CalpeNoticias EN

The Office for Citizen Participation launched a public consultation in January to evaluate the location and duration of the Christmas market in order to gather the opinions and suggestions of citizens for the organisation of the next edition.

A total of 421 people responded to the survey, 416 via the official survey and 5 by email. The results of the survey show that the majority of citizens prefer the Christmas fair to return to the old town, and as for its duration, a very long duration of the event is perceived as less attractive, although there is a balance in preferences for one or two weekends.

The citizens were asked about the suitability of the Plaza Mayor as a venue and the possibility of a return to the old town. A total of 329 participants voted in favour of the fair returning to the old town, 61 voted for the Plaza Mayor and 26 were indifferent.

Although the respondents to the survey gave a positive assessment of the accessibility and convenience of the Plaza Mayor, the majority were of the opinion that this location detracts from the Christmas atmosphere and lacks historical charm. The Plaza Mayor was largely viewed negatively as a location for this event.

As for the duration of the fair, which last year was held over all the weekends in December instead of just the long weekend at the beginning of the month, the respondents were negative about the extension. 223 of the respondents believe that the extension of the duration of the event makes it less special, 181 of the respondents believe that it leads to low visitor numbers and detracts from the atmosphere, and 150 of the respondents believe that it causes fatigue among the local population.

However, when asked about their preferred duration, the format of two consecutive weekends was the most frequently mentioned with 150 votes, while the format of a single weekend (first weekend in December) received 147 votes.

Participants also made recommendations on how to improve future editions of the Fira de Nadal. Among the main proposals are increasing the Christmas atmosphere, returning the fair to the old town, adding more activities for children, promoting the presence of shops selling Christmas items and reducing the number of food stalls.

This week work began on the extension of the municipal cemetery, a project that involves an investment of 196,976.59 euros and which will add 111 new niches and substantially improve the existing facilities.

The project, awarded to Vías y Obras Aitana, has a completion period of three months and includes the construction of a new level with capacity for 111 additional niches distributed in four modules, all on a plot adjacent to the newest area of the cemetery. The project also includes significant aesthetic and functional improvements, such as the creation of green areas with dry stone walls and the installation of a new irrigation system.

‘Life teaches us that growth is inevitable, and our municipal cemetery is no exception. With this extension, which we are finally seeing materialise, we are ensuring that Calp can continue to honour the memory of its residents with the dignity they deserve, because the last home should be as welcoming as the first’, said Marco Bittner, councillor responsible for the Parque del Descanso Eterno.

This action, which responds to the growth of the population and the current needs of the municipality, is part of a broader improvement plan. ‘This project is just the first step on a longer journey. We have planned new phases that will shape our vision of a cemetery that is more than just a place of farewell. We want to create a space where serenity and beauty invite reflection, where gardens and traditional stone walls help us feel peace,’ added the councillor.

In parallel to the process of extending the cemetery, the municipal plenary session recently approved the modification of the Cemetery Ordinance to allow the burial of relatives who are not registered, a measure that responds to the needs identified in the municipality.

Calpe City Council has announced the reopening of its municipal radio station, which is returning to the airwaves after more than a decade of silence. The former Radio Televisión de Calpe, which ceased broadcasting in 2013, is now reborn as a project that has been revamped and adapted to new technologies, maintaining the licence that has remained in force throughout this time.

This new phase begins with a management model that takes advantage of the Town Council's own resources and draws on citizen collaboration. The project foresees the participation of municipal staff, volunteers, students and local associations, which minimises operating costs and guarantees its viability.

The station will incorporate innovative technologies, such as an automated radio formula system based on supervised artificial intelligence and will be integrated into the network of municipal radio stations of the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP), which will allow it to share content and experiences with other local radio stations.

‘We are reviving this public service with the aim of providing news coverage of the intense cultural, sporting and social activity in Calpe,’ said Ana Sala, Mayor of the municipality. ’The radio station will be a loudspeaker for our associations, a space where the different productive sectors will be able to have a voice and a direct channel of communication with the citizens.’

In its first phase, the station will operate without commercial advertising, focusing on creating quality programming that reflects local reality and encourages citizen participation. The studios will be located on the top floor of Calpe Town Hall and will broadcast on the frequency 107.4 FM.

The station will begin test broadcasts today, 13th February, coinciding with World Radio Day, an emblematic date that commemorates the fundamental role of this medium in our society. During this initial phase, technical adjustments will be made and regular programming will be progressively implemented, to be announced in the coming weeks.

