CalpeNoticias EN

The results of water tests carried out at Arenal-Bol beach reveal that the water is in excellent condition, prompting the Town Council to reopen the stretch of beach at the mouth of the Quisi ravine for swimming.

The Directorate-General for Water has sent the Town Council the report on the analysis of water samples taken yesterday from the bathing area, the results of which are in line with the quality required for bathing.

The Calpe Town Council immediately took preventive measures to avoid possible health risks, such as building a sand dike at the mouth of the Quisi ravine to prevent more water from reaching the sea and prohibiting bathing in that section.

The nursing staff at the Calpe Health Centre goes beyond conventional healthcare in its professional work, carrying out various activities aimed at improving the health and well-being of the population.

Among the most notable initiatives is the “Caminant” project, which encourages physical activity through organised walking trips. This activity not only promotes healthy lifestyles, but also strengthens social cohesion among participants. The medium-term goal is to integrate these walks with guided tourist routes in collaboration with Calpe Town Council, combining health care with knowledge of the local environment.

As part of the “School Nurse” programme run by the Valencian Regional Government, the nursing team collaborates with local schools throughout the school year. Activities include health education sessions, hand hygiene campaigns and healthy eating workshops for both students and teaching staff.

The nursing staff has also played an essential role in vaccination campaigns, notably the immunisation carried out at the refugee centre, which guarantees access to healthcare for all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups.

All these actions reflect the nursing team's dedication to public service and their commitment to promoting the health of the citizens of Calpe.

The Provincial Council of Alicante, through the MARQ, the Archaeological Museum of Alicante, the CV MARQ Foundation, the Banco Sabadell Foundation and the town councils of Calp and Cocentaina, are promoting the exhibition Llúria. Lords and Ladies of the Land, commemorating the 720th anniversary of the death of the Calabrian nobleman Roger de Llúria. Grand Admiral of the Crown of Aragon, who died in January 1305, and Saurina d'Entença, who died in 1325, whose journey through our province leaves important traces in the historical and monumental heritage of two of the municipalities that were key in the development of the territory controlled by the House of Lauria: Calp and Cocentaina.

Llúria, Lords and Ladies of the Land brings together the main milestones in the lives of Roger de Llúria and his second wife, Saurina de Enteza, as well as highlighting the material culture we preserve and promoting the figures of these two historical characters who marked the evolution and development of both municipalities.

The exhibition will be held at two venues, in Calp and Concentaina. The opening of the exhibition in Calp will take place on Tuesday 8 July at 10:30 am at the Casa de Cultura ‘Jaume Pastor i Fluixà’ and will remain open during the months of July and August, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 2 pm, with free admission. In Cocentaina, the exhibition will remain open from October 2025 to October 2026, in the Exhibition Halls of the Palau Comtal.

Curated by José Luis Menéndez Fueyo, MARQ technician and director of the excavations at La Pobla de Ifach, a specialist in medieval history, the exhibition is coordinated in each of the venues by Amparo González Martínez, Culture Coordinator at Calp Town Council, and Elisa Domenech Faus, technician at the Palau Comtal Municipal Museum in Cocentaina.

The exhibition has been designed by the award-winning architecture studio Ángel Rocamora Arquitectos and is sponsored by the Banco Sabadell Foundation.

Yesterday, Calpe hosted the gala to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the creation of CREAMA (Consortium for the Economic Recovery and Activity of the Marina Alta), an event that brought together institutional representatives, experts, and representatives of business associations and organisations from across the region.

The event kicked off with a speech by Carlos Pastor Ventura, MP and president of CREAMA, who pointed out that ‘today we are celebrating three decades of working together, public service, economic revitalisation and proximity. CREAMA has known how to stand by the people, to structure the region by committing to plurality, beyond colours and ideologies. This is a project of people, and that is what makes it unique’.

CREAMA manager Rosarío Donderis took the floor to add that ‘we are celebrating 30 years and proving that we are no longer a utopia but a reality in the Marina Alta, helping to integrate people into the world of work, revitalising businesses, connecting people and projects, and making the small miracle of reaching agreements every day possible’.

