Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin July 4

TOP STORIES: "New rules for short-term rentals come into effect in Spain on July 1" and "Pilar de la Horadada AP-7 tunnel finally opens after serious delays"

Another week, another batch of changes to keep up with in Spain! This time around, we're diving into the government's latest summer shake-up that's affecting everything from holiday rentals to train tickets.

We'll also take a look at how Spain's record-breaking heatwave has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons, plus some eye-opening news about the country's booming tourism season and what it means for both visitors and locals.

From new regulations to soaring temperatures and tourist numbers, it's been quite the week.

All these stories, plus more from around Murcia, Alicante Andalucía and Spain in this week’s Editor’s Roundup Weekly Bulletin.

Let’s get stuck in!

July shake-up

Well, here we are in July already and if you're living in Spain or own property here, you're probably going to want to sit down for this one. The Spanish government has decided to throw us all a curveball by introducing three major changes all at once. It's like they wanted to get everything sorted before August when, let's be honest, the whole country basically shuts down for holidays.

So what's happening? We're looking at holiday rentals, train travel and motorcycle licenses all getting major makeovers. And yes, it's all happening right now.

Let's start with the big one that's probably affecting a lot of you reading this. If you've been renting out your apartment, spare room or holiday home to tourists, your life just got a bit more complicated. From this Tuesday, every single holiday rental property in Spain has to be registered with something called the Digital One-Stop Shop for Rentals. No exceptions.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin July 4 Now, this isn't completely out of the blue. The system has been available voluntarily for the past six months, but now it's mandatory. And here's the kicker: you can't advertise your property anywhere online without that shiny new registration number. We're talking Airbnb, Booking.com, the whole lot. They all need to see that number displayed prominently in your listing.

The good news? People have actually been pretty good about signing up. Nearly 200,000 applications have come in since January, with more than 125,000 flooding in just this past month as everyone scrambled to meet the deadline.

But here's where it gets a bit tricky. This national registration doesn't get you off the hook for local permits and the general tourist licence. Many towns and cities still want their own paperwork, so you'll need to prove you're playing by their rules too when you apply for your registration code.

The platforms themselves aren't escaping this either. Airbnb and Booking.com now have to display these registration numbers and send monthly reports to the government. And if they don't? Well, let's just say the fines are substantial enough to make them pay attention.

Now, let's talk about trains, because this one is going to hurt your pocket. Remember those gloriously cheap train rides that helped everyone get through the energy crisis after the Ukraine war started? Well, that party is officially over. Renfe's generous subsidy scheme, where you could travel unlimited for just a small refundable deposit, is being replaced with something a bit more targeted.

The big winners here are young people. If you were born between 1999 and 2010, you can now get a Youth Monthly Pass for just €10 that gives you unlimited travel on commuter and medium distance trains. Younger kids born after 2011 can also still travel for free under the Children's Season Ticket.

For everyone else though, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The free rides are gone, but there will be new subsidised season tickets for commuter trains to keep things affordable. The exact prices haven't been announced yet, which is a bit frustrating, but at least we know help is coming.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin July 4

The transportation changes don't stop there though. Spain's motorcycle licensing system is getting a serious safety upgrade that's worth paying attention to, even if you're not planning to hop on a bike anytime soon.

The biggest change affects people going for the A license, which is the one that lets you ride any motorcycle regardless of size or power. Both students and instructors now have to wear certified motorbike airbag vests during all on-road practical training sessions. It's a smart safety move, really.

The practical training is getting a major boost too. Road time is doubling from two to four hours, and at least half of that has to happen on interurban roads where most serious motorcycle crashes occur. It makes sense when you think about it; if that's where accidents happen, that's where people need practice.

This all builds on the existing A license requirements, which are already pretty strict.

Spain's summer scorcher

Spain has just weathered one of the most brutal heatwaves we've seen at the start of summer, and honestly, it's been a wake-up call for everyone. We're talking about temperatures that pushed 11 of the country's 17 regions into critical alert mode, with some parts of Andalucía and Extremadura hitting a sweltering 43°C.

Yes, you read that right.

