CalpeNoticias EN

Friday, 25:
•    Exhibition "Baños de la Reina, the Roman footprint." Until December 30. Museo del Coleccionismo
•     Exhibition Bitter Almonds by Andrea Chessa until July 30 in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell. 
•    9:00 AM - 9:00 PM. Exhibition "Llúria, Lords and Ladies of the Earth." Casa de Cultura. 
•    6:00 PM to 1:00 AM. Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).
•    8:00 PM. Concert by the "Coral Ifach & Joves Cantors d'Ifach." Casa de Cultura. 
Saturday, 26: 
•    Exhibition "Baños de la Reina, the Roman footprint." Until December 30. Museo del Coleccionismo 
•    Exhibition Bitter Almonds by Andrea Chessa until July 30 in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell. 
•    9:00 AM. Free Zumba class. Plaza Colón (Arenal-Bol beach). 
•    9:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Exhibition "Llúria, Lords and Ladies of the Earth." Casa de Cultura. 
•     From 18:00 to 01:00. Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Mediterranean Square (Fossa beach). 
•    20:30. Concert "Connecta Percussió". Casa de la Cultura. 

Sunday, 27: 
•    From 18:00 to 01:00. Craft markets. Calle Alemania  (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza del Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).
 

Today, the Governing Board approved a proposal to restrict parking on Gabriel Miró Avenue starting next week in order to improve traffic flow and facilitate access to the town's shopping area.

The parking restriction on Calpe's main shopping street will be in place from Monday to Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. During this time, vehicles will be allowed to park for a maximum of 45 minutes, which will allow for the rotation of vehicles.

To monitor compliance with the parking time, four local police officers will patrol Gabriel Miró Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., from Benidorm Street to Isaac Peral Street. Once the 45-minute parking time has elapsed, the officers will notify the tow truck to remove the vehicle.

Signs informing of the new measure are expected to be installed on Monday, after which the parking restrictions will come into force. This initiative, which aims to alleviate parking problems caused by delays in the implementation of the blue zone, is already being implemented in other municipalities in the region.

The Councillor for Traffic and Public Safety, Guillermo Sendra, said that ‘it is a drastic measure but one that benefits everyone, both businesses, because there will be a rotation of vehicles, and residents in these areas, who will be able to park from 2 p.m. onwards’.

Meanwhile, administrative procedures are continuing to enable new park-and-ride facilities. The Council is negotiating agreements to enable private plots to be leased to the Council and converted into park-and-ride facilities in the town centre, close to the shopping area. The initiative already has a budget allocation and it is hoped that the agreements will be finalised in a few weeks.

Calpe Town Council has signed, for the first time, a collaboration agreement with the Institut d'Estudis Comarcals de la Marina Alta (IECMA), a reference entity in the research and dissemination of the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the region.

With this agreement, the municipality of Calpe shows its support for the work that IECMA has been carrying out for decades, and opens a new stage of institutional collaboration that will allow to promote joint projects, promote local history and improve the dissemination of cultural and heritage values of the municipality.

IECMA is a non-profit organisation that works to promote knowledge and highlight the potential of the Marina Alta. Its activities include the publication of books and specialised magazines, the organisation of conferences and congresses, the carrying out of studies and inventories on heritage, as well as the promotion of educational and dissemination projects throughout the region.

The Culture Councillor, Guillermo Sendra has stated that: "this agreement is an opportunity to place Calpe within the cultural and scientific dynamics of the region and we can take advantage of the knowledge and experience of the IECMA for the benefit of our municipality".

For their part, representatives of IECMA have highlighted the importance of this agreement, which consolidates the link between the cultural world of the Marina Alta and the Calpe Town Council, and have valued very positively the willingness of the mayoress, Ana Sala, and the Councillor for Culture, Guillermo Sendra, to get involved in the preservation and promotion of local heritage and its history hand in hand with IECMA.

With this agreement, Calpe reinforces its commitment to the culture of the Marina Alta and opens new ways of collaboration with the IECMA to deepen the knowledge of its past and value its heritage for future generations.

