The Olive Press - National 488 - April 2026

TRIPLE WINNERS

trio of Spanish

Voting with his feet Olive Press

HE has long been hinting at the importance of getting closer to Europe. Now Keir Starmer has voted with his feet.

The British Prime Min ister got boots on the ground with an Easter holiday in Spain. Following in the foot steps of Tory leaders Boris Johnson and David Cam eron, the La bour leader brought his family for a four-day cul tural break in Valencia. The top se cret trip comes as both

President

Pedro Sanchez and new Hungary leader Peter Magyar both appealed for the UK to reverse Brexit and rejoin the EU.

The PM - who was on holiday in Mallorca in 2022

- stayed at the four-star boutique hotel Valentia Cabillers, as the world held its breath amid soaring tensions in the Middle East. The Olive Press understands he booked two suites, each with a kitchenette, costing

They beat the Basques in a close

The four-star Spanish break that proves British Prime Minister is moving closer to Europe

around €300 per night each. His security detail took a few other rooms.

Located in the heart of Valencia near the city’s iconic 13th century cathedral, the elegant 21-room hotel counts on a breathtaking rooftop pool.

Curiously, it sits on Carrer dels Cabillers - the Street of Hairdressers - which got its name in the 18th century when both Spanish men and women wore their hair long and bought wigs from shops here. It was nearby, on the bustling Placa de la Reina, that the Starmers were spotted enjoying a

By Ben Pawlowski

coffee by eagle-eyed tourists, flanked by bodyguards. They reportedly spent the evenings at the hotel rooftop restaurant, the Sky Bar, while they visited at least one beach. However, the holiday was likely interrupted various times by the escalating rhetoric of US president Donald Trump who threatened to ‘obliterate the civilisation’ of Iran, while the Starmers were away. It led to him being accused of hypocrisy after he accused Boris

Johnson of ‘appalling complacency’ for going on holiday to Spain as the US retreated from Afghanistan leading to a return of the Taliban.

“You cannot coordinate an international response from the beach,” Keir told Johnson at the time. “I wouldn’t stay on holiday while Kabul was falling.”

It is likely though he has become used to Trump’s frequent hollow threats and, of course, the following day the populist president called a truce with Iran. David Cameron was a regular visitor to Spain for holidays, while former leader John Major has a home in Avila and ex-Minister Michael Portillo has a home in Carmona, near Sevilla.

TROUBLE AND STRIFE

THE wife of Spain’s Prime Minister has been formally charged with corruption. Begona Gomez (left) is accused of bribery, embezzlement of public funds and misappropriation after a two-year investigation into multiple aspects of her professional life. The case centres on allegations she used her position to secure a post at Madrid’s Complutense University.

Judge Juan Peinado opened the investigation in 2024 to determine whether she exploited her position for private gain,

which she denies.

The 55-year-old used her role to land the job of marking master’s degrees in business studies.

Spain clamps down on motorhomes with new regulations

Relief for holidaymakers as Spain’s Easter airport strikes are axed

Spain squatting: Mass evictions after tenant protections scrapped

Reading between the Lyons

By Walter Finch

& Ben Pawlowski

A SERIES of well known local expats have been rounded up in a giant police operation against Scotland’s largest organised mafia group.

A total of 14 people were arrested on the Costa del Sol, Barcelona and even Indonesia, linked to the evil Lyons gang.

Under Operation Armorum hundreds of police raided 18 properties, most of them around Spain.

The Guardia Civil described the Lyons clan as a ‘highly sophisticated criminal organisation characterised by violence’ as it announced results of the three year operation.

Takedown of Scottish mafia gang linked to Kinahans, Johnny Morrissey and Nero Vodka

money laundering and timeshare fraud in the UK, is part of the clan who allegedly laundered more than €30 million through front companies.

Hollis, 64, from Newcastle, has lived in Spain for 20 years and ran various bars including Our Bar and Pals Bar.

INVESTIGATES

Among those arrested, the Olive Press can reveal, are long time Mijas pub owner Ian Hollis, who is believed to be a key money launderer in the multi-million drug operation. Hollis,

He was handed an 18 month sentence at Reading court in 2022 for laundering €80,000 in a timeshare fraud, but became a fugitive when he skipped the court hearing.

Also picked up was leader Steven Lyons (right), 45, in Bali, as well as his wife Amanda, 38, in Dubai. Investigators say the Lyons probe is ‘intrinsically linked’ to the in vestigation of Costa del Sol en forcer Johnny Morrissey (left with wife Nicola) four years ago. Morrissey, 66, was named by the US government as being a key figure in the Irish Kinahan

NICKED: Hollis ran costa bars and ran timeshare scams previously convicted for

mafia gang, alongside Daniel Kinahan and his brother and father.

He helped organise international drug shipments from South America and laundered up to €350,000 a day, using a company called Nero Drinks as cover.

The vodka firm - which took full page ads in local newspapers and even sponsored Marbella film festivalwas based in Glasgow where both Morrissey’s wife Nicola and the Lyons gang herald.

Morrissey and Lyons ‘worked closely together for years’ reveal Olive Press sources, and police started to close in when they seized documents from Morrissey’s Mijas home.

Betrayal

A DUAL national who lived in the UK all her life is now stuck in Spain after being denied a flight to the UK due to new border rules.

Natasha Cochrane De La Rosa told the Olive Press she is ‘stranded in Sevilla’, staying with pals, after new British border rules came into force.

The 26-year-old had been in Amsterdam with friends and was heading home from the Dutch capital when she was stopped from boarding.

As a British dual national she needed to present a British or Irish passport or possess a ‘digital certificate of entitlement’ in order to board the flight, a requirement since February 25 when new rules came in.

With only her Spanish passport, she can no longer enter the UK, a fact which she said ‘led the blood to drain from my face’.

“It feels like a betrayal, like I’ve been tricked out of my country,” she told the Olive Press this week.

Born and raised in Isling ton, she added: “I had no idea of these rules and had travelled back and forth from the UK many times like this.

“I consider Spain to be a second home but it isn’t my home, the UK is my base, my foundation.”

Now she is tasked with applying for a British passport, with overseas applications taking up to six weeks, according to the Home Office.

‘My whole life is in the UK’

British dual national stranded in Spain tells the Olive Press

By Rachel Gore

It is also possible it will be rejected as while she was born in London in 1999 her parents were unmarried, meaning her British father could not automatically pass his citizenship onto her. She is now ‘petrified’ that an extended stay outside the UK will put her career at risk and believes that the ‘country has a duty of care’ as she is ‘100% a dual na-

Despite having voted and paid taxes in immigration lawyers have told her that her situation puts her in a legal

In her case, her family, including three siblings, are ‘distraught’ and unable

After spending one extra night in Amsterdam she travelled over to Spain to stay with family friends in Sevilla while she hopes to find a solution to her situation.

SUMMER OF FUN

AFTER the wettest start to the year for half a century, Spain is ready to swap umbrellas for sunglasses and get the party started. Yes, the festival season is back and, unlike northern Europe, you won’t need your wellies, as warm balmy nights and cold pints of lager will be the order of the day. Whether you fancy jumping around to the Prodigy, eating gourmet food to Primal Scream or singing along with Robbie Williams, here the Olive Press saves you from that FOMO feeling.

Warm Up Festival, Murcia (1–2 May)

This is a great way to start the festival season with a mix of rock, pop and electronic music. Appropriately named, it kicks off the festival season with international acts including Fatboy Slim and The Kooks.

It’s a lively but easy-going event, where you can enjoy the big names without feeling overwhelmed by huge crowds.

Degusta Fest Armilla, Granada (15–16 May)

Degusta offers something a bit different, mixing indie rock with high-quality food. It brings together cult UK artists like Primal Scream and The Charlatans, along-

As

the festival season is set to kick off, we pick our top 10 to look out for around Spain

this year

By Eimear Kempeneer

side a ‘gastro cartel’ led by Michelin-starred chef Pepe Solla. Instead of standard festival food, you’ll find show-cooking and carefully prepared dishes from local chefs.

Sónar, Barcelona (18–20 June)

Sonar is a must for anyone into electronic music, bringing together big DJ names, back-to-back sets and a crowd from all over the world. There’s a strong focus on tech and visuals, which gives the setup a modern, almost futuristic feel. For the experienced ravers, The Prodigy, make their Sonar debut, while Kelis, Joy Orbison and Chris Stussy are also in the house.

Icónica Santa Lucía Fest, Seville (June–July)

Spread over two months at Sevilla’s Plaza de España Iconica combines big international names (like Robbie Williams, Maroon 5, and Fatboy Slim), bringing plenty of star power to the line-up. The combination of music, warm evenings and striking architecture makes it a cool festival for the summer.

Jazz Festival, San Javier, Murcia (late June to mid-July)

A slower-paced option focused on jazz, funk and soul, the relaxed atmosphere of San Javier Jazz means the music takes centre stage.

Artists like The Brand New Heavies and Young Gun Silver Fox fit perfectly into the laid-back

Mad Cool Festival, Madrid (8–11 July)

The tenth edition of one of Spain’s stand out festivals features the Foo Fighters, Kings of León and Florence and the Machine, as well as an exclusive performance from K-pop star Jennie (BLACKPINK), her only European show. There are 70plus international acts.

Bilbao BBK Live (9–11 July)

BBK is now a regular fixture of the festival scene in Spain taking place in a stunning green location in the Kobetamendi hills above Bilbao. Now in its 20th year and labelled an ‘event of exceptional public interest’ by Madrid, big names this year include Calvin Harris, Lily Allen, Interpol and Charlotte de Witte.

FIB Benicàssim Festival, Valencia (16–18 July)

Also a massive festival stalwart, a longtime favourite for the Brits for its great mix of Indie rock by the beach, this year acts include The Kooks and Franz Ferdinand. Many people spend the day on the beach before heading in for the evening music.

RAVE REVIEWS:

Fatboy Slim will be Murcia, while San Javier also takes place

Dreambeach, Vélez-Málaga (31 July – 1 August)

An electronic music festival that features bigname DJs like David Guetta and Eric Prydz. The night-time format means music starts around 6pm and doesn’t get going until the early hours with the night finishing at 8am.

Visor Fest, Valencia (25–26 September)

Visor Fest runs on a very ‘anti stress’ concept, focusing on quality live music in a spacious setting without heavy crowds. Bands like Ocean Colour Scene and Ride bring a nostalgic, feel-good soundtrack. Food options and space to move around make it a relaxed experience.

Win tickets for ABBA+ Degusta Fest on page 10

Back to the Classics:

HEAD to the Rock on May 29 for the fourth iteration of Back to the Classics, where Gibraltar’s finest musicians take to the stage. Seriously Collins, the UK’s best Phil Collins and Genesis tribute act is headlining while Gibraltar’s best musicians will perform classics from David Bowie, AC/DC, Adele, plus many more acts.

Classics Collective curated by event organiser Nolan Frendo brings together musicians for classics from Kate Bush to Guns N Roses. Stay tuned for an Olive Press ticket giveaway as the shoe approaches.

Ticket link: www.buytickets.gi/events/back-tothe-classics-4-1223

LINE UPS: BBK in Bilbao, as the best location, while big acts include Florence and the Machine and Lily Allen this summer

Anyone for a cuppa?

AT least two towns in Spain are half made up of Brits.

Both Mazarron, in Murcia, and Arboleas, in Almeria, hit that figure, with 55% and 49% respectively.

The towns of Pataloa and Bedar, also in Almeria, are close behind, made up of 45% and 42% British residents.

According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), Spain now has a foreign-born population of around 10 million, or about a fifth of its total.

South Americans make up the largest group, with around five million residents, closely followed by 2.8 million Europeans, with 500,000 Romanians and nearly 290,000 Brits.

A staggering two million foreign-born residents have been added in the last three years, driving a population boom.

See full story online

Thank you!

AN Australian expat has thanked the Olive Press after we helped him win a longterm battle with a goatherd squatting his idyllic Andalucian hill farm.

Ex-architect Robert Marshall, 80, revealed the Spaniard had finally been ordered to leave his 64-acre estate, near Jimena de la Frontera.

San Roque Court has ordered Juan Ruiz to vacate the property by June 30 after a three year battle. We revealed how Marshall was forced to move out and even hire a bodyguard to protect himself from Ruiz.

“A huge thank you to the Olive Press,” he wrote to the paper this week, before putting it on various Facebook groups.

See letters, page 62

A DIPLOMATIC row has blown up after an effigy of Israel leader Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up during a festival in Spain.

The country’s ambassador was summoned in Jerusalem after the seven-metre puppet was detonated in the town of El Burgo, near Malaga.

The figure was rigged with 14kg of gunpowder and obliterated as

Israel blast

part of what local officials insist is a long-standing Easter ritual dating back decades.

“People burn effigies of all the bad things during the year, and from that, the good is said to be reborn,” mayor Maria Narvaez insisted.

FOCUS ON CORRUPTION

OUTRAGE: Over the blowing up of Netanyahu Migrant moves

Jetting around

But as Transport Minister he wasn’t meant to be on yachts and private jets between Havana, Bogota and Thailand, corruption trial hears

FORMER Minister Jose Luis Abalos lived the highlife following allegations he received kickbacks during Covid.

Photos show Pedro San-

chez’s ex-Transport Minister on numerous luxury holidays in 2021 and 2022, shortly after the crisis period.

Abalos - currently on trial for taking kickbacks over €500 million of public contracts for eight million masks - had numerous trips around Europe and the Caribbean.

The politician - facing 24 years prison alongside aide Koldo Garcia - was shown alongside his wife and two former

By Alessio Ghirlanda

mistresses on yachts, as well as private jets.

The newly released photographs in El Espanol show Abalos enjoying luxury travel across destinations in-

Spy charge trial begins

By Alex Trelinski

A FORMER minister has gone on trial for allegedly spying on Spain’s ex-treasurer who was planning to reveal government corruption.

Jorge Fernandez Diaz, who served in the PP government of Mariano Rajoy, is accused of a plot to silence finance chief Luis Barcenas.

An interior minister for five years, he acted after Barcenas threatened to reveal secrets about illegal PP party financing.

The trial, dubbed ‘Kitchen’ after the police operation that set off the inquiry, is the culmination of a years-long investigation.

Diaz is facing 15 years for embezzlement of public funds, misuse of public office, and illegal surveillance.

Barcenas, who is serving a 33-year jail term for corruption, was detained in 2013 for serious irregularities in PP accounts under the Gurtel scandal.

He was targeted as he threatened to reveal secrets because he did not feel sufficiently supported by his party. He insisted it was ‘impossible that an operation of this kind was carried out without the knowledge of the party’s highest authorities’.

It was at this point that Diaz allegedly used police resources and public money to run wiretaps on the treasurer in an attempt to destroy evidence against the PP.

The trial, expected to last three months, will see 100 witnesses taking the stand – including Barcenas, Rajoy, and other ex-PP senior figures. Some 37 politicians were accused in the Gurtel scandal of which 29 were found guilty of a range of corruption charges.

PEDRO Sanchez insisted he felt ‘proud to be Spanish again’ as he started a controversial process to legalise almost a million undocumented migrants this week. The president said it would ‘recognise’ half a million people who are ‘already part of our everyday lives.’ Despite bringing strong EU criticism, he says it will supercharge Spain’s economy thanks to the ‘dynamism’ of migrants, who account for around 840,000 people. Applicants must prove they’ve resided in Spain for more than five months, have no criminal record, entered the country before January 1, 2026, and be over 18 with passport or ID. “Today, I feel proud to be Spanish again,” said Sanchez.

cluding the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Cameroon, Cuba and Equatorial Guinea.

He is pictured alongside his wife, Carolina Perles, and former mistresses Jessica Rodriguez and Andrea de la Torre.

In one Whatsapp photo from May 2021 he is snapped on a gondola in Venice with De la Torre while still married to Perles.

In August that year, he travelled to Punta Cana with his wife and friend, gynaecologist Ignacio Palomo.

Yacht

Palomo’s firm allegedly received a €600,000 contract during the pandemic to supply Covid tests that later failed to meet EU certification standards.

Further trips included Mexico and Morocco, often alongside De la Torre and Garcia, before Abalos separated from his wife in late 2021.

He was also photographed on board Koldo’s six-metre yacht, the ‘Albatros,’ acquired in 2022.

The trial at the Supreme court continues, with a total of 75 witnesses listed.

SPAIN has rejected plans to tighten drink-driving rules. In a move that will come as a relief to motorists who enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, the bill to tighten the limit to just 0.1 milligrams of alcohol per litre of exhaled air was rejected. The proposal means the current legal limit will stay at 0.25 milligrams per litre. This is the same as France, Germany and Italy, while stricter than the UK.

AN Adamuz train disaster victim has given birth to a healthy baby.

Raquel Garcia was five months pregnant when two high-speed trains derailed in January in Spain’s deadliest rail accident for over a decade.

Some 46 people were killed and hundreds were injured when two trains crashed near the Cordoba town.

The 32-year-old suffered a head injury and fractured her spine when she tried to protect her dog, Boro, on impact. She was rushed to hospital in Malaga, where she remains in a stable but critical condition.

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

OPINION

Back in Europe?

KEIR Starmer’s Easter trip to Spain has reignited questions about Britain’s relationship with the European Union - a club Spain remains proudly part of.

As Pedro Sanchez recently made clear, Spain ‘misses the UK’ and would ‘absolutely’ support its return. His remarks were echoed by Hungary’s incoming leader Peter Magyar, who said he ‘hoped’ Britain would one day rejoin the bloc.

Meanwhile, Starmer is reassessing UK-EU ties, particularly in trade, regulation and defence. The Prime Minister appears keen to align British rules more closely with European standards - as highlighted in this week’s back page on Sevilla orange marmaladeand is exploring deeper defence cooperation.

Speaking in Parliament, he argued that dealing with the fallout from Donald Trump’s confrontation with Iran underlined the need for ‘a closer economic relationship with our European allies’, adding that Brexit had inflicted ‘deep damage’ on the UK economy.

“The opportunities we now have to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living are simply too big to ignore,” he said.

His renewed push to rebuild ties comes as 58% of Britons now believe Brexit was a mistake. With the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party of England and Wales adding to growing calls for re-entry, the question is no longer whether the debate has returned - but how long it can be ignored.

For many, the hope is simple: that Britain makes the right call and finally draws a line under the Brexit experiment.

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TAX AND SPY

IF there’s one thing that unites both Spaniards and expats alike, it is their burning hatred for the country’s national tax agency.

Whether it is an incomprehensible letter, an impossible deadline, or a Kafka-esque demand for paperwork that doesn't exist, nearly every entrepreneur and businessman has tangled with Spain’s notorious tax collector at one time or another.

As fabled as Cervantes, who actually worked as a tax inspector in the 16th century, the Ministry of Finance has some of the brightest and wealthiest professionals working for it.

Much of this is because of the highly lucrative incentive structure that critics have branded as ‘mafia-like’.

In 2024, it was revealed that the Agencia Tributaria (AEAT) had splurged a staggering €280 million in bonuses on its tax inspectors.

“As tax residents grapple with their Modelo 100s, the Olive Press looks at a few horror stories Spain’s entrepreneurs have faced with their ‘vindictive and mafia-like’ tax agency

By Alessio Ghirlanda

gravy train rolling.

The highly lucrative incentive structure is ‘mafia-like’

The staggering figures were exposed during a legal challenge brought by international law firm Amsterdam & Partners, which accuses it of deliberately concealing how its inspectors are financially motivated to squeeze taxpayers. The figures are based on a report prepared by tax expert Christopher Wales, former tax advisor to the UK governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

“Essentially, the more money an inspector can claw out of his charges, the larger the bonus will be.

And the agency, which operates out of the Treasury (aka Hacienda ), has since announced it has earmarked a further €125 million to keep the

THERE’S a reason expats choose the costas over Madrid.

One offers a sun-drenched Mediterranean coastline, while the other, a dense sprawl of concrete set on a dry, high-altitude plateau.

It is extraordinary then that the Madrid region boasts the highest life expectancy in Europe.

With an average lifespan of 85.7 years, the capital’s residents outlive not only their fellow Spaniards but all Europeans, and by a clear margin, shows a Eurostat study.

The US firm has now sent a letter to Hacienda boss, Soledad Fernández, in which it accuses the agency of ‘deceiving the Spanish people’.

While the firm fights to lift the curtain on Hacienda’s inner workings in court, The Olive Press recalls a few things to watch out for.

Big Brother is watching (your reels)

As taxpayers begin to submit their Modelo 100 (between April 6 and June 30), they should be aware of Hacienda's increasingly dystopian surveillance methods.

