have finally agreed to rescue the critically endangered aquifer beneath the park.

Under the so-called ‘Agreement for Doñana’, Madrid approved the first €28.5m to pay off farmers willing to ditch their water-guzzling crops.

The plan will see 400 hectares of thirsty farmland taken out of production to return to nature. Working out at €70,000 per hectare, paid over 10 years. Once a lush haven for migratory birds, lynx and wetlands bursting with life, the water table has been slowly drying out – parched by rogue wells and illegal berry farms tapping into its veins.

Gold

The berry boom in Huelva province – famous for strawberries and other ‘red gold’ –has come at a heavy cost. Each hectare slurps an alarming 5.7 million litres of water per season, sucked straight from the aquifer. Now, after years of looking the other way, the authorities have shut hundreds of illegal wells and are offering farmers a way out.

Andalucia’s regional government is sweetening the deal with another €20,000 per hectare, while Huelva’s local council is chipping in €10,000 more. That brings the total to €100,000 per hectare for those willing to walk away.

In total, some €1.4 billion is being thrown at the problem by 2027 – split more or less evenly. The aim is to restore the aquifer, stop the illegal water grabs, and rewild what was once Europe’s crown jewel of biodiversity.

EXCLUSIVE

O P LIVE RESS

HOUNDED: Maggie and Collin ‘lived in fear’

CLEAN UP CAMPAIGN

By Alex Trelinski

BENIDORM is cracking down on cheeky souvenirs plastered with filthy slogans in a bid to clean up its image.

T-shirts and novelty items featuring sweary or suggestive messages are firmly in the firing line as council chiefs tell shopkeepers to tidy up their act – or risk hefty fines of up to €3,000.

Officials have launched a new campaign urging businesses to remove anything ‘offensive to public morals’ from their shop windows. They say the aim isn’t to spoil anyone’s fun, but to stop children and families from being confronted with crude jokes or explicit language while walking through the resort’s busy tourist streets.

Commerce councillor Javier Jorda said: “Some of these displays can be considered illegal as they break advertising laws and the protection of minors. It’s about preventing children or vulnerable people from being exposed to offensive content in public.”

Dozens of stores were visited last

Wolf woes

A SPANISH region is allowing hunters to keep wolves’ heads or pelts as trophies, sparking fury from conservationists.

The WWF has slammed the right of hunters in La Rioja to pay just €1,298 for a permit to claim a wolf trophy.

“It could lead to indiscriminate wolf killing,” said coordinator Luis Suarez, adding it was ‘political and incomprehensible’, with no scientific basis.

La Rioja is home to just one resident pack.

Although wolf hunting was banned nationwide in 2021, Spain reversed the ban earlier this year in northern regions - a move backed by conservative parties.

Farmers blame wolves for livestock attacks, but critics, including PACMA, say the law is a massive step backwards.

Asturias and Cantabria have already authorised culls of 53 and 41 wolves respectively.

BULLRING REVAMP

BENIDORM has secured €6.4 million of EU money for its long-awaited redevelopment of the old bullring.

Plans were first announced nearly five years ago for its conversion into the Benidorm Open Arena - a multi-purpose events centre.

The project is budgeted at €10.7 million, with 40% of costs to be paid by Benidorm City Council.

The council had previously been awarded an EU grant for the revamp but did not proceed in late 2023. Benidorm mayor, Toni Perez, said: “The focal point will be ‘Arena Live’, which includes converting the bullring into a large multifunctional space for cultural, social and sports activities.”

There will also be ‘Arena Joven’ - a youth centre - and ‘Arena Encuentro’ which will improve public spaces and green zones around the Plaza de Toros. If all goes to plan, the arena will open by the end of 2029.

Benidorm

says ‘bog off’ to rude t-shirts with fines of up to €3,000

week by inspectors who politely asked them to take down any rude or explicit merchandise from their windows. The goods themselves aren’t banned, but they must be kept

inside the shop and out of sight from passers-by.

Jorda added that fines between €1,500 and €3,001 would only be used as a last resort. “We don’t want

Abortion move

SPAIN is planning to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right to protect it from future rollback by conservative governments.

Jorda

CLAMP DOWN: Was announced by Commerce councillor Javier

to punish anyone,” he said. “But we need to respect the rules and make sure Benidorm projects a positive image. Hopefully this campaign will be enough to get everyone on board.”

The move comes after the PP and Vox parties backed a proposal promoting the idea of ‘post-abortion depression’.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accused the PP of aligning with extremists and pledged to ‘put into the constitution the right to voluntary termination’.

This would in theory ‘block any future threat to women’s rights’ amid global rollbacks.

But with Sanchez’s minority status, the proposal faces slim chances of passing into law as it needs three-fifths of Congress and the Senate together, or two-thirds of Congress alone.

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

Let’s smash the spiking menace

AS the festive season approaches, the Olive Press is relaunching its Smash the Spiking campaign.

First launched in 2014, our new call to action goes under the banner: ‘Eyes Out for All’.

SMASH

the SPIKING

Joining forces with Sala Group Holdings, one of the Costa del Sol’s leading hospitality firms, we aim to tackle the growing menace of drink spiking across Spain. It’s happening far too often – in Marbella, Fuengirola, Benidorm, Alicante, Palma and beyond - to both men and women.

Victims report being pricked with syringes or having something tipped in their drinks and often wake up hours later, usually robbed but sometimes worse. These attacks not only ruin nights out, but can have long-lasting emotional and physical consequences. Yet despite repeated requests, police have failed to provide up-to-date figures for us. That silence must end.

Sala Group boss Ian Radford is taking decisive action - training all staff at his bars and restaurants to spot the signs, making CCTV available to victims and introducing the Ask Angela system so anyone who feels unsafe can ask discreetly for help.

“I know as many as 20 people who’ve been victims on the coast over the last five years,” he told us. “It’s time to stop it. As business owners, we must be responsible.”

He’s right.

The Costa del Sol’s nightlife is one of its greatest attractions – vibrant, welcoming and fun. We refuse to let fear, silence or predators destroy that. This campaign calls on venues, police and revellers alike to keep their eyes out – to look after each other, report suspicious behaviour and make our nightlife safer for all.

Eyes Out for All. Always.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

ADMIN

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SWASTIKA RISING

THE sight of a stag party marauding through the Costa del Sol wearing t-shirts emblazoned with huge swastikas was certainly a shock for tourists and locals alike.

Organised by the leader of an infamous Madrid hooligan firm who was letting off steam before his impending nuptials, it saw the dozen or more men fully embracing former nazi Adolf Hitler’s ideology down to the very symbol.

This was the notorious Suburbios gang led by Daniel MF – alias El Ratilla – so abhorrent that even their own football team, Atletico Madrid, has banned them from home or away games.