The Calp Town Council, through the Equality Department, has joined the new Co-Responsible Plan, an initiative promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Equality that aims to facilitate the reconciliation of family and working life through educational, recreational and care projects aimed especially at families with children.

The Councillor for Equality of the Calp Town Council, together with the head of the Department of Social Policy, took part yesterday in an informative meeting organised by the Regional Ministry of Social Services and Equality, at which the main new features of the new call for proposals for the programme, with a total budget of 12,375,235.96 euros, were presented.

Thanks to this initiative, Calp Town Council has received a grant of €58,800, which will enable it to develop specific actions aimed at promoting shared responsibility and real and effective equality between women and men, through services that respond to the work-life balance needs of families in Calp.

The council welcomes this line of aid, which reinforces the municipal commitment to equality policies and supports the development of initiatives that promote a more equitable distribution of time and care tasks, especially in the family sphere.

The Calp Town Council plans to launch a programme of activities in the coming months that will include workshops, educational leisure spaces and childcare services that promote work-life balance, giving priority to families with greater social or economic difficulties.

Yesterday, the Procurement Department made a proposal to award the regulated parking service on public roads to the company Estacionamientos y Servicios SAU, for a bid of €575,000. There is now a 15-day period during which the other two companies that submitted bids can appeal. If they do not do so, the award will be considered final.

The tender process for the concession of regulated parking services in Calpe began last February, following the drafting and approval of the specifications. Interested companies were able to submit their bids until March. However, when the Municipal Procurement Department made its award proposal, one of the companies lodged an appeal, which delayed the administrative procedure and the start of the service.

At the end of June, the Administrative Court of Contract Appeals ruled in favour of the company that appealed the award and ordered the procedure to be reversed so that the contracting committee could request the bidder to justify the abnormality of its bid and the viability of its proposal. Once this procedure has been completed, the award proposal has been reformulated and, if no appeals are lodged within 15 days, the service will be considered definitively awarded.

One of the most notable aspects of the new contract is the reduction in the blue zone tariff for residents and traders, which is being cut by almost 50%. In the orange zone (beach area), the reduction for these groups is 22%. Thus, if until now the hourly rate in the blue zone for residents was €0.40, it will now cost €0.25, while in the orange zone it will drop from €0.45 to €0.35 per hour. On the other hand, the general rate will increase: in the blue zone it will go from £0.85 to £1.10 per hour, and in the orange zone from £0.95 to £1.45 per hour.

This change in rates is intended to benefit residents of the municipality by reducing the cost of parking in regulated parking areas.

The timetables are also being modified: until now, the maximum time allowed was two hours in the blue zone and three hours in the orange zone. With the new regulations, these limits are being extended to three and six hours, respectively.
Other changes include the integration of the green zone into the blue zone, thus eliminating the green zone, which only operated in the morning, and the elimination of the mixed orange zone. The blue zone will now have 920 spaces and the orange zone 1,135.

In addition, the specifications establish as a mandatory investment the replacement of parking meters that do not allow payment by credit card. The concessionaire must also provide the service with two tow trucks. The annual fee proposed in the specifications is €350,000 plus VAT, and the company proposed for the contract has offered a fee of €575,000.