Several reports claim the agency has blown more than €800,000 on software designed to monitor people on social media – including the deployment of fake profiles. That random follower liking your Instagram snaps in Ibiza or your reels in Bali might be a tax inspector. The system reportedly scans thousands of accounts, posing as an ordinary user to bypass privacy settings and compare the lifestyles people flaunt online with the income they declare on paper.

A luxury holiday, a new car, or an expensive dinner that doesn’t match your tax return is now enough to

Living the Vida Longa

The contrast within Spain itself is even more striking, with Andalucia recording the lowest life expectancy at 82.8 years, Barcelona at 84.4 and Valencia 83.4, over two years behind the capital. But don’t worry, this has nothing to do with the South - known for its climate and relaxed pace of life - doing anything wrong. It is that Madrid is quietly doing something right. Of Spain’s 25 best hos-

pitals 12 are in the capital, including the top four, according to a 2025 Forbes ranking (see right).

In a country where healthcare is managed by region, this concentration matters more than it first appears. Good hospitals change the basic odds of survival. When someone has a heart attack or a stroke, what matters most is how quickly they reach specialist care – which is where Madrid has consistently beaten all

other Spanish regions in the past three years, according to Ministry of Health data.

In the capital, patients are more likely to be close to major hospitals with advanced emergency teams and fast access to treatment. That difference often decides whether someone lives or dies. The same is true for long-term illnesses. Today, many serious diseases are not sudden death sentences but conditions people live with for years.

Madrid’s leading hospitals are particularly strong in treating cancer and heart disease, using modern therapies that turn what were once fatal diagnoses into manageable conditions.

Early diagnosis is another part of the story. The Madrid region spots diseases sooner because it invests more in screening. And when illness is caught early, treatment is simpler and far more effective. Individually, these advantages may seem small. But together, they push life expectancy higher across the entire population. Wealth adds another layer. Madrid, where I have lived for over a decade, is the richest region in Spain in per capita terms.

That translates into higher use of private healthcare, shorter waiting times, and fewer delays in getting specialist atten-

PERFECT DIET: Writer Alessio tucks into a healthy diet of fried fish and beer in Madrid’s Cerveceria Santa Ana

trigger a devastating audit.

The ‘Revenge’ Audit

With this in mind, it’s worth noting that mocking Hacienda online can be a dangerous game.

Spanish architect Guillermo Carone recently went viral on X (formerly Twitter) after posting a series of ‘funny’ but scathing stories about his run-ins with the taxman. His posts racked up millions of views, even drawing a reaction from Elon Musk.

But the laughter quickly stopped.

Just weeks after going viral, Carone was suddenly hit with a comprehensive tax audit for 2024.

Among the horror stories he shared was how Hacienda fined him €590 for allegedly illegally converting a 20-square-metre storage unit into a home.

The only problem? He didn't own the property.

An inspector had mixed up three similar storefronts in the same building, using photos of a completely different unit as 'proof' of his guilt.

Despite a year of desperate calls, ap -

Why setting up home in Madrid can keep you alive by three years more than the costas writes capital dweller Alessio Ghirlanda

By Alessio Ghirlanda

tion.

It also shows up in everyday life, from better nutrition to more stable living conditions, all of which quietly improve health over time.

But there is a twist here.

Longer life does not automatically mean a better life.

Madrid is not necessarily more relaxed, healthier in lifestyle, or closer to the idealised Mediterranean rhythm often associated with southern Spain.

In many ways, actually, it is faster and more intense.

Take my word. While I love the city and its hustle and bustle and, particularly, its amazing nightlife, it is actually quite a polluted and stressful place to live.

What it simply has is a system that is better at stopping people from dying too soon, and better at keeping serious illness under control for longer. Madrid does not win on lifestyle. It wins on survival.

Spain’s top hospitals are heavily skewed towards the capital, according to a recent poll by Forbes

Here are the top 10:

1. Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz (Community of Madrid)

2. Hospital Universitario La Paz (Community of Madrid)

3. Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre (Community of Madrid)

4. Hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón (Community of Madrid)

5. Hospital Clínic Barcelona (Catalunya)

6. Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud Madrid (Community of Madrid)

7. Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (Community of Madrid)

8. Centro Médico Teknon (Catalunya)

9. Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe (Valencian Community)

10. Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos (Community of Madrid)

IT OVER

THE REGULATORS IN SPAIN ARE ONLY IN IT TO PROTECT THEIR MEMBERS

peals, and dead ends – including demands from Hacienda that he grant them access to a property he had no keys for – the error was never fixed and he LOST the money.

In another post, Carone detailed the crushing reality of being a freelancer in Spain.

While on paternity leave, he was legally banned from issuing invoices, forcing him to sacrifice around €5,000 a month in passive income. Instead, he had to accept a flat €900 in state benefits.

“I asked if I could give up the benefits altogether,” Carone said. “The answer was no. So for a while, I was forced by the government to stop generating money for my family and instead take the €900 they so kindly were giving me.”

Chess Master’s Checkmate

If being fined for a property you don't own sounds extreme, the case of Spanish chess grandmaster Francisco Vallejo proves it is terrifyingly common.

In 2019, Vallejo found himself locked in a high-stakes battle with Hacienda after being hit with a demand for more than €500,000 in taxes on online poker earnings from 2011.

There was just one catch: he hadn’t actually made any money. In fact, he had lost around €5,000.

At the time, a draconian law taxed gambling 'winnings', without allowing players to deduct their overall losses.

Even though the absurd rule was later changed, a vindictive Hacienda retroactively applied the older system to his case.

What followed was a drawn-out, soul-crushing legal battle that derailed his chess career and wreaked havoc on his personal life.

The tax agency eventually backed down, but as with so many of these cases, the victory came only after years of extreme stress and mounting legal costs.

TOOTHLESS

It’s time to extract a dodgy dentist twice struck off in the UK, insists Charlie Mullins

WHY is it that industry regulators whose role is to keep the public safe from any dodgy practices by their members are brilliant at tying up complainants in bureaucracy but completely toothless when it comes to doing their jobs? From experience, both medical and financial, they are more concerned with looking after the interests of their industry than customers who have received shoddy service.

I have a number of examples I’d love to get off my chest but just now I’ll keep it to a case championed (and rebuffed for over a decade) by The Olive Press where a dentist, Dr Rao Rajkumar, twice struck off in the UK (1998 & 2004) is still harming patients in Spain.

I’m not sure how you get struck off twice but after strike two Dr Rao decided to get out of the UK and tap Malaga for a new supply of willing mouths to profit from, and with a disturbing regularity, inflict more pain onto than before they got into his chair. Quite an achievement for a dentist!

As well as featuring in the pages of The Olive Press on numerous occasions over the years Rao has also managed to be featured in an ITV documentary… and not in a good way. The show was called ‘Dentists from Hell’ and the procedure that got him air time was a patient who received 22 crowns from the good doctor, when seven was all she needed.

Apparently, his Spanish licence was granted due to a ‘paperwork error’ but despite this, Malaga’s College of Dentistry is still refusing to revoke his licence to practice, despite being reported to the council and the Police.

Enquiries by The Olive Press seem to suggest Rao has decided to keep his head down and his mouth firmly shut as calls and emails to Alhaurin Dental care where he works have failed to get a response.

Rao was last month the subject of a new investigation after his latest victim contacted the paper. Ex-pat Rachel Byrne was originally told she needed a root canal, a diagnosis that saw Rao enthusiastically commence drilling before telling her she would have to return in a month.

The return visit described by Rachel as ‘the most horrendous’ experience of her life ended up with her being told what she needed was an implant, but she needed to wait a few weeks for the procedure. Days later she returned in severe pain only to be sent away with a fist full of painkillers.

This bloke needs to be removed from the dental industry for life as do the people who continue to let him stay in business. I’m talking about immediate extraction!

ONLINE SNOOPING: Beware the taxman is now checking your Instagram posts for new cars and Caribbean holidays

FLASHBACK: Our story on the front of March edition

THURSDAY 26th March 2026 marked a defining moment for Gibraltar’s evolving urban landscape, as Elysium Bayside officially broke ground in a ceremony that brought together senior government officials, business leaders, and key figures behind the development.

The landmark event was attended by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, Government Ministers, and a number of international guests and industry leaders. Among the VIP attendees were Mr. Tung Nguyen, Regional Chairman and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of ROX Group, Ms. Loc Tran, Chief Executive Officer of TNG Global Realty and ROX Living Global, Mr. Adrian Olivero, Chief Executive Officer of TNG Global Foundation, and Mr. Thanh Tran, Chairman of Delta Group, the main constructor responsible for the basement works of Elysium Bayside.

A key highlight of the ceremony was the official groundbreaking moment, when the Chief Minister, Ministers, and VIP representatives from the development and construction teams came together to symbolically break ground on the site. The milestone marked the formal commencement of construction and the start of a project that aims to reshape how people live, work, and connect within Gibraltar’s limited but dynamic space.

Elysium Bayside Breaks Ground on a New Vision for Living in Gibraltar

Set against the backdrop of the Bayside district, the event signalled the beginning of a project that aims to reshape how people live, work, and connect within Gibraltar’s limited but dynamic space. More than a construction milestone, the groundbreaking represented a shared ambition to deliver a new standard of integrated, modern living.

Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, said: “A development like Elysium Bayside really adds to the offer Gibraltar makes to those who want to make Gibraltar their home and It also adds to the places that those of us who already live in Gibraltar will have access to with their retail and additional leisure offer, and it will beautify the whole area.

[Elysium Bayside] will make the area much more interesting, much more welcoming for those of us who will want to be around here enjoying all the leisure and residential opportunities it will offer.”

At its core, Elysium Bayside reflects a shift in how developments are being conceived within Gibraltar. Located in the heart of the central business district, it has been designed to bring together residential living, professional spaces, and lifestyle amenities within a single cohesive environment. The concept responds directly to the realities of life on the Rock, where proximity and efficiency play a vital role in everyday life. While practicality underpins the project, its architectural identity is driven by something more expressive. The development’s flowing, curved design draws inspiration from the Mediterranean Sea, creating a structure that feels both contemporary and connected to its surroundings. The form is not purely aesthetic — it also allows for enhanced natural light, expansive views, and a sense of openness throughout the devel-

opment.

At the centre of this vision sits a communal piazza, designed as the social heart of Elysium Bayside. Inspired by Mediterranean urban culture, the space has been conceived to encourage interaction, offering residents and visitors a place where community life can unfold naturally.

Neville Page, Sales and Marketing Director TNG Global, said: “Elysium Bayside is positioned as the new benchmark for modern luxury living in Gibraltar. We’ve tried to make every element integrated to deliver a seamless living experience and integrated lifestyle all in one concept - it brings together residential, office and retail, creating a live-to-work leisure eco-system. It’s designed around open spaces with natural light, it has curated amenities and community spaces where there are areas for wellness and relaxation. It delivers a refined and purposeful living experience which has a community first approach. It’s not just a private experience, but it also has spaces for interaction and opportunities for connection. We wanted to foster a sense of belonging, it’s not just about where you live, but about how you live every day.”

Beyond its design, the project also reflects a growing emphasis on sustainability and wellbeing. Elysium Bayside has been planned with a near-zero-energy approach, incorporating renewable energy systems, natural ventilation, and green landscaping to create a more efficient and comfortable living environment. These elements are intended not only to reduce environmental impact, but also to enhance the day-to-day experience of those who will live and work there.

The development also responds to a key demand within Gibraltar’s economy — the

need for high-quality, modern workspaces. With sectors such as fintech, legal services, and online gaming continuing to expand, Elysium Bayside will provide contemporary office environments designed to support productivity while prioritising wellbeing. Alongside this, residents will benefit from co-working areas and shared spaces that reflect the increasingly flexible nature of modern work.

At street level, a new retail promenade will introduce cafés, shops, and essential services, contributing to the continued transformation of the Bayside district into a vibrant and walkable neighbourhood.

Adrian Olivero, CEO of TNG Global Foundation, said: “The vision for Bayside Elysium was conceived from the perspective of creating a modern development that included sustainability as one of its core values, but more importantly was to respect the core values and uniqueness of living in Gibraltar.

This means having communal spaces and communal areas, for example like our communal piazza space which I consider to be one of the most important components of the development, it brings together Mediterranean living whilst maintaining British standards which is the vision we are looking for - respecting the core values of Gibraltar and its community whilst bringing modern and sustainable development.”

As construction begins, Elysium Bayside stands as a symbol of Gibraltar’s next chapter — one where thoughtful design, sustainability, and community-focused planning come together to shape a more balanced and connected urban future.

Fad over

Orca attacks plummet as whales grow bored of ramming boats

ATTACKS by killer whales have dropped by around 80% in the Strait of Gibraltar in just two years.

The number of encounters between the orcas and sailors has dropped from nearly 100 in 2023 to just 18 last year.

While attacks on Spain’s north coast have been ris-

By Manon Demerie

ing - up from 17 to 27 in just two years - the drop largely appears to be the end of a trend.

According to researchers it appears that what emerged in 2020 as a regular occurrence is slowly ending.

Back then, the orcas began approaching, chasing and even ramming boats for the first time. It led to damaged rudders and even a couple of sinkings, causing panic among

ATTACKS:

Dropping in the Strait and rising in the North

crews, with some incidents requiring emergency rescues. As the Olive Press revealed one pod in particular seemed to be leading the attacks.

Named Gladys, the pod comprised up to 15 whales,

but this soon spread to other pods.

What had been extremely rare turned into 90 attacks in 2023, dropping to 45 attacks in 2024 and 18 last year.

A joint study by Spanish and Portuguese experts believed the rise came as the orcas became well-fed and, in a sense, bored.

A decade ago, finding food in the Straits required long, energy-intensive chases lasting up to half an hour due to scarcity of prey due to overfishing. Now, due to strict controls, prey, in particular tuna, became abundant and easier to catch, often taking just a few minutes. With less time spent hunt-

ing, the orcas, especially younger ones, had more time to explore and interact with their environment.

Shallow

In some cases, that curiosity has translated into contact with boats. Now, they have got bored of it and are finding other things to entertain themselves.

It also helped that warnings have meant boats steering as far away from them as possible. For those at sea, the advice remains clear. If an orca approaches, do not stop the vessel. Instead, continue moving towards the coast or into shallower waters.

Windfall tax calls

SPAIN has joined forces with other European allies to call for a windfall tax on the profits raked in by energy companies due to the Iran conflict. It has joined Germany, Italy, Portugal and Austria insisting they ‘will take action’. Oil prices have surged since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, with Brent crude hitting a high of $112 (€95) per barrel on April 7. The shortage led economists to liken the situation to the 1970s energy shock. The government meanwhile moved to contain the fallout with a €5 billion relief package comprising 80 measures, including a VAT cut on fuel that slashed prices by up to 30 cents per litre.

Your chance to WIN tickets to see Abba Tribute and Britpop giants alongside gourmet greats

FANCY a fabulous gourmet weekend in Granada with a fabulous Britpop soundtrack?

Put your name in the ring to win three pairs of tickets for Degusta Fest, on May 15 & 16.

Featuring leading chefs alongside festival giants Primal Scream (above) and the Charlatans, this will be an amazing weekend of fun.

Over two days you can also see Ash and Redd Kross, as well as some of Spain’s top acts including Lori Meyers,

Carlos Ares and Hinds. Combining gourmet cuisine and live music, you will find celebrated Michelin starred Galician chef Pepe Solla alongside stars including Ismael Abderrahaman (Albidaya) and Juan P. Ortiz (Trescero).

To win tickets send an email to newsdesk@theolivepress.es with the subject line ‘DEGUSTA TICKETS’.

Visit www.degustafestival. es for more information.

Gimme, gimme, gimme

A TRIBUTE to Sweden’s finest musical export is coming to the Costa del Sol this summer (see ad right).

And we are offering Olive Press readers five pairs of tickets to win.

Inspired by Abba Voyage in London, The Tribute at the Marbella Arena promises to bring the ‘ultimate ABBA party to the Costa del Sol’

In order to win tickets pls make sure you are registered on our website and send an email to newsdesk@theolivepress. es with the subject line ‘ABBA TRIBUTE COMPETITION’.

AN expat has gone to war with a car dealership trying to squeeze an extra €10,000 more than was agreed for a second hand car.

Moroccan Hafid El Hilaly, 43, accused the Sevilla-based garage of trying to ‘take advantage’ of him because he ‘isn’t Spanish’. Instead of simply accepting the return of the car to resolve the conflict, Cars Selections Andalucia (CSA) has continued to bombard him with demands for payment.

The garage has even ignored legal letters, alongside Santander Bank, which financed the loan.

The father-of-two, who has

Wheeler dealer

Expat stunned by hidden €10k markup on second-hand car bought via Santander bank financing

lived in Marbella since 2004, signed the agreement to buy a Nissan Qashqai for €15,280 from CSA in December last year.

He was allowed to take the car home, with the loan side of the paperwork to be sent for signing ‘a few days later’. So the Marrakech-born gar-

AirbnBAD

AMERICAN rental giant Airbnb must pay a massive €64 million fine after a Spanish court threw out a request to delay payment.

The High Court rejected Airbnb’s bid to suspend payment until a final judgement on the case over illegal lettings is issued.

The firm - which made an estimated €2.5 billion last year - was fined for publishing 65,000 adverts for

By Alessio Ghirlanda

dener was stunned when the following month he received an agreement listing a base price of nearly €19,000.

And he was even angrier when he discovered the loan – issued by Santander

unlicensed tourist apartments in December.

It breached consumer protection laws by showing accommodation without licences.

The total fine was calculated as six times the profit raked in from the illegal listings. “No company in Spain, no matter how large or powerful, can be above the law,” insisted Minister Pablo Bustinduy.

See full story online

Consumer Finance (SCF) – included 15% interest, pushing the price to €25,500.

“That’s more than €10,000 above the price advertised for the vehicle online,” he told the Ol-

ive Press. “How can they possibly think they could get away with this? Just because I’m not Spanish. They are bullies and this is downright extortion,” he added. He explained that he had immediately instructed a lawyer and sent two burofaxes to the garage and Santander cancelling the agreement. However, neither company responded – with SCF continuing to withdraw money from his account each month, and bombarding him with phone calls.

A spokesman for CSA told The Olive Press El Hilaly was ‘not’ deceived and the markup was ‘normal’ including a €1,000 admin fee and €2,000 in insurance that ‘literally everybody has to pay’ when getting finance - plus €6,000 in interest rates.

“It makes my blood boil that a dealer and bank can operate like this,” insisted El Hilaly, adding he was now going to take the garage to court.

„ Why living in Spain offers better value than the UK.

„ How to benefit from the UK’s new residence rules for inheritance tax.

„ Succession tax advantages in Andalucía and how they apply.

„ Planning for long-term financial security in Spain.

Protect your wealth and legacy.

Places are limited, book early to avoid disappointment

Get informed

THOUSANDS of people have now signed up to receive our regular Rest is Spain podcast, available on Spotify, YouTube and Apple. Now into its 15th episode the team of Jon Clarke, Walter Finch and Caroline Lips have a series of special guests joining us over the next two months.

In the latest podcast we discuss Louis Theroux’s Manosphere documentary filmed in Marbella, the clampdown on the giant Lyons Clan and the amazing colourful life of the late Duquesa de Alba, as a new exhibition launches in Sevilla.

Sponsored by Staysure Expat insurance, it helps you get beyond the news and get some real insight from our journalists.

April 2026 12

Out and About

The Olive Press is now on newsstands in Spain’s biggest cities - and the list is expanding fast

AFTER 20 years building a loyal readership along the costas, we’ve officially arrived in Madrid and Barcelona, with dozens of distribution points and a rapidly growing presence in traditional kiosks.

It’s a landmark moment for the paper. When the Olive Press launched, kiosks wouldn’t stock freesheets, so we had to do things differently - building our own network through petrol stations, supermarkets and sports clubs. From Cádiz to Valencia, that hands-on approach helped us grow into one of Spain’s most widely read English-language newspapers.

Now, we’ve come full circle. The Olive Press is firmly where it always belonged: on the kiosk. From the busy stands of Gran Vía to newsstands across city centres and coastal towns, you’ll find us alongside leading titles such as El País and the Financial Times

And this is just the start. More kiosks are being

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

PRIDE OF PLACE: Our new monthly national edition is now on Madrid newsstands, as well as local ones, with

added every month, more towns and cities are coming online, and more readers are picking up the paper than ever before.

The message is simple: the Olive Press is now in the key cities, in the kiosks, and within easy reach wherever you are.

Whether on Madrid’s Gran Vía or in a traditional newsstand in Ronda, you will find us available.

And if not, just ask. Lola at the kiosk in Plaza Don Martín in Madrid, or Ernest at Estepona’s central newsstand, will no doubt have a copy waiting.

