CalpeNoticias EN

The Culture Council is organising the 5th Street Decoration Competition in the Historic Centre as part of the 9th edition of Art al Carrer 2025. This year the theme of the competition is ‘The Awakening of Spring’.

The contest is aimed at local associations and organisations and aims to encourage local participation in an artistic activity that will decorate emblematic spaces in the Old Town for the enjoyment of citizens and visitors alike.

All associations and organisations registered in Calpe may participate and each one will be assigned a street or space to decorate by lottery. Each association will provide the materials needed to create their artwork. To ensure that all participants are on an equal footing, the spaces set aside for the art exhibition will be similar in shape, although they will be adapted to the nature of the streets. All the exhibition sites for the artwork will be in the historic centre of Calpe.

Once the space has been allocated by lottery, each association will present a draft of the project. The choice of materials is free as long as they are removable at the end of the exhibition and do not cause damage to the façades, balconies or other elements and do not generate noise that is a nuisance to the neighbourhood.

The prizes amount to a total of €6000, €3000 for the first prize winner, €2000 for the second and €1000 for the third, and will be awarded according to the artistic value of the work, its originality, the technique used, the association's capacity to produce an artistic creation, the use of recycled materials that show a commitment to the environment, adaptability to the assigned space, resistance to the elements, the use of materials that do not create noise pollution for the neighbourhood.

The town councils of Calpe and Benissa have formed a group to apply for aid in the latest call for proposals from the Biodiversity Foundation, of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in order to carry out the re-naturalization of the Quisi ravine.

This is a much demanded and sought-after project by both municipalities that would improve and guarantee the safety of the ravine as well as increase its biodiversity. The project would involve the elimination of Arundo Donax reeds, an invasive species, which would minimise the risk of the ravine overflowing in the event of heavy rainfall. It should be remembered that this ravine, like many others in the Mediterranean basin, has hardly any flow in the dry season, which can increase dramatically in situations of torrential rain. It was precisely in an event of this nature that Local Police officer Juan Manuel Policarpo Moll lost his life in the line of duty in September 2022.

The town councils of Calpe and Benissa have held several meetings since then to address this issue, as well as with the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, which has the authority to act on the ravine. Now both councils have decided to take advantage of the European aid programme managed by the Biodiversity Foundation, aimed at the development and consolidation of green infrastructures for the re-naturalisation and resilience of Spanish cities, and have committed to working together to obtain authorisation from the CHJ and thus make this project a reality.

The initiative, called ‘Espai verd i blau del Mediterrani Calpe-Benissa’ (Green and blue space of the Mediterranean Calpe-Benissa), would make it possible, on the one hand, to eliminate the large number of Arundo Donax reed beds using the solarisation technique - with black tarpaulins with which a high temperature is reached that kills the root of the plant - and then plant native species. All this with the ultimate aim of uniting both towns through a large greenway.

The project has a total budget of 2,250,000 euros, of which 1,400,000 euros would correspond to the actions located in Benissa - which would affect the 6.5 kilometres of the ravine that run through this municipality, in addition to its tributaries - and the remaining 850, 000 to Calpe, that is to say, to the 5.2 kilometres of the Quisi that pass through the municipality of Calpe. 60 per cent of the project's cost would be financed with ERDF funds.

Calpe Blau Strategy

The renaturalisation of the Quisi ravine is the star project of the Local Green and Blue Infrastructure Plan ‘Calpe Blau’, a comprehensive strategy of the Calpe City Council to transform the municipality into a sustainable city resilient to climate change. In this sense, Calpe also aspires to obtain these European funds for the drafting of this strategy as well as the execution of three other projects.

On the one hand, the creation of vertical gardens and green roofs on public buildings, the expansion of urban vegetable gardens as well as the regeneration of dunes. The total budget for the strategy with the four projects, which would be carried out over a period of three years, amounts to nearly 3,500,000 euros.

Ivan Pilyak, mayor of the Ukrainian city of Skhidnytsia, in the province of Lviv, visited Calpe Town Hall this morning as part of the recent collaboration agreement signed between the Federation of Municipalities of Madrid (FMM) and the Mayors Club of Ukraine. This visit comes three years to the day since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

During the visit, the mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, and the councillor for European Residents, Marco Bittner, gave a warm welcome to the Ukrainian representative, who showed a particular interest in learning about the development of tourism in the town. The programme included a visit to Calpe's main tourist facilities in order to learn first-hand about the key aspects of the local tourism model.

