CalpeNoticias EN

This week, reconstruction and adaptation work was completed on the section of masonry wall located between points M-61 and M-63 of the Paseo Marítimo de la Fossa, which was damaged by the storm on August 14, 2024.

This work has restored the affected wall and ensured the safety of pedestrians and users of the promenade in one of the busiest spots on the Calpe coastline. The storm caused the partial collapse of the structure and damage to the pavement, making it necessary to intervene to prevent further landslides and ensure the stability of the area.

The works, with a budget of €153,211.26 including VAT, included the underpinning and reconstruction of the section of wall that had collapsed, as well as the demolition and rebuilding of those elements that were in poor condition. The works consisted of actions on retaining walls, sidewalk foundations, and pavement replacement, adapting it to current safety and accessibility standards.

With this intervention, Calpe Town Council continues to carry out maintenance and improvement works on the coastline, with the aim of preserving coastal infrastructure in the face of storms and ensuring optimal safety and enjoyment for residents and visitors.

Friday, 20:

• • 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. Exhibition ‘A year of photojournalism 3.0 · INFOTO Journalists’. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 28 February 2026.
  • 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Guided tours of Banys de la Reina. (Tour in English at 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays, in French on Wednesdays). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Youth Club. Plaza Constitución.
  • 6:00 p.m. Informative talk ‘The reality of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)’. Casa Nova.
  • Exhibition ‘Relatos’ by Laura Sánchez. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 28 February.

Saturday, 21:

• • HERO Costa Blanca Calpee–Benissa (HERO UCI Cross-Country Marathon World Cup). From the Parc de la Creativitat. Start times:
• 08:00 — Elite men
• 08:10 — Elite women
• 08:20 — Masters (men and women)
• 8:30 a.m. — Amateur (82 km / 50 km routes)
• 9:30 a.m. — Hero Kids Costa Blanca. For boys and girls aged 4 to 12. Registration: herocostablanca.com
  
  • 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Exhibition ‘A Year of Photojournalism 3.0 · INFOTO Journalists.’ Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 28 February 2026.
  • 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Guided tours of Banys de la Reina. Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Youth Club. Plaza Constitución.
  • 5:30 p.m. Children's Carnival Party. Plaza Mayor.
  • 6:30 p.m. Children's theatre: Bobo’ by the Periferia Teatro company. Free admission. Auditorium
  • 11:00 p.m. Carnival mobile disco. Plaza Mayor.
  • Exhibition ‘Relatos’ by Laura Sánchez. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 28 February.

Sunday, 22

• 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Guided tours of Banys de la Reina. (Tour in Valencian at 12:00 p.m.). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.

The historic heart of Calpe will once again be transformed into a setting full of magic and symbolism on Saturday 7 March with the celebration of the second edition of ‘La Nit Encesa’, an initiative promoted by Calpe Town Council, through the Old Town and Culture Departments.

The event proposes a symbolic blackout of the street lighting in the historic centre to give way to the soft light of thousands of candles, creating an intimate and evocative atmosphere that will allow residents and visitors to rediscover the local heritage from a different perspective. Emblematic spaces such as the Torreó de la Peça, the city walls, the bell tower, the sculptures and the Ajuntament Vell will be enveloped in warm lighting that will enhance their shapes, textures and historical value.

The main new feature of this year's edition of ‘La Nit Encesa’ will be ‘La Calle del Arte’ (Art Street), a space dedicated to live artistic creation. Local painters, sculptors and artisans will show the public their creative processes, turning the streets of the old town into an open-air art gallery, unique in the region and bathed in the evocative light of candles.

The programme will be rounded off with events designed for all audiences. Highlights include the travelling theatre ‘KAIMING - Bearer of Light’, starting at 6 pm from Plaça Mosquit, which will tour the streets of the old town accompanied by children and culminate with the story ‘El Cuento de la Luz’ (The Tale of Light) in l'Ajuntament Vell. Music will be provided by Exótika Cuarteto, who will give a concert at 8.30 pm in the Plaza de la Villa, with a repertoire specially designed to blend in with the peaceful atmosphere of the evening.

