Cruise tourism continues to improve in Alicante, with only last week the port hosting two vessels on the same day, catering for a total of 2,300 passengers who visited the city for between four and seven hours. The director of operations of the of th...

The councillor for the coast, Martina Scheurer, has explained this week how the town hall departments of the coast and tourism have collaborated with the company providing beach services, Chiringuitos del Sol, in providing approved and additional acces...

The mayor of Orihuela, Monserrate Guillén, along with the councillor for the coast, Martina Scheurer, both from the Los Verdes green party of Orihuela, were present at Cala Capitán on Friday to raised the quality standard flags on the bea...

Announcing the first Local Heroes Awards of San Fulgencio organised by the Office for the Urbanisations, San Fulgencio Townhall and sponsored by Toldos Guardamar. Who is your unsung hero? Who do you think deserves to be recognised for their courage, ...

Hundreds of people have so far visited the “Lagunas de Lo Monte," the Lo Monte Natural Park in Pilar de la Horadada since it first opened in mid February. In addition to the public visits there have been a number or organised birdwatching trips for virtually all of the Pilar de la Horadada schoolchildren.

The park, a protected artificial wetland, covers an area of 10.3 hectares between Pilar de la Horadada and Dehesa de Campoamor. The lake, which has a surface area of 80,000m2 was constructed in 1989 and is now a protected area for birds. So far 36 different species of birds have been observed in the park including the Malvasia Cabeciblanca duck which is in danger of becoming extinct.

It is located just north of the town on the site of the Cueva Fuerte and very close to the Dehesa de Campoamor on the CV941 Mil Palmeras to San Miguel road.

"For many people the park has been a new experience," said the Councillor for the Environment , Ivan Romero. “The Lagunas de Monte " is a municipal nature reserve which can now be enjoyed by local people who no longer have to make long journeys to enjoy such facilities.

There are two large lakes around which there are five observation areas allowing onlookers to enjoy the of significant wildlife within the natural space.
The Department of Environment say that they are very pleased with the results and they have already received congratulations from many groups .

They say that they are only too happy to provide guided visits to organised groups such as ornithological associations, clubs and societies, disabled associations or associations of housewives.

Those interested in enjoying the upcoming tours organized by the Department can book their free place at the Tourist Information or the Environment Department in Pilar . The guided walks are scheduled for the first Thursday and Sunday of each month. The next will be on Thursday 8th and Sunday, May 11th at 9:00. Those attending will be shown around in small groups of 12-15 people.

Last week, children from four schools in Pilar de la Horadada visited the site a day where guides provided a short introduction to ornithology course. They were then taken on a tour of the natural area where they were provided with the use of powerful ground-based telescopes and binoculars in the various observation posts by the departmental staff who also helped to identify many of the species of birds that were present in the lakes as well as explaining their behaviour and characteristics.

The park is quickly establishing itself as a tourist and educational attraction for the residents of Pilar de la Horadada and all nature lovers who want to discover and learn about the different animals and birds that live and nest in the area.

To get to the park take the CV941 Mil Palmeras to San Miguel and enter the park at the sign E.D.A.R. (Estación Depuradora de Aguas Residuales de Pilar de la Horadada). There are a number of further references available to the park including an 8 page guide, in Spanish, at www.eurotourguide.com

The president of the local group of the Partido Popular in Orihuela, Pepa Ferrando, has been given the 15th of May as the date in which she must appear in court facing charges of corruption in relation to the FITUR tourism event. Persistently protestin...

The Councillor for Tourism, Rosa Martinez, together with the manager of La Zenia Boulevard Shopping Mall, Almudena Soubrier, have signed a collaboration agreement to continue the tourist information point in the mall on a permanent basis.

The Councillor said that it would better serve the 70,000 people of the region who attend annually seeking tourist and cultural information.

The service was first introduced into the centre last July since when it has provided information relating to the coast and beaches, as well as the heritage and culture of the region to thousands of people, both residents and visitors to the area. Martinez sad that it has quickly become a vital and strategic point "to publicize both our local activities and the city of Orihuela as a tourist destination."

The two parties, the Council and the Boulevard, are currently co editing a cultural and tourist brochure in which the centre is heavily featured alongside many other local activities and venues as well as forthcoming gastronomic events.

Meanwhile, Soubrier has justified the agreement stating that "there was a significant demand for tourist information, especially from foreign customers' requiring information at the tourist office. In addition, she remarked that there will be 20,000 copies of the jointly produced tourist brochure which will be distributed free.

Currently there are two assistants provided in the Tourist Information Point and although they were initially hired on a 12 month contract it now looks as though they will both be extended.

Torrevieja local police have taken delivery of two new vans this week, the last two vehicles outstanding from the 734,368 euro lease for 17 vehicles to replace the existing fleet. Most of these cars can be observed on a regular basis parked outside the...