The Consell has declared Sierra de Escalona and Dehesa de Campoamor a natural park, creating a new protected area in the Vega Baja. The site covers land in the municipalities of Orihuela, San Miguel de Salinas and Pilar de la Horadada. The decree establishes a special protection regime under the Valencian Community’s legislation on protected natural areas. It follows the Plan for the Management of Natural Resources, approved by the Consell in February 2026. That plan takes precedence over other […]

The Red Cross has begun the second year of an emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention programme at La Encantá Secondary School in Rojales. The initiative started as a pilot scheme last year, after the school reported high levels of distress, self-harm and suicidal behaviour among pupils. The programme will run monthly until June across seven first-year secondary classes, reaching between 130 and 150 pupils aged 11 and 12. Sessions will cover self-esteem, emotional regulation, empathy, resilience and how to ask […]

A 56-year-old man who set himself alight outside the courts in Cartagena on Friday has died from his injuries. He died on Saturday morning at the Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital in Murcia. Spokespeople for the Murcian Health Service confirmed that the man’s injuries were severe. No further details about the incident have been released.

Spain’s Socialist Party and Amigos de los Humedales del Sur de Alicante, known as AHSA, have submitted objections to plans for an eco-hotel complex on more than 170,000 square metres of protected rural land beside La Mata lagoon, in the Natural Park of La Mata and Torrevieja Lagoons. The proposal includes a 20-room hotel created from the existing Casa Sala farmhouse, 13 new cabins, a wellness area, an interpretation centre and other facilities. The total built area would be 2,644.64 […]

Spain’s National Police has dismantled an indoor cannabis farm in Elche and arrested four people aged between 28 and 36. They are suspected of drug trafficking and defrauding the public electricity supply. The investigation began after officers identified two men allegedly linked to a drug-trafficking group. Surveillance led police to several properties and a warehouse in a district of Elche, which investigators believe were used to grow, store and distribute drugs. With judicial authorisation, officers searched three properties and seized […]

Las Salinas de Torrevieja has opened a new visitor attraction, giving residents and tourists another way to experience one of the city’s most distinctive landscapes. The establishment is open every day and brings together different varieties of salt, selected local products, handmade souvenirs, snacks and drinks. The opening ceremony was attended by Torrevieja’s deputy mayor and tourism councillor, Rosario Martínez Chazarra, alongside Las Salinas industrial director Joseph Pérez, human resources manager Victoria Carreño, safety manager Pedro García and tourism manager […]