The area councillor, Guillermo Sendra, has emphasised the participatory nature of the initiative and invites citizens to get actively involved: "It is an opportunity to showcase our historic centre in an intimate atmosphere. We encourage residents, shopkeepers and restaurateurs to light up their balconies, windows, shop fronts and restaurants with candles, and artists to share their talent on this magical night, which will invite people to take a peaceful stroll and enjoy the area's gastronomic offerings."

Anyone interested in helping to organise the event or taking part in this sensory experience can contact us by email at gsendra@ajcalp.es.

Over the last few summers, there have been repeated problems with the footbaths on Calp's beaches, either due to lack of pressure or because they have not been working at all due to faults in the pumping system. This infrastructure is the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Tourism of the Regional Ministry of Industry, Innovation and Tourism, which in turn has a concession delegated by the Directorate-General for Coasts of the Ministry for Ecological Transition.

Yesterday, the mayor, Ana Sala, and the councillor for beaches, Pere Moll, accompanied by various municipal technicians, met with the Director General of Tourism, Israel Martínez, to discuss the state of the footbaths and seek solutions to a problem that recurs every summer.

The Regional Ministry is aware of the state of these beach infrastructures throughout the Valencian Community and is already working on a long-term programme to renovate and modernise these facilities and adapt them to the repeated storms that affect the Valencian coast.

The City Council has already prepared a project for Arenal-Bol beach that would cost around €400,000 and would allow for the construction of a new piping system from a well away from the beach itself, with renovated footbaths and the creation of public toilets in the Arenal-Bol area.

However, to carry out this project, the Regional Ministry must delegate its authority and, in turn, the Coastal Authority must allow the Council to intervene. Therefore, following yesterday's meeting, the Valencian Community Tourism Department and the City Council have agreed to collaborate to find a joint formula that will allow the City Council to carry out the renovations either directly or in conjunction with the Regional Ministry. The next step in the procedure will be to inform the Coastal Authority of the agreement so that this administration can allow the project to go ahead.

The state of the footbaths on Arenal-Bol beach, one of the main beaches in the municipality, generates multiple complaints every summer from users of this service. In fact, it is one of the worst rated by beach users in recent seasons, according to the satisfaction survey carried out each year as part of the SICTED. All of this is detrimental to Calp's image as a municipality of recognised tourist prestige.

These problems have been reported on numerous occasions to Turisme de la Generalitat Valenciana, as the competent body for the provision and maintenance of this service, and the Town Council has reiterated its interest in taking over the operation of the water collection, pumping and distribution system for footbaths on the beaches of Arenal-Bol and Fossa, through the legal entity to be determined.

The Department of Public Safety of the Calpe Town Council has presented the annual report of the Local Police for the year 2025. The data reflects intense operational activity with a total of 20,200 interventions, consolidating the force as a fundamental part of community life and safety in the municipality.

The statistical report offers an overview of a modern and versatile police force. Among the most significant figures are the 954 humanitarian actions, which range from assisting the sick and injured to locating people and responding to fires. There were also 951 actions carried out by the VIOGEN Unit.

Innovation and maritime presence

The year 2025 has served to consolidate new surveillance tools. The drone unit (UMAC) carried out 169 operations, optimising aerial surveillance.

For its part, the recently acquired police boat carried out 57 operations during the summer period, reinforcing security on the Calpe coast.

Road safety and prevention

In the area of mobility and prevention, the balance shows the following key data:

The Local Police filed 7,127 reports against vehicles and motorcycles for traffic offences, carried out 2,457 surveillance checks and intervened in 480 traffic accidents. In terms of public safety, the Local Police participated in 135 drug seizures.

This constant presence has led to a significant reduction in crime, supported by pillars such as neighbourhood mediation and noise control, which are essential for ensuring peace and quiet in residential areas and the town centre.

The Councillor for Public Safety, Guillermo Sendra, has welcomed these results, noting that ‘these figures reflect a team that is committed to this municipality’.

For her part, the Mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, has reaffirmed the council's commitment for next year: ‘Looking ahead to 2026, our priority will continue to be to strengthen the role of the Local Police as a local public service of excellence’.

