Alicante

Years ago Alicante opted for an artificial island with a luxurious restaurant and taxi boat. It hasn’t turned out as I expected

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The idea was good. AND on paper It was fable. Set up a restaurant an artificial island in the heart of the port of Alicante, a benchmark in the Valencian hospitality industry where people could eat paella or have a drink with views of the Mediterranean (directly on it, rather), surrounded by sailboats. So that clients could reach the island, it was even thought to build a taxi boat. The idea sounded so good, in fact, that the Port of Alicante decided to invest heavily in it, dedicating millions of euros to it. Now instead of an idyllic island to drink mojitos and coffees in the middle of the mouth what it has is a huge mess. An artificial island? That’s how it is. To understand it you have to go back a few years, to beginning of 2022when the Alicante Port Authority awarded Vías y Construcciones (subsidiary of the ACS Group) one of its most ambitious projects, at least as far as the interrelation between the docks and the city is concerned. What the Port entrusted to the company was the construction of a large platform at the mouth of its inner dock, a sort of artificial island of 669 m2 (34.8 x 20m) that would be supported with the help of three large 14 m concrete piles anchored to the seabed. The contest was launched with a budget of 2.7 million (taxes apart) and aroused the interest of several companies. The AC Group firm ended up imposing itself on the rest with a project of 2.1 million. And what did they want it for? The platform was just a means, not an end in itself. Its objective was to support a future restaurant located in a privileged enclave, a place that would offer food and drinks not with views of the sea (many bars in Alicante already have that) but directly over the sea. If the island measured 669 m2, the idea was that the building dedicated to hospitality uses would occupy 393 m2 on the ground floor and rise two levels (ground and first floor). The remaining 260 m2 would be dedicated to public access, with a three-meter wide promenade. So that people could reach that privileged enclave, it was also planned a taxi boat. The idea was once again ambitious: a purpose-built, sustainable boat managed directly by the restaurant. Did it stay in theory? No. The Port of Alicante took important steps to make the project a reality. The main one was the awarding of the works for the island platform, which ended up being erected, as can be verified today on the docks. The problem is that what should have been a simple work in theory ended up becoming complicated in a bad way, as recently recognized the Port itself. In 2023 one of the support pillars partially sank, requiring reinforcement work to be carried out on the seabed. From there the project entered a loop that now threatens to condemn it. In fact, the Port insists that it “has never received” the work, which is why it has not considered it good. “Once the work was completed, the contractor company refused to carry out a load test that would allow its stability to be evaluated, as provided for in the contract, and as an essential procedure for the port to sign the acceptance of the work,” remember from the organism. What’s more, he claims to have a report of CEDEX (an entity linked to the Ministry of Transportation) that “strongly advises against” carrying out the tests due to “the high risk of collapse of the structure.” And now what? After years of the open platform crisis and after the latest CEDEX report, the Port has decided to make a radical decision. Its last Board of Directors has given the green light to activate the procedures to “resolve” the construction contract for the island. That is, the organism wants break the agreementsomething that has been communicated to those responsible for Roads and Construction. Now the company has ten days to present allegations. Once that period has passed, “and after years of technical and negative incidents”, the proposal will return to the Board of Directors, something that will probably happen before 2026. “In recent years the Port has commissioned audits and expert reports that confirm the irreversible deterioration of the structure and the impossibility of meeting safety standards to locate the restaurant proposed in the original project,” the organization argueswhich in its 2024 accounts already contemplated “impairment losses” of 2.7 million euros, which it has invested in the platform. Is there anything else? Yes. The Port does not only propose to terminate the contract. He also wants the original seabed to be “restored” to “recover the navigable conditions” that existed before the platform works. If the contract finally ends up being broken, it is not unreasonable to think that the conflict will reach court, but the Port Authority assures that it has already touched all possible sticks, so it sees “all avenues to remedy the situation exhausted.” Are there more affected? The Port of Alicante not only awarded the works on the platform. In April 2022 it launched another contest which completed the project with its second fundamental piece: the building that was to rise above the artificial island to act as a restaurant. The one selected for its construction and management was a business alliance between Alicante Gastronómica SL and Restaura Gestión Forty SL, which from that moment became co-protagonists of the project. In fact, they would not only be in charge of the building, an elliptical, glass-enclosed block with a large interior garden patio, a restaurant with views of Alicante and a terrace for cocktails. Another of its functions would be to assume the “maintenance and governance” of the taxi boat that would connect the island, a ship whose investment, precise Alicante Plazatook over the Port and was commissioned for 460,000 euros (taxes included). In January the organization started to try it. Now … Read more