Friday, 18:
•    9 am – 9 pm. Exhibition ‘Llúria, Lords and Ladies of the Land’. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 31 August.
•    6 pm to 1am. Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).
•    10 pm - Virgen del Carmen festivities: ‘Nit de Música’ Cream Pop with performances by Venturi, Alison Darwin and L'Home Brut. Free admission. Marquee located in the fishing port next to the fish market.
•    Exhibition Almendras Amargas (Bitter Almonds) by Andrea Chessa until 30 July in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
•    Exhibition ‘Baños de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museo del Cileccionismo
Saturday, 19th:
•    9 a.m. – Free Zumba class. Plaza Colón (Arenal-Bol beach).
•    9 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Exhibition ‘Llúria, Lords and Ladies of the Land’. Exhibition Hall of the Casa de Cultura. Until 31st August.
•    Virgen del Carmen festivities. Marquee located in the fishing port next to the fish market (bar run by the 2026 prefesters. Sandwiches and drinks will be available at reasonable prices):
•    6pm – Musical performance with DJs.
•    10pm – Performance by our local singer JC15.
•    11.30 pm – Performance by the La Swag orchestra.
•    6 pm to 1 am – Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).
•    8 pm – Concert by the Colla Xirimiters del Carellot. Free admission. Odeón Theatre.
•    Exhibition Almendras Amargas by Andrea Chessa until 30 July in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
•    Exhibition ‘Baños de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30 December. Museo del Coleccionismo
Sunday, 20th:
•    Virgen del Carmen festivities. Calpe fishing port (bar run by the 2026 prefesters. Sandwiches and drinks will be available at affordable prices):
•    11.30 am – Water cacolestles, traditional cucañas (pole climbing), accompanied by background music and the Colla Xirimiters del Carellot.
•    12 noon – Caldero competition. Entertained by the Colla Xirimiters del Carellot, with recognition for the three best rice dishes.
•    12.30pm – La Muixeranga de la Marina Alta will present the IFAC figure dedicated to the seafaring family.
•    10.30 pm – Performance by the La Trampa orchestra in the marquee located in the fishing port next to the fish market.
•    6 pm to 1 am – Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).

The Social Welfare Department of Calpe Town Council, on the initiative of the Family Prevention and Intervention Service, has launched a series of group activities aimed at children and teenagers aged between 7 and 16 who are receiving support from the Social Welfare Department. These activities will take place during July and August.

This preventive and socio-educational initiative aims to provide a safe space for the acquisition of personal and social skills, emotional management, group work, conflict resolution and improved coexistence. In addition, it promotes the active and inclusive participation of children and teenagers through recreational activities, creative workshops and group dynamics adapted to different ages.

With this measure, the Town Council is reinforcing its commitment to the protection and well-being of children and teenagers in the municipality of Calpe, especially during school holidays, when risk factors can increase due to the lack of routines and structured support, thus preventing passive leisure activities.

Group intervention also makes it possible to optimise the resources available in our municipality by carrying out different activities in collaboration with the Casa de Cultura, the Punt Jove and the Department of Tourism.

The Family Prevention and Intervention Service develops prevention and social intervention programmes aimed at individuals, families or groups with personal or social development difficulties or who are at risk or vulnerable. The aim of this intervention is to promote and develop changes that increase their conflict resolution skills, as well as to detect and prevent the causes of their difficulties, particularly those related to family, education and social and labour integration.

From tomorrow, Wednesday 16 July, coinciding with the feast day of the Virgin of Carmen, patron saint of sailors, the Calpe Police Force will have a new 6-metre semi-rigid boat that will enable it to expand and reinforce its surveillance and security operations along the municipality's coastline.

This acquisition, valued at 40,000 euros, will create the Coastal Surveillance Unit, made up of four police officers who have received specific training to operate this boat and carry out control and assistance tasks at sea.

The new vessel will enable the police to carry out surveillance tasks on beaches, search for illegal vessels, control sea fishing along the coast, supervise the use of jet skis, and provide assistance to boats and swimmers in distress, rescues and other emergency interventions. During the summer season, the unit will be on duty every day from 10:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Until now, the Calpe Police did not have its own maritime resources, so this addition is a step forward in strengthening the safety of residents and visitors, especially in the summer months, when activity on the coast increases significantly.

The Mayoress of Calpe, Ana Sala, stressed that ‘this investment responds to the municipal commitment to provide the police force with the necessary resources to guarantee an effective response to any situation and improve coordination with other security and emergency services’.

For his part, the Councillor for Culture and Security, Guillermo Sendra, pointed out that ‘this boat, together with the four officers, make up the new Coastal Surveillance Unit, which will enable comprehensive surveillance and control of the entire municipality of Calpe’.

The model presented by sculptor Luciano González Díaz has been selected as the best work in the 2nd Villa de Calpe Sculpture Contest 2025. This was decided a few days ago by the jury appointed to evaluate the participating works.