Across

7 Japanese assassin (5)

9 Queued (5,2)

10 Rock guitarist Eric --- (7)

11 Bike propeller (5)

12 Seeks justice (4)

13 Oprah has reorganized top Egyptians (8)

16 Oscar winner for “Mystic River” and “Milk” (4,4)

18 Part of a hate group (4)

21 Margaret Thatcher’s successor (5)

23 One of the Windwards (7)

24 Napoleon, to a Russian (7)

25 Spree (5) Down

1 Quick bites (6)

2 How some events are captured (2,6)

3 Scheme (4)

4 Hidden marksman (6)

5 Issue associated with inattentiveness (1,1,1,1)

6 Like Laxton’s Superb and Evelina (6)

8 “--- Rhapsody” (Brahms vocal work) (4)

14 Kind of party (3)

15 Artist’s medium in a tube (3,5)

16 International conference (6)

17 Pray, do amend literary form (6)

19 Adult (1-5)

20 Native of Belgrade, for example (4)

22 Main island of Indonesia (4)

23 Microbe (4)

If you are interested in stocking the paper, or want to know where to find it, please get in touch at newsdesk@theolivepress.es.

SEARCH NO FURTHER

The Olive Press comes top on Google for news in all the key resorts and regions around Spain

WHEN it comes to the most important search terms in Spain you’ll always find us on the front page of Google. Whether you are looking for news on the Costa Blanca or in Barcelona, Marbella or Valencia, say, we are almost always top. And even with the more competitive search terms such as ‘News in Spain’ or ‘Spain News’ we are always on the front page… and usually around third or fourth place after the BBC and El Pais

And if you search for ‘News in Madrid’ or ‘News in Barcelona’ this week you will also find us on the front page. And want to know the latest on the Costa del Sol you’ll find us above our main rivals.

The reason for this, of course,

dear reader, is that we provide original content by real journalists and writers… and, as you’ll see on our website, around 20 times a day.

Yes, we have over a dozen regular contributors from former BBC, Daily Mail and Telegraph staffers, to rising stars on their way up the media ladder.

And last year we were named the Best English newspaper in Spain from the Diputacion de Malaga, and even won the Best Trainee journalist prize at the prestigious NCTJ awards in the UK.

Our young trainee Yzzy Bostyn beat a rising star at the Times and the reporter of the year at Birmingham’s Express & Star group.

Scan the QR code to subscribe to the Olive Press

Ernest in Estepona (right)

Property

PATIENCE OF A SAINT

How a Spanish architect had to show restraint waiting 17 years to win church award

See page 16

Into the shadows

A SHOCKING 90% of long term rental homes in Barcelona have vanished from the market since 2020, according to new data. No surprise to anyone renting in the Catalan capital, nine out of ten homes have migrated into a growing ‘shadow market’, according to portal Idealista.

Landlords have withdrawn longterm contracts to bypass strict rent caps and are instead offer-

ing ‘seasonal’ or holiday lets.

In addition a number of properties have been sliced up for room-by-room rentals.

And the situation is mirrored across most expat hotspots, with Palma, for example, seeing rentals plummet by 75%, while competition for viewings has multiplied by 11.

Madrid has seen a fall of 73%, San Sebastian 72% and Malaga

has lost 69% of its available rentals since 2020.

This severe shortage has inevitably triggered massive price hikes across the country.

Families looking to rent in Valencia are finding asking prices 80% higher than 2020. Alicante has seen rises of 73%, Barcelona has recorded jumps of 63% and Malaga is close behind, with tenants facing a 62%

Stunning new Spanishdesigned museum finally opens in Scandinavia

See page 46

Long leases have vanished by up to 90% since 2020 with Barcelona, Malaga and Madrid the most affected

By Walter Finch

increase in monthly costs. Nationally 15% of properties were rented last year within just 24 hours of going on the market. However, analysts urge caution when interpreting Idealista’s data, noting the portal tracks asking prices rather than final signed contracts.

Official figures from the Nation-

al Institute of Statistics (INE) show actual transaction prices are lower than those advertised online. The portal’s figures also only capture a snapshot of properties actively seeking tenants on any given day.

In addition, fairly priced flats are often snapped up and removed from the website within hours so not entering the portal’s stats by day end.

ASHARP drop in non-resident buyers is the standout story in Spain’s most recent official property statistics.

Foreign demand for property in Spain eased in 2025, but not across the board as increasing numbers of expats are buying here.

The big change came from foreign non-resident (FNR) buyers - those who typically purchase holiday homes or second residences on the coast.

Purchases by this group fell by almost 10% year-on-year to 51,411 transactions, the lowest level in four years.

These buyers are mainly from northern Europe - Brits, Germans and

Expats to the rescue

Second-home buyers from abroad retreatbut the expat market steps into the gap. Will Iran conflict also help, asks Mark Stuecklin

Dutch among them - drawn to Spain by the climate, lifestyle and investment potential.

Their retreat is the most notable shift in the latest data.

Set against this decline, the broader housing market remained strong.

According to the government figures, total sales reached 752,098 in 2025, up 5% on the previous year and roughly 30% above the ten-year average.

Foreign buyers still accounted for a significant share of activity. They purchased 126,981 homes in total, representing about 18% of all transactions.

That figure is only slightly down on the previous year, but the composition of foreign demand is changing. While second-home buyers pulled back, foreign residents moved in the opposite direction.

Expats purchased 75,570 homes in

2025, up over 4% year-on-year, and now accounting for almost 60% of all foreign transactions. This group includes many economic migrants from countries such as Morocco, Romania and across Latin America.

These buyers typically operate in a different part of the market than non-residents, often purchasing lower-priced homes in cities or suburban areas rather than coastal lifestyle properties.

“

That distinction matters when interpreting the figures. The near 10% drop in non-resident buyers is striking, especially after the strong post-pandemic boom in second-home purchases.

“ Looking ahead, global uncertainty could work in Spain’s favour

One possible explanation is the proposals to penalise or tax non-EU non-resident buyers, widely interpreted as targeting British and American purchasers. Even though no concrete measures have yet been implemented, the rhetoric may have unsettled some potential buyers.

At the same time policymakers frequently blame foreign buyers for pushing up house prices. In reality, non-resident buyers tend to purchase in coastal lifestyle markets that often have limit-

ed overlap with the homes sought by local buyers. If anything, pressure on entry-level housing is more likely to come from rising demand among economic migrants, whose numbers are increasing and who compete more directly with locals for the same properties. Even so, the decline in second-home buyers should not be overstated. Non-resident demand remains strong in historical terms. Sales are still comfortably above pre-pandemic levels and well ahead of the numbers seen a decade ago. Looking ahead, global uncertainty could even work in Spain’s favour. Tensions in the Middle East are affecting competing destinations such as the UAE and Cyprus, potentially nudging internationally mobile buyers towards Spain instead. For that reason, despite the recent dip, the Spanish holiday-home market may still have an interesting year ahead.

LOOKING FOR MORE PROPERTY STORIES?

Scan

SUPER SEVEN Catalan firm up for prestigious design award

A TEAM of Spanish architects are among the seven finalists of the prestigious EU Mies Awards this year. The group from H Arquitectes, in Catalunya, are in the running for their amazing project, the Rehabilitation of Vapor Cortes, which transformed a series of historic industrial buildings in Terrassa.

The partners helped to convert the former textile factory into the headquarters of the company Prodis.

Called Prodis 1923 after the year the factory was constructed, the project pre-

By Tess Van Holsbeeck

serves the original structure of the building (right).

The main features include a central street reopened as a public passage between the two main buildings, which organizes circulation and activities.

The original wooden trusses were kept, with new beams added to strengthen the structure.

This creates layered spaces, cozy corners, and central skylights that bring light and character to the expansive interiors.

The EU Mies Awards recognize the best architecture

in Europe and had already shortlisted the 40 best buildings around the continent built over the last year.

A total of seven Spanish architects were on the long list, only beaten by the

nine from France.

Prodis is a non-profit organization that supports people with intellectual disabilities.

The other finalists include projects in Belgium, France, Croatia, and Slovenia. They are:

and close depending on the weather.

Is key while central skylights bring light into

Marie-Jose Perec Sports and Cultural Centre - Onze04 (La Bouëxière, France)

This culture and sports centre brings together a range of local facilities into one connected hub.

The project is organised into two main volumes, separating

heated indoor spaces from a

sports hall. At night,

Slovenian National Theatre - Vidic Grohar Arhitekti (Ljubljana, Slovenia)

The project reuses existing structures to provide a low-cost, flexible cultural space. It was built because the historic theatre building is under renovation. Because of a tight budget and timeframe, simple and quick interventions were essential for this project.

Lot 8, LUMA Arles - ASSEMBLE (Arles, France)

This 19th-century train depot has been transformed into a design and research centre focused on sustainable building.

Cultural Centre Le Foirail - Betillon & Freyermuth (Laguiole, France)

This multi-purpose hall is a flexible public building designed to serve a rural community. It brings together a range of uses, including a music school, library, nursery and offices, creating a shared space for culture and everyday life.

Rather than starting from scratch, the project reuses the existing structure, upgrading its stone walls and steel frame while adapting it for new uses.

CONSERVATION:

expansive interiors

This project brings new life to a historic site by combining heritage restoration with a contemporary structure. At the centre of the design is a light-

weight, adjustable canopy that floats above the square. Made from steel beams and translucent fabric, it can open

This is a careful renovation of a large, existing exhibition complex.

Instead of demolishing and rebuilding, the architects chose to work with the orig-

inal structure, preserving its scale and character while adapting it for modern use.

Charleroi Palais des Expositions - AgwA (Charleroi, Belgium)

Gruž Market - ARP / Peračić-Veljačić (Dubrovnik, Croatia)

larger unheated

the building glows like a lantern, becoming a landmark for the area.

PATIENCE OF A SAINT

ASPANISH architect needed the patience of a saint after landing the world Building of the Year award - 16 years after his holy construction began.

Fernando Menis scooped the World Architecture Festival prize 2025 for his amazing church in the Canary Islands.

The Holy Redeemer Church and Community Centre of Las Chumberas, in La Laguna, Tenerife, is a

Volcanic-inspired church in Tenerife wins big at World Architecture Festival...after 16 years of waiting been in use ever since.

By Manon Demerie

major coup for the architect.

Acting as a focal point for urban renewal, the prize for last year’s best building was recently handed out at the awards ceremony in Miami. It has been praised for its bold design and for transforming a long-neglected neighbourhood. The innovative complex includes a church, a community centre and a public square, offering a

COMMUNITY-BASED: The design was praised for its social focus

shared space for residents.

It was built largely through donations and was developed in stages over many years. Its design was shaped by the irregular flow of funding over two decades and, as a result, the structure was constructed as four separate sections.

The first phase, which included the community facilities, was completed within two years and has

The remaining sections were finished gradually, with the final elements completed 16 years later when further funding became available.

The building draws inspiration from the volcanic landscape of Tenerife. Its massive, rough concrete forms stand in contrast to the surrounding urban environ-

ment, giving it a strong and unmistakable presence.

One of its most distinctive features is the use of narrow gaps between the structures. These are filled with sculptural metal and glass, allowing natural light to filter through in carefully controlled ways. The effect creates a calm, almost meditative atmosphere.

ERUPTING: Now on the world stage thanks to a leading Miami award

FA MI LY V ILL A , N U E VA ANDALUCI A

Modern 5-Bedroom Villa within Walking Distance to Puerto Banus

5 Beds | 5 Baths | 490m² Built | 900m² plot | 150m2 terrace REF: 176-02961P | 3.995.000 €

Welcome to this modern and very well built house in the lower Nueva Andalucia area. As you enter you are greeted with a large open kitchen that leads to the dining and living area, from here you can access the large covered terrace and onto the pool area with ample space for sunbathing and with an outdoor shower. On the main floor you have a bedroom onsuite currently used as an office. On the first floor you have 3 bedroom onsuite, all with access to a covered terrace. From here you have stairs leading onto the solarium which has been fitted with solar panels yet leaving space to create an entertaining space. In the basement floor floor you have the laundry area, a 2nd guest toilet, a bedroom suite, a large room that could be used as a cinema room etc and lastly a large garage for up to 4 cars. All floors are accessed by stairs or an elevator. The technology in the house is modern with water based underfloor heating powered by aerothermic system, the ac is thorugh the Airzone system, water filters & solar panels make this house very efficient to live in. A house in a very central position makes this a perfect all year living or a holiday home with the added bonus of being an attractive rental property due to its size and location.

ANDALUCIA G A R DEN CLUB , NUE VA AND A LUCI A

Fully Renovated Ground Floor Garden Apartment

3 Beds | 3 Baths | 113m² Built | 27m² terrace

REF: 176-03239P | 1.090.000 €

Discover a rare, fully renovated corner apartment in the prestigious Andalucia Garden Club next to Centro Plaza and within easy walking distance of restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, the beach and a wide range of local services the area has to offer. With three bedrooms and three bathrooms, two of which are ensuite all with walk-in showers, this apartment is beautifully presented featuring an open-plan design with a fully fitted kitchen, spacious dining and living area leading directly out onto the covered terrace with additional seated areas and views overlooking the garden and communal areas.

PUEBLO ARABESQUE , NU E VA ANDALUCI A

Fully Renovated Penthouse with Stunning Views

3 Beds | 3 Baths | 155m² Built | 100m² terrace | 653m2 build

REF: 176-03259P |1.495.000 €

Recently fully renovated to an exceptional standard, this stunning penthouse in Pueblo Arabesque offers a perfect blend of elegance, comfort, and Andalucian charm. Boasting three spacious bedrooms and three bathrooms—two of which are en-suite—the property has been thoughtfully designed using high-quality materials throughout. The west-facing orientation allows for beautiful natural light and warm afternoon sun, while a convenient parking bay is located directly outside. The well equiped kitchen has an american style fridge freezer, water filter and a sink eraser.

DREAMY: The pool’s location offers amazing views, as do most of the rooms, which are contemporary in style

Spain is investing big in its state-run network of Parador hotels ahead of the brand’s centenary in 2028 - with €250 million set aside for new -

NO PLACE

Ibiza’s new record €47 million Paradorthe first in the Balearics - sits in the most revered location and took 17 years to finish

IBIZA may be known for its nightlife but its most exciting hotel opening for decades is highlighting the island's rich architectural heritage.

Some two decades in the waiting, Spain’s newest parador is one of the most historic and, certainly, stunning visually.

Located within Ibiza town’s UNESCO World Heritage site of Dalt Vila, the new luxury hotel

By Maeve Gorman

occupies the 16th-century Almudaina Castle.

Right at the top of the town, the sensitive renovation has carefully preserved its history, as well as its foundations which go back a staggering 3000 years.

Opening last month, it comes after a long stop-start process in-

Thinking big

Parador Molina de Aragon

RESPECTFUL: The renovation has preserved all the original features

Ibiza’s freshly inaugurated Parador cost a staggering €47 million to renovate.

But from the Costa del Sol to the Galician coast, these are the eye-watering sums behind the nation’s finest Paradors.

Parador

de Nerja

Nerja’s Parador is

currently undergoing a €30 million renovation and is ex pected to re-open in spring 2028.

Parador Hostal dos Reis Catolicos

In Guadalajara, a stone’s throw from Madrid, the Parador Molina de Aragon (right) opened its doors in last year following a €22 million renovation.

A staggering €36 million has been invested in renovating Santiago de Compostela’s Parador Hostal dos Reis Catolicos.

Parador Alcala de Henares

Alcala de Henares’ Para dor (left) opened in

2009 after an investment of approximately €44 million, just behind Ibiza’s total.

Parador de Leon

Leon’s Parador (below) has seen a recent investment of €30 million, with renovations creating 50 more rooms.

Scan

TO PARTY

volving teams of archaeologists. Building work first began in 2009 and, over the course of a 17-year process requiring a €47 million investment, unearthed a range of treasures dating back millenium. Archaeologists discovered ancient jars used by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians to transport oil, wine and grain as well as Moorish ceramics. The fortress had stood abandoned since the 1970s, but now the Parador Nacional de Ibiza has opened its doors to

its first guests. With 66 luxury rooms and a pool suspended above the ancient city walls, the Balearic Islands’ first Parador celebrates an island whose history stretches far beyond its party reputation.

GUADALMINA ALTA

LOCATION: Sited right at the top of historic Dalt Vila there are few better places to stay on the island

20 Property

HISTORIC

Pazo de Meirás to expand public access after decades in Franco family hands

By Eimear kempeneer

IT is a unique bird’s eye view into the life of a dictator.

The summer residence of Francisco Franco is finally back in the hands of the state.

The Pazo de Meirás, in Sada, Galicia, is having a full restoration to be fully

opened to visitors this year. Grand reception rooms, symbolic decor and a chapel housing artworks tied to the dictatorship’s appropriation of cultural heritage are part of the allure.

VICTORY

DISTINCTIVE: Where Neo-medieval meets French-style grandeur

Officials want to reframe how Meiras is understood - recognising its origins as firstly the home of writer Emilia Pardo Bazán before its controversial role during Franco’s dictatorship.

Visitors can already access parts of the estate through guided tours, including the distinctive Towers of Meiras, where a French-style manor meets neo-medieval design.

Stoned again!

RESIDENTS of a mountain village are up in arms over the replacement of centuries-old stone benches with concrete ones.

Locals in Murtas, near Granada, have warned the charming 17th-century seats are already being ripped out and dumped as rubble.

The Contraviesa Murteña association insists the benches, originally hauled by mules by their ancestors, are central to

the town’s identity.

“We are shocked some have already been stripped away and substituted with plain brick and cement ones,” said a spokesman.

“It is blatant destruction of our architectural heritage, slowly disappearing amid a sea of concrete.”

Campaigners insist that the stone benches - which have long served as places to meet and socialise - need to be restored.

BIRDS EYE: Amazing look into the life of a dictator

Javea is spoilt with some of Spain’s best beaches, but despite getting overcrowded in summer it’s still full of Joshua Parfitt

HIDDEN DEPTHS

IT was a Monday morning in August when I arrived at Playa Granadella with my dad, suncream, and a boot full of snorkeling gear.

“Perdona, playa is closed - it is full,” said the local policeman blocking our path with a piece of rope. I tried

We joined the four or five cars turning around like stingrays in the sand above what National Geographic has

Continues on next page my best Valenciano. Bribed him with coffee. But no luck.

Best beaches about

Granadella almost to yourself and your family – even in August. But those days are long gone. We tried our luck at Cala Portitxol on the other side of Javea’s southern headland. It all went swimmingly, I’m pleased to report.

After placing our towels on a rock and spending the morning swimming around Portitxol island, we decided we were hungry. We didn’t know it at the time. But

town still holds many hidden secrets.

we’d just been treading water above one of the Med’s most stunning sunken treasures.

Later that day, snorkelers found 57 gold Roman coins at the base of Portitxol island. We’d been swimming right in the same spot! It’s typical of Javea that –despite the crowds and queues – the

Cala Portitxol, deriving from the Latin for ‘little port’, is one of Javea’s most stunning stretches of coastline. Also known as Platja la Barraca, it’s a 900m stretch of mostly gravel, pebbles and rock between Cap Prim and el Cap Negre. The cove is sheltered by cliffs and has a series of old

fishermen's huts – or barracas –which are privately owned though rarely used for storing fishing gear any more.

Having lived here for half a decade now, this is my experience of Javea.

“

Though titles like The Times and Conde Nast Traveller have dubbed it ‘the coolest spot on the Costa Blanca’, there are still so many ways to

avoid the crowds.

What do you do when cala de la barraca is full? Take a 10-minute walk down from La Creu de Portitxol to Platja de Portitxol, a wild beach with practically no one in peak summer.

“ There are still so many ways to avoid the crowds

And what about the Arenal, Javea's only sandy beach?

If you drive up to Cala Blanca you can walk along a rocky coastline, through a round hole in the

HISTORIC: Javea’s church has defensive roots

rockface, and enjoy one of the Caleta de Dins or Caleta de Fora almost to yourself.

Another secret beach spot is Cala en Calo that’s been featured in glossy magazine articles as Javea’s ‘tropical beach’ that wouldn’t look out of place in Thailand. You can only get there by sea – but that’s why it never gets too crowded.

For the really intrepid, there is Playa Ambolo. It's actual-

ly been closed to the public since 2006 due to rockfall, but if you're happy kayaking or canoeing round the Descubridor island, you'll get paradise nearly all to yourself.

(Just be warned that it used to be a nudist beach and still has many devoted patrons!) But still. Even in the popular Arenal, you can find many hidden secrets – one of which is the Michelin-starred restaurant, Tula, an unpre-

tentious place run by couple Borja and Clara. The Arenal’s best known establishments are run by the Javea Company. They operate a series of bars and restaurants all along the beach, including Bambula, which is a popular spot that bounces into the early hours.