Associations, groups or individuals interested in participating in this project can contact radioCalpe@ajcalpe.es

Friday, 14th:

• 7 p.m. - Book Presentation ‘Recordar es político (y jurídico). Una desmemoria democrática.’ (Remembering is political (and legal). A democratic forgetfulness) by Pablo de Lora. Assembly Hall of the Seu Universitaria de Calp-Casa Nova.

• Exhibition ‘Aires de mujer’ by Noelia Lillo and Encarna González. Until 28th February. In the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Saturday, 15th:

• From 10 am. 1st Intercultural and Gastronomic Festival. Parc de la Creativitat. Organised by Asocolca.

• 5 pm – Youth Challenge: circuit mode. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).

• 7 pm- Quartet Bolling concert ‘From Baroque to Jazz’. Auditorium of the Casa de Cultura.

• Exhibition ‘Aires de mujer’ by Noelia Lillo and Encarna González. Until 28th February. In the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Sunday, 16th:

• 11 h – Free guided tours of the historic centre of Calp. Registration required at 965836920 / 965 83 85 32 / turismo@ajcalp.es. Maximum 25 people per group. Meeting point: Casa de Cultura.

• 4 p.m. – Board Games. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).

Calpe Town Council, through the Department of Tourism Planning, has launched a series of online workshops so that local businesses and tourism agents can receive training in tourist accessibility. The aim of the council is to continue advancing in its commitment to become an inclusive tourist destination.

This action is part of a broader project to consolidate inclusive tourism included in the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD) which has the support of the Regional Ministry of Tourism of the Valencian Community - Turisme Comunitat Valenciana - and the Secretary of State for Tourism within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) financed by the European Union - Next Generation.

Four workshops have been organised: how to improve the accessibility of tourist accommodation, how to improve the accessibility of a bar or restaurant, how to make a museum accessible and how to create inclusive tourist experiences.

Each course consists of several sessions that consist of short video classes (between 10 and 30 minutes) in which the teachers explain the specific subject with real examples so that the content can be understood in a simple and practical way.

Those interested can enrol on the courses they want according to their interests and can watch them for a period of 30 days as many times as they want. The deadline for enrolment is 28 February.

Within the project to consolidate inclusive tourism, as set out in the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan, other actions are planned, such as awareness campaigns aimed at the public on the importance of the locality being an accessible tourist destination adapted to people with all kinds of functional diversity. And, on the other hand, dissemination campaigns will be launched in online and offline media, both general and tourist, as well as in municipal social networks in order to publicise the town as an accessible holiday destination.

Through the inclusive tourism consolidation project included in the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan, Calpe City Council has already put out to tender the purchase of adapted vehicles and equipment to enable people with some kind of functional diversity to improve their experience when they visit the municipality. And as part of this same project, the installation of a lift in the Museu de la Senyoreta is planned soon, among other actions.

The plenary session of Calpe City Council has approved the Integrated Action Plan (IAP), with which it will apply for ERDF funds from the EDIL Plans, and with which it aspires to obtain close to 7.4 million euros of this aid.

The EDIL plans, Local Integrated Development Strategies, are 60% financed by ERDF funds, with subsidies that can range from 5 to 15 million euros for projects in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. The Calpe PAI has a budget of 12,260,500 euros and has been drawn up on the basis of the Calpe Urban Agenda, a strategic city plan that includes the major projects that will be carried out up to the year 2030. Specifically, the Calpe PAI includes three projects: the construction of the Siglo XXI Tourist Office in the historic centre and the remodelling of the Paseo Marítimo de la Fossa and the Plaza Mayor, which are therefore the initiatives that now aspire to be financed with ERDF funds.

These are projects that have been in the works for the last few years, which were publicly presented in the last legislature and which can contribute to the development of Calpe towards a more sustainable and innovative city model, adapted to current trends in digitalisation and in which quality spaces are created for the use and enjoyment of citizens.

The motion was passed by the government team (Somos Calpe, PSOE and Compromís) and the PP municipal group and with the abstention of Defendamos Calpe.

The spokesperson for Defend Calpe, Paco Quiles, despite highlighting the need for these projects, indicated that they do not represent a transformative change for the municipality and advocates for other initiatives such as facilitating access to housing, solving the parking problem and providing the municipality with the educational and health infrastructures it needs. ‘What you are deciding to do are necessary but simply maintenance issues and we are not managing to really transform the municipality and have a real impact on the future of Calpe,’ he said.

