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Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin May 30
TOP STORIES: "EU bans this common item from checked-in luggage" & "Anger and anguish as illegal expat homes sealed at Murcia caravan site"
As we close out the month of May with this extraordinary heatwave, we’re talking about closures in this week’s Editor’s Roundup Bulletin. From the EU and Spanish government closing the door on everything from battery packs and cigarettes to a smaller, local issue as the City Council of Cartagena in Murcia closes up people’s homes and businesses at a large expat caravan site.
There are openings too, of course, including the door being opened for guide dogs to be allowed into all public spaces and opening the way for some workers to be able to retire at just 52 years of age, providing they meet the requirements.
So open up a drink and read closely. Your weekend starts here!
The EU is banning this common item from checked-in luggage on planes
It’s felt like the never-ending winter here in Spain but over the last few days, summer has finally arrived. For anyone still slogging through the rain and chill in the UK or elsewhere, you’re probably thinking it’s just about time to book that holiday in the sun.
Before you grab your sunglasses and start packing, there’s something you’ll want to keep in mind. And yes, it’s yet another rule about what you can and can’t bring on a flight.
Most of us are already juggling the whole cabin bag versus checked luggage dilemma. Budget airlines tend to allow only the smallest of carry-ons, while checking a suitcase can leave you wondering if the fee is more expensive than the clothes inside are worth. Then there’s the mental checklist of what goes where: liquids under 100 millilitres in hand luggage, no sharp objects and definitely no big bottles of shampoo in your backpack.
If you’re flying from the UK to Spain, things get even more complicated. You can’t bring fresh foods like meat or dairy products and anything with cream filling is also off-limits. But now, just in time for holiday season, the rules have shifted again.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has introduced a new guideline, and it’s one that’s going to be a bit of a pain for travellers. Portable batteries – the kind we all use to charge our phones or tablets on the go – are no longer allowed in checked luggage. These power banks must now go in your carry-on.
The reason is safety. Power banks can overheat or short-circuit and in rare cases, they’ve even caused fires. The reasoning goes that if they’re in the cabin, flights attendants can react quickly. If they’re buried in the hold, it’s a much bigger issue.
To stay on the right side of the rules, just make sure your power bank is packed in your carry-on bag and not stashed in your suitcase. Most airlines won’t allow power banks with a capacity of more than 100 watt-hours, although some may stretch that limit to 160. Either way, it’s worth checking with your airline ahead of time.
You’ll also need to make sure each power bank is protected; that means taping the terminals or placing it in a separate plastic bag.
And here’s the part that might catch people out: you’re not allowed to use your power bank during the flight. You can’t plug it in to charge your phone and you can’t connect it to your laptop either. Cabin crew will be keeping an eye on this and the rule will be strictly enforced, apparently.
So while the sun is finally shining and holidays are back on the agenda, it’s worth double-checking your packing list before you fly. Power banks in the cabin only, no charging during the flight and definitely no cream cakes from London in your bag!
Spain to ban smoking outdoors
Talking of bans, after years of murmurs and half-promises, Spain is pushing ahead with a sweeping anti-smoking reform that could make cigarette breaks on bar terraces, at bus stops or even in a workman’s van a thing of the past. Health Minister Mónica García confirmed on this Thursday that the new law is nearing completion and aims to place Spain “at the forefront of the fight against smoking”.
If passed, the legislation will expand the list of smoke-free areas well beyond traditional indoor spaces. Among the targets are outdoor terraces, public swimming pools, sports facilities, work vehicles and university campuses. School playgrounds and outdoor party venues are on the list. The ban won’t just apply to cigarettes, but also to vapes and heated tobacco products.
García has defended the plan in the face of inevitable pushback, pointing out that smoking is responsible for around 30% of all cancers. “We have to be ambitious,” she said. The law is based on Spain’s Anti-Smoking Plan from 2023 and now awaits a second review by the Council of Ministers before heading to Congress.