A total of 14 artists participated in the Contest with 25 works submitted, from which, as indicated in the rules, a shortlist was made, and the winner was finally chosen as ‘Los sueños rotos’ by Luciano González Díaz.

The prize is worth €7,000. The winner now has three months to create the model presented in accordance with the measurements established in the Contest rules. Furthermore, as the sculpture will be located outdoors, materials that will not deteriorate over time and can withstand exposure to the elements must be used.

With this Contest, the Culture Council aims to encourage and promote the work of sculptors and, at the same time, given that the winning sculpture will be placed in the historic centre, to enhance the beauty of the old town. The winning work will become the property of Calpe Town Council, forming part of its heritage, and the Culture Council will decide on its final location.

The Department of Culture held the first ‘Villa de Calpe’ National Sculpture Contest last year with the aim of revitalising the old town and the municipal cultural heritage.
 

The Soudal Quick-Step cycling team will return to Calpe this winter to prepare for the 2026 season as part of its sponsorship agreement with Calpe Town Council. This collaboration reinforces Calpe's international profile as a top cycling destination and helps to promote sports tourism throughout the year in the town.

For the Soudal Quick-Step team, Calpe has become a key location for its first training blocks of the season, as well as hosting the official presentation and media events. Team coach Koen Pelgrim said, ‘We have always felt at home in Calpe. The terrain, the climate, the hospitality... it's the ideal environment to prepare for the season.’

Sponsoring this cycling team means that Calpe's logo will appear on the team's vehicles, official equipment and digital platforms; promotional content such as reports, publications and videos will be generated; and activities and events related to cycling will be organised, taking advantage of the cyclists' stay in the town.

This collaboration will not only have a promotional and media impact through the team's coverage in European media, but will also help to consolidate cycle tourism as a strategic product within the 2020-2030 Tourism Plan. In addition, hashtags such as #CalpeCyclingParadise/ #CalpeParaísoCiclista will be promoted, reinforcing Calpe's image as a destination for amateur and professional cyclists.
 

The fifth edition of ‘Recycle to Conserve’ arrived in Calpe today. This is a beachside recycling awareness campaign run by Ecoembes, an organisation that has been caring for the environment and promoting packaging recycling in Spain for over 25 years, in collaboration with the Regional Ministry of the Environment, Water, Infrastructure and Territory.

`Recycling to Conserve´  aims to encourage citizens to deposit plastic, metal and cartons in the yellow container and paper and cardboard in the blue container, to enable recycling and draw attention to the problem of littering, i.e. the abandonment of waste on the coast.

The initiative seeks face-to-face interaction with beach users, informing them of the benefits of recycling for the environment. In addition, they are helped to improve the correct separation of waste and any doubts about where and how to dispose of a particular type of waste are resolved, making it possible for it to be recycled in the appropriate container in any situation and location.

The Councillor for the Environment and Beaches, Pere Moll, and the Councillor for Tourism Planning, Mireia Ripoll, visited the Ecoembes stand located on Arenal-Bol Beach this morning. One of the new features of this edition is the focus on children, who are enjoying their summer holidays on the beaches of the Valencian Community, as well as summer school students.

The environmental educators from the Ecoembes team are putting on children's theatre performances and mini workshops tailored to their ages and abilities. These fun and educational activities are designed to raise awareness about recycling from an early age and encourage responsible habits, helping to make the younger generation aware of the importance of protecting the environment.

The campaign will run until 25 July in a total of 21 coastal municipalities in the provinces of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón. Specifically, the Ecoembes team will tour the coast of the Valencian Community, visiting: Alboraya, Pinedo, El Puig, Las Arenas, Sagunto, Cullera, Gandía, Benidorm, Torrevieja, Santa Pola, Calpe, Finestrat, L'Alfàs del Pi, Dénia, Alcalà de Xivert-Alcossebre, Oropesa del Mar, Benicarló, Peñíscola, Vinaròs, Xilxes and Benicàssim.
 

One of the items on this week's plenary agenda was the amendment of the ordinance regulating non-sedentary sales to introduce a series of innovations.