Friday, 30:

• 09:00-22:00h. Exhibition ‘A year of photojournalism 3.0 · INFOTO Journalists’. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 28 February 2026.
• 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. (Tour in English at 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays, in French on Wednesdays). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
• 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Youth Club. Plaza Constitución.
• 8:00 p.m. Concert by the saxophone quartet ‘Ecos del Mundo.’ Saló Blau. Casa de Cultura.
• 8:30 p.m. Presentation of the programme and official poster for Holy Week 2026. Nuestra Señora de las Nieves Parish Church
• Exhibition ‘Relatos’ by Laura Sánchez. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 28 February.

Saturday, 31:

• 09:00-13:30 Exhibition ‘A year of photojournalism 3.0 · INFOTO Journalists’. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 28 February 2026.
• 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
• 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Youth Club. Plaza Constitución Exhibition ‘Relatos’ by Laura Sánchez. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell. Until 28 February.
• 5:30 p.m. Children's Carnival Party. Plaza Mayor.
• 11:30 p.m. Macro mobile disco Carnival. Plaza Mayor.

Sunday, 1:

• 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Guided tours toBanys de la Reina. (Tour in Valencian at 12:00 p.m.). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
• 5:00 p.m. Carnival Dance of Love. Civic Centre Café.

From 13 to 15 February, Calpe Town Council is participating in the Fiets en Wandelbeurs fair in Utrecht, one of Europe's leading events specialising in hiking, cycle tourism and nature tourism. Calpe's aim is to position itself as an active and sustainable destination in the Dutch market, which is particularly relevant for the municipality in its commitment to deseasonalisation and high return on investment.

To this end, it will be promoting its new campaign, ‘Everything that's good is in Calpe’, which promotes active, gastronomic and cultural tourism in the autumn, winter and spring months and is particularly aimed at tourists who choose destinations for sports or other activities or to enjoy nature.

Calpe will participate in this European event together with Benissa at the Turespaña stand under the auspices of the Costa Blanca Tourist Board.

The Fiets en Wandelbeurs fair in Utrecht attracts thousands of visitors and professionals from the sector every year (last year it brought together 25,000 attendees), making it a key meeting point for destinations, tour operators and lovers of active tourism.

Calpe Town Council has begun the tendering process for the contracting of a service for the repair and adaptation of public roads, municipal buildings and facilities, with a base tender budget of €378,730 and a completion period of one year.

The progressive reduction in municipal staff, combined with the growth of the municipality and the increase in infrastructure, public buildings and roads, has made it impossible to meet all maintenance, repair and refurbishment needs with its own resources. In view of this situation, the Town Council considers that it does not have sufficient resources to carry out certain actions, making it necessary to contract this external service to respond quickly and effectively to these needs.

The specifications distribute the contract budget among different municipal facilities. Specifically, €145,200 is allocated to the repair of public roads; €30,250 to work on the Local Police headquarters; €6,050 to the Senior Citizens' Civic Centre; €6,050 to the municipal cemetery; €14,520 to the Maite Boronat Occupational Centre; €12,100 for improvements to museums; €24,200 for repairs to the Cultural Centre; €7,260 for work on the Casa Nova; €48,400 for the Municipal Brigades' warehouse; and €84,700 for general repairs to municipal buildings.

The main objective of this service is to guarantee a rapid and effective response to any incident or repair need that may arise in municipal buildings and facilities, thus ensuring their proper maintenance and operation.

Calpe Town Council is launching the campaign ‘Love is in the air... and in Calpe's shops!’ with the aim of promoting shopping at local businesses during Valentine's Day. From 9 to 15 February, the streets of Calpe will be decorated especially for the occasion and there will be a prize draw for a romantic dinner for anyone who makes a purchase at a local business.

This is an initiative of the Department of Economic Promotion, headed by Álex Coca.

The Town Council has already installed themed lighting in the main shopping streets of the municipality, as well as Valentine's Day decorations in Miguel Roselló Square, Constitución Square, Almendros Street, Colón Square, Mosquit Square, in the park on Isla Formentera Street and in La Calalga.

In addition, anyone who makes a minimum purchase of €10 between 9 and 15 February in a retail, hospitality or service business located in the municipality will be eligible to participate in a draw for five €100 vouchers for a romantic dinner in Calpe at the restaurants Umami, El Escorial, Me da igual, Calentura Bistro and Lapsus Bistro.