Continues on next page

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From previous page

Cinema and markets

Meanwhile the Geographic has become a popular joint for a light lunch or to watch live sports on its dozen-plus screens.

Heading north you will find another blue flag beach in the port area.

Playa de la Grava is a pebble beach in a very warm bay, where it’s common to see bathers from March to November.

And what secrets does the port of Javea hold?

Divine inspiration

IT could well be the most quirky-looking church in Spain.

Sculptural Nuestra Señora de Loreto rears up over its nearby buildings like an angry spider or a space-age creature from HG Wells’ War of the Worlds. It was built on the site of an old fishermen’s church by the port in 1967, designed by four

My favourite spot is the Lonja where you can buy fresh seafood caught by local fishermen.

Oh, and don’t forget to visit the Nuestra Señora de Loreto church. It once featured in a BBC documentary for its unique modernist design, as the ceiling is designed to look like the hull of a ship.

The port also has the amazing Cinema Jayan with plenty of Version Original films showing throughout the week. Another hidden secret: it’s the only independent cinema in the Costa Blanca North.

For walkers, a top tip is the rocky hike from the end of Javea’s port to Cala Tango with its 17m-high platform to jump into the sea. It looks like a hard slog, as it kicks off directly uphill but it only takes about 30 minutes.

architects. An important example of avant-garde religious architecture, it stands out for its bold lines and its use of space. On the outside, its 12

slender pillars represent an allegory of the 12 apostles.

Inside, its cement and red pine wood interior is said to represent a fishing boat, with the light penetrating through the skylights in the form of jets, sliding down the pillars and giving the building its boat keel shape. It is a must visit from 9am to 8pm all year round.

From the port you need to walk inland to access the true gem of Javea, its wonderful old town, largely built from the local honey-coloured tosca stone.

The 14th century Iglesia de San Bartolome is a great example of this, built out of the sandstone hewn out of the headland by Cova Tallada (meaning ‘carved cave’).

Since Moorish times builders have carved out the tosca stone from the area which is reached only by boat at the foot of the San Antonio headland.

The atmospheric old salted tuna or typically, a single anchovy.

town has an untouched feel with streets too narrow for cars. You can wander around to your heart’s content, enjoying the nice mix of boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

My favourite stop is the municipal market with its cafes and bars… and where you must try a typical local dish, the coca, which is a traditional sourdough flatbread topped with either chopped tomatoes and

The whole centre truly comes alive in the evenings from Easter onwards when the tourists mix with the locals on an evening out.

My top tip: Take an early film at the old cinema near the port and then wander up into the old town for a spot of tapas and a few wines by the glass.

You’ll soon realise why I have ended up living in the true gem of the Costa Blanca.

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BEAUTY: Playa Granadella and a town centre church

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Picture perfect

Joaquin Sorolla hoped his first UK show would make him rich

THE year of 1908 marked the first time Londoners set eyes on Javea.

In an age where aeroplanes were still learning how to fly, and photographs still in development, the meeting inevitably came through the paintbrush.

But the exhibition at Grafton Galleries through May, June and July weren’t just any old paintings of Javea. The posters put Javea’s name next to that of Joaquin Sorolla, calling him ‘the world’s greatest living painter’

following international success.

Sorolla, born in Valencia in 1863, fell in love with the Costa Blanca fishing town of Javea during a visit in 1896.

MASTERPIECE: Sorolla’s paintings of children playing the sea are globally famous

“Javea is sublime, immense, the best I know to paint. It surpasses everything,” he wrote in one of more than 2,000 letters kept by his wife, Clotilde.

Sorolla’s obsession with the play of light and water in Javea saw the town make up a large part of the 278 paintings he took to London in search of fortune.

Among these paintings include Cabo de San Antonio, Javea

that captured the site of Javea’s iconic headland back in 1896.

There was also Cordelores de Javea, Nadadores de Javea, El puerto de Javea, A child in Javea and countless others referencing the seafaring, sea-loving and golden-coloured moments Sorolla encountered.

One of Sorolla’s most famous paintings known to have sold was Encajonando pasas from 1900, showing hundreds of women in Javea packaging raisins for an international trade of which Britain was one of Denia port’s largest customers. While London may have fallen in love

Estepona

TOUCH OF MAGIC

A day in the life of Estepona is to experience the very best of southern Spain,

writes Jon Clarke

GAZE out across a rolling sea of forest green from atop a mountain in the morning, before swapping hiking boots for flipflops and sipping mango mojitos beneath swaying palms by lunchtime. Spend the after-

Modern Italian Dining in the Heart of Estepona

Classic flavours with a contemporary twist

noon drifting through a maze of flower-filled streets, then settle in for an evening of tapas, orange blossom hanging heavy in the warm air. Welcome to Estepona - the undisputed garden town of the Costa del Sol. Often overshadowed by its

glitzier, concrete-heavy neighbours, this once-sleepy fishing village has quietly transformed itself into one of Andalucía’s most charming destinations. And it’s done so without losing its soul.

Nestled between the rugged

Continues on next page

beauty of the Sierra Bermeja Natural Park and the glittering Mediterranean, Estepona offers the best of both worlds. Think scenic hiking trails, rare

Images by Jennifer Longhurst

From previous page

An adventure

pinsapo firs and wide sandy beaches, alongside watersports, beach bars and a buzzing paseo marítimo.

There’s no shortage of things to do.

From horse riding and quad biking in the hills to paddleboarding and yoga by the sea, the town caters to adventurers and laidback

travellers alike.

Culture lovers, meanwhile, can explore ancient burial sites, a modest archaeological museum and the remains of a historic castle (right).

Estepona

ambitious regeneration project launched in 2012, it has earned Estepona the nickname ‘the floral capital’ of the Costa del Sol.

cals has spiralled and, it’s clear, the quality of its restaurants and hotels has kept up.

“It has completely transformed the place,” says long-time resident Jennifer Longhurst, who has called the town home for over 20 years.

But it’s the old town - the casco antiguo - that truly steals the show.

A kaleidoscope of colour, its narrow streets are lined with whitewashed houses adorned with hundreds of brightly paint - ed flower pots.

The result of an

“There's always something going on — from historical re-enactments to Semana Santa processions and local festivals. You’re never bored here.”

Indeed, Estepona’s cultural calendar is packed. From the vibrant Cruces de Mayo festival to the traditional Romería del Rocío, the town wears its Andalucian heritage proudly.

Much of this renaissance has taken place over the past decade. Once considered a backwater, Estepona is now one of Spain’s fastest-growing towns, with a population that has surged in recent years, a significant portion of them international residents.

Credit must go to long-serving mayor Jose García Urbano. A divisive figure, he has overseen sweeping changes since taking office in 2011, including pedestrianisation, new infrastructure and a push towards upmarket tourism.

The results are hard to ignore.

Stylish hotels, a flourishing restaurant scene and rising visitor numbers have helped elevate Estepo-

A focus on upmarket luxury tourism has been clever, albeit risky with all-inclusive resorts like Greek-owned Ikos, but the average revenue per room (RevPAR, as it’s known in the trade) reached €152 in 2022, even surpassing nearby Marbella’s at €140.

“That’s the third highest in all of Spain,” insists local estate agent Adam Neale of Terra Meridiana.

“We are definitely punching well above our weight here.”

A stroll along the seafront makes the transformation clear.

Much of the centre is now traffic-free, while a long stretch of promenade allows for an almost uninterrupted walk along the coast, passing chiringuitos serving grilled sardines, fresh seafood and colourful cocktails.

Not everyone is convinced, however. Some local businesses have struggled with reduced access, and parking remains a sticking point for residents and visitors alike.

Look up

na into serious competition with nearby Marbella.

Industry figures even suggest the town punches above its weight when it comes to hotel revenues.

The number of tourists has certainly grown steadily while the GDP per capita of the lo-

Beyond tourism, the town is also seeing a demograph ic shift, with increasing numbers of northern Europeans - particularly Scandinavians - settling here.

Yet change is nothing new for Estepona.

From its Phoenician origins nearly 3,000 years ago to Roman, Moorish and later Christian rule, the town has always evolved with the tides of history.

Turn your gaze inland and the dramatic Sierra Bermeja dominates the horizon. Rising to over 1,500 metres, its slopes are cloaked in dense woodland - though scars from a devastating wildfire in 2021 are still visible.

Today’s wave of international visitors is simply the latest chapter.

Even so, the area remains a haven for walkers and cyclists, with trails crisscrossing the natural park. You can even drive most of the way up, where a rustic refuge/ cafe serves simple meals, often by lamplight.

Writing on the wall

Back in town, art lovers should seek out Estepona’s growing collection of murals — more than 60 large-scale works dotted across the urban landscape.

by

TRAFFIC FREE: There has been a total drive towards pedestrianisation

Picture

Jennifer Longhurst

Pick up a map from the tourist office and turn it into a walking tour.

Don’t pass the

port

A 30-minute stroll along the promenade brings you to Estepona’s lively marina.

Time your visit right and you’ll also catch one of the town’s many festivals. Semana Santa is particularly atmospheric, with hooded penitents and elaborate floats winding through incense-filled streets. Carnival brings a more playful energy - including the curious tradition of parading a giant sardine - while May’s romería showcases Andalucia at its most colourful.

By day, it’s a hub for sailing, diving and watersports. By night, it comes alive with bars and restaurants, making it the perfect place to round off a day on the coast. Whether you come for the mountains, the sea or simply the slower pace of life, Estepona is a place that’s hard to leave - and even harder to forget.

Your one stop shop for every occasion! Tel/fax: 952 88 57 59 info@cathscards.es www.cathscard.es C.C. Benavista, Edificio Swan, Planta Alta No.6, Estepona 29680 (Above Swans Estate Agents)

PASSTIMES: Make sure to visit the fascinating new exhibition inside the old castle, while (right) a chess game on the front

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Estepona

GREEN DAY

PICTURE yourself wandering down a traffic-free street, whitewashed walls lined with neat rows of brightly coloured flowerpots. Turn a corner and the palette shifts - pink to red, red to green - each bursting with seasonal blooms.

Duck into a tiny square, no bigger than a living room, where an old well sits beneath an archway draped in flowers. Ceramic plaques bearing snippets of poetry decorate the walls. Another turn reveals yet more colour, lilac, blue, pink, carefully curated but effortlessly charming.

Welcome to Estepona; the selfstyled Garden of the Costa del Sol.

Octogenarian expat Jennifer

Longhurst on why the BBC’s Monty Don chose the whole of Estepona as his favourite Spanish garden

It hasn’t always been this way. Having known the town for more than 60 years, I’ve watched its transformation with a mix of surprise and admiration.

The turning point came in 2012, when the town hall launched an ambitious plan to revitalise the area and set it apart from its neigh-

bours. The idea was simple: turn the entire town into a garden. At its heart is the Old Town, now a pedestrian-friendly maze of flower-filled streets. Traf-

fic has been largely pushed out, making it easy to wander and take in the detail - and there is plenty of it.

Residents were invited to help shape the project, choosing colour schemes for their streets and even selecting plants. Unlike many Andalusian old quarters, this is no tourist façade - people still live here.

Elderly neighbours chat on doorsteps, children play in the streets, and life carries on among the blooms. The project also had a practical edge. A training scheme was launched to teach unemployed young people gardening skills, while a municipal nursery began producing plants on a massive scale. And massive it is.

Each year, around 400,000 summer plants are installed in time for Eas-

ter, while winter sees thousands of poinsettias and cyclamens brighten the streets. Across the town’s 140 streets, some 60,000 flowerpots are watered by hand - once a week in winter, up to three times in the heat of summer.

Beyond the Old Town, the floral theme continues along the seafront and main roads into town. Central reservations overflow with colour, while the promenade features flower towers and small fountains that delight passing children. The effect is striking - and, crucially, consistent. So, has the project achieved its goal?

In 2024, BBC series Monty

Gardens saw

travel across Spain in search of standout gardens. When he arrived in Estepona, he broke with tradition. Rather than picking a single space, he chose the entire town. Not a bad endorsement for what was once a fairly unremarkable coastal spot - and now stands as one of the Costa del Sol’s most colourful success stories.

To learn more, you’ll find Jennifer’s book Estepona, Garden of the Costa del Sol, a Handbook on Amazon

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Don’s Spanish

Monty Don

Images by Jennifer Longhurst

SUPER SANTA

OR seven decades it was the beating heart of Estepona, where locals bartered over the morning’s catch and the freshest cuts of meat. But the historic Santa Ana market, first opened in 1949 when the town was a sleepy enclave of just 10,000 souls, has officially entered the 21st century.

Following a massive €1 million renovation, the space has been reborn as a highend gastronomic hub, proving that Estepona - the Costa del Sol’s fastest-growing resort - is no longer playing second fid -

dle to Marbella.

Rather than selling the site off for luxury flats, the local council opted for a total rethink as part of its ongoing town centre ‘spruce up’. The result? A stunning, light-filled venue that re spects its 70-year history while offering a world-class dining experience.

GLOBAL FLAVOURS

“It completely redefines the idea of a gastronom ic market,” explains Quique Ceana, one of the four part ners behind the venture. “We saw the poten tial from the

start. It’s a modern, diverse, high-quality offering all under one roof.” The concept is simple:

Estepona’s historic market gets €1m ‘gourmet’ glow-up

grab a seat - my personal recommendation is the elegant curved sofas positioned under the central light well - and prepare for a culinary world

CHOICE: Diners can eat inside or outside on the sunny terrace beside a fountain

MEATS: Cutting Jamon Iberico and Mario shows off one of his Italian hams

ANA

From the artisanal sourdough of Sevilla-based Crustum to the sophisticated Italian fare of Da Mario, the quality is relentless. Mario Ladanza, originally from Naples, brings a lifetime of experience from Dubai to Sarajevo to his popup stall.

“The tourists visiting Estepona these days are among the most refined I have ever served,” Mario told the Olive Press. His Amalfi tuna and truffle-topped solomillo are already becoming local legends.

MICHELIN STANDARDS

The market’s secret weapon is its staff. Maitre D’ Diego,

REIMAGINED: The 1949 market has been converted with plenty of key modern interventions

a Mexico City native, brings a pedigree that includes the two-Michelin-starred Mugaritz and the nearby five-star Finca Cortesin.

He insists that quality is the only metric that matters. “The key to the best sushi is the rice,” he explains while serving up a trio of Japanese hand rolls (€18) crafted by local talent, Takeko. “There is no point using top-quality salmon if the base isn't perfect.”

WINE & WONDER

For those looking to stock their cellars, the market houses an outpost of the famed Coalla gourmet shop.

“Wines are our thing,” says Beatriz Zulategui. “We have a selection of 500 bottles here, drawn from the 3,000 we stock

in Madrid. For qual ity tourism, this market is a real joy.” With its mix of sig nature cock tails, top quality jamón

Ibérico, and a chic atmosphere that transi tions seam lessly from day to night, the ‘Super Santa Ana’ isn't just a place to eat - it’s the new focal point of the Garden of the Costa del Sol.

A masterclass in urban renewal. Whether you’re after a quick tapa or a full Italian feast, this is the best reason yet to get lost in Estepona’s white-washed backstreets.

ALLURING: From the reception to delicious Japanese hand rolls (right)

HAPPY DAYS: Coalla’s knowlegeable Beatriz will help you choose from over 500 different wines

QUALITY: Everything is the best that can be sourced within Spain

Nockolds’ marks Three years with major expansion

NOCKOLDS Lawyers Spain is entering an exciting new chapter with its recent move into larger, modern premises in the heart of Estepona Old Town - an expansion that reflects both its growing client base and its distinctive role as a bridge between the UK and Spain.

As a subsidiary of Nockolds Solicitors in the UK - founded in 1831 and approaching its remarkable 200-year anniversary in 2031 - the firm draws on a heritage of supporting clients across generations and borders. This legacy underpins the work of Nockolds Lawyers Spain, where clients benefit from the assurance of a practice deeply rooted in both British and international legal expertise.

What truly distinguishes Nockolds Lawyers Spain is the leadership and expertise of Javier Jurado, a dually qualified Spanish and English lawyer and one of the firm’s Directors. His cross-jurisdictional qualifications, combined with his extensive experience advising international clients, allow the firm to bridge the gap between UK and Spanish legal systems with clarity and precision. Nockolds Lawyers Spain provides comprehensive, fully integrated legal support for expatriates, with a bilingual team specialising in property transactions, residency and visa matters, and wills and estate planning. The firm also advises on probate, dispute resolution, and a wide range of commercial issues, enabling clients to manage their Spanish legal affairs seamlessly through one trusted and experienced partner.

As it celebrates its third anniversary in Estepona, Nockolds Lawyers Spain stands as a compelling example of tradition meeting modern international demand - connecting clients, countries, and legal systems with expertise built over nearly two centuries.

As Estepona continues to attract new residents and investment, the firm is ideally placed for the future. Its first three years have demonstrated that when legal expertise is combined with genuine care, it does more than support a community - it helps it thrive.

See advert below for more details

Route to the top

THIS easy circuit leads to the highest point of the Sierra Bermeja nature reserve, known as the Pico Reales.

Standing just eight kilometres inland from Estepona, this mighty vermilion massif rises to 1,450m - that’s not far off the height of Ben Nevis! From its antennae-topped peak there’s a dizzy, panoramic vista of a huge slice of Andalucia: north to the Sierra de las Nieves, east to the Sierra de Ojen, west to the Alcornocales Natural Park

The Olive Press heads out on Estepona’s most exciting hike - the ascent of Pico Reales

Reales, home to one of the few existing stands of the uniquely beautiful pine, Abies Pinsapo Boix. This botanical jewel is only found in less than half a dozen places in the world.

Furthermore, there’s a second great viewing point on the walk, the Mirador de Salvador Guerrero, which entails a short diversion but which is well worth the extra effort.

And the drive up to the starting point is something of an adventure in its own right. To reach the trail head you’ll need

to follow a snaking mountain road inland from the town for about 20 minutes. But that’s all part of the fun.

Getting to the beginning of the walk

Circuit to the Pico Reales and the top of the Sierra Bermeja

From Estepona take the MA8301 towards Jubrique (it begins next to the Mercadona supermarket on the north side of the town) for 15kms to the top of the pass, Puerto de Peñas Blancas. Here turn left past a sign for Los Reales, pass a green barrier then continue for 2.75kms to a signboard to the right of the road marking the beginning of the Pinsapo walk, Paseo de Los Pinsapos.

The walk

Distance: 8 km (up and down)

Time required: About 2.5 hours (inc. breaks)

Rating: Easy/Medium

Total height gain: 5,300m

Map(s): IGN 1:50000 Jimena de la Frontera 1071 (14-46) & Estepona 1072 (15-46)

Water: Tap with unchlorinated water @ 1 hr 15 mins

From the signboard Paseo de los Pinsapos head down a narrow, rocky path which drops away from the road into the pinsapo forest. Just 75m after crossing a small concrete bridge you reach a junction. Cut left following the sign Los Realillos/Los

THE NITTY-GRITTY

FROM THE TOP: Inland and out to sea, and a

Reales for 2.2km. The path leads past a signboard about pinsapo pines then on past a ceramic sign of a poem by Lorca inspired by trees. The path climbs steeply through dense undergrowth: as you climb higher Mediterranean pines begin to take the place of the pinsapos. Careful! Some five minutes beyond the ceramic sign of Lorca’s poem you reach a junction marked by twin stone mounds. Here cut hard left and continue your ascent, zigzagging up through the pines and the reddish rocks. Passing a small breach in the rocks the path runs up to the top of the ridge where views open out to the southwest and the Bay of Algeciras. (30 mins)

Here the path bears left towards the transmitter antennae atop the Reales peak, through another swathe of pinsapo pines. Marker posts help guide you up. Passing across another jagged ridge the

path bears right and continues to climb. Reaching a flatter area and bearing left it runs on up to the antennae. Here, reaching a white hut, cut right, pass a second hut then follow a narrow path up to the trig point marking the top of Los Reales (1,450m). (50 mins)

Panorama

This is a great spot to take a break and drink in the incredible panorama that lies before you. Leaving the peak retrace your footsteps back towards the first white hut which you passed earlier. Five metres before the hut cut right on a narrow path which drops down to the track leading to the transmitter masts where you’ll see a signboard for Sendero de los Realillos. Here angle right down a stony track which loops down the eastern flank of Los Reales, shortly passing by another transmitter mast. Looping on down past

a group of forestry buildings you reach a junction with another track and a plaque dedicated to Edmond Boissier who first catalogued the unique pinsapo pine. (1 hr 10 mins)

Here, cutting right for 100m you reach a picnic area, Área Recreativa, where there are picnic tables and, just beneath, the Mirador de la Costa del Sol. There’s a tap with water to the right: a sign warns that it isn’t chlorinated but the taste is all the better for that. Continuing on along the track you reach a turning circle and a sign Mirador de Salvador Guerrero. From here continue along a narrow path to reach one of the Costa del Sol’s most spectacular viewing points. After visting the mirador trace your steps back to the Boissier plaque then follow the track on for approximately 1.6 kms to return to your point of departure. (1 hr 55 mins).