The spokesman for the municipal PP group, Miguel Crespo, explained that these are projects “initially proposed by PP governments that we considered important at the time and that are still important and necessary today”. And he added that: ‘it is a vote of confidence in the government team to see if they are capable of obtaining the funding for these actions’.

The councillor for subsidies, Marco Bittner, responded to the criticisms of Defend Calpe and said that: ‘to say that this is a simple paint-and-decorate refurbishment, I don't buy it’. And he defined the projects as ‘an engine of change insofar as they are going to be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, because of the space we will gain, because of the use that will be made of those spaces, because of citizen participation... one of the many changes that are to come thanks to the Urban Agenda’.

For his part, the spokesman for Somos Calpe, Juan Manuel del Pino, said that these are ‘three mature projects to be able to present, we had a deadline that we could meet to present them and they met that cross-cutting requirement to enter this competition. We believe they have the best chance of winning the benefit of the subsidy’.

The councillor for housing, Mireia Ripoll, has said that she would have liked to have seen projects that facilitate access to housing included in the PAI in order to be eligible for European funds, but she emphasised that ‘it is not a mature project, which is one of Europe's requirements’ and that it is necessary to carry out strategic planning beforehand and to leave this type of project well defined in order to be able to present it to European funds, something that could be done in future calls for proposals.

‘The investments decided on by the government team are not new, they are not inventions, they are structural needs that we are going to address, hopefully with European funds, and if we are not granted them we will have committed to them and will address them anyway,’ said the mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, who added that: ’in parallel, public housing is a priority that is being worked on but not everything can be addressed at the same time.’

Renaturalisation of the Quisi

At the same time, the plenary session unanimously approved a request for further aid financed with ERDF funds. In this case, it is a question of the call from the Biodiversity Foundation for the development and consolidation of green infrastructure for the renaturalisation and resilience of Calee in order to carry out the renaturalisation of the Quisi ravine, a joint initiative with Benissa Town Council. The aim is to remove invasive species from the riverbed, introduce riverside trees and restore this ecosystem.

Municipal budgets 2025

On the other hand, the plenary session of Calpe has also definitively approved the municipal budgets for 2025, with the votes against of Defend Calpe and the PP. These accounts amount to 54,911,909 euros, 16.93% more than the previous year and are conditioned by the increase in the garbage tax, as highlighted by the mayor, as in the rest of the municipalities in Spain. 909 euros, 16.93% more than the previous year and which are conditioned by the increase in the rubbish collection tax, as the mayoress pointed out, as in the rest of the municipalities in Spain as it is an EU requirement.

Among the investments included in these budgets are the creation of the Museu fester in Casa Beltrán (in Plaza España) as part of the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) financed by the European Union - Next Generation. There are also plans to adapt the Civil Protection premises (117,491 euros), the extension of the crossing in the Barranc del Pou Roig ravine (222,678.38 euros), a project for accessibility and maintenance of pavements (250,000 euros), sanitation and rainwater infrastructures (1,074,589.36) and the installation of solar panels in the swimming pool (57,438.87 euros). Also the creation of the Centre for Recovery and Socio-Labour Integration for people with mental health problems (100,000 euros) which will be located in the former Victoria cinemas, among other projects. On the other hand, the 2025 accounts also contemplate an increase of almost 210,000 euros in the rescue and lifeguard service, which will rise to 835,739.26 euros, and 175,516.51 euros in beach cleaning, which will have a total budget of 633,085.30.

Feminisation of streets

The plenary session also unanimously approved the dedication of two streets in the municipality to two important women, Manuela Solís Clarás and Marie Curie. These are the first two streets dedicated to women proposed by the working group of the Department of Equality as part of the process of feminisation of the street map of Calpe.

Manuela Solís Clarás is the first female doctor in Valencian medicine to stand out for her contribution to public health and women's rights and will be the name given to the street that runs parallel to the Pou Roig ravine, between Casanova and Felipe VI avenues - between the sides of the Parc de la Creativitat and the Calpe tennis club.

And the road that runs along the upper part of the CEIP Mediterrani, between Avinguda de Masnou and the Manzanera neighbourhood, which gives access to the Canuta sup neighbourhood, will be named Marie Curie, in recognition of her outstanding scientific work and achievements in the field of physics and chemistry. The Councillor for Equality, Itziar Doval, expressed her satisfaction that the proposal had been approved with the support of all the groups and, moreover, on the very day that the International Day of Women and Girls in Science was being celebrated.