For years tourist apartments expanded without brakes. Alicante has just reminded them that the party is over

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Alicante has become serious with its tourist offer. The city, which so far this year received more than 600,000 visitors (taking into account only those staying in its hotels), has decided to close the tap on new licenses in “saturated” areas and setting a maximum rate that will be applied by neighborhoods. The measure just received the endorsement of the Government Board and still has a long way to go before passing through the municipal plenary session, but it points out the path that more and more cities are following. The objective, as recognize the Alicante mayor, is to achieve a (complicated) “balance between the daily lives of residents and tourist activity.” What has happened? That Alicante has decided to say enough is enough to the proliferation of tourist accommodation. It’s not the first time he’s done it. In December already advertisement a moratorium on the granting of licenses for vacation rentals in residential buildings, a measure that extended months later to buildings dedicated only to tourist apartments. Now its City Council has gone further: a few days ago launched its administrative machinery to modify its PGOU and regulate how and where the opening of new places for visitors will be allowed. At the moment the proposal has received the endorsement of the Local Government Board. Once the change in the General Plan has obtained the necessary permits, the initiative will be submitted for approval by the Plenary of the City Council for its entry into force. What do you want to do? Apply a series of guidelines that will determine where, when and under what conditions the accommodation offer in Alicante can be increased. At a general level, a maximum of 0.187 tourist places per inhabitant. From there, the tap will be turned off. For its application, the Consistory will take as reference the census sections of the municipality. That will be the unit you use to decide, for example, which areas are “saturated” or which can still accommodate new places without exceeding the threshold. The situation will be reviewed every year. Is it the only measure? No. In neighborhoods that are already considered “saturated” at the outset (that is, those that exceed the limit of 0.187) new “tourist places” will not be allowed. In the statement In which the City Council announces the measure, it does not speak of flats, but of “squares” intended for visitors, in general. The only exception it provides is for the highest quality hotels: three, four and five stars. In the first case (three-star businesses) there will also be a limit, but more lax: the limit after which new licenses will stop being granted will be 0.32 tourist places per inhabitant. Things will be different for higher-class establishments. Entrepreneurs interested in setting up four or five star hotels will not encounter limits, “even if the area in which they are located has reached the maximum permitted threshold,” confirm from the City Hall. Map of saturated areas of Alicante. Go into more details? Yes. The City Council wants to adopt two measures that will clearly determine where new tourist apartments can be opened. The first is to prohibit “the implementation of tourist uses on the ground floors of the main commercial roads.” That is, in these areas it does not matter whether or not the maximum limit of 0.187 beds/inhabitant has been reached: vacation rentals will be prohibited in the lower parts of the buildings. The second measure is that this type of accommodation must have “independent access” if it is located in residential buildings. It is not something exceptional. Many other cities have promoted a similar rule in an attempt to facilitate coexistence between neighbors and visitors. If this mandatory condition is not met, the Alicante City Council already warns that it will not grant the municipal license. What is the objective? in words of Mayor Luis Barcala (PP), achieve “sustainable tourism” and “the balance between the daily lives of residents and tourist activity.” “The city aims to attract visitors, but guaranteeing its sustainability: without compromising its model, exceeding the capacity of the territory or expelling the local population, guaranteeing that residents can continue living in their neighborhoods, access to housing, work and services.” another of the objectives of the Consistory is to prioritize “quality over quantity”, “reducing pressure” and “promoting three, four and five star hotels”. It is not the city’s first move in that direction. In December the City Council approved a two-year moratorium on the granting of new licenses for tourist apartments and in summer extended the suspension to apartment blocks intended for vacation rentals. The decision has been met with front rejection of the sector, which has even taken the issue to court. Why is it important? First, because Alicante is one of the main tourist centers in the country. Second, because it is not the first (nor will it probably be the last) city that has applied such a measure in its tourist fabric. In 2024 Madrid decided freeze the concession of licenses for tourist apartments, in Barcelona directly the City Council has proposed remove offer in the medium term and in other cities with a tourist ‘pull’, such as Seville, Malaga, Valencia either Santiago de Compostelathe institutions have also moved in one direction or another to regulate the supply. The reason: among others, the enormous pressure that offers vacation rentals in the urban residential market. Images | Cale Weaver (Unsplash) and Alicante City Council In Xataka | Northern Spain has been complaining about mass tourism for years. Asturias has discovered the bitter consequences of losing it