According to eyewitnesses they tore up Malaga, drinking heavily, openly making Nazi salutes and singing fascist songs in the sunshine.

They even uploaded photos of their antics to far-right social media channels –some with right arms raised, others with clenched fists, and all united in wearing the notorious symbol of the Nazi party.

ral Nucleo Nacional press conference

Hitler tattoos and SS skulls:

How Spain’s farright extremists are emerging

from under the rocks and growing bolder

By Walter Finch

This little jaunt south well illustrates the current climate in Spain, where Nazis feel increasingly emboldened and free to show their true faces.

Little did the hooligan leader realise, however, that the Spanish police were watching his every move.

El Ratilla - who boasts a swastika tattoo, plus a Hitler portrait, a SS skull and even a speech by the Fuhrer inked on himwas arrested shortly after his wedding, just as he was preparing to depart on his honeymoon on September 20.

A dozen or so members of his gang were also swept up by police.

Raids uncovered a trove of Nazi propaganda, including T-shirts with Hitler’s

At last I am a retired man!

SEPTEMBER 2025 marked a person-

al landmark: after literally years of chasing it, I’ve finally secured my Spanish pension.

If you’re hoping your journey will be smoother, I sincerely wish you luck - though I’m not optimistic.

Some of you reading this won’t need to go through the wringer. Maybe you moved to Spain with a tidy nest egg, or you’re banking on a lottery win. Good for you.

But for the rest of us - those who’ve worked, grafted and done, likely a range o odd jobs here - it’s a different story.

By Michael Coy

where you stand, you’ll need your ‘vida laboral’ - an official printout of all recognised work you’ve done in Spain. You can ask for it at your local Seguridad Social office, or better still, get your accountant to help.

Technically, you can request it online… but if you can navigate that monster of a website, you deserve a medal - or at least a pension.

To qualify for a Spanish pension, you need at least 15 years of ‘cotizado’ work - i.e. taxed, registered employment.

And no, your cash-inhand gig fixing fruit machines or pool tables in British bars doesn’t count in the eyes of the Hacienda (the tax office).

To find out

Here’s a little insider tip. Spanish employers don’t always play fair. Not all of them, of course - but many (ED: quite rightly being at 34%) see social security payments as a burden.

Say you’re earning €800 a month. That may not sound like much, but your boss is probably paying up to €400 extra in taxes and contributions. Suddenly, you’re a €1,200 headache, and he’s looking for ways to cut corners.

RELAXED: Michael has finally claimed his pensionwhat there is of it

One common trick? Falsely registering you as a part-time worker. It saves them money, but it slashes your pension contributions - and you might not even know it’s happening. In the UK, PAYE means pensions are automatic. In Spain, you need to check your contributions regularly - or risk finding

portrait, the Suburbios logo with the phrase ‘Sons of Hitler’, alongside numerous fascist pamphlets and literature.

But it soon emerged he was not being arrested for his political affiliations, but for his deep involvement in organised crime and drug trafficking.

Police unearthed five kilos of cocaine, more than €100,000 in cash, and a series of weapons including ‘nunchucks’. Unfortunately, El Ratilla’s swastika-tattooed hooligans are far from the only Nazis to recently emerge in Spain’s social fabric.

DEFENDING CHRISTIANITY WITH ‘STREET MILITANCY’

A relatively new, youthful group is called Nucleo Nacional.

Fronted by a mysterious pair of brothers, Ivan and David Rico, they address the public wearing black balaclavas, refusing to reveal their identities.

The duo have fostered a new class of jack-bootwearing skinhead youth, promoting their ‘blood, soil and tradition’ ideology.

The disciplined, alcohol-abstaining group claims to defend Spain’s white Christian identity through ‘nationalism, racial purity and street militancy’. It was most recently linked to an assault on three young immigrants in Hortaleza in August, although it has not officially claimed responsibility.

The Rico brothers are, well, appropriately rich, and the sons of a former Partido Popular councillor with reported links to Vox.

They have set up headquarters in the up-

Nearly a year since his last moving missive, Michael Coy has finally got his Spanish pension. He recalls the long, sorry tale

out too late.

My Own Case: Kafka Would Be Proud

As I wrote in this newspaper in January, I taught English here for 12 years, among other things. When I hit 65, I trotted off to the Seguridad Social and said: “Right then - time to cash in.”

They told me I hadn’t met the minimum contribution period. Why? Because one of my employers had sneakily hired me as a part-timer. I consulted a lawyer. She said I could sue, but it would cost €3,000, take five years, and wasn’t guaranteed to succeed. So, not ideal. Luckily, my shortfall was relatively minor: I needed to work another 147 days (around six months).

Easier said than done. If you’re in your late 60s, employers aren’t exactly queuing up. They prefer younger, cheaper, more obedient workers.

Still, I found a job, registered as autonomo (self-employed), and worked like mad - even though my earnings were so low, I sometimes couldn’t afford the monthly autónomo fee. At the end of the six months, I had to borrow €500 to clear my back taxes.

Bureaucracy, Spanish-Style Back I went: “Pension, please!” Nope.

MEET THE GANG: Isabel Peralta (centre) and Ivan Rico (right) at the inaugu-

scale Las Tablas district in northern Madrid, a far cry from the dingy basements or squats usually associated with extremist groups.

JEWS: THE ETERNAL ENEMY

Another high-profile figure on the far right is Isabel Peralta.

Just 23, Peralta first became notorious as a teenager, speaking at rallies praising the Division Azul, the Spanish volunteers who fought for Nazi Germany. She has labelled Jews ‘the eternal enemy’, given Nazi salutes outside the PSOE socialist headquarters and shouted ‘death to the invader’ during an unauthorised protest outside the Moroccan Embassy.

While earning herself a oneyear jail sentence for incitement in April, she didn’t have to spend a single night in prison as any jail term under two years in Spain is suspended. She has certainly got previous having already been deported from Germany and banned for life there after arriving at Frankfurt Airport in 2023 with a Nazi flag and a copy of Mein Kampf.

Two visits later, the issue was revealed: I still owed €11 in interest on the late payments. Until that was cleared, I was considered a ‘debtor’ and legally ineligible for a pension.

I offered cash on the spot.

“No, señor — transfers only.”

So I did the transfer. Back again: “Pension?”

“En trámite,” they said - meaning ‘in process’. No timeline, no amount, no clarity.

In August, I finally received a letter: my application had been ‘viewed favourably’. No money, but the mood was improving.

And Finally… Now, at long last, the pension has landed. I won’t say how much - but if you see me in the pub, the crisps are on me!

Undeterred, Peralta has impeccable far-right connections around the globe, notably as European correspondent for Heritage & Destiny, a UK-based fascist magazine.

It led to her being stopped by UK counter-terrorism police, questioned for several hours, and had her devices examined before being released in 2023. If Peralta represents the sharp end of the Nazi wedge, there are more figures in Spain’s political establishment offering indirect cover for extremism.