‘This meeting lays the foundations for establishing a fluid and lasting relationship with Ukrainian municipalities, with the aim of sharing experiences and knowledge that can contribute to the future reconstruction of their country,’ said the mayor after the visit.

Calpe is currently home to more than a thousand Ukrainians, including some from the city of Skhidnytsia. The mayor recalled Calpe's support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people, both in welcoming citizens who have been forced to leave their country and in sending humanitarian aid to the war zone.

For his part, Ivan Pilyak expressed his gratitude for the Spanish aid and emphasised the need to build bridges for trade and exchange in order to normalise the situation in Ukraine as a future member of the European Union. Pilyak also pointed out that his town is a spa area and that he hopes to be able to become a tourist destination once the war is over.

This initiative joins the efforts of numerous Spanish municipalities to build bridges of cooperation with Ukraine in areas such as infrastructure, urban planning, humanitarian assistance, education, culture and technology, with special emphasis on the future reconstruction of Ukrainian cities affected by the war.

Calpe Town Council has presented the programme of events designed to celebrate International Women's Day on 8 March.

The programme of events will begin on Thursday 6 March with a talk on gender violence in adolescence and the role of social networks, given by Aaron Asensio Lara, co-author of the Elpida Guide. This is the first of two talks that he will give to 2nd year ESO students at the IES Ifach and IES Les Salines secondary schools. A total of 150 young people will participate in the two talks.

The Elpida Guide is a guide written by Antonio Asensio, a sergeant in the Civil Guard specialising in trafficking in women and gender-based violence, and his son Aaron, a TikTok content creator with half a million followers. Its aim is to educate young people about gender-based violence and related issues such as prostitution, trafficking and sexting, as well as how to prevent them.

The guide combines Antonio's expert knowledge and Aaron's ability to connect with young people, providing an education that is more accessible and closer to their reality. Aaron also uses his social networks to help young people not to normalise toxic behaviour in relationships, alerting them to so-called ‘red flags’.

On Friday 7 March at 10 a.m. there will be a collective reading on voices for equality, followed by an institutional declaration on International Women's Day. On Saturday 8 March, also at 10 a.m., ‘Art pel 8M’ will be held with street workshops of collective painting and ceramics in Fora Street.

This year several of the programmed activities are aimed at feminising public space, and among them is the beginning of the mural ‘El legado de las mujeres’ (The legacy of women) on Avenida Casanova, by Elena Lafuente Valverde. Another event is the inauguration on Friday 28th March at 7.30 pm of the Punt de la Sororitat on the Arenal-Bol promenade, at the height of Alemania street, a place that aims to become a space for the celebration of events and to contribute to spreading the concept and values of the term sorority.

These acts of feminisation of public spaces are linked to the initiative launched by the Town Council to name two streets in the town after two women. These are the streets dedicated to Manuela Solís Clarás, the first Valencian doctor to contribute to the development of public health; and to the physicist and chemist Marie Curie, a pioneer in the field of radioactivity and the first and only person to receive two Nobel Prizes in different scientific specialities.

Another of the events organised will take place on Thursday 13th March at 7 pm at the UA University Headquarters – Casa Nova, with a lecture by Ascensión Padilla, professor of Geography at the University of Alicante, entitled ‘Intrepid women geographers’.

The programme for this 8th of March has been put together by Calpe Town Council with the collaboration of the Calpe Women's Association and the Friends of Art Association.

The Calpe Town Council, through the specialised company Gesfauna, has begun this week to control the groups of wild boar in the Las Salinas area. Gesfauna is a company with a social and environmental purpose that offers control services for invasive species, in this case, large mammals in security zones of the urban centre.

A few weeks ago, the company began a preliminary study to track these mammals in order to draw up a census. Subsequently, a capture plan was implemented using a system that is the first of its kind in Spain, whereby the animals are captured in a suspended cage that allows selective captures and is controlled by remote video surveillance.

Once in the cages, the wild boars have been killed using a procedure that avoids animal suffering and under veterinary control. This action involves the participation of a specialised professional team consisting of environmental technicians and a veterinarian who are knowledgeable about the target species and its habits. In addition, the company has its own legal department specialising in environmental matters. Animal suffering has been avoided throughout this operation.