To participate, customers must take a photograph of their purchase receipt and upload it to the website promoCalpe.com/amor, along with their contact details. They can also access the website via the QR code on the posters created for the campaign, which will be distributed in shops and at various points in the old town, the Arenal-Bol and La Fossa beaches, as well as on various MUPIS (public information panels) in the town. For the first time this year, the posters have been produced in English, as well as in Spanish and Valencian.

Each person may upload more than one receipt, if it is for an amount equal to or greater than 10 euros, although they will only be eligible for a single prize.

The draw will take place the week after the end of the campaign and the winners will be contacted via the telephone number or email address provided when the receipt is submitted. Their names will be published on promoCalpe.com/amor and on the official social media accounts of Calpe Town Council.

The full terms and conditions of the ‘Love is in the air... and in Calpe's shops!’ campaign are available on the same website.

Friday, 6:

• • 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. (Tour in English at 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays, in French on Wednesdays). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • Exhibition ‘A year of photojournalism 3.0 · INFOTO Journalists’. In the Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 28 February.

Saturday, 7:

• • 10 a.m. – Guided tour of the salt flats to mark Wetlands Day 2026. Meeting point: salt flats esplanade. More information: info@ecosilvo.es. Pre-registration: https://forms.gle/9z5D3FU2EJgkhZQQ7
  • Exhibition ‘A year of photojournalism 3.0 · INFOTO Journalists’. In the Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 28 February.

Sunday, 8:

• • 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. - Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. (Tour in Valencian at 12 p.m.). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.

This week, Aguas de Calpe (the water supply company) began work on the rainwater collector in the Borumbot district. This involves renovating the current rainwater collection system to renew and adapt the section of the sewerage collector located between plots 2N and 7N in the Manzanera district.

The current section of the collector will be split into two: on the one hand, the sewerage collector that ends at the Borumbot EBAR, and on the other, the rainwater collector that begins in front of plot 5N in the Manzanera district and ends by connecting to the existing rainwater collector on Avenida Valencia.

These works are intended to prevent flooding problems in the area and excessive rainwater inflow to the Borumbot EBAR. Until now, during periods of heavy rain, rainwater from the Manzanera and Borumbot housing developments has been channelled to the lowest point in the area, the Balcón al Mar building, where a well overflows and contributes to the erosion of the Borumbot cliff.

The works consist of the construction of a 354-metre-long PVC rainwater collector to intercept the surface runoff that reaches the lowest point of the development and convey the water to the existing rainwater network on Avenida Valencia. The layout will run through the centre of the road between Borumbot and Calle Navío. The project will also include the installation of surface water collection elements (transverse grates and drains) distributed evenly throughout the area. In addition, two drains located next to the facades of plots 5N in the Manzanera district and 6I in the Borumbot district will be connected to this collector.

Test pits are currently being dug to determine the exact depth, to confirm that the works will not interfere with any services. The total cost of the project is €428,746.12 (excluding VAT).

The Tourism Department is busy preparing the programme for ‘100 years of tourism in Calpe’, which aims to recognise the municipality's tourist industry. The origin of the date can be traced back to visits to Calpe by a group of intellectuals and artists during the first third of the 20th century, including Oscar Esplá, Gabriel Miró, Germán Bernácer and Emilio Varela.

The Alicante-Calpe railway dates to 1915 and there is evidence of inns in the municipality at that time, although the Paradero de Ifac did not open its doors until 1935. In addition, there is a play by Azorín entitled Ifach, a comedy in three acts set in the municipality, which must have been written by Azorín between 1926 and 1930. All of this has led the Department of Tourism to establish 1926 as the starting date for the centenary.

Among the activities already planned is a talk by Antonio Michavila, associate professor at the University of Alicante, on Azorín's comedy Ifach. The lecture will take place on 17 March at Casa Nova.

Another initiative is to incorporate Calpe into the Virtual Tourism Museum, a museum in the digital world dedicated to exploring and showcasing tourism as a cultural, social and economic phenomenon, accessible from electronic devices and focused on preserving and sharing the memory of tourism through digital collections and archives.

There are also plans to organise an exhibition with photographs and documents that trace the history of tourism promotion in Calpe, the first tourists who arrived in the municipality and the first establishments where they stayed. The celebration will be rounded off with a series of conferences to discuss 100 years of tourism in Calpe, which will include an academic component and the participation of those responsible for tourism policy in recent years.