Alicante has found a tourist mine in an unexpected place that is contributing thousands of visits: Poland

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Between Warsaw and Poland there are about 2,200 kilometers and above all a change of climate, landscapes and considerable architecture. Despite that difference (or precisely for her) both cities seem to have found a powerful link: tourism. I pointed it yesterday The avant -garde in a broad article On the boom of Polish tourism in the Valencian town and the last corroborate it AENA datawhich show that air traffic from and to Poland grows at a good pace, much more in fact of what general traffic has grown during this year. In the hotels and streets of Alicante more and more strongly sounds the Polish accent, which agrees with National data collected by Turespaña. How much has it increased? According to The latest data From Aena, during the first ten months of 2025 they moved between Poland and Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport 676,502 travelers, 20.6% more than in the same period of 2024. In August, one month with an intense flow of tourists, 94,000, 20% more than last year were touched. The data reflects all kinds of displacements, both arrivals and exits, which also includes residents of Alicante who travel to Poland, but gives an idea of ​​the interest raised by the Costa Blanca in the country. AENA graph with passenger traffic from Alicante-Elche Miguel Hdez airport. Why is it important? At the outset, because that growth is much higher than that of Aena’s network or the Alicante-Elche airport assembly, which during the same period saw how passenger flow increased 9.1%. Growing is easier when you start from low data, but the truth is that Poland has gone to play an interesting role in the Valencian terminal. Although its 676,500 users represent 5% of the global airfield traffic, Poland is already the fifth main destination of its grid by user volume. The room, if we focus exclusively on the international market, without Spain. Right now they only exceed Poland in the United Kingdom travelers (4.4 million), Holland (819,800) and Germany (813,200). They all grow, but so far this year, none has done it to the rhythm of the Polish market. Their data in fact exceed those of other destinations (and traditional tourist -emitting points) closer to the Peninsula, such as Belgium, France or Italy. While the transfer of airplanes increased between Alicante-Elche and those foreign countries, what descended was the flow with the airports of the rest of Spain (-2.3%), which fits with The stagnation which seems to cross domestic tourism. What is the reason? Tastes and affinities apart, there are two keys that help to understand the increase in trafficking traffic between Alicante and Poland and especially the foreseeable interest that the Valencian town arouses in the Central European country. The first is connectivity. Alicante airport has various routes With Poland operated by Ryanair and Wizz Airtwo companies specialized in the market Low Cost and an aggressive rate policy. The first offers flights with several Polish terminals. The second, with Gdańsk, city of the Baltic Coast. And the other reason? The promotion. Alicante has made a clear effort to make known in the Polish market. Last year the Tourism Patronage Alicante City & Beach took advantage An initiative of Turespaña and the Polish Touroper Nekera to present the destination before 160 Warsaw and Katowice agents. “Polish tourism has not stopped growing in recent years in the city”, He stood out The Councilor for Tourism. More recently it has been the Patronato Costa Blanca that It has moved token To “connect the tourist offer of the province of Alicante with the Polish travel market”, giving known in situ, in Poland itself, especially in the cities of Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdansk and Warsaw. Is it something new? Not quite. As I recognized The Alicante Tourism Councilor, the flow of travelers from Poland has grown until occupying an “important” place in the sector. And interest does not monopolize only Alicante. A decade ago Already the Ministry of Tourism advertised the benefits of the Valencian Community in Poland and Benidorm has also verified the great interest that arouses as destination both in that country and others of the East. And not only in the traditional holiday market. At least in 2023 The demand reached residential tourism. In general, Turespaña Calculate That in 2024 Spain visited 2.4 million Polish tourists, 2.6% of the total number of travelers who arrived in our country. “The very positive evolution of this market is remarkable. Compared to 2019 Poland has contributed more than one million additional tourists, which represents an increase of more than 43%,” stands out The organism. “From the point of view of the estimated total nominal expenditure, the evolution has been even better (48.8).” Here they seek mainly leisure and their favorite destinations are warm regions, such as Canary Islands (22%), Valencian Community (19%), Andalusia and Catalonia (18%). Images | Jorge Fdez. (UNSPLASH), Herry Sucahya (UNSPLASH) and AENA In Xataka | On his way to become the great resort of Europe, Spain is at the gates of a milestone: 100 million tourists

