CalpeNoticias EN

Friday, 17:

• • Balconadas in the historic centre of Calpe. Purísima, San José, Justícia and Dos de Mayo streets and Mosquit, Miguel Roselló and Plaza de España squares.
• • Exhibition ‘Banys de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo
• • Collective photography exhibition ‘Imperial’, tribute to Carlos Balsalobre. Until 31 October. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1). Organised by Foto Club Ifach.
• • 1:00 p.m. – Announcement of the start of the festival. Ringing of bells and gun salutes.
• • 6:30 p.m. – Entry of bands from Plaza Colón to Plaza del Mosquit.
• • 7:30 p.m. – Parade through the town centre by the Moorish and Christian groups to Plaza Mayor.
• • 8:00 p.m. – Festival proclamation and raising of banners in Plaza Mayor.

At the end of the ceremony, offering of candles to Santíssim Crist de la Suor in the Parish Church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves.

• 12:30 a.m. – Parade of all the groups from Calle Justicia to Plaza Constitución. Afterwards, all the bands will entertain us with three marches.
• 1:30 a.m. – Dance of the Christian Captaincy in the Filà Mozárabes de Ifach (Arco Iris Park).

Saturday, 18th:

• • Balconadas in the historic centre of Calpe. Calles Purísima, San José, Justícia, Dos de Mayo and the plazas Mosquit, Miguel Roselló and Plaza de España.
• • Exhibition ‘Banys de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30th December. Museo del Coleccionismo.
• • Collective photography exhibition ‘Imperial’, tribute to Carlos Balsalobre. Until 31 October. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1). Organised by Foto Club Ifach.
• • 9:30 a.m. – Christian and Moorish reveille starting at Plaza del Mosquit.
• • 6:30 p.m. – Christian and Moorish entrance ‘Parade’ on Avenida Gabriel Miró.

Sunday, 19:

• • Balconadas in the historic centre of Calpe. Purísima, San José, Justícia, Dos de Mayo streets and Mosquit, Miguel Roselló and Plaza de España squares.
• • Exhibition ‘Banys de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo
• • Collective photographic exhibition ‘Imperial’, tribute to Carlos Balsalobre. Until 31 October. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1). Organised by Foto Club Ifach.
  • 11:00 a.m. – Landing and First Battle on Arenal-Bol Beach
• • 7:00 p.m. – Children's Parade on Avenida Gabriel Miró.
• • 12:00 a.m. – Dance of the Moorish Captaincy at the Filà Tuareg (Carrer de Fora).

The Calpe-based NGO Visió Sense Fronteres  (Vision Without Borders), coordinated by Isabel Signes, returned this week from Kenya after a new campaign to prevent and treat blindness. This NGO has been visiting Kenya at least once a year since 2011 with the aim of performing cataract surgeries and, on occasions, training ophthalmological staff in the area.

A medical team consisting of three ophthalmologists, two nurses, three optometrists and a volunteer travelled to the Samburu province in the north of the country and performed a total of 158 eye surgeries, including six children born with congenital bilateral cataracts who were able to see for the first time thanks to this operation. As in previous years, Calp Town Council is collaborating with Visió Sense Fronteres in its charitable activities.

Visió Sense Fronteres is a registered charity that works to prevent blindness in two of its most important causes, cataracts and uncorrected refractive error. Today, 300 members and benefactors permanently support and finance Visió Sense Fronteres. The team consists of more than 40 volunteers. In its more than 25 years of existence, the NGO has helped more than 109,077 people, performed 11,353 cataract surgeries and donated more than 40,700 pairs of glasses.

Calpe will begin its programme of events tomorrow to celebrate the “Moros y Cristianos” festivities in honour of Cristo del Sudor, patron saint of the town, organised by the “Moros y Cristianos” Association in collaboration with the Town Council.

Tomorrow, Thursday 16 October, the programme will kick off with the presentation of the Festival Book and the official presentation of the Town Crier for the 2025 “Moros y Cristianos” Festival, Inma Morató, chairwoman of the “Moros y Cristianos” Association, followed by a concert of festive music by the Calpe-Ifach Musical Union in the Auditorium of the Casa de Cultura. At the end, the First Night of Cabos de Escuadra will be held together with the Calpe-Ifach Musical Union on Avenida Masnou.

On Friday 17th at 1 p.m., the ringing of bells and salutes will announce the start of the festivities. In the afternoon at 6.30 p.m., the bands will parade through the streets of the town, and at 8 p.m. the banners will be raised, and the festivities will be announced in the Plaza Mayor.

At the end of the flag-raising ceremony, all the ‘filaes’ and the 2025 Festival Committee will parade to the church to make the offering of candles to the patron saint. At 12:30 a.m., the “Moros y Cristianos” will gather for a parade from Calle Justicia to Plaza Constitución. And at 1:30 a.m., the Christian Captaincy Dance will take place at the Filá Mozárabes de Ifach (Arco Iris Park).

