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Olivia Valere closes temporarily after coronavirus cases
Iconic Marbella nightclub Olivia Valere will remain closed until Thursday after the venue recorded cases of COVID-19 among its staff. "We will reopen on Thursday 6th August" the club said on its website "We are working on cleaning and disinfecting our space so we can keep it clean and safe for…
The hottest weekend of the summer – and there’s more on the way!
This weekend saw the highest temperatures across Spain to date this year, with Velez-Malaga at 45.6ºC and Coin at 44ºC. Thirty provinces across the country were under amber and yellow weather warnings for extremes of temperature on Saturday, the hottest day of the year in many places. A farm owner in Murcia eas arrested after a labourer died of heat stroke on Saturday. The undocumented South…
Marbella on Orange Alert as heatwave hits
Marbella was placed on Orange Alert for high temperatures as the first heatwave of the summer engulfed Spain. Temperatures of up to 37C were forecast for Sunday while Málaga suffered 39C and the Guadalhorce Valley roasted at 43C. With temperatures between 5-10 degrees warmer than normal for the time of year AEMET, the Spanish Meteorological Office, issued Orange Alerts for Andalucía. The…
Tommy Robinson shares Social Media post from Marbella
Controversial British far-right and anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson has moved to the Costa del Sol. The co-founder and former leader of the English Defence League, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, posted from Manolo Santana Racquets Club this week, where he had been enjoying a game of padel. Robinson fled the UK to Spain earlier this month, fearing for the safety of his family after…
Quarantine – Mayor urges Costa corridor
Marbella mayor Ángeles Muñoz has demanded that Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya includes the Costa del Sol in any safe tourist corridor agreement with the UK The Foreign Minister is currently trying to secure a deal for the exclusion of the Balearic and Canary Islands from the quarantine imposed by the UK on arrivals from Spain, but Muñoz believes that not including the Costa…
Sunday Morning Mutterings – Mask Murmurings and Bike Business
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks. Once again I managed to upset a number of cyclists who, after reading the reaction to my witterings, obviously regard me as one of Satan’s minor demons. Or the Marbella version of Jeremy Clarkson. I’m not sure which is worse, to be honest. In my regular column for the Olive Press http://theolivepress.es , I wrote that there were several signs that…
Novak’s Saturday Knock Up!
Tennis ace Novak Djokovic surprised the Saturday morning crowd in Marbella this morning when he turned up for an impromptu practice session. The world number one is back in Marbella again after his controversial Adria exhibition tennis tour ended when Djokovic, his wife Jelena, three other players, three coaches and one player's pregnant wife tested positive for the virus. Novak has…
Coronavirus – Marbella reports ten cases in three days
Marbella has reported ten new coronavirus cases over the past three days, but the Junta de Andalucia is not regarding the situation as an outbreak. The five new cases occurred between workers at a well known department store in Puerto Banus, and followed the two recorded on Tuesday and three on Wednesday. None of the employees needed hospital treatment and are currently self isolating.…
Coronavirus forces cancellation of Marbella’s Global Gift Gala
One of Marbella's most star studded events of the summer, the Global Gift Gala, has become the latest victim of coronavirus. Scheduled to take place in August, the event regularly attracts both Spanish and international stars such as Eva Longoria, founder and president of the Global Gift Foundation María Bravo, DJ Luis Fonsi, actor Gary Dourdan, singer Chenoa and a host of celebrities from the…
Coronavirus – Two new cases reported in Marbella
The Junta de Andalucia confirmed on Tuesday that Marbella had reported two new cases of coronavirus. This comes after ten days with no cases reported and brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Marbella to 423 since the beginning of the pandemic. Malaga province reported 23 new cases, of which nine had been hospitalised. No patients required ICU, however. In the province of…
Coronavirus – Mask hacks to beat a steamy summer
Fed up with your glasses steaming up and slipping off when you put your mask on? Fret no more as Specsavers Ópticas shares top tips for wearing glasses with facemasks. You may be of the opinion that they are the signs of a New World Order, Illuminati or other sinister forces at work, but unless you want to be on the receiving end of a fine from the police, facemasks are now as important an item…
Something for the Weekend? ‘The Gilded Cage’ by Camilla Lackberg
Alicia Duggan of The Bookshop with her latest review. The gripping new psychological thriller from internationally bestselling author Camilla Lackberg, is a story of love, betrayal, friendship, and revenge. Faye is married to super wealthy Jack Adelheim. They have a beautiful daughter and Faye is happy with her life despite the constant dieting, Botox and degrading way her husband sometimes…
Movie Magic with Alfresco Cinema Marbella
If you’ve been missing your fix of big screen action due to coronavirus then an exciting new company in Marbella has the answer Alfresco Cinema Marbella, which launched earlier this year, brings all the thrills and fun of the movies for you to enjoy – transforming your garden into an open air cinema, perfect for those summer nights! “We started the business at the beginning of summer” explains…
Coronavirus – Mask Monday for Andalucia?
The President of the Junta de Andalucia, Juanma Moreno, announced over the weekend that the Junta's committee of experts will meet on Monday to propose the mandatory use of masks throughout the autonomous community. If approved, the measures will come into force in a period not exceeding 24 or 48 hours, and that this is considered "positive" to avoid possible further contagion. Moreno also…
Sunday Morning Mutterings – ‘Disoluzenment’ Days
How were things for you in the first weeks of the ‘new normal’? As I mentioned before, I was lucky enough during lockdown to have permission to travel to the radio station to broadcast – my status as an ‘essential worker’ probably being the first time that I’ve been an ‘essential’ anything. As a single man living in splendid isolation by the lake- apart from the house guest in the guest cottage…
Two killed in Marbella Hotel Horror
Two men were killed this morning in a well known Marbella hotel, in what appears to be a tragic accident. One victim fell from the seventh floor balcony of the Gran Melia Don Pepe and landed on the second man, who was drinking on the terrace below. Emergency services were alerted to the accident at 1.45 this morning, who declared both men dead on the scene. Police sources told Europa Press that…
Woman detained after hit and run tragedy
A woman was been detained following the hit and run death of Marbella sportsman Mario Zumaquero on Sunday. The 44-year-old was struck by a vehicle at approximately 6.50am on Sunday as he cycled on the A-7 close to Diana Park. The driver failed to stop at the scene and although witnesses quickly called the emergency services, they were unable to save Zumaquero. The accident provoked outrage…
British Embassy to hold Facebook Q&A this Wednesday on new residency document for UK nationals
The Spanish Government has launched a new residency document for UK nationals who are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement – the Tarjeta de identidad de extranjero or TIE. This means some changes to the appointments process and that anyone registering from now on will be issued with the biometric TIE card, rather than the current green paper document. Spain is one of the first EU countries…
Police seek driver after fatal hit-and-run
Well-known Marbella cyclist Mario Zumaquero was killed in a hit-and-run accident on Sunday morning. Zumaquero (pictured) was training at 6.40am when he was struck by what is believed to be a Mercedes. The accident happened at km 167 on the A7, close to Diana Park. Several witnesses saw the car strike Zumaquero without stopping. The emergency services were quickly on the scene but were unable…
Something for the Weekend? ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens
Alicia Duggan of The Bookshop with her latest review. This beautifully written debut novel by Delia Owens is part murder mystery, part coming of age novel but mostly a story of survival and hope. Kya lives in the marshlands of North Carolina. When she is six her mother walks out on the family leaving Kya with her brother, who leaves soon after, and her alcoholic and often violent father who…