ALICANTE NEWS

New EU travel permit for Brits pushed back againThe €20 pre-travel authorisation for non-EU visitors is now unlikely to launch before 2027 For months, British travellers heading to Spain and other EU countries have been preparing for a series of new border controls. First came the Entry/Exit System.. 07/07/2026

Everything you need to know about San Fermín, Spain's most thrilling and controversial festival, as 2026 gets under wayFrom its religious roots and Hemingway's legacy to a lightning-fast opening bull run and a tragic death on the first night Every year on July 6, something remarkable happens in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona. A rocket fires into the sky, tens.. 07/07/2026

Today Earth is at its farthest point from the Sun. So why is Spain sweltering?The planet reaches aphelion on Monday July 6, a cosmically counterintuitive moment that coincides with temperatures pushing well above 40°C across parts of the country Here's a fact that sounds like it belongs in a pub quiz rather than real life.. 06/07/2026

Most migrants regularised under Spain's new scheme could hold a Spanish passport within two yearsTwo thirds of applicants come from Latin American countries, where a faster route to citizenship cuts the usual waiting time from ten years to just two For many of the nearly one and a quarter million people who applied to legalise their immigration.. 06/07/2026

Buying from Shein or Temu just got a little more expensive as the EU's new parcel tax kicks in tomorrowA €3 customs charge on small packages from outside the bloc came into force on Wednesday July 1, targeting the flood of cheap imports from China If you have ever ordered something in Spain or elsewhere, from Temu, Shein or AliExpress and marvelled.. 03/07/2026

Spanish Police warn of cruel AI scam targeting owners of missing petsFraudsters are creating realistic images and videos of missing animals before demanding money for their return The National Police have issued a warning about a particularly cruel scam doing the rounds across Spain that targets people searching for.. 03/07/2026

June road deaths in Spain hit a 15-year high as accidents surge across the countryA sharp rise in serious accidents on conventional roads pushed the June death toll to levels not seen since 2010 June has been a brutal month for Spain by almost every measure. With over 1,000 heat-related deaths recorded, making it the deadliest month.. 03/07/2026

June 2026 was Spain's deadliest month for heat in recorded history, with more than 1,000 lives lostNew figures confirm 1,028 heat-related deaths last month, the worst June on record, as Aemet declares it the second hottest June since 1961 The figures published this week make uncomfortable reading, particularly for anyone who lived through last month.. 02/07/2026

Spain records its deadliest June for drownings since records beganWith 86 deaths in a single month and summer barely started, experts are urging families to take water safety far more seriously The image is a familiar one at this time of year across Spain: pools full of children, beaches packed by mid-morning, families.. 02/07/2026

July 3-12 Burger Mania, the burger championship, arrives in TorreviejaThe travelling food festival runs from 8pm every evening on Playa de los Náufragos One of Spain's most popular travelling food festivals is heading to Torrevieja this Friday, with Burger Mania setting up on Los Náufragos beach from July..

Spain's Black Flag beaches for 2026: The full list from Murcia to the Canary IslandsThe full list of Spain's most environmentally troubled beaches and coastal areas in 2026 The Mar Menor in 2019   Environmental group Ecologistas en Acción has published its annual beach report and as in previous years, 48 Black.. 02/07/2026

British drug mule, 79, heads straight back to the Costa Blanca after years in jailRoger Clarke, convicted of smuggling £1 million of cocaine from the Caribbean, has posted on social media that he is back in Alicante province Roger Clarke is 79 years old, has served time in Portuguese and British prisons, and has just turned up.. 01/07/2026

Valencian coast hit with six Black Flags despite record Blue Flag haul in 2026Alicante, Valencia and Castellón all feature in Ecologistas en Acción's dreaded annual report The Valencian Community has received a very disappointing six Black Flags in this year's annual report from Ecologistas en Acció.. 01/07/2026

Nearly a million migrants have applied to legalise their status in SpainThe country's biggest regularisation drive in two decades closes with applications far outstripping early estimates Spain's extraordinary regularisation process for undocumented migrants came to a close on Tuesday June 30, after two and a half months..

Spain slashes bus fares by 22% on dozens of national routesThe new 34-corridor network to serve 30 million passengers across 1,682 towns in Spain On the very day petrol and diesel prices are going up, the government has announced the welcome news that bus travel across Spain is set to get cheaper, greener.. 01/07/2026

Renfe strike today: 320 trains cancelled across Spain as railway workers walk outThe 24-hour action affects high-speed, long-distance, medium-distance and commuter services, with a second strike day already confirmed for July 15 If you're travelling by train in Spain today, check your ticket before you leave the house. The Railway.. 29/06/2026

AI is becoming Spain’s new trusted adviserFrom shopping and job hunting to investing and checking company claims, artificial intelligence is now influencing decisions for millions of people across Spain Artificial intelligence is no longer just a novelty in Spain. According to a new report by.. 26/06/2026

Spain makes LGBTQ+ conversion therapy a criminal offenceAnyone found carrying out the practices in Spain now faces up to two years in prison rather than a fine Anyone who subjects an LGBTQ+ person to so-called conversion practices in Spain now risks a prison sentence, after Congress approved changes to.. 26/06/2026

Spain now has more than 3,600 speed cameras and the number is still growingNearly 1,000 new devices have been added in five years, with average speed cameras seeing the biggest rise of all If you drive regularly in Spain, the chances are there are significantly more cameras watching you than there were even a year ago. New figures.. 26/06/2026

Ticks are spreading into Spanish cities and experts say vigilance, not panic, is the right responseClimate change and urban wildlife are bringing ticks closer to home than ever before, with two serious diseases now a genuine concern in parts of Spain If you think ticks are something you only need to worry about on a country walk, think again. Spain.. 25/06/2026