On Saturday, 18th, the events will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the reveille from Plaza del Mosquit. At 6:30 p.m., the Grand Christian and Moorish Entrance will begin, from Calle Benissa to Plaza Colón. The Grand Entrance of the Moors and Christians are one of the most emblematic events of the festivities. The parade of “Moros y Cristianos” troops travels along the town's main avenue, Gabriel Miró, until it reaches Arenal Beach, bringing together thousands of residents and attracting numerous visitors and tourists who admire the spectacular and unique nature of the Calpee parade. For the most representative positions, captains, flag bearers and ensigns, it is the culmination of a whole year of effort and work. Ballets, animals, music and fire characterise the captains' pageantry, which thrills the public.

This will be the big moment for the “Moros y Cristianos” captains of 2025, Adrián Romero from the Filà Tuareg and Ángel García from the Filà Mozárabes, accompanied by the favourite, Fini Ortiz, and the First Lady, Estefanía Moll. Another important role is that of Standard Bearer of the “Asociación de Moros y Cristianos”, which this year falls to Celia González Jorro, from Berberiscos, and the “Moros y Cristianos” ensigns, Marc Císcar from Marins Corsaris and Marc Sala from Berberiscos.

On Sunday 19th, at 11 a.m., the Landing and First Battle will take place on Arenal-Bol Beach. This event represents the arrival of the Muslim hordes on Arenal Beach. The barges of the Moorish ‘filaes’ depart from the fishing port and arrive at Arenal Beach, where they begin to disembark to start the battle. The roar of arquebuses fills the air. The Moorish troops win the first battle and march up Gabriel Miró Avenue to the Plaza Mayor, while the Christian troops retreat to await the second battle.

 In the afternoon, at 7 pm, the Children's Parade is scheduled, undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable events on the programme, in which the little ones take centre stage. And in the evening, the Moorish Captaincy Dance will be held at the Filá Tuareg (Carrer de Fora)

On Tuesday 21 October, the programme of festivities resumes with the celebration at 8.30 pm of the Parliament and Second Battle ‘El Miracle’ in the Plaza Mayor.  The ‘Miracle’ is the emotional representation that makes the Calpe festival unique. The children of Calpe announce the arrival of the Muslim troops with the cry of ‘Foc en Ifac!, Moors on the coast!’, the Christians retreat behind the wall, but no one expects Moncófar's betrayal. This character, key to the performance, begins a parliament with the Christian ambassador. This passage of the Miracle is undoubtedly one of the most emotional and memorable.

Moncófar betrays the people of Calpe and surrenders to the Moorish ambassador to help the Saracens take the city. The battle of arquebuses shakes the Plaza Mayor and when all seems lost, a small man, Caragol, manages to close the gates of the wall thanks to the intercession of the patron saint, Santíssim Crist de la Suor. The castle is illuminated with the image of Christ and Moncófar falls at his feet. The performance is based, with considerable artistic licence, on the historical events of 22 October 1744 and is repeated every year, arousing the same emotion among the gathered residents. In the evening, the Association's Flag Bearer's dance is scheduled to take place at the Filá Berberiscos (Calle la Ermita).

On Wednesday 22nd, the feast day of the patron saint, the Santísimo Cristo del Sudor, a solemn mass will be held at 12 noon in the Plaza Mayor in honour of the patron saint. After the mass, there will be a spectacular ‘mascletá’ (firework display) and the image of Christ will be returned to the church. In the afternoon, at 7 pm, there will be a solemn procession through the streets of the old town, followed by a night-time mascletà in the Plaza Mayor.

The events will conclude with a Mass for the dead, which will be held on Thursday 23rd October at 7.30 pm in the Virgen de las Nieves Parish Church.

The Court dismisses Iberpark's appeal and rules in favour of the City Council in the process of awarding the service to Estacionamientos y Servicios SAU

This morning, Calpe Town Council received the ruling from the Administrative Court for Contractual Appeals, which has agreed to dismiss the appeal lodged by the company Estacionamiento Iberpark against the award of the limited parking service to Estacionamientos y Servicios SAU. This lifts the precautionary measures suspending the contracting procedure and means that the contract can be signed and the service can be launched.

Last July, the Procurement Department made a proposal to award the regulated parking service on public roads to the company Estacionamientos y Servicios SAU for the offered amount of €575,000. However, the second bidding company, Iberpark, appealed.

The contract had previously been appealed and the TARC agreed to retroact the procedure so that the contracting committee could require the bidder to justify the abnormality of its bid and the viability of its proposal.

This marks the end of an administrative process in which two of the bidding companies have appealed and in which the TARC has intervened on two occasions. The tendering procedure was halted and compliance with administrative deadlines prevented the blue zone from starting during the summer.

The most notable feature of the new contract is the reduction in the blue zone tariff for residents and traders by almost 50%, while in the orange zone (beach area) the reduction for residents and traders is 22%.

Thus, if until now the hourly rate in the blue zone for residents was €0.40, it will now be €0.25, and in the orange zone it will go from €0.45 per hour to €0.35 per hour. However, the general rate for the blue zone has increased from £0.85 per hour to £1.10 per hour, and in the orange zone from £0.95 per hour to £1.45 per hour.

This change in rates is intended to benefit residents, who will see a reduction in the cost of parking in regulated parking areas.