The whole procedure has been authorised by the relevant authorities. Nine wild boars were shot, all of them adults, two males and seven females. It should be noted that translocation, that is, moving species from one place where they live to another, is prohibited in Spain and in the European Union, with exceptions for animals from hunting farms that meet health requirements, as is the case with farms.

The local police and the Calpe civil protection service have collaborated in this initiative. The council would like to emphasise that this action prevents traffic accidents, including attacks on people, as several cases have already been recorded in the municipality, and at the same time prevents damage to the environment or the transmission of diseases.

Friday 28th:

• From 5 pm to 8.30 pm – Blood donation. Calpe Red Cross headquarters (C/ María Jorro, 1 – Local 1).
• 20.30 h - Presentation of the Holy Week Programme 2025 and the verdict of the 8th Poster Competition. With a performance by Solera Artística. Saló Blau
• Exhibition ‘Aires de mujer’ by Noelia Lillo and Encarna González. Until 28th February. In the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Saturday, 1st:

• From 4 to 9 pm – Costume contest. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).
• Carnival in Calpe:
• 5 pm – Kids' Carnival: lively parade, mini disco, children's entertainment, snack for the children..., organised by this year's Festeros (carnival organisers) with the collaboration of the Town Council.
• 23:00 – Falkata on Tour concert with Xavi Plastik and DJ Syfo, organised by the Department of Youth; bars run by the Festeros.

Sunday 2nd:

• 10:00 – 12th Calpe Fun Run of the Marina Circuit of the Volta a Peu. From Plaza Colón.
• 11 am – Free guided tours of the historic centre of Calpe. Registration required: 965836920 / 965 83 85 32 / turismo@ajcalpe.es. Maximum 25 people per group. Meeting point: Casa de Cultura.
• 17:00 - Carpentry: we make a billiard table. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).
• 17:00 - Carnival party. Civic Centre.

• 17:30 - Poetry recital ‘Requiem’ by Vicente Pérez. Municipal cemetery.

With the aim of increasing innovation and competitiveness in Calpe businesses, the Association of Calpe Businesspeople (AEMCO) has commissioned a study of the sustainability of the business fabric. Last night the association presented this project, which is called Calpe Next Solutions and will cost 16,000 euros, subsidised by Calpe Town Council. The event was organised by AEMCO, Creama-Calpe and Calpe Town Council.

This is a commitment of the new board of directors, chaired by Santiago Ferrer, who emphasised that the objective is for companies to be able to face the constant challenges posed by an ‘increasingly changing world and to have the tools to achieve this’.

This work is scheduled to be carried out over the course of eight months in 2025 by Lankoa, a company specialising in consulting and social research. To this end, the document will rely on the application of dynamic capabilities, which is the ability of companies to reconfigure and develop their internal and external resources in order to adapt to a changing competitive environment.

The study will include a compilation of data on global trends and the characteristics of the local environment, a socioeconomic diagnosis to identify the main barriers limiting the competitiveness of the Calpe business fabric and then define the intervention strategy. Finally, a presentation day will be held to present the main recommended strategies, as well as a participatory workshop to gather the impressions and contributions of the Calpe companies themselves to incorporate them into the project.

According to the mayor, Ana Sala, and the Marina Alta Observatory, Calpe has 1,295 self-employed businesses, of which 23% have employees, and 1,087 companies with other legal forms, of which 83.16% are in the service sector and 13.25% in construction. ‘This business fabric demonstrates the key role of SMEs and the self-employed in our economy,’ he said, emphasising the importance of undertaking innovative initiatives in the sector.

Santiago Ferrer pointed out that there are currently 120 companies associated with AEMCO and that his objective is to increase the number of associated companies, SMEs and freelancers ‘in order to have greater representativeness to defend their interests and have a larger budget to be able to carry out more proposals and initiatives for all the commerce, service and hospitality companies that we represent’.

ZitiZiti Platform

Last night's conference also saw the presentation of a digital platform, Calpe ZitiZiti, which will enable local businesses to sell their products and services electronically. It is a tool that will enable them to compete with large stores and e-commerce platforms, as well as increasing visibility and improving sales for local businesses. This platform, as well as providing access to a local marketplace exclusively for Calpe businesses - excluding large stores - will allow the publication of events organised by Calpe businesses as well as an employment portal and the management of appointments and reservations. ZitiZiti will be available in a few months and will be free of charge for the first year for all those who decide to use this new form of online sales.