There’s some backing for the move. The European Commission laid the groundwork last year by recommending that member states restrict smoking in outdoor spaces used by children and families. Spanish officials say public support is on their side, including from many smokers, though anecdotal evidence might prove to the contrary.
A separate royal decree will formally put e-cigarettes on the same legal footing as traditional tobacco. And the government isn’t stopping there. It also plans to raise tobacco taxes again and make quitting aids more accessible through the public health system.
Illegal expat homes sealed at Murcia caravan site
It was a clash that had been simmering for years, but on Monday this week it boiled over. Cartagena City Council began sealing 81 mobile homes and communal facilities at the Villas Caravaning campsite in Playa Honda, backed by a judge’s order. For many of the estimated 600 full-time residents, a fair few of them foreign nationals, it felt like a sudden blow. But for the council, it was the inevitable outcome of years of planning violations and growing safety concerns.
The heart of the issue is as tangled as the power cables some inspectors reportedly found running through the site. Official inspections first rang the alarm bells after two fires at the site in 2021 and 2022, one of which claimed the life of a German tourist and destroyed nearly 20 pitches. The resulting reports painted a worrying picture: faulty electrics, inadequate fire safety systems, limited access for emergency services and sanitation facilities verging on the hazardous. Cartagena’s Councillor for Infrastructure, Diego Ortega, didn’t mince his words: “The facilities are dangerous… and outside the law.”
The campsite, operated by French company Capfun, was officially ordered to cease activity in 2022. Yet despite the closure order, life went on, or at least tried to. Unlicensed homes on the site multiplied, and communal amenities such as toilets and showers continued to function, even though the Council declared them to be in a state of ruin. The Council served people with notices while they filed legal appeals in return, and for a while it seemed like a stalemate.
That all changed this week. On Monday, council technicians, accompanied by police and social services, moved in to shut parts of the place down. They sealed only the unoccupied housing units, insisting no one was evicted, but the symbolism was unmistakable: the long arm of the law had arrived, and it meant business.
There was outrage from residents and Capfun, who decried the closures as an overreach. The company warned of economic catastrophe, claiming more than 20,000 summer bookings would now be cancelled. “Catastrophic for these families and for the local economy,” read their statement. They admitted the unauthorised installation of 80 mobile homes was an oversight but insisted they were trying to regularise the situation. A renovation plan for the sanitary facilities, they claimed, was already approved and just waiting on municipal sign-off.
Residents were no less vocal. Juan García, president of one of the campsite’s two neighbourhood associations, called the closures “illegal and scandalous”, accusing the council of baiting the community into confrontation. The closures continued on Tuesday, with officials sealing key areas of the site including the supermarket, restaurant, offices, mobile homes, kids club, water park, playgrounds and sports facilities. The beach toilets were only spared because a group of children was camping nearby.
Capfun has now proposed a working group that includes the Council, residents, private plot owners and site management to develop a path forward. They argue that much of the problem stems from decades of unauthorised private developments within the site. About half of the 2,300 plots are privately owned, many occupied by what are effectively permanent dwellings, even though the site has a licence to operate for tourism purposes, and not for residential ground. The company says it’s been flagging these issues for years.
It’s a fair point, and one that raises questions about how the site operated for so long under the radar. Many residents were allowed by Cartagena Council itself to register on the local padrón using addresses at the campsite. The Council accepted their property tax payments and licences were issued as recently as 2015. All of this adds to the sense that it’s not just the campsite’s fault, but perhaps both sides have contributed to this planning purgatory.
Now, with summer around the corner, Capfun and residents are calling for urgent collaboration to avoid a total shutdown. Councillor Ortega has promised to fast-track the process once the necessary documentation is provided. Until then, the supermarket, the kids’ club, the restaurant… all lie behind sealed doors.
Unfortunately, this is no neat David-and-Goliath tale. It’s a complex, human mess of muddled rules, patchy enforcement, good intentions and harsh realities. The people living there deserve safety, but they also deserve clarity. The Council is right to enforce safety laws, but its timing and communication haven’t helped. What is clear is that unless a compromise can be reached soon, this saga is only going to escalate and leave many people homeless, penniless, angry or worse.