ANTI-IMMIGRANT CAMPAIGNS

Chief among them is Alvise Perez, a selfstyled anti-system crusader who rode online outrage to win 800,000 votes and enter the European Parliament in 2024. While not a swastika-saluting Nazi, Perez became infamous for conspiracy rants, anti-immigrant campaigns and attacks on institutions, generating the paranoia and disinformation that fuel Spain’s neo-Nazi scene.

During the Covid era, he spread hoaxes, including a false claim that Madrid’s former mayor Manuela Carmena received a respirator while ordinary citizens died.

He doctored images of ministers, leaked a politician’s private medical records, pushed election-rigging conspiracies, and even proposed Europe’s largest prison to detain immigrants and anyone with ‘gang tattoos’.

NEW BROOM

But the new kid on the block of Spain’s panoply of far-right figures is undoubtedly Silvia Orriols.

Dubbed the ‘Le Pen of the Pyrenees’, the 44-year-old mayor of Ripoll – a small town north of Barcelona – has built her platform on an ugly fusion of Catalan separatism and far-right ultranationalism.

Her Aliança Catalana party has declared Islam ‘incompatible with Catalan identity’ and vowed to expel foreigners from

the town, which acquired notoriety as the hometown of the jihadists behind the 2017 Barcelona attack.

Since then she has faced hate crime investigations for her speeches, but continues to use her office to push an openly Islamophobic agenda while draping herself in Catalan separatist colours – a movement more commonly associated with the far left.

Alianca Catalana is now surging in the polls and could multiply its seats in the Catalan Parliament, while those same surveys indicate its popularity has climbed from a piddling 4% last year to currently 12% – on a par with far-left Sumar and even catching up with Vox itself.

MUCH MORE THAN JUST A PAPER

WHILE the Olive Press has just been recognised as Spain’s leading English-language media group, it is for much more than just a printed paper!

The Joan Hunt Communication Award was presented by Malaga’s President for our fearless and trusted journalism and for connecting expats and English-speakers across Spain. And the vast majority of them find us online or on social media, NOT in print.

Thanks to our daily newsletters, podcasts and thriving digital platforms, we are keeping millions informed every week.

As well as half-a-million monthly readers online we have five million Facebook hits a month and millions more on Instagram, X, LinkedIn and TikTok

Most newspaper readers don’t realise our website delivers dozens of stories every day on everything from local politics to the environment and from travel to property.

Meanwhile, over 100,000 people subscribe to our weekly newsletters on Business (below), Travel and Property (right), sponsored by Linea Directa, DeVere and the Valencia City of Arts and Sciences among others. They also get daily newsletters and access to exclusive offers, via SOLUS emails from our trusted partners, including restaurants and concert promoters. As editor Jon Clarke explains: “This award recognises the hard work of our entire team across print, digital, and social platforms. We’re proud to be the voice of the expat community and to keep building bridges across Spain.”

Stay informed, inspired, and connected – visit www.theolivepress.es today and sign up for our free newsletters or follow us on your favourites social media platform.

And remember: ‘No OP, No comment’.

STAG PARTY: El Ratilla and friends in Malaga (above) and wedding dinner (right)

NEW KIDS: Silvia Orriols is the ‘Le Pen of the Pyrenees and Alvise Perez is famous for his conspiracy rants

Smoke and mirrors

PRIME Minister Pedro Sanchez has sparked controversy by insisting climate change and disaster management should count as part of Spain’s defence budget.

While NATO allies pour money into tanks and weapons, Sanchez is pushing a ‘360º approach’ that frames climate action as national security.

He argues Spain has already boosted defence spending by 43% to reach NATO’s 2% of GDP target – but around €1.75 billion of next year’s €10.5 billion increase is earmarked for emergencies, not arms.

“Climate change kills,” Sanchez told reporters, pointing to €30 billion in damage and 20,000 deaths in Spain over the past decade.

But European leaders want more firepower. Denmark, Finland and Brussels are urging bigger military commitments.

‘Unsustainable consumption threatens European way of life’

By Ben Pawlowski

CLIMATE change is undermining Europe’s way of life despite ‘significant advances’ in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a stark new report has warned.

The European Environment Agency’s five-yearly State of the Environment study brands Europe the world’s fastest-warming continent. While emissions are falling, the 288-page assessment – based on data from 38 countries –concludes the state of the continent’s environment is ‘not good’.

Biodiversity loss, water

Soaring solar

SPAIN’S solar capacity is projected to reach 152.8 GW by 2035, driving the country’s total renewable energy capacity to 218.1 GW, according to GlobalData.

Solar PV will lead this growth, supported by favourable policies like the Renewable Energy Economic Regime and the Climate Change Law. Despite challenges - such as permitting delays and grid constraints - wind and green hydrogen are also expanding.

Strong investor confidence, limited reliance

Life change

scarcity, overuse of resources and unsustainable consumption, especially in food production, are high-

on Russian gas, and new interconnections with France and Portugal position Spain well to meet its 2030 and 2050 decarbonization targets, the GlobalData report concludes.

lighted. Only 28% of protected species and 15% of habitats are in good condition, while the average European consumes 14 tonnes of resources a year – double UN recommendations. Extreme heat and drought, increasingly frequent in Spain, now affect 34% of Europe’s population and 30% of its territory.

The report urges lawmakers to protect natural resources and resist rolling back green legislation, warning that political instability, including the war in Ukraine, has diverted vital investment.

EEA executive director

Leena Ylä-Mononen said: “We cannot afford to lower our sustainability ambitions. What we do today will shape our future.”

Spain’s Teresa Ribera, EU executive vice-president for Clean Transition, echoed the call: “Recent extreme weather events show how fragile our prosperity becomes when nature is degraded. Protecting nature is not a cost but an investment in resilience and well-being.”

The report insists Europe has the tools and knowledge to act – but warns delaying action will deepen inequalities and raise future costs.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

Getting cleaner

GREENHOUSE gas emissions from Spain’s power sector fell by 16.8% in 2024 – down 1.5 million tonnes from the previous year, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition. Emissions are now 75.7% lower than in 2007, and 38.5% below 2005 levels. The ministry credited renewables, which hit a record 57.2% of electricity output. Solar overtook wind power for the first time, boosted by self-consumption installations, while hydropower jumped 37.6% and solar 23.7%. Natural gas use dropped 23.4% and coal fell to just 1.2% of generation. Energy Secretary Joan Groizard (below) said Spain’s economy was ‘growing with fewer emissions and more competitive prices’. Transport, however, remains the biggest polluter, with petroleum use up 5.6% despite a surge in electric car sales.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Protecting nature is an investment, says Teresa Ribera (right)

What the UK can learn

Spain fines luxury property giant Engel & Völkers €16 million for ‘bogus self-employed’ scheme to avoid social security payments

SHAME they don’t do that in the UK.

