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DELIGHTFUL DENIA
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Denia
– and still doesn’t need to shout Denia has been itself for 2,000 years for its history and cuisine about it, being recognised by UNESCO
Summer service boost S you pass the fleshpots of Benidorm and head north, you’ll feel the Spanish coastline exhale. The dense clusters of high-rises and of the Costa Blanca south, Murcia to Andalucia begin to thin, giving way more inviting beaches. The air itself feels lighter, sleepier, and altogether more comfortable. Then finally, as you approach the striking
By Dilip Kuner
Montgo mountain you arrive in Denia.THE Forget Javea to the south, Denia is Valencian coastal town that doesn’t is need to shout to be heard; it simply two and has been for a very long time, for millenia, in fact.
beRomans laid the foundations here, fore the Moors left an indelible mark,a especially on the town’s silent sentinel: sun-bleached, time-worn fortress. for The Castillo de Denia isn’t aiming a glossy tourist brochures. You won’t find bustling gift shop in the castle, or flashy signs. Instead, you'll discover ancient stones, wild fig trees, and a quiet, dusty path from the heart of the town winding
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up through fragrant pine and rosemary. truReach the top of the walls, and Denia terly unfolds beneath you, a jumble of racotta rooftops framed by the turquoise the sea on one side and the Montgo on
other. ArWithin the castle walls, the Museo queologico offers a surprisingly intimate Continues overleaf
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SOME 25 beach areas in the Valencian Community will get health centres to help tourists over the summer. That’s an increase of six clinics compared to last year. The temporary centres are part of an €82.5 million summer budget allocated by the Valencian Health Ministry. Up to 8,600 extra people will be deployed at 74 health centres and the 25 beach clinics. The resources will boost services in tourist spots as well as covering staff vacations between July and September. The time-line could be extended in some areas depending on need. AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND
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Clinics
June 19th - July 3rd 2025
Health Minister, Marciano Gomez, said an extra €3 million had been ear-marked compared to last year. “We are committed to help both residents and visitors at this time of the year as well as guaranteeing the right of health workers to have a summer holiday,” he stated. The Alicante province beach clinics will be at Calpe-La Fossa, Denia-Les Marines, Javea-Arenal, Alicante-Urbanova, Santa Pola-Casa del Mar and Santa Pola- Playa Lisa. Valencia province will have 12 clinics at El Puig beach, Pucol beach, Sueca-Palmeretes, Sueca-Mareny de Barraquetes, Cullera-El Faro, Daimus beach, Miramar beach, Bellreguart beach, Piles, Xeraco, Oliva beach and Tavernes de la Valldigna beach.
A CLUSTER of Valencia beaches hit by pollution caused by the October 29 floods have been awarded a ‘Black Flag’ for 2025. The award, presented by the environmental group Ecologistas en Accion, highlights severe ecological damage caused by pollution, government mismanagement, and rampant overdevelopment. The latest additions to the ‘Black Flag’ list, including six beaches in Valencia’s Albufera lake area, have made waves across the international environmental community. According to Ecologistas en Accion, the floodwaters from last year’s devastating floods carried waste, sludge, and wastewater from towns and industrial estates over 30 kilometres before reaching the shores of the Albufera lake area. The environmental group condemned the government’s response, noting that waste removal has been ‘delayed and superficial’, with no thorough efforts to assess the extent of the damage. An Ecologistas spokesperson said: “The pollution continues to reach the coastline, and the systems that are supposed to handle this mess are broken, destroyed in the floods. The group criticised the Valencian government’s failure to properly restore sanitation and waste treatment systems in the aftermath of the floods, which they claim have
DISGRACE: The Mar Menor lagoon in Murcia has once more been named Spain’s most polluted waterway
By Dilip Kuner & Alex Trelinski
left the region vulnerable to continued contamination. And the situation for the region’s beaches is being made worse, according to Ecologistas, by the enactment of the controversial Valencian Coastal Law. This legislation has drawn the ire of environmentalists, who argue that it prioritises privatisation of coastal areas over the protection of public marine land. Ecologistas are calling for an immediate repeal of the law, accusing authorities of selling off valuable coastal land for development, further jeopardising what is left of the natural coastline. One notable victim of this legal shift is Benidorm’s Levante Beach. The once-vibrant stretch of sand, popular with both locals and tourists, has been ‘awarded’ a Black Flag for ‘increased touristification and predatory urbanism’. Further down the coast, the beaches of Cala Mosca (Orihuela) and Cala Ferris (Torre-
vieja) have also received the Black Flag due to an impending housing development. Ecologistas is alarmed by plans to build 2,200 new homes at Cala Mosca, a move that it says will bring further strain on the region’s already ‘overwhelmed’ sewage and waste management systems. As the Olive Press has previously reported, other local environmental groups warn that this overdevelopment will irreparably damage the delicate ecosystems of these beaches. “Cala Mosca is a treasure, both for its natural beauty and for the species that call it home,” said a representative from Ecologistas. “Building thousands of homes here is a direct attack on the environment.” It wouldn’t be a ‘Black Flag’ award ceremony without mentioning the notorious Mar Menor lagoon in Murcia. It has once again claimed the title of the worst-managed waterway in Spain due to years of unchecked pollution,
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overfishing, and agricultural runoff. Local environmental groups say that little has been done to reverse the damage done to the lagoon, and the waters continue to suffer from toxic algal blooms and low oxygen levels. And Spain’s industrial past is still casting a shadow over local beaches. Portman Bay and the Sierra Minera, both in Murcia, are still grappling with pollution from historical mining activities. Heavy metal contamination continues to plague these areas, leaving locals with an ongoing environmental nightmare.
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Local beaches hit with dreaded awards for environmental chaos, pollution, mismanagement, and overdevelopment
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