The main change is the creation of a new Sunday market in the Calalga area, in the car park next to Rosa de los Vientos Avenue and next to the Fossa promenade. This market will be held every Sunday from November to June.

This market will offer textiles, footwear, handicrafts, etc., as well as fruit and vegetables, cold meats, preserves, etc. Up to 16 stalls will be authorised, distributed among 6 stalls reserved for food products and 10 stalls reserved for other products.

The creation of this market responds to the need to revitalise this area during the winter months and to requests from traders and residents of Calalga.

The amendment to the by-law will also allow the relocation of the textile market on Avenida Rumanía on Saturdays. With the opening of Vial J and its link to Avenida Rumanía, it is considered advisable to change the location of the Saturday market so as not to hinder traffic between the access to the municipality and the beaches. The market on Avenida Rumanía is expected to be moved to the school zone between the Gabriel Miró and Azorín schools. The possibility of adding a truck-bar stall is also being considered, given the absence of such facilities at its current location.

The ordinance also states that the initial temporary nature of the food market in the Petit car park has become permanent, but it contemplates the possibility that in the future the food and textile markets may be reunited in the same place, when appropriate, and if so determined by the competent body, in the vicinity of the school zone.

Other aspects of the amendment to this ordinance refer to administrative simplification, with the aim of regulating a more efficient process for the annual accreditation of compliance with obligations; separating the planning and taxation aspects of the regulation, bringing it into line with the current situation of the non-permanent markets in Calpe and taking the opportunity to simplify the forms associated with the Ordinance.

There are currently 200 stalls in Calpe between the weekly markets on Avenida Rumanía and Calle Petit. In addition, on Wednesdays there is a weekly flea market on Avenida País Valencià and in summer two craft markets are authorised in Plaza Mediterráneo and Calle Alemania, next to the seafront promenades.

Friday, 11th:

• Exhibition ‘Baños de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30th December. Museum of Collecting.
• Exhibition Almendras Amargas (Bitter Almonds) by Andrea Chessa until 30 July in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
•  9:00 am - 9:00 pm. Exhibition ‘Llúria, Lords and Ladies of the Land’. Casa de Cultura
•  6:00 pm to 1:00 am. Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).
• 8:00 pm. Concert by the Societat Recreativa Musical d'Altea la Vella and the Agrupació Musical Clau de Fa d Calpe. Casa de Cultura Auditorium.

Saturday, 12th:

•  Exhibition ‘Baños de la Reina, la huella romana’ (The Queen's Baths, the Roman footprint). Until 30th December. Museum of Collecting.
•  Exhibition Almendras Amargas (Bitter Almonds) by Andrea Chessa until 30th July in the exhibition hall of the Ajuntament Vell.
•  9:00 a.m. – Free Zumba class. Plaza Colón (Arenal-Bol beach).
• 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Exhibition ‘Llúria, Lords and Ladies of the Land’. Casa de Cultura
• 6:00 pm to 1:00 am - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (Fossa beach).
• 9:00 pm - 6th Lluna 'Oltà Night Trail. Plaza Colón (Arenal beach).

Sunday, 13:

• 6:00 pm to 1:00 am - Craft markets. Calle Alemania (Arenal-Bol beach) and Plaza Mediterráneo (La Fossa beach).

At yesterday's Calpe Town Council meeting, with the votes in favour of Somos Calpee, Pspv-Psoe and Compromís, the abstention of the Partido Popular and the votes against Defendamos Calpee, the start of the process to modify the areas known as Garduix I and II, Pla Feliu I and II and Ráfol I and II as developable land with the aim of reclassifying them as green space and public land.

The sectors of Ráfol I and II, Feliu I and II and Garduix I and II make up a large green space of more than 300,000 m² in an area of residential developments. These sectors already appear in the 1998 General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) as developable land, However, they are rural land that has not been developed for 27 years and therefore the regulations allow the administration to declassify them.

Once the start of the process has been approved in plenary session, the procedure is transferred to the Territorial Planning Commission of the Valencian Regional Government, which is responsible for continuing with the process.