Marvellous Mibro

MIBRO International Properties was founded by Zoe Dyer, built on a simple belief: property should be personal, honest, and handled by people who truly know the Costa del Sol inside out.

With over 15 years of proven experience in the local market, Zoe has earned a reputation for being refreshingly straight-talking, knowledgeable, and deeply committed to achieving the very best result for every client. Alongside Zoe is her husband, together with their trusted manager Heather, who has been an integral part of the business for the past five years, Heather oversees all aspects of the rental side of the business, including long term rentals, holiday rentals, and the day-to-day property management and aftercare services, ensuring every property and client receives the same high level of attention and care that defines the Mibro approach.

Together, the three of them have intentionally kept Mibro boutique in size, believing that a smaller agency delivers something far more valuable than volume: genuine relationships, tailored guidance, and a level of service that larger firms often struggle to match.

Mibro works with buyers, sellers, landlords and investors from across the UK, Europe and beyond, helping each client find not just the right property, but the right fit for their lifestyle, goals and future plans. What keeps clients coming back — and referring others — is the sense that they are not simply dealing with an agency, but with a trusted team who genuinely care about the outcome.

Rather than simply presenting properties, Mibro provides clarity, reassurance and expert local guidance at every stage, helping clients navigate the Costa del Sol market with confidence.

VIEW

refugio restaurant right at the top

GOING GLOBAL

The melting pot begins to simmer as Estepona’s international food scene takes shape

THEY all grew up together on the small Greek island of Zakynthos, a tourist hotspot with a population

By Jon Clarke

of around 40,000. So it is some thing of a coincidence that Alex, Métis and Ernest have all ended up working in restaurants in Estepona.

Each brings solid experience. Ernest trained for two years at a hotel management school in Athens, while Alex and Métis built their ca reers in the Radisson hotel chain and in Greek restaurants in the UK.

Ernest also spent time managing several restaurants at the five-star Ikos resort nearby.

“I fell in love with Spain, and particularly Estepona, while working there,” he says.

Now he and his wife Sylvia, who is also Greek, have opened Loren-

explains.

The result is a strong pizza offering. The ‘Mortazza’, topped with buffalo mozzarella, mortadella and pistachio paste, stands out for both flavour and balance.

zo’s Trattoria

Despite the name, this is not a traditional Italian in the usual sense, but a more contemporary take on the cuisine, with a varied menu and a clear focus on quality.

“We spend 48 hours preparing the dough using five types of flour, and we’ve brought in a specialist oven from Naples,” Ernest

There are also thoughtful details, such as serving the pizzas with scissors for cutting. Starters are equally considered. The Arancino Monte Etna - saffron risotto balls with Taleggio cheese - is visually striking, designed to resemble the famous volcano, and delivers on taste.

“

Brizola, a Greek restaurant tucked into a quieter back street. The name means “chop” in Greek, and the menu leans towards traditional dishes, with a selection of dips, salads and sharing plates. The mixed dips offer good value, allowing diners to choose from options such as melitzanosalata and tirokafteri.

A seafood salad combines prawns, octopus, peppers and herbs, while main courses include staples like kleftico, stifado and slow-cooked beef with orzo.

“ Bada menu is full of international and Middle Eastern dishes

A beef carpaccio comes topped with Parmesan, rocket, mustard, garlic oil and truffle sauce, finished with cured egg yolk that has been prepared over several days.

Pasta dishes include tagliatelle with hazelnut and basil pesto, purple potato gnocchi with gorgonzola cream, and rigatoni with fennel sausage and crispy guanciale.

A short walk away, Alex runs

The moussaka is a highlight, served in its own dish with generous layers of aubergine and potato.

Desserts include a homemade cheesecake prepared by Alex’s mother, who works in the kitchen, and portokalopita, a filo pastry cake with orange zest. One of the more unexpected arrivals in Estepona over the past year is Bada, located on Calle Cari-

BRAVO: Modern Italian at its best at Lorenzo’s Trattoria

REAL GREEK: Team at brand new joint Brizola

ELEGANCE:Bada is the creation of genuine talent and livewire Charles, who has travelled the world

STALWART: Casa del Rey is now a part of the establishment dad. The restaurant stands out for its character, with décor that reflects the travels of its owner, Charles, and his family.

At 26, Charles has taken an unconventional route. Born in the UK and raised in New York and Miami, with Moroccan and Brazilian roots, he initially worked in banking before spending time surfing in Portugal during the pandemic. He later moved into kitchens, working at Orasay in London and the Barrel Project in Bermondsey, before relocating to Spain. His background is reflected in a

menu that draws on international influences, particularly from the Middle East.

Dishes include beef kefta with Moroccan spices, and a selection of dips such as muhammara, made with red pepper, chilli, tahini and sumac.

Other options range from grilled potato bread with whipped cod’s roe to brioche toast with brie, pear compote and caramelised onions. Sardines are served with crème fraîche and dill.

Daily specials add further variety.

A bluefin tuna sashimi with passion fruit ‘kosho’ offers a fresh,

citrus-led flavour, while salmon fishcakes are served simply with spinach and herbs.

A fried chicken mini burger, inspired by southern US cooking, is a more indulgent option.

Bada is not a light dining experience, but it provides something

different and reflects the increasingly varied tastes of visitors and residents alike.

For those looking beyond Mediterranean flavours, Estepona is also beginning to expand its Asian offering. Takeko is a recent addition, with a menu that includes

sushi and ramen, underlining how much the town’s dining scene has evolved in recent decades.

Among the more established venues, Casa del Rey remains a reliable choice, particularly for wine

Continues on next page

WHERE TO EAT

From previous page

A reason for being

enthusiasts. Located just off Plaza de los Flores, it offers more than 100 wines by the glass in a stylish setting.

It is run by Liliana, a Dutch expat with over 20 years’ experience in the area.

Another amazing expat business is Ikigai, which is set up in two locations in Estepona, one on the beach front and one right by the castle and new gourmet

market.

Meaning ‘a reason for being’ it was set up by Alex and his wife, who arrived from Romania four years ago and fell in love with the town for its white sandy beaches and palm trees.

Through hard work and talent they have now got both venues serving up classic soul food, healthy organic options, often dubbed flexitarian.

Finally if you are looking for the perfect chiringuito the best, by far, is Lolailo, that sits on Playa del Cristo.

Open every day of the year, this is the domain of Albanian Julian, who is one of the best hosts around.

There is literally nowhere better to spend the day on a sun bed and graze at will at the ex-

cellent fish-heavy restaurant.

For top quality seafood, El Pescador and La Rada continue to be two of the town’s best-known options, both specialising in fresh fish and maintaining long-standing reputations.

Finally, the recently opened Santa Ana Gourmet market, located near the castle, is helping to reinforce Estepona’s growing reputation as a food destination. With a focus on quality produce - including fish, meats and wines - it offers a relaxed space to visit throughout the day and into the evening.

Taken together, these openings and established names point to a town whose culinary scene is steadily diversifying.

Villa in the sky

Inside the €8m costa apartment that is breaking new records

By Rachel Gore

IT has been dubbed the ‘villa in the sky’ after selling for a giant €8m. This remarkable four-bedroom apartment on the Costa del Sol, is the benchmark property of a Russian-backed developer in Estepona.

One of the upmarket Tyrian Residences, that cost from €3.55 million, it has its own lift, private solarium and four bathrooms to boot.

The so-called Melkart penthouse is one of two that boasts extraordinary ‘views over the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and the African coast’.

The development itself comprises 40 residences in four distinct styles and count on a shared spa, multimedia room and a 24/7 concierge.

FRIENDLY: Service at Ikigai and (left) excellent Lolailo

with Javea and Sorolla at the exhibition, the opposite never happened.

Sorolla was disappoint ed with his reception in London.

He complained about the cold air, he complained about being lone ly, and he feared the ‘polite’ upper-class En glish were too cerebral to appreciate his masterpieces of light and fresh air.

Worst of all, Sorolla sold few paintings in London in 1908.

“I feel old, I can’t live alone, I’m emptier than you, for you at least have the children,” he wrote to Clotilde.

“Today is a disgusting day, I’ve only just had my lunch with electric light and it’s already 2pm – I hate big cities, viva Javea.”

England later proved to be Sorolla’s lucky ticket, however, as it

was there he met American philanthropist Archer Milton Huntington.

Sorolla soon received an invite to exhibit at The Hispanic Society of America in New York, where he sold 195 paintings.

The society later commissioned Sorolla to paint a huge mural called Vision of Spain, that captured the Spanish nation in a series of works taking six years (1913-1919) to complete.

By the time Sorolla was done, he had earned enough money to buy a house in central Madrid that today houses his works as the Museo Sorolla.

Solar has changed - But many assumptions haven’t

What

homeowners across Spain often get wrong about cost, performance, and efficiency

AS solar becomes more visible across Spain, many homeowners are still making decisions based on outdated assumptions rather than how modern systems actually perform. The reality is that solar has evolved rapidly — and so has the value it can offer.

Cost remains one of the biggest misconceptions. While solar was once considered expensive, prices have fallen significantly in recent years. Today, many homeowners in Spain are seeing payback in as little as 4 to 7 years, followed by long-term savings and greater protection from rising energy prices.

Roof orientation is another area often misunderstood. A south-facing roof is ideal, but not essential. Well-designed east and west-facing systems can still perform efficiently, while spreading energy production more evenly across the day. There is also a tendency to overestimate what solar alone can do. A well-designed system can significantly reduce electricity bills, but without batteries, most homes will still rely on the grid at night. Batteries are not essential, but they can increase self-sufficiency and store excess energy for later use.

Maintenance is often overstated. In reality, solar systems are designed to be durable, reliable, and low-maintenance.

The most important point is this: the best system is not the biggest, but the one designed properly for the home and how energy is actually used.

For homeowners in Spain, getting the design right from the outset makes all the difference. For those on the Costa Blanca North, MiSolar in Jávea provides well-designed, fully managed installations backed by local expertise and ongoing support.

See advert below for more details

BEACH BOUND: Sorolla painted much of his artwork on the beach

JAVEA’S old town is a perfectly preserved relic of the past, exuding a rustic charm that is all too rare in today’s world.

Dating back to medieval times, its buildings are a patchwork of historic architecture spanning seven centuries.

Today’s old town is distinguished by its narrow lanes adorned with white façades and gothic windows alongside its distinctive tosca sandstone.

The beating heart of the town was once dedicated to the raisin trade, and its ornate raisin drying facilities still remain in the form of sandstone partitions and galleries with large ulls, which would shelter the grapes on thatched mats to dry. Indeed, to walk through the old town is to dip one’s toe into a rich mercantile history.

In the 13th century, Javea was but a small enclosure sealed in by city walls but the 16th and 17th centuries gave rise to the construction of Javea’s most inspired architecture, with gothic buildings such as the Palau dels Sapena and the Casa dels Bolufer.

There is a nice range of small shops and restaurants to stop at, including the excellent Irish-Romanian-run place, La Sucreria, right by the main church.

Also look out for the recently opened Carniceria tapas bar, on the outskirts of the centre.

Make sure to look out for its ancient market, now converted into a gourmet hall, perfect for lunch or supper.

Needless to say Javea’s old town retains an allure that has wowed visitors for centuries and long may it continue.

STROLLING THROUGH

HISTORY

Buying, Selling or Renting in Jávea?

QUAINT: Narrow and winding streets abound

Old town walk takes you through Javea’s past

Your One-Stop for all Dental and some Medical Services

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Dermatologist

Women’s Health Clinic

Facial Rejuvenation

Botox Fillers

CENTRE OF ATTRACTION: The church is still at the heart of the community, while (right) the Palau dels Sapena

SURVEY SUCCESS

The importance of a structural survey when buying property

026 continues to see a very active property market especially on the costas.

Such is the demand that many estate agents are genuinely short of properties and the buying process can become more urgent for house hunters, especially when they know that other people are interested in the same property.

When making a large investment, being rushed is never very comfortable, but buyers can be supported in their decision making by confirming that their chosen property is free of serious structural issues, e.g. damp, condensation, termites, concrete decay or subsidence. The condition of retaining walls and swimming pools is also important to understand.

A professional structural survey by a qualified, insured and Spanish registered Building Surveyor (or Home Inspector), helps identify defects and indicates the cost of putting any issues right (assisting the negotiation process).

Normally surveys can be organised at relatively short notice, so be sure not to miss this important part of investing your money in Spanish property! In many cases (even in a buoyant market), a structural survey will result in money being discounted off the sale price, so often the buyer gets a better deal as well as peace of mind with their property choice.

Mark Paddon - Bsc Hons Building Surveying MCIOB. CAATIE +34 653 733 066 www.surveyorscostablanca.com mrmpaddon@hotmail.com

DID YOU KNOW?

Here are three of Javea’s secrets that archeologists, spiritual pilgrims and cave-diving spelunkers have yet to figure out.

Javea’s hidden

depths

THE name of Javea (Xabia in Valenciano) reportedly comes from the Arabic word Xabiga for ‘well’ or ‘cistern’.

Though Javea’s abundance of water is evident in its green hills, the underground secrets of Javea are something cave-divers are still scratching their heads about.

The Moraig river is one of Spain’s most famous for being an underground river – possibly the deepest in the world – but no one can figure out where it comes from.

The river is believed to begin somewhere beneath Javea in the aquifer of Benissa that stretches beneath the town, before it mysteriously emerges from underground at Benitachell’s Cala de Moraig beach.

Since 1978 cave divers have tried to follow the river to its source without any luck – the most famous of these, the German expert Bernhard Pack (above), won 17 international awards for his documented expeditions before tragically losing his life to the cause in 1992.

According to neighbouring Benitachell’s town hall, the aquifer of Benissa is one of the ‘most unique hydro-geological phenomena in the world’ together with the Greek Island of Cephalonia.

It could be a source of high-quality potable water to see the region through summer droughts – but despite investigations beginning again in 2014, no one can figure out where this hidden secret of Javea actually resides.

Centro Comercial Montgó

Cap de la Nao Plà 68, Jávea T 966 462 275

Monday to Friday 10.00 – 19.00 Saturday 10.00 – 18.00

Buried treasures

IMAGINE the day a century ago in 1904. Agricultural labourers are ploughing land to make way for orange groves in the area of La Lluca.

Suddenly the plough hits some thing, which turns ut to be a ceramic urn buried 1.5 metres deep.

Cracking it open, the urn reveals a golden diadem, three gold necklaces, a golden brooch and various gold and silver bracelets. So highly valuable was the trea-

THE MIRACLE ON LAS PLANAS

JAVEA’S 175m-high Cabo de San Antonio has been a place of spiritual refuge for close to 700 years. The headland got its name in 1373 when the bishop of Valencia granted a female hermit Catalina Blas the right to build a hermitage dedicated to Saint Anthony.

The San Antonio monastery soon sprung up next to it, but it didn’t survive long as in 1388, Barbary pirates sacked it and burnt it to the ground. Legend has it that three centuries later an intact canvas of the Virgin Mary was found among the rubble, and it is the only surviving vestige of Sor Catalina’s Hieronymite order of monks.

Centro Comercial Alaire

Calle Paris 2, Moraira-Benitachell T 965 841 399

Monday to Friday 10.00 – 19.00 Saturday 10.00 – 14.00

DISCOVERY: The Treasure was ploughed up 100 years ago

sure that the landowning Torres Orduña family was in the process of selling the pieces to French researchers when Madrid’s Museo Arqueológico Nacional heard of the hoard. It turned out to be a 4th century

It led to the La Plana area becoming a site of pilgrimage for centuries and in 1964 the current monastery Santuario de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles was rebuilt.

Once a year in August it lets a handful of people in on the secret to behold Javea’s own miraculous piece of history hanging above the altar.

Advantage Building Surveys Structural

Surveys Covering

If you are buying property in Spain or have problems with a property you already own, a professional structural survey can help identify and record defects whilst suggesting remedial solutions and cost implications.

Mark Paddon BSc Hons. MCIOB. CAAT. is a British Building Surveyor and Spanish registered Arquitecto Tecnico, insured via Lloyd’s of London. He has been working on the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida for over 20 years carrying out buyers structural surveys and providing general property purchase and insurance claims.

(Thermal camera inspection is also included).

BC bridal trousseau

(ornaments worn by a bride at her marriage) and it remains on view known as the ‘Treasure of Javea’ and one of the nations most significant Iberian finds.

Javea’s municipal archeologist Ximo Bolufer told the Olive Press the Treasure of Javea was ‘hidden’ underground during a period of conflict.

This same hypothesis was given to the haul of 57 golden coins recently found at Portitxol – hidden for safekeeping during a likely raid from Barbary pirates that ravaged Javea’ coasts from the 4th-17th century.

Experts from the University of Alicante continue to probe the waters around Portitxol to see how many more buried treasures may yet to be discovered.

They’ve already found the highest concentration of ancient anchors in the whole Mediterranean – some 258 dating back beyond 2,000 years.

Whether its an old town house, apartment or luxury villa every property purchase represents a considerable investment and deserves a close inspection for defects such as damp, termites, subsidence etc.

Specialist structural assessment of problem retaining walls and swimming pools is also undertaken.

Fast turnaround video survey options now available.

FREE buyers guide available via website. Initial telephone and email advice is FREE.

653 733 066 mrmpaddon@hotmail.com surveyorscostablanca.com

By P OO LVILLAS

FOR years, Spanish banks quietly siphoned money from unsuspecting homeowners using a single line buried deep in their mortgage contracts. A clause so discreet, so poorly explained, that millions never realised they were paying far more than they should.

It was called the ‘floor clause’ - and it became one of the biggest scandals in Spain’s banking history.

The trap no one saw coming Mortgages were sold as variable-rate bargains, promising repayments would fall as interest rates dropped. But when rates across Europe plunged after the financial crisis, many Spanish borrowers were left behind. Their monthly payments stayed stubbornly high.

Hidden in the small print was a ‘floor’ that prevented interest rates from ever falling below a fixed level - typically between 3% and 3.5%.

There were no clear warnings, no proper explanation. Just inflated repayments, month after month.

Flooring it

The hidden trap door clause that cost families millions and how FAIRWAY LAWYERS fought back

Expat buyers caught in the crossfire

Thousands of owners who bought homes between 2002 and 2012 were hit particularly hard. Many trusted local banks, signed contracts in a foreign language, and only discovered years later that they had been locked into an unfair deal.

One of them was John Taylor, from Belfast.

“I bought a holiday apartment in Fuengirola in 2006 and took out a €156,000 mortgage with Solbank, thinking I’d made a smart investment,” he recalls. “It was sold as a variable-rate mortgage. I was told my payments would go down if interest rates fell.”

They never did.

“Between 2010 and 2021, I was paying 3.8% interest when I should have been paying around 1.5%. My monthly payment stayed at €875 for 11 years - it should have been closer to €640. I always felt something wasn’t right.”

It was only after being approached by lawyer Diego Echavarría of Fairway that he understood what had happened.

“I couldn’t believe it. After a two-year legal battle, I recovered €22,456 plus €6,000 in interest. In the end, it was worth it.”

How to claim your money back

Not everyone can automatically claim a refund. Legal experts say three key conditions must be met:

Mortgage taken out between 2002 and 2012

A floor clause included in the contract

Lack of transparency and proven overpayment

If these criteria are satisfied, borrowers can demand repayment of all overpaid amounts — even if the property has already been sold.

Affected lenders include Solbank, Banco Sabadell, Banco Popular, Unicaja, El Monte, Cajaduero, Caja España and Cajasur.

The lawyer taking on the banks

While banks insisted customers had signed what they were given, one Spanish lawyer began challenging the practice case by case. Diego, a specialist in consumer law, has helped recover more than €3 million for 150 British clients alone. “Many repossessions during the financial crisis between 2010 and 2016 could have been avoided if banks had charged the correct amounts,” he says. “Instead, clients were made to feel it was their fault when they

If you want to claim for a mis-sold mortgage - NO WIN, NO FEE - or feel you may have been affected, contact diego@fairwaylawyers.com or send a message via Whatsapp to +34 606 307 885.

fell into arrears.”

He believes thousands more expat homeowners, particularly in Malaga, Alicante and Catalunya, could still be eligible to claim.

