CalpeNoticias EN

Friday, 26:

• 10 am / 11.30 am / 1 pm - Free guided tours of the Banys de la Reina archaeological site. Registration: at the site or by emailing cabdelareina@esatur.com.
• From 6 pm to 1 am - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• 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 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo
• Exhibition: ‘Xanadú Ilustrado’ (Illustrated Xanadu). Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
• Exhibition: ‘Colores en acción’ (Colours in action). Until 30 September. Casa de Cultura Exhibition Hall. (Avda. Masnou, 1).

Saturday, 27:

• 10 a.m. / 11.30 a.m. / 1 p.m. - Free guided tours of the Banys de la Reina archaeological site. Registration: at the site or by email at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
• From 6 pm to 1 am - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• 7 pm - 22nd Musical Exchange Campaign 2025: Colla Portitxol de Xàbia and Colla Xirimiters del Carellot de Calpe. Auditorium.
• 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 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo
• Exhibition ‘Xanadú Ilustrado’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
• Exhibition ‘Colours in action’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1).

Sunday, 28th:

• 10 a.m. / 11.30 a.m. / 1 p.m. - Free guided tours of the Banys de la Reina archaeological site. Registration: at the site or by emailing cabdelareina@esatur.com.
• From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
• Balconies 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, the Roman footprint’. Until 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo
• Exhibition ‘Xanadú Ilustrado’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
• Exhibition ‘Colours in Action’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1).

Next Saturday, 27 September, Calpe Town Council is joining the national ‘1m² for beaches and seas’ campaign with a litter collection at Cala Manzanera. The initiative, part of the LIBERA Project promoted by SEO/BirdLife and Ecoembes, aims to raise public awareness of the impact of litter on natural environments, especially coastal areas.

The activity will take place between 10:00 and 12:00 and is open to all citizens. The meeting point will be Cala Manzanera, and for approximately two hours, participants will collaborate in the removal of waste with the logistical support of Calpe Town Council, through the Calpe Blau programme, and volunteer staff.

The organisation will provide the necessary materials for the collection (gloves and bags), insurance for participants and coordination throughout the activity, which is completely free of charge.

Calpe Town Council encourages citizens to join this initiative, which contributes to keeping the municipality's natural areas clean and reinforces the collective commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.

For more information, interested parties can contact 663 23 33 36.

In addition, participants are invited to share images of the day on social media using the hashtags #LIBERA1m2, #basuraleza and #ProyectoLIBERA.

From 1 October, the municipal swimming pool will extend its opening hours and number of classes.

The facility will be open Monday to Friday from 7am to 10pm, Saturdays from 8am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm, and Sundays from 10am to 2pm. During the daily time slots from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., on Saturday afternoons and on Sundays, it will be essential to make a reservation via the Resasports platform to gain access.

In addition, due to the high demand recorded in September, the number of baby swimming classes will be increased by 7 hours per week, and more advanced classes will be created for children between 2 and 3 years old. Two new swimming groups have also been established: for 3 to 5-year-olds and 5 to 10-year-olds. Users on the waiting list will be notified in order of registration.

The reopening of the municipal swimming pool in September after improvement and refurbishment work has been very well received. This September, the swimming pool has had 1,160 users (people who have visited the pool at least once a week), and all classes are full with, a waiting list for some of them, except for aqua gym classes, where there are still places available.

It is estimated that in September alone, the municipal swimming pool generated nearly €15,000 in revenue. In addition, at the beginning of next year, the tax ordinance regulating the swimming pool is expected to be amended to add new categories of passes and options.

Calpe Town Council has awarded the contract for tree pruning and maintenance of central reservations in different areas of the municipality, as well as the maintenance of palm trees, for a total amount of €617,947.

The company awarded all the lots is Martin y Paco Carbonell S.L., which submitted the best financial and technical bids in accordance with the evaluation criteria set out in the respective specifications.

The contract has been divided into four lots, grouping together different areas of the municipality, with a term of four years from its formalisation and no possibility of extension. The areas and amounts awarded were as follows: lot 1 for the town centre (old town and expansion) for €93,049; lot 2 for the southern area (Avenidas Masnou, Valencia and residential areas) for €37,944; lot 3 for the beach area (Avenidas Ejércitos Españoles, Juan Carlos I and beaches) for €198,713; and lot 4 for the northern area (access roads, school zones, sports areas and residential developments) for €190,527.