In Alicante there is a city invaded by chickens. So you have prepared a plan of 26,000 euros to get rid of them

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In the middle of Alicante coast, Torrevieja is known for its beaches, heritage And above all The pink lagoonincreasingly crowded by visitors in search of sunsets Instagrameable of which to presume in networks. However, over the last days this town of 94,800 neighbors He has monopolized headlines for another very different reason: his chickens. Or rather, a curious Gallinacea invasion that has already forced his City Council to take action. Librating from it will not be cheap. An invasion of chickens? Exact. And it’s nothing new. In Torrevieja they have already A few years Seeing how chickens, roosters and chickens bell around the city, walking through parks, gardens, roundabouts, sidewalks and – –The Consistory is resigned– “Any other” bar see place that offers them shelter and food. Recently the municipal technicians began to tell them and they left that in the municipality there are around 700 birds In these circumstances, what is not bad if one takes into account that in Torrevieja they live 94,800 people. A problem with feathers. Seeing chickens walking through the parks and streets of Torrevieja or waking up with the song of the roosters in the city may sound bucolic, but the City Council warns that the gallinaceous invasion is a problem. And not less precisely. “It is a great risk for both animals and people themselves,” ditch. Click on the image to go to Tweet. “These birds today are temporarily forced to inhabit a hostile atmosphere towards them, shared with vehicles and people,” add from the City Council. “When moving and wandering along public roads, parks, green areas and roads in search of food, they suppose a danger to themselves, pedestrians and vehicles, being able to suffer or trigger accidents.” “Made a nursery”. There are more. Recently the sixth interviewed a neighbor From the town that complained about the footprint that chickens, roosters and chickens leave in Torrevieja, a well visible and not especially positive. “It is very unpleasant, everything is made,” regretted. Another of the residents confirmed that “there are many” birds and it is not strange to see them “in the midst of all cars.” In A statement On the subject, the City Council itself admits that the situation has come out of mother and the “wild or careless” birds occupy public places. On two different occasions it comes to speak directly of an “uncontrolled” increase and argues the need to take measures to “avoid possible damage and conflicts” with the neighbors. The figure: almost 30,000 euros. Faced with such a scenario, the town hall has decided to cut for the healthy and launch a campaign to capture and remove the gallináceas who have settled in Torrevieja. For that purpose it has just launched A public tender in which he is looking for companies interested in taking care of the campaign. The bidding base budget offered is 26,296 euros, VAT included. Taking into account that it aspires to ‘hunt’ up to 700 birds, that leaves an average of more than 30 euros for each chicken and caught. And what will they do with them? The city council is very clear. Speak at all times of “LIVE COLLECT” and then “move” to the chickens. Where to? So that? The municipal statement does not specify it, although the mayor He explained The sixth that the idea would consist of capturing birds with food and networks, “without causing any damage.” The same chain clarifies that the City Council plans that the captured specimens end up in a school farm. What the Councilor for Animal Welfare of Torrevieja, Concha Sala, has done is insist that society is increasingly sensitized “given the need to guarantee animal protection in general.” The contract offered by the City Council not only contemplates the capture and transfer of the 700 chickens loose by the town. It also includes monitoring and control work during the entire time that the service lasts, which will last about 12 months. With previous experience. It is not the first time that Torrevieja is forced to take measures to stop the “uncontrolled” population of gallináceas who camp in their parks. A few years ago, In 2022already planned a similar campaign to remove 500 roosters and chickens from the streets, roundabouts and parks of the municipality. The idea was then the same: act in a dozen points of the town and move the birds to farms schools and sanctuaries, without harming them. All to solve a peculiar poultry invasion that the City Council blames “Circumstances” that does not come to specify in its statement. What are they? There are those who point out that the expansion of the chickens is related to their sale in the markets of the municipality and who says that the birds arrived in Torrevieja for an initiative of the City Council itself. Whatever the exact cause, something is clear: birds seem to feel especially comfortable there. Images | Henrique S. Ruzzon (Unsplash) and Jesús Dehesa (Flickr) In Xataka | Half the Canary Islands created an artificial beach to attract tourism. Without knowing it, he set up a sanctuary for angel sharks

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