The timetables are also being changed, as until now the maximum time allowed in the blue zone was two hours and in the orange zone was three hours, and with the new regulations it will be three hours and six hours respectively.

Other changes include the absorption of the green zone into the blue zone, i.e. the green zone, which was a regulated parking zone only in the morning, will disappear, and the elimination of the mixed orange zone. This means that the blue zone will now have 920 parking lots and the orange zone 1135 lots.

In addition, the specifications establish as an investment the replacement of those parking meters that do not allow payment by credit card. Furthermore, the concessionaire must provide a tow truck service. The annual fee proposed in the specifications is €350,000 plus VAT, and the company proposed for the award offers a fee of €575,000.

Yesterday's ordinary plenary session initially approved the ordinance on the use of municipal sports facilities in Calpe, a document that regulates the use and management of municipal sports facilities for the first time.

The ordinance sets out the opening hours and public holidays for the facilities, divides the sports areas and access to them into sectors, makes an inventory of the facilities and establishes the general rules for authorising the use of the facilities. The ordinance determines four types of use of the facilities: free, ordinary, extraordinary and sporting events, and establishes how to access them in each case, whether or not a reservation is necessary and the application procedure.

The ordinance distributes the reservation times for use of the facilities according to age, so that sports activities for minors are at times appropriate for their age. Specific rules for the use of each sports facility are also regulated. The document provides for the reservation of facilities by regional or national sports federations for official championships or gatherings. It also establishes a series of rules that must be complied with by all users and sets out the penalties for misuse of the facilities.

The ordinance aims to fulfil a threefold objective: to promote and encourage sport for everyone, forever; to expand the range of municipal sports on offer; and to regulate and facilitate access to sports facilities for all citizens.

Another point amended the Vehicle Tax Ordinance to ensure that the rebate provided for in Article 6.1 can be enjoyed by all vehicle owners who meet the conditions set out in that section, and not only by those who have made new purchases. This removes a limitation that restricted access to the tax benefit and grants equal treatment to all taxpayers based on the objective characteristics of their vehicle and its potential for pollution.

Yesterday's plenary session also approved the local public holidays for 2026, which will be Wednesday 5 August, the feast day of the patron saint Mare de Dèu de les Neus, and Thursday 22 October, the feast day of the patron saint Santíssim Crist de la Suor.

Today's plenary session will address the request by Calpe Town Council to the Regional Ministry of Education and Culture for the reversion of a 9,365.90 m2 plot of land located on Avenida Rumanía, which the Council had previously ceded to the Regional Ministry for the construction of an educational centre.

In August 2013, the plenary session of the Town Council approved the transfer of ownership of the plot at Avenida Rumanía no. 34 to the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport for the purpose of creating educational facilities on the site. However, this plot was not considered suitable due to its size and the new secondary school was planned for another location.

The conditions required at the time by the Regional Ministry of Education specified that in the event of non-compliance with the purposes for which the plot was transferred, the provisions of Article 111 of the Local Authority Property Regulations would apply, i.e. for a maximum period of five years, with the prior request of the City Council being necessary for the reversion. As the stipulated five-year period has expired, the request for reversion must now be agreed upon by the plenary session.

The government team intends to recover this plot of land, which is classified as public land, to consolidate a public housing project there. Although it is still under study, the objective is to draft and put out to tender a project and for the concessionaire company to build and manage the homes for sale or public rental.

The Calpe Housing Plan is currently being put out to tender. It will study the housing situation, paying particular attention to the analysis of the population and residential demand, the municipality's housing stock, the housing supply and market, and the impact of territorial and urban planning on the residential sector. In addition, the plan must consider the study of municipal resources and instruments - for example, subsidies, acquisition of housing by the local administration, etc. - at the service of housing policies.

The Plan will also propose a suitably timed action programme.

This week, Calpe Town Council began work on creating perimeter strips in the Sierra de Oltà mountains to prevent forest fires. This initiative is part of the implementation of the Local Forest Fire Prevention Plan and is included in the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD), which is supported by the Valencian Regional Ministry of Tourism - Turisme Comunitat Valenciana - and the Secretary of State for Tourism within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) financed by the European Union - Next Generation.

The project, which has been awarded to the company Levanfor SL for a total of €153,000, will be carried out over two years. This year, perimeter strips will be created between the Oltà mountain range and the Corralets, Cucarres and Oltamar residential areas, and in 2026, these protection areas will be implemented along the roads in Oltà to prevent the spread of possible forest fires.

‘This project contributes to Calpe's adaptation to the challenges posed by climate change with the aim of making it a more resilient municipality and also better prepared to manage fire-related risks,’ said Pere Moll.

With the support of the Regional Ministry of Tourism of the Valencian Community - Turisme Comunitat Valenciana - and the Secretary of State for Tourism within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) financed by the European Union - Next Generation

Calpe (10-10-2025). Last evening, Calpe celebrated 9th October, Valencian Community Day, with the presentation of the 31st Jaume Pastor i Fluixà Award and Medals of the Town.

The children's activities and musical performances planned for yesterday had to be cancelled due to the rain, and the awards ceremony, which was to be held in the Plaza Mayor, was moved to the Casa de Cultura Auditorium.