Each lot provides for additional staffing with seven gardening officers, ten gardening labourers, one crane driver, one transport truck driver, and a fleet of four vehicles between 0 and 10 years old. In addition, a reduction of up to 91 minutes in the maximum response time to emergencies is guaranteed.

The contract for palm tree maintenance has also been awarded for a maximum amount of €154,546 and an initial term of 12 months, extendable for a further two years.

The contract includes the pruning of Phoenix dactylifera, Phoenix canariensis and Washingtonia spp. specimens, with up to two pruning per year depending on the species, as well as the application of annual phytosanitary treatments.

All contracts provide for the reduction of the environmental impact of vehicles by requiring that at least three units be no more than five years old. The ability to respond to urgent situations was also particularly valued.

With these awards, Calpe Town Council is reinforcing its commitment to the maintenance and improvement of green areas and urban trees, ensuring more efficient, sustainable and professional management of these public spaces.

Calpe Town Council has launched a project to install CCTV cameras with the aim of improving security in the municipality and monitoring traffic. In recent days, a network of video surveillance cameras has been installed on the main roads of the municipality, such as Diputación, Ejércitos Españoles and Generalitat Valenciana avenues, as well as other secondary roads.

This is the first phase of an ambitious traffic monitoring and control plan that has begun with the access roads to the municipality. The intention of the Departments of Public Safety and IT is to continue this process by implementing a second phase in which the network of cameras will be extended to other areas of the municipality. The aim is to reinforce security in Calpe, monitor traffic and obtain data management tools to analyse traffic and pedestrian flow levels.

This first phase has cost €100,000 and the contract has been awarded to Elecnor, a company with extensive experience in this type of work. All the information from the images is sent to the traffic control centre installed in the Local Police headquarters. The Local Police are responsible for controlling and viewing the cameras from their headquarters. In addition, a budget of €100,000 has already been allocated to carry out the second phase of this project.

Guillermo Sendra, Councillor for Public Safety, points out that ‘with this video surveillance system, Calpe is substantially improving traffic management and public safety by controlling the main access points and arteries of the city’.

For his part, the Councillor for IT, Marco Bittner, states that with the implementation of these measures, ‘the Council is taking a decisive step towards the technological modernisation of its services, committing to a more agile and efficient administration’.

The Mayoress, Ana Sala, has pointed out that ‘improving the safety of Calpe and its inhabitants is a long-standing demand that is being met in this legislative term, and I am grateful for the great effort and discipline of the councillors and technicians responsible for achieving this very positive goal for everyone’.

Calpe Town Council has begun maintenance and improvement work on the Arenal-Bol beach promenade, with the aim of improving pedestrian safety and resolving existing deficiencies in the paving and structures in the area.

The work includes upgrading the pavement, consolidating the masonry wall and replacing the coping stones that are in poor condition. This intervention aims to bring the promenade up to the usual standards of urbanised areas, thus ensuring a safer and more accessible space for both residents and visitors.

The works, awarded for a total of €155,340, have a completion period of 10 weeks and a possible maximum extension of one month, and are part of the municipal commitment to the conservation and enhancement of public spaces, especially those linked to the coastline.

With this action, Calpe Town Council continues to make progress in improving key infrastructure for the municipality, prioritising actions that have a positive impact on the safety, image and urban quality of spaces for public use.

This week, Calpe Town Council has begun work on remodelling the cycle lane that runs along Avenida de los Ejércitos Españoles, between Calle La Niña and Calle Letonia. The work consists of reorganising the space allocated to pedestrians and cyclists to improve safety for both users.

This project is part of the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD), which is supported by the Valencian Community's 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 works have been awarded to the company Pavasal Empresa Constructora, S.A.U. for a total of €388,984.75 and have a completion period of four months.

These actions will redesign the layout of the cycle lane, pavement and existing garden area in this section. Currently, there is a pavement-cycle lane, i.e. the cycle lane runs along the pavement without a kerb separating it and is located on the innermost part of the pavement. Next to the cycle lane towards the road is a one-metre-wide pavement and finally a garden area.

The new design will therefore allow the pedestrian pavement to be widened to three metres and moved to the innermost edge, thus facilitating access to shops in the area and preventing pedestrians from having to cross the cycle lane.