Murcia
Elsewhere in Murcia, down in Mazarrón, a lone Algerian captain bobbing about in an inflatable speedboat off the coast of Bolnuevo was rather rudely interrupted by the Guardia Civil while he was innocently trying to run drugs.They had spotted the guy idling in his boat near Los Lobos island, and managed to glide their Police boat right up to his without him even noticing, then leap aboard. There, they discovered over 100,000 ecstasy pills hidden among rucksacks and fuel canisters, presumably not for personal use unless the man had a particularly energetic weekend planned. This seizure is one of the biggest MDMA hauls Murcia has ever seen from a maritime route, and a major blow for organised drug trafficking.
There was a different kind of discovery further inland, when archaeologists in Jumilla brushed the dust off a treasure trove of Bronze Age terracotta figures at the Cerro del Tío Pimenton dig site. About ten of these figures, of various sizes, were uncovered in what appears to have been a prehistoric workhouse. Loom weights and ceramic pots found nearby added to the theory that the ancient people living in this area were industriously making these pieces on a prehistoric production line, if you will.
The dig, partially funded by local winery Bodegas Juan Gil, turned up what is now being dubbed an “unprecedented discovery” in Iberian archaeology. The supposed workhouse dates back to around 2,000 BCE, and according to archaeologists, the find is of great value because there is no record of so many of these terracotta figures being found at any other site in the Iberian Peninsula.
More good news over in the highlands of Lorca this week as the local Iberian Lynx population increased again, but this time not because they released more captive lynxes into the wild. After years of fatal traffic incidents, hunting mishaps and heartbreak for the lynxes, the rewilding programme has seen the birth of not one but two Iberian Lynx kittens. These are the first Iberian Lynxes to be born in the wild in Murcia since the Lynx Life Connect species reintroduction programme began, and people are understandably very excited about it.
These tufty-eared babies are being hailed as a “historic milestone” and come courtesy of Urtsu, a lynx mum who was released into the wild last year. Officials are hailing this as proof the Region’s highlands are fit for feline habitation, past performance of the programme be damned. Sorry, that’s a very cynical view to take. I wish the babies, their mother and the repopulation programme as a whole the world of success. Lord knows they need it.On Camposol, the saga of the green waste mountains continues. For years, the urbanisation has suffered under mounds of garden clippings and discarded armchairs. It’s a thorny issue, but a large part of the problem is simply that no one knows where to put all this waste and what to do with it. You’re not allowed to burn it. Composting is the legal method, but there’s no composting centre in Mazarrón. The ecopark can’t cope with it all. And paying someone to sort through the mess is prohibitively expensive, especially when your hibiscus cuttings are entangled with someone else’s three-seater sofa.
Mazarrón Town Council, perhaps running low on ideas but not on speeches, has once again voted to deal with the issue. This sounds promising until you realise the same motion has been passed before, with the same amount of actual progress. But what locals living on Camposol seem to be most miffed about is the fact that they seem to have been blamed for the mess themselves, whereas actually there are lots of people from off the urbanisation who go there specifically to dump their waste and then leave.
The best solution the Council can come up with for now is to slowly clear the sites piece by piece and then once that’s done install CCTV cameras and warning signs to stop people from flytipping anymore. But there has been no indication of where the waste will go and how it will be dealt with, and while they figure it out the garden waste piles – which are a fire hazard and attract pests – only continue to grow.
In sunnier news, Los Alcázares is getting its open-air swimming pool back just in time for summer. Ola Azul reopens this Sunday, June 1, offering relief from the heat and an excellent excuse to avoid the increasingly busy beaches. At €3 a ticket, it’s cheaper than a granizado and comes with lifeguards, hammocks and its own café, making it the region’s most refreshing bargain.And speaking of bargains, what if you could see Queen (well, almost) for free? Murcia’s own tribute band Unrisen Queen are about to take the stage in Santomera, belting out the hits with such uncanny likeness that even Freddie Mercury’s inner circle have given them the nod. They’re celebrating their 15th anniversary with a concert on June 14, and you could snag yourself a pair of tickets in our exclusive giveaway. All you have to do is answer a trivia question in our Murcia Today interview with Unrisen Queen and your name will be entered into a prize draw. Entries must be in before the end of the weekend, please.