Banks count the cost

The scandal has taken a significant financial toll. Spanish banks have set aside around €200 million to cover claims, underlining the scale of the issue. But the reputational damage may be even greater. Trust in the banking system has been badly shaken.

Europe blows the whistle

The turning point came in 2016, when the European Court of Justice ruled that banks must refund all money unfairly charged under non-transparent floor clauses - not just a portion. The decision sent shockwaves through Spain’s financial sector and forced lenders to repay billions. What had long been defended as standard practice was formally declared unfair.

Money returned — but trust broken

Although many victims have now been compensated, critics say the damage goes far beyond money. Years of financial strain, anxiety and lost opportunities cannot simply be reimbursed.

For British homeowners in Spain, the floor clause scandal remains a cautionary taleproof that the biggest risks can be hidden in the smallest print.

As John Taylor puts it: “I struggled for years to keep up with the mortgage. In the end, I felt forced to sell the property in 2022 and walk away from my Spanish home.”

AWE INSPIRING

AN award-winning Spanish-designed art gallery has finally opened for its first full season. Norway’s Kunstsilo museum earned architects Mestres Wag Arquitectes, BAX Studios and Mendoza Partida - All Barcelona based - various prizes last year.

Named as the World’s Most Beautiful Museum at the Prix Versailles awards in December, the 1930s grain silo is set to become a huge global hit this year.

Based on the waterfront in Kristiansand, the renovation of the industrial building was praised for its clever use of glass, steel

Spanish architects’ award-winning museum launches stunning new art season

By Rachel Gore

sociation prize - will feature 600 works of modern art across various exhibitions this year.

The grain silo, sitting in Norway’s most southerly point, is no stranger to awards, its original architects winning a prize four years after its construction in 1935.

ries of concrete silos.

In doing so, the architects created a space where exhibitions run vertically and horizontally and communal spaces offer panoramic views.

It has revolutionised the Scandinavian art scene, with visitors entering an open atrium where the silos have been cut away, unveiling a basilica-like central space. “The silo becomes a sculpture that the museum is organized in and timber.

The museumwhich also won Spain’s recent Architects As-

It has completely breathed new life into the coastal city of 116,000 people.

Inserting glass, steel and timber allowed light to be let into the se-

INTERVENTION: By introducing glass and steel the silos let in light

Costa Blanca North: Where

SUNLIGHT, sea views and space - the Costa Blanca North brings together everything international buyers look for in a home in Spain.

From the charm of Moraira to the natural beauty of Benissa and the vibrant coastal setting of Calpe, this region offers a unique balance of lifestyle and investment potential. Properties range from modern villas with panoramic sea views to private homes surrounded by nature, as well as well-located residences within walking distance of the beach, restaurants and everyday amenities.

areacostablanca.com 966 112 428 ·

Each location offers a different way of living - from relaxed coastal living to elevated privacy with open views.

At AREA Costa Blanca, we guide international buyers through every step of the process, offering a carefully selected portfolio of properties tailored to each client’s lifestyle and priorities.

Our local expertise ensures a clear, efficient and personalised experience from the first search to the final purchase.

SCULPTURE: The hip rennovation has shades of Bilbao’s Guggenheim and around,” explained Magnus Wage of Mestres Wag Arquitectes. Founded alongside Maria Mestres in 2005, the architect added: “This radical intervention reveals the expressive power of the original building.” The firm was joined by two others from Barcelona - BAX Studios and Mendoza Partida - to create the project.

The gallery has the world’s largest collection of Nordic Modernist art, including Norwegian artists Johannes Rian and Reidar Aulie.

For those considering a move to Spain, the Costa Blanca North represents an exceptional opportunity to enjoy the Mediterranean lifestyle at its best.

AREA Costa Blanca Moraira · Benissa · Calpe +34 966 112 428 www.areacostablanca.com

Fake bank calls and video scams: The new way fraudsters are targeting expats in Spain in 2026

ANEW wave of highly convincing bank scams is sweeping across Spain, and expats are firmly in the crosshairs.

Unlike the clumsy phishing emails of the past, these frauds are slick, personal and alarmingly believable. Victims report receiving phone calls – and increasingly even video calls –from criminals posing as bank officials, security agents or fraud investigators. The goal is simple: panic you into handing over sensitive codes that give them full access to your account.

And the implications are serious with the authorities recently exploring a victim’s horror story in Spain’s Supreme Court in Madrid.

Comprehensive

Their

Personalized User Experience

Why Choose AnyTech365?

BY FRANCISCO DIAZ

Criminals posing as bankers at Santander and BBVA are now using phone and video calls to steal security codes – with a landmark €83,000 case showing how victims can lose everything in hours

conversations that feel completely authentic, using personal data and urgency to manipulate victims into handing over security codes.”

How the scam works

It typically begins with a call that appears to come from your bank’s official number. The caller will likely use your name and refer to certain recent transactions, instantly

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

Comprehensive Cybersecurity

Their services include cybersecurity, device maintenance and performance optimization, and malware removal, enhanced by AI for faster and accurate solutions.

In the landmark ruling last year the judges ruled in fa vour of the victim who lost more than €83,000 in a single night after fraudsters gained access to his account using intercepted security codes. The court made clear that simply entering correct codes does not prove a payment was genuinely au thorised.

Personalized User Experience

final piece of the puzzle – allowing the criminal gang to access your account and move money away within minutes. In newer cases, scammers escalate further with video

You’re told there’s ‘suspicious activity’ and ‘urgent action’ is required. Then comes the crucial moment: you’re asked to read out or confirm a code sent to your phone. That code is the

calls. Some appear in office-like environments or use fake branding, adding a layer of realism that can catch even cautious customers off guard.

Why expats are prime targets

Expats are particularly vulnerable. Managing finances across countries, often in a second language, can make it harder to detect subtle warning signs. Combine that with unfamiliar banking systems and the natural instinct to trust what looks offi-

cial, and the scam becomes dangerously effective. They also tend to be older and perhaps more vulnerable.

The red flags to spot

● Pressure to act immediately

How to protect yourself

Introducing an exclusive partnership between Olive Press and AnyTech365 AI-Powered IT Security

The simplest defence is also the most powerful: pause. Don’t get flustered. Hang up and call your bank directly using the number on your card or official website. Never trust an incoming call at face value.

● Requests for one-time passcodes or login details

● Instructions to move money ‘to keep it safe’

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

● Unexpected contact, even from a familiar number

Also:

● Never share codes under pressure

● Enable account alerts and two-factor authentication

● Keep devices secure and updated

Founded in 2014 by Janus R. Nielsen, a seasoned IT entrepreneur, AnyTech365 leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to offer unparalleled service quality and efficiency in tech support and cybersecurity, keeping your digital life secure and hassle-free.

NOTE WELL: No bank will ever ask for full security codes over the phone or on video.

● Treat unsolicited video calls with extreme caution

What to do if you’re targeted

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

AnyTech365

The ruling is important as scammers evolve their tactics beyond texts and emails into something far more direct: live interaction.

According to leading cybersecurity firm AnyTech365, this type of scam has surged in early 2026, with attackers using ever more sophisticated tactics to build trust quickly.

Georgi Medzhidiliev at the Marbella-based firm told the Olive Press: “Scammers today are no longer relying on mass emails - they’re engineering real-time

AN OLIVE PRESS VICTIM... AND MORE

If you suspect fraud, act immediately. Contact your bank and freeze access.

Some of AnyTech365 Products and Features

AnyTech365

World class,

1. Expats targeted by fake ‘police plus bank’ calls

AnyTech365 IntelliGuard

As the Olive Press reported at the end of last year, an expat Bulgarian mother-of-two, based in Valencia, lost €9,900 to a scammer.

● She was ordered to withdraw savings and leave €6,000 in her mailbox

AnyTech365 AI powered unique software can pinpoint the root cause of a problem providing real-time protection and immediate response to suspicious activity. This proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of cyberattacks.

● She was told a ‘bank courier’ would collect it

● She made one payment before police luckily intervened

The company and their solutions have been widely recognized and won multiple awards on local, national, and international level such as “The Fastest growing technology company in Spain and the 27th fastest growing company in Europe across all sectors” (Source: Financial Times FT1000), the Andalucía Excellence Award in New Technologies, and others. Making a meaningful local impact, AnyTech365 has been a proud title-sponsor of the Andalucía Open tennis tournament, including the ATP 250 tournament in 2021, the biggest sporting event in the region. It has excellent online reputation scores with tens of thousands of end user reviews on Trustpilot (4.8/5) and Google Reviews (4.9/5).

AnyTech365 Security

“They put such a fright in me I couldn’t stop being tricked,” the victim told the paper.

● The likely Balkan gang targeted expats across Spain

World class, cross-platform security platform with advanced scanning techniques to identify potential threats from files, programs and neutralization of viruses, malware, and phishing attempts.

day or night, with AnyTech365’s around-the-clock support services, all offered in more than 15 native languages.

● At least €45,000 was stolen from just three victims including the Valencia mum

AnyTech365 TotalCare

● Scammers posed as police AND Bank of Spain officials

● Used fear, threats, and psychological pressure

The €83,000 overnight bank drain (Supreme Court case)

● Victim lost €83,000 in a single night via 15 transfers

A comprehensive security suite, combining all AnyTech365 premium products together with quick issue resolution by certified technicians without onsite visits anytime, day or night, with AnyTech365’s around-the-clock support services, all offered in more than 15 native languages.

2. The ‘leave your cash in the mailbox’ case

AN elderly expat woman was told her account was under attack, according to Sanitas health insurance.

● Fraudsters used SIM-swapping to intercept banking codes

● Victim had already warned the bank about suspicious activity

● Court ruled the bank was still liable

For more info on fake bank calls, scams and tips on how to avoid them contact AnyTech365 AntiScam for Windows and Android.

The company is currently in the process of becoming publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), with the transaction expected to complete in Q3 of 2024.

Experts like AnyTech365 can help check if your device or accounts have been compromised and guide you through securing them. The experienced firm, now over a decade protecting expats in Spain, as well as globally, will immediately tell you if it’s a scam.

As Medzhidiliev, continues: “Always remember: if someone is asking for your banking codes, even if they appear legitimate or are on a video call, it is a scam. The safest action is to stop the interaction immediately and contact your bank.”

The bottom line

These scams are no longer crude attempts – they’re staged, persuasive and fast-moving.

And as Spain’s top court has made clear, even using the right codes doesn’t mean you agreed to anything.

If someone is asking for them, you’re not being protected –you’re being played.

From smart fridges to sensory art

Spanish art fair shows

ANEW hangover cure has hit the market and it is not what you may be expecting…

Instead of reaching for a slice of toast or a painkiller to fight off that pounding headache, imagine opening your fridge to a soft, dim light that adjusts to the atmosphere of the room.

This smart new Miele fridge matches its lights to the kitchen

how innovation is transforming homes around the country

By Rachel Gore & Eimear Kempeneer

to create a gentler, more soothing experience when you have had one too many drinks.

The MasterCool III also helps out when you are at the supermarket and struggling to remember if you have got milk or carrots at home. Its built-in cameras allow you to peek inside the fridge from your phone no mat-

ter where you are, so you never purchase too many ingredients again. The company has also created a vacuum sealed drawer and steam oven designed to

make cooking effortless, luxurious and enjoyable.

Meanwhile, Technogym has created equipment that blends seamlessly into modern homes while offering a fully immersive ‘sensory experience’.

Its luxury gym equipment is designed to integrate family life and wellness, with all elements being controlled by a single, elegant system.

Here the combination of form and function ensures that exercising at home is efficient and visually harmonious with contemporary interior design. Both companies were displaying alongside 50 others at this years Marbella Art & Design fair. The event showcases the most exciting products, design innovations and emerging trends this year.

Spain’s Property Paradox:

SPAIN is currently locked in a legislative battle over its property market. From Madrid to the coastal regions, lawmakers are deploying a ‘heavy-handed’ arsenal of housing reforms - rent caps, tenant protections, and crackdowns on tourist rentals - intended to cool an overheated market and improve affordability for locals. However, a significant disconnect exists between political intent and market reality, particularly on the sunny costas. Despite aggressive regulations, demand isn’t slowing; it is evolving.

The Legislative Squeeze Recent laws have designated ‘high-pressure’ areas where rent increases are strictly limited and landlords face increased responsibilities. Simultaneously, the lucrative short-term rental sector is under fire. New licensing requirements and community-led bans aim to force properties back into the long-term market. On paper, this looks like a system being brought to heel. In practice, it’s proving far more complex.

The Global Pushback Politicians are struggling to regulate a force beyond their borders: international demand. The Spanish costas have transitioned from a domestic market to a global one. Buyers from the UK, Scandinavia, and Germany are arriving in record numbers, driven by:

● Remote Work: The post-pandemic shift toward ‘lifestyle migration’ is now permanent.

● Value Proposition: Compared to Northern Europe, Spain’s infrastructure, healthcare, and climate remain highly attractive.

Unintended Consequences

Strict regulations often trigger a ‘tug-of-war’ with reality. Rather than lowering prices, tighter rules are prompting some landlords to exit the rental market entirely or hold properties vacant. When supply is restricted without being replaced, prices inevitably remain high. New ideas

Marbella, for example, offers a notable counter-strategy. By approving a new urban development plan focused on cutting bureaucracy and increasing supply, local authorities are acknowledging that the core issue is a lack of housing, not just a pricing anomaly.

A new phase

The affordability crisis in Spain is real, but the market’s resilience suggests it cannot be ‘tamed’ by legislation alone. In international hotspots, the market continues to outpace the rules designed to contain it. For investors and residents alike, the ‘boom’ isn’t ending; it is entering a sophisticated new phase where success depends on navigating the tension between government intervention and an unstoppable global demand for the Spanish lifestyle.

One of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Brad Pitt, bought a €3.5 million villa in Mallorca’s exclusive Port d’Andratx. The Oscar-winning actor hopped over to the Balearics while shooting a film in the Canary Islands and was taken by Mallorca. He bought the beachfront properPort d’Andratx, Mallorca

ty in 2016. Situated on a secluded stretch of coastline and with 8 bedrooms and pool with views of the Mediterranean, the property is a retreat from red-carpet life.

Valldemossa, Mallorca

The ultra-desirable neighbourhoods where Spain’s most famous residents have decided to live in 2026

SPAIN has become a magnet for global celebrities seeking luxu locations.

The famous homeowners have traditionally headed to Marbella and Ibiza, but are increasingly choosing the

By Maeve Gorman

big cities as well. From the coast to the cap ital, these are some of the neighbourhoods celebrities are choosing to call home.

Oscar-winning couple Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas bought a sprawling estate on Mallorca’s rugged northern coast near Valldemossa for €2.6 m in 1990. S’Estaca boasts 10 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, olive groves, a vineyard and a private jetty. Originally built in the 1890s by Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Habsburg, the property has historic charm. Attempts to sell the estate for €50 million in 2014 and €32m in 2019 failed.

Santa Eularia, Ibiza

Scottish DJ Calvin Harris owns Terra Masia, a 56-hectare estate in Ibiza that is the island’s largest certified organic farm. Nestled near Santa Eularia, the property produces a wide range of organic cropsincluding vegetables, fruit

and free-range eggs - as well as olive groves and vineyards. Harris, who shifted his focus from the high-profile DJ lifestyle to rural living after selling his Los Angeles homes, is hands-on with the farm. Near neighbours include James Blunt, David Guetta and Jade Jagger.

Marvellous Market

THIS gastronomic market is located in one of the most distinctive enclaves of Valencia.

A space where gastronomy, architecture and social life coexist naturally, Mercader serves as the natural gateway to the hip Cabanyal

barrio.

This old fishing area has gone through a strong cultural identity change and

Trio of terraces and range of gourmet styles key to this hip Valencia hotspot

Mercador has played a key role in it as the main gastronomic meeting point.

Once a cooperage, where wine barrels were made, you immediately feel the sense of history from elements of its past left over, as well as its high ceilings and industrial machines. And when it comes to cuisine it is a wonderful

Diagonal, Barcelona

Barcelona FC’s wunderkid, Lamine Yamal, 18, recently bought a €14 million mansion in the coveted Ciutat Diagonal neighbourhood of Barcelona. The property, once owned by former power couple Shakira and Gerard Pique, features indoor and outdoor pools and a gym, befitting the lifestyle of the sports superstar. Yamal - whose neighbours include club captain Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Balde - is adding a padel court.

mix, but above all it focuses on quality products and respect for how to cook them.

Among the most notable offerings are Lujuria Marina, which focuses on seafood and a contemporary interpretation of maritime cuisine; Tonyina Barra, where the ingredients are prepared with precision, expertise and a highly recognisable aesthetic; and Taller de Carnes, the market’s own restaurant, which focuses on meat and grilled dishes.

One of Mercader’s greatest attractions are its three outdoor terraces, from which you can enjoy the Mediterranean climate for much of the year.

Perfect for a relaxed lunch, an informal dinner or a drink at sunset, Mercader works for all kinds of occasions and levels.

For more information visit www.mercadercabanyal.com

Ciutat

HOMES

La Moraleja, Madrid

Rom-com legend Richard Gere relocated to upmarket La Moraleja (right) with his Galician wife Alejandra Silva in 2024. Their €11 million mansion, with a giant wine cellar, pool and 2.5 hectare garden, is in one of Madrid’s most affluent suburbs, where David Beckham, Luca Modric and Karim Benzema

all own homes. Sergio Ramos sold up a few months ago. Property prices in La Moraleja are among the highest in Spain, with homes av eraging roughly €6,600 per square metre.

La Alzambra Vasari, Marbella

Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and her husband, Mexican businessman Jose Baston, bought a six-bedroom Marbella home in 2023. La Alzambra Vasari is a coveted luxury development near Puerto Banus with round-theclock security, a gym, sauna and cinema room.

TAX TROUBLE

WHEN 100 expatriates in Spain are asked whether they would like to know more about local taxes, 80 raise their hand.

When these same 80 expatriates are asked whether they are willing to spend time learning about these taxes, 70 quickly lower their hand. When the few that remain are asked if they are willing to enroll in a one-year master’s program on local taxation taught in Spanish, I am the only volunteer.

My motivation is clear: there is no better feeling as a financial planner than when a client says: “Thanks to you, I can sleep peacefully at night.”

And there is no more direct route to removing their worries than to learn as much as I can about the various aspects of finance in Spain.

Taxes aren’t even our primary focus at Bissan Wealth Management - cross-border financial planning is. But taxes are a notable concern for many expats in Spain. That’s why I spent numerous late nights studying Spanish taxes: to ensure that my clients won’t spend late nights worrying about their own taxes.

I began my specialised graduate training in advanced taxation in

Expats in Spain need a financial planner who did the hard yards to learn about local taxes – so they can sleep soundly at night

2023, earning a Master’s Degree in tax and fiscal advisory (Máster en Fiscalidad y Tributación) from Universidad Nebrija in 2024.

Economist John Maynard Keynes once said: “The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that carries any reward.”

Strategy

I believe that’s only partly true, that holistic financial planning is a more worthy pursuit.

You see, good financial planning involves tax strategy, but it also includes investment planning, risk management (insurance), cash flow & budgeting, and retirement planning. Which means there’s a lot of expertise that must be acquired to be an effective financial planner.

This is why at Bissan Wealth Man-

●

agement’s 10-person firm, one of our team-members holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) credential, another is a CFP® holder and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor®, and a third earned a PhD in Economics. And that’s why six of our ten team-members hold one of Spain’s two highest financial advising credentials: the European Financial Advisor (EFA) or the European Financial Planner (EFP); two earned a law degree; two are certified mortgage credit advisors; four have an MBA; two have a master’s degree in taxation and five hold another master’s degree.

That’s a lot of financial knowledge packed into a small financial firm. Why have we obtained so many different credentials and degrees? It’s because the components of finan-

El Viso, Madrid

After a hard fought legal battle with her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard settled down in the Spanish capital. She bought a four-storey mansion in Madrid’s prestigious El Viso neighbourhood for €1.7 million in 2023. Populated by politicians, aristocrats and entrepreneurs, El Viso is one of the city’s wealthiest barrios.

cial planning are not separate boxes. A decision in one area typically affects others.

This is particularly true for expatriate families in Spain. For example: exchange rates can affect investment decisions, which then affect taxes, which in turn influence how assets should be divided between two countries.

Advice

Most expats in Spain receive financial advice from multiple sources but seldom have a single integrated plan. Without coordination, decisions that seem smart individually may work against each other. In the end, good financial planning is about connecting all the dots.

When the different pieces of a family’s financial life are viewed together rather than in isolation, decisions become more cohesive, risks become easier to understand and manage, and long-term goals become more attainable. That’s why I’ll continue to raise my hand for new learning opportunities. And that’s why I’ll end the article here - for now.