Calpe Town Council will ban smoking on the town's beaches and coves. The ordinary plenary session in February, to be held this afternoon, will address the modification of the municipal ordinance on the use and management of the coastline in order to introduce this ban as well as the sanctions that will be imposed for the infringement of this regulation. This is an initiative of the Department of the Environment in collaboration with the Department of Health Prevention.

This means that smoking will be banned along the entire Calpe coastline except for two designated areas on the larger beaches: la Fossa and Arenal-Bol. These areas will be located at the height of Plaza Mediterrani, in la Fossa, and Plaza Colón - in Arenal-Bol.

Last year Calpe Town Council took the first step by joining the Smoke-Free Beach Network of the Regional Ministry of Health and created smoke-free spaces on the beaches of Arenal-Bol, la Fossa and Cantal Roig, thus promoting a healthier and cleaner environment.

‘Last year we started creating spaces for non-smokers and this year we are reversing the initiative so that smoking will be prohibited along the entire Calpe coastline with the exception of two small spaces in la Fossa and Arenal-Bol,’ said the Councilor for Health Prevention, Itziar Doval, who emphasised the importance of promoting the health of beach users and avoiding tobacco consumption, which causes numerous diseases even for passive consumers.

This initiative also aims to protect the environment from highly polluting waste such as cigarette butts. In this sense, 15% of the waste collected on beaches is cigarette butts, which not only pollute the environment but also pose a risk to marine fauna. For this reason, in areas where smoking will be allowed, reusable ashtrays will be distributed from tourist information points to prevent them from being discarded on the sand. ‘On the one hand, we are protecting the health of beach users, especially children, who also frequent these beaches and play sports, which is incompatible with smoking; and on the other hand, we are looking after our coastline and promoting litter-free beaches,’ said Pere Moll, councillor for the environment.

Calpe Town Council is launching the campaign “Calpe's businesses want to make you fall in love!” with the aim of rewarding customer loyalty and encouraging spending in local businesses during the Valentine's Day celebrations.

The campaign will run from 10 to 15 February 2025. During this period, for every purchase made in the municipality's retail shops, customers will be able to take part in a prize draw for 5 romantic dinners for 2 at the local restaurants Enigma, Tu Capricho, Baydal, Bambero and El Santo. The prize, valued at €100, has been provided by the Calpee Business Association (AEMCO).

To participate, customers must make a purchase at any retail outlet in Calpe between 10 and 15 February 2025, take a photograph of the receipt and upload it to the website promoCalpe.com/amor, along with their contact details. On the posters placed in the shops, customers will be able to scan a QR code to go directly to the promotional website.

During the busiest days of the sale, the ‘cupids’ of Calpe will be shooting arrows of love through the shops of Calpe, informing the public about the campaign and handing out surprises.

The prize draw will take place in the week following the end of the campaign and the winners will be contacted via the telephone number or email address provided when uploading the ticket. Their names will be published on the website promoCalpe.com/amor and on the official social networks of Calpe Town Council. The full terms and conditions of the campaign ‘Calpe's shops want to make you fall in love!’ are available on this same website.

With this initiative, the Economic Promotion and Commerce Department of Calpe Town Council, directed by Paqui Solivelles Sendra, and the Calpe Merchants Association, seek to boost local commerce and reward customers for their support and trust.

The works to refurbish the Puerto Blanco marina will be completed in the coming months and it is expected that these facilities will be able to open their doors this summer, although they will not yet have all the commercial premises and restaurants open, which are in the marketing phase.

The company awarded the concession for the construction and operation of this mooring area, Marina PortBlanc, is currently carrying out the construction of the structure of the elevated pedestrian walkway that will connect the entrance area of ​​the port with the dock and will allow people to walk through the area while contemplating spectacular views of the port and the Calp coastline. It is also carrying out the construction of the commercial premises: two restaurants and a beach bar-kiosk in the beach area and two other catering establishments that will be on the walkway, as well as premises for nautical activities and the harbour master's offices, located on the ground floor. Along with these works, it is planned to pave the entire infrastructure.

The Mayor of Calp, Ana Sala, together with other members of the governing team, has visited the works and has been able to see the progress of the works in recent months.

The refurbishment of Puerto Blanco began in September 2023 and has consisted, among other actions, of maritime works, such as the dredging of the inner dock, highly complex work, which was carried out dry and which required the construction of a dam at the entrance to prevent sea water from entering, while bilge pumps were used 24 hours a day. The breakwater has been reinforced with the placement of some 20,000 tons of large stones since it was a very unprotected area in storms and a gate has been installed at the entrance to the port in order to reduce the high internal agitation of the waters of the dock.