Also going on this weekend, we’ve got the Mazarrón Rocks music festival in the Port of Mazarrón with not only Queen tribute acts but ABBA, AC/DC, U2 and loads more; plus there’s the Hot Rally motorbike festival in San Javier all weekend long with live music and motorbike shows and exhibitions; and the annual Potato festival in La Puebla, in the Cartagena countryside, culminating in a giant tortilla de patatas.
See our EVENTS DIARY for more events and activities coming up soon in the Region of Murcia:
Spain
From what felt like the longest and soggiest winter in recent memory to full-blown summer almost overnight, Spain has launched straight into sweltering temperatures. And it’s still only May. According to the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), the country is in the middle of what it’s calling an “extraordinary episode of maximum temperatures,” with daytime highs brushing 40ºC and nights barely dropping below 20ºC.
If the mercury keeps climbing, this could go down as the hottest late May heatwave since at least 1950. The most intense stretch is expected between May 29 and June 1, but things are already heating up fast. Aemet flagged the warning on social media, calling this stretch of weather more typical of midsummer than late spring. If you have been outside lately, you probably don’t need convincing.
This weekend, several provinces are under heat alerts, with some of the most intense conditions expected in the Seville countryside, where it could hit 38ºC. In parts of Catalonia like Lleida and Tarragona and down along the Mediterranean coast to Murcia, we might also see temperatures above 36ºC.
Rubén del Campo, spokesperson for Aemet, says this early blast of heat comes down to high pressure and clear skies. The sun has been hitting the ground hard and starting midweek, a dry and warm air mass from North Africa is sweeping in to crank things up even more. It remains to be seen what this spells for June and the summer ahead…
The scorching weather might have you searching for shade, but one place that always stays blissfully cool is the train. And if you have been considering a break, Spain’s main rail company Renfe is giving you another reason to book those tickets.
The much-loved Renfe ‘Superprecios’ sale is back and it is perfect for anyone planning a bit of travel this summer. Whether you are visiting family, exploring new cities or just chasing the sea breeze, Renfe has put thousands of seats on sale starting from as little as €9 each way. The only catch is that you have to be quick. The sale wraps up on Sunday June 1.
The sale applies to travel dates between June 16 and September 14, so there is a nice long window to plan your trips.
If you’re thinking about snapping up one of those bargain Renfe tickets for a summer getaway and you travel with a guide dog or service animal, there is some really welcome news. Spain is finally making it official: assistance dogs must now be allowed everywhere their humans go.
This new move is part of Spain’s wider Animal Welfare Law and although the idea was first proposed more than a year ago, it has now been formally approved by the Council of Ministers. In short, it means that people with disabilities who rely on guide dogs will have full access to all public and private spaces across the country.
While this might sound like something that should already be standard practice, the reality has been far from consistent. Until now, each region in Spain could interpret the rules differently, which meant that in some areas access was smooth and in others, guide dogs were turned away from places like restaurants or public transport.
The aim now is to end that patchy enforcement and apply the same rule everywhere.
It covers a wide range of places including shops, hotels, restaurants, schools, museums and theatres. Assistance dogs will also be allowed on beaches and in recreational areas such as swimming pools and water parks, as long as they stay out of the water.
Crucially for anyone planning a trip this summer, the rule also applies to all public transport including trains, buses and even planes. No extra ticket or seat charge will be needed for a guide dog, which is a huge help for those trying to travel independently and affordably.
This update will benefit not only people who are blind or visually impaired but also individuals with other disabilities. That includes people with hearing impairments, autism, physical disabilities or medical conditions like epilepsy, where specially trained dogs provide essential alerts and support.