However, the rain could not dampen an event full of emotion that serves to recognise and thank those individuals, groups and institutions from a wide range of fields who have contributed to improving the society in which we live.

In this edition, coinciding with its 30th anniversary, the ‘Jaume Pastor i Fluixà-9 d'octubre’ award was given to CREAMA (Consortium for the Economic Recovery and Activity of the Marina Alta) in recognition of its three decades of work as a driving force behind the regional economy and its role as the backbone of the Marina Alta. The manager of the Consortium, Rosario Donderis, was responsible for collecting the award and pointed out that ‘through joint work, public service, economic revitalisation and proximity, CREAMA has been able to stand by the people and act as a backbone for the region by promoting plurality’.

The Citizen Merit Award was also presented to Remedios Tomás Soler, a recently retired municipal official attached to the Protocol Department who has been involved for years in organising the Jaume Pastor i Fluixà-9 d'Octubre awards.

The Sports Merit Award went to Calpe swimmers Miguel Ferrer Roselló and Manuel Farrona Clavero for their sporting careers as open water swimmers and their promotion of this sport in the municipality. The Tourism Merit Award was also presented to Plus Holidays, a company founded in the 1970s as a construction and property management company that has become a leading holiday rental agency in Spain in recent years.

The Medal for Cultural Merit was awarded to Pere Tur i Sala, an environmental activist, columnist, writer and cultural promoter, and member of the Institute of Calpe Studies (IEC). The Medal for Business Merit was awarded to the Tango-La Sentadilla group, a company dedicated to the operation of restaurants, bars and cafés, which originated in Calpe and has promoted the local hospitality industry in recent years.

This year's Youth Award goes to Marco Carrión from Calpee, a professional Spanish and flamenco dancer who is currently performing in the best dance productions in the country. This year's Corbata de la Villa award went to the Calpe Fibromyalgia Association for raising awareness of this disease and breaking the silence and barriers that still exist around it.

The ceremony began with the entire government team on stage and the institutional manifesto written for Valencian Community Day. This year, Councillor Juan Manuel del Pino read the text. The ceremony closed with a performance of the Valencian anthem by tenor José Luis Luri.

INSTITUTIONAL MANIFESTO 9 OCTOBER 2025

Today, 9 October, we commemorate the creation of the Kingdom of Valencia by King Jaume I. A date that symbolises the birth of a collective identity, that of a people who, from their origins, knew how to find their greatest strength in diversity.

Today we celebrate not only a historical event, but everything it represents: a commitment to our roots, respect for our language and culture, and a shared desire to build a better society for all.

Every 9th of October offers us the opportunity to look back with gratitude, but also to look to the future with responsibility. Because being Valencian is not just a legacy, it is also a daily choice: to work together, defend our values, care for our territory and continue to move forward with a steady pace and a broad vision.

The Valencian Community has demonstrated, time and time again, its ability to overcome difficulties. The storm that hit our community last October exemplifies the values of solidarity, empathy and resilience that define us. We are a land that has moved forward with effort, with the strength of its citizens, with its entrepreneurial initiative, its cultural talent, its agricultural wealth, and with a vocation for tourism that has opened our doors to the world.

Nevertheless, we continue to face significant challenges. Challenges such as improving the regional financing system to ensure equity between territories and strengthen public services. Or the need to provide municipalities with greater resources and powers so that we can respond more efficiently to the demands of our residents.

Local administrations, such as town councils, have proven to be an essential pillar of social cohesion, especially in times of crisis. It is essential that their voice is heard and that their role is recognised with greater autonomy and better funding.

Other urgent challenges include environmental protection, decent access to housing, digital transformation, the fight against job insecurity and real equality between women and men. Immigration and the protection of our identity are further challenges that we must address. And we must face all these challenges through dialogue, common sense and a willingness to reach consensus.

From Calpe, we want to express our commitment to this shared future. We are a plural, inclusive and dynamic municipality. A place where people of more than a hundred nationalities live together, where each culture contributes and each resident finds a home. And it is precisely this human wealth that makes Calpe a reflection of the best of the Valencian spirit: welcoming, enterprising and supportive.

That is why, on this special day, we renew our commitment to the values of justice, coexistence and progress. We call for a Valencian Community that leaves no one behind, that is committed to inclusion, that looks to the future with hope and that continues to grow without losing its essence.

Today, Calpe joins the Valencian people to celebrate our history, to honour our identity and to reaffirm our desire to continue building a free, equal and cohesive society.

Happy 9th of October to everyone. Thank you.

This week saw the kick-off of the first edition of the “Welcome School” in Calpe, a voluntary training programme aimed at migrants with the aim of facilitating their integration into Valencian society. This is a pioneering initiative in the municipality reinforcing the institutional commitment to inclusion and social cohesion.

The course will run until 12 December at the Punt Jove and will be attended by 38 students of different nationalities, aged between 18 and 35.

Throughout the training, participants will receive essential information on topics such as immigration, housing, education, health and employment, as well as basic notions of legislation and rights. The programme also includes teaching of Spanish and Valencian, as well as content on the geography and history of the European Union, Spain and the Valencian Community.

