Costa Blanca
This Easter, three beaches in Orihuela will be without beach cafes

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 AgustÃn Muñoz e Hijos, HostelerÃa 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.
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Costa Blanca
Firefighters rescue a hiker after fracturing her tendon whilst hiking

A 68-year-old woman was rescued by members of the Provincial Fire Consortium at the Albir Lighthouse in Alfaz del Pi (Alicante) on Saturday, April 26th. She was en route to the l’Alt del Governador de la Serra Gelada when she sustained a fracture of the Achilles tendon, rendering it impossible for her to recommence walking.
The rescue helicopter Alpha 01 and the special group of rescue (GER) were deployed to the scene after the notice was received at approximately 12:28 p.m., according to a statement from the Consortium.
The helicopter was activated to provide rescue services with the GER when the woman was unable to reach the ambulance due to the area’s orography.
The firefighters descended to their position after they were located, and the injured joint was splinted.
Subsequently, they deployed a hoist to elevate the woman to the helicopter, which transported her to San Vicente Park, where she was met by a Basic Life Support (BLS) unit. The intervention concluded at 1:35 p.m.
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National Police arrest two women in Benidorm for stealing from tourists

Two women have been apprehended by the National Police in Benidorm for stealing wallets and luggage from tourists, which are believed to contain their most valuable possessions, near their vacation rentals.
The investigation commenced in late 2024, although officers were already aware of the actions of these individuals as a result of numerous other incidents that had occurred on the same premises, including thefts from travellers who were preparing to arrive or depart from their accommodations.
The consistent modus operandi facilitated the investigation, enabling the discovery of the individuals after nearly half a year.
Both suspects were travelling from Alicante to Benidorm in a vehicle and were observed loitering in the city’s tourist areas. They concentrated their attention on the entrances of hotels and public transport stations for the purpose of observing tourist arrivals and pickups.
They selected these locations where tourists are waiting with their luggage, either to be served by reception staff or to be picked up by transport, as these are the times when they give the least attention to their belongings.
The two women also did not hesitate to follow elderly individuals who had departed from these tourist accommodations to wander around, with the intention of exploiting their negligence and stealing their belongings from their purse or knapsack.
The robbery was consistently executed in the same manner. One of them monitored the area and provided cover, while the other perpetrated the larceny of the property. They then fled in the vehicle they frequently used.
In this manner, the investigation was able to identify the actions of the two suspects, who made Benidorm their preferred location, in at least five specific incidents that took place between September 2024 and March 2025. Each of these incidents revealed evidence of their involvement.
The judicial authority deprived both women of their right to access the restricted area of Benidorm, which includes the area where they conducted their criminal activity, as a preventive measure to eradicate their criminal activity in the city, following their arrest.
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Kirsty Maxwell Benidorm balcony death to be probed in new series

A new series expects the five men who last saw Kirsty Maxwell alive to provide answers in a podcast that investigates her mysterious death in Spain.
After a night out on a hen do in 2017, Kirsty, a newlywed, plummeted to her death from a balcony at a hotel in Benidorm.
Before her death, Kirsty, 27, of Livingston, inadvertently entered a 10th-floor flat that was occupied by five British men: Joseph Graham, Ricky Gammon, Anthony Holehouse, Callum Northridge and Daniel Bailey.
In July 2020, they were cleared of being homicide suspects after judges determined that there was no “strong evidence” of criminality and no indication that she had not fallen to her death.
Nevertheless, Kirsty’s mother and father, who are devastated, are adamant that she did not leap of her own volition. The case and an appeal for information are the focus of the six-part podcast, “What happened to Kirsty Maxwell.”
True Crime podcaster Naomi Channell, who narrates and produces the series, says, “I do not believe it was a tragic accident.” All the evidence suggests that she was fleeing from something.
“There are still numerous unanswered questions.”
“It is my sincere hope that this will exert pressure on the authorities and on those who were present in the flat but have never been adequately investigated.”
Naomi met Kirsty’s family at a UK Crimecon convention in 2023, where she was present with Sue Horan, the wife of Stuart Lubbock, who passed away under suspicious circumstances at the residence of television personality Michael Barrymore in 2001.
In her podcast, she recounts how upon Kirsty’s arrival at the apartments with her friends, “a shirtless man” approached them at the elevators and enquired, “Who wants to get f*** tonight?”
Kirsty returned to the apartments early in the morning after a night out, during which she consumed alcohol but did not have any narcotics in her system.
It is unclear why she awoke, proceeded to the 10th floor, and knocked on the door of room 10E. The room was shared by five men, including the shirtless man, who were all from the Nottingham area.
One of them informed the authorities. Before jumping over the Juliette balcony to her demise, Kirsty attempted to climb through a small window in the bathroom and then ran through the apartment window.
Naomi stated, “Kirsty died instantly after falling at 7.51 a.m.” One of the men reported to the police that he had observed her fall. This individual was the sleeveless man, and his name is Joseph Graham.
Adam, Kirsty’s spouse, received a call from the Spanish police informing him that she had passed away. He was compelled to inform her mother, Denise, of the tragic news. The couple had married only eight months prior.
Brian Curry, her father, expressed his disbelief, stating, “Even to this day, it is extremely difficult to accept.”
The podcast delves into the process by which Kirsty’s family travelled to Benidorm to initiate their own investigation three months after her death, as they encountered a “wall of silence” from the police.
Naomi, a podcaster from Essex, stated, “No parent should ever be required to investigate the death of their own child.”
“Brian requested 12 hours of footage that encompassed the period prior to and following Kirsty’s death; however, the police provided him with only seven minutes of edited footage.
Kirsty’s fall is not depicted in a traumatic three-second footage captured by a camera at the poolside, which captures her impact with the ground. Brian is of the opinion that the footage was edited by an individual.
“According to investigators, the remaining CCTV footage has disappeared.” The police were compelled to acknowledge that they had disposed of the garments the day following Kirsty’s death. Her attire would have served as indispensable evidence.
“They claimed that the reason was that the clothing was stained with blood.” They acknowledged that the only method of examination was visual.
David Swindle, the retired Strathclyde detective who established Victims Abroad, was astounded by the deficiencies of the investigation.
He stated that the Spanish Police failed to conduct thorough investigations into the evidence, including independent witnesses, and did not advance forensics or CCTV footage.
“These men were not separated and were not interviewed properly.” DNA issues were encountered, samples were not collected, and Kirsty’s clothing was incinerated.
“Throughout my tenure as an investigator, I was unable to comprehend it.” “If we had all of that, we would be better equipped to understand what transpired with Kirsty.”
The podcast, which will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon on April 29, commemorates the eight-year anniversary of Kirsty’s passing.
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