Picture this: it's past midnight on Tuesday, July 1st, and in Aliseda in Cáceres, the temperature is still sitting at a staggering 33.6°C. That's not a typo. Other towns like Morón de la Frontera, Seville and Carrión de los Céspedes were also experiencing night-time temperatures above 32°C. Try getting a good night's sleep in that heat.

For vulnerable groups like the elderly and those with health conditions, these sleepless nights weren't just uncomfortable, they were genuinely dangerous.

The worst-hit areas included the usual suspects: Andalucía, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Madrid and parts of Aragón and Catalonia. In Madrid, city officials made the tough call to close sections of El Retiro Park and eight other historic green spaces until 3pm each day.

Tragically, the heat has already claimed lives. In Barcelona, a female street cleaner died after completing her shift in those searing temperatures.

Other European countries are taking notice too. Several regions in Italy, including Lazio, Emilia Romagna and Sicily, banned outdoor work during the hottest part of the day, typically from 12.30pm to 4pm.

The extreme temperatures have also ramped up wildfire risk across the country. In El Garrobo, near Seville, emergency services had to spring into action to contain a blaze that threatened to spread. Thankfully, favourable wind conditions helped keep it under control and aerial support was deployed early Tuesday morning to stabilise the fire's perimeter.

But it's a reminder of how quickly these situations can escalate.

Climate experts aren't sugarcoating it anymore. These episodes aren't freak occurrences that we can dismiss as one-offs. This is the new normal, and we need to get used to it. Heatwaves are arriving earlier in the year, lasting longer and growing more intense.

But there's another concerning trend that's connected to all this intense sun exposure. Spain is experiencing a worrying surge in melanoma cases, with new figures showing that diagnoses have risen by nearly 50% in just ten years. That's a staggering increase that has dermatologists sounding the alarm.

According to the Healthy Skin Foundation of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, around 8,000 people are now diagnosed with melanoma in Spain every year. Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, so this upward trend is genuinely frightening.

The good news is that survival rates remain relatively stable thanks to advances in treatment and better early detection. But specialists are frustrated that not enough is being done to prevent the disease in the first place.

"The main modifiable risk factor is sunburn," said Dr Elena Godoy, one of the coordinators behind the AEDV's latest awareness campaign. "And most sun damage accumulates before the age of 20."

That's a sobering thought. The campaign highlights how Spain desperately needs better education on sun protection, especially for children and young people.

Unlike countries like Australia, which have already seen melanoma cases drop after introducing comprehensive sun safety policies, Spain still lacks a coordinated effort to teach sun protection in schools or ensure public spaces like playgrounds offer adequate shade.

New research published by the National Library of Medicine backs up these concerns, showing that melanoma is rising across all age groups in Spain, but especially among people over 50. Many in this age group spent their childhoods soaking up the sun with little to no protection, and the effects are only now becoming apparent.

Researchers estimate that by 2040, global melanoma cases could reach over half a million per year, with Spain continuing to follow this upward trend unless serious prevention measures are implemented.

Spain's love affair with the sun is deeply ingrained in our cultural identity, but health professionals are clear that the habit of tanning and spending long beach days without protection needs to change.

Now, you're probably wondering what's in store for the coming weekend. Well, the heatwave might have passed, but don't get too excited about temperatures dropping significantly. In the Region of Murcia, the extreme weather alerts have finally been deactivated but the mercury is still expected to hit a scorching 37°C in central Murcia.

In neighbouring Alicante, where things are generally a touch cooler, a yellow warning is in place for Saturday July 5 for the same temperatures. So if you're planning any outdoor activities, you'll still need to be smart about timing and sun protection.

Andalucía is heading into another warm and settled weekend, with sunshine sticking around and those afternoon highs still pushing well into the 30s for the most part. That said, the far west will start to feel a little more bearable compared to the earlier part of the week.

Summer stampede?

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin July 4

Spain just can't stop breaking its own records, can it? We've just witnessed the hottest June day ever recorded (that was Saturday the 28th, in case you missed it), and virtually every airport in the country is smashing passenger numbers month after month. So here's the million-euro question: could the summer of 2025 turn out to be Spain's busiest tourist season ever?