I’ve just enrolled in a Spanish mortgage credit advisor training program, which means it’s time to once again close my laptop and open my notebook.

PETER DOUGHERTY

FRIDA OUTRAGE

NEARLY 400 Mexicans VIPs are protesting over a plan to export 150 works of art to Spain, including masterpieces by Frida Kahlo (right).

The leading cultural figures have signed an open letter calling on the Mexican government to explain why a vital collection of 20th-century Mexican art is set to be displayed in Santander.

There is widespread concern as it has not been disclosed when the works will return to Mexico.

And, in particular, after a Faro director

told El Pais the deal was ‘flexible’ and the collection would have a ‘permanent presence’ at the Cantabria centre.

The row is centred around a collection of around 160 works previously owned by the collectors Jacques and Natasha Gelman, which was bought by the Mexican Zambrano family in 2023.

Tug of War

The potential move of Picasso’s famous Guernica painting from Madrid to Bilbao has turned into a political hot potato

BASQUE politicians are continuing to demand Spain’s most famous painting head north from Madrid later this year.

The Pais Vasco government is insisting Picasso’s Guernica be allowed to take part in a Bilbao ex-

hibition commemorating the 90th anniversary of the first Basque executive set up in 1937. It was created after Franco’s Nationalist forces flattened the nearby town of Guernica during a blanket bombing raid alongside

Pots, petals, prestige

IT is over a century since Spain’s most famous flower festival first bloomed in Cordoba.

Launched in 1921, the Patio Festival transforms the Andalucian city each May into a riot of colour, as thousands of flowers fill hundreds of courtyards across the historic centre. For 12 days, residents throw open their doors, competing to be crowned among the most beautiful patios - and to claim generous cash prizes.

The tradition itself stretches back much further. Cordoba’s courtyards date to Roman times, when homes were built around central patios to provide light, ventilation and relief from the region’s extreme climate. Typically featuring fountains or wells to collect rainwater, these spaces became the heart of family life. Over time, residents began decorating them with plants and flowers, giving rise to the spectacular displays seen today.

By Rachel Gore

the nazi Condor legion.

The destruction which destroyed 85% of the town and led to the famous painting by Picasso, has sat in Madrid’s Reina Sofia gallery since 1981.

After the museum refused the request, regional boss Imanol Pradales called on President Pedro Sanchez to authorise the temporary transfer.

Sanchez however, passed the buck insisting it was a decision for the Ministry of Culture, which Pradales labelled a ‘grave political error’.

War

He said displaying the painting during the ninemonth exhibition would send an important message about ‘what war entails and the atrocities deriving from dictatorships’.

The priceless black and white painting (above) was kept behind bulletproof glass until 1995 due to its controversy and threats of attack.

Bosses at the Reina Sofia claim the painting is too fragile to be moved and that a transfer between the cities could cause structural damage.

BULLFIGHTING remains one of the most divisive traditions worldwide.

Whether it’s an art form steeped in history or an outdated spectacle of cruelty, it’s not just limited to Spain, the Olive Press has discovered.

While it became popular in Spain from the 18th century, it had already spread around the world thanks to its conquistadores.

Today you’ll find los toros in nearly a dozen countries including India, Peru and the Philippines.

SPAIN: HEART OF TRADITION

The Spanish term for traditional bullfighting is ‘corrida de toros’, a stylized spectacle where a matador faces a bull in a ring.

Deeply embedded in cultural identity, it is a choreographed cultural ritual, often regarded as art and involving three main stages (tercios) ending in the bull’s death

The season runs from March to October and the bulls called toros bravos are specifically bred for the fights.

Spanish bullfight ing has three main stages: the bull is first tested and weakened by mounted lancers, then struck with decorated darts, before the matador enters for the final act - ending in the animal’s death.

Contrary to popular belief, the iconic red cape is not used to provoke the bullthey are colour blind - but

rather to conceal bloodstains and uphold tradition.

It is very popular in Madrid, Andalucia and the Basque Region, while it has been banned in Catalunya since 2010, and debates rage over its future.

PORTUGAL: NOT KILLING BULLS

Across the bor der in Portugal, the tradition takes on in a different form - one where the bull survives in the end.

The perfor mance features three important

Bullfighting beyo

though critics argue the spectacle remains inherently harmful.

The tradition remains popular in regions like Alentejo, Lisbon and Porto.

FRANCE

In southern France, bullfighting exists as a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese styles, with its own regional unique twists.

It’s not just Spain that fights with bulls… but not every country kills them

is played in the arena to add even more emotion.

Some famous Mexican matadors, like Carlos Arruza, helped shape the national style and gained international recognition.

Bullfighting is legal in Mexico, but rules are different in all regions. Some regions have banned it. There are ongoing legal battles and political debates about animal rights.

By

PERU

The ritual, costumes, and sequence of bullfighting is very similar to Spanish bullfighting, including the ceremonial opening.

GIANT: The Plaza de toros in Santa Maria, Colombia

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

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While technically prohibited under animal cruelty laws, it is permitted in regions where there is a ‘local uninterrupted tradition,’ such as in Nîmes and

This exception allows both Spanish-style corridas - where the bull is killed - and a distinctly French alternative: the Course Camarguaise. In this version, participants known as ‘raseteurs’ attempt to snatch a ribbon tied between the bull’s

No weapons are used, and the bull survives. Women can also take part and the animals are bred for speed rather than aggression.

MEXICO

Bullfighting was brought to Mexico by the con quistadores in the 16th century. Over time, it became deeply embed ded in Mexican culture.

It tends to be more theatrical and expressive, focussing on the matador’s personal style and follows the same three-stage format as Spain.

Mexico city has the largest bull ring in the world, the ‘plaza mexi co’. Bullfighting events can attract

huge crowds and are often tied to major festivals and holidays.

Music, often by livebands,

COLOMBIA

Colombia was one of the biggest bullfighting centres away from Spain for centuries.

Now the law has changed and all forms of bullfighting will be banned from 2027.

Bullfighting was introduced to Colombia by the Spanish in the 16th century and over time, it became part of regional festivals and urban culture, particularly in Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín.

Colombian bullfighting follows the Spanish-style corrida, meaning the bull is killed in the arena.

The most famous event is the Feria del Señor de los Milagros in Lima, now one of the largest and most prestigious bullfighting festivals in the world.

It attracts top matadors from Spain and Latin America.

In some regions, bullfighting is mixed with indigenous traditions and festivals.

A famous example is the Yawar Fiesta: a condor (symbolizing indigenous people) is tied to a bull (symbolizing Spanish colonizers). The event is symbolic rather than a formal corrida.

AMERICA

American freestyle bullfighting is a sport focussed on speed and control, developed alongside rodeo

The bull does not get ons are lowed in the arena. Bullfighters use their own speed

& Tess Van Holsbeeck

Manon Demerie

nd borders

and body to avoid the bull and get a score based on skill, creativity, style and how risky they perform. Instead of a tradition, it’s a competition with a lot of risks.

PHILIPPINES

In the Philippines, bullfighting takes a very different form. Known locally as pasungay, the practice involves two bulls facing

off against each other rather than a human confronting the animal. These contests, often held during rural festivals in regions such as Negros Occidental and Mindanao, are rooted in community pride.

Owners showcase the strength of their livestock, while supporters view it as a longstanding tradition. Some critics have raised concerns about animal welfare.

In India, bullfighting (Jallikattu) is traditionally practiced as part of the harvest festival of Pongal across Tamil Nadu. It involves men chasing a bull, attempting to grab the hump on the bull’s back and hang on while it attempts to escape. They ride it for as long as possible and, best of all, try and bring the bull to a stop to remove a piece of cloth on its horns.

Prizes including cars, motorbikes and golden coins are up for grabs for the winner who grabs the cloth. In 2014 the event was banned by the

Supreme Court of India, but after years of protests, the local government in Tamil Nadu passed a law to revive the controversial event.

In 2023 the Supreme Court upheld this law, allowing bullfights in the Tamil Nadu area, accepting it as a protected cultural tradition.

ECUADOR

Since 2011 there has been no killing of bulls in Ecuador.

It comes despite the Jesus del Gran Poder festival in Quito being one of the most important bullfighting events in Latin America.

The festival still continues al-

CHIRINGUITO AND RESTAURANT

though bullfights remain bloodless with a focus on technique and performance rather than death.

VENEZUELA

Bullfighting in Venezuela is slowly fading away, but it hasn’t disappeared just yet.

Once popular across the country, it is now mostly limited to Mérida, in the Andes, where the annual Feria del Sol festival is globally known.

While there are fights in other parts of the country crowds are waning and it is struggling to survive

INDIA

Image by Sundaram Perumal

ALTERNATIVES: In India contestants try and hang on to the bulls hump, while (left) in the Philippines

MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE

THE Picos de Europa has been ranked the most beautiful place in the world by Time Out magazine. The mountain range straddling Asturias, Cantabria y Castilla y Leon comes top among the 51 most spectacular landscapes

on the planet.

Described as ‘one of the most compact mountain ranges in the world’, it beats Portugal’s Douro Valley and California’s Big Sur.

HEADING NORTH

The iconic bluefin tuna could be leaving Spanish waters for Greenland

CLIMATE change is pushing bluefin tuna away from the Med and threatening its historic breeding grounds.

A study has found that atun rojothe most valuable fish on the global market - is being pushed north and putting one of Spain's most valuable seafood industries at risk.

The move from the Mediterranean due to rising sea temperatures is

By Karissa Key

endangering the reproduction of the endangered fish. The study estimates that numbers could decline by as much as 27%, with the Gulf of Mexico also seeing a drop of 70%.

“Climate change is affecting their ecosystem,” explained AZTI re-

SPANISH ham exports are surging as global buyers scramble to secure supplies despite soaring prices.

Data from the Serrano Ham Consortium (CJSE) shows 65,000 tonnes of cured Serrano ham were exported in 2025 – 5% more than in 2024. The boom generated over €800 million in revenue

Asearcher Erauskin Extramiana. “Anticipating the shift is key to protecting both biodiversity and the livelihoods that depend on it.”

He hopes that new ‘refuges’ may begin to emerge in northern Europe, Greenland and the Northeast Atlan-

Hamming it up

as prices climbed sharply – averaging more than €12.50 per kilo and reaching peaks of nearly €18 per kilo in the UK.

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RESTAURANT REVIEWS EL PIMPI

UTHENTICITY doesn’t come easily - especially within the manicured confines of a five-star hotel.

Taking the rustic soul of Malaga’s most famous institution, El Pimpi, and transplanting it into Marbella’s glitzy Puente Romano was a bold move last year.

However, it arrived with a distinct advantage: co-owner Antonio Banderas. With his Hollywood address book, it wasn’t long before pals like Robert de Niro and Will Smith were popping in for dinner - the latter even treated to a private flamenco dance.

But El Pimpi offers more than just star power; it offers pedigree. With a half-century of history in Malaga and a sister venue, Bodegas Campos, serving Cordoba since 1908, this is Grand Cru Andaluz at its finest.

Having frequented both joints for

RANGE:

IT is one of the most beautiful restaurants to open this year. In the heart of the sand dunes on Marbella’s best beach, Sabine is bound to be one of the hottest tickets for the summer.

What was once the 40-year-old chiringuito Aqui Te Quiero Ver is now this stylish Ibizan style beach joint, where the focus is very much on the food.

tic. Spain is the leading producer of bluefin tuna production and in 2019, a single bluefin tuna sold in Japan for over €2.7 million.

Spain harvested 10,877 tonnes in 2022, generating an estimated €183.2 million, with 96% being exported to Japan for sushi and sashimi. It is feared the ancient method of catching the fish, via the almadrabas in Cadiz will be badly affected.. The technique was introduced by the Phoenicians 3,000 years ago and includes a complex system of nets placed along migration routes between Conil and Tarifa.

Pimping success

decades, I’ll admit I was skeptical. Bodegas Campos earned a spot in my book, Dining Secrets of Andalucia, and the original El Pimpi was our go-to sherry haunt when we had an attic in Malaga’s casco historico 20 years ago. Could that soul survive the jump to the Golden Mile?

I entered El Pimpi Marbella with mixed expectations - but I was soon at ease. Stepping inside, the transition feels surprisingly seam less. The signature wall of sherry barrels is there - including those signed by De Niro and Smithalongside a collection of antique feria posters. Notably, and perhaps clev erly for a mod ern international crowd, there isn’t a hint of bullfighting on any of them.

El Pimpi Marbella is Grand Cru Andaluz at its very best - just ask Will Smith, who had a private dance, or Robert de Niro who signed a barrel

By Jon Clarke

El Pimpi, authentic to the core, right down to the polka dots on the dancers’ skirts.

The name El Pimpi hails from a local legend; a Malagueño who greeted tourists at Malaga’s port and promised to show them the best of the old town. His nickname reflects the authenticity of the experience: everything from the delectable thin slices of Jamón Ibérico de Bellota to the local flamenco troupe, Saraos

The Experience

Settle into a comfortable banquette and dive into the cocktail menu, cleverly designed as a newspaper. It features rip-snorters like the Vermut Mestizo, a potent blend of vermouth and Moscatel orange wine with a smoky mezcal kick.

The food menu remains refreshingly simple. It hits the Spanish classics - gazpacho, croquettes, and artisan cheeses - without over-complicating them.

We started with the Ajo Blanco, the traditional cold almond and garlic soup. It is a notoriously difficult dish

to balance, but here the consistency was tip-top, elevated by a surprising passion fruit sorbet and sun-

flower seeds for crunch.

Chefs Rafael da Silva and Adrian de Damas (above) are creating the dream menu, a mix of modern Mediterranean.

With the sea literally lapping by your feet, come for the day and kick back and relax and enjoy the cool vibes.

The seafood followed suit: springfresh clams and perfectly peeled prawns, alongside a perky avocado salad oozing with local flavour. For the main event, the Presa Ibérica pork was as succulent a cut as one could hope for.

The Verdict

Save room for the Torri ja (especially around Easter), best washed down with a glass of the house ‘Malaga Virgin’ Moscatel.

If you’re looking to push the boat out, the wine list is extensive, fea turing gems like the great-value Cloe

SERVICE: Cheerful Laura explained the dishes brilliantly

Chardonnay from Ronda.

As expected for a five-star resort, the service is exceptional. Staff members like Laura from Marbella and her Lisbon-born manager provide intelligent, amusing advice in perfect English. The secret here is simplicity and the uncompromising quality of local ingredients.

It’s hard to give this ‘baby sister’ any fewer stars than the hotel that houses it.

The dishes were decidedly local and of a high quality

THEY are known for their hard work, stubbornness and cultural identity. But for tourists, the Catalans are known for their mighty fine food. It is not for nothing that their two most popular phrases are linked to food. ‘ Els Catalans de les pedres en fan pa ’ (The Catalans make bread from stones) about their resourcefulness, and ‘ Hi han més dies que llonganises’ (There are more days than sausages) showing a patient approach to life.

Catalunya just pips the Pais Vasco in our second Battle of the Chefs

They have turned the concept of filling one's stomach into an artform… and it was in Catalunya

By Jon Clarke & Maeve Gorman

where the real art of modern Spanish cooking was born: At El Bulli and El Celler de Can Roca.

DISFRUTAR

fines their cuisine.

Named the World’s Best restaurant in 2024, Disfrutar is a Barcelona culinary institution boasting three soles and three stars.

At the helm of Disfrutar are chefs Eduard Xatruch, Oriol Castro and Mateu Casañas, all alumni of course at El Bulli, where they honed the

Diners can choose between two tasting menus: ‘Classic’, which features the restaurant’s signature dishes - including the famous multi-spherical pesto with smoked eel and pistachios - and ‘Festival’, highlighting the latest seasonal creations. Both menus feature 28 to 32 courses. A selection of carefully curated wine pairings is also available, alongside inventive flavoured spirits, including varieties infused with wasabi and sea urchin.

It was at these two celebrated Costa Brava joints that Spain was thrust on the modern stage of cuisine, some 30 years ago.

Perhaps doffing a hat to the region’s most famous artist, sur-

112 40

WAFERTHIN LEAD

realist Salvador Dali, the pair turned cuisine on its head and created, quite literally, works of art in the kitchen.

Voted the ‘World’s Best’ restaurant between them an incredible SEVEN times, Ferran Adria was the undisputed emperor of dining for almost a decade at El Bulli, which was booked up all year in the first week it opened its diary. Yet, without the influence of their colleagues across the border in the Basque Region, these amazing

MIRAMAR

With panoramic views of the Mediterranean, Huelva-born Paco Perez’s Miramar on Llanca’s beachfront promenade pays homage to the fruits of the sea.

His wife and the restaurant’s maitre d’, Montse Serra, has played a pivotal role in his culinary career. Established in 1939 as a hotel run

by Serra’s parents and grandparents, Miramar continues the family legacy.

Today Miramar is a must-visit for Mediterranean haute cuisine, featuring a handful of guest suites and an artisanal food shop selling fresh sourdough, pastries and jams.

CAN JUBANY

Set in a farmhouse with its own vegetable garden, the rural Calldetenes restaurant run by Nandu Jubany and his wife, Anna Orte, blends Catalan tradition with avant-garde flair, guided by the finest local produce.

Jubany’s dishes are crafted from the finest Catalan ingredients, offered both a la carte and on three inventive tasting menus: ‘A Journey through Catalunya’, ‘The Great Can Jubany Feast’ and ‘The Great Truffle Menu’. Among the most memorable dishes are dry rice with sea cucumber and crayfish broth and partridge soup with meatballs and truffle.

Boasting three Repsol soles and one Michelin star, Can Jubany is a standout in Catalan cuisine.

Ctra. de Sant Hilari s/n, 08506 Calldetenes, Barcelona +34 938 89 10 23 · canjubany.com

Through two tasting menus and an a la carte menu, Perez presents his ‘sea and mountains’ concept, celebrating the ingredients ‘Mar d’Amunt’ where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean. His menus highlight local treasures from just offshore, including sea urchin and seaweed. Miramar has three Repsol soles and two Michelin stars.

The Roca brothers opened El Celler de Can Roca in their native Girona in 1986.

Joan takes charge of the savoury dishes, Jordi is tasked with desserts and Josep is the sommelier. They describe themselves as an ‘equilateral triangle that encom passes the three sides of gas tronomy’.

The dining experience begins with a series of appetisers which blend traditional flavours with

EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA

bold innovation, and a deep respect for the Roca brothers’ Girona roots.

One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is The Olive Tree - green olive ice cream and black olive tempura served on a miniature olive tree.

The trio have transformed their passion into a craft defined by constant experimentation, creativity

and a strong ecological commitment. The exceptional quality of the cuisine easily explains the restau rant’s long waiting list.

El Celler de Can Roca has three soles and three stars.

Carrer de Can Sunyer 48, 17007 Girona +34 972 22 21 57 cellercanroca.com

TEAM CATALUNYA: After we compared Andalucia to Valencia (above left) the Catalan dream team

111 36 PAIS VASCO

spots would not have existed. For at the other end of the Pyrenees the Basques have been conjuring up the world’s best food for centuries. Ask any Frenchman and they will begrudgingly admit that it was in the deep south west corner of their coun-

PAIS

try and probably just over the border where modern cooking was born.

Indeed, it is in San Sebastian that the true Godfathers of Spanish cooking can be found.

It is here where Juan Mari Arzak and Pedro Subijana - now an extraordinary 50 years in the kitchen - founded their three-star temples of dining Arzak and Akelarre.

There are more Michelin stars per head in San Sebastian than in Paris, London or Tokyo and there are half a

AKELARRE

Perched on Mount Igueldo, Akelarre offers spectacular views over the Bay of Biscay, combining high-end gastronomy with a striking coastal setting.

Led by renowned chef Pedro Subijana, a pioneer of the New Basque Cuisine movement, the restaurant blends cutting-edge culinary techniques with deep-rooted Basque traditions.

San Sebastian local Subijana took over as head chef at Akelarre in 1975, five years after it opened its doors and quickly cemented his status as one of Spain’s top chefs.

Awarded its first Michelin star in 1978 and a second in 1982, the restaurant reached the pinnacle of culinary recognition with a third star in 2007 - an honour it has retained ever since.

Akelarre offers two tasting menus, allowing diners to mix and match dishes from both to create a personalised dining experience

The restaurant forms part of a luxury hotel complex, where another restaurant Espazio Oteiza offers a more relaxed a la carte menu including classics like jamon croquettes.

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Catalunya beats the Pais Vasco for awards, but only just. Catalunya has 112 Repsol ‘soles’ compared to 111 soles in the Basque region. Meanwhile Catalunya has 40 Michelin stars compared with 36 stars in the Pais Vasco.

dozen world-class restaurants within an hour of here, including the current World’s Number 2 best restaurant, Asador Etxebarri ( World’s 50 Best list ).

