News
Irrigation boost
The amount of water available from the
Viñuela reservoir for irrigating sub-tropical
fruits is to be doubled. The regional
government is inviting tenders for work to
upgrade the distribution network at a cost
of around €1.4 million. Wells in the Chillar
river around Nerja will contribute five
cubic hectometres of water a year.
New bridges
New foot bridges in Nerja across the
mouths of the Rivers Chillar and Seco
opened to the public during July. The cost
of more than €250,000 has been met by
the provincial government. The bridges
will form part of the coastal pathway which
will eventually run 200 kilometres along
the length of the Málaga coast from the
Bálcon de Europa in Nerja to the Castillo
de la Duquesa in Manilva.
Earth moves
Frigliana’s 3 Cultures
Festival
The 14th annual 3 Cultures Festival
opens in Frigiliana on August 22. For
four days the streets will be filled with
a medieval market plus live music,
dance, theatre, magic, fire eating and
more.
The event celebrates the legacies left
by the Christian, Judaism and Islamic
periods of the Middle Ages and always
attracts thousands of visitors to the
Axarquía town. This year, 18
establishments are taking part in two
different tapas routes, enabling visitors
to wander round the old town enjoying
local cuisine along the way.
An earthquake with an intensity of 3 was
recorded north-west of Vélez-Málaga on
July 7. The National Geographic Institute
said the epicentre was 52 kilometres below
the surface of the town of Almáchar. It
added that the extreme depth of the earth
movement meant it was barely felt on the
surface. Music is an essential part of the Festival
and this year there will be nine
concerts, as well as deejays playing
music at four sites with the major event
planned for the last night, Sunday,
August 25. As usual, dancing will
continue until dawn every night in the
Plaza de las 3 Culturas.
Plaza planters Children will be catered for as always
Planters on Nerja’s Plaza de España are to
be replaced at a cost of €96,000, funded by
grants from regional government.
Infrastructure councillor Francisco Arce
said the existing planters are in a state of
disrepair and will be replaced by metal
containers instead of wood. After this, the
palm trees will be replanted and the
remaining space renovated.
Longer hours
Nerja’s municipal rubbish dump has
extended its hours and household waste for
recyling can now be deposited on
weekdays from 7.00am to 9.00pm, and on
Saturdays from 7.00am to 1.00pm. The
town hall also runs a fee service to collect
domestic appliances and furniture which
can be requested in person at the town hall
between 10.00am and 1.00pm, by calling
95 254 8400, or by emailing
[email protected].
with activities including lectures, films,
workshops, music and fireworks
displays. A zone for these will be set
aside in the Parque de Andalucía.
Frigiliana has vowed to make this
year’s Festival as environmentally
friendly as possible, with the aim of
reducing the use of plastics. In the
youth areas, reusable vessels will be
used for drinks, while those venturing
along the tapas routes are being
encouraged to take advantage of the
reusable drinking cups on offer.
The full programme for the Festival
will be available at
festivalfrigiliana3culturas.com and on
the official Facebook page
facebook.com/FestivalFrigiliana3Cultur
as. Car parking in Frigiliana is limited
and visitors are encouraged to use
public transport. As usual, a shuttle bus
service to and from Nerja’s bus station
will operate during the Festival, leaving
Nerja on the hour, and returning from
Frigiliana on the half-hour.
Latest archaeological
site in Málaga
Investigations have been continuing
into 11th century remains which have
been discovered in Málaga during
construction work on the second phase
of the city’s metro system. They are on
the site of the future Guadalmedina
station, outside El Corte Inglés.
Swedes detained Amongst the well-preserved remains
are those of a home whose three rooms
cover 60 square metres and show
evidence of flooring and a sanitation
system. A fierce argument has been
raging about what to do with the find
which lies in the Moorish district of Al-
Tabbanin.
An off-duty police officer has detained two
Swedish brothers in their 30s who were on
their country’s most-wanted list when he
spotted them in Málaga’s Vialia
commercial centre. One of the brothers is
an Olympic boxer and both belong to a
biker gang in Gothenburg. They are
wanted in connection with the kidnapping
and torture of a victim for three days in
Sweden during February this year. Last month, the region’s Minister for
Culture and Heritage said indications
suggested that items of value would be
transferred for safekeeping while the
remainder of the site would be left in
situ, protected and covered. Patricia del
Pozo added no decision had been taken
on where the removed remains would
be stored, and called for caution ahead
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of the final report from the
archaeological team. She said that the
move would be rapid and would not
delay work on the new metro line.
The Al-Tabbanin district was destroyed
in the late 14th century during the
Christian conquest and was not
repopulated for about 400 years. It is
known to have been a maze of housing
with paved streets, water wells and a
drainage system.
City chase
A late-night police chase through
Málaga last month ended with the
detention of a 42-year-old Czech
national with a history of convictions.
The high-speed pursuit came to a halt
in calle Carretería after the suspect had
collided with a patrol car and crashed
into a traffic light. Officers continued
on foot, finally detaining the man who
was found to be carrying multiple
phones, ID cards, bank cards and other
documents, but no driving licence.