If any business or organisation refuses access, it will now be considered a violation of the person’s rights.
Alicante
A serious incident has rocked the community of La Zenia in Orihuela Costa, an area usually better known for its beaches, bars and sun-seeking visitors. A young Irish man remains in critical condition after being shot in the head late on Wednesday May 13 in a shocking act of violence near the De Bassus bar, close to the busy Zenia Boulevard shopping centre.
The 21-year-old was found with life-threatening injuries and was taken straight to hospital, where he continues to receive intensive care.
Spanish authorities acted quickly, with the investigation led by the Guardia Civil’s Judicial Police Unit in Alicante. Officers searching nearby scrubland discovered a discarded bag containing a revolver, ammunition and the victim’s mobile phone, all of which helped lead them to two suspects.The men, aged 27 and 45, were arrested shortly after. One was found in Orihuela Costa, the other in nearby Pilar de la Horadada. Both are now facing charges of attempted homicide.
The older suspect, believed to be the one who fired the weapon, is being held without bail. The second man has been released under strict conditions and is not allowed to leave the country.
While Spanish officials haven’t confirmed their nationalities, several Irish media outlets have reported that both suspects are also Irish nationals.
Adding to those worries, just a few days later on May 19, an attempted kidnapping was reported in the same part of the coast. The victim managed to get away and witnesses saw a grey car, possibly a Volkswagen Golf or a Mazda estate, speeding away from the scene.
Meanwhile, two British travellers have landed themselves in serious trouble after being caught with a huge haul of marijuana in their luggage at Valencia Airport. The man and woman, who said they were just visiting as tourists, are now behind bars after police found more than 33 kilos of cannabis in their suitcases.
Officials keeping an eye on international flights flagged a flight arriving from France, and two passengers stood out right away. They seemed nervous and were avoiding eye contact, so customs officers decided to take a closer look.
Both travellers were each pulling two large suitcases and claimed they had nothing to declare. They also said they were from Thailand, which raised a few eyebrows. What really set alarm bells ringing, though, was the luggage itself. The bags were bulky but strangely empty of the usual holiday items. No clothes, no toiletries, nothing personal.X-ray scans revealed what officers suspected. The suitcases were packed with sealed containers holding what turned out to be organic matter. When the bags were opened in front of the passengers, they were found to be full of vacuum-packed parcels of cannabis.
A quick drug test confirmed it was marijuana and the total weight came in at 33,540 grams. That’s just over 33 kilos.
Both were arrested on the spot for suspected drug trafficking. Given the seriousness of the charges, they were ordered to be held in prison while the investigation continues.
Now, he might be in his late sixties, but Canadian rock legend Bryan Adams is still going strong and showing no signs of slowing down.
His latest tour, ‘Roll with the Punches’, is bringing him back to south-east Spain this summer, where fans can expect a night full of hits from a career that has already racked up more than 100 million album and single sales.
He’ll be performing live this coming Wednesday June 4 at Área 12 in Alicante. The show kicks off at 9.30pm, but doors open two hours earlier so you can get in and soak up the atmosphere.
Tickets range from €70 to €88 and are still available to book online even at this late stage. Don’t hesitate to buy now… no doubt you’ll be in Heaven!
For other events and activities happening in the area, check out the What’s On page of Alicante Today or join the Costa Blanca What’s On and Where to Go Facebook group
Andalucía
Travelling between the Costa del Sol and the Spanish capital is about to get easier, and potentially cheaper, thanks to extra summer services announced by low-cost rail operator Ouigo.Starting from Monday June 30 and running through to Sunday September 14, Ouigo will run four additional trains per day between Madrid and Málaga, doubling its current offering to eight services in total, four in each direction.
The new departures from Madrid’s Atocha station will be at 11.08am and 7.50pm, with return services from Málaga at 7.25am and 3.35pm. The Córdoba stop remains part of the route for all but one of the new services.
The French operator entered the Málaga market earlier this year and competes with Renfe’s budget service Avlo and Italian newcomer Iryo. All three now operate alongside Spain’s long-established AVE trains.