Más información sobre Calp Next Solutions 

Más información sobre Calp ZitiZiti

Más información de los acuerdos de colaboración de AEMCO 

Calpe Town Council has already received the adapted equipment that will enable people with some kind of functional diversity to improve their experience when they visit the municipality. In doing so, it aims to advance its commitment to becoming an inclusive tourist destination.

Specifically, the following have been acquired: on the one hand, an all-terrain Joëlette chair that allows its occupants to go hiking or take family walks in places that are inaccessible with conventional wheelchairs; and an electric OPair bicycle, which is a bicycle with a built-in wheelchair, as well as two tandem bicycles that offer the possibility of enjoying cycling as a couple, allowing a person with reduced mobility to share the experience of pedalling together with a companion.

Local individuals or companies in the sector who would like to have this equipment should simply send an email to the tourist office to request it. Along with these vehicles and with the aim of improving accessibility on the beaches, two amphibious chairs and ten packs of amphibious crutches have also been acquired and will be available at the accessible beach points at the start of the summer season.

With all this, Calpe aims to improve and expand the inclusive and accessible tourism on offer in the town. The project is part of the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD) with 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.

This action is part of a broader project to consolidate inclusive tourism included in the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan. The project also includes annual awareness-raising and training campaigns aimed at all tourism stakeholders and citizens.

In this sense, at the beginning of the month the Department of Tourism Planning launched a series of free online workshops so that local tourism companies and agents can be trained in tourist accessibility.

Four free 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 include short video classes (between 10 and 30 minutes) in which the teacher explains the specific subject with real examples so that the content can be understood in a simple and practical way. Those interested can register for the courses they wish to follow according to their interests and can view them for a period of 30 days as many times as they wish. The deadline for registration is 28 February.

So far, a total of 116 companies have registered for one of the courses on offer, which is why the councillor for Tourism Planning, Mireia Ripoll, has said that ‘we are satisfied with the reception these courses are getting and the involvement of tourism companies, and even more so given how difficult it is to combine training with day-to-day work; I would like to take this opportunity to encourage companies to continue signing up for these courses, which will be running over the coming months. The Department of Tourism is continuing to work on the implementation of our Accessibility Plan and we hope that more projects will soon materialise that will make Calpe a more welcoming and inclusive municipality’.

Throughout the month of March, the Casa de Cultura in Calpe will be hosting the ALAMAR pictorial collection by the Elche-born artist Francis Rubio. An innovative exhibition in which this painter, whose work is framed within abstract expressionism, uses new techniques.

The great expressive force that characterises his work, together with technique, has allowed him a personal diction, before which the spectator admires the composition and the colouring of his palette.

The material is part of the essence of the artistic narrative and serves Francis Rubio to investigate new technical frontiers to the extent of achieving surprising results, such as his paintings being immune to the inclemency of the weather and lasting even in the sea. Hence the title of his new collection, ALAMAR, emphasising the communion between the marine environment and his work.

The exhibition will open on 1 March at 7 p.m. at the Casa de Cultura in Calpe and will run for the whole of March.

Calpe has participated in Ferie for Alle 2025, Scandinavia's most important tourism trade fair, which was held at Messecenter Herning (Denmark) from 21 to 23 February.

During the three days of the fair, the exhibition centre received around 60,000 visitors, including professionals, the media and end customers, which allowed Calpe to showcase its wide range of tourist attractions and consolidate its position as an attractive destination for all ages. With this participation in Denmark, Calpe culminates its promotional campaign in the Scandinavian countries, which began last January with its participation in the MATKA fair in Finland.

Calpe attended this fair under the auspices of Turespaña and had the support of technicians from the Costa Blanca Tourist Board, who offered their experience to ensure the success of Calpe's participation in the fair.

Likewise, staff from the tourism department of Calpe Town Council provided information, answered questions and helped visitors plan their holidays in Calpe. Brochures, tourist maps and information on the activities and events held in the town throughout the year were also available.

