Olive Press www.theolivepress.es
TRAIN TRAGEDY
Family massacre on way back from the Bernabeu
Crash investigation, page 4
#485
JANUARY 2026
CANINE HEROES
STAR WARS
The Spanish superdogs making news after training to sniff out cancer
Valencia and Andalucia are neck and neck in the Michelin stakes
NDS O
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NO FAIRWAY TO TREAT NATURE
See page 36
HA
See page 13
C O ST
By Alessio Ghirlanda
HUNDREDS of residents face losing their homes to make way for a luxury golf development that critics say is an outdated and damaging model of tourism. Environmental groups Greenpeace and Ecologistas en Accion have joined forces with farmers and expat residents to oppose the project, which would see up to 680 villas and three large hotels built on fertile agricultural land known as the Vega de Maro (pictured). The 150-hectare site near Nerja on the Costa del Sol has become a battleground between environmental protection and ‘corporate greed’, with concerns centred on water use, food security and the loss of long-standing rural livelihoods. Opposition intensified after landowner Sociedad Azucarera Larios (SALSA) confirmed it would not renew nearly 400 long-standing leases, forcing dozens of families to leave land they have farmed - and in
Farmers and expat families are fighting a €311 million luxury golf development planned for protected farmland in Spain
many cases lived on - for years. “Another golf course is the last thing this region needs,” a Greenpeace spokesperson told The Olive Press, calling the scheme ‘outdated and speculative’. “If we have to choose between locals growing food and tourism for a lucky few, we stand with agriculture,” she added. The plans, first revealed by The Olive Press in 2020, would transform the area into a sprawling golf complex despite persistent concerns over water scarcity.
At least 80 families are expected to be uprooted, including around 50 farmers and dozens of expat residents. One of them, British national Richard Jones, 57, says he could be evicted as early as March. “When I arrived a decade ago, it was just dust and stones,” he said. “Now there are banana trees and crops everywhere - all planted at my expense. My blood, sweat and tears.” “I cannot accept corporate bullies pouring concrete over this stunning area,” he added. “All to build three luxury hotels? Is that really what this area needs?” Residents say they were initially reassured by town hall officials when warning letters were sent out in early 2025. Those assurances were withdrawn last month when Larios confirmed the leases would not be renewed, leaving some tenants with as little
as a month to vacate. a long-standing ‘territorial debt’ beThe company declined to comment tween the landowner and the local this week, but has previously said council. the project would introduce ‘more For the project to proceed, the land responsible’ farming practices, must first be reclassified. It is curclaiming many plots were used as rently protected agricultural land private vegetable gardens rather and holds the same cultural heritthan professional agriculture. age designation as the nearby MaResidents reject that claim. ro-Cerro Gordo cliffs. “They are trying to paint us as out- Ecologistas en Acción confirmed siders who don’t contribute,” said it has submitted formal objections one expat mother of two. “But when to the town hall and will challenge I arrived, the local primary school any attempt to reclassify the land. had just ten pupils. Now classes are Nerja town hall has not responded full, largely thanks to foreign fam- to requests for comment. ilies.” See OPINION, page 6 Campaign group Otro Maro alleged the planning agreem e n t underpinning YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENCY FOR BENISSA, CALPE, MORAIRA the project was 966 112 428 · areacostablanca.com linked to
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