The gala featured several tables where the history and trajectory of the Consortium was recalled through the personal testimonies of technicians, users and collaborating entities of CREAMA. Lola Orihuel, manager of Creama since its foundation and until 2015, pointed out that ‘when we met and I saw politicians of different political colours representing such different municipalities, I thought we would never reach agreements, but everything was very easy because there was a real desire to make it work’.

The mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, which holds the capital status of CREAMA this year, said that ‘we have come to the conclusion that only by working together can we promote the well-being of our businesses and residents, by committing to integration and building a network that has allowed us to grow’. Sala also announced the governing board's decision to award this year's ‘Jaume Pastor i Fluixà-9 d'octubre’ prize to CREAMA.

The event ended with a speech by the president of the Alicante Provincial Council, Toni Pérez, who highlighted the innovative nature of CREAMA: "Thirty years ago, some people were already talking about the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and were committed to building a common project of territorial cooperation and institutional efficiency, putting people at the centre of our action. Politics is worthwhile when it helps people to grow, and that is the powerful message that CREAMA offers us today."

In its three decades of existence, CREAMA has achieved significant figures: more than 700,000 people served, 73 million euros managed —more than 5 million from European funds— 85 regional projects developed and an active network of local agencies that once again has nine offices (Dénia, Xàbia, Calpe, Teulada-Moraira, Benissa, Gata de Gorgos, Pego and Pedreguer) following the reincorporation of El Verger.

Yesterday's event was a tribute to commitment, networking and the desire to build a region, to the people who over the last 30 years have made CREAMA a benchmark for local development built on solidarity and mutual trust.

This morning, the image that will appear on the ONCE lottery ticket for the draw on Tuesday 8 July was unveiled at Calpe's Fossa Beach. On this occasion, the image of Fossa Beach has been chosen as part of the ‘Beaches with flags’ series, which aims to promote the two beaches in each province that have been awarded the Blue Flag classification most frequently in recent years.

The image of Calpe will reach the whole of Spain through the more than 20,600 ONCE sellers who will distribute 5 million coupons. The coupons can also be purchased on the website www.juegosonce.es and at authorised participating establishments.

The presentation ceremony was attended by the director of ONCE in Alicante, Estela Media; the director of the ONCE Agency in Benidorm, Vicente José Vázquez, and the mayoress of Calpe, Ana Sala.

In her speech, the director of ONCE in Alicante stated that ‘with this initiative, ONCE wishes to recognise the work being carried out by Calpe Town Council in the field of accessibility and inclusion’.

For her part, the mayoress of Calpe, Ana Sala, said she was ‘proud of the work being done by the Town Council to ensure that people with functional diversity can also enjoy our beaches’.

Blue Flag

Every year, the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education recognises the best beaches for the quality of their water, the high level of services and the safety of bathers with the Blue Flag award.

ADEAC is one of the European non-profit associations that co-founded the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 1984. ADEAC is therefore the Spanish branch of the FEE and is the organisation responsible for the development in Spain of the international programmes Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment and Green Key.

From 1 July, the ordinance on acoustic conditions comes back into force. It refers to work involving the use of heavy or construction machinery that may generate noise and establishes that work that may produce noise is limited to certain time slots.

The noise ordinance prohibits all types of construction work in residential areas in August and establishes time limits in July and September in order to reconcile construction activity with the right to rest.

Likewise, urbanisation, construction, building or any other type of work that may produce noise, whether public or private, must be carried out between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Urgent work or work in the public interest, carried out for reasons of necessity or danger, shall be exempt from the prohibition.

On urban land where residential use is permitted, all types of urban development, construction or building work will be prohibited between 1 and 31 August. Small jobs that do not cause noise or disturbance to neighbours are exempt from this prohibition.

The municipal ordinance distinguishes between the different activities that can potentially cause noise and the solutions to mitigate their effects. With these measures, the City Council aims to reconcile construction and leisure activities with the individual right to rest. The City Council calls on citizens to comply with the ordinance so that the tourist season can pass without noise disturbances, given the eminent tourist nature of the municipality.

Friday, 4:

• 9 am – Free Zumba lesson. Plaza Mediterrani (Fossa Beach)
• Blood donation at the Calpe Red Cross headquarters, Calle Maria Jorro, from 5 pm to 8:30 pm.
• ‘Verano a voces’ concert by the Torrevieja Municipal Choir. 8pm, Saló Blau, Casa de Cultura. Admission: £5.
• Exhibition: ‘Baños de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museum of Collecting.
• Exhibition Almendras Amargas (Bitter Almonds) by Andrea Chessa until 30 July in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
• From 6pm to 1am - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol Beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa Beach).