In addition, the pavement will be separated from the cycle lane by a landscaped strip more than one metre wide, where new street furniture and trees will be installed, creating a safer and more pleasant environment. The cycle lane will also be separated from the parking lane by a space of almost one metre, which will increase safety for cyclists.

The project also includes the renovation of the pavement, using a more resistant material that is more suitable for bicycle traffic.

Friday, 19:

• • From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
  • CalpSulas 2025 – Artistic interventions in the historic centre of Calpe:
  • ‘Asesinatos 32 puñaladas’ (Murder 32 Stabs) (theatre). Museu de la Senyoreta. Performances: 7 pm / 7.30 pm / 8 pm / 8.30 pm.
  • ‘Familiaritzar-se’ (dance). Ajuntament Vell. Performances: 7 pm / 8 pm / 9 pm.
  • ‘20 años después’ (theatre). Ajuntament Vell. Performances: 7.30 pm / 8.30 pm / 9.30 pm.
  • Virgen de la Merced Festivities
  • 9 pm – Opening of the festival marquee: Tasting of local products. Free ‘Nit de coques’ (coconut cakes) while stocks last.
  • 10 pm – Musical performance by ‘RUMBAOS’.
  • 9 p.m. – Concert ‘Las canciones de tu vida – El Guateque’ (The songs of your life – The party). Bar service to benefit the Alicante Association for the Fight Against Cancer – Calpe Headquarters. Plaza Mayor.
  • 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’ (Banys de la Reina, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo
  • Exhibition ‘Xanadú Ilustrado’ (Illustrated Xanadu). Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
  • Exhibition ‘Colours in Action’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1).

Saturday, 20:

• • 9 a.m. – Free Zumba class. Plaza Colón (Arenal-Bol beach).
  • 10 a.m. / 11.30 a.m. / 1 p.m. - Free guided tours of the Banys de la Reina archaeological site. Registration: at the site or by emailing cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).

Virgen de la Merced festivities:

• • 6.15 pm - Gathering in Plaza Mediterrani to begin the procession and floral offering to the Virgin, scheduled for 6.30 pm.
  • 8 pm - Solemn mass.
  • 8:30 p.m. - Opening of the festival marquee.
  • 10:30 p.m. - Musical performance by ‘EL PAYO KE KANTA’.
  • CalpSulas 2025 - Artistic interventions in the historic centre of Calpe:
• ‘Asesinatos 32 puñaladas’ (theatre). Museu de la Senyoreta. Performances: 7 pm / 7.30 pm / 8 pm / 8.30 pm.
• ‘Familiaritzar-se’ (dance). Ajuntament Vell. Performances: 7 pm / 8 pm / 9 pm.
• ‘20 years later’ (theatre). Old Town Hall. Performances: 7.30 pm / 8.30 pm / 9.30 pm.
  
  • 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
  • Exhibition ‘Xanadú Ilustrado’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Old Town Hall.
  • Exhibition ‘Colours in Action’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1).

Sunday, 21st:

Virgen de la Merced Festivity. Bicycle Day:

• • 9:30 a.m. - 1st ‘Baydal’ tribute biker breakfast.
  • 10 a.m. - Children's go-karts in Plaza Colón.
  • 11:45 a.m. – Cycling tour departing from Plaza Colón, arriving at the Church of La Merced at around 1:15 p.m. In-person registration on the 21st, from 10 to 11 a.m. Plaza Colón.
  • 12 noon – Holy Mass for all the deceased.
  • 12:30 p.m. - Children's activities (face painting, workshops, bouncy castle, mechanical bull, etc.).
  • 1:30 p.m. - Batucada performance by ‘BATUGARIA’.
  • 2 p.m. - Giant paella for all attendees, with entertainment by DJ Abraham Pla and DJ David.
  • 8:30 p.m. - Holy Mass for Blessed Francisco Sendra.
  • 10 a.m. / 12 p.m. - Free guided tours of the Banys de la Reina archaeological site. Registration: at the site or by email at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).

• • Balconies 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, the Roman footprint’. Until 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo
  • Exhibition ‘Xanadú Ilustrado’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
  • Exhibition ‘Colours in action’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1).

The Calpe Town Council calls on all citizens to observe two minutes of silence tomorrow, Friday, 19 September 2025, at 10:00 a.m., in memory of the two girls who recently passed away in our municipality.