According to tourism industry insiders, this isn't just wishful thinking. It's looking incredibly likely. The experts are confident that foreign visitors won't just set new records for arrivals this year, but they'll also splash out more cash than ever before.

With the summer season officially kicking off on July 1, international tourists are already on track to smash through the 100 million visitor mark by year's end. The State Society for the Management of Tourism Innovation and Technologies has crunched the numbers and estimates that 2.7% more foreign holidaymakers will arrive between July and August compared to last summer.

Spain is gearing up to welcome 11.17 million international tourists in July, with another 11.2 million expected in August. That's a combined total of 22.37 million visitors in just two months. Mind-boggling numbers, really.

What's even more impressive is that this record influx will likely be accompanied by unprecedented spending. The money is expected to flow even faster than the arrivals themselves. A total expenditure of €32.208 billion is forecast, which is 4.2% more than in 2024. The average spend per international tourist is projected to hit €1,440, representing a 1.5% increase from last year.

It goes without saying that a good shot of tourists arriving this summer will hail from the UK, and nowhere is the love affair between Britain and Spain more apparent than in the Region of Murcia.

During the first four months of the year British holidaymaker arrivals in Murcia skyrocketed by an incredible 62%. This phenomenal growth has positioned the UK as Murcia's most valuable international market.

The numbers really do speak for themselves. Between January and April 2025, the UK delivered 117,352 tourists to the Region, meaning Britain accounted for an impressive 36.5% share of all international tourism to Murcia. That makes them the undisputed champions in terms of visitor volume.

But where are all these tourists going to stay? The answer, in the Region of Murcia at least, seems to be private holiday rentals. Murcia actually has far fewer hotels than other nearby hotspots like Alicante and Almería and property owners are taking advantage of this.

Since June last year, the number of registered tourist properties has shot up by 25%, jumping from 8,400 holiday homes to 10,609.

This growth becomes even more remarkable when you look at the long-term picture. In 2014, only 76 vacation rentals were registered in the Region. By 2017, that number had reached 1,536, growing to 3,060 in 2019, 4,064 in 2021, and 6,875 in 2023.

Cartagena leads the pack with 1,568 holiday rental properties, not including another 287 in the popular La Manga area. The city of Murcia follows with 1,453 units, while Torre Pacheco boasts 1,469 properties. La Manga's San Javier area contributes another 1,131 units to the mix.

Other coastal hotspots are also seeing significant activity, with Mazarrón offering 774 vacation rentals, Los Alcázares providing 713 and Águilas adding another 560 to the regional total.

Despite such strong demand, pricing in Murcia remains competitive compared to neighbouring regions. According to recent reports, coastal prices are expected to rise between 3% and 6% this year, with weekly rates ranging from €600 to nearly €1,300 depending on location.

These rates remain well below the average prices in Almería and Alicante.

Murcia

We start our Murcia section in the Lorca district of Purias this week, where a housing development that has been sitting unfinished for more than a decade is finally getting a second chance. The Jardines de la Almenara project, originally aimed at British and Central European buyers during the early 2000s property boom, was meant to include 300 homes, but after the financial crash just 50 were completed and the rest abandoned. No lighting, bins or even roads were installed.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin July 4

Now, though, a €3.3 million investment from a new developer has been approved by Lorca City Council, breathing life back into the stalled project. The remaining homes will be built and the long-missing infrastructure put in place, all in line with current regulations. After years of gathering dust, the area could finally turn into the lively community it was supposed to be.

Over in Cartagena, restoration work is under way on the Arco de la Milagrosa, a lone stone arch that once formed part of the old Casa de Misericordia in the city centre. Although the rest of the building is long gone, the arch still stands and is now getting some well-deserved care. Work includes cleaning, stabilising the original sandstone, replacing missing bricks and reinforcing the structure, all with a focus on preserving its historical character.

Meanwhile, Mazarrón has been delving into its past, too, with researchers conducting new studies on the recently recovered of the Mazarrón II shipwreck, a Phoenician trading vessel from the 7th century BCE. With the ship finally lifted from the seabed in the Port in 22 different sections and transferred to ARQUA, Spain’s National Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Cartagena (not a separate facility that Mazarrón’s mayor kept going on about building specifically), investigators can now study them.

