Costa Blanca

Correos releases a stamp dedicated to Benidorm’s 700-year history

The 700th anniversary of the establishment of Benidorm as a municipality with its own legal entity will be commemorated in history on a stamp issued by Correos, marking the beginning of a new philatelic series known as “New Cities.” The stamp is intended to commemorate the emergence of various Spanish cities during the Middle Ages. Mayor Toni Pérez and the Director of Philately and Institutional Relations at Correos, Nuria Lera, presented the stamp today, the 700th anniversary of the signing of the Carta de Poblament (Town Charter). They underscored that this issue is a mutual tribute to the historical legacy of the city and the postal company.

The mayor emphasised that “stamps are a very representative element and part of our historical memory as a town,” and stated that the process to get here has been a lengthy one. Consequently, he expressed his gratitude to Correos for selecting Benidorm as the site of the philatelic series’ inception.

The mayor elucidated that the endeavour to immortalise Benidorm’s 700 centuries of history on a stamp commenced in 2023 and that “the efforts of José Ivars,” president of the Federation of Philatelic Associations of the Valencian Community and the Philatelic and Numismatic Association of Calp, as well as a member of the Royal Hispanic Academy of Philately and Postal History, have been crucially important.”

In addition to “unifying Benidorm’s 700 years of history with the 175th anniversary of the first Spanish stamp being put into circulation,” Toni Pérez stated that “Benidorm is now part of Coreos’ history.” In his opinion, this stamp also serves as “a tribute to the cultural legacy that lives on, especially through collectors, and to the history of communications in our country.”

The Mayor of Benidorm concluded by advocating for the resurgence of the tradition of writing letters, purchasing stamps, and posting them in the mailbox as a tribute to the ‘700th Anniversary’ and our history. He also paid tribute to Emilio Ortuño y Berte (1862-1936), a Benidorm native who was appointed Director General of the Post Office in 1908 before becoming Minister of Public Works during the reign of Alfonso XIII.

Nuria Lera, the Director of Philately and Institutional Relations at Correos, expressed her gratitude to Benidorm for its support and enthusiasm for this project. She noted that “it is not an everyday occurrence for a stamp from a major city like Benidorm to be presented, much less on the same day and in the same location as the event. Consequently, we are doubly appreciative today.”

Correos also expressed that it is “an honour and a source of pride” to be a part of this day. She also recalled that Benidorm has undergone numerous transformations over the course of these seven centuries to become the beacon of modernity it is today. The Director of Philately and Institutional Relations enquired, “Who hasn’t been to Benidorm at some point?” He also lauded some of the city’s virtues and contended that the presentation of this stamp “should not only be a look back at the past, but an opportunity to look to the present and the future.”

Some information regarding the stamp

Benidorm is the highlight of this special issue, as depicted in a photograph of the city taken from El Castell towards the Poniente area. The image also includes a portion of the municipality’s skyline, thereby combining the old and the new in a single image. This is the first Benidorm, home to some of the city’s most famous skyscrapers. The legend “700th Anniversary of the Founding of Benidorm,” the official “700th Anniversary” logo, and the Benidorm coat of arms are the final elements that comprise the 72,000 stamps created by the postal company. Since April 24th, they have been available for purchase at a cost of €1.85, which is equivalent to the postage for a standard letter or postcard weighing up to 20 grammes and addressed to Europe.

The ‘700th Anniversary’ stamp features a unique format, as it is displayed in conjunction with another stamp that is equally significant: the 750th Anniversary of the constitution of the city of Vila-Real, Castellón. The latter is depicted with an image of King Jaume I, the municipality’s founder, holding his Carta Pobla of February 20, 1274.

Seven centuries of history

Today, May 8, 2025, commemorates the 700th anniversary of Admiral Bernat de Sarrià’s donation of the Carta de Poblament to Benidorm. The document was delivered in Valencia before the notary Joan Cerdà. The boundaries of the municipality, as well as the rights and responsibilities of the new settlers, were established by this legal document. These settlers settled on Punta Canfali, the same location where El Castell once stood, which has since been transformed into one of the most iconic and photographed viewpoints in the entire Mediterranean.

The Carta de Poblament can be regarded as the municipality’s birth certificate, despite the archaeological remains that confirm the presence of previous settlements in the territory that currently occupies the city, the most notable of which is the Roman Castellum of Tossal de La Cala.
The city has experienced a variety of events and vicissitudes over the course of seven centuries, culminating in its status as a globally recognised, distinctive, and prominent tourist destination. Benidorm was once renowned for the expertise of its mariners and the skill of its tuna fishermen, despite the fact that its name is now synonymous with tourism. The most coveted tuna fishermen and second-in-command in the Mediterranean and Atlantic were natives of Benidorm, who piloted the most prominent vessels of the Merchant Navy and held all grades of command and crew.

Benidorm became a significant destination in the democratisation of vacations during the mid-20th century because it made a firm commitment to tourism. It has since reinvented itself to remain at the vanguard of tourism, which is now digital, technological, and sustainable.

Benidorm currently maintains over 60% of its territory as protected and has one of the most efficient potable water networks in the world. In the same year that it commemorates the 700th anniversary of its foundation, the European Community has designated it as a “Green Pioneer for Smart Tourism” destination, a designation that is the result of policies that prioritise sustainability and accessibility.

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Related Topics:2025 Benidorm Community Europe Green Mayor Public Tourism Tourist Valencia

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Costa Blanca

Orihuela will distribute 750 new bins throughout the municipality starting next month

The Orihuela City Council’s Department of Urban Solid Waste will begin distributing 758 new containers throughout the municipality in June, with the goal of increasing containerisation and encouraging selective garbage collection. This project has been awarded a total of €690,000 (including VAT).