The event will take place at the Town Hall entrance, in Plaza Miguel Roselló, and residents are invited to participate in this gesture of respect and solidarity.

With this call, the Town Council wishes to express its support and closeness to the families affected and to express the shared grief of the entire community of the town.

The Calpe Business Association (AEMCO), in collaboration with FACPYME and with a grant from Calpe Town Council, has launched the ‘Calpe welcomes autumn’ campaign, which aims to boost the local economy, support the business community and encourage local shopping in the municipality.

The initiative will run from 17 to 30 September 2025 and includes a prize draw for 250 gift cards worth €50 each, representing a total of €12,500 in prizes to be spent in shops, services and hotels in Calpe. Customers can enter the draw for these cards by registering their purchases using the campaign QR code, with a minimum purchase of €10, and complying with the terms and conditions of the campaign as indicated on the form and at https://empresarioscalpe.es/promociones.

During the campaign period, customers will also be able to take advantage of special promotions offered by each participating establishment, which will make the campaign even more attractive to both residents and visitors.

The main event and the final draw will be held on 4 October 2025 in the Plaza Mayor from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in an event that will feature activities for the whole family, such as a 9D virtual reality simulator, children's workshops, a 360º photocall, background music and a special setting for the occasion. Promotional material related to the campaign will also be distributed during the event.

With this initiative, Calpe Town Council, AEMCO and FACPYME are reinforcing their commitment to promoting local trade, hospitality and local services, helping to build customer loyalty and improve the experience of residents and visitors.

On 12 September, Calpe Town Council held a working day at Punt Jove with the municipality's associations to make progress on the development of the 2025-2029 Strategic Plan for Citizen Participation. This session marks the start of the participatory process with the diagnostic phase, which will serve as the basis for defining the lines of action for the new plan.

During the meeting, 14 local associations from different fields—such as sport, music, commerce, animal protection, equality and the foreign resident community—shared their concerns and proposals for improvement around four fundamental axes: participation as a strategic element of government, resources and tools to reinforce participation, improving the culture of participation through information and training, and the quality of communication between the Town Council and the associations.

The day was organised in working groups, as part of the first phase of the process, focusing on a shared diagnosis of the current situation of citizen participation in the municipality. The conclusions drawn will be used to design a realistic roadmap, consistent with local needs and aligned with the principles of democratic governance.

With this initiative, Calpe Town Council reaffirms its commitment to a more inclusive, transparent and effective model of participation, in which associations and organised citizens play an active role in decision-making and the development of public policies.

The process will continue in the coming months with new phases of open work, in which local entities and citizens will continue to be involved in jointly defining the objectives and actions of the plan.

Calpe Town Council has responded to citizens' concerns about the accumulation of Posidonia on beaches. The Councillor for the Environment and Beaches, Pedro Moll Leuchter, has justified the measures taken and asked for patience while the necessary procedures are completed.

Historically, beaches were cleaner because the removal of Posidonia was not subject to such strict controls. However, the Council is now acting in strict compliance with laws that seek to enhance the value of this plant. The cleaning work carried out by the company FCC was interrupted by the large volume of debris that accumulated due to a recent storm. Current regulations require authorisation from the Regional R5Environment Directorate in order to move Posidonia.

The City Council already applied for authorisation on 7 August 2025 to move the debris from La Fossa beach to the Borumbot area, in order to regenerate that area, which is running out of sand. Despite constant contact with the Regional Ministry's technicians to speed up this authorisation, a response is still pending.

At the same time, the Infrastructure Department is working on a project for a Posidonia collection and management area in Partida Pioco.

Pending authorisation, the company FCC has carried out work this morning to level the mountains of Posidonia storage.

We therefore ask for your patience and understanding while we await authorisation from the competent body, the Regional Directorate for the Environment of the Valencian Regional Government.

Calpe has closed the summer of 2025 with historic tourist occupancy figures for the three months of the high season. The municipality achieved record highs in June, with 79.87 per cent, and July, with 81.26 per cent, the highest figures to date for those months, and 93.57 per cent for August, which is a new record, surpassing the previous record set in 2016 (88.15 per cent).

