Los Lances fire: 392 evacuations

Flames under control near beach
(Photo: europasur.es)

TARIFA A fire broke out yesterday afternoon near the famous Los Lances beach, which led to the preventative evacuation of 392 people from two campsites, Tarifa and Torre de la Peña, as well as guests at the Hurricane Hotel. It was not a large fire but caused considerable alarm because of its location at some of the area's most populated tourist attractions. Fortunately, the wind blew the heavy smoke away from the campsites. Dry pine leaves behind the Tarifa camping ground ensured heavy, dense smoke, though the cause has yet to be established. The alarm was raised at about 2.30 pm and it was declared under control some five hours later.

Tourism workshops scheduled for Jimena, other business sectors in other places

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR Andalucía Emprende, a public foundation of the Junta's Department of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment, has scheduled a series of workshops aimed at entrepreneurs thinking of entering, or already in, the following sectors: boating, active tourism, agriculture or food production, rural tourism (See where and when below). Attendance is free but limited to 15 participants each. These workshops (in Spanish) are very useful for networking, accessing useful information, expanding your business, etc. etc. (CampoPulse will be attending the workshop in Jimena). For further information, contact 856 106 329, cade.sanmartindeltesorillo@andaluciaemprende.es or the website www.andaluciaemprende.es. >>>

Kiteboard Masters gets under way in Tarifa

(File photo)

TARIFA The third edition of the Tarifa Kiteboard Masters gets under way at Valdevaqueros today, becoming the centre of professional kiteboarders worldwide. Gisela Pulido, the eight times world champion who lives in Tarifa who is going for a new PKRA title in kitesurfing was at the season's presentation yesterday, as were Álex Pastor and Aaron Hadlow, five times champ. According to Pastor, from Málaga, "The level this year is fantastically high, especially because Aaron is back from his injury, and Youri Zoon is here, having just become the world champ." Tarifa continues to be the leading kiteboard venue early in the summer world calendar.

N-340 accident on Sunday: van driver in prison

Guardia direct traffic at the
scene of Sunday's accident

TARIFA There was a horrible accident last Sunday at the crossing to Tarifa off the N-340 (See Two bikers die in head-on crash...). The driver of the van involved is in prison, according to sources at the Guardia Civil, who confirmed that he had been arrested at the scene, and is likely to be charged with involuntary manslaughter and/or other serious traffic infractions. The van was carrying three people, the other two of whom were not injured seriously. Another motorbike was involved, carrying a man of 50 and a woman of 47, who were injured and taken to the Punta de Europa Hospital in Algeciras, and have now been released.

Today is the first day of a new 'route' in Tarifa: La Ruta del Atún

TARIFA At 7pm tonight the first edition of a 'Tuna Route' will be opened officially by local authorities - the 'route' (similar to tapa routes with visits to several establishments) last until Sunday. The idea is to promote the gastronomic use of the Red Tuna of the Straits. Tarifa, where 29 restaurants and bars are taking part, joins the project that has been used in several other locations along the coast of Cádiz. Find out more on the official page on the subject: Tuna Route of Tarifa (in English). (The subject of fishing the tuna, called almadraba, deserves a much fuller article here, and we have been planning for one for some time - maybe we'll get it together soon.

Idiot vandals lay waste to prehistoric paintings

More pics belo(europasur.es)

TARIFA Unfortunately this is hardly news any more. There are several hundreds of caves in the Campo de Gibraltar that contain prehistoric paintings. For various reasons most, though not quite all, remain unguarded and unprotected. One of them, known as Cueva de la Paloma, in the municipality of Tarifa and first discovered in 1929, have been subjected to acts of vandalism that defy logic and define idiocy. A group of walkers recently reported the facts to the local authorities. One of them was the widow of Lothar Bergmann, a German resident of the area for many years who made several discoveries and dedicated his active retirement to the protection of these priceless historical jewels.>>>

'Give your face a lift' says Council

Jerez Gate, Tarifa
(Chodaboy on Flickr)

TARIFA As far as we know, these are NOT the words used to launch a campaign by the Council, with the support of the local small business association Asociación de Pequeños y Medianos Empresarios de Tarifa, APYMETA), to encourage home and business owners to clean up the front of their buildings in order to maintain the 'typical look' of the town. the campaign runs during May and June, and among other activities there will be a competition for the best fachada (façade, face, front of building) for a building painted white. More information may be obtained at the Town Hall.