In addition, the fundamentals of democratic structure and the values that govern coexistence, such as equality between men and women, human rights and tolerance, will be addressed.

The “Welcome School” is a key tool for moving towards a more cohesive, informed and participatory society, offering migrants the resources they need to actively integrate into the social and community life of the municipality.

Although maintenance of the municipality's drainage and rainwater collection network is carried out continuously and preventively throughout the year, before the start of the autumn season, with the likelihood of rainfall, Aguas de Calpe conducts a thorough inspection and cleaning campaign of the rainwater drainage network. The aim is to prevent possible incidents and reduce the risk of flooding.

This work consists of cleaning the collectors and rainwater collection points with a self-suction tanker truck and by manual means. In this way, sediment, leaves and other accumulated waste have been removed to ensure the proper functioning of the sanitation network. During August and September, 515 rainwater collection points were checked and cleaned in a total of 77 streets or roads in the municipality.

Aguas de Calpe, as the manager of the municipal sanitation network and the municipal public rainwater drainage network, is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of surface runoff collection drains to prevent problems caused by the poor condition of the drainage networks.

However, the Town Council stresses the need to avoid the improper use of grates, drains and toilets, reminding residents of the serious damage caused to the network by waste such as wipes and other disposable hygiene products. These items, although they may seem harmless, can block pipes and cause damage that complicates the functioning of the system.

Calpe Town Council has launched a public consultation to gather citizens' opinions as part of the process of drawing up the municipality's first Citizen Participation and Open Government Plan. This initiative aims to create a roadmap that actively involves the population in the municipality's collective affairs and enables the development of more transparent, inclusive and effective public policies.

Through a survey available in Spanish, Valencian and English, Calpe residents are invited to express their level of interest in public affairs, their perception of their ability to influence municipal decisions and the barriers that hinder their participation. They are also asked for their opinion on which issues they consider to be priorities, such as urban planning, the environment or budgets, and on the most effective channels of information for communicating with the Council.

The consultation will be open until 19 October and can be easily accessed via the Council's citizen participation portal:

https://governobert.calp.es

With this initiative, Calpe Town Council reaffirms its commitment to improving democratic quality and promoting a local administration that is more accessible, participatory and oriented towards the real needs of citizens.

For more information and direct access to the survey:

https://governobert.calp.es/PortadaParticipacion/#!/procesos-participativos/enquesta-participacio-ciutadana/info

Calpe has once again been recognised with “3 Honour Flowers” at the Viles en Flor Comunitat Valenciana programme gala, held this year in Alberic (Ribera Alta). This award recognises Calpe's commitment to environmental improvement, urban beautification, sustainable management of green areas and public awareness.

Viles en Flor is an initiative promoted by the ASFPLANT Foundation (Professional Association of Flowers, Plants and Horticultural Technology of the Valencian Community). The programme promotes sustainable development in Valencian municipalities through the care of parks, gardens, urban trees and landscaping, as well as encouraging environmental education and citizen participation.

Each year, a technical jury awards between 1 and 5 ‘Flowers of Honour’ after evaluating the actions carried out by the participating municipalities. In this year's edition, Calpe has once again been awarded three flowers, consolidating its position among the leading municipalities in green management and sustainability.

The jury particularly valued Calpe's efforts in conserving its natural environment and managing its public garden spaces. Some notable facts: 437,010 m² of green areas, with a ratio of 19.23 m² per inhabitant, 115 different plant species present in urban spaces, 3 plant species unique to its territory: Silene ifacensis, Allium subvillosum, Teucrium buxifolium ssp. Ifacensis. In addition to the presence of unique natural environments such as the Peñón de Ifach Natural Park, the Calpe Salt Flats and several micro-reserves of flora.

The recognition awarded at this gala not only highlights the work already done, but also promotes new objectives and strategies in the field of local sustainability. Calpe Town Council has expressed its gratitude to the entire technical team and municipal gardening staff who have made this distinction possible, as well as to the citizens who contribute every day to the care of the urban environment.

Among the upcoming challenges, the municipality plans to incorporate technology into irrigation and maintenance management, increase the area of green spaces and ecological corridors, and promote environmental education and participatory gardening. In addition to continuing to work towards obtaining a fourth flower in future editions.

Calpe Town Council has announced the selected plays that will participate in the 13th edition of the National Amateur Theatre Competition ‘Antonio Ferrer, el cartero’, a cultural event that will be held during the month of November in the auditorium of the Casa de Cultura ‘Jaume Pastor i Fluixà’.

A total of 121 theatre companies from all over Spain have participated in this edition, once again placing this competition among the most prominent in the amateur field at the national level. After the jury's evaluation process, three finalist productions have been selected, which will be performed on Sundays 9, 16 and 23 November at 6.30 pm. Admission will be free until the auditorium is full.

The programme will begin on Sunday 9th November with a performance of the play ‘La decisió de Lola / Lola's Decision’ by Jose Warletta, by the Associació de Teatre Pànic Escènic. On Sunday 16th, it will be the turn of ‘7 AÑOS’ by José Cepeda, performed by the Asociación Cultural ‘Aquí te pillo, Aquí teatro’. Finally, on Sunday 23rd, the comedy ‘No te vistas para cenar’ (Don't Dress Up for Dinner) by Marc Albert Camoletti, adapted by Juan José De Arteche Goñi, will be staged by the Rare Diseases and Disability Association ‘Sense Barreres’.