Ten years ago I won an employment tribunal claim where the tribunal ruled I was an employee of the company despite the fact I was using a limited company to invoice.

I had previously worked for them as a permanent employee for a year.

They then liquidated that company, claimed their redundancy for 20 years from the government insolvency fund for two directors and a company secretary, then carried on business as usual under a different company and I suddenly became a ‘freelancer’ despite sitting at the same desk during the same hours and getting the same pay (though now I had to invoice them and do my own tax returns).

I got a settlement from them just before the final award hearing in 2016, but there was never any mention of any action against them beyond compensation for me.

Adda Macchich

THIS news has made my day!

They expect you to be there all day, whilst YOU pay the autónomo fee (approx €280) each month. As a freelancer, you HAVE to work for more than one person – period.

If you only work for one company, you must have a contract plus employer’s social security contributions. Oh no, will this mean the owner won’t be able to afford his polo estate in Mallorca, and, and, and?

Doubt it, but it’s a step in the right direction as E&V has been diddling the Spanish state out of rightful social security payments for years!

Caroline Stapley

LA CULTURA

TOO successful

Oranges all around

I HOPE you are all enjoying the lovely October weather this sunny Sunday!

I have a rant so I hope you won't mind me using your media outlet to vent please?

It's about fruit. In particular it's about oranges. Yesterday I found myself in two well known supermarkets, Mercadona and Consum.

from South

Why on earth are we buying oranges from South Africa when this country produces them by the tonne-load?

FINE art enthusiasts visiting Bilbao will be able to enjoy over 5,000 square metres of additional exhibition space after the city’s Museo de Bellas Artes finally reopened its 1970 building following a four-yearlong renovation. The museum’s modernist extension, first opened over five decades ago, has undergone a major revamp as part of a €45 million project designed to enhance the visitor experience.

To celebrate the major facelift, the gallery’s curators are putting on two brand new exhibitionsone celebrating the works of German painter Georg Baslit and another saluting the dynamism of contemporary artists such as Itziar Okariz and Richard Serra.

A major highlight is the presentation of Vista de Bilbao, an anonymous painting considered to be the earliest known view of the Basque Country’s largest city.

Over 207,000 connoisseurs visited the gallery in 2024.

LONG-LOST Spanish treasure worth an estimated $1 million (€856,000) has been found off Florida. A team of divers discovered over 1,000 silver and gold coins that were minted by Spanish colonies and lost when a hurricane wrecked a Spanish fleet’s ships on July 31, 1715. On many of the coins, the dates and mint marks are still visible. These can be used by historians to gain more information about the Spanish treasure. The condition of the coins suggests they formed part of one chest or shipment that was sent overboard due to

I wanted to purchase both oranges and mandarins. But here’s the rub – I could only find them from South Africa! No Spanish oranges to be found. No mandarins either.

Not too many kilometres up the road from me here in Murcia, the eye is treated to acres and acres of the glowing orange fruit and that's just what can be seen from the car!

There are thousands more acres of the stuff in the region alone. Yet, we have to have oranges transported half way around the world if we want them.

To add to my frustration, upon opening the first orange it turned out to be dry, tasteless and without any of the sweetness of Valencian oranges. Ouch!

Okay, I know there may be times when scarcity ensures we must import them and I am going to write to both supermarkets for an explanation but in the absence of hard facts as to the reason, the fact is that I had to buy oranges from half way around the world in the middle of an

HOLLYWOOD stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jared Leto helped Malaga’s first Comic-Con surpass all expectations, attracting over 120,000 fans from 20 countries - double the 60,000 originally forecast. The four-day event, held at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos from September 25–28, injected an estimated €50 million into the Costa del Sol economy, with hotel occupancy hitting 94% and bookings overflowing

Editor’s reply: Hi Ann, that’s such a good point and it really gets on our goats as well. That said, there will sadly be four or five months of the year when there are no oranges in Spain at all due to the seasons. From experience in Ronda, where we have a few orange trees, we start getting them from around December time, but I’m guessing in Valencia and in Murcia, they must be coming from any moment now. I’m really happy that you are going to write to the supermarkets to ask, but ultimately people need to be eating fruit and vegetables that are seasonal like we used to do in the olden days.

Malaga bans horse-drawn carriages

WHAT do you think happens to these horses when they can’t pull carriages anymore? They’re not lovingly rehomed — they’re discarded. These aren’t pampered pets; they live lives of exhaustion, pain, and neglect. It’s time to end this cruelty.

Dawn Bowling

THE money they have been paid, some could go towards a sanctuary or the government could help, as they did with the donkeys in Mijas. Now Marbella it’s your turn to stop carriage rides.

Helen Dulson

CAN you imagine the horses being put down now, turned into bloody salami?! I am not sure that animal rights activists and politicians think these kinds of decisions through! The fate of the poor horses should be cleared beforehand! Put them up for sale or make sure they can stay at animal sanctuaries if the owners won‘t keep them.

Becky Barum

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into towns like Marbella, Torremolinos, and Nerja. However, the event quickly became a victim of its own success. Fans voiced frustration over overcrowding, long queues, and the high cost of tickets - some VIP passes reportedly exceeding €1,000 online. Many were disappointed at not getting the chance to meet their idols, despite the star-studded guest list, which included

Gwendoline Christie and Luke Evans. Organisers transformed 80,000 square metres into a pop culture haven with 300+ hours of programming, but logistical challenges left some attendees disillusioned.

Despite the hiccups, tourism officials hailed the event’s economic impact and hinted at Malaga becoming a regular Comic-Con fixture - if lessons are learned for the future.

Elemental show

BENIDORM Palace – the Costa Blanca’s legendary entertainment hotspot –is turning up the heat this season with its new show Elements

Art expansion GOLDEN FIND

$1 million-of centuries old Spanish treasure found in Florida

By Rachel Gore

the 1715 hurricane. Historians believe that, in total, as much as $400 million (€343m) worth of treasure was lost that day. This discovery of 1,000 coins in a single finding is ‘rare and extraordinary’, according to Sal Guttoso, director of operations for the salvage company. Guttoso stated that ‘each coin is a piece of history, a tangible link to the people who lived, worked, and sailed during the Golden Age of the

The story follows Arche, an artificial intelligence that awakens the four forces of nature – earth, water, fire and air – to restore balance to our planet. From that moment on, prepare to be swept away by a whirlwind of light, movement and emotion.

Magic

PRICELESS: Incredible hoard of coins

Spanish Empire.’

Since the hurricane, centuries ago, searches for the missing treasure have occurred.

In 2015, 101 gold coins were salvaged from the shipwreck. Some 51 were ‘reported cor-

rectly’ but 50 were stolen. Investigations in 2023 and 2024 revealed the illegal sale of the coins and led authorities to recover 37 of them. The newly discovered coins will be restored and protected before going on public display at local museums in Florida.