The celebration of this anniversary aims to pay tribute to the history of tourism in Calpe, to those who have worked in the industry and to the changes that this human activity has undergone over time, but at the same time it aims to open a debate on the challenges facing the municipality as a tourist destination.

The Councillor for Tourism, Marco Bittner, pointed out that "A town that does not know its history is doomed to improvise its destiny. In Calpe, I believe it is time for us all to choose to honour our roots to project a solid, sustainable and vibrant future. This series of events is an initiative of the Department of Tourism that aims to be a reflection on the 21st century, so that after 100 years of tourism, the citizens can see that the course of Calpe has always been marked by the decisions of the residents as a group and that now the decision of what kind of town we want to be will depend on a collective decision and a momentum that we all take together".

With the arrival of the new year, Calpe Town Council has begun work on refurbishing and improving urban signage throughout the municipality, with the aim of modernising it, standardising criteria and making it easier for both residents and visitors to find their way around.

Over the last few weeks, the bus stop shelters have been renovated, including the repair of glass, the replacement of damaged parts and painting work.

Likewise, the mupis (Spanish acronym of Mobiliario Urbano para la Presentación de Información - urban furniture for the presentation of information) have been renovated, both commercial and informational, located at the entrances to residential areas. All the mupis in the municipality have been checked, repaired and painted.

In the coming days, the renovation of the signage on posts, both institutional and directional, will begin. These institutional posts, which provide information on public buildings and tourist resources, will include captions in Spanish and Valencian. In fact, work has already begun with the installation of new posts on Felipe VI Avenue, an area that until now lacked this type of signage.

This project, which is being carried out by the company awarded the contract, aims to update and standardise urban signage, remove damaged supports and incorporate new destinations that facilitate access to emblematic places and local heritage.

Friday, 30:

• • 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Exhibition ‘A Year of Photojournalism 3.0 · INFOTO Journalists’. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 28 February 2026.
  • 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. (Tour in English at 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays, in French on Wednesdays). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.

Saturday, 31st:

• • 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Exhibition ‘A Year of Photojournalism 3.0 · INFOTO Journalists.’ Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 28 February 2026.
  • 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Valencian Community Tree Day. Meeting point in the green area next to the Muralla Roja.
  • 11:00 a.m. Third edition of CBBR Kids. Creativity Park.
  • 8:00 p.m. Concert in tribute to Camilo Sexto by the CLAUdeFA Music Group. Auditorium of the Casa de Cultura.

Sunday, 1:

• • 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. (Tour in Valencian at 12:00 p.m.). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.

At the ordinary plenary session of Calpe Town Council, held yesterday, 27 January, the creation of a specific register of minutes for the meetings of the collegiate bodies in which the Town Council participates was announced. This is an internal monitoring and control tool that will enable the documentation of these bodies to be centralised and improve administrative coordination.

The Councillor for Internal Affairs, Ximo Perles, explained during the session that work is already underway on the regulations that will govern this register, with the aim of getting it up and running in the coming weeks. Among the bodies whose minutes will be incorporated into this archive are, among others, the Calpe Water Council, the Governing Board of the Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park, the waste consortium, CREAMA and the Marina Alta Cultural Association (MACMA). The aim is to have a single, orderly repository that facilitates access to information for municipal services and corporate groups.

At the same plenary session, Calpe Town Council's Contracting Plan for 2026 was approved, which organises and schedules the main works, services and supply contracts planned for the coming years. The document includes investments worth €66 million over the coming years, linked to both the maintenance of essential services and improvements to municipal infrastructure and facilities.

The plenary session also took note of the new structure of the municipal government, with the modification of the Local Government Board and the appointment of new deputy mayors and representatives of the City Council in various collegiate bodies. Likewise, the remuneration of the members of the corporation was set, several authorisations and rectifications of an administrative nature were approved, and an urban planning agreement with a reservation of use was ratified.

Finally, a motion was debated and approved to urge the Spanish Government to reduce the bureaucratic burdens affecting the fishing sector.

The plenary session can be viewed in its entirety on the Calpe Town Council's YouTube channel, accessible from the municipal website at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxzEMaQEqgQ

Friday, 23rd:

• 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. (Tour in English at 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays, in French on Wednesdays). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.