The data, provided by the Department of Tourism, shows that all types of accommodation have experienced increases. Of particular note is the increase in occupancy at campsites compared to 2024 in both July and August, rising from 56 per cent to 70.51 per cent and from 64.83 per cent to 88.28 per cent, respectively, as well as overnight stays in apartments in August, from 76.72 per cent to 89.84 per cent. Apartments were the type of establishment that grew the most in June, rising from 44.71 per cent to 62.98 per cent.

In terms of the origin of visitors, domestic tourists outnumbered foreign tourists in July (accounting for 67.85 per cent of overnight stays) and August (68.31 per cent of overnight stays), while the trend was reversed in June, when 53.8 per cent of overnight stays in Calpe were by foreigners, compared to 46.2 per cent by domestic tourists.

The Councillor for International Promotion, Marco Bittner, stressed that: ‘our objective is to diversify the source markets and distribute the arrival of visitors throughout the year, as well as positioning Calpe as a destination for experiences, beyond just sun and beach’.

The Councillor for Tourism Planning, Mireia Ripoll, pointed out that "this summer confirms the excellent moment that tourism is experiencing in Calpe. The data is the result of the joint work of the entire sector and the promotion strategy we are developing. Now we intend to continue advancing in deseasonalisation and ensure that the destination continues to grow in a sustainable manner.

Friday, 12:

• • From 9.30 am to 2.30 pm. Information session on guided tours of the Banys de la Reina archaeological site, which will begin on Saturday 13. At the Banys de la Reina archaeological site.
  • 11 a.m. Unveiling of the mural “Vita in domus” by artist Begoña Movellán. At the Banys de la Reina archaeological site.
  • Blood donation marathon. From 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and from 4.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Local Red Cross Assembly (C/ María Jorro, 1, local 10).
  • From 6 pm to 1 am - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).
  • 9 pm. Theatre performance ‘Las mujeres al poder’ (Women in Power) by File Mossarabs d'Ifac. Auditorium of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1).
  • Balconies 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’ (Banys de la Reina, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museum of Collecting.
  • Exhibition ‘Xanadú Ilustrado’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
  • Exhibition ‘Colours in action’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1).

Saturday, 13:

• • 10 a.m. / 11.30 a.m. / 1 p.m. - Free guided tours of the Banys de la Reina archaeological site. Registration: at the site or by emailing cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
  • 6.30 pm. Guided tour of the historic centre of Calpe (by appointment).
  • 9 pm. Theatre performance of ‘Las mujeres al poder’ (Women in Power) by File Mossarabs d'Ifac. Casa de Cultura Auditorium. (Avda. Masnou, 1)
  • Balconies 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. Museum of Collecting.
  • Exhibition ‘Xanadú Ilustrado’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
  • Exhibition ‘Colours in action’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1)

Sunday, 14th:

• • 10 a.m. / 12 p.m. - Free guided tours of the Banys de la Reina archaeological site. Registration: at the site or by email at cabdelareina@esatur.com.
  • From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
  • Balconies 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, the Roman footprint’. Until 30 December. Museum of Collecting.
  • Exhibition ‘Xanadú Ilustrado’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
  • Exhibition ‘Colours in action’. Until 30 September. Exhibition hall of the Casa de Cultura. (Avda. Masnou, 1)

Starting this Saturday, 13 September, the Banys de la Reina archaeological site will be open to the public on a regular basis, allowing visitors and residents of Calpe to learn about the history and heritage value of this site, one of the most important archaeological sites of its kind in Roman Hispania. Free guided tours are scheduled to begin on that day and will be offered every week from Wednesday to Sunday. This marks the realisation of a long-awaited project that will showcase this unique site and bring it closer to the whole community.

The opening of the site follows refurbishment work, financed by the Provincial Council to the tune of €439,388.69, which has enabled it to be turned into a museum. The City Council has also awarded the contract for information services and guided tours to the company ESATUR XXI SLU. The company has extensive experience in this field, as it also manages tourist information for the Illeta del Banyets site in Campello and Lucentum in Alicante.

Three guided tours have been scheduled per day from Wednesday to Saturday, at 10 a.m., 11.30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and two guided tours on Sundays and public holidays, at 10 a.m. and 12 noon. To take part, you'll need to register in advance, either at the site itself or by emailing cabdelareina@esatur.com.