Ouigo, which first launched in Spain in 2021, runs double-decker, high-capacity trains and says its expanded summer schedule aims to keep travel affordable while promoting national connectivity and sustainability.
Beachgoers in Benalmádena were left alarmed this Monday after spotting a large brown patch spreading through the sea near the shore.
Concerns about possible pollution quickly spread online, but local officials were quick to reassure the public that there was no health risk. According to a statement from the Town Hall, the discolouration was caused by a burst pipe in the public drinking water supply.
The rupture sent a large volume of pressurised water flowing down a stream and into the sea, causing the temporary brown stain. Videos shared on social media captured the dramatic flow of water as it gushed downhill.
Impresionante rotura de una tubería en Benalmádena. El Ayuntamiento informa que se trata de agua potable y la mancha que se ha generado en el mar "es fruto del arrastre natural de la tierra, sin ningún tipo de contaminación ni inconveniente para el baño pues proviene de una… pic.twitter.com/reLhsQJsuS
— 101TV Málaga (@101tvMalaga) May 26, 2025
Water company Acosol confirmed that the damaged pipeline was an ageing section due to be replaced as part of an upcoming renovation project. A spokesperson said, “This stretch of the pipeline is included in our upcoming renovation project.”
And finally, a quiet afternoon on the golf course took a dramatic turn last Saturday when two Irish tourists crashed a golf buggy off a seven-metre cliff in Marbella.
The accident happened at the Santa Clara Golf Club as the pair were travelling between the 17th and 18th holes. One of the vehicle’s occupants managed to jump clear, but the other stayed in the vehicle as it went over the edge.
Emergency services had to use ropes and a stretcher to reach the more seriously injured of the two, who was later airlifted to hospital. One is being treated at Carlos Haya Hospital in Málaga, and the other is at the Costa del Sol Hospital.
A spokesperson for the golf club said the crash may have been caused by a momentary lapse in attention, adding, “We’re still not sure exactly what happened but all we can think at the moment is that the man driving suffered a distraction at the wheel.”
The men were part of a group of nine English-speaking golfers, including another Irish national who lives locally and is known to the club.
“Everyone is obviously very shocked,” the spokesperson added, “but fortunately it looks as if both men are going to pull through.”
They won’t, however, be able to finish their round of golf.
You may have missed…
- Spain introduces early retirement at 52 years old for those in high-risk jobs.
The Spanish government has agreed to allow early retirement for those in their 50s if they work in the most demanding and dangerous professions, including construction workers, police officer and healthcare professionals. - Spain to offer €100 grant for children’s glasses and contact lenses.
The Spanish government has announced a new €100 grant to assist families in covering the cost of glasses or contact lenses for children under the age of 16. More than 500,000 children and teenagers across Spain are set to receive this grant. - The different kinds of visas to live in Spain and how to get them.
If you are not an EU citizen and want to live in Spain, you are going to need a visa. Of course, several different types of visa are available, and it’s important to choose the one which best suits your situation, say legal experts for expats Heniam. - Wearing the wrong sunglasses in Spain could land you a €200 fine.
Drivers in Spain have been warned by the DGT as certain lenses are now banned behind the wheel during both daylight and night-time hours. - Read local news in your part of Murcia with our specialist resort webpages.
And lastly, a bit of a plug for ourselves. MurciaToday.com has built up a reputation over the last 15 years for delivering trustworthy local news and useful information in English for expats, homeowners and tourists coming to the Region of Murcia, but what you may not know is that we also have a series of sister pages dedicated to the main resorts and biggest communities of foreigners around Murcia, too. If you haven’t already, check out Camposol Today, Los Alcázares Today, San Javier Today and more to stay connected with what’s happening in your local area!
And that’s your lot for this week. Thank you so much for reading and for all your ongoing support. We’ll have another edition of the Editor’s Roundup Weekly Bulletin for you next week. Until then, stay safe and stay cool.
Bye!
