COSTA BLANCA, ALICANTE PROVINCE: NEWS

Smoke from Catalonia wildfire sparks panic in Orihuela Costa and Mar MenorResidents woke to smoke-filled homes and a sky thick with smog Widespread alarm reverberated across Orihuela Costa and the Mar Menor area of Murcia on Tuesday morning, July 8, when the sky filled with thick smoke and an acrid smell of burning. Shortly.. 08/07/2025

Vega Baja struggles to improve recycling despite rising bin chargesThere are currently only 613 public bins on the streets of Orihuela Costa Recycling appears to be something of an afterthought across the municipalities of the Vega Baja region. All 27 towns in the area rank among the worst in the Valencian Community.. 07/07/2025

Ryanair passengers celebrate game-changing new carry-on policy: 'It will be implemented in the coming weeks'The budget Irish airline has expanded its hand luggage dimensions beyond EU recommendations We’re so used to Ryanair charging for every little extra that this latest news might come as a surprise, but Europe’s biggest low-cost airline.. 07/07/2025

Showers and storms on the way: Alicante weather forecast July 7-10Widespread showers and thunderstorms will hit Alicante province mid-week Weather outlook on Wednesday morning, July 9   Over the coming days, the weather in Spain is in for some big changes, with widespread rain and a drop in temperature.. 07/07/2025

AP-7 tunnel in Pilar de la Horadada finally scheduled to reopenTraffic has been blocked from travelling on the Cartagena-bound road since May 9 After a series of delays, the Ministry of Transport has confirmed that the Cartagena-bound lane of the Pilar de la Horadada AP-7 tunnel will reopen to traffic this Thursday.. 04/07/2025

Five men drown in four days on the Costa BlancaSwimmers and snorkellers among latest tragic deaths on Spain’s eastern coast A series of tragic incidents has unfolded on the Costa Blanca, where five men aged between 59 and 86 have died in separate drowning accidents between Saturday June 28 and.. 04/07/2025

Why cities in Spain feel hotter than ever: The heat island effect explainedScorching nights, poor sleep and rising energy bills – how Spain’s urban ‘ovens’ are trapping heat and affecting your health   Spain has already endured its first official heatwave of the season, with scorching daytime.. 03/07/2025

Heat warnings return: Alicante weather forecast July 3-6Temperatures will dip slightly in Alicante before shooting up again at the weekend Average temperatures forecast on Saturday July 5   The first heatwave of the season may be over, but that means little for the sky-high temperatures across.. 03/07/2025

Imserso budget holidays for pensioners in Spain 2025-2026: Where you can go and how to applyThis season, the Imserso Tourism Programme has 879,213 places for seniors, but you must apply by July 23 The time has come again for retirees and pensioners to apply for their place in the Imserso Tourism Programme. This 2025-2026 season has 879,213.. 02/07/2025

The Japanese walking routine that's catching on in SpainIf you already love your daily strolls, this new twist on walking could be exactly what you’ve been looking for. We’ve all heard about the 10,000 steps a day rule. But what if there was a way to get even better results in less time? That&rsquo.. 02/07/2025

Spain's summer skies offer perfect views of planets and meteor showers this JulySeveral planets will be clearly visible with the naked eye this month The warm July nights across Spain provide some of the year's best opportunities for stargazing, with clear skies and comfortable temperatures creating ideal conditions for observing.. 02/07/2025

Melanoma rates in Spain soar by 50% as sun safety warnings go unheededDoctors urge better protection as Spain’s most dangerous skin cancer reaches 8,000 new cases a year Spain is experiencing a worrying surge in melanoma cases, with new figures showing that the number of diagnoses has risen by nearly 50% in just.. 01/07/2025

Big changes coming this July in Spain that you have to know aboutSpain has introduced sweeping updates covering short-term holiday lets, train travel and motorcycle tests August is generally a pretty sleepy month in Spain as the Spanish government takes a well-deserved (ahem!) break and many of us mere mortals.. 01/07/2025

Octopus glut in British waters spells trouble for UK fishermen – and opportunity for SpainA boom in octopus numbers is devastating shellfish stocks in the English Channel, but the surplus is heading straight to Spanish tables There’s no shortage of octopus in the English Channel this year, in fact it’s quite the opposite. British.. 01/07/2025

Will 2025 be the busiest summer season Spain has ever seen?The high season in Spain kicks off with record prices, bookings and foreign tourist arrivals Spain isn’t shy about setting records, or indeed breaking its own. We’ve just had the hottest June day ever experienced (Saturday the 28th if.. 01/07/2025

Spain introduces new train travel prices for frequent travellers on July 1The era of free train travel in Spain is coming to an end, but there are still savings to be had After years of unprecedented free train travel that helped millions of commuters and frequent travellers in Spain weather the energy crisis sparked by.. 01/07/2025

Read the July edition of Home & Living magazine online nowWelcome to the July 2025 issue of Home & Living! The Home & Living Magazine, previously known as the Costa Calida Chronicle, has been supplying useful local information of interest to a loyal readership base for all that time. It is.. 30/06/2025

Pilar de la Horadada AP-7 tunnel fails to reopen as plannedThe vital motorway tunnel linking Orihuela Costa with Murcia will remain closed ‘until further notice’ Much to the relief of thousands of motorists, the Ministry of Transport delivered the good news last week that the AP-7 tunnel in Pilar.. 30/06/2025

Mercadona switches to summer and Sunday opening hours across SpainSpain’s favourite supermarket is extending its opening hours at nearly 300 stores We know it’s only the one day but let’s face it: supermarket winter hours, particularly Sunday closures, can be a bit of a pain, especially for holidaymakers..

Passengers could soon be allowed TWO carry-ons if EU proposal is passedThe EU Parliament has backed demands that all passengers be allowed bring 7kg hand luggage for free European travellers could soon get the right to bring a 7kg carry-on bag on flights without paying extra fees, after parliamentarians from the transport.. 27/06/2025