What they have discovered so far is that the ship, which is made from Mediterranean pine and fig woods, shows a mix of shipbuilding styles and materials, suggesting a blend of local and Eastern Mediterranean techniques. The cargo, which includes lead ingots and pottery, hints at coastal trade routes and gives more weight to the idea that Mazarrón played an important role in early Mediterranean commerce. No doubt there will be more new revelations as further studies are conducted over the coming years.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin July 4

Talking about studies conducted in the Port of Mazarrón, the water at the beach of Puerto had to be closed this Thursday due to slightly elevated levels of faecal contamination in the water. They found what can euphemistically be called ‘human waste’ in the water, and not just a little bit, either. Unhealthy levels of it, even though there’s no evidence it came from a leak in the town’s wastewater system.

Local authorities are putting it down to the fact the beach is too crowded, but if that were the case, why wouldn’t the same thing happen on pretty much every other beach in Spain? Something smells here, methinks… in any case, after just over 24 hours, the beach was reopened after a further water quality study declared it was safe to swim again.

Elsewhere in the Region, things were all abuzz in the northern town of Cieza, where two beekeepers are under investigation by police for selling industrial-grade honey as if it were locally produced and artisanal. Guardia Civil officers from the environmental crimes unit, Seprona, seized over 3,100 kilos of honey, pollen and propolis worth about €20,000.

The products lacked proper documentation, and some were thought to be unfit for human consumption. The pair are facing a list of charges including public health violations, market fraud and misappropriation of subsidies.

Now we’re in July, the regional government has decided to increase the frequency of airport buses to and from Corvera airport, nearly doubling the number of journeys there and back. But the problem is that the buses still only go to and from the bus stations at Murcia city and Cartagena, whereas the cost-effective private service launched a couple of months ago by Airport Buses goes to all the little towns and resorts and their bus times match up perfectly with outgoing and incoming flights. If they’re not careful, the regional government might find themselves pushed out of a job by the new service!

At Las Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort, people are getting pumped. After months of curiosity and anticipation about the new business preparing to open in the corner unit of the Square, residents finally have a date for the opening of a new gym. The CAN Fitness Center is set to open its doors on Monday July 14, offering a full suite of workout machines and fitness classes – a very exciting prospect for the local community.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin July 4 Before the official opening, there’s an inauguration party on Friday 11 July at 7pm, where locals can drop by, check out the space and sign up. It’s a big step for the urbanisation, which has long been hoping for more active facilities within walking distance, and is one of the resorts which seems to genuinely be on the up-and-up in Murcia, with plenty of new investment coming in.

Speaking of which, there has been a major development in Cartagena’s retail sector as the Espacio Mediterráneo shopping centre has just been sold to Lighthouse Properties, a South African investment group, for an impressive €135.4 million. This is the first change in the commercial centre’s ownership since it opened in 2007.

With shops like Zara and Primark, the mall has a high occupancy rate and remains one of the Region’s key shopping destinations. Which is why Lighthouse expects a strong return from its purchase: they forecast net profits of €5.8 million in 2026. Pretty tidy.

And while the millionaires are getting more millions, popular Murcia singing group Sonrisas Harmony have donated €600 to AFACMUR, a charity that helps children with cancer and their families in Murcia. Three chorus members presented the cheque to the charity’s manager, Lourdes Albaladejo, who said the money would support three families for several months. The funds were raised through the group’s performances over the past year, backed by their followers

It’s a touching gesture of community support of the kind that many Murcia volunteer groups like to make to charity, and Sonrisas Harmony expressed their heartfelt thanks to everyone who made the donation possible. Now just think what those poor children and their families could do with €5.8 million…

And finally, for anyone looking to stay active this summer without spending a cent, beach fitness classes are back in Cartagena and San Pedro del Pinatar. Through July and August, various beaches across both areas will host free sessions of yoga, Pilates, aquagym, dance fitness and more. No booking is needed – just turn up and join in. Classes are all led by qualified instructors and open to people of all fitness levels, and you might make new friends while you’re at it!

