A series of winter sea storms has split Playa del Cura in Torrevieja, leaving the popular beach divided and large sections without sand. Around two hundred metres of the shoreline are now bare rock, with waves striking directly against the concrete wall of the Avenida de los Marineros promenade. One of the six pedestrian access points has been badly damaged after the sea undermined its ramp and steps, leaving part of the structure hanging and unsafe. The council has fenced […]

Orihuela council has kept on hold a long-planned update to its construction tax, known as the ICIO, which has not been revised since 2008. The current rate is set at 500 euros per square metre for new-build properties, despite strong construction activity, particularly along the coast where around 1,000 new homes are built each year. Council budget forecasts had expected revenue of 6.9 million euros if a new rate of 797 euros per square metre had come into force in […]

Torrevieja Council has made a formal complaint to the Vega Baja Sustainable Waste Consortium, warning of what it describes as a repeated collapse at the Dolores waste transfer plant. The facility, run by the Prezero–Cívica joint venture, is responsible for transferring municipal waste to recycling and disposal plants, but the council says it is no longer operating normally. According to a report dated four February, the council says the plant has suffered months of systematic saturation, particularly at weekends and […]

Save the Children has warned that severe child poverty remains a major problem in the Valencian Community, with more than 150,000 children affected. According to analysis based on the latest Living Conditions Survey from Spain’s National Statistics Institute, 152,613 children live in households whose disposable income is below 40% of the median. The figures mean that 13.8% of households with children in the region are experiencing severe poverty, more than a point higher than the national average of 12.5%. By […]

Three children have been injured after metal roofing sheets fell from a sports club building in Cartagena, in the Murcia region. The incident happened on Hermano Pedro Ignacio Street, next to the Maristas school, when strong winds affected the area. Emergency services received the call at 3.03 pm. Local Police, fire crews, Civil Protection teams and medical staff from the one zero six one emergency service attended the scene. Two children, aged ten and eleven, were treated at the site […]

A dolphin found stranded on a beach in Dénia, in the province of Alicante, has died, according to municipal sources. The animal was discovered by a local resident, who alerted the authorities after finding it on the shore. Local Police informed the Oceanogràfic Marine Rescue Unit, which travelled to the scene with a team of specialist veterinarians. Despite their intervention, the dolphin later died. Initial observations suggested the animal showed signs consistent with a natural viral process. A necropsy will […]

Two off-duty National Police officers have saved the life of a three-year-old boy who was suffering severe breathing difficulties in the centre of Alicante. The child was being held by his mother when the officers, who were nearby a police station, noticed her asking for help in the street. After seeing that the child was barely breathing and unresponsive, the officers placed him on the bonnet of a police vehicle and carried out an examination. They found his tongue was […]

The Valencian hotel industry has begun 2026 with a drop in occupancy, in line with the usual January slowdown, traditionally the weakest month for tourism. Average occupancy across the region stood 3.3 points below January 2025, influenced by adverse weather, the emotional and connectivity impact of the Adamuz rail accident, and calendar changes affecting major events. Despite the overall decline, several destinations maintained solid winter figures. In Benidorm, average January occupancy reached 64.6 per cent, four points down year on […]

Playas de Orihuela primary school remains without heating after a gas supply problem linked to an unpaid debt of around 200,000 euros. The school had been connected to a temporary construction gas supply since opening at its current site in 2017, a situation the supplier only identified recently. The Orihuela council is now negotiating how to settle the unexpected bill, which covers eight years of gas use. At the same time, the council has awarded a one-year interim, or “bridge”, […]