Each night, over 50 international artists take to the stage with spectacular dance routines, dazzling acrobatics, mind-bending magic and awe-inspiring balancing acts. With stateof-the-art sound and visuals, the power of the elements explodes before your eyes – immersive, thrilling, and unlike anything else in Europe.

Add a delicious dinner, live music and a truly electric atmosphere, and it’s easy to see why Benidorm Palace remains the place to be for unforgettable nights out. And this season comes with a brand-new treat – the Backstage Tour. Step behind the curtain, explore dressing rooms and stage secrets, and see where the magic really happens.

acute stage in climate and environmental concerns. How can this be right?

Rant over and thank you for indulging me. Ann McKiernan, Murcia

BATMAN AND ROBBING: Fans criticised the high costs

DREAM FIESTA!

What more could you want - a literal fountain of wine

By Alessio Ghirlanda

ENSCONCED in a sleepy valley among Granada’s Alpujarra mountains, the town of Cadiar is a cluster of quaint, whitewashed buildings where the air is crisp and life runs slow.

SHADE WITH SOUL

The Alicante-based company transforming outdoor spaces – in just 24 hours

IN a region blessed with more than 300 days of sunshine each year, finding the perfect balance between light and shade is not a luxury - it’s a necessity. And no one understands this better than Toldos Guardamar.

Headquartered in San Fulgencio, this trusted local company operates throughout the entire province of Alicante, part of Murcia, and even offers international exports to deliver and install products directly at clients' homes in their countries of origin.

For homeowners and businesses across the Costa Blanca and beyond, it has become a go-to name for reliable, stylish and high-quality shading solutions. What truly sets Toldos Guardamar apart is not only the superior quality of its awnings and pergolas, but also its remarkable speed. In an industry where waiting weeks is the norm, they offer installation within 24 hours for most products - an extraordinary level of efficiency, paired with exceptional attention to detail. This speed is made possible by a highly

At the centre of its main square stands a curious structure. A white wall (pictured left and bleow), with copper taps jutting out of the plasterwork, rises above a horseshoe-shaped stone parapet; above it, luscious strands of ivy coil around the top of a stripped-down wooden gazebo.

Though you would be hard-pressed to guess it, this is Cadiar's fuente del vino – an actual fountain of wine. Disappointingly enough, it sits idle most of the time; but for a glorious few days once a year, locals take their posts at the taps and pour free wine for the thousands of visitors who flood the town’s streets for its feria – one of Andalucia’s most popular wine festivals. Held annually over a long weekend in early October, the festival is a four-day fiesta where food is served aplenty and taps never run dry.

The event is technically a religious celebration in honour of Christ and

skilled technical team and a streamlined, in-house production process that covers everything: from custom design and manufacturing to professional installation and after-sales service. Yet beyond their technical excellence lies something even more valuable: the human quality of the team. Warm, approachable and committed, the people behind Toldos Guardamar don’t just install shade - they build trust. Clients can visit the spacious showroom in San Fulgencio or book a free technical consultation, where experienced advisors carefully study each project. The company’s philosophy is built on listening, tailoring each solution and creating shaded spaces that bring comfort, beauty and long-term value to every home or business.

Their motto, ´´La sombra perfecta - The Perfect Shade — is not just a slogan. It’s a statement of values. A commitment to innovation, speed and excellence that has positioned Toldos Guardamar as a leading brand - locally, regionally and internationally.

fountain during the opening ceremony.

In the run-up to the festival, Cadiar dresses up to welcome attendants in grand fanfare. Glittering lights are festooned across the town’s buildings as pop-up fairground stalls emerge along the main street; bars and restaurants set up refreshment posts in the town square, bracing for the waves of customers to come.

Throughout the event, Cadiar’s cobbled alleyways throb with a roiling crowd of revellers from midday till the small hours of the morning.

Long lines form in front of the chief attraction – the fountain of wine – snaking all the way back to the church of Santa Ana, a sombre brick-and-stone construction at the edge of the square.

Queuing punters are rewarded for their patience with a complimentary cup of exquisite local vino – you get to choose

between a red, a white, or a rosé, and are always welcome to come back for more. All around the fountain, people congregate and mingle as a set of four large speakers blasts music from the bottom of the main street. Occasionally, someone will slip into the bars that line the perimeter of the square, wolf down some tapas, and muster up the strength to head back out for more wine or beer.

Further up the main street, hawkers peddle local delicacies and souvenirs from behind their stalls – candied fruit, toasted nuts, olive oil. A must-try is the locally-produced honey nougat, which is traditionally moulded into large, square blocks and then hacked into pocket-sized cubes with a hammer and chisel.

Children have their own entertainment options here, from a haunted house staffed with actors in spooky costumes to playground games galore – and even a few

the Virgin Mary, concluding on the fourth day with a mass and procession; but locals affectionately refer to it as feria del vino – the 'wine fair' – and can often be seen swarming around the small rollercoasters. Prize stalls also abound along the main street, and adults are often spotted trying their luck at dart games, tin can alley, and fish bowl toss.

In a clearing at the top of the street, a marquee the size of a small stadium rises above the shingled roofs of Cadiar’s homes. Inside the marquee is a music stage – bands play

ALL THAT IS HOLY: The town church and (below) locals enjoying free wine at the fountain

EVER POPULAR: The wine festival draws the crowds hoping for a free tipple

WATER TO WINE: During the festival dates the clear water runs red

November 29thDecember 12th 2023 LOOKING FOR MORE CULTURE STORIES? Scan to visit our website

live here almost around the clock. The musicians cater to all tastes and preferences, covering some of Spain’s biggest hits as well as a slew of rock, soul, and pop classics. After dinner, locals trickle into the marquee to have a dance and enjoy a few more drinks before tucking in for the night. But there is one last stop nearly everyone likes to make before bed – the churro stalls.

Churros are deep-fried whorls of dough served with sugar and a hot chocolate dip. A quintessentially Spanish late-night snack, churros are caloric bombs - but they just hit the spot after a long night of revels.

At the centre of Cadiar’s old town stands the San Blas Hermitage, a stunning 17th-century brick-fronted church dedicated to the town’s patron saint. Up a gentle slope leading away from the shrine is the picturesque Casa de los Chacón, a former nobleman’s home now housing the town council.

