Local

First bathers hit the beaches and shopping centres open as the Costa del Sol moves into Phase Two

...which had already been in Phase Two for a week. Isa Taseva, the first to put her towel down on La Malagueta. I. LILLO Restrictions have now been relaxed in a number of areas. Beaches on the Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical have reopened to bathers ... - until now it was only permitted to use beaches for individual sports and walks - and the first sun umbrellas and towels appearedon the sand. There was plenty of room on Monday morning to allow social distancing although more beach users were ... Malagueta beach on Monday morning with the intention of sunbathing, rather than walking or running, putting her sunshade up at 8am. Early morning bathers in Malaga.ÑITO SALAS "We've been stuck indoors for a long time, my flat is quite dark and I

Local

The province's most popular beaches can only be half-filled this summer

FRANCISCO JIMÉNEZ

The busiest and most popular beaches in Malaga province will see their capacity reduced by almost half this summer as a result of the pandemic. Beaches are allowed to open during Phase Two of the lockdown easing plan, a milestone that Malaga ... province will reach on Monday 1 June. As a result, various councils on the Costa del Sol, who would be responsible for controlling the beaches, are exploring a broad range of measures to implement this, from extra police and lifeguards, to mobile phone apps ... and drones. The government this week confirmed that on beaches where a significant influx of bathers is expected "social distancing should be ensured at all times", with a separation of two metres between people from different families and four

Local

Junta set to employ 3,000 people to help with beach controls

JOSÉ LUIS PIEDRA

The Andalusian government has launched an emergency employment plan for safe beaches this summer which will see the hiring of around 3,000 people to ensure the control and implementation of protection and security measures against the coronavirus. ... This initiative was described by regional president Juanma Moreno as "pioneering" and will "give the councils the possibility of having sufficient human resources to order and plan the enjoyment of the beaches across the whole coast this summer". ... the beaches this summer along the 1,000 kilometres of coastline that Andalucía enjoys". The Junta president also stressed that this plan aims to "defend the good image and reputation of the tourism sector, as well as supporting these unemployed

Local

Mobile apps, drones and controlled access to beaches, as the Costa prepares for summer

FRANCISCO JIMÉNEZ

Coastal towns are getting ready to ensure that the 161 kilometres of beaches in the province can open in Phase Two of the easing of restrictions under safe conditions and, as far as possible, without crowds. Malaga is expecting this to be from 1 ... June, although the regional government has asked the government to bring it forward to 25 May. All the councils plan to carry out extra cleaning and disinfection, provide information via beach monitors, signs and megaphones and, which is most ... complicated, control overcrowding on the most popular beaches, which are normally those in the towns. The Junta de Andalucía recommends setting a maximum number of users, based on the recommendation of at least a two-metre distance, but is leaving this to town

Local

Police believe Marbella beach club fire could have been started intentionally

charo márquez

The National Police have launched an investigation into a potential arson attack after a fire broke out at the Naô Pool beach club in Nueva Andalucía, managed by the son of Marbella businesswoman Olivia Valère, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. ... to respond to reports of three cars ablaze in the Bello Horizonte residential development. Early signs suggest that the fire at the beach club could have been intentional and a link to the vehicles has not yet been ruled out.

Local

Nerja sewage treatment plant on track to enter testing phase

Eugenio Cabezas

...continue, apart from a two-week period in April when all construction work had to stop. Furthermore, as there are no tourists on Burriana beach and local businesses have been closed in the area, work has been able to progress rapidly to the pumping ... station and underground collectors, which are located near the Ayo beach bar, as well as the 800-metre-long submarine sewage pipe which will pump treated wastewater into the sea when the plant is up and running. Work on the sewage plant itself is

Local

Andalusian government's beaches plan would cut numbers of users by half in some areas

MARÍA dOLORES TORTOSA

The regional government has approved a plan of urgent measures to ensure safety and hygiene on beaches in Andalucía to protect bathers from Covid-19. The proposal involves reducing the normal number of people on beaches to between 40% and 50%, ... ensuring a distance of two and a half metres between sunbathers, explained the regional president Juanma Moreno in an interview on Antena3 television on Monday morning. He added that the Local Police and the 61 town halls whose municipalities have beaches ... in the region would play a "very important role" in controlling the number of people on a beach, something that "has never been done before in Andalucía". "We're looking for imaginative formulas to allow safe distances to be maintained while people

Sport

Djokovic swaps the court for the beach after controversial training session in Marbella

Héctor Barbotta

World tennis number one Novak Djokovic has swapped the court for the beach after being given a slap on the wrist for taking part in a training session at the Puente Romano tennis club in Marbella on Monday in breach of lockdown rules. Josele ... facilities for the private session. With tennis courts off-limits for the time being, Djokovic, who has been staying in La Zagaleta with his family since the start of the lockdown, chose to go for a run on the beach early on Thursday morning for his

Gibraltar

Beaches will be closed if people fail to comply with restrictions, warns Gibraltar government

Debbie Bartlett

The way people use the beaches will have to change because of the coronavirus restrictions this summer, and if they fail to comply there will be no choice but to close them altogether, the Gibraltar government warned this week. The new rule will ... be a short visit to a beach for a swim and then leave again within 30 minutes.

Gibraltar

Gorham's Cave is out of bounds for visitors

Debbie Bartlett

Following two incursions this week by kayakers into the Gorham's Cave complex, which is a protected World Heritage Site, the authorities have issued a reminder that it is an offence to land on Governor's Beach and/or access the caves. The penalties