Marina PortBlanc has also installed 150 mooring berths with the installation of floating pontoons with fingers (where the boats are moored) and has built the perimeter concrete docks, in addition to carrying out the stabilization of the slopes of this enclave.

And along with all this work, the beach at Puerto Blanco has been regenerated, which has led to this small stretch of coast gaining some 700 square metres in area.

In this way, in a few months this infrastructure will become a reality, the final investment of which amounts to more than 9 million euros, four million euros more than initially planned, due, among other things, to the delay in the start of the works due to a problem with the boundaries between the administrations, as well as the complexity of dredging and maintaining the dam, as well as the reinforcement of the breakwater.

“We cannot feel more satisfied with the progress of these works, as we will soon be able to enjoy this marina, after many years of abandonment and obstacles to make this small enclave look as it deserves,” said Mayor Ana Sala.

This week, the session of the Governing Council of the REGIONAL AGREEMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT – PACTE’MA was held in Calpe; with the attendance of representatives of the municipalities of the Marina Alta that make up the project, the union representatives of UGT and CCOO, the representative of the CEV, and the rest of the social agents of the territory involved in this joint project. The Plenary Hall of the Calpe Town Hall hosted this session, chaired by the president of Pacte’Ma, Carlos Pastor, who also holds the presidency of Creama as technical secretary of the Agreement; by the mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala; and, in addition, the Territorial Director of Labora, Cortes Martínez de las Heras, was also present.

In the initial interventions, the Mayor of Calpe welcomed all the attendees and expressed her satisfaction at hosting this session, as well as congratulating the team for the work being done in favour of employment and local development. The Territorial Director of Labora has emphasised the quality of the proposals presented by Pacte'Ma, reiterating the great work being done by the Marina Alta Employment Agreement.

In this Governing Council, the appointment of the Mayor of Murla, Juan Giner Riera, as Vice-President of the Agreement, who will replace the presidency in cases of absence, has been unanimously approved.

In addition to presenting the results of the territorial projects developed in the 2023-2024 biannual period, the request for subsidies to the Generalitat Valenciana (Labora and the Ministry of Agriculture) for an amount of more than €600,000 to be executed in 2025 and 2026 has been approved.

With these grants, the implementation of the territorial projects Observatori Marina Alta, Punt Nàutic, Xarxa Agrícola, Passaport Marina Alta is continued and the industrial line is started with the aim of promoting this economic sector in our region and attracting talent. In addition, the collaboration with the Local Fishing Action Group “La Marina” is strengthened with the aim of supporting the fishing sector in our region.

For their part, Yolanda Díaz Serra, representing UGT-PV, and Francisco García Alcaraz of CCOO, as the most representative unions in the territory, also wanted to highlight the great work of the technical team that makes up Pacte’MA, and they also highlighted that this Agreement for Employment constitutes a space to obtain benefits for the citizens of Marina Alta, being an example of other pacts. These words from the union representatives have been corroborated by the representative of the CEV, Ana Gosálvez Corbeto.

Finally, and before closing the session, the president wanted to highlight and thank the consensus to reach agreements by all entities and social agents in this session, materializing the will to work together when approving projects and specific actions in favor of territorial development in terms of employment and economic growth.

Pacte'MA is part of the Avalem Territori program, which is subsidized by Labora Valencian Employment and Training Service and the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, with the aim of developing comprehensive projects that respond to the labor and economic needs of the region.

The Local Police Headquarters has presented the report of actions for 2024, this document indicates that the Calpe Local Police has carried out 22,200 services throughout the year, and among them it is worth highlighting 12,316 reports made regarding violations of the Traffic Ordinance, with an average of almost 34 reports per day.

The report, prepared by the new Chief Superintendent of Calpe, Juan Antonio Sánchez Pérez, details the interventions carried out by local agents. Thus, 1,534 interventions were carried out related to verification and surveillance points, 1,257 vehicle seals and immobilizations, 1,030 humanitarian aid or relief interventions, 976 interventions in private conflicts or 760 actions in matters of gender violence and minors.

Throughout 2024, local police officers issued 508 complaints regarding occupation of public roads, 655 criminal or administrative summons, more than 700 traffic regulations for cultural, sporting or festive events and attended to 345 accidents.

Other interventions that are noted in the report are 96 street vendor merchandise intervention services, 254 interventions for public disorder, 164 interventions for theft or robbery and 162 violations of municipal ordinances.