All that said, Spain’s top city when it comes to stars is certainly Barcelona, which counts on a remarkable four three-Michelin starred cathedrals of cuisine.

Whether you prefer pintxos or crema catalana , here we highlight some of the top local spots.

ELKANO

Founded in 1964 as Bar Elkano by Pedro Arregui, the restaurant’s current head chef, Aitor Arregi, his son, has expanded the family legacy, turning the humble grill into a hallmark of Basque cuisine.

Aitori was born in Getaria in 1971 and grew up fully immersed in the family business.

He has fond memories of his father Pedro at the grill, his mother Mari Jose managing the dining room, and his grandmother Joxepa working tirelessly in the kitchen.

After spending ten years as a professional footballer, Aitor returned to Getaria in

year since, and in 2021 the restaurant was awarded three Repsol Soles, which it also continues to hold. Elkano prioritises simplicity and the freshest seafood, sourced daily from local fishermen in the Bay of Biscay.

Their signature dish is a whole turbot, grilled over open flames.

Aitor also runs the restau

Self-taught chef Bittor Ar ginzoniz, is another culinary star who has mastered the secrets of fire to de liver the best of Basque cuisine.

Etxebarri - voted at second place in 2025’s 50 Best Restaurant list - is located in his home village of Axpe, at the foot of Mount Anboto, housed in a beautifully restored 18th-century country estate.

Arginzoniz uses locally sourced ingredients and a variety of woods - such as holm oak

and vine shootsto enhance natural flavours with smoke and fire, often using designed grills and tools he creates him-

Diners choose between a la carte and tasting menus. Etxebarri holds three Repsol soles yet only one Michelin star (you’ll have to ask the French!).

Standout dishes include fresh buf falo mozzarella which is made by hand every morning before be ing smoked gently and whole grilled local prawns.

San Juan Plaza 1, 48291 AxpeMartzaa / Axpe Marzana, Bizkaia +34 946 583 042 asadoretxebarri.com

100 million international visitors came to Spain last year, spending a record €127 billion drawn almost as much by its restaurants and culture as its beaches and balmy weather. Indeed, an estimated 12 million visitors come for its gastronomy as the culinary scene has soared to international acclaim, driven by a new generation of innovative young chefs. The country has emerged as a top gastronomic destination, rivaling Japan and France.

NERUA GUGGEN HEIM BILBAO

Bilbao’s striking Guggenheim Museum is home to Josean Alija’s Nerua which serves the very best of Basque

cuisine in an unforgettable setting.

The restaurant’s philosophy centres on reinterpreting traditional Basque flavours through a contemporary lens, with a strong emphasis on seasonality and vegetable-focused dishes.

Alija changes the menu three times each year to reflect the changing of the seasons and diners choose between an a la carte menu and an eight-course tasting menu. Standout dishes include the spinach stewed with coconut and caviar and suckling lamb with celeriac and sherry.

Alija’s food is certainly worthy of its museum setting.

TEAM

VASCO: Godfathers of modern Spanish cooking including Pedro Subijana (at the back)

CASE NO. F2025-024947

TRONDHEIM CONCILIATION BOARD

Extract from complaint currently being dealt with by Trondheim Conciliation Board. Case No. F2025-024947

Complainant: Kredittbanken ASA, Postboks 4794 Torgarden, 7467 Trondheim, Org.nr. 975966453.

Defendant: Tone Bratlie Moen. Last known address: Calle Mexic 35, 03530 La Nucia Spain.

The Complainant has filed a complaint against the Defendant with Trondheim Conciliation Board with a demand for payment of NOK 67135,95 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 10.06.2026 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 Johan Tillers vei 1, 7072 Heimdal, Norway. The documents can be sent to a new address supplied by the Defendant if the Defendant so requests.

MARBELLA’S Quirónsalud Hospital has launched a new Home Care Unit which provides healthcare from the comfort of the patient’s home.

The initiative is designed to reduce unnecessary travel for patients, particularly in cases where treatment can be delivered safely at home.

Patients with chronic diseases, elderly patients and those with reduced mobility, in particular, can benefit from the scheme.

Those awaiting operations can also receive pre-operative care from home and once they are operated on, the initiative offers post-operative care, supporting patients in their recovery after hospital discharge.

According to Alejandro Rodríguez, Nursing Director at Hospital Quirónsalud Marbella, “This service responds to the need to support patients who require structured, coordinated, and safe care at home. Home-based care avoids unnecessary travel and allows part of the healthcare process to take place in a more comfortable and accessible environment for them”.

SERVICES AVAILABLE AT HOME

Quironsalud’s Home Care Unit also carries out tests at home including blood tests and heart health tests.

From previous page

ABaC

A boutique hotel at the foot of Barcelona’s emblematic Tibidabo mountain, is the home of

Les Cols in Olot is one of Catalunya's most distinctive fine-dining destinations, hold ing three Repsol soles, two Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star for its commitment to sustainability. Set in a restored farmhouse and sur rounded by a 4km organic garden, the restaurant blends traditional architecture with striking contemporary design. Head chef Fina Puigdevall’s cuisine is rooted in seasonality, sustainability and local produce, often described as ‘food

HAPPY TO HELP AT HOME

Marbella hospital rolls out a new homecare service across the Costa del Sol

It also carries out post-operative care at home, including removing stitches, checking for infections and support in pain management. Additionally, patients with more complex needs are supported, including those who require wound draining, catheter changes, or specialist-prescribed treatments. All treatments are recorded in the patient’s electronic medical record, ensuring coordinated follow-up among all healthcare professionals involved in a patient’s care. Rodriguez adds: “The integration into the medical record ensures that care teams always work with updated information, reinforcing the patient’s safety and the cohesion of their treatment at all times”.

QUIRÓNSALUD IN ANDALUCIA

The Quirónsalud Group currently operates eight hospitals in Andalusia, located in Malaga, Marbella, Los Barrios (Cadiz), three in Seville (Sagrado Corazon, Infanta Luisa,

and Materno-Infantil), as well as Cordoba and Huelva. The group also manages two outpatient surgical day hospitals in Seville and Malaga and 22 specialty and diagnostic medical centers, positioning it as the leading private hospital network in the region.

ABOUT QUIRÓNSALUD

Quirónsalud is the leading healthcare group in Spain and, together with its parent company Fresenius-Helios, one of the largest in Europe. In addition to its operations in Spain, the group is also present in Latin America. It employs more than 50,000 professionals across more than 180 healthcare centers, including 57 hospitals with more than 8,000 beds. Its network includes prominent institutions such as Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Teknon Medical Center, Ruber Internacional, Quirónsalud Madrid University Hospital, Quirónsalud

Catalunya-native Jordi Cruz’s ABaC. Dedicated to ‘dishes that tell stories’, Cruz’s 20-course tasting menu draws on personal memories, from walks in the mountains to moments from his childhood.

The current menu offers an inventive fusion of Iberian and Japanese flavours, with the Japanese wagyu among the highlights.

Signature ingredients such as caviar, yuzu and squid, define Cruz’s unmistakable culinary universe.

that hasn’t travelled.’

Many ingredients come from the restaurant’s own garden and the surrounding volcanic landscape of La Garrotxa, including the famed beans from Santa Pau.

The experience centres on a single tasting menu, typically beginning with aperitifs in the garden before unfolding through a series of highly seasonal dishes inspired by the region. Puigdevall runs the restaurant alongside her three daughters - one leading the kitchen, another pastry and another front of house - making Les Cols a truly multigenerational family project.

LES COLS

Barcelona Hospital, Dexeus University Hospital, Policlinica Gipuzkoa, General University Hospital of Catalonia, and Quirónsalud Sagrado Corazon Hospital, among others.

The group is deeply committed to teaching - its network includes 11 university hospitals - and to medical and scientific research, supported by the FJD Health Research Institute, accredited by Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation. Quirónsalud structures its healthcare services into transversal units and networks, allowing the organization to share clinical expertise across centers and apply research find-

ings efficiently. The group is currently developing numerous research projects across Spain, with many centers recognized as leaders in specialties such as oncology, cardiology, endocrinology, gynecology, neurology, and more.

People interested in finding out whether this service is suitable for their situation may contact the Home Care Unit by email at homecare.mbl@quironsalud.es or by phone at +34 686 486 256.

ABaC has three Repsol soles and three Michelin stars.

CAPTION

TRAVEL

Nestled on a rural hillside in Errenteria, amid forests and farmhouses, Mugaritz opened its doors in March 1998 under the direction of chef Andoni Luis Aduriz. The restaurant prides itself on pushing the boundaries of gastronomy and Aduriz’s cuisine embodies this creative and innovative philosophy.

His famous dishes include ‘Edible Stones’, baby potatoes boiled and coated in kaolin clay to resemble white stones and served with alioli, and cold-treated apple, a raw apple transformed with enzymes into a delicate, ice cream-like texture. Mugaritz holds three Repsol soles and two Michelin stars.

Scan

MUGARITZ

Aldura Gunea Aldea 20, 20100 Errenteria, Gipuzkoa +34 943 52 24 55 · mugaritz.com

MARTIN BERASATEGUI

Located in Lasarte-Oria on the outskirts of San Sebastian, Martin Berasategui’s eponymous restaurant has earned its reputation as one of the premier institutions in Spanish gastronomy. Trained by prestigious French chefs, Berasategui returned to his native San Sebastian to open the restaurant in 1993.

Just six months after opening, he earned his first Michelin star; three years later he received a second, and in the 2002 guide he was awarded the highest distinction of the renowned guide: three stars. Defined by his trademark motto ‘garrote’ (basque for energy and tenacity), Berasategui’s tireless work ethic and relentless technical innovation has made him

a great of Basque cuisine.

Unforgettable dishes include the Iberian pork brioche and mille feuille of smoked eel, foie gras, and green apple which has been a staple on the menu since its 1993 opening.

Loidi Kalea 4, 20160 Lasarte, Gipuzkoa +34 943 36 64 71 martinberasategui.com

info@hispavan

Shepherd shocker

Dear OP,

I was so sad to read about the Australian architect who lost his farm to a shepherd squatter on your last front page. I rent in Catalunya, have a dual EU/New Zealand passport but will never buy in Spain as long as the risk of squatting exists. I will more likely buy in Paris and in addition maybe Italy. Spain has the most bizarre version of socialism and both the locals and criminals target foreigners knowing they can make a fortune from squatting.

DO NOT CONFUSE this with a shortage of houses in Spain or blame it on Airbnb, this is a cultural issue that makes it dangerous for people to invest in Spain and support the local economy.

Michael White, Sitges

See Thank You on page 4

FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE

It always amazes me how financially illiterate people in government are. Throughout history, we know rental controls do not work - they slow down investor demand. Unless it is financially rewarding, investors don’t buy and build properties. And if investors are not building, then it has to be the government that steps in.

We also know that when it comes to investing, governments are notoriously inept. And Spain has one of the lowest social housing rates in Europe. This is basic supply and demand. Why do the politicians not understand this?

Increase supply, then rents are tempered, investors have a good idea about stability and have long-term growth. The ideal ratio is 95 per cent occupancy, which creates stability in the property market. We don’t need fanciful regulation that achieves the opposite of what is intended.

Gordon Robertson, Madrid

Spain is booming?

Really? It seems to me the only way to make a little profit as a small business in Spain is by exploiting immigrants and consistently underpaying them.

Fleur VD Woude, online comment

Stop the sales

I always enjoy reading your newspaper and thanks for highlighting the best and worst of Spain.

A quick warning. While we were playing a round on Villaitana golf in Benidorm I had my phone stolen from the golf bag that was on the buggy parked by a tee.

Many people have told me this is common practice on Spanish courses but what annoyed me most is that the pro-shop staff and management weren’t interested at all. I asked to call the police but they just said, it was pointless and nobody would do anything.

Lana Thomas, Costa Blanca

NOT EASY ON THE EYES

Thank you for your informative newspaper and I understand the need to balance advertising with journalism and congratulations on your move upmarket. However the very noticeable bright white paper is not so easy on the eyes and the change to a sans serif typeface adds to that problem. The narrow column width also means more hyphenation which can be rather ugly. Good luck for the future in a tough industry.

Rob Macleod, Javea (ex publisher of medical books, exam papers for UCL, and the Journal of Astrophysics, Chicago)

Conveyancing

Residency

Wills

STRUGGLING TO GET YOUR BUSINESS NOTICED THROUGH ALL THE NOISE? THEN CONTACT OUR DEDICATED

MATURE MUMS

More Spanish mums are now over 40 than under-25 for the first time due to financial constraints

MORE babies were born in Spain to women over the age of 40 than under 25 last year.

Women over 40 gave birth to 33,380 babies, while women under 25 accounted for just 30,577 - a crossover unthinkable just a decade ago.

The move began in 2013, when women under 25 had around 41,000 births,

against 29,000 for older mums.

By proportion, Spain now leads Europe with 10.4% of all births to older women, nearly double the EU average of 6% and well ahead of Italy (9.1%) and France (5.6%).

Births among under-25s, meanwhile, have fallen by 26% since 2013 to just 30,577 babies last year.

RUNNING for the bus could save your brain and lower your risk of dementia.

Yes, that chaotic sprint you make when the driver looks set to close the doors could actually be doing you a favour.

A new UK study followed 96,408 people who wore wrist trackers for a week to record all their movement, from slow walks to full-on sprints.

Researchers then checked who went on to develop serious illnesses, like dementia, heart disease, diabetes, arthri-

LOW back pain is the condition I most frequently see in my practice.

According to studies, it can account for up to 70% of visits to a traumatologist and around 5% of emergency consultations. Although it is a very painful and often disabling condition (and the most common cause of sick leave) it generally responds well to treatment.

Many people assume it is inevitable, almost a natural consequence of aging. However, while it is true that aging brings changes to the spine and joints, it is equally true that much of this pain can be improved, and even prevented, through good habits and proper medical care.

By Walter Finch

The root causes are being put down to economic hardship and cultural change.

Youth unemployment stands at 25% for under-25s - the highest in the EU - and an acute housing crisis means around 65% under 30 still live at home.

“With no home, no finan -

DON’T MISS THE BUS

tis, and liver problems, or who died in the seven years after the tracking.

The results show that a bit of daily drama can pay off.

People who got out of breath the most had a 63% lower risk of dementia. They also had a 60% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and a 46% lower risk of dying.

cial stability and no settled relationship, starting a family simply is not possible for millions of young people,” said Rebeca Cordero, sociologist at the European University.

"Society has also changed couple dynamics, family dynamics, and what women are prepared to give up," she added.

"Many women, until they reach what they consider a sufficiently full life, do not take the step towards motherhood. And today, the vast majority prioritise their professional careers first."

Back to the back

It’s the place where most people’s pain begins, writes Claudio Vazquez. And it can be easily remedied with some morning disciplines and stretches

Over time, the spine undergoes a gradual process of degeneration. Intervertebral discs lose hydration and elasticity, joints become stiffer, and the muscles that stabilize the spine tend to weaken if they are not actively maintained. In addition, many people spend more time sitting and being less physically active, which promotes stiffness and overload. This combination of factors can lead to common conditions such as chronic low back pain, lumbar osteoarthritis, or even spinal stenosis, a condition in which the space through which the nerves pass narrows, causing pain that may radiate into the legs. In other cases, leg pain does not originate in the muscles themselves, but from the spine. This is what occurs in sciatica, where irritation or compression of a nerve causes pain, tingling, or weakness radiating from the lower back to the buttock and down the leg. Although this type of pain can be particularly concerning, it is important to know that in most cases ( up to 95% ) it can be managed conservatively without the need for surgery.

Beyond the specific diagnosis, there is a common underlying factor, lack of appropriate movement and long-standing postural habits. Sit-

No nookie for 25%

AN incredible 25% of Spaniards said they had not had sex for a year.

The CIS survey based on 4,009 interviews shows abstaining is relatively common.

And the most frequent reason given is a ‘lack of interest or sexual desire’, cited by 16.3%.

Life circumstances play a major role, with widowhood accounting for 13.5% and illness affecting either partner making up 11.2%.

Others said they simply had not found someone they were attracted to, representing 9.5% of responses.

ting incorrectly, slouched or without proper lumbar support, leads to con tinuous overload in the lower back. This posture increases pressure on the intervertebral discs and contributes to muscular fatigue, generating pain even in the absence of a specific injury. Classic studies have shown that prolonged flexibility postures increase mechanical stress on the lumbar spine, facilitating the development of symptoms. For this reason, learning how to sit properly is not a minor detail. Keeping the back supported, maintaining the natural lumbar curve, placing both feet flat on the floor, and avoiding staying in the same position for long periods are simple measures that can make a significant difference. Even so, a good posture loses its effectiveness if maintained for too long. The body needs movement. Standing up periodically, walking for a few min-

“

utes, or simply changing position helps reduce accumulated load on the spine and improves circulation. In this context, gentle stretching in the morning plays an important role. After several hours of rest, the muscles tend to be stiffer and less prepared, especially in the lower back and the posterior chain of the legs.

“ A good posture loses its effectiveness if maintained for too long

Gradually mobilizing the spine, gently stretching the hamstrings, and activating the abdominal muscles can reduce the sensation of morning stiffness that many people experience. The goal is not intense exercise, but rather restoring mobility and preparing the body for the day ahead.

It is also important to pay attention to the muscles of the legs, particularly the hamstrings and the muscles around the hip. When these are tight or weak, they force the lumbar spine to compensate during everyday movements, increasing the risk of pain. Similarly, weak abdominal muscles reduce trunk stability, causing the back to work excessively. Exercise programs focused on improving strength and motor control can significantly reduce low back pain and improve functionality. However, not everything can be solved with exercise. Knowing when to consult a doctor is important. If the pain is persistent, limits activities, causes weakness in the legs, or includes symptoms such as loss of sensation, a medical evaluation is essential. These signs may indicate underlying conditions that require assessment and specific treatment.

LATE PLANS: Intentional parenting

Good samaritans

TWO Spanish university students returned a wallet they found lying on a street with €1,332.50 in cash stuffed inside.

Strict sentences

SPAIN is introducing tough new jail sentences of up to three years for mobile phone thieves.

Electric edge

AN electric car built entirely in Spain has been announced by Cupra who are naming the vehicle after Catalan’s Raval barrio.

Gibraltar español

REAL Madrid fans upset locals in England during a football match chanting ‘Gibraltar es Español’. They sang the controversial chant before playing Manchester City.

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DEEPEST DARKEST MOVE

IT’S the favourite fabulous snack of iconic character Paddington Bear.

Made with bitter Sevilla oranges, he carries a jar of it wherever he travels. Even when arriving from deepest, darkest Peru.

But marmalade will soon look very different on UK super market shelves following a new post-Brexit food deal. Under the new agree ment, it will now have to be sold as ‘citrus marmalade’, with the UK moving to align more closely with EU rules in a bid to boost trade and cut red tape.

after Brussels reclaims the title

By Ben Pawlowski

Paddington’s favourite marmalade forced into name change POLLY WANNA HOLIDAY

The change comes as Brussels pushes ahead with plans to broaden the legal definition of marmalade.

Previously, only preserves made from citrus fruits could be sold as ‘marmalade’, with other kinds of fruit spread labelled as ‘jam’.

It came due to British lobbying in the 1970s to grant marmalade cut from Sevilla oranges a special commercial sta-

But the distinction has long caused widespread confusion

in Spain where the term ‘mermelada’ is used to describe all spreads made from fruit. From June, citrus-based conserves, such as those made with Sevilla oranges, will need to be sold under the separate legal name of ‘citrus marmalade’.

A spokesperson for the UK government said: “British marmalade is not changing - it will still be the same product available in our shops as it is now.

“Our deal with the EU supports businesses by removing the costly red tape that holds back our exporters from our largest trading partner.”

A PARROT that escaped from its home in the Basque Country has been found safe and well 100km away in La Rioja.

Gorri, an African grey parrot, went missing on April 5, leaving his owner Rafael Garcia worried sick.

Gorri has been his pet and close friend for 40 years and he tried everything to bring him back home - even offering a €1,000 reward. However, there was no glimmer of hope until Euge, a farmer from Agoncillo, spotted the parrot by the roadside and picked him up, fearing a car might hit it.

He took him home, where by luck he saw Garcia's appeal on Spanish TV channel Telecinco and responded, together with a video of Gorri. He is now back home in San Sebastian after taking his little 'vacation'.

“I'm so happy, I can't believe it. It's like winning the lottery,” Garcia said.

WILDLIFE gurus in Barcelona are jumping for joy after two Peregrine Falcon chicks hatched in a nest installed on top of the city’s iconic Sagrada Familia.