Saturday, 24th:

• • 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. - Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Swimming Day organised by the Xarxa Esportiva de la Marina at the municipal swimming pool.

• • ‘Misery Class’ with Goyo Jiménez. 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. Free admission until full capacity is reached.

Sunday, 25th:

• • 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. - Guided tours to Banys de la Reina. (Tour in Valencian at 12 p.m.). Registration at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • Sant Antoni del Porquet Festivity in Calpe at the La Merced Parish Church

10:45 a.m. – Procession from Plaza Mediterrrani to the La Merced Chucrh

11:30 a.m. – Blessing of the animals

12:00 p.m. – Mass

On Friday 6 February, Calpe Town Council will hold the 3rd Conference on ‘Ethics and Integrity in Public Procurement’, which will once again turn the town into a meeting point for public sector professionals committed to transparency, good governance and the improvement of procurement processes.

The conference will take place in the Auditorium of the Jaume Pastor i Fluixà Cultural Centre and will begin at 8:30 am with the collection of accreditations. The official opening will be at 9:15 am. This third edition is mainly aimed at technical staff and public officials involved in contract management, with the aim of offering them practical tools to reinforce integrity, legal certainty and control of public spending.

The programme will combine high-level legal and technical presentations. At 9:30 a.m., Manuel Fueyo Bros, Local Administration Comptroller and Trustee of the Principality of Asturias Audit Office, will address ‘The importance of bid evaluation formulae. After a coffee break at 10:45 a.m., at 11:30 a.m. Javier Martínez Hellín, Deputy Secretary of the Villena City Council and Associate Professor of Administrative Law at the University of Alicante, will give a presentation on the ‘Study of labour costs in service contracts and service concessions´.

At 12:45 p.m., Beatriz María Vigo Martín, Comptroller General of the Madrid City Council, will focus her presentation on ‘Control of Intervention in Framework Agreements and Dynamic Procurement Systems.’ At 2:00 p.m., a working cocktail reception is planned to facilitate the exchange of experiences among attendees.

The afternoon session will resume at 3:15 p.m. with the conference ‘Criminal Law and Public Procurement,’ by María Ángeles Jareño Leal, Professor of Criminal Law at the Universidad de Valencia. At 4:30 p.m. Gabriele Vestri, Professor of Procedural Law at the Universidad de Sevilla President of the Public Sector and Artificial Intelligence Observatory, will present the ‘Strategic Plan for the Implementation and Purchase of AI in Public Administration’, analysing the opportunities and risks of using these technologies in procurement processes. The closing ceremony is scheduled for 5:45 p.m., followed by a closing dinner at 8:30 p.m.

Registration will remain open until 28 January via the form accessible through the QR code included in the conference information material. Participation is free of charge until full capacity is reached.

The conference is organised by Calpe Town Council in collaboration with Alicante Provincial Council, the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces and the Official Association of Secretaries, Auditors and Treasurers of Local Government. With this third edition, Calpe consolidates its commitment to continuous training and integrity in the management of public resources.

This week, the Calpe Local Police began accompanying the five buses that transport CEIP Oltà students to the new temporary school, located in the Gargasindi district.

With the start of classes after the Christmas holidays, the 402 pupils of CEIP Oltà began attending classes in the modules installed in the Gargasindi district, next to IES Les Salines. However, the transfer of pupils by bus to the new school was not initially authorised, as it was considered that the access road to the centre did not meet the necessary requirements for regular traffic of vehicles of this size, especially at peak times of access to the area.

This meant that the CEIP Oltà buses, after picking up the pupils at the three designated stops (Health Centre and Casa de Cultura / Plaza Mayor), made their final stop on the road in front of the Parc de la Creatividad, and from there, the pupils walked to the school along a designated path of about 400 metres.

Finally, the departments of Education and Safety and Mobility have reached an agreement with the Regional Ministry of Education, so that the buses can reach the school itself, escorted by two Local Police vehicles. Thus, the five school buses of CEIP Oltà gather on Felipe VI Road (before the intersection with Casanova Avenue) and, from there, are accompanied by the Local Police, who can intervene in case of any traffic complications until they arrive at the school.