From the headquarters, an analysis is carried out of the total of 407 traffic accidents recorded in the municipality during 2024 by the Accident Investigation Unit, of which 100 caused material damage, 46 were with minor injuries, 45 due to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and 19 caused serious injuries. In addition, 460 vehicles were immobilized, of which 226 for lacking insurance and 92 for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

In 2024, the Police have continued to provide Road Safety training for the youngest, training and awareness in matters of Road Safety is of vital importance for the educational development of potential drivers and users of our roads. For this reason, a total of 632 boys and girls from primary education centres and nursery schools in the municipality have participated in these road safety training sessions.

Local Police officers also actively participated in humanitarian and surveillance work in the towns affected by the DANA with several vehicles, aerial means (drone) and human resources for several weeks.

In terms of training, the Local Police staff has participated in two courses for the use of Tasers as well as training as judicial police in tests for the detection of toxic drugs while driving.

In 2024, two selective processes have been developed, one for Agents of the Basic scale in which 10 new officials have become part of the Local Police staff on a permanent basis in addition to 6 interim agents. With them, the Calpe Local Police staff rises to 75 police officers (65 agents, 8 officers, 1 inspector and 1 superintendent). The ratio of women within the police force continues to increase, in 2024 it was 13.79%.

Friday, 7:

• Exhibition ‘Aires de mujer’ by Noelia Lillo and Encarna González. Until 28 February. In the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

• Exhibition ‘Marinant Estellés. Landscapes, poems and voices of the Marina Alta’. Until 10th February. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Saturday, 8:

• From 10 am to 10 pm - Cancer Day "Together we are strong": flea market, bar, music, performances, children's games... Organised by the Alicante Association against Cancer. Parc de la Creativitat.

• 5 pm - 3rd Ping-pong Tournament. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).

• 8 pm - "Interview with my daughter Mari" with Antonia San Juan and Yeyo Bayeyo. Auditorium. Free entry.

• Exhibition ‘Aires de mujer’ by Noelia Lillo and Encarna González. Until 28 February. In the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

• Exhibition ‘Marinant Estellés. Landscapes, poems and voices of the Marina Alta’. Until 10th February. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Sunday, 9:

• 11 am – Free guided tours of the historic centre of Calpe. Compulsory registration on 965836920 / 965 83 85 32 / turismo@ajCalpe.es. Maximum 25 people per group. Meeting point: Casa de Cultura.
• 5 pm – Kahoot nutrition. Youth Club (Punt Jove - plaza de la Constitución).

The actress, scriptwriter and director Antonia San Juan, together with the presenter Yeyo Bayeyo, will stage her show ‘Interview with my daughter Mari’ next Saturday 8th February, at 8:00 p.m., in the Auditorium of the Casa de Cultura.

In this play, the monologuist from Gran Canaria uses comedy with cabaret reminiscences to offer a fierce critique of patriarchy and machismo, presenting a reality that persists in our society. With intelligent twists and close witticisms, the actress tackles the story of a woman who, like many others, faces a real hell in the privacy of her home.

In the format of a testimonial programme, the plot develops on a set, where a character sits down to share their personal problems in search of their moment of glory.

The programme's host, Yeyo Bayeyo, accompanies the guest, subjecting her to a high level of stress, while providing opinions from people close to her, thus reflecting the media pressure and lack of presumption of innocence that women in vulnerable situations often face.

Entry is free until full capacity is reached. With this play, the Department of Culture continues with the objective of combining events of national and international significance with the performances of local organisations in the cultural programme.

The mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, and the councillor for town planning and infrastructure, Juan Manuel del Pino, have visited the works on section 6 of the J road, accompanied by the technical managers of the project, the works manager from the company PROCON, and representatives of the construction company.

Section 6 of Vial J is the last segment to be executed in a project that originated in the 1989 General Plan and that will be one of the key initiatives of this legislature.

With these works, this road, which has been consolidated in phases, will be completed. It will connect with sections 1-5 (which start at the roundabout on Avenida de la Generalitat and end at the roundabout on Avenida Casanova via the Gargasindi district). This will connect Avenida Casa Nova with Avenida País Valencià and Avenida Rumanía, making this section crucial for moving road traffic from the beach area to the national road without going through Avenida Ejércitos Españoles and Avenida Diputación. This road, which according to the plenary agreement will be renamed Avenida Felipe VI, will help to relieve traffic congestion in the town centre.