The City Council intends to acquire the land by compensating the owners for expropriation in accordance with the nature of the land as rural, i.e. when compensating the owners, the land will be valued as it stands and not for the urban rights that have not been realised. Technical reports value the square metre at €5.37.

The councillor for Defendamos Calpee, Toni Tur, stated that ‘we have many doubts about this point due to the changes in criteria. We are in favour of reclassifying the land as rural. I have looked at case law on similar cases and this seems to me to be an experiment or a photo opportunity that could end up harming the residents of Calpe in the future’.

For his part, the spokesperson for the Popular Party, Miguel Crespo, questioned the procedure, pointing out that "it is proposed to pay €5.37 per square metre, this action has no legal guarantee for the Town Council and could legally compromise the municipality. There are different options for obtaining land for public use and respecting the rights of the owners, and we are not aware of any meetings or negotiations with the owners. We do not know if a compulsory purchase has been made by this council in the past. The PP considers it necessary to obtain land for public use and protect green areas, but also to safeguard the rights of the owners".

The spokesperson for the socialist group, Guillermo Sendra, indicated that ‘the opposition is using different arguments that have already been refuted. The thing is, it is going to be difficult for them to back down in front of the public. This is not an ecological battle, it is a battle for social justice. We are facing a unique and courageous proposal that benefits the entire city. They have the opportunity to show that we are not here to follow political slogans but to think about the people.’

Sendra explained the three options on this point: ‘Declassification through expropriation to obtain land for schools, hospitals or sports areas; keeping the land as rural in the hands of the owners so that they can build villas on 10,000 m2 plots and lose public land; or allowing the owners to do whatever they want’.

Ximo Perles, spokesperson for the government and Compromís, intervened, pointing out that ‘rarely have the legitimate representatives of popular sovereignty taken a decision so faithful to the mandate of the citizens as today’. He also explained that ‘much of this land was acquired by the owners in 1997, just one year before the 1998 General Plan was approved, that is, one year before it was reclassified from rustic to developable’. Perles also recalled that ‘the land of the former fairgrounds was already paid for at rustic prices, even though there were access roads, drainage channels and fencing’.

The Councillor for Land Use, Juan Manuel del Pino, stressed that ‘we have no desire to go against anyone, this is land that has been unplanned for 30 years, during which time Calpe and the world have changed, and today there is a different sensibility. There are already important plans that need to be developed, such as Benicolada, El Saladar and Buenavista, and Calpe has not stopped growing’. The councillor explained that attempts to reach agreements between the owners have been unsuccessful and announced that a process is now beginning that could take years.

The mayoress, Ana Sala, closed the debate by stating that ‘this is a courageous decision. I have no baggage or mortgages, I do not have to follow instructions from others like you who follow the voice of your master. The owners will appeal to discuss the price per square metre. We have nothing against the owners, but after six years of meetings and negotiations, this is the best measure’.

AEMCO subsidy

Outside the agenda, a credit modification was approved to grant a subsidy of €18,900 to AEMCO so that the traders' association can manage parking tickets for its customers or launch promotions or campaigns to alleviate the lack of parking spaces.

The opposition groups abstained, as they had not had prior access to the file and considered that the government's lack of foresight would cost the taxpayer money.

This morning in Calpe, the MARQ presented an exhibition that recovers the figure of Roger de Llúria and his second wife, Saurina d'Entença, 720 years after the death of the nobleman, whose career left a deep historical and heritage mark on the Pobla de Ifach archaeological site.

The Deputy for Culture of the Alicante Provincial Council, Juan de Dios Navarro, and the Mayor of Calpe, Ana Sala, inaugurated the exhibition at the Casa de Cultura ‘Jaume Pastor i Fluixà’. The exhibition has also been organised in collaboration with the CV MARQ Foundation and the Banco Sabadell Foundation, as well as the Town Council of Cocentaina, which will also host the travelling exhibition due to its links with the medieval figure.

Under the title “Llúria, Lords and Ladies of the Land”, two of the most important pieces discovered in the excavations at La Pobla de Ifach are on display for the first time: part of the vault of the church of Santa María de Ifach and a window from the stately residence that preserves a spectacular capital. In addition, the exhibition includes a graphic narrative, in the form of a comic strip, which traces the main milestones in the lives of these two nobles with historical scenes inspired by medieval illustrations from the Morgan Bible.

