ALICANTE NEWS

Spain's wildfires have already burned through more than 50,000 hectares this year, nearly 40% of the entire EU totalWith multiple blazes still active across Catalonia, Cádiz and Huelva, the scale of the crisis is growing by the day Spain is burning, and the numbers are stark. Wildfires have scorched 50,384 hectares across the country between January 1 and July.. 10/07/2026

New EU travel permit for Brits pushed back againThe €20 pre-travel authorisation for non-EU visitors is now unlikely to launch before 2027 For months, British travellers heading to Spain and other EU countries have been preparing for a series of new border controls. First came the Entry/Exit System.. 10/07/2026

Spanish wages fail to keep pace with inflation and rising cost of livingThe OECD says inflation has wiped out much of the benefit of recent pay rises, leaving many workers with less spending power than before the pandemic Spain has become one of Europe's fastest-growing economies, yet many workers are still finding..

Spain's sick leave bill has tripled in a decade and now costs an estimated €33 billion a yearThe number of episodes has risen 84% since 2017, mental health cases are the fastest growing category, and the debate about what is driving it has become deeply political Spain's sick leave problem has landed firmly in the political spotlight. Opposition.. 10/07/2026

The best places in Spain to experience the 2026 total solar eclipseMillions will look skyward on August 12 as Spain experiences its first total solar eclipse in more than a century On August 12, 2026, Spain will become one of the most sought-after destinations on the planet for eclipse chasers.   For the.. 09/07/2026

Airlines tighten rules for travelling to and from Spain with petsMissing paperwork could mean your furry friend is denied boarding this summer Anyone planning to fly with a pet this summer would be wise to check the small print first, as poor planning and unfamiliarity with airline rules are increasingly leaving.. 08/07/2026

Everything you need to know about San Fermín, Spain's most thrilling and controversial festival, as 2026 gets under wayFrom its religious roots and Hemingway's legacy to a lightning-fast opening bull run and a tragic death on the first night Every year on July 6, something remarkable happens in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona. A rocket fires into the sky, tens.. 07/07/2026

Today Earth is at its farthest point from the Sun. So why is Spain sweltering?The planet reaches aphelion on Monday July 6, a cosmically counterintuitive moment that coincides with temperatures pushing well above 40°C across parts of the country Here's a fact that sounds like it belongs in a pub quiz rather than real life.. 06/07/2026

Most migrants regularised under Spain's new scheme could hold a Spanish passport within two yearsTwo thirds of applicants come from Latin American countries, where a faster route to citizenship cuts the usual waiting time from ten years to just two For many of the nearly one and a quarter million people who applied to legalise their immigration.. 06/07/2026

Buying from Shein or Temu just got a little more expensive as the EU's new parcel tax kicks in tomorrowA €3 customs charge on small packages from outside the bloc came into force on Wednesday July 1, targeting the flood of cheap imports from China If you have ever ordered something in Spain or elsewhere, from Temu, Shein or AliExpress and marvelled.. 03/07/2026

Spanish Police warn of cruel AI scam targeting owners of missing petsFraudsters are creating realistic images and videos of missing animals before demanding money for their return The National Police have issued a warning about a particularly cruel scam doing the rounds across Spain that targets people searching for.. 03/07/2026

Thousands in Spain may need to relocate their air-con units under new rulesOwners of units visible from the street could face fines or be required to relocate them under local regulations Thousands of homeowners in Spain could soon find themselves under pressure to relocate air conditioning units mounted on building facades.. 03/07/2026

June road deaths in Spain hit a 15-year high as accidents surge across the countryA sharp rise in serious accidents on conventional roads pushed the June death toll to levels not seen since 2010 June has been a brutal month for Spain by almost every measure. With over 1,000 heat-related deaths recorded, making it the deadliest month.. 03/07/2026

June 2026 was Spain's deadliest month for heat in recorded history, with more than 1,000 lives lostNew figures confirm 1,028 heat-related deaths last month, the worst June on record, as Aemet declares it the second hottest June since 1961 The figures published this week make uncomfortable reading, particularly for anyone who lived through last month.. 02/07/2026

Spain records its deadliest June for drownings since records beganWith 86 deaths in a single month and summer barely started, experts are urging families to take water safety far more seriously The image is a familiar one at this time of year across Spain: pools full of children, beaches packed by mid-morning, families.. 02/07/2026

Mallorca sunbed wars escalate following British tourist's viral itching powder prankAfter spotting rows of empty sunbeds reserved with towels from dawn, one holidaymaker decided to take matters into his own hands, dividing opinion online Sunbed wars have reached new levels in Mallorca after a British tourist resorted to itching.. 02/07/2026

Spain's Black Flag beaches for 2026: The full list from Murcia to the Canary IslandsThe full list of Spain's most environmentally troubled beaches and coastal areas in 2026 The Mar Menor in 2019   Environmental group Ecologistas en Acción has published its annual beach report and as in previous years, 48 Black.. 02/07/2026

British drug mule, 79, heads straight back to the Costa Blanca after years in jailRoger Clarke, convicted of smuggling £1 million of cocaine from the Caribbean, has posted on social media that he is back in Alicante province Roger Clarke is 79 years old, has served time in Portuguese and British prisons, and has just turned up.. 01/07/2026

Nearly a million migrants have applied to legalise their status in SpainThe country's biggest regularisation drive in two decades closes with applications far outstripping early estimates Spain's extraordinary regularisation process for undocumented migrants came to a close on Tuesday June 30, after two and a half months..

Spain slashes bus fares by 22% on dozens of national routesThe new 34-corridor network to serve 30 million passengers across 1,682 towns in Spain On the very day petrol and diesel prices are going up, the government has announced the welcome news that bus travel across Spain is set to get cheaper, greener.. 01/07/2026