Groups will consist of a maximum of 25 people and visits are expected to last approximately 50 minutes. They will be conducted in Spanish/Valencian, although depending on the number of bookings, they may also be offered in English. Please arrive 10 minutes before the start of the tour wearing suitable clothing and footwear, as well as hats and other items of protection from the sun and water.

In order to provide information about the opening of Banys de la Reina and the launch of this service, Calp Town Council will hold an information day open to the public on Friday 12 September. At 11 a.m., the mural Vita in domus, by the artist Begoña Movellán, will be unveiled at the site.

‘At last we can open this important site to the public on a regular basis. It is the culmination of the work and effort carried out by the Department of Culture so that this site can be visited, known and appreciated by everyone,’ said the Councillor for Culture, Guillermo Sendra.

The Banys de la Reina site is one of the largest Roman sites on the Spanish Mediterranean coast due to its uniqueness and monumentality. It dates from the late 2nd century AD to the 7th century AD and was declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) in March 2022.

At today's plenary session, the regulatory bases for this campaign were submitted for initial approval, a preliminary step before its launch in the coming weeks. The campaign is expected to begin in November and end on 15 December 2025, once the administrative process has been completed.

The campaign will have a total investment of €200,000, financed entirely by Calpe Town Council. Thanks to this direct aid, people registered as residents of Calpe over the age of 18 will be able to purchase vouchers worth €20, €50 or €100, paying only half the amount. The other half will be subsidised by the town council.

Each person will be able to purchase a maximum of £100 in vouchers per ID card, and these can be used in trades participating in the municipality for purchases equal to or greater than their value.

The vouchers will be requested through a digital platform that will be active when the campaign is launched.

This initiative has proven in previous editions to be an effective tool for economic recovery, encouraging consumption in local businesses and generating a multiplier effect in sectors such as small businesses, restaurants and personal services.

The Councillor for Economic Promotion, Paqui Solivelles, has called on both citizens and businesses in the municipality to actively join this campaign, which reinforces the institutional commitment to boosting the local economy.

Regulations of the Municipal Sports Council

The Calpe Town Council has definitively approved the final draft of the Regulations of the Municipal Sports Council, after the public consultation period ended without any objections being raised. This step marks the formal establishment of this new body for sectoral participation in the municipality's sports sector.

The Municipal Sports Council was created with the aim of promoting dialogue, coordination and active participation among sports organisations, clubs, educational centres and individuals involved in local sports, serving as a meeting place between the administration and the various agents involved in Calpe's sports sector. Its functions include proposing and discussing initiatives, monitoring municipal sports policies and collaborating in the organisation of events and activities. It will also be able to draw up reports and recommendations on issues of general interest for the improvement of sports in Calpe.

The approved regulations establish the composition of the Council, with representation from institutions, sports clubs, associations, educational centres and individual athletes, as well as the operating rules and frequency of meetings.

The Councillor for Sport, Ximo Perles, pointed out that ‘with this initiative, Calpe Town Council reaffirms its commitment to a participatory and transparent model in the design of sports policies, and reinforces its commitment to the promotion of sport as a tool for social cohesion, well-being and community development’.

Once published in the Official Gazette of the Province, the regulations will come into force and the process of officially establishing the Council will begin.

Sustainability Master Plan

Finally, the Plenary Session gave initial approval to the Sustainability Master Plan, a strategic document that will set out the municipality's roadmap for sustainable development for the period 2025-2030. The purpose of this plan is to align local policies with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the UN, promoting actions that integrate economic, social and environmental sustainability. The document has been drawn up by Global Omnium, acting as external assistance, at a cost of €33,000, as part of the Improvement Action Plan approved by the plenary session in 2022, and has been approved by the Department of Urban Planning and the Environment. Its contents include:

• A diagnosis of the current context of the municipality.
• The definition of specific and measurable goals to achieve the SDGs.
• The planning of actions in line with the 2030 Agenda.
• A system of indicators that will allow progress to be assessed on a regular basis.

In addition, the City Council's commitment to promoting citizen participation and transparency throughout the process is included.

Once initially approved, the plan will be submitted for public consultation for 30 days, during which time citizens and interested parties may submit comments or suggestions. The document will be available on the Council's notice board and on the municipal website, as well as being published in the Official Gazette of the Province.

The Councillor for Urban Planning, Juan Manuel del Pino, has stated that ‘with this Sustainability Master Plan, Calpe is taking a decisive step towards a more responsible and resilient local management model, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and the well-being of present and future generations’.