Blue zone in Tarifa

(Photo: europasur.es/Erasmo Fenoy)

TARIFA Residents and frequent visitors to the resort town will be aware by now that the municipal authorities have established several new regulations regarding the Blue Zone area (Avenida de Andalucía, Avda. de la Constitución, Fuerzas Armadas, Juan Núñez, Sancho IV el Bravo and María Coronel). Parking in this area, which requires a ticket from a meter, has a maximum time limit of two hours from 9.30am to 2pm and 4.30 to 8pm from Monday to Fridays. Saturday hours are from 9.30 to 2pm. The rest of the time, Saturday afternoons, Sundays and holidays, parking is free. Fines for over-staying range from €30 to €100. Local protests include the fact that you have to pay for the full two hours no matter how long you park within that time. However, residents of those streets can apply for a resident's permit at the Town Hall. This is valid for one year and must be renewed after that.

The Pope's Chair

Mobile phone masts invaded
the Roman ruins

TARIFA There is a spot near Tarifa - and close to the Roman ruins at Baelo Claudia - called locally La Silla del Papa (or The Pope's Chair). Alas, these Roman ruins have never been properly excavated, and they have suffered modern day pressure with an invasion of the area by several mobile phone masts. But a recent meeting held at the Baelo Claudia centre there has set the bases for a number of projects aimed at revealing more about the Pope's Chair. This thanks to an ongoing agreement between the Council for Culture and the Casa Velázquez High Spanish Studies, based in France.>>>

Abandoned or illegal cars removed from streets

(Illustration only)

TARIFA At the beginning of the month, the local police had removed 31 vehicles from the town's streets, all of them in a state of abandon, or because they have been parked at the same spot for over a month (not allowed in most municipalities), or because they were uninsured and therefore not supposed to be on public roads, or because they could not be moved on their own. There were a large proportion of foreign registered cars among those removed, as well as several motorcycles, a caravan and a trailer. Owners had fifteen days to claim their vehicles, otherwise they would be taken to a breaker's yard for destruction, although owners would still be liable for fines and costs.

Confirmed: Jimena and Tarifa are out of the 'tobacco loop'

Crossing into Spain

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR Measures announced recently and coming into effect on January 1, 2013, against tobacco smuggling said that only residents living within 15 kms from the Gibraltar frontier would be allowed to bring in a maximum of 4 packs per month. It is now confirmed that, although the 15k rule has been on the statute books for some time, it will now be put into effect. It is expected hat this will impact principally on residents of La Línea, Algeciras, San Roque, Castellar and Los Barrios, as well as frontier workers (to be defined) but excludes Jimena and Tarifa, whose residents will not be allowed any leeway at all. There is plenty of debate and controversy raging on both sides of the frontier. Madrid says that the geographical limitations have been in place since last year, when the number of packets allowed dropped from 30 to 10. Not that anybody has noticed this at the border controls. In any case, the limitations may be difficult to apply becauseYOU WILL SOON BE UNABLE TO

'Gratiferia', a happy idea in times of financial stress

(Photo: europasur.es)

No money changes hands

TARIFA Last weekend, a group of 20 volunteers set out a market that is a reminder that 'one man's rubbish is another man's gold'. The Alameda square was the setting for an idea that was probably first muted by prehistoric man, but became popular in the early part of this century in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when the corralito was in force (banks closed to prevent a run on them, and no cash was available for many weeks). It is also common practice in many parts of the world, but not in Spain. Governments don't like it because no taxes are involved. Called Gratiferia (gratis, free, merged with feria -- feria can also mean a market), the idea was simple: take what you like, for free.>>>

Junta says beach parking charges are illegal

Los Lances Beach, Tarifa

TARIFA (Agencies) As we reported here, the Council decided, probably in financial desperation, to begin charging for parking near the municipality's beaches this summer. Local residents have complained about it in the media and have obtained permission to park for free if they can show they reside in the municipality. In the meantime, the Junta de Andalucía has decided that the charges are illegal at eight of the ten spaces allotted by the Council to parking. The Junta's Environment Council has a Beach Demarcation department that established what is and what is not public land near the beaches; having sent inspectors to measure things out, it decided that the parking 'facilities' are illegal at Los Lances, Valdevaqueros and Atlanterra, while another five are 'blocking access' to the beach, which is not on, according to the inspectors. The only one to have full, official permission is at El Lentiscal, in Bolonia, which was grated in 2008. The remaining beach where parking fees are demanded, Monte Sierra Plata, does not come under the Junta's aegis, being out of the public domain. Local sources tell us that barriers are still up, but there is no-one taking money at any of the places deemed 'illegal'.