Saturday, 5:

• 9 a.m. - Free Zumba lesson. Plaza Colón (Arenal-Bol Beach).
• From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol Beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa Beach).
• The best musicals in the history of Broadway performed by the Castelar Theatre Symphony Orchestra, under the artistic direction of Octavio J. Peidrò, and featuring soprano Cristina Sánchez Montes. 7 pm at the Casa de Cultura Auditorium. Free admission.
• Exhibition: ‘Baños de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museum of Collecting.
• Exhibition Almendras Amargas (Bitter Almonds) by Andrea Chessa until 30 July in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Sunday, 6:

• Travelling concert by the Unión Musical Calpe Ifach, 8 pm through the streets of the old town.
• From 6pm to 1am - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol Beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa Beach).

Calpe Town Council has launched a new information service for residents via official channels on WhatsApp and Telegram. From now on, anyone can choose to receive municipal information in Spanish, Valencian or English, depending on their language preferences.

Until now, the council had a single channel on Telegram with around 2,000 subscribers. With this expansion, the council now has three new channels on this platform — one for each language — and another three channels on WhatsApp, thus enabling more targeted and effective dissemination of news, alerts and events of interest.

This service will be managed directly by the Calpe Town Council's Communication Department, which will be responsible for publishing content and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the information disseminated, thus preventing the spread of hoaxes and misinformation that often circulate on these same platforms.

With this initiative, the council aims to bring municipal information even closer to the public, facilitating direct access from mobile phones without the need to consult social media or the internet. This service will also enable the council to provide information very quickly to the public in the event of disasters or emergencies.

The channels are called ‘Ayuntamiento de Calpe’, ‘Ajuntament de Calpe’ and ‘Calpe City Council’ and feature the official Town Council logo for easy identification. Simply search for the channel on each platform and join it to start receiving information. You can also activate notifications to receive an alert whenever there is a new post.

Telegram channels:

• Spanish: https://t.me/AyuntamientodeCalpe
• Valencian: https://t.me/CalpeComunicaVal
• English: https://t.me/CalpeComunicaEng

WhatsApp channels:

• Spanish: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb6HFjz9RZAX8ZtgMm2F
• Valencian: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb5XvLgCBtxAs8kMbT07
• English: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb5NfWf0Qeae7EQDXa19

The local government will bring before next week's plenary session the modification of the sectors known as Garduix I and II, Pla Feliu I and II, and Ráfol I and II as developable land with the aim of reclassifying them as green space and land for public use.

The sectors of Ráfol I and II, Feliu I and II and Garduix I and II make up a large green lung of more than 300,000 m² in a residential development area.000 m² in a residential development area. These sectors already appear in the 1998 General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) as developable land, but they are rural plots that have not been programmed for 27 years and therefore the regulations allow the administration to declassify them.

The City Council intends to acquire the land by compensating the owners for expropriation in accordance with the nature of the land as rural, i.e. when compensating the owners, the land will be valued as it stands and not for the urban development rights that have not been realised.

In November last year, the declassification process began, requiring the technical services to draw up a draft and an initial strategic document setting out the characteristics of the sectors and the needs. Both documents will be submitted to the plenary session on Tuesday and, once approved, will be forwarded to the Territorial Planning Commission of the Valencian Regional Government, which is responsible for continuing the process.

As this is a structural change to the General Urban Development Plan, the City Council can propose the declassification of the sectors, but the next steps in the process are the responsibility of the Regional Ministry.

The local government has put forward four main reasons for making this change to the PGOU: to preserve a large area of forest in the Garduix and Feliu areas, which will become green space, and to promote land for public use in the Ráfol area in order to obtain land for educational, cultural, recreational or sports purposes.

However, there are also plans to consolidate temporary uses, such as the land occupied by the IES Les Salines secondary school, which, although a green area, obtained provisional authorisation for educational use, and the plot in Rafol occupied by the General Services building, which will become land for public services. In both cases, educational and service uses will be consolidated.

