Malaga Smurfville to Stay Blue

The village of Juzcar which is located between Ronda and Estepona was picked by Sony to be the First Smurf Village last June to promote the 3D film version of “The Smurfs”.

Sony provided 9,000 kilos of blue paint to transform Juzcar’s 250 homes as well as the parish church, the town hall and cemetery and residents have now decided that Pueblo Pitufo (Smurfville) will remain blue.

Around 80,000 people have visited Juzcar since it turned blue and was declared the world’s First Smurf Village. Visitors can buy blue candy floss and Smurf souvenirs with the tourism generating more jobs with an increase in self-employment and new businesses.

More Iberia Strike Action Planned for January

Following their second 24 hour strike on Thursday when 118 flights were cancelled, Iberia pilots have called another two days of strike action on January 9th and 11th.

A statement from Iberia management said "We will withstand all the strikes, whatever it costs" with the SEPLA the pilots union claiming that they are prepared to negotiate until the last moment to call off the strikes.

The dispute is over Iberia's plans to establish a new budget airline, Iberia Express, which would have lower costs and pay lower wages. They have rejected an offer from management allowing pilots to transfer to the new operation with no change in their conditions.

Some good news is that the Spanish railways strike action has been called off today following a request from the new Development Minister who has told the CGT union that she "is in agreement with your ideas’ and wants to meet them to discuss the matter".

Spanish Railways Strike Action on 30th December

Try not to travel by train tomorrow as the stoppage in RENFE Spanish railways on Friday 30th December will affect one in three AVE high speed trains. Interurban services will see minimum service of 65% and on local cercanias services outside peak time there will be only a 50% service.

There is also strike action on the same day by the railway infrastructure company ADIF.

Iberia Spanish Airlines Strike Thursday 29th December

The Iberia strike is going ahead tomorrow (Thursday 29th December).

The Chairman of Iberia has ruled out any possibility of the SEPLA pilots union calling off the second day of strike action, despite an offer that if the strike is cancelled pilots can transfer from Iberia to the new low-cost Iberia Express without any change in their rights.

118 flights are expected to be cancelled on Thursday (36% of the total), but 90% of the 10,000 passengers affected have already been relocated to other airlines. Air Nostrum and Vueling flights are not affected.

Iberia Express is being launched at the end of March 2012 and will run four A320 planes on short and medium haul routes. By the end of the year the plans are to run 13 planes with a staff of 500 including 130 pilots.

Alhambra Lyons Returned

A team of more than 200 people have been working on the restoration of the 12 marble Alhambra Lyons at a cost of €2.1M.

They have all been removed for the works to be undertaken but the first one was returned to its original base yesterday in Patio de Los Leones so if you're flying into Malaga Airport then you can see it in Granada with its fabulous Alhambra Palace which is only a short drive away.

They have been on show to the public in the crypt of the Carlos V Palace since their restoration and Lion number 8 which weighs more than 300 kilos will be joined by his companions by the New Year.

The patio has not yet been fully restored, but is expected to be completed in the spring of 2012.

Ryanair Overpriced El Gordo Tickets

The Ryanair in-flight magazine has been selling tickets for the Spanish El Gordo lottery at four times their face value

A double page full colour advertisement offers a cut price deal, but in fact the magazine was selling tenth parts of a lottery ticket (decimos) for €80 each. The official price for a decimo is €20, which is printed on the ticket and is a quarter of the Ryanair magazine price.

Customers were given an 800 number to ring or they could fill in their details on a form contained in the advert and send it to an address in Holland. Small print said that residents in Spain, Holland, United States or Lichtenstein could not obtain their tickets in this way.

The draw for the El Gordo took place on December 22nd, so make sure you don't buy a ticket until next year and purchase it from an official outlet.

Smoke Quietly in Malaga!

If you are planning on visiting Malaga in the near future you will notice posters outside bars and restaurants asking smokers to keep the noise down when smoking in the street.

The City Hall campaign to reduce the noise pollution is called ‘If you smoke, do it quietly’, and it aims to raise awareness amongst smokers of the problems they can cause to others who may be trying to sleep

Three Kings Celebration in Malaga

An important day in Spain is 6th January or Three Kings Day (Los Reyes) which is the day that the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem. The Three Kings in effect replace Father Christmas for Spanish children. Parents encourage their children to write to the Three Kings with their gift requests so that when they arrive overnight on 5th January they can leave the requested presents for the children to wake up to.