This project, with a route of more than 500 metres in length and a continuous width of 20 metres, includes all the necessary infrastructure, such as sanitation networks, drinking water supply, street lighting, communications, and sustainable urban drainage systems. In addition, the road development includes wide pavements, lanes for each direction of traffic and an interior median, with tree pits to improve the aesthetics and sustainability of the environment.

The mayor, Ana Sala, has pointed out that ‘the works are continuing at their normal pace and the company assures us that they will be finished in the month of May. It should be borne in mind that the works were interrupted for a month as the construction company travelled to Valencia to help with the reconstruction work on the DANA flood’.

The Calpe Cultural Centre had a total of 26,924 users in 2024, some 3,000 more than the previous year. This is one of the main figures to emerge from the annual activity report prepared by the Department of Culture.

Similarly, last year 227 activities were scheduled, compared to 151 in 2023, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of the Casa de Cultura. Specifically, there were 22 theatrical performances, six dance performances, 54 concerts, 61 film screenings and 84 other activities including exhibitions, conferences and guided tours.

The Councillor for Culture, Guillermo Sendra, highlighted the variety and quality of the cultural activities programmed throughout the year and ‘which have been very well received by the public’, such as the Calpe Piano Festival, which has held its first edition with internationally renowned pianists, as well as plays - in both Spanish and Valencian - or concerts with great performers from the current scene such as Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, Pasión Vega or Isabel Ordaz, among others . It has also emphasised the celebration of many classical music concerts that have been held in 2024, such as the ADDA Sinfónica, the Orquestra de la Marina Alta (OMA) or the film music concert within the SONAFILM festival, offered by the Universal Symphony Orchestra

Likewise, in 2024 the 1st Villa de Calpe 2024 National Sculpture Competition was held, in which 52 works were presented and which had a single prize of 7,000 euros, as well as other initiatives such as the school theatre campaign in Valencian aimed at Calpe's educational centres or the live broadcast of operas and ballets from the Royal Opera House in London, initiatives that are intend to resume in 2025.

Guillermo Sendra pointed out that despite holding a special programme in 2024 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Casa de Cultura, the aim is to continue offering the same level and diversity of events, all with the same budget that Cultura has had for the last three years. ‘We have not increased our budget allocation since 2022 and despite this we have offered more activities as a result of responsible and more efficient management of our budget,’ he said.

The mayor, Ana Sala, and the councillor for education, Mariola Mulet, together with municipal technicians, met this morning with Andreu Almiñana, the new education inspector of the Territorial Directorate of Education of Alicante. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the status of the works to adapt the plot and provide services for the provisional installation of prefabricated modules for the new IES Les Salines secondary school and the Oltà primary school. This plot is located behind the Silene de Ifac nursery school. After the meeting, the delegation went to the plot and met with the directors of both centres.

The inspector pointed out that ‘the technical adaptation unit has sent the requirements list to the Regional Ministry and the work is going according to plan’. The City Council intends to speed up this work as much as possible so that the Regional Ministry can subsequently install the prefabricated classrooms or sections.

Last December the council awarded the contract for the work to the company Etosa Obras y Servicios Building, SLU, for the sum of 3,041,699.77 euros and a completion period of four months. This week the contract for the management of the work was awarded and the work is expected to start within the next ten days.

The works include demolition, levelling and cleaning of the land, earth moving, construction of roads, paving and asphalting, concrete structures, painting and road signage, planting and maintenance of green areas and street lighting.

The Town Council ceded, for a period of five years, a municipal plot of more than 30,000m2 located just behind the Silene de Ifac Nursery School so that the Regional Ministry could install prefabricated classrooms there for the pupils to reduce overcrowding in the educational centres.

The works will be carried out on two plots of land of about 6,900 metres each, which will house the classrooms of a nursery and primary school and the classrooms of the second secondary school. In addition, access roads with pavements, a parking area and a green area will be built, occupying a total surface area of 33,600m2. Drinking water and wastewater will be supplied and disposed of through the municipal networks.

At the same time, work continues on the Les Salines secondary school, awarded to Vialterra Infraestructuras S.A. for €14,748,935.36 with a completion period of 24 months.

Calpe City Council is preparing to submit its candidacy for the EDIL (Integrated Action Plans of Local Entities) programme, 60% of which is financed by ERDF funds. To this end, it is already drawing up the Integrated Action Plan, which is the document that will include the projects that will be eligible for this European funding, aiming to promote the sustainable urban development of Calpe from an environmental, economic and social point of view.

For this reason, it has launched an online survey to find out the opinion and needs of the citizens in the municipality.