Also in Ráfol, there is a strip of land adjacent to the Barranco del Quisi ravine that is classified as developable and, in compliance with the PATRICOVA guidelines regarding the impact on ravines, is now becoming a green area.

This reclassification modifies the urban dynamics of the municipality and also proposes a different way of compensating owners, as it will not be done through development units or by increasing the volume in other areas, as has been the case until now. This decision paves the way for a new approach to urban planning in the municipality.

Calpe Town Council and more than 146 local hospitality establishments will participate this summer in the sixth edition of Ecovidrio's #MovimientoBanderasVerdes (Green Flag Movement). With this campaign, the non-profit organisation responsible for managing glass packaging waste recycling in Spain seeks, once again, to recognise the efforts of the local hospitality industry and the activism of coastal municipalities in promoting circularity during the summer, particularly with regard to the correct management of their waste.

Calpe will compete with up to 47 municipalities in the Valencian Community for Ecovidrio's ‘Green Flag for Sustainability’, which was awarded to Valencia and Alicante during the last edition of this initiative. This is a campaign launched by Ecovidrio every summer, coinciding with the months when a third of the glass packaging in circulation is consumed. In addition, around 50% of single-use glass packaging waste generated during this period comes from the hospitality sector.

To be eligible for a Green Flag, each municipality must meet a series of requirements, such as increasing the volume of selective glass container collection compared to the previous year; ensuring that at least 50% of local hospitality establishments participate in the campaign; promoting the campaign among the hospitality industry; and publicising it among citizens and visitors.

As a new feature, apart from the coveted Green Flag, this year the municipalities in each autonomous community that have obtained the highest scores will be rewarded with a beach clean-up day, which Ecovidrio will carry out in collaboration with the organisation Paisaje Limpio, an entity specialising in the coordination of this type of environmental initiative.

Similarly, this year Ecovidrio will recognise the two hospitality establishments that are most responsible and committed to sustainability in the Valencian Community, evaluating their initiatives to improve waste recycling management, energy and water consumption and their commitment to sustainable purchasing, among other variables. In the Valencian Community, the two establishments recognised in the last edition were Petimetre and Cor de Carxofa.

With the aim of helping municipalities and participating hospitality establishments to separate glass packaging, Ecovidrio will install a total of 300 new containers and provide them with around 1,500 free containers for transporting their waste. As in previous editions, it will also provide hoteliers with training on the environment and the circular economy, with 100 environmental educators visiting all participating bars, beach bars and restaurants this summer.

Calpe Town Council has announced grants for the promotion of sport for 2024-2025, for which a budget of €250,000 has been allocated, with conditions that aim to promote, among other things, sports associations. The total amount of the grants has increased by €15,000 compared to the last call for applications.

This aid, aimed at local sports organisations, has two lines: line 1 with aid for participation in official sports competitions and the promotion of local grassroots sport (€230,000) and line 2 with aid for the organisation of sporting events (€20,000). As a new feature in this call, the two lines are not incompatible, i.e. sports organisations can apply for both.

The main new features compared to previous editions are incentives for the promotion of equality and inclusive sport, subsidies for families with two or more children enrolled, and the distribution of the remaining amount equally among all clubs with expenses still to be covered.

Some of the criteria for accessing the grants are the number of athletes with a federation licence or participating in the Jocs Esportius de la Comunidad Valenciana (Valencian Community Sports Games), the number of categories in the club, the type of competition or the qualifications of the coaches and medical staff, as well as the ownership of the sports facilities.

On the other hand, expenses related to the competition itself, such as referees, sports equipment, medical supplies, monitor expenses, federation fees, mutual insurance, travel, etc., will be included as eligible expenses. Personnel expenses and all expenses related to the organisation of the sporting event for which the subsidy is requested will also be considered eligible expenses. The promotion of local sports will also be taken into account.

The grants are aimed at sports organisations with their registered office and headquarters in Calpe, which may submit their applications from today, 1 July, until 15 July inclusive, via  the electronic office.

Given the difficulties in implementing regulated parking this summer due to an appeal lodged by one of the bidding companies and the possibility that the award proposal may give rise to further appeals, the City Council is considering various measures to compensate businesses and citizens in general for any difficulties and inconvenience they may suffer.