The exhibition is curated by José Luis Menéndez, MARQ technician and director of the excavations at La Pobla de Ifach, who is a specialist in medieval archaeology. Each of the travelling exhibitions is coordinated by Amparo González Martínez, Culture Coordinator at Calpe Town Council, and Elisa Domenech Faus, technician at the Palau Comtal Municipal Museum in Cocentaina. Menéndez highlighted the research and work carried out at the Calpe archaeological site which, among many other conclusions, has promoted the figure of Roger de Llúria and Saurina d'Entença, ‘as both had a significant impact on the development of Calpe and Cocentaina and exerted a profound influence on the evolution of this region’. In fact, the travelling exhibition, designed by Ángel Rocamora Arquitectos, will be hosted by both towns.

The event was also attended by the mayor of Cocentaina, Jordi Pla, the councillor for Culture of the Calpe Town Council, Guillermo Sendra, the director of the MARQ, Manuel Olcina, the manager of the CV MARQ Foundation, Josep Albert Cortés, and the representative of the Banco Sabadell Foundation, Gordon Steinecke.

The exhibition at the Casa de Cultura ‘Jaume Pastor i Fluixà’ will remain open during July and August. Opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 9 am to 9 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm, with free admission. In Cocentaina, the exhibition will be open for a whole year from October 2025 in the Exhibition Hall of the Palau Comtal.

Calpe will hold a special plenary session this afternoon to approve the agreement to award, at the proposal of the advisory council on decorations, the “Jaume Pastor i Fluixà, 9 d'octubre” award to CREAMA (Consortium for the Economic Recovery and Activity of the Marina Alta) in recognition of its three decades of work as a driving force for the regional economy and its role as the backbone of the Marina Alta.
In addition, the municipal plenary session will also agree to honor several entities and personalities from the municipality in different categories. It is proposed to award the citizen merit award to Remedios Tomás Soler, a recently retired municipal official assigned to the Protocol Department who has been dedicated for years to organizing the Jaume Pastor i Fluixà-9 d'Octubre awards.
The Sports Merit Award has been awarded to Calpe swimmers Miguel Ferrer Roselló and Manuel Farrona Clavero for their sporting careers as open water swimmers and the promotion of this sport in the municipality. The Tourism Merit Award was also presented to Oltasuch Plus Holidays, a company founded in the 1970s as a construction and real estate management company that has become a leading vacation rental agency in Spain in recent years.
The Medal for Cultural Merit was awarded to Pere Tur i Sala, columnist, writer, cultural promoter, and member of the Institute of Calpe Studies (IEC). The Medal for Business Merit is awarded to the Tango group, a company dedicated to the operation of restaurants, bars, and cafes with its origins in Calpe, which has promoted the local hospitality industry in recent years.
This year's Youth Award goes to Calpe resident Marco Carrión, a professional Spanish and flamenco dancer, and the Corbata de la Villa (Tie of the Town) award goes to the Calpe Fibromyalgia Association.
These awards are presented during the official ceremony commemorating the Valencian Community Day, and the main prize is named after the late Calpe historian Jaume Pastor i Fluixà.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 8 July, marks the start of a new edition of ‘Cinema a la Mar’, the open-air summer film festival organised by Calpe Town Council, which will once again transform the beaches of La Fossa and Arenal-Bol into outdoor cinemas under the stars.

The programme, scheduled for the entire month of July, offers six free sessions for all audiences, combining animated films and family comedies. The opening event will be this Tuesday, 8 July, at 10 pm on La Fossa beach with the film ‘Amigos Imaginarios’, a comedy suitable for all audiences.

The screenings will continue every Tuesday at La Fossa beach and every Thursday at Arenal-Bol beach. Among the titles scheduled are Kung Fu Panda 4, Campeonex, Trolls 3 Todos Juntos, El Arca de Noé and Menudas Piezas. The sessions will always start at 10 pm.