Other things going on this weekend and for the coming week in the Region of Murcia include the summer carnival in Puerto de Mazarrón on Saturday, a summer DJ Festival in the Caravaca village of Archivel on Saturday night and the first event of the upcoming Flamenco Festival in Lo Ferro on Sunday, as well as, of course, the continuation of the San Javier Jazz Festival 2025, which is going on until Tuesday July 22.

See our EVENTS DIARY for more events and activities coming up soon in the Region of Murcia:

Spain

There’s been a lot of toing and froing recently regarding hand luggage allowances and it’s hard to know what’s really going on. Are all airlines going to begin charging us for our tiny backpacks we squish under the seat? Are we soon going to be allowed TWO bags instead of one?

The answer is: there’s no answer, yet. Brussels is working on two separate proposals at the moment. One that would potentially allow passengers to bring a slightly larger carry-on in addition to the small bags currently allowed, and another requiring airlines to standardise the dimensions for free hand luggage.

It’s this second point that caught our attention since, if it’s enforced by EU, the new dimensions specified are 40 x 30 x 15cm, which is actually smaller than many of the low-cost carrier currently allow.

And believe it or not, in an uncharacteristic show of generosity, Ryanair has announced that “over the coming weeks”, it will actually increase its free baggage allowance.

At the moment, the Irish airline permits a free “personal bag” measuring 40 x 25 x 20cm, which provides 20 litres of storage space. However, following the discussions in Europe, Ryanair has chosen to increase one measurement from 25 to 30cm. The new dimensions will be 40 x 30 x 20cm, offering passengers 24 litres of capacity.

While it’s not a massive increase, it’s actually 20% more in real terms and higher than then the newly proposed European minimum bag size.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “This change will be implemented over the coming weeks, as our airport bag sizers are adjusted.”

Most other major carriers already meet or exceed the new standardised dimensions and will maintain their current policies. British Airways, Jet2 and easyJet all currently allow cabin bags larger than the new baseline measurements.

A spokesperson for easyJet confirmed the dimensions will remain the same, at 45 x 36 x 20cm, giving a maximum volume of 32 litres.

Staying with travel now and the much-anticipated Imserso Tourism Programme for pensioners has just been announced for the 2025/2026 season. Imserso is a subsidised scheme that offers heavily discounted holidays for older people across a huge range of destinations in Spain.

Those new to the Imserso Tourism Programme will need to complete their application from scratch but you’ll have to be quick, as the deadline is July 23. The process is simple and can be done in several ways. The fastest way is to do it online through the Imserso website.

This year, prices start as low as €132.91 and travellers can choose the kind of vacation that suits them, from rural retreats to city breaks, beach holidays and cultural tours. And the best part is that you can bring along your spouse, partner or child with disabilities.

There are a few terms and conditions though, so you can find all the details here.

And now for something completely different, and possibly not something you’ve ever given much thought to before! Britain is facing a very fishy problem, and it’s turning to Spain for help.

British fishermen along the south coast are suddenly encountering record numbers of large octopuses in waters where they were once rarely seen. What started as the occasional surprising catch has turned into a daily occurrence that's got Devon and Cornwall's fishing communities scratching their heads.

But here's where things get problematic: these clever cephalopods aren't just passive passengers. They're actively raiding crab and lobster pots, making off with both bait and valuable catch.

Local fishers are calling it an "invasion" and say their traditional fishing operations are being seriously disrupted.

The silver lining is that much of this unexpected octopus harvest is finding eager buyers in Spain, particularly in Galicia, where local supplies have dropped significantly.

With Galician markets seeing a 26% decline in octopus landings this year and traditional sources like Morocco also experiencing shortages, Britain's eight-armed abundance might just be perfectly timed.

If you’re anything like me, summer has once again taken you completely off-guard and the longed-for biking body is still an elusive dream. Time to get moving and get fit! We've all heard about the 10,000 steps a day rule, but what if there was a way to get even better results in less time?

Enter Japanese walking - a fitness trend that's quietly gaining momentum in Spain and promises to transform your daily walks without requiring fancy equipment or gym memberships.