In addition, two reserve groups have been selected to participate in the event that any of the finalists are unable to attend. These are the Squizo Teatro Cultural Association, with the play ‘La chica de la luciérna’ (The Firefly Girl) by Juan Castilla, and the La Tarumba Cultural Association, with the play ‘Totus Plautus (o casi)’ (Totus Plautus (or almost)) by Plautus.

The closing ceremony and awards presentation will be held on Sunday, 30th November at 6:30 pm. To round off this edition, actor Rafa Maza will perform ‘Fabiolo Connection’, putting the finishing touch on the event with a show full of humour and satire.

Friday, 3:

• Alicante Gastronómica 2025. From 3 to 6 October, Calpe Town Council will have its own stand at the 7th Alicante Gastronómica fair, at IFA Alicante. In collaboration with the Fishermen's Guild, AEMCO and CREAMA, Calpe's white prawns will be promoted.
• Balconadas in the historic centre of Calpe. Calles Purísima, San José, Justícia, Dos de Mayo and the Mosquit, Miguel Roselló and Plaza de España squares
• 7 p.m. – Blues Rock concert by Eric Sardinas Band. Auditorium of the Casa de Cultura.
• Exhibition ‘Banys de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo.
• Collective photographic exhibition ‘Imperial’, a tribute to Carlos Balsalobre. Until 31 October. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1). Organised by Foto Club Ifach.

Saturday, 4th:

• 10 a.m. – Celebration of Bird Day with a guided tour to discover the species that inhabit our salt flats. From 10 a.m. to 12 noon Esplanade of the Calpe Salt Flats
• 7 p.m. – Celebration of the Guardian Angels, patrons of the Police Force, in Plaza Colón.
• Balconadas in the historic centre of Calpe. Purísima, San José, Justícia and Dos de Mayo streets and Mosquit, Miguel Roselló and Plaza de España squares.
• Exhibition ‘Banys de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo
• Collective photographic exhibition ‘Imperial’, tribute to Carlos Balsalobre. Until 31 October. Exhibition hall at the Casa de Cultura (Avda. Masnou, 1). Organised by Foto Club Ifach.
• Alicante Gastronómica 2025. From 3 to 6 October, Calpe Town Council will participate with its own stand at the 7th edition of the Alicante Gastronómica fair at IFA Alicante. In collaboration with the Fishermen's Guild, AEMCO and CREAMA, Calpe's white prawns will be promoted.

Sunday, 5th:

• Balconadas in the historic centre of Calpe. Calles Purísima, San José, Justícia, Dos de Mayo and the squares Mosquit, Miguel Roselló and Plaza de España.
• Exhibition ‘Banys de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismp
• Collective photographic exhibition ‘Imperial’, a tribute to Carlos Balsalobre. Until 31 October. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1). Organised by Foto Club Ifach.
• Alicante Gastronómica 2025. From 3 to 6 October, Calpe Town Council will participate with its own stand in the 7th edition of the Alicante Gastronómica fair, at IFA Alicante. In collaboration with the Fishermen's Guild, AEMCO and CREAMA, Calpe's white prawns will be promoted.

With the slogan ‘Don't stay in the shadows, register or renew your registration’, Calpe Town Council is launching a campaign to encourage people to register and update their details. To this end, the Department of Registration, headed by Paqui Solivelles, will distribute flashlights at the Citizen Service Office starting this week, sending the message about the importance of registering and renewing registration in the case of foreigners. The flashlights will be distributed to citizens who come to the Citizen Service Office to carry out any municipal procedures.

The flashlights are dynamo-powered and screen-printed with a QR code and the logos of Calpe Town Council and Alicante Provincial Council. The QR code provides information on the documentation required to register on the register or to update your details in the event of a change of address, as well as the procedure for carrying out these formalities. It also indicates how Spanish citizens should proceed if they move to another municipality or country. It also provides information on the advantages, benefits and programmes available to those who are registered. The campaign is subsidised by the Alicante Provincial Council.

Last January, the National Statistics Institute notified the Town Council that the figure for the municipality, resulting from the revision of the municipal register as of 1 January 2024, is 26,821 inhabitants. This means that the register has increased by 967 new inhabitants since the last official figure. In addition, the proposed figure for 1 January 2025 is 27,616, which will be made official in December this year, to be used during 2026.

However, reaching this figure and preventing a decline in the cvity´s census requires intensive work on the part of the City Council. In recent years, the Census Department has implemented various measures to prevent population loss. One of the problems identified is the lack of information among citizens, who in many cases are convinced that they are already registered or are unaware of the need to renew their registration if they are foreigners.

The Town Council estimates that hundreds of foreign residents are not registered with the INE because they have not renewed their registration in the municipal register, as by law, EU residents registered in the Central Register of Foreigners or non-EU residents with long-term residence permits must renew their registration in the register every five years, and other foreigners every two years.