Respond to the survey

Friday 31st:

Exhibition ‘Aires de mujer’ by Noelia Lillo and Encarna González. Until 28 February. In the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Exhibition ‘Marinant Estellés. Landscapes, poems and voices of the Marina Alta’. Until 10th February. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Saturday, 1st:

10 h – Tree Day of the Valencian Community. Meeting point: recreational area of the Oltà mountain range. Registration.

16 h – Graffiti workshop organised by the Youth Club. Skate Park.

8 pm - Concert ‘Remembering Nino’ by the CLAUdeFA Music Band of Calpe. Free admission. Auditorium.

Exhibition ‘Aires de mujer’ by Noelia Lillo and Encarna González. Until 28 February. In the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Exhibition ‘Marinant Estellés. Landscapes, poems and voices of the Marina Alta’. Until 10th February. Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Sunday, 2nd:

10 am – World Wetlands Day: Interpretive route through the salt flats. Meeting point on the esplanade of the salt flats. Registration.

11 am – Free guided tours of the historic centre of Calpe. Compulsory registration on 965836920 / 965 83 85 32 / turismo@ajCalpe.es. Maximum 25 people per group. Meeting point: Casa de Cultura.

5 pm – Hip-hop club: rap session III. Youth Club (Punt Jove - plaza de la Constitución).

Next Saturday, 1st February, the Auditorium of the Casa de Cultura in Calpe will host the show ‘Recordando a Nino’, a tribute to the legendary Valencian singer from Aielo de Malferit, Luis Manuel Ferri, known artistically as Nino Bravo, who died in 1973.

The concert features the voices of

three magnificent singers of recognised prestige: Ángel Bellido, Aurelio Cámara and Laia Benaches, accompanied by the CLAUdeFA Music Band of Calpe, conducted by Raúl Mínguez, together with the pianist David Almerich.

‘Recordando a Nino’ (Remembering Nino) takes us back to the 70s with songs that are part of the life of a generation and that have endured overtime: Cartas amarillas, Un beso y una flor, América, Noelia, Mi tierra or Esa será mi casa... and many more that the Valencian singer made unforgettable.

This is a show that has visited more than 200 cities throughout Spain and more than 250,000 spectators have already enjoyed this concert that reviews the career of the legendary singer.

The concert is organised by the Culture Council of Calpe and admission is free until full capacity is reached.

On 10 February, Calpe will host a conference to analyse the challenges of the governance of tourist rentals in holiday destinations. This is the first time that this debate has been held and it will feature specialised speakers from all sectors involved in tourist rentals in our region

The day will begin with a welcome address by the mayor, Ana Sala, and the Councillor for Tourism Planning, Mireia Ripoll, together with the Director of the University Institute for Tourism Research, Josep Ivars. This will be followed by a presentation by the urban architect, Gerardo Roger, entitled ‘Housing and tourist rentals in urban planning and management’.

The first round-table of the day, entitled ‘Apartments and tourist rentals: current situation from a business perspective’, will feature the participation of Silvia Blasco Benito, President, Association of Tourist Apartments and Homes of the Valencian Community (APTUR CV), Mayte García Córcoles, Secretary General, Hotel and Tourism Business Association of the Valencian Community (HOSBEC) and

Carmen Ibáñez Pascual, LSO Manager Interhome. This debate will be moderated by Ana B. Ramón Rodríguez, Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Alicante.

The second round-table, entitled ‘The complex regulation of tourist rentals’ will feature Sonia Badal Sáez, Head of the Tourism Planning and Processing Service, Regional Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, Marta Echevarría Llombart, Deputy Director General of Tourism, Regional Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism and

Jorge Moya Ballester, Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Alicante. The debate will be moderated by Reyes González Ramírez, Professor of Business Organisation at the University of Alicante.

The last round table, entitled ‘New analysis techniques and instruments for the management of tourist rentals in holiday destinations’ will be made up of Natacha de Freitas Silva, from Geoinnova, César de Mingo Calvo, from Global Omnium, Manuel Miró Navarro, Head of the Territorial Area of the Calpe Town Council and Armando Ortuño, Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Alicante. José F. Perles Ribes, Head of the Economic Promotion Department of Calpe Town Council, will moderate the debate.

The aim of this conference is to reflect on and debate the situations generated by tourist rentals, their impact and regulation, and at the same time to establish forms of collaboration in the future of tourism in holiday destinations.

Registration form: https://forms.gle/RrMznPJuLwn9i7wV6