Japanese walking, officially known as Interval Walking Training, takes inspiration from high-intensity interval training (HIIT) but with a much gentler approach. The concept is refreshingly straightforward: alternate between three minutes of brisk walking and three minutes at a relaxed pace, continuing this pattern for around 30 minutes.

The magic happens in those pace variations. While steady walking certainly has its benefits, switching between intensities challenges both your cardiovascular system and muscles more comprehensively. This alternating rhythm helps you burn more calories, build endurance and improve overall health while remaining accessible to almost any fitness level.

Alicante

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, faecal matter was detected at a popular Costa Blanca beach this week.

Swimming was prohibited at Cala Cerrada beach in La Zenia, Orihuela Costa, after the weekly water quality test on Tuesday detected contamination from a wastewater spillage in the sea.

Access to the water was suspended until the morning of Friday July 5, when Orihuela town hall beaches department announced that further tests had been carried out, which found that the water quality now met the required criteria and it was safe to swim there once again.

Hopefully the contamination was not bad enough to make anybody seriously ill, but the risk of getting a dodgy belly or even E-coli is not great for tourism or what we might expect from a Blue Flag beach.

This is not the first time it has happened recently in Orihuela Costa, where beaches have had to be closed due to spillages and sanitation breakdowns in 2022 and 2024 at Cala Mosca, La Glea and Cala Cerrada.

And this year, the NGO Ecologístas en Acción awarded one of their Black Flags to nearby Cala Mosca, due to the environmental impact of new housing being built there.

The Orihuela PSOE called for an urgent audit to determine the condition of the sanitation and water treatment networks on the coast, and an action plan to reinforce them.

Also in Orihuela Costa, and in neighbouring San Miguel de Salinas, Guardia Civil have seized 84 kilos of cocaine and arrested four Irish nationals in connection with a bold cross-border smuggling operation.

The gang had allegedly been hiding large amounts of cocaine and hashish inside industrial machines and sending them off to the UK and Ireland using local transport companies.

The authorities got wind of the racket in early June this year, when a transport company in Lorquí (Murcia) filed a complaint with the Guardia Civil because one of their lorry drivers had been arrested in France after customs officers found 340 kilos of hashish hidden in what was supposed to be a shipment of industrial fans bound for Liverpool.

The subsequent investigation tapped phones and installed tracking devices on two vehicles linked to the suspects, which revealed that a full-blown international trafficking ring was using companies in Alicante and Murcia to move drugs hidden inside heavy-duty equipment.

They also learned the same gang was planning to send a similar shipment to Dublin and tracked them to a company in Monóvar, where a lorry showed up on June 11 carrying an industrial drill.

Officers found 84.2 kilos of cocaine cleverly concealed inside the machine, which they removed and sent to Ireland, where police were waiting to see who would collect it.

On June 20, Guardia Civil officers arrested four Irish nationals living in Orihuela Costa and San Miguel, including the lorry driver. They also carried out searches and seized two firearms, as well as another drill which had also been prepared to hide drugs.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin July 4 And finally, after a couple of unexpected delays, the southbound carriageway of the AP-7 motorway in Pilar de la Horadada reopened on Thursday June 3.

Although the motorway concessionary Ausur, the Ministry for Transport roads department and even the mayor of Pilar had previously announced it would reopen sooner, the bollards blocking the lanes were eventually removed late on Thursday evening.

This stretch of the road, from kilometre mark 772 as far as San Pedro del Pinatar in the Region of Murcia, has been closed since a fatal truck crash inside the tunnel on May 9.

The lorry lost control and flipped over, bursting into flames and causing thousands of euros worth of damage

The work consisted of repairing all the power and communications cables, including the cable trays that support them, surveillance cameras, lighting equipment, SOS posts and even a pair of large indoor fans.
The damaged road surface and the fire hydrant system have also been replaced.

Analysis of the concrete vault found no apparent structural damage from the high temperatures caused by the vehicle fire.

The 800-metre-long tunnel is expected to handle more than 20,000 vehicles every day this month, which will considerably reduce tailbacks and traffic jams on the N-332 and other roads in Pilar.