For this reason, the Town Council has launched a series of campaigns aimed at all citizens, foreign or otherwise, residing in Calpe, to encourage them to register or renew their registration.

The Councillor for the Register, Paqui Solivelles, has pointed out that "the council continues to work to inform citizens of the need to be registered or to update their registration. The process for registering or renewing your registration is simple. All you must do is go to the Citizen Service Office on the ground floor of the Town Hall and provide the deed to your home, or your latest property tax bill or current rental contract, as well as your ID card, passport or foreigner identification number. If you are only renewing your registration, you only need to provide your passport, foreign resident ID card or national identity card. Being registered also has a number of advantages, such as access to the Home Help Service or home telecare programmes. You must also be registered to access the services of the Senior Citizens' Civic Centre (gym, exercise classes, courses, trips, etc.), or to access reduced fares on local buses or free Spanish courses for foreigners.

Last Saturday, Calpe held a litter collection day at Cala Manzanera, where 110 kilos of waste were collected. This initiative is part of the national campaign ‘1m2 for beaches and seas’, within the LIBERA Project promoted by SEO/BirdLife and Ecoembes, which the Calpe Town Council has joined in order to raise public awareness of the impact of litter on natural environments, especially coastal areas.

‘We had a fantastic day collecting Basuraleza (litter) at Cala Manzanera. We regret that the cove was so dirty, but we are immensely proud of the response of all the participants, as together we removed 110 kg of waste from our beaches and seas,’ said the Councillor for the Environment, Pere Moll.

Of the 110 kg removed, 70 kg were containers, 10 kg were paper and cardboard, and the remaining 30 kg were other types of waste such as household items, glass and many cigarette butts. Thirty volunteers took part in the day, including young people from the CEPAIM Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting social inclusion and equal opportunities for people in vulnerable situations. ‘This effort reminds us of the importance of civic responsibility. The key to a clean environment is not only the work of volunteers, but also daily responsibility: “It is not the one who cleans the most who is the cleanest, but the one who dirties the least,”’ said the councillor.

Calpe Town Council has published the call for entries for the 2025 Culture and Sports Awards in the Official Gazette of the Province of Alicante. The awards will be presented at the Sports and Culture Gala, scheduled for 27 November at the Jaume Pastor i Fluixà Cultural Centre Auditorium.

Both calls for nominations aim to recognise the efforts, careers and achievements of people registered as residents of Calpe who have excelled during 2024 in the fields of culture or sport, through a competitive selection process.

Culture Awards

The cultural awards cover three categories: performing arts/musical creation and/or dance; plastic arts and design; and literary arts. Both local cultural associations registered in the Municipal Register and independent artists may submit nominations. Up to five prizes of €1,000 each will be awarded, and categories with no valid nominations may be left vacant.

Sports Awards

The sports awards are also divided into three categories: the most outstanding player in the youth category, senior category or with other abilities. In this case, local sports clubs or independent athletes may submit nominations. As with the culture awards, up to five prizes of €1,000 each will be awarded.

Deadline and submission

The deadline for submitting applications is from 30 September to 14 October 2025, inclusive. Nominations must be submitted in person at the Citizen Service Office (OAC) using the standard SUB 20 form, accompanied by the required documentation and a sworn statement of compliance with the requirements.

Calpe Town Council encourages all interested organisations and individuals to participate in these calls for applications, with the aim of raising the profile and recognising local talent and reinforcing the municipality's commitment to promoting culture and sport.

For more information on the rules, requirements and application forms, please consult the municipal website or contact the Town Council's Culture and Sports departments directly.

Calpe Town Council will have its own stand at the 7th edition of the Alicante Gastronómica fair, which will be held from 3 to 6 October at the IFA exhibition centre in Alicante. During the four days of the event, various activities will be held to promote local cuisine, with a special focus on Calpe white prawns, which have recently been awarded a quality label.

The official opening of the fair will take place on Friday 3 October at 12 noon, and from that moment onwards Calpe will be present with its own stand in collaboration with the Calpe Fishermen's Guild, the Calpe Business Association (AEMCO) and CREAMA. This joint initiative will highlight the quality of Calpe white prawns through two daily tastings, scheduled for 12:00 and 19:00, which will be offered at the stand itself.

In addition, the municipality will also participate in the ‘Saborea Costa Blanca’ (Taste the Costa Blanca) space, organised by the Costa Blanca Tourist Board, a platform that allows municipalities and entities in the province to showcase their gastronomic wealth and local products. Within this framework, Calpe will host a showcooking event on Friday 3 October from 11:00 to 11:45, in which chefs José Manuel Miguel and Diego Laso will cook together, creating culinary offerings based on the traditional flavours of the town.

The Alicante Gastronómica fair has established itself as one of the leading culinary events in Spain, aimed at both the general public and professionals. Those interested in attending as professionals must register in advance via the following link:

👉 https://alicantegastronomica.com/profesionales/

More information about the event:

👉 https://alicantegastronomica.com/ With this participation, Calpe Town Council is reinforcing its strategy of promoting tourism and gastronomy, focusing on high-quality, sustainable local products with their own identity.

The guided tours of Calp's old town, promoted by the Revitalisation of the Old Town Council, were very well received during July and August, with 280 people taking part.