The Danish market represents an excellent opportunity for Calpe due to its high spending power, preference for quality destinations, combination of beach and culture, medium-long stays and tendency to travel outside the high season. In addition, the Danish market is growing rapidly, with a 6% increase in visitor arrivals and 9.1% in spending expected by 2024.

The Calpe Town Council has conveyed to those responsible for the Denia health area the concern of many residents about the lack of doctors at the Calpe Health Centre and the consequent decline in primary care in the municipality.

This morning the Mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, and the councillor for health, Itziar Doval, held a meeting with the heads of the health department, specifically the Director of Primary Care at Denia Hospital, Óscar Morell, the Director of Nursing at the Hospital, Rosa Gregori, and the manager of the Department of Health, Juan Puig.

The heads of the health department have indicated that after the reversion of the management of the Denia hospital, a total of 19 posts were created in the entire health area, two of which corresponded to two doctors for the Calpe Health Centre. However, to date, these two posts remain unfilled due to a lack of interested candidates on the job pool, that is to say, no doctor has applied to fill the two posts in Calpe.

The posts are budgeted for and a job pool was created to fill them, although the problem lies in the lack of personnel to fill them. They have also pointed out that 55% of the lack of doctors in the Valencian Community is concentrated in the areas of Denia and Alcira.

However, those responsible for the Denia health area have emphasised that at the Calpe Health Centre a physiotherapist post, three nursing assistant posts and eight nursing posts have been created and filled.

The efforts being made by the medical staff at the Calpe Health Centre, who are overworked, to maintain the quality of care have also been emphasised.

Both the municipal authorities and those from the health department have committed to continuing to meet to find solutions that can improve the health situation in the municipality.

Friday 21st:

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

Saturday 22nd:

• 17:00 – Juggling workshop. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).
• 18:30 – Children's theatre: ‘La maestra’ by the company Anita Maravillas Teatro. Best Stage Space Award FETEN 2024. Free of charge. Auditorium.
• Exhibition ‘Aires de mujer’ by Noelia Lillo and Encarna González. Until 28th February. In the Exhibition Hall of the Ajuntament Vell.

Sunday 23rd:

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

• 5 pm – Mural of voices. Youth Club (Punt Jove - Plaza de la Constitución).

The Grupo Social ONCE is offering its collaboration to the citizens of Calpe. To this end, the Director of the ONCE in both Marinas, Vicente J. Vázquez, has met with the Mayor, Ana Sala, to whom he has presented different ways of understanding in favour of blind people or people with other disabilities.

In this first meeting between the parties, global issues were addressed to present the different possible ways of collaboration between the ONCE Social Group and the City Council; in different areas such as accessibility, employment, global awareness and training.

The ONCE representative discussed various issues related to people with disabilities, to which the Mayoress showed receptivity and also expressed her willingness to achieve the objective of mainstreaming accessibility in all areas of the City Council's management. Finally, a multisectoral meeting has been organised, at which various municipal areas and others of the ONCE Social Group can begin work on the issues addressed.

In addition, the problems faced by disabled people in finding employment have been addressed. The ONCE Social Group believes that local councils play an important role in this area due to their proximity to citizens and therefore makes the resources of the ONCE Foundation and Inserta Empleo available to them to include disabled people in the council's employment exchange.

Regarding public employment, the representative of the ONCE Social Group has made the municipal representative aware of the importance of promoting responsible public procurement in favour of Special Employment Centres of social initiative, as is the case of ILUNION and the companies of the ONCE Social Group.

In terms of accessibility, the initiatives to be considered in terms of signage, information, adaptation of pavements, single platforms and the management of acoustic traffic lights have been discussed in general terms; although it has gone into detail in working on inclusive access to tourism, suggesting that more concrete actions be addressed for the next summer campaign.

The active participation of the ONCE Social Group in the town has been promoted, emphasising the importance of having this organisation in the day-to-day life of the town, in order to be able to make contributions prior to projects as well as proposals for new actions to be designed.

The Mayoress has expressed her willingness to promote and collaborate as much as possible in the different activities carried out in her locality in order to make the ONCE Social Group more visible. She has also committed to analysing what was discussed in this interesting meeting and to scheduling the actions to ensure that they are addressed.

Calpe Town Council has signed an agreement with the Directorate General of Police to install a Documentatis Update Point (DUP) on the ground floor of the Town Hall, a device that allows the renewal of electronic certificates and the changing of access codes to electronic certificates.

