The Levante beach coastline, which is the city’s busiest and, if anything, most touristy beach, was entirely renovated by Benidorm in the 1990s. In addition to numerous other components, they instituted a remarkable lighting system that consisted of a garland that connected each lamppost, extending from one end of the beach to the other.

Currently, the catenary is exhibiting the typical condition of an infrastructure that has been subjected to a corrosive element such as the sea for over three decades. The Benidorm City Council has awarded the contract to Elecnor for the second phase of its renovation, which will encompass the section between Avenida de Europa and Calle Metge Miguel Martorell, following the completion of the first phase. The announcement was made yesterday, Monday 17th March.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, has declared that the project, which has a budget of €854,885, is anticipated to be entirely completed “in the first few months of 2026.” The project has a completion period of eight months.

The Benidorm Visión 360 Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan, which is also a component of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, will be used to execute the project. This plan is funded by the European Union-Next GenerationEU.

In this regard, the mayor expressed his disappointment with “the State’s failure to assume responsibility, despite its obligation to execute the task.”

Renewal after thirty years

Toni Pérez recalled that the City Council completed the first phase of the project, which encompassed the section from Plaza del Torrejó to Avenida de Europa, with an investment of €1,972,119.41, entirely financed with municipal resources, three decades after its original installation. This investment resulted in a reduction in energy output of over 33.65%.

“And not only have we managed to become more efficient and significantly reduce CO2 emissions, but this project has also earned our city awards and recognition for its sustainability, such as the one we received in Madrid from the EnerTic platform,” Pérez emphasised.

Finally, the mayor expressed regret that, “as has already occurred with many other infrastructure projects, such as the first phase itself, the access to the tertiary sector, or the so-called second phase of the Paseo de Poniente, this project should have been financed and executed by the State, but what we have found is a further failure to fulfil its responsibility, in what is probably the only municipality in Spain with a seafront promenade where the Ministry fails to fulfil its jurisdiction and responsibility.”

Former ETA leader Iratxe Sorzabal is scheduled to be tried at the National Court yesterday, Monday March 17th, at the National Court, two decades after the attempted explosion at Alicante-Elche airport. He is expected to be sentenced to six years in prison.

A cleaner uncovered the explosive device in a bin situated in the tunnel that connects the car park to the passenger arrivals area on July 29th, 1995. It was defused by bomb disposal experts (Tedax) without inflicting any damage. As per the prosecution’s report, the device was composed of “a digital clock, a 9-volt battery, 500 grammes of Ameritol explosive substance, an electric detonator, and some wires.”

Upon uncovering the box in which the explosive was enclosed, the woman who discovered it immediately recognised its nature. “I was required to mop the area surrounding a substantial bin.” The receptacle I had emptied was present when I returned, as I had left my trolley adjacent to it. She testified during the hearing, “I lifted a heavy bag, opened a box within, and discovered that it was filled with a very hard substance, including wires and a clock.”

According to the former airport employee, she was “calm in a significant way.” “In order to prevent any potential alarms, I concealed the item and promptly fled to notify the terminal staff and the authorities in the vicinity.” She explained, “I went upstairs to ensure that the area was cordoned off and that people were kept away, because I realised what it was.”

Sorzabal has appeared in court for the second time this year. The former ETA commander was charged with an attack that occurred at the Irún border crossing in Guipúzcoa in October 1995, resulting in damage to the Spanish customs office. The trial was conducted in late February. The prosecution is requesting a 12-year penitentiary sentence for that incident.

During her testimony as a defendant, Sorzabal denied “everything” while still anticipating the verdict. The ‘kantada’, a report that an ETA member submitted to the group’s leadership upon detention, was the subject of much attention. This report provided a detailed account of attacks that had not yet been identified, including the two incidents that were previously mentioned.

The former ETA commander asserted that the manuscript contained “everything” she had been “compelled to memorise, with all the details,” while in police custody.

In Monday’s session, the Civil Guard officer who analysed the ‘kantada’ testified again, stating that it contained “far more details and data about each of the actions she participated in, whether it be placing explosive devices or performing other tasks in terrorist actions,” as in the first trial.

An additional witness, who was also an officer, reported that the accused admitted to placing the device in a plastic bag on the Civil Guard premises. “According to the bombing report and the explosives technical report, that was precisely the container of the device—a black plastic rubbish bag,” said the investigator.

The trial will recommence today, when it will be prepared for sentencing. Sorzabal, who has requested to testify after all evidence has been presented, will be heard by the court.

During Easter, the seashore bars in Punta Prima, Cala Estaca, and Cala La Mosca in Orihuela will be closed. The objective is to be prepared in time for the summer’s reopening. The City Council has resubmitted this lot for tender, the sole one of the five that was not awarded in the tender that commenced in November 2023. The PP and Vox coalition had previously decided to divide the contract, which had been awarded to a single company that managed the restaurant and leisure services at the eleven Orihuela beaches.

Thus, all beach bars, with the exception of these three, commenced operations last year. The initial beach bars reopened at the end of April after being closed since January 2023, when the government team, which was composed of PSOE and Ciudadanos, decided not to renew the contract.

The tender is currently in progress, with a minimum annual fee of €82,240 for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 seasons. The parties may mutually agree to extend the fee for up to two additional annual installments.

The award is delayed for Easter and the first part of the service period, as the deadline for submitting bids is April 14th. The service was scheduled to commence in Cala Estaca (Flamenca beach) on March 15th, in Punta Prima on April 1st, and in Cala La Mosca on May 15th, all of which conclude on October 30th.

In reality, the terms and conditions stipulate that the charge will be prorated to the actual operating time provided if the contract is formalised after the dates specified in the operating plan, in accordance with the unit prices offered by the successful bidder in the economic bid.

In order to determine the fee, an estimated annual income of 137,000 euros has been determined for the successful vendor. The Cala Estaca beach bar is the most profitable, with a revenue of 55,200 euros. Punta Prima and Cala La Mosca are the next most profitable, with a revenue of 50,900 euros and 30,900 euros, respectively.

Sun loungers and umbrellas are included in the service. Transit and showering necessitate a six-meter buffer zone from the shore. Ensuring compliance is the contractor’s obligation. Beach restaurants will be situated at a minimum of 35 meters from the shore.

The area has contracted in recent years, making it challenging to comply with this boundary on beaches such as Punta Prima. In reality, the residents’ association of this beach requested that the City Council decrease the allocated area for sun loungers and umbrellas; however, this request has not been incorporated into the new tender.

The specifications specify a 20 square meter surface area for the beach bar, an additional 50 square meters for the terrace, and a 30 square meter area for parasols and loungers. In Cala Estaca and Cala La Mosca, the area is expanded to 120 square meters.

The toilet service, which is in high demand among consumers, is also included in the contract. The successful bidder is required to ensure that at least four cleanings are performed each day, with the initial cleaning occurring prior to the opening and the subsequent cleanings occurring at least three hours apart.

Additionally, they must adhere to accessibility regulations, which must be considered during the installation of the walkways. The walkways must be installed flush with one another to prevent any minor variations in elevation, thereby enabling individuals with reduced mobility to use them. Additionally, the successful bidder must possess a semi-automatic external defibrillator.

The City Council will furnish the beach bars, pergolas, lavatories, and walkways. The successful bidder will be responsible for the sweeping and cleaning of the facilities and their surroundings.

Taberna Garcana was the highest-rated bidder in the initial tender for this property, with Agustín Muñoz e Hijos, Hostelería Ghequiere, and Francisco Bernabé Antón following in that order. The Contracting Committee excluded them from the proposal due to their failure to submit the necessary documentation. Consequently, the bid was declared null and void. This resulted in the third and fourth companies appealing the Committee’s decision, citing alleged irregularities and “administrative arbitrariness.”

The company Adem Levante was awarded the beach establishments in Cala Cerrada, Cala Bosque (La Zenia), Cala Capitán (Cabo Roig), La Caleta (Cabo Roig), and Aguamarina last year. Café Olé & Friends emerged victorious in the seashore bars of La Glea, Barranco Rubio (both located in Campoamor), and Mil Palmeras. The tender for the motorised nautical facilities in Cala Bosque and La Glea was awarded to Recreativos Acuáticos Horadada.