Other work to improve energy efficiency and safety in the tunnel, which the Ministry for Transport had been planning to carry out before this summer until the crash happened, has now been postponed to the autumn.

For other events and activities happening in the area, check out the What’s On page of Alicante Today or join the Costa Blanca What’s On and Where to Go Facebook group

Andalucía

A 48-year-old British woman was killed on Saturday June 28 when the jet ski she was riding collided with a motorboat near Playa de Los Toros. The woman had been a passenger on the jet ski, which was being driven by her partner, while the boat was reportedly operated by a friend of the couple.

Police believe the crash was caused by a reckless manoeuvre by the motorboat, and the driver has since been arrested on suspicion of reckless homicide. He tested positive for alcohol, although not at a high level, and has been released under investigation.

Emergency crews from maritime rescue services and local health teams arrived quickly on the scene, but despite their efforts, the woman could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Back on dry land, some forward planning is on the cards for shoppers. The Andalucian government has just published the official list of Sundays and public holidays when shops will be allowed to open in 2026.

These 16 dates are timed to catch the major sales seasons, festive periods and long weekends, giving both businesses and shoppers a bit more flexibility. Although it might seem a little early to be thinking about next year’s retail calendar, the list must legally be confirmed before Saturday August 31 of this year.

Highlights include the January sales, summer bargains in July and August, and several Sundays leading up to Christmas. Notable dates include Holy Thursday on April 2 and the national holiday on Saturday August 15. Town halls can tweak up to two of the dates locally, so do check nearer the time. After all, it is never too early to plan ahead for a good shopping spree.

From retail planning to courtroom headlines, this week also saw a long-running pharmaceutical case make headlines again. Back in 2019, a group of children in Cantabria, Valencia and Andalucía were mistakenly given hair-loss medication instead of a stomach treatment, causing them to develop a rare condition known as hypertrichosis or "Werewolf syndrome."

The condition, which causes excessive hair growth across the body, was triggered by a packaging mix-up at a pharmaceutical company, where minoxidil, a drug used to treat hair loss, was incorrectly labelled as omeprazole, a treatment for gastric issues. Some of the affected children were just a few months old at the time.

Thankfully, the symptoms began to reverse after the medication was discontinued, and none of the children suffered lasting harm. While no charges have been brought against the company or its staff, families in Cantabria and Castellón are reportedly considering civil legal action of their own.

And finally, in some lighter and more heart-warming news, a tiny seahorse in Almería is recovering after suffering a suspected stroke caused by an air embolism.

The young female seahorse, believed to have suffered the condition due to a sudden rise from deeper water, was rushed to the Costa de Almería Aquarium in Roquetas de Mar. There, veterinary staff used a hypodermic needle to gently release the trapped gas - a delicate procedure requiring great care and expertise.

Seahorses in the Mediterranean are increasingly vulnerable to hazards such as marine pollution, fishing nets and abandoned gear. This one was lucky to have been found in time, and she is now under close observation with hopes of making a full recovery.

Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin July 4

You may have missed…

Ryanair and easyJet flights disrupted at Spanish airports over French air traffic control strike.
Holidaymakers travelling through Murcia, Alicante and other Spanish airports face widespread delays and cancellations.
Power of attorney: Because you never know when you might need someone.
Whether you are buying a property, have health concerns or are simply making provisions for the future, a power of attorney could save you a great deal of time, money and aggravation.
Nearly half of Spain's crumbling roads are concentrated in just 3 regions.
Just three autonomous communities actually account for almost half of the country’s roads that require urgent repairs, within a year, if they’re not to crumble away altogether.
Murcia taxpayers receive €290.5 million in refunds.
According to the tax office itself, a whopping €290.545 million in overpayments has already been returned to workers in the Region of Murcia, which is a 4.45% increase in refunds compared to the 2023 campaign..
easyJet announces 8 new routes in Spain for winter 2025.
The British low-cost airline will add more than 110,000 additional seats to the UK and France.

And that’s all for this week. Thanks for reading and we’ll be back next week with another edition.

Have a nice weekend!

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