Every town and city in Spain has a procession on the night of 5th January. In Malaga the Three Kings arrive at the port by boat at 5:00 where they are greeted by the Mayor and form part of a procession of floats with varying themes that leave Malaga Port at 17:30 and slowly wind their way through the streets of the City centre for several hours ending on the Calle Larios. On their way the Three Kings and the other floats are busy throwing out gifts, sweets and toys to the thousands of people who have lined the route

To help you identify the Three Kings: Gaspar has brown hair and is the King of Sheba representing the Frankincense brought to Jesus. Melchior has white hair and is the King of Arabia representing the Gold brought to Jesus. Balthazar has black skin and is the King of Tarse and Egypt. He represents the gift of Myrrh that was brought to Jesus.

Spanish 7 Star Hotel Gets Go Ahead

Now that problems with the building licence have been resolved, work to build Spain’s first seven-star hotel in Penon del Lobo in Almunecar is due to start at the beginning of February next year.

The nearest airport to the resort is Malaga Costa del Sol which is about 80km away. The site covers an area of more than 13,000 square metres which is to be developed as a luxury Banyan Tree Resort. Phase I of the Bahía Fenicia resort covers the hotel and 55 villas with a project deadline of 36 months.

The hotel will include 40 square metre standard rooms and will offer limousine, butler and helicopter services.Phases II and III are to due to get underway in 2014 and 2015.

Fly to Spain for Some Christmas Sunshine

Malaga Airport is handling record numbers of passengers at the moment, which is not surprising as 2011 has been one of the warmest years in Spain. With an average temperature of 16.7ºC this is 1.49º higher than the average taken from the reference period of 1971 to 2000. From the start of the year to December 14th Spain’s average rainfall of 555 litres per square metre was 7% below the norm.

At the other end of the scale 2011 also recorded the coldest time of the year at the end of January with temperatures in many areas in the north of Spain falling to -10 degrees, and the month of July was also the coldest since 2002.

Highest temperatures were seen in mid August reaching 42.5ºC in Moron de la Frontera, Sevilla. The lowest temperature was on January 23rd in Molina de Aragon, Guadalajara where it fell to -13.6ºC.

Expansion of Sierra Nevada Ski Resort

Tourist authorities and local businesses want to see the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort expanded. The idea is receiving opposition from ecologists who are against the idea because the resort is inside a National Park and any changes on the limits of the ski station will need to be approved by local government.

The Mayor of Granada said he would support an expansion which he considered could be carried out ‘with absolute respect’ for the environment. He thought that local villages such as Niguelas, Guejar Sierra and Lanjaron where population numbers have been falling could also benefit.

But Javier Egea from Ecologistas en Acción said he wanted to limit vehicular access to the resort and noted that the pistes are generally empty Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Spanish Mountaineering Federation also opposes any expansion of the ski resort.

Spanish Train Strike Over Christmas

If you are flying into Malaga Costa del Sol Airport over the next few days and planning to get the train to Malaga or Fuengirola, or even to places like Seville be aware that there will be a 24 hour rail strike on Friday 30th December plus staff who sell tickets and work on station information desks will also take action on Christmas and New Year’s Days from 5:00 am to 00:45am.

The union says that these measures are necessary to underline the "segregation of the workers and the privatisations in the public railway service". One key demand is for Renfe to sign an agreement with the Catalan Government which would guarantee that they will continue to be the local Cercanías line operator in the region.

Thomas Cook to Close 200 Shops

The second biggest holiday company Thomas Cook has confirmed pre-tax losses of £398M for this year, compared to a £42M profit in 2010. It has announced the closure of 200travel agencies over the next two years in an attempt to bring its debt under control.

Six planes will be sold off from its fleet (mainly the long haul routes); they will start working with paperless tickets and roster retail and call centre staff to reduce costs. They are also aiming to raise £200million through asset sales already selling interests in five hotels and a golf club in Spain for £81million. Plus £40million has already been collected through the sale of Dutch business premises and hotels in Mexico and Tenerife, but the company still has around £80million of sales to get through.

