News
Red Arrow to Madrid
Busy Nerja
Hotel occupancy in Nerja in August is estimated to have reach 87.51 per cent , almost two points higher than the average along the coast . The Association of Hotel Owners ( Aehcos ) said that national tourism accounted for 51 per cent of reservations in the month . In the city of Málaga , hotel occupancy during the annual fair last month was running at around 93 per cent .
Fresh fish
A campaign was launched in Torrox last month to persuade consumers to eat more fresh fish from Andalucía . Over 200 events are planned on beaches along Málaga ’ s eastern coastline to draw attention to the nutritional values of sea foods and the importance of the local fishing industry . Activities include workshops for children , and cookery lessons for adults .
Cycle track
Tenders have been invited for construction of the next section of Nerja ’ s new cycle track which will run for a kilometre alongside the N-340 road from the Oasis de Capistrano roundabout towards Maro . The project has a budget of just under € 550,000 . It is being 80 per cent financed through European Regional Development Funds , with the remainder coming from the Town Hall .
Benajarafe boar
People relaxing on Benajarafe beach were startled on August 10 when a wild boar was spotted in the sea and headed swimming rapidly towards the shore . Sun bathers scattered as the animal reached the sand and made a quick dash to hide in nearby reeds where it disappeared . The same night in Fuengirola , a family of six boars were spotted wandering through the town ’ s botanical gardens .
A private contractor is expected to start highspeed rail services between Málaga and Madrid next year , and its distinctive trains are already running tests on the route .
The brightly painted Red Arrow trains have been spotted between Málaga and Córdoba in preparation for the launch of the service in March . The company , a consortium of Air Nostrum and Italy ’ s rail operator Trenitalia , plans to operate five services each way every day .
In Spain , the consortium is branded “ Iryo ” and expects to launch services between Madrid , Zaragoza and Barcelona , and between Madrid , Cuenca and Valencia / Alicante in November . The route to Málaga will also operate a branch to Sevilla .
Iryo is reported to have ordered 23 Red Arrow trains for its Spanish operations . They are 200 metres long and are said to be amongst the fastest and quietest in Europe , although they are limited to a maximum of 300 kilometres per hour in Spain . Each train can carry up to 467 passengers , compared with the 350 maximum on AVE ’ s present services between Málaga and Madrid .
ILSA , the company behind Iryo , says it hopes to attract a 30 per cent share of the Spanish rail network . At present , the Red Arrow test trains are based at the Los Prados depot in Málaga where they are attracting considerable attention .
Plans for desalination plant revealed
The regional government has triggered the process which could see a desalination plant built in the Axarquía in the future . At the end of July , the Junta de Andalucía formally published a request from Acciona Agua SA for a concession to build such a facility which would provide desalinated water for irrigation and supply to the public .
It is described as having the capacity to produce 25 cubic hectometres of water per year , which is more than enough to meet demands from the area ’ s subtropical fruit producers . Although further details have not been published , it is stated that the plant would have a maximum instantaneous flow of more than eight litres per second .
A period of three months has been allowed for Acciona Agua to present further details and the relevant technical documents , as well as allowing time for other interested parties to submit their details for a similar project , or for a project which is compatible .
Peeping Tom
An Asian tourist was detained during Málaga ’ s annual fair last month after police became suspicious of his furtive activity . He was carrying a camera and admitted to owning five more hidden beneath parked cars , while officers found several computer devices and 50 memory cards in his rucksack . Investigators believe he was trying to capture illicit images of people urinating in the street , although it is unclear whether or not he planned to distribute these to others .
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