Ferry hits island in heavy fog, no injuries

(Photo: europasur.es)

TARIFA The 'Algeciras Jet' ferry, based in Tarifa for trips across the Straits to Tangier, yesterday afternoon at about 3pm hit what is believed to be an underwater rock near Isla de las Palomas, one of several islets close to the larger Isla de Tarifa. Fortunately no-one was injured. The boat returned to port and passengers disembarked, having to wait at least two hours to complete their journey.

Guardia Civil investigate possible GHB-related rape

TARIFA A 19 year old woman from Barcelona was taken to the local health centre on Sunday morning. At six in the morning the Local Police found her wandering near the beach in a state of great anxiety and completely disoriented. Having started the evening out in the company of several friends, she thought she had at some point been raped, according to press release, which began an investigation by the Guardia Civil and led her to be taken to the Punta de Europa Hospital in Algeciras for an exploration. The woman was unable to describe any attacker or remember much about the incident, although as time went by she could recall that she had spent most of the night with a young man. All her symptoms are related to what is sometimes described as 'the rapist's drug', GHB, or Gamma Hydroxybutyric acid, and also known as scoop and 'liquid Ecstasy' - éxtasis líquido' in Spain. Like alcohol and potent>>>

Tarifa charges for beach parking

'Barrier' to stop caravans
(Photo: europsur.es)

TARIFA The Council has decided that it can charge for parking on or near its beaches, which is why access to the one at Los Lances has seen numerous arguments and traffic queues of late. Charges are up to €5 for caravans and mobile homes, despite the fact that the access roads and the beaches themselves are 'in the public domain', in other words they do not belong to the Council. Charges are also being made at Valdevaqueros and Bolonia, though these are for parking on municipal ground. Charges are being applied from 9 to 9 and do not allow camping or overnight stays. After 9pm, vehicles parked in the areas marked out by barriers, could be fined. Parking and staying overnight have always been a problem in what the Councillor for Beaches, José Antonio Santos, says are the "beaches of the region", but they have always been free of charge. In fact, permission to charge has previously been denied by the Demarcación de Costas (the coastline demarcation authority of the Junta de Andalucía).

Scam alert in Tarifa and Algeciras

TARIFA & ALGECIRAS Aqualia, the water company for Tarifa, announced yesterday that there may well be a scam going on that is using the company's name. It said in a communiqué that it had detected several phone calls to homes to inform the occupants that there is a problem with the water quality, leading to a visit to the home, alleging the need to analyse it - the aim  is to sell products, apparently. The same tactic has appeared in the El Rinconcillo section of Algeciras. Apparently the scam consists of trying to sell a 'flow reduction' gadget to be fitted to taps in the house. The company says that they do not carry out any kind of trade in this way, and that use of their name could be a crime. The quality of the water, it adds, meets all requirements and there is no question of any problems.

Council appeals to dog owners' sense of responsibility

TARIFA The local government is proposing to take to the Council plenary session, a motion that is aimed at dog owners, who may well be required to pay an additional special tax. The animal recovery service (i.e. dog pound) is likely to be reinstalled, if the proposal is approved. The idea is that dog owners should be charged for their pets' droppings, which has a considerable clean-up cost. That, plus the fact that many ownrs just let their dogs out whenever they want, day or night, to wander the streets. Councillor Juan José Medina, who is bringing the proposal, put it this way: "Tarifa has a serious problem with dog excrement in the street and other public places. The town is cleaned daily but it is impòssible to watch everything 24/7. There are clear regulations on the subject yet a large proportion of the residents do not take charge of their pets or their responsibilities. So, we just have to make the rest pay for those who do not have a civic attitude to their neighbours."

What's all this about Valdevaqueros?

TARIFA Valdevaqueros is a beach near Tarifa -within its municipality- that is threatened with over building. Tarifa Council last week approved a project that would put 1,423 hotel rooms and 350 houses on one of the most picturesque and unique stretches of what is left of the Spanish coastline. Needless to say, the project has a divergence of opinion: there are those who see it as a solution to the desperate unemployment situation and those who oppose it on environmental grounds. Both have reasonable arguments. See reports online (YahooFinance, El País in English; and on Facebook. Campopulse first mentioned the subject in October 2009: What's cooking in the POT?)

International volunteers whale watch from land

(Photo: europasur.es)

TARIFA Some 25 volunteers working with Circe (Conservación, Información y Estudio sobre Cetáceos) are presently taking part in the seventh campaign that watches for finback and sperm whales from land. The main objective is to evaluate the risk of impact with the large vessels that cross the Strait of Gibraltar. This is the fourth year the study has been carried out, with a total of about 400 participants from numerous countries, who have found, identified and followed up on these whales, two of many species that come through the straits each season. Pauline Gauffier, who coordinates the event, says that>>>