News Archive from Andalucia & Costa del Sol

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Week May 30th to June 5th

NERJA MAYOR ARGUES FOR CAVES DEVELOPMENT
Plans for botanical gardens and visitor centre put forward

By Dave Jamieson

NERJA'S MAYOR IS PRESSING THE CASE FOR A NEW BOTANICAL GARDENS AND ENTRANCE TO THE NATURAL PARK TO BE BUILT ALONGSIDE THE CAVES.
José Albert Armijo has written to the provincial environment delegate, Ignacio Trillo, arguing that there is sufficient land available in close proximity to the Caves' entrance. The construction of a visitor centre for the Natural Park of the sierras of Tejeda, Alhama and Almijara has been an aspiration of Nerja's Town Hall since early 1999, when a project was first proposed. If the botanical gardens project were to go ahead, it would be guaranteed a healthy visitor base from its proximity to the Nerja Caves, Spain's third most-visited tourist attraction, after the Prado and the Alhambra, with around half a million visitors.

Last weekend, Sr Armijo also criticised the Junta de Andalucía for their lack of investment in protected zones in the municipality, and in particular, the natural park formed by the sea-front cliffs between Maro and Cerro Gordo.
KIRI TE KANAWA TO SING AT THE CAVES

The soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will headline this year's Nerja caves festival. It was announced last weekend that hers will be the opening performance of this year's event on July 22, and will include a selection of operatic arias and lieder, from Mozart and Handel to Gershwin and Bernstein.

The festival will this year run for a day longer than previously to June 27, but tickets are already, as usual, like gold dust.

MÁLAGA LEISURE PARK DRAWS NEARER

Second promoter to present investment project

By Dave Jamieson

A MAJOR LEISURE PARK FOR MÁLAGA NOW LOOKS ALMOST CERTAIN, AFTER A NORTH AMERICAN MULTINATIONAL DEVELOPER EXPRESSED CLEAR INTEREST IN A MAJOR INVESTMENT.

The company's representatives met Málaga's Mayor, Francisco de la Torre, last week to explain their plans and intentions to invest. The new approach is the second to be made by interested parties.
Meanwhile, a consultant, Economics Research Associates, has reported that Málaga is an ideal site for a leisure park, thanks to its airport links with the world, its transport infrastructure and its future as a destination for Spain's high-speed train. Promoters also include the area's fine climate as a primary requirement for a successful theme park, and are attracted by the high local population of well over half a million, plus the concentration of neighbouring towns along the coast.

600 MILLION PLAN

The building plan, over several years and costing 480 to 600 million euros, would create the park on a 600 hectare site, with space for future expansion. Around 1,500 jobs would be created when the park opened, while it would cost between 30 and 36 euros to enter, with each visitor spending an average of 150 to 180 euros per day.

TORY LEADER IN GIBRALTAR

NEWS staff Reporter

Britain's Conservative Party Leader, Iain Duncan Smith, cancelled a fact-finding visit to Spain, when it was made clear that differences with PM Aznar over Gibraltar could not be bridged.

Nevertheless, Mr Iain Duncan-Smith received a hero's welcome from the people of the Rock for his strong stand in their defence. He was greeted at Gibraltar Airport just before mid-day on Tuesday by Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Peter Caruana. After a working lunch with the Chief Minister, Mr Iain Duncan Smith met with opposition politicians including Joe Bossano, the GSLP/Opposition Leader, and with Dr Joseph Garcia, the Liberal Party Leader. He also took time out to meet members of various other Gibraltarian organisations.

SWISS MILLIONAIRE COMMITS HARA-KIRI

By David Eade

The Swiss millionaire, John Muller, was last week found dead at his luxurious home in a rural area of Alhaurín de la Torre by his 17-year-old son. He had resided there for several years after moving from Torremolinos were he had dwelt for 15 years. The 49-year-old businessman owned a multinational company named Everest, which dealt in ropes and mountaineering equipment.

Police sources believe him to have committed hara-kiri, the traditional samurai ritual of suicide. He had apparently stabbed himself in the stomach with a 30 centimetre Japanese dagger.
One possible motive for the suicide was the fact that Mr Muller had suffered from paranoid depression for some time. It seems unlikely to have been related to money problems as it is estimated the successful businessman was worth over 300 million euros.

The funeral will be held in Switzerland.

PM ADMITS IMMIGRATION FIASCO

By James Parkes

Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has expressed government concern that current immigration policies in Spain and Europe have boosted sympathy towards nationalist groups.

As current President of the EU, Sr Aznar said the situation in France is a clear warning to all member states that slack immigration policies and increasing unemployment have sown the seeds of discontent among citizens who now see mass immigration as a threat.

The PM admitted: "We must accept that illegal immigration generates a feeling of insecurity among our citizens - even if it seems politically incorrect to say so." Sr Aznar's criticism was aimed directly at the PSOE Socialist party which he says 'demands equal rights for legal and illegal immigrants and then complains of citizens' insecurity".
After linking immigration to the growing concerns in Spain, Sr Aznar said his Cabinet is now studying further amendments to tighten the immigration laws affecting non-EU citizens.

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