Costa del Sol News - Archive 31st May 2001

News from the Costa del Sol

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Week May 24th to 31st 2001

MAJOR PRIVATE HOSPITAL FOR ESTEPONA

The Company Hospiten based in Tenerife is to build and operate a new private hospital in Estepona. The first hospital was set up in Puerto de la Cruz in 1969. The group now operates five other hospitals in the Canary Islands plus one in the Dominican Republic. The 2,000 million pesetas project was announced by Estepona's Mayor, Antonio Barrientos. The new hospital will cover 4,000 square metres on a 20,000 square metre site in El Velerin, close to the Selwo Nature Park.

Work on the new hospital will start in July. It is anticipated that it will be opened in December 2002 or in early 2003. The hospital will have 56 beds, two beds to a room with a bathroom. There will also be an intensive care unit with eight beds, three operating theatres, 24 hour emergency department all backed by an extensive range of services. The hospital will also offer patients over 20 types of treatments from gynaecology to cardiology and even extend to plastic surgery.

HISTORIC GRANADA

Granada City Council is expected to make a formal request toUNESCO to have the city centre included on the 'Heritage of Mankind' list. The council's request now has to obtain support from both regional government in Seville and the Ministry of Culture in Madrid. UNESCO has already recognised the sites of the Alhambra and Generalife, together with the district of the Albaicin as important world heritage sites, but has not recognised the city itself. Meanwhile the Chapter of the Granada Cathedral have announced that 400 million pesetas are to be spent on the complete restoration of the chancel.

GAS INTO ELECTRICITY NATURALLY

Alhaurin de la Torre is to be home to an electricity plant thanks to an agreement between the Town Hall and Enagas. The installation to be sited in the north east of the municipality will cost 4,000 million pesetas. Once operational it will create electricity from natural gas and will overcome the electricity supply problems suffered by the town in recent years.

FOUR STARS FOR FUENGIROLA

The Yaramar Hotel, in Los Boliches, which opened its doors last October, has now been officially inaugurated. The ceremony was attended by the town's Mayoress, Esperanza Oña, plus dignitaries from the tourism industry. The four star hotel has 242 rooms with a capacity for 484 guests and is in a prime spot on the Fuengirola beach front. The Yaramar is the result of a 2,500 million investment by Marvera in conjunction with Construcciones Vera and José Luis Martin Lorca.

The new hotel has been given the seal of approval by Thomson, Britain's largest tour operator. The tour group has signed an exclusive UK deal with the hotel, which will be featured in their holiday programme. Claire Wagstaff, the Thomson executive for the Costa del Sol region, said the hotel would be included in its 'Gold ' category, the highest class of hotel the company offers its clients. The hotel has also been booked by other major European tour operators including French and German companies.

ANOTHER FOUR STAR RIVAL

However, the Yarama will not be able to rest on its laurels. The property group Somersen purchased the nearby Hotel Florida last year. This is one of Fuengirola's oldest hotels, dating back to 1956. Now the group is demolishing the original hotel and is investing 3,000 million pesetas on building a new four star hotel on the site. The new hotel will have 160 rooms and will occupy seven floors. It is anticipated that the hotel will open its doors to the public in March 2003.

I'LL BE DAMMED IN RULES

One of the biggest engineering projects ever seen in ANDALUCIA, the construction of the new dam and reservoir at Rules, between Motril and Granada, watched over by motorists on the busy N-323 road, is now entering its final stages. It will start to hold back water within a year and will take 12 months after that for the dam to reach its design capacity. It will hold water from an estimated 85 per cent of the rainfall from the southern side of the Sierra Nevada, and have a capacity of 120 cubic hectometres. There has been activity at the site for the past 10 years, and currently more than 200 people are employed in its construction, working in three shifts around the clock. The dam wall is now more than 100 metres high with the maximum height designed to reach 130 metres. Only 13 per cent of the 2.3 million cubic metres of cement is still needed to be put in place, being brought to the site from Almeria and by sea via the port of Carboneras. So far the project has cost more than 22,000 million pesetas, 67 per cent over budget.

VISITORS RUSH TO SELWO

The Selwo wild life park in Estepona recorded 40,000 visitors in April, which included the Easter peak period. 14,000 people visited in Easter week with the highest attendance being on Good Friday when 5,000 people attended the attraction. Visitors were able to enjoy the new recently introduced features at the park.

DALAHORRA PALACE IN GRANADA

Tourists in Granada now have the opportunity to visit the Dalahorra Palace, situated in the district of Albaicin - one of the most emblematