Costa Blanca
Homes for sale, but you can’t live there

In the past year, there has been an increase in the number of residential squatters in the province of Alicante. The province is the sixth with the greatest number of reports of home invasions and burglaries, according to the Ministry of the Interior. There were 687 residential squatters reported in 2024, which is 68 more cases than in 2023. The average number of squatters being reported per day was 1.88.
The market has been impacted by the situation in recent years, which has led to a rise in dread among homeowners. Large landlords are profiting from these properties, selling them at low prices and targeting them to investors, while some individuals who have experienced this issue have chosen to sell their residences.
The number of properties for sale with occupants has increased and now comprises 2% of the total housing stock. Alicante is the sixth capital with the most seized property listings, just one estate agent website indicates that there are 176 squatted properties available for purchase.
For a 200-square-metre semi-detached property in the Tómbola area, prices can range from €20,000 to even €200,000. Advertisements are marketed as “unique opportunities for investors,” while simultaneously asserting that this type of transaction is not suitable for consignment purchasers.
This listing is an uncommon bird among the over 170 in the city of Alicante, a figure that increases to 1,116 in the province. The prices of this sort of “unpossessed” housing typically range from €25,000 in the northern areas of the city, such as Juan XIII or Colonia Requena, to €70,000 in Carolinas, Campoamor, or Altozano, among other nearby areas.
There are even residences available for purchase in areas that are significantly more expensive, such as the city centre or Cabo de las Huertas. In the case of the former, a 70 m2 residence situated adjacent to the train station is currently listed for €95,000. What is the catch? It is “occupied,” despite the fact that the legal eviction procedure is “at an advanced stage” in this instance.
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Costa Blanca
This weekend ComarCON will take place in Torrevieja

This coming weekend, on Saturday, April 29th, and Sunday, April 30th, the Torrevieja Sports Palace will host the annual ComarCON’25 event. With free entrance and countless hours of pleasure, it provides a vast array of alternative leisure activities for people of all ages.
The La Comarca Youth Association organises ComarCON, an alternative entertainment festival, every year. Contests, workshops, exhibitions, talks, tournaments, free play, and much more can be found in the form of anime, manga, tabletop and live role-playing, video games, TCGs, wargames, board games, cosplay, artists, soft combat, K-Pop, and much more.
This session will include a performance by “The Lantern Man,” the ants from the TV series “El Hormiguero,” and Sheila, McGonacat, JennRoyal, SheronZ, SaencSa, and José Meco, who are all from the University of Alicante in Torrevieja. The finest cosplay will get prizes from Green Stuff World, which are worth 200 euros plus materials.
It all started on May 25th, 2013, when a modest gathering was planned. With about 7,000 attendees at its most recent edition, it has developed over the years into one of Spain’s biggest free alternative leisure events. Over 120 thrilling activities are available for attendees to partake in over the course of the weekend. On Saturday, beginning at 10:00 a.m., attendees can learn about things like:
Play role-playing games and go on amazing adventures in made-up worlds. Are you a crafty wizard or a valiant warrior? You have a choice!
Workshops: Acquire new abilities, such as character development and art.
Talks: Listen to professionals in the field of alternative entertainment discuss their experiences and expertise.
Soft Combat: Try your skills in friendly foam sword duelling.
View more than 300 board games in the Giant Game Library.
There is something for everyone, including both contemporary and vintage titles. ComarCON is a community, not just an event. Share your love of games and creativity by coming by yourself or with others.
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Costa Blanca
Cold water to fight the heat on Benidorm’s streets

Three places across the municipality now have chilled drinking water fountains installed by Benidorm City Council. The City Council and Hidraqua, the city’s Integrated Water Cycle concessionaire, are working together on this project as part of a trial project. “Facilitate the availability of tap water to residents and tourists in highly frequented public spaces,” Mayor Toni Pérez said yesterday, Monday 24th March, when describing the project’s objectives.
Together with José Ramón González de Zárate, the councillor for water cycle, local government representatives, and business representatives, the mayor paid a visit to the first of these installed fountains. Since last year, the service has been offered in Alicante, and on Monday, three further fountains were unveiled at l’Alfàs del Pi.
Two more fountains will be placed this week in Séquia Mare Park and Plaza del Torrejó, which is opposite to the Tourist Office. The first fountain in Benidorm is situated on Avenida Armada Española at its intersection with Avenida Racharell. Connected to the municipal drinking water supply network, the three chilled drinking water fountains are designed to provide households with water.
Toni Pérez pointed out that the campaign “promotes the consumption of tap water as a safe and healthy option and, at the same time, reduces the generation of plastic waste associated with single-use water bottles.” The mayor further underlined that doing so “reduces the environmental impact and contributes to building a more sustainable future.”
The pumps in question include a cooling system to give users cold water, and they are directly fed from the municipal drinking water network. They have a drain exit to remove extra water and an electrical connection to run the cooling system. Additionally, they are constructed from materials that are resistant to weather and vandalism and are created to be accessible to those with limited mobility.
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Costa Blanca
Santa Pola Local Police use dogs to enforce policies against drug use and possession around schools

Following reports of drug usage by both adult and juvenile students during school hours and playtime, the Santa Pola Local Police, using its canine squad, have stepped up its controls around the municipality’s secondary schools. Five individuals were detected and reported for the possession and use of narcotic substances yesterday morning, Monday 24th March, thanks to the service’s employment of passive detection dogs.
When two officers and a sniffer dog arrived at the two secondary schools on Calle del Mar at 7:30 a.m., they checked students who had arrived by bus but did not discover any drugs. They went to the ravine next to the Santa Pola secondary school’s perimeter fence just before 8:00 a.m., when they saw two minors, ages 14 and 16, smoking cigarettes. They tossed the smokes to the ground as they noticed the officers.
The sniffer dog then found a piece of hashish in their backpacks, indicating positive results. The principal, the girls’ legal guardians, Social Services, and the Alicante Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office were informed, and both girls were escorted to the school.
The policemen returned to the area during break at approximately 10:50 a.m. This time, they pulled over a 17-year-old girl who was in the car park on an electric scooter. When she saw them, she attempted to drive away but was stopped; the dog found two bits of marijuana and hashish in her backpack. She was charged with possessing drugs.
A few minutes later, a 20-year-old El Altet resident who was getting out of a car to go to school received a positive result from the dog. Officers searched him and discovered marijuana in his trousers pocket. They examined the vehicle because they thought it might contain more drugs, and they found a bag of marijuana near the gear stick. They reported the driver.
The canine service resumed their hunt for potential users in La Cruz Park following the break. They found a man smoking what looked to be marijuana there, and once the detection dog recognised him, they found two buds in the pocket of his right trousers. The defendant was charged with both public narcotics possession and consumption.
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