Rocio Ortuño, Councillor for Urban Solid Waste, stated that the renovation aligns with state legislation and the Local Waste Plan, and is a significant step towards a more efficient, clean, and recycling-friendly model.

The new containers are available in both side and top loading configurations. Specifically, the delivery comprises:

Rotourban model (side loading)

-80 units for containers (yellow fixed lid)

-140 units for paper-cardboard (blue fixed lid)

-326 units for the remaining fraction (contactless lid, grey)

Rotoglobe Model (Top Loading)

-80 units for packaging

-132 units for paper-cardboard

All containers will be customised with vinyl specifying the proportion in Spanish and a heat-printed City Hall symbol. With this project, the municipality will install 432 additional recycling containers (containers, paper, and cardboard) and 326 for other fractions, thereby improving selective collection at the source and environmental compliance.

Ortuño observed that “the new 2022 Waste Law, approved by the government, has not only forced local councils to modify and increase their waste tax, but also imposes a new tax of 30 euros per tonne of waste, which in the case of Orihuela represents an annual cost of nearly one million euros.”

The councillor stated that another batch of rear-loading containers will be awarded in the coming days at a tender value of €110,000. This batch includes 877 units, which will begin arriving in late June or early July, concluding the municipality’s container fleet renewal operation.

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Costa Blanca

Power outages uncovered a ‘jungle’ of 800 marijuana plants in Orihuela

The National Police in Orihuela, Alicante, have dismantled an indoor marijuana plantation with 784 plants that was installed inside a warehouse on the town’s outskirts, and have arrested four men as alleged perpetrators of drug trafficking, document forgery, membership in a criminal group, and electricity fraud, as the illegal plantation was supplied with electricity via an illegal connection.

The inquiry began after diverse information was obtained concerning the likely existence of a facility on a property on the outskirts of the municipality of Orihuela that may be used for illegal activities, similar to indoor marijuana cultivation.

As a result of discreet surveillance of the surrounding area and other investigations, officers from the Orihuela Police Station’s Judicial Police Brigade noticed four individuals entering and exiting the warehouse. Investigators identified this conduct as common practice among the proprietors of this type of plantation.

Among these common acts, the agents saw how those involved performed counter-surveillance functions, looking in all directions to notify that no one was watching them as they entered and exited the warehouse.

Following confirmation of their suspicions, the exploitation phase of the operation began with the interception of a car driven by one of the suspects. The trunk included two green plastic bags with marijuana residue, as well as other plant-growing supplies like fertiliser.

The property under investigation was then entered and searched, resulting in the arrest of a second culprit, while the other two were held at their respective homes.

Following the arrests of people under investigation, a search of the warehouse was conducted, which was partitioned into two rooms and used for different purposes depending on the flowering stage of up to 784 cannabis sativa (marijuana) plants discovered within. Their development and culture were aided by a complete and modern lighting and ventilation system, and their electricity supply was later discovered to be obtained through an illegal connection to the power grid.

On the other hand, those arrested did not scrimp on passive technical methods of monitoring the farm, since there were cameras along the perimeter, forming a closed-circuit video surveillance system with motion sensors. This circuit covered all access angles to the plot, indicating a certain level of sophistication, resulting in increased security in the guarding and custody of the merchandise, as is typical of facilities designed by experienced individuals, with the goal of providing remote security coverage to the plantation located within.

Frequent power outages in the neighbourhood

As a result, the electricity consumption generated by this set of facilities was so high that local residents’ demonstrations revealed that they had experienced power outages on several occasions for no apparent reason, possibly due to consumption peaks caused by the illegal connection typical of this type of plantation.

Finally, another piece of evidence demonstrating the criminal group’s ability was the use of a falsified paperwork to rent the ship, which is usual among this type of organised gang; they impersonated third parties to mask their genuine identities.

The operation led to the arrest of four people suspected of drug trafficking, document forgery, electricity fraud, and membership in a criminal organisation. The plantation was demolished, and all 784 plants were seized.

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Costa Blanca

Torreta Florida, Torrevieja floodplain park has been inaugurated

Eduardo Dolón, Mayor of Torrevieja, was joined by Sandra Sánchez, Councillor for Urban Services; Concha Sala, Councillor for Parks and Gardens; Diana Box, Councillor for Sports; Jorge Ballesta, Manager and Deputy Manager of AGAMED; and Gemma Cruz to inaugurate the new skate park in the Torrealmendros rolling pond. This facility is part of a larger initiative to develop, improve, and integrate Torreta Florida Floodplain Park into the landscape.

Claudio Pastor, the president of the Puro Skateboard Torrevieja Skating Club, and secretary Silvia Jiménez led a large contingent of members to the opening ceremony. It is worth noting that Valeria Chacón, a young Torrevieja member of this club, is the Valencian Community champion in her category and is currently competing in an Olympic sport. The club’s skating squad complimented and thanked Torrevieja City Council for developing this enormous sports facility, which was created with their input to be as effective as possible for their training sessions.

The mayor congratulated AGAMED on the opening of the sports area located on the storm pond, which required an expenditure of about 700,000 euros, and praised the Puro Skateboard Club for its support and collaboration throughout the development of the park. The park has become a popular location for practicing this sport.

This new sports facility includes a modern skate park with specialised modules such as Quarter+Flat, Hand Rail, Manual Pad+Flat, Flat Rail, and Funbox+Hubba+Spine, allowing skaters to practise numerous modalities and techniques of this urban sport.

The project comprises not only the sports facility but also a callisthenics area, new street furniture, and a thorough landscape integration plan based on planting, all of which contribute to the space’s renaturalisation and the establishment of a new green space for all citizens to enjoy.

This project is a key step towards upgrading Torrevieja’s sports and leisure facilities by providing a modern and multifunctional place for skateboarding and other outdoor activities.