A 20-minute mountain stroll through wooded knolls and bubbling creeks culminates

rounding areas have turned a vivid orange. Finally, farther up the mountain, the Cadiar observation deck provides a jaw-dropping view over the verdant Alpujarra valleys below. The landscape here is unique, with jagged crags erupting into the sky out

of a sea of green and gold. All in all, Cadiar has plenty to offer. The wine festival, took place from October 4 through 7 this year. If you have been longing to experience an authentic Spanish fiesta, this might just be the place for you this time next year. at the agua agria ('sour water') spring – a source of ferrous water once prescribed by doctors as a cure for all ailments. A very rare natural phenomenon, this rust-coloured water is so saturated with iron that large swathes of soil in the sur-

DELIGHTFUL: Cadiar comes alive at night, while (below) a series of giant paellas keep the hordes happy

Every Lidl helps

GERMAN discount giant Lidl will open 50 new or revamped stores in Spain this year, investing €330 million and creating 1,000 jobs.

The move will boost its workforce to over 20,000 and push its network beyond 700 outlets.

Lidl spent €8.2 billion on Spanish products in 2024, including €3.3 billion on fruit and vegetables, making it the country’s top buyer of fresh produce. More than half was exported to 30 countries.

The chain has also expanded logistics with a new hub in Tarragona and raised salaries by 3.5%.

While Mercadona dominates and Carrefour holds second place, Lidl – now on 6.5% market share – is the fastest-growing, with analysts predicting it could soon challenge Carrefour.

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Fueling the rise

Petrol costs blamed for pushing inflation to highest rate for months

HIKES in petrol prices caused Spain’s inflation rate in September to inch up by 0.2% to 2.9%.

Provisional figures released by the National Statistics Institute put the Consumer Price Index at its highest level since February.

Electricity prices rose slightly but forecourt fuel price increases were the main factor for last months’ rise.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile energy and

By Alex Trelinski

fresh food prices, fell by 0.1% in September to an annual rate of 2.3% - the same figure as in July.

Intense

It’s believed that the overall inflation rate will start falling for the rest of the year. The last time inflation was below the European

LOW-COST FASHION WAR

GERMAN fashion retailer KiK is challenging the likes of Primark and Pepco to become Spain’s ‘top dog’ in the bargain clothing market.

KiK stands for Der Kunde ist Konig (The Customer is King) and claims to ‘dress from head to toe for €30’. It opened its first Spanish outlet three years ago in Sevilla and has already grown into a network of over 100 stores. It has 29,000 employees with an annual turnover of €2.4 billion.

Central Bank's target of 2% was in October 2024, when it stood at 1.8%.

Economist, Javier Santacruz (right) said: “In addition to electricity and fuel, there is a September seasonal effect when spending on education, leisure and transport rises. “It has been more intense this year, and fresh food prices have not yet eased,” he added.

be above the European average, and suggested it will close the year at 2.5%.

“There are two major challenges to be faced: the persistent rise in prices of services, which have been above 3% for months due to the strong pull of tourist and non-tourist services in Spain,” he commented.

Jobs surprise

SPAIN'S September jobless total recorded an unexpected fall of 4,846 compared to August. Forecasters had predicted a rise of around 15,000 which normally occurs after summer seasonal job contracts end. The Labour Ministry said those registered as unemployed totalled 2.42 millionthe lowest figure for a September since 2007, with the exception of the Covid pandemic period.

Year-on-year, the number of people out of work fell by 153,620 - a 6% reduction. Spain registered 31,500 more workers with Social Security to reach an all-time September high of 21.7 million.

In the lead

Raymond Torres, from the economic think-tank Funcas, added that Spanish inflation will continue to

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Spanish beauties

TWO Andalucian gems have been named among the top three cities in Europe, beating Madrid and Barcelona in a major new ranking.

Sevilla (abov) stormed into second place in Travel + Leisure’s 2025 list of the 15 best cities on the continent – a huge jump from 11th last year – scoring 89.49 out of 100. Readers hailed its art, architecture and spectacular plazas. Just behind, Granada (below) took third with 89.48 points, praised for its winding streets, rich mix of cultures, top gastronomy and the world-famous Alhambra palace. Florence held onto the number one spot with 90.08 points, while Istanbul and Rome rounded out the top five.

Back in Spain, Madrid ranked eighth and Cordoba 13th.

unprocessed

“The second factor is the cost of unprocessed food, with year-on-year rates of more than 5% throughout the year except January,” stated Torres.

SPAIN’S economy defied global trends with 0.8% GDP growth in Q2 2025, surpassing forecasts. Year-on-year growth hit 3.1%, solidifying Spain’s lead in the Eurozone. Growth was driven by household consumption, investment, and domestic demand. While exports slowed, industry and construction rose.

Only the primary sector contracted, falling 6.4%, amid international uncertainty from tariff tensions and weakened external demand.

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BARGAIN HUNT

Cheapest supermarkets revealed – and you could save

SHOPPERS in Cadiz and Valencia are paying the lowest grocery prices in Spain, according to a new report.

Consumer group OCU (Organisation of Consumers and Users) found Sanlucar de Barrameda in Cadiz and Torrent in Valencia topped the list of cheapest places to fill the trolley. Roquetas de Mar in Almeria also scored well, though savings there were smaller.

For bargain hunters in Malaga, Granada, Jaen or Almeria, Dani supermarkets

thousands

By Walter Finch

came out on top – but the chain is limited to Andalucia. Nationwide, Alcampo was rated the best value, with its hypermarkets and MiAlcampo stores among the cheapest in nearly three in ten towns. Family Cash and Tifer were also lowcost options. At the other end, Sorli Discau, Supercor and Sanchez Romero were the priciest. OCU’s survey of 718 supermarkets across 183 towns

BUDGET airline Wizz Air is cashing in on Ryanair’s spat with Spanish airport operator Aena, launching 40 new routes to and from Spain. Ryanair has already cut two million seats this year and threatened another million unless fees are reduced, pulling out of seven regional airports. Wizz Air, by contrast, describes charges as “competitive” and plans to exploit the gap.

Many of Wizz Air’s 40 new services are already running, with the rest launching by March 2026. The Hungarian carrier hit a record 10 million seats in Spain this year, operating 120 routes to 15 countries. At Barcelona’s El Prat, it’s now the third-largest opera-

revealed families could save an average €1,132 a year – around 18% – by shopping smart. The biggest gaps were

Wizz-ing in

tor, perfectly positioned to fill Ryanair’s void. Domestically, Wizz Air remains small at 1.4% market share, far behind Ryanair’s 22.9%. But with aggressive expansion and Ryanair’s pullback, Spain’s budget airline scene is set for a shake-up.

found in Madrid, where the difference between cheapest and most expensive stores hit €4,270 a year. Alcobendas and Majadahonda followed with €3,959, and Pozuelo de Alarcon €3,714.

By region, Valencia, Murcia, Galicia, Extremadura and Andalucia were cheapest. The Balearics, Catalonia and the Basque Country were most expensive.

Food prices are still climbing – up 2.5% overall – with fruit and veg (+8.2%), meat (+7%) and fish (+3.4%) hardest hit.

Coffee rocketed 54% and bananas 36%. But olive oil plunged 53%, sugar 26% and orange juice 24%.