This free municipal initiative aims to highlight the historical and cultural heritage of this emblematic enclave. Residents and visitors alike have responded very positively to the initiative, which has allowed them to discover the historic centre of Calp from a new perspective.

In emails sent to the Town Hall after the tours, participants highlighted the quality of the explanations, the interesting content and the appeal of the different spots and details along the route. They emphasise that the experience has allowed them to learn more about the history and customs of Calp and discover the artistic and cultural wealth of its historic centre.

The Councillor for the Revitalisation of the Old Town, Guillermo Sendra, highlighted the success of the initiative and announced that, given the high demand and excellent response from the public, Calp Town Council is already working on increasing the number of visits in future editions.

To mark World Tourism Day, Calpe Town Council has presented the new immersive virtual tour of the Red Wall, one of the projects included in the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) funded by the European Union - Next GenerationEU.

The event was attended by the Councillor for Tourism Planning, Mireia Ripoll, and the Councillor for International Promotion, Marco Bittner, as well as Luiza Dinu, audiovisual creator at Touristinnovación360 S.L. (Lookish Spain), the company responsible for implementing the project, who revealed the details of this innovative tool that will allow visitors to explore, for the first time, the iconic Muralla Roja, a privately owned building that is not accessible to the public.

To carry out the virtualisation of the visits, 3D scanning technology was used, which allows a physical space to be captured in its entirety, in three dimensions, using special cameras and sensors. In total, more than 450 scans were made in corridors, stairways, terraces, courtyards and viewpoints.

These captures were then processed to create a unified, navigable digital model that reproduces the complex structure of this iconic building and can be explored virtually, as if the visitor were inside the building. "The biggest challenge was the complexity of the Muralla Roja itself: its labyrinthine courtyards, the variety of levels and the mixture of light and shadow. But that is precisely where the richness of the project lies: in having been able to digitally recreate every corner of this unique work," said Luiza Dinu.

The virtual tour is interactive, allowing visitors to move freely through the corridors, explore the terraces, stop in the courtyards or contemplate architectural details. To this end, the City Council has 60 virtual reality headsets and 150 tablets (which the company Touristinnovación360 S.L offered as an improvement in the tender for this project) that will be made available to tourists, visitors and citizens at the two tourist information offices, from where they can enjoy this virtual tour. There are also plans to offer them in the town's museums in the near future.

Furthermore, as Luiza Dinu pointed out, 3D scanning is a ‘valuable tool for documenting and preserving heritage’, as it provides a record of the current state of the building for future restoration work or studies.

The project also has an important educational and cultural component, as students, researchers and curious visitors will be able to learn in depth about Ricardo Bofill's architecture and the relevance of the Muralla Roja in the recent history of Calpe.

This is the first immersive experience project carried out by Calpe Town Council, and there are plans to soon virtualise visits to Penyal d'Ifac as well as the archaeological sites of the medieval village of Ifac and Banys de la Reina. All this will cost €186,194.80, financed entirely by the European Union with Next Generation funds.

‘Our aim is to make tourist resources accessible to everyone, including those that cannot be visited because they are privately owned or because their characteristics make them inaccessible to groups with mobility problems,’ said Mireia Ripoll, Councillor for Tourism Planning.

‘We are committed to making tourism accessible to everyone and, therefore, to a more accessible and sustainable tourist destination,’ said Marco Bittner, Councillor for International Promotion and Next Generation Funds.

Accessible Tourism Certificates

Meanwhile, the Mayoress of Calpe, Ana Sala, together with the Councillor for Tourism Planning, Mireia Ripoll, presented the Equalitas Vitae ‘We are Accessible Tourism’ awards to tourism companies that meet accessibility criteria. These include eight hotels (Hotel AR Diamante Beach, Hotel AR Roca Esmeralda, Hotel TheCookbook, Hotel Gran Sol, Hotel Port Europa, Hotel Porto Calpee, Gran Hotel Sol y Mar and Hotel SuitopíaSol y Mar Suites), a hostel (HostelSea and Dreams), a tourist apartment (Apartamento Realet – Interhome), three campsites (Camping Calpeemar, Camping La Merced and Mediterráneo Camping), a motorhome area (Paraíso Camper) and the two tourist offices in Calpe, as well as the tourist information point on La Fossa beach.

The director of Equalitas Vitae, Izaskun Benito, highlighted that this distinction rewards companies committed to accessible tourism and recognises their efforts to make their establishments accessible. This certificate entails the promotion of companies on the Equalitas Vitae portal, a benchmark in accessible tourism, with details of the accessibility features offered by each one.

She also announced that new courses and workshops will be held in the near future so that local tourism companies and agents can continue to learn about tourism accessibility: workshops on dealing with and caring for people with disabilities, inclusive communication, inclusive commerce and inclusive events. These are in addition to the nine courses offered in the spring, which had a total of 205 registrations.

With this initiative, Calpe Town Council aims to continue advancing in its commitment to becoming an inclusive tourist destination.

These actions are part of a broader project to consolidate inclusive tourism, as set out in the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD) within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) funded by the European Union - Next Generation.