Once classes are over, the local police escort the school buses again: three buses leave at 2:15 p.m., one at 3:45 p.m. and, finally, the last bus at 5:00 p.m.

To avoid traffic jams and congestion, a 15-minute margin has been established for pick-up and drop-off times at the stops.

This measure prevents CEIP Oltà students, some of whom are very young, from having to walk the 400 metres between the bus stop in front of the Parc de la Creatividad and the school and allows them to enter and leave the school grounds in complete safety.

Calpe Town Council today established the Commemorative Committee for the 50th anniversary of the “Moros y Cristianos” festival, a body responsible for designing and coordinating the programme of special events that will take place throughout 2026 and 2027 to mark this anniversary. The aim of the commemoration is to strengthen and raise the profile of the festival and to advance the recognition of the “Moros y Cristianos” Festival in honour of the Santísimo Cristo del Sudor as a Festival of National Tourist Interest.

The committee, attached to the Mayor's Office, is chaired by Mayoress Ana Sala Fernández and has the Councillor for Festivals, Mariola Mulet Ronda, as vice-chair and commissioner for the 50th anniversary. This body includes representatives from the City Council (tourism, culture and communication experts and one representative from each municipal group), the Association of “Moros y Cristianos”, including its president Rocío Pastor Pastor and long-standing members of different groups, as well as the local parish priest, Vicente Martínez Agulló. In total, more than twenty people linked to the world of festivals and municipal management will work together to design the commemoration.

At the first working meeting, the general outline of the commemorative programme was outlined, which will include photography, poster and festive costume competitions, a festive music contest and a series of talks on different aspects of the festival, its history and its evolution in the municipality. The organisation of a grand commemorative gala and a day of festive conviviality has also been proposed.

The committee has also proposed updating a specific socio-economic study to analyse the impact of the “Moros y Cristianos”, festival on the local economy and on Calpe's tourism profile. Looking ahead to 2027, the year in which the 50th anniversary celebrations will culminate, the festival is expected to have a prominent presence at FITUR, where it will be specifically promoted as one of the municipality's main cultural and festive attractions.

At the same time, the Town Council has begun the process of having this commemoration recognised as a Festival of National Tourist Interest.

With the establishment of this commission, Calpe Town Council is taking the first step towards putting together a comprehensive and participatory programme that will highlight half a century of festive history and reinforce the link between the “Moros y Cristianos”, festival and the identity and social life of the town.

Calpe Town Council will host the 9th edition of the ‘Flors d'Honor’ awards ceremony for the ‘Viles en Flor’ programme, promoted by the Asfplant Foundation (Professional Association of Flowers, Plants and Horticultural Technology of the Valencian Region). The event will be held on 6 November and will bring together municipal representatives, authorities and professionals from the sector to recognise the best projects for the management of green areas and the improvement of the urban landscape in the Valencian Region. So far, 55 municipalities in the Valencian Region have confirmed their participation in this new edition of the programme.

‘Viles en Flor’ aims to highlight the work carried out by municipalities in the creation, conservation and sustainable management of their green spaces, as well as in environmental education and raising public awareness about caring for the environment. The programme also seeks to reinforce the image of the participating municipalities as attractive destinations committed to quality of life and sustainability.

Calpe is participating in ‘Viles en Flor’ for the sixth consecutive year and in the last edition it revalidated the three ‘Flors d'Honor’, consolidating its position as one of the Valencian benchmarks in terms of sustainability and respect for the environment. In recent years, the municipality has developed various initiatives to improve urban tree cover, landscaping and the protection of natural spaces, including the Peñón de Ifach Natural Park and the Calpe Salt Flats, a protected wetland and an enclave of great value for biodiversity.

The Foundation's managing director, José Forcadell, pointed out that ‘the Viles en Flor project demonstrates that urban greenery is a key tool for improving quality of life, strengthening local identity and promoting more balanced development. We encourage Valencian municipalities to join this initiative, which highlights the collective effort to build more sustainable, healthy and attractive spaces for residents and visitors’.

For her part, the Mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, stressed that participation in this programme ‘is recognition of the work that has been done for years in favour of the environment and sustainability. Being part of Viles en Flor allows us to share experiences with other municipalities, learn new ways of managing public space and continue moving towards a greener, friendlier city model that is committed to its natural environment’.