The 2025-2026 school year began today in Calpe with a total of 3,541 pupils enrolled. In Infant (2nd cycle) and Primary Education, 2,018 pupils have enrolled (578 in Infant Education and 1,440 in Primary Education), distributed across Calpe's four educational centres: CEIP Azorín (515 pupils), Gabriel Miró (548), Oltà (412) and Mediterrani (543).

In secondary school, 955 students are enrolled at the start of this school year, of which 670 are at IES Ifac and 285 at IES Les Salines. In addition, IES Ifac has 180 students enrolled in sixth form and 170 in vocational training.

A total of 166 children have enrolled for this academic year at the Silene Nursery School (1st cycle of nursery education). And CEEP Gargasindi is starting the academic year with 52 pupils.

Enrolment is open all year round, so these figures may vary.

Calpe Town Council reports that the Regional Ministry of Education has not delivered all the furniture promised for the temporary IES Les Salines educational centre, which was scheduled for today, Monday 8 September. Nor has it provided the necessary personnel to carry out the assembly and cleaning tasks that are essential to ensure that the centre can start operating in optimal conditions.

In view of this situation, the Council has been forced to act on its own and urgently hire the services of a specialised company to refurbish the facilities in time for the start of the 2025-2026 school year, scheduled for Tuesday 9 September.

The management of IES Les Salines and the Department of Education have conveyed their concern about the state of the centre to the Regional Ministry and the need to consider a possible postponement of the start of classes if the proper preparation of the building cannot be guaranteed. However, the response from the regional administration has been non-existent or negative.

Calpe Town Council would like to convey a message of understanding and patience to families during these first few days, and would like to thank the entire educational community for their efforts and collaboration, working together to ensure that students can start the school year in the best possible conditions.

Please note that any official information will be communicated exclusively through the management team of IES Les Salines and Calpe Town Council itself.

The Councillor for Education of Calpe Town Council, Mariola Mulet, and the headmaster of IES Ifac, Moisés Pastor, visited the construction site of the new temporary IES Les Salines school this morning to check on the progress of the work and confirm that the 2025-2026 academic year will go ahead as planned.

During the visit, both parties confirmed that the centre is practically complete. As the headteacher pointed out, ‘the centre is 100% ready, just waiting for a few finishing touches and for the Conselleria's delivery to arrive on Monday,’ referring to the necessary furniture that the Conselleria de Educación (Regional Ministry of Education) plans to deliver that same day.

To mark this delivery, a reception for the pupils will be held on Monday at the Casa de Cultura in Calpe, while classes will begin as normal on Tuesday in the new temporary facilities.

The Town Council wanted to convey a message of reassurance to families. Both the councillor and the headteacher have highlighted the joint effort made to ensure that the school year can begin without any setbacks, despite the difficulties inherent in a project of this magnitude.

Mariola Mulet expressly thanked ‘the work of the IES teaching team, the patience of the families and the involvement of all the companies and individuals who are actively collaborating to ensure that the students can start the school year in the best possible conditions’.

The temporary IES Les Salines school has been designed as a provisional solution while work is carried out on the future new secondary school in Calpe, with the aim of ensuring continuity of education and avoiding travel to other municipalities.

Aguas de Calpe has put the Corralets reservoir back into service after completing the comprehensive refurbishment of this infrastructure, which is key to the municipality's supply system as it is the main drinking water reservoir supplying the town centre.

The project, which took three months to complete, involved an investment of more than €579,000. The reservoir has a capacity of 10,000 m³ (equivalent to 10 million litres), a diameter of 44 metres and a height of 6.9 metres.

The work included waterproofing and renovating the roof, refurbishing the interior and exterior of the infrastructure, and making hydraulic improvements. The latter included replacing the fibre cement pipes with stainless steel pipes and installing new valves to improve the system's manoeuvrability.

Prior to the execution of the works, Aguas de Calpe used the digital twin of the supply network to simulate and predict possible effects resulting from the temporary disconnection of the reservoir. Thanks to this tool, the company was able to guarantee continuity of supply and maintain a hydraulic performance of 91.5%, one of the highest in the province.

With this intervention, the Corralets reservoir is fully reincorporated into the network and reinforces the efficient management of water in the municipality.