Staff in 115 of stores are expected to be informed that their branch is due to close this week leading to the loss of 661 jobs. The rest of the store closures will be announced over the next two years with around 1,000 jobs being lost overall.

The company is aiming to upgrade and relaunch its website in time for the peak New Year booking period and hope to grow their current 25% share of total UK online bookings to 40-50% over time.

More bad news for the carrier is that Thomas Cook Airlines was named worst short-haul airline in a customer satisfaction survey by consumer watchdog Which? It even came below Ryanair in the recent poll with a customer score of 37% when Ryanair scored 38%.

British Airways Cut Air Fares to Malaga

Last month British Airways cut fares by up to 20% on its short-haul routes from Gatwick with single fares to Malaga Costa del Sol Airport starting from £39.

Compared with the lowest fares offered by budget airlines Ryanair or easyJet a £78 return fare doesn’t sound particularly cheap. But BA’s fares are “all-inclusive” with “no hidden costs” which means there are no additional fees for paying with a debit card: for checking in a bag: you can select your seat at no extra charge and you receive complimentary refreshments during your flights.

Fly with Ryanair or easyJet and you will have to pay a “booking” or “administration” fee if you pay with a debit card: you will have to pay to check in any hold baggage: pay to reserve your seat or for “priority” or “speedy” boarding, so that you are in the first group to board the plane. Plus you are charged for any refreshments you order on board

To give you some idea of the various prices, I did a cost comparison on three airlines all fly from London Gatwick to Malaga and obtained the cheapest fares for travel between December 5th and 12th. easyJet and Ryanair initially quoted fares that were lower than BA’s but once the extras were added BA’s fare was £37.48 cheaper than easyJet and £50.68 cheaper than Ryanair.

Golfers and skiers also get a better deal with BA as they do not charge anything for sporting equipment if it is part of your checked baggage allowance, which means you can use your free allowance of one bag weighing up to 23kg to cover a set of skis.

If you are travelling with golf clubs or skis it will cost you £50 return with easyJet and £80 return with Ryanair.

Ryanair Spains Number One Airline in 2011?

The Spanish national carrier Iberia was overtaken by the budget airline Ryanair during the peak summer period between July and October in 2010, but for the year as a whole they were the leading airline operating at Spanish airports.

They handled just under 29 million passengers with a further 7.7 million being carried on Air Nostrum which operates regional services on behalf of Iberia.Ryanair’s growth of 35% in 2010 suggests that it has every chance of becoming the leading airline in Spain in the year 2011 as a whole, and not just during the summer months.

Vueling, in which Iberia has a stake, maintained its third place in the rankings reporting an increase of 4.3% in passenger numbers through Spanish airports.

Car Sharing Club from easyJet Founder

easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has already announced his intentions to launch a new Fastjet airline, and is now working with Brent Hoberman, the co-founder of late bookings website LastMinute.com, on the launch “The Car Club” which is a car rental scheme early that will allow customers to ‘share’ vehicles.

He has already been involved the car-hire business with the easyCar rental company, and his new operation will be launched in the New Year and run through the easyCar website. The Car Club will permit registered owners to pool vehicles to be rented out for an hourly fee. The car owners can decide on the cost of hiring their vehicle and its availability. The cars will be fitted with tracker systems in case of theft.

Haji-Ioannou says the scheme as a way of tapping into the thousands of cars that sit idle on UK driveways every day saying “Rather than having to buy the cars to be rented and pay the ownership costs, this business model relies on the fact that there are plenty of under-used cars on the road already. That is lazy capital that can be put to work again.”

Ryanair to charge£100 check in per bag

Ryanair plan to charge their passengers up to £100 to check in each bag during peak travel times in June, July, August, September and over Christmas next year.

Travellers at the airport who have bags over the 10kg hand luggage allowance will be forced to pay £100 instead of the original fee of £40.And even if you who book online and confirm that you are checking in a bag you will be charged at £25 which is an increase of £5.

The charges apply to bags of up to 15kg that are being transported in the peak summer and winter months. If you have luggage that weighs up to 20kg (the average accepted baggage weight on most other airlines) you will incur even higher fees with an online booking fee of £35, or if you are caught out at the airport will have to pay £105 per bag.

Ryanair also plans to charge passengers a £60 boarding card reissue penalty for those who have failed to print the document before arriving at the airport. The current fee is £40.

The new check-in charges for luggage will apply to all bookings made from December 15th 2011. In the low season (October to May) the check-in fees for baggage will remain at £15. The boarding card penalty will come into effect from January 15th 2012.

Drink Driving Campaign in Marbella This Week

The DGT traffic authority is enforcing an anti drink-drive campaign from Monday to Sunday of this week. So expect a lot more breathalyser controls as they crack down on office parties and other celebrations being held to celebrate Christmas.

The DGT reminds drivers that drinking increases increases the risk of having an accident nine-fold by slowing down reaction time, causing vision problems, drowsiness, loss of control and problems with coordination.

New flights from Malaga to Madrid

Helitt Airlines have launched a new route from Malaga Costa Sol Airport to Madrid Barajas departing three times a week on Mondays at 13:10 and on 11:35 on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Works on Marbella Fishing Port given go ahead

La Bajadilla fishing port in Marbella is being transformed into one of the most luxurious marinas on the Mediterranean now that the Junta de Andalucia, Marbella Town Hall and The Nasir Bin Abdullah & Sons Consortium have signed a contract allowing construction to begin.

The project is being financed Sheikh Abdullah Al-Tani, a member of the Qatari Royal family and owner of Malaga Football Club. Work will start within the next six months and will enable the port to receive cruise liners and other large ships.

The plan is expected to take four years to complete and includes a large commercial area, car parking, a five star hotel and three times the current number of moorings.

According to the mayor of Marbella, Angeles Munoz the scheme will also attract other projects to the Costa del Sol town and is particularly welcome in the current economic climate saying:“It is a great opportunity not to be missed”

Costa del Sol Motorway in the Dark

If you are hiring a car from Malaga Airport and driving at night along the A-7 motorway to your final destination make sure that your lights are working when you pick up the rent a car as Marbella Town Hall has joined with other towns on the Costa del Sol in deciding to stop paying for lighting along that road saying that national highways should be paid for by the central government.

Only bills for the electricity needed for the stretch between Puerto Banus and Guadalmina are still being met by the corporation. This is because this road runs through a town (San Pedro) and it would be dangerous to leave it unlit with the road works taking place.

The tunnel on the AP-7 where the toll road and the Puerto Banus road diverge also still has lights as the company holding the toll road concession has agreed to put the bills in its name.

By taking this action the Marbella Town Hall will save a total of €350,000 a year.

Ice Skating in Marbella

From December 15th to January 9th next year the Marbella ice skating rink is open to the public at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos. The 800 sqm ice skating rink also includes a Christmas market, bouncy castle, trampolines, carousel and children's attractions. There is a cafeteria and free parking.

*Normal opening hours are from 12:00 noon until 11:00pm (see below). Entrance is free but there is a charge of €6 to ice skate for 45 minutes which includes the rental of the skates. It is necessary to wear gloves while ice skating so remember to bring some along or you will be charged €2 to rent a pair. The attractions and rides cost €2.50.

*During the Christmas holidays there are special opening hours:
December 24th: 12.00 - 19.00
December 25th: 16.00 - 23.00
December 31st: 12.00 - 19.00
January 1st: 2012: 16.00 - 23.00
January 5th: 12.00 - 19.00
January 6th: 12.00 - 23.00

New Toll Charge to Cross Spanish Border into Portugal

If you are thinking of flying into Malaga Costa del Sol Airport and hiring a car to drive across Spain into Portugal then be aware that from 8th December a hefty new toll charge of €77 is to be levied for a 90 day pass for travellers taking the A-22 motorway across the border.

The Portuguese Government has introduced this charge asking car drivers to pay €77 and truck drivers €127. Discounts are being offered to Algarve residents and business owners with 10 free trips per month followed by a 15% discount.

Many people in Portugal claim the charge is far too high and it will badly affect tourism with locals in nearby Huelva saying it will create a barrier to economic development in Andalucia

Busy Bank Holiday Weekends in Malaga

If you're hiring a car from Malaga Airport and doing some travelling around the Costa del Sol during the coming week don't be surprised if you find the roads unusually busy as the DGT traffic authority expects 10.5 million journeys to be made on Spanish roads over the Constitution and Inmaculada Puente bank Holiday Weekends.

Many Spanish take this week whole off as a holiday leading up to Christmas. Most bars and restaurants will be open on the 6th and 8th but the major supermarkets and departments stores are closed. However El Corte Ingles is now open every Sunday until the Three King's Celebration.

Special patrols have been set up to watch the roads and the exit operations from the large cities on Wednesday and Thursday morning. The return operation will be next Sunday 11th December.

Good news Malaga Airport passengers from London Gatwick

If you are flying into Malaga Costa del Sol Airport from London Gatwick and use easyJet airlines, then you should find the UK end of the journey much improved with the opening of the new £73M extension to the North Terminal.

All British Airways flights operate from there plus easyJet as they codeshare. The three acre extension in almost the size of Lord’s Cricket Ground and has 18 new check-in desks and four new baggage reclaim belts which aim to reduce passenger time having to queue to check in or wait for luggage.

New Flights from Malaga to Barcelona

Helitt Airlines re operating a new route between Melilla and Barcelona on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The departure time from Melilla is at 08:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at 12:30 on Sundays.

The flights leave Barcelona at 15:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Prices start at €43 excluding taxes.

New Shopping Centre Malaga Port - Malaga Port Muelle Uno

Updated information

Last night, we went to Malaga to see the Christmas Lights and also the new shopping area around Malaga port.  First of all the Christmas Lights were spectacular.  In Avenida Andalucia, Larios Street and everywhere else, it was such a wonderful sight.  With a chill in the air, lights everywhere, music, it finally felt like Christmas.

We took a stroll over to Port Area.  What a transformation.  We were here just a few months ago and were shocked at the change.  Beautiful gardens and park areas running parallel with the main road leading up to the port.  Then, we arrived at Muelle Uno, the new shopping area in Malaga Port.  We absolutely loved it.  It was modern, trendy, vibrant and there was such much life around.  Obviously, its Christmas and it will go quiet, but what a great place to wander around.

Firstly there is a huge kids area with ball park, arts & crafts even mini go carts are inside.  At the moment there is an ice skating rink outside too.  Then all along are an array of shops, there is Primor and Decimas but there are some cute unique gift shops too.  Then there are the restaurants, there are some really trendy Spanish Restaurants and bars.  There is also a Fosters (American) and really funky Creperia.  

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If you are planning to visit Malaga City Centre to see the Christmas lights and do some shopping and maybe go to the new commercial centre in the Port of Malaga then you will be disappointed as after the opening of the Muelle Uno on Tuesday Malaga City Hall decided to order the closure of the new street just seven hours after it opened to the public.

They said it was for reasons of safety, and because the building work was still continuing they were ordering the street and shops to be closed placing guards at the entrance to the zone to prevent anyone from gaining access.

The opening up of the Port at Malaga will offer direct access the city centre completely changing the landscape in the city centre.

The project has been beset by planning problems and funding issues since it was first suggested by the Socialist ex Mayor, Pedro Aparicio, who was Mayor between 1979 and 1995. A plan finally approved in 1998 has been modified six times since then amid great controversy, and even now it is not exactly clear exactly what certain buildings will be used for, or the extent to which the old port boundary railings will be removed but there is a commercial and leisure centre as part of the new development.

There are 70+ shops are in three main buildings selling fashion and leisure items, with bars and restaurants and a children’s play area. Another building is expected to be used for cultural performances and exhibitions.

“Muelle Uno” is bordered by the sea now becomes a new commercial street in the city centre and cruise liner passengers can now walk into Calle Larios in the centre of the city.

The City Hall has made a new statement saying the area will not open until all the building works are fully completed.

Start of Skiing Season in Sierra Nevada

The season started with a bang at Sierra Nevada last weekend with 26km of pistes (including the most difficult ones) open to skiers. Recent snowfall has supplemented the artificial snow which has been in place since early November. The amount of pistes open is expected to be extended to 31 km shortly and they expect to have 10 red, 8 blue and 11 green pistes open. The current snow depth ranges from 20cms to a metre on the highest routes. There are now 13 cable cars and ski lifts in operation.

In a bid to attract younger people this year Sierra Nevada offers some new attractions including a 165 metres long ‘half-pipe’ in the Sulayr Park specially designed for snow boards. It is the largest in Spain and reaches a height of six metres which allow users to make three jumps on each side.

The resort offers free access to the under 5’s and discounts for children in packages which include accommodation.