HOLIDAYMAKERS heading to Catalunya can breathe easy after plans to double the region’s tourist tax were postponed until April 2026. The rise, originally due in May 2025, would have seen five-star hotel guests paying up to €7 a night, meaning a single visitor to Barcelona could face €15 per night including the city tax. The delay comes as the regional government seeks parliamentary approval rather than pushing the measure via decree, avoiding legal challenges from hoteliers.

At least 25% of the revenue will fund housing policies to ease the accommodation crunch.

Barcelona collected €106.5 million in tourist taxes in 2024, with Catalunya earning over €90 million – a record year for the region’s 19.9 million international visitors.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

November 29thDecember 12th 2023

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Ham-azing

The Olive Press explores the authentic, inland wooded region of Aracena where the happiest black pigs on earth make the very best jamon

FROM my perch high above Almonaster la Real, I sit contemplating the spectacular vista from what must once have been the Moors’ most scenic mosque.

Swallows swoop around the historic monument as I gaze into the far distance across a rolling sea of oaks, chestnuts and pines.

Almost on cue, a lone piper starts belting out a medieval standard from somewhere below.

It is almost enough to consider converting… but then that would mean missing out on easily the best delicacy Spain has to offer.

For in the cork woodlands in front of me graze what must be the happiest pigs on earth.

Going on to produce the best ham in the world, the famous black Iberian pigs live free-range for up to four years, grazing on a diet of almost entirely acorns.

First noted by Laurie Lee in his classic tome As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, you can clearly taste the sweetness of the jamon Iberico the minute you enter these verdant hills. A breathtakingly beautiful area of woodland, scenic walks and au-

By Jon Clarke

thentic, unspoilt whitewashed villages, yet almost nobody has heard of the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche, even many who live on the nearby Huelva province coastline.

A LINARES FOUNTAIN

Close to the Portuguese border, an hour north of Sevilla, the Sierra de Aracena – Andalucia’s second-largest natural park – is sandwiched between the wild plains of Extremadura and the heat of the Andalucian heartland.

It is about as different to the Costa del Sol as Fortnum & Mason is to Mercadona.

But that’s not to say that the English haven’t discovered it yet. On the contrary, it is close to here – at Minas de Riotinto – that in the 19th century, British miners and engineers laid out Spain’s first golf course and football pitch.

The nearby hills – a romantic, almost melancholy sweep of wilderness –was their playground.

UNSPOILT: From Buen Vino you can see how unspoilt Aracena is and what Sam and Jeannie Chesterton fell in love with

“But it has also long been an exclusive escape for rich Sevillanans,” explains Aracena mayor Manuel Guerra.

“The grandparents of the king used to holiday here and the aristocracy built grand houses.

“They came to enjoy the wonderful countryside and nature,” he adds. It is certainly the perfect antidote to the ribbon development that has scarred much of the costas.

And while Aracena has never courted the hordes of Brits who flock to Spain, to be fair, it’s probably not their cup of tea either.

That said, according to one local estate agent increasing numbers of Britons are flocking there to find a home with Julie Christie, Bryan Ferry and Roland Olazabel from Tears for Fears all casting an eye over its housing stock over the last two decades.

Indeed, as the expatriate locals are quick to point out, the rainfall figures are the second highest in Spain and apart from walks and nature, there is not a lot else to do.

They have got a point. There are no beaches, casinos or Chinese takeaways in Aracena and the locals mostly don’t speak English.

While British aristocrats Lord and Lady Leatham, she of the much esteemed Cecil family, have long had a wonderful country estate here, former journalists such as Sam Chesterton, retired here to run a farm.

Without a doubt, he and his catering svengali wife Jeannie, were the British pioneers to Aracena.

They rocked up in 1982 with Sam wanting to concentrate on his writing and Jeannie up for running a B&B, Finca Buen Vino, which became one of the seminal rural escapes of the last half century and even produced a cookbook.

The decision to move south had been made soon after the pair met at a party in London.

“I put two propositions to her in one breath,” explains Sam. “I asked her to marry me and move over to Spain at the same time. Luckily she also loved the mountains and was up for the idea of catering.”

While they pined for a classic cortijo to renovate, it was a far from easy task as most of the places they visited came with 500 hectares and cost too much. Then one day they stumbled across Buen

By P OO LVILLAS

DÉNIA

DISGUISED: Almonaster’s church was formerly a perfectly preserved mosque

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

ous as you drive up from the dusty dry plain of Sevilla, its sun-baked expanses slowly giving way to a rich, muddy green spread of oak and chestnut woodland.

Vino, covered in primroses and heather and with wonderful views. “By the next morning we were hooked,” continues Sam. Taking a look around from their terrace, or by the grand romantic-style pool (below), it is not hard to see why, with the views over rolling Sierra Morena hills second to none.

But the word is really out that this is one of Andalucia’s last unspoilt zones. It is already relatively expensive due to the exclusivity of being in a natural park, which puts tough restrictions on building.

You can clearly taste the sweetness of the jamon Iberico

There is a lot of competition from wealthy Spaniards, who also have the romantic notion of owning a retreat here.

The reason behind it is that Aracena is one of the few areas of Spain where the latifundia, or big landowner system, never took root. Too difficult to support large estates, instead the locals shared out the small-

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

improve their lot.

Maybe this is why the Moors built what is easily one of the most beautiful mosques in the world here… and why the famous black pigs are so darn happy.

Across: 6 Squirm, 8 So soon, 9 Eva, 10 The Ghost, 11 Cuckoo, 12 I wish, 14 Nor, 16 U-turn, 18 Eyeing, 21 Giuliani, 23 Don, 24 Locals, 25 Steamy.

The reasons for its popularity among those-in-the-know becomes quickly obvi-

But while its crystal-clean air and natural setting has so much allure, it is the timeless, picturesque villages and their sylvan hinterlands that make the region so special. Alive with the chatter of children and served by a surprisingly good network of shops and restaurants, somehow the two dozen or so settlements manage to maintain their pastoral identities and continue thriving without modern development. It is this anomaly unlike so many other parts of Spain that is truly worth championing.

here) they always had food and used to make money sending their produce by bullock cart to Sevilla every week. As a result the area never got divided between the haves and have-nots. With land, the locals could access loans and holdings that surrounded their villages. Similar to that in La Alpujarra, near Granada, most would have a small olive grove, a few chestnut trees and an orchard for fruit. And as there was never usually a water shortage (between 600 and 1000mm of rainfall a year

Down: 1 Aqueduct, 2 Hijack, 3 Usher, 4 Eschew, 5 Sots, 7 Mutton, 13 Synonyms, 15 Remiss, 17 Reload, 19 Eddies, 20 Waist, 22 Iron.