Until now, in order to renew the digital certificate, it was necessary to go to the police station in Dénia or Benidorm. Although the national identity card is renewed every five or ten years depending on age, the digital certificate associated with the national identity card expires every three years, which means travelling to renew it.

The PAD consists of a terminal equipped with a touch screen and keyboard to renew the DNI keys quickly, without having to travel. At this Documentation Update point, users will be able to renew DNI certificates and modify access data to electronic certificates.

For the renewal of electronic certificates, the physical presence of the document holder is required, and their identity must be verified by reading their electronic ID card and biometric templates (fingerprints), captured during the ID card issuance process, by which they can independently trigger the procedure for renewing their electronic certificates, or change their access password.

They can also be used by people with reduced mobility, as their height can be adjusted. Their use is completely free of charge and does not require an appointment, allowing access through the electronic ID card (physical card) and a fingerprint reader.

The citizens of Calpe continue to show their solidarity with the municipalities affected by the storm, and various local artists are preparing the Calpe Music Festival for the DANA Storm, which aims to raise funds for two musical organisations affected by the storm, specifically La Unión Musical Catarroja and La Unión Musical La Artesana de Catarroja.

The festival will be held on 8 March at 7.30 pm in the Casa de Cultura auditorium and tickets can now be purchased for €10 at Estanco Nº3, Peluquería Tifanni's, Cafeteria La Nueva Oficina, Papelería Vázquez, Carnicería Cloti and Café Bugatti. The organisers are also offering a ‘Row 0’ option for those who cannot attend the event but want to support the initiative.

The Calpe Music Festival for DANA, promoted by Batiste Pastor, includes performances by José Luis Luri, the Amalgama Duo, the Benidorm Conservatory Saxophone Quartet, Celia and Gema González accompanied by guitarist Darío González, Fermín Nieto, David Luri, María Llario, María Gutiérrez, Toni González, Daniel Pastor Fuentes, Batiste Pastor, Alice Perles accompanied on guitar by Wignard Valdez, José Antonio Llario, J.C. 15 and Isita, and Rafael Rico and Antonio Esteve. The gala will be presented by Irene Pastor and José Pascual Ortega.

The Calpe Music Festival for the storm and floos will be attended by José Peiró, president of the Unión Musical de Catarroja and Oscar Guillem, president of the Unión Musical La Artesana de Catarroja. Both will explain how their musical organisations have been affected and how the funds raised will be used.

Batiste Pastor, the driving force behind the initiative, emphasised the selfless collaboration of all the artists and the use of the auditorium by the Town Council.

Calpe, together with Benissa and Altea, has participated in the Fiets en Wandelbeurs fair in Utrecht, one of the most important events in Europe dedicated to cycle tourism and hiking, thus consolidating its commitment to active and sustainable tourism throughout the year.

The Calpe delegation took a guided tour with the founder of the fair, who shared the evolution of this event throughout its 20-year history. The Fiets en Wandelbeurs is the current benchmark for active tourism in Europe and represents the values of sustainability and responsible tourism that Calpe seeks to promote.

The event attracts thousands of visitors and professionals from the sector every year (this year 25,000 attendees were expected), making it an essential meeting point for destinations, tour operators and active tourism enthusiasts.

The success of the local hiking groups in Calpe, made up of people of different nationalities, has aroused the interest of the organisers of the fair who have proposed that these associations, which know the territory and the historical routes of great cultural and scenic value, participate in future editions sharing their experience through talks and specialised seminars. This collaboration will allow the international public to see the richness of our trails and the vitality of hiking in the town.

The presence at the fair has been especially fruitful in terms of professional relationships. Numerous tour operators specialising in cycling and hiking have shown interest in incorporating Calpe as a preferred destination for their upcoming seasons.

Furthermore, Calpe's routes have been incorporated into digital cycling and running platforms such as Strava, Bikemap and Komoot, which will significantly increase international visibility. The tourism department has established a calendar of follow-up actions to turn these initial contacts into solid and lasting commercial relationships.

‘Participation in this fair represents an important step in our strategy of tourism diversification,’ said Marco Bittner, councillor for international promotion at Calpe Town Council. “The interest shown by professionals in the sector confirms the potential of our town as a first-rate destination for active tourism,” he added.

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).