Lemons, demolition and new attractions

The year 2024 has thrown up numerous interesting stories in the province of Malaga. Buildings have come up and down and there have been plenty of protests.

The farming sector expressed its unease in March about the situation in the countryside, which they said was becoming dangerously unsustainable due to agricultural policies. Around 20 tractors and farm vehicles blocked Paseo de Sancha in Malaga, while a hundred farmers noisily gathered outside the Spanish government delegation's local office. Tension escalated with the arrival of two pick-up trucks loaded with lemons, which were scattered on the road and then thrown at the building.

Among the demands raised were a need for compliance with the food chain law, urgent solutions to the drought, and control of products entering from outside the European Union.

The demolition of the Mercacentro market in the centre of Fuengirola took place in February in order to start the construction of the new 12.8-million-euro market, which has a ground-breaking design based on wood and glass. Workers moved on to the site to carry out the controlled demolition of the 40-year-old building, transforming the look of the area, located opposite the Cercanías commuter train station.

The construction of the new market, which the town's mayor, Ana Mula, said was "one of the most important investments" her council has undertaken, is currently in progress, although the project has recently hit a major problem. The opening of the new facility, originally intended for the beginning of summer 2025, will be delayed by at least seven months after workers found part of the structure is connected with an adjoining building.

Almost a decade after the idea was first conceived, French designer Philippe Starck opened his organic olive oil mill in Ronda in October, which includes a museum dedicated to the history and production of extra virgin olive oil and with a nod to bullfighting, Pedro Romero and Abbas Ibn Firnas. Nicknamed the cube due to its shape (or the bull as Starck calls it, given that its façade sports a large horn), the overall project has involved an investment of 22 million euros.

Along with the mill and museum, the olive groves and vineyards are dotted with various works by Starck. It also includes accommodation and other spaces for holding events and oil tastings, among other activities.