CUT THE PIE, SKIP THE SHORTCUTS

HELPING people with financial planning is my job. When I’m asked for ‘shortcuts’, ways to bypass the effort but still reap the benefits of financial planning -- I respond subtly, by pointing out how this might end up undermining results: --“It sounds like you want to skip main courses and jump to dessert,” I tell them.

--“Exactly!” they respond.

Subtlety, apparently, isn’t always an effective way of communicating.

Still, I’m aware of why I’m asked this question. It’s a way of saying, “I want a ‘sampling’ of the advantages of hiring a financial planner to evaluate whether to hire one.” Said another way: “I want to know if it’s cake or just frosting before I take a bite.”

Okay, I get it, I’ll share two simplified money management ideas with you today. There is a wide array of methods to look at financial planning data. This

list includes the metrics approach, ratio analysis, the life cycle approach, and many more. Using a single method may not be enough to develop a comprehensive financial plan. On the other hand, employing too many approaches simultaneously can create redundancy or confusion. Let’s have a look at the pie chart approach. It provides a visual representation and a broad perspective of how we allocate our financial resources.

PIE CHART APPROACH

The pie chart below visually displays our ‘income statement’. It divides up how we use our income as if it were a pie. We can only spend 100 % of what we earn and seeing where we spend our ‘dough’ (sorry, it’s a pie pun I couldn’t resist) is sometimes an eye-opening exercise. The twin ‘balance sheet’ pie charts answer the questions of what we own (chart on top left) and the pie chart on the top right shows whether we owe a debt

(liabilities) -- if not, it’s part of our net worth. These two pies are the same size: the chart on the left depicts our assets whereas the chart on the right cuts this same pie into slices of what we owe (liabilities) and a slice for what is ours without debt (net worth). Some finance experts would tell us these pie charts oversimplify complex financial realities. Nonetheless, they are helpful for visual learners and can be compared to benchmark pie charts to target where we should be to meet typical goals and objectives. Another example of the merits of financial planning I’d like to share with you is not a method or approach, it’s more of a ‘mirror question’ because it reflects back at us and invites self-examination.

TIME MACHINE  WHAT YOU’D TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF

If you could climb into a time machine and have a chat with your 18-year-old self about money, what would you say?

In my case, I would give my ‘past self’ three tidbits of financial advice:

1. Start earlier than feels comfortable. Small amounts invested early grow more than big sums invested late.

2. Buy ‘experiences’, not stuff. In hindsight, lots of the goods I thought I needed when I was younger are now landfill. On the other hand, expenditures on education, travel, and health continue to pay “dividends”.

3. Avoid debt unless it’s inescapable. Loans and credit cards seem like easy solutions, but interest robs from my future self. Only borrow when necessary (mortgage, student loans) and be disciplined when doing so.

While none of us get to step into a time machine, the good news is that our ‘future self’ still exists -- and he/she is pleading with us to plan wisely. Every smart choice we make today is sending them a gift through time.

Hopefully, these two samplings illustrate how hiring a financial planner might increase our clarity, decision-making and ‘peace of mind’ about money. Both should come with a warning label, too: 1) try not to eat the savings slice in the pie chart and 2) don’t be surprised if, when you have a chat with your younger self, you second-guess your past haircut choices.

Andalu-

SYLVAN LANDSCAPES: Aracena church, its famous free range black pigs and two local dishes (right)

Rights move

MICHAEL Riley (44) accused of gunning down two Scottish gangsters in a Fuengirola pub has told Westminster magistrates that extradition to Spain would breach his human rights, citing depression.

Crime stats

NEW data reveals that Barcelona tops the crime list with 8,563 offences per 100,000 residents, followed by Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia and Malaga, though overall crime fell slightly in early 2025.

Cheap deal

SPAIN is now among Europe’s cheapest countries for electricity, with renewable energy slashing gas reliance and costs, though experts warn grid upgrades and storage are crucial to avoid future blackouts.

SPAIN has decided the real problem with terrifying flash floods and apocalyptic downpours isn’t the actual weather - it’s the branding

The Spanish weather agency AEMET has announced it will now give names to really bad ‘DANAS’. The logic? If you

By Dilip Kuner

name the weather, apparently people stop freaking out.

Because nothing says ‘don’t panic’ like Storm Alice casually drowning your garden.

These names will only be used

Spain’s new plan to tame the weather is to name it

WHO THE **** IS ALICE?

for extra-spicy storms - the kind that trigger orange or red alerts and send umbrellas flying down the street. The first one up? ‘Alice’.

It’s all part of a Europe-wide effort to coordinate storm-naming with countries like Portugal and France, who also enjoy a bit of drama in the sky.

Officials claim it’ll make com-

Stone me!

munication clearer, emergency responses faster, and research easier. But mostly, it’ll help us all bond emotionally with our weather-based trauma. “Remember Alice? She soaked my nan’s basement.”

Malaga out Getafe in RUSSIAN TO CONCLUSIONS

LIVERPOOL’S US owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have pulled out of a deal to buy Malaga CF, turning their attention instead to Getafe.

Malaga had impressed the £10bn conglomerate with its fan base, academy, and 2030 World Cup potential. But talks collapsed due to Qatari owner Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, who reportedly stalled negotiations for months.

FSG – who own Liverpool, the Boston Red Sox and more –are now eyeing Getafe. Club president Angel Torres, long resistant to selling, may be softening due to financial pressures.

A deal could top €120m, with Getafe’s infrastructure, stability, and renovated stadium making them an appealing prospect for FSG’s expanding European portfolio.

A MILITARY plane carrying Spain’s Defence Minister Margarita Robles suffered GPS interference near Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave, officials say.

The incident occurred as Robles travelled to Lithuania for a bilateral meeting. The Airbus A330, also carrying journalists and military families, was unaffected thanks to encrypted satellite navigation.

Spain’s defence ministry blamed an attempted GPS jamming attack, echoing recent incidents, including one involving European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Robles condemned Russian interference, warning of real threats to NATO.

THE Rolling Stones are being dragged into a rock ’n’ roll legal row after a Spanish singer claimed the band stole two of his songs for their 2020 lockdown hit Living in a Ghost Town.

Sergio Garcia Fernandez, frontman of Madrid-based band Angelslang, has filed a plagiarism lawsuit in Spain, accusing Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of lifting key elements from his tracks So Sorry (2006) and Seed of God (2007). He alleges the Stones ‘Frankensteined together’ his music, claiming he once gave a demo CD to Mick’s brother, Chris Jagger, who later said the band might use the songs.

Lyrics

Fernandez says there were follow-up emails with the Stones’ camp discussing lyrics. He accuses the group of copying the melody, tempo, harmonica lines and chord progression, with experts citing ‘fragmented plagiarism’.

A previous lawsuit in New Orleans was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, but the case now sits before a Madrid court. The Stones have not commented, though Fernandez says their filings acknowledge ‘similarities’.