This initiative is part of the summer cultural programme and aims to offer a free leisure alternative for residents and visitors, bringing the beaches of Calpe to life during the summer season.

The Town Council encourages everyone to enjoy this experience, reminding them of the importance of respecting the natural environment and keeping the beaches clean.
This is the complete programme for ‘Cinema a la Mar’:
•    Tuesday 8 July, ‘Amigos Imaginarios’, La Fossa Beach
•    Thursday 10 July, ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’, Arenal-Bol Beach
•    Tuesday 15 July, ‘Campeonex’, La Fossa Beach
•    Thursday 17 July, ‘Trolls 3 Todos Juntos´, Arenal-Bol Beach
•    Tuesday 22 July, ‘El Arca de Noé”, La Fossa Beach
•    Thursday 24 July, ‘Menudas Piezas’, Arenal-Bol Beach
 

The results of water tests carried out at Arenal-Bol beach reveal that the water is in excellent condition, prompting the Town Council to reopen the stretch of beach at the mouth of the Quisi ravine for swimming.

The Directorate-General for Water has sent the Town Council the report on the analysis of water samples taken yesterday from the bathing area, the results of which are in line with the quality required for bathing.

The Calpe Town Council immediately took preventive measures to avoid possible health risks, such as building a sand dike at the mouth of the Quisi ravine to prevent more water from reaching the sea and prohibiting bathing in that section.

The nursing staff at the Calpe Health Centre goes beyond conventional healthcare in its professional work, carrying out various activities aimed at improving the health and well-being of the population.

Among the most notable initiatives is the “Caminant” project, which encourages physical activity through organised walking trips. This activity not only promotes healthy lifestyles, but also strengthens social cohesion among participants. The medium-term goal is to integrate these walks with guided tourist routes in collaboration with Calpe Town Council, combining health care with knowledge of the local environment.

As part of the “School Nurse” programme run by the Valencian Regional Government, the nursing team collaborates with local schools throughout the school year. Activities include health education sessions, hand hygiene campaigns and healthy eating workshops for both students and teaching staff.

The nursing staff has also played an essential role in vaccination campaigns, notably the immunisation carried out at the refugee centre, which guarantees access to healthcare for all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups.

All these actions reflect the nursing team's dedication to public service and their commitment to promoting the health of the citizens of Calpe.

The Provincial Council of Alicante, through the MARQ, the Archaeological Museum of Alicante, the CV MARQ Foundation, the Banco Sabadell Foundation and the town councils of Calp and Cocentaina, are promoting the exhibition Llúria. Lords and Ladies of the Land, commemorating the 720th anniversary of the death of the Calabrian nobleman Roger de Llúria. Grand Admiral of the Crown of Aragon, who died in January 1305, and Saurina d'Entença, who died in 1325, whose journey through our province leaves important traces in the historical and monumental heritage of two of the municipalities that were key in the development of the territory controlled by the House of Lauria: Calp and Cocentaina.

Llúria, Lords and Ladies of the Land brings together the main milestones in the lives of Roger de Llúria and his second wife, Saurina de Enteza, as well as highlighting the material culture we preserve and promoting the figures of these two historical characters who marked the evolution and development of both municipalities.

The exhibition will be held at two venues, in Calp and Concentaina. The opening of the exhibition in Calp will take place on Tuesday 8 July at 10:30 am at the Casa de Cultura ‘Jaume Pastor i Fluixà’ and will remain open during the months of July and August, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 2 pm, with free admission. In Cocentaina, the exhibition will remain open from October 2025 to October 2026, in the Exhibition Halls of the Palau Comtal.

Curated by José Luis Menéndez Fueyo, MARQ technician and director of the excavations at La Pobla de Ifach, a specialist in medieval history, the exhibition is coordinated in each of the venues by Amparo González Martínez, Culture Coordinator at Calp Town Council, and Elisa Domenech Faus, technician at the Palau Comtal Municipal Museum in Cocentaina.

The exhibition has been designed by the award-winning architecture studio Ángel Rocamora Arquitectos and is sponsored by the Banco Sabadell Foundation.