These are urgent and temporary measures to compensate traders for the loss of customers resulting from the lack of parking. This week, it is hoped that some of these measures will be finalised, which could include a reduction in municipal taxes, direct aid or subsidies, or promotional campaigns.

 The mayoress, Ana Sala, has expressed her concern and pointed out that "we are fully aware of the difficulties that this situation is causing for traders and we are working to offer solutions while the new ORA service contract is being resolved. I am personally committed to compensating traders and hoteliers, whether or not they are members of the Traders' Association, with commercial promotion campaigns, economic or other measures. Today we are getting down to work to initiate immediate actions to compensate the business community for the losses that may be caused by the lack of turnover in public parking spaces."

Another measure that the Council intends to implement is to make private plots available to the City Council on a rental basis and convert them into public car parks in the town centre, near the shopping area. Meetings with the owners of various plots of land have already begun with this objective in mind.

This week, the government team plans to hold an urgent meeting with AEMCO and local traders to coordinate provisional measures and assess the impact on a weekly basis.
 

The election of the Queens of the Calpe Patron Saint Festivities 2025 has left an image for the history books: Neus Díaz Fernández and Neus Santos Tur will share their reign and name with the Mare de Déu de les Neus, patron saint of Calpe, in a coincidence laden with symbolism.

Almost 2,000 people gathered last night in the Plaza Mayor for a four-hour gala presented by Marco Maguire and Irune Pastor.

 This event is one of the most important organised by the Festival Committee, as it marks the presentation of the entire Committee, which this year includes members from the classes of 1987, 2007 and 2017. The draw for the new Queens was attended by notary José Miguel de Lamo, who ensured the transparency of the entire process.

 The outgoing Queens, María Avargues and Martina Moragón, as well as the first Children's King of Calpe, Leandro Bonaldo, were in charge of drawing the balls with the names of the new queens, in a gala that was also very special for them, as this event marked the end of their reign.

The most exciting moments of the evening were undoubtedly when the names of Neus Díaz Fernández as Children's Queen and Neus Santos Tur as Queen of the Calpe 2025 Patron Saint Festivities were announced, a moment that could be followed live on two giant screens showing what was happening backstage where the candidates were waiting.

Once the names of the new representatives of the Calpe festivities were announced, the president of the Committee, Tania Puigcerver, highlighted the emotion of the moment in her speech and thanked her fellow committee members and all those involved in the festivities for their commitment. For her part, the mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, emphasised the coincidence of the names as a tribute to the town's patron saint and guaranteed the Town Council's support for the Committee.

One of the surprises of the evening came when Rafa Rico, a member of the Committee, sang the anthem of the Valencian Community, bringing to a close a magical evening in what was perhaps the most special edition ever, as for the first time in history the Queens of the Calpe Festivities share their name with the patron saint.

Next week, the exhibition hall at the Ajuntament Vell will host the exhibition ‘Almendras Amargas’ by Italian artist Andrea Chessa.

Andrea Chessa trained in the Milanese and European art movements. He graduated from the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, where he came into contact with the international realities that characterise the city's artistic and cultural circles, aspects which he integrates, together with his origins and the spirit of his homeland, in a union between past, present and future.

The exhibition Almendras Amargas offers the opportunity to immerse oneself in an encounter between two identities, Sardinia and Spain; a reflection on the cultural and identity roots that have shaped and linked these territories over the centuries.

The title of the exhibition evokes the memory of the place, a reference to the cultivation of this fruit tree that has characterised the history and culture of Calp, shaping the landscape with terraces and dry stone walls, now almost erased.

This title evokes and alludes to a lost memory, something familiar that reappears in the aroma of an encounter. Flavours and knowledge that mark a festive time, coloured tissue paper that envelops ‘sighs’. Andrea Chessa's exhibition is a unique opportunity to reflect on the social and landscape functions of the almond tree, its connection with the land, work and matter: towards a shared vision that continues to travel along the shores of the Mediterranean.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 4 to 30 July in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell, in the heart of the old town, and will become another tourist attraction.

Calpe celebrated LGTBIQ+ Pride Day today with the 2025 edition of Calperide, under the slogan ‘La mar de lliure’ (“Very free”). The day of protest began with an emotional and powerful speech by the Town Council Secretary, Jordi Alfred Francés Conejero, from the balcony of the Town Hall.

In his speech, Francés called for mutual respect as the basis for a diverse and free society and reminded everyone that the fight for the rights of the LGTBIQ+ community is still necessary. ‘Being diverse means being equal,’ he said, stressing that there is no freedom without equality, nor equality without respect. He also warned about the hate speech that is taking hold among young people and defended diversity as a source of social, cultural and human wealth.

The speaker ended his speech with an invitation to enjoy diversity in several languages and a message of unity and hope: "Let's shout to the world: freedom, and more freedom, and diversity, and respect, and colours, and rights... and more freedom to be and to exist. La mar de lliures!" (Let's shout to the world: freedom, and more freedom, and diversity, and respect, and colours, and rights... and more freedom to be and to exist. Very free!).

After the opening speech, the traditional protest march took place from Miguel Roselló Square to Colón Square, where the Calperide entertainment events were held, with a performance by the artist Alexia The Night and the L'Askampà Live Show mobile disco.

New this year were the rainbow points, visible spaces providing information and raising awareness about the rights of the LGTBIQ+ community, resources for diversity and messages of support.

With this event, Calpe Town Council reiterates its commitment to equality, diversity and respect for the rights of all people, and joins in the Pride celebrations with a clear message: Calpe is, more than ever, ‘la mar de lliure’ (very free!).
 

The 2025 Festivities Committee will hold the election and proclamation of the Queen of the Calp Festivities and the Children's Queen tomorrow, Saturday 28 June, in the Plaza Mayor.

 This event, which will begin at 9:30 p.m., is one of the most important events organised by the Festival Committee, as it marks the presentation of the entire Committee. Thirty-three young women from Calpe aged 18 will compete for the title of Queen of the Festivities, the highest female representative of the festivities. The same event will also serve to choose the Children's Queen from among 26 eight-year-old girls.

 All the candidates for queen will be accompanied by children and young people from the 2017 and 2007 age groups who are part of the Festival Committee and by the festivalgoers from the 1987 age group who make up the committee chaired by Tania Puigcerver Moreno.

As in previous years, the Queens will be chosen by lottery before a notary at a gala that marks the official presentation of the Festival Committee and also serves to bid farewell to the Queens of the 2024 Festival. As is traditional, the queens from the previous year, María Avargues and Martina Maragón, will be responsible for drawing the names of the new queens, which will be read out once the courts of honour are present on stage. Irune Aguirre and Marcos Maguire will act as presenters.

The event will be held in the Plaza Mayor, where a large catwalk will be set up to lead to the stage and 1,800 chairs will be installed. The 2025 Festival Committee, which is responsible for organising the patron saint festivities to be held in August, has already held other events as part of this year's programme, such as the organisation of the Three Kings Parade and the Holy Week events.
 

The Administrative Court for Contract Appeals has ruled in favour of the company that challenged the contract for regulated parking on public roads and has agreed to refer the case back to the contracting authority so that it may request the tenderer to justify the irregularity of its bid.

The Calpe City Council's contracting committee considered that the appellant company was guilty of presumption of abnormality, as the occupancy rates for the blue zone included in its bid were much higher than the available occupancy data and considered it very difficult to achieve the bidder's forecasts. The company's revenue forecast did not economically justify the bid submitted. The annual tender fee proposed by the City Council was €350,000 and the company's financial bid was €575,000.

When the City Council rejected its bid, the company lodged an appeal with the TARC, which in its ruling considered that when the City Council detected the alleged abnormality, it should have required the company to justify the viability of its proposal within a sufficient period of time for justification.

In other words, the TARC does not analyse the viability of the bid, but considers that the company was not given the opportunity to justify its bid, which is a necessary step when the contracting authority considers that a bid is presumed to be unviable because it is abnormally low or, in this case, abnormally high. The TARC therefore upheld the appeal and obliged the City Council to request the company to justify its bid.

The tendering procedure goes back to square one and compliance with the administrative deadlines will prevent the blue zone from starting this summer. The government team has received the appeal with disappointment and has already urged the contracting committee to continue with the procedures so that the tender can be put out as soon as possible.

Friday, 27:

•    9 am – Free Zumba class. Plaza Mediterrani (Fossa beach)
•    12 noon – Opening of the exhibition ‘Baños de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museum of Collecting.
•    From 6pm to 1am - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).
•    8pm - Presentation of the book: ‘Dentro de Ifach’ by Rafa Terol. Saló Blau.
•    8pm - Calperide (celebration of LGTBIQ+ Pride Day):
•    8pm - Speech by Jordi Francés from the balcony of the Town Hall (Miguel Roselló Square).
•    8.30pm - Protest march from Miguel Roselló Square to Colón Square.
•    9.30pm - Performance by Alexia The Night. Colón Square.
•    11 pm – Mobile disco ‘L'askampà Live Show’. Plaza Colón.
•    Painting exhibition ‘A flor de piel’ by Noelia Lillo. Ajuntament Vell. Until 29 June.

Saturday, 28:

•    9 am – Free Zumba class. Plaza Colón (Arenal-Bol beach).
•    From 6pm to 1am – Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).
•    6.30 pm - Guided tour of the old town. Advance booking required at the tourist offices: 96 583 69 20/ 96 583 85 32/ 677912754 or by email at turismo@ajCalpe.es.
•    9:30 p.m. - Election and proclamation of the 2025 queens. Afterwards, mobile disco. Bar service provided by the Prefesters 2025. Plaza Mayor.
•    Painting exhibition ‘A flor de piel’ by Noelia Lillo. Ajuntament Vell. Until 29 June.
•    Exhibition ‘Baños de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museum of Collecting.

Sunday, 29th:

•    6 pm - Dance ‘¡Hola, verano!’ (Hello, summer!). With horchata and fartons for all attendees. Civic Centre.
•    From 6 pm to 1 am - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).

Calpe Town Council has announced the contest ‘The beach as a canvas’ with the aim of designing signage for accessible points on the beach.

This initiative is part of the campaign to promote Calpe as an accessible tourist destination within the Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD) under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) funded by the European Union - Next Generation.

According to the rules, the theme of the contest is beaches, and the organisers are looking for an original, creative and inclusive design that reflects accessibility and diversity. 

To participate, you must fill in a form and send your design to turismo@ajCalpe.es by 29 June.

The proposal that receives the most ‘likes’ on the Tourism social media stories on 1 July will be the official image of the accessible point on the beach. The winner will be announced on 8 July.

The campaign to promote Calpe as an inclusive destination, of which this initiative is a part, will be carried out on social media, as well as in both general and tourism-focused online and offline media, to raise awareness of the town as an accessible holiday destination.

The mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, and the councillor for Urban Planning and Infrastructure, Juan Manuel del Pino, inaugurated section 6 of Vial J this morning, which, by plenary agreement, will now be called Avenida Felipe VI.

Section 6 of Vial J is the last segment to be completed in a project that dates back to the 1989 General Plan and is one of the key initiatives of this term of office. This road will connect with sections 1-5 (which begin at the roundabout on Avenida de la Generalitat and end at the roundabout on Avenida Casanova via the Gargasindi district). This will connect Casa Nova Avenue with País Valencià and Rumanía avenues, making this section crucial for diverting traffic from the beach area to the national road without passing through Ejércitos Españoles and Diputación avenues.

This project, which is over 500 metres long and 20 metres wide, includes all the necessary infrastructure, such as sewerage networks, drinking water supply, public lighting, communications and sustainable urban drainage systems. In addition, the road development includes wide pavements, lanes for each direction of traffic and an inner median strip with tree pits to improve the aesthetics and sustainability of the environment.

Mayoress Ana Sala pointed out that "after years of work, the residents of Calpe now have a Vial J, which will be renamed Avenida Felipe VI, which will facilitate mobility within the municipality. This is an inner ring road that will relieve congestion on other avenues such as Generalitat Valenciana, Diputación and Ejércitos Españoles, reducing traffic jams, noise and inconvenience and facilitating access to beaches, residential areas and the town centre for both residents and visitors," added the mayor.

For his part, the Councillor for Urban Planning and Infrastructure, Juan Manuel del Pino, highlighted the ‘sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) that has been incorporated into the central reservation. This is a smart  urban drainage system whose main function is to collect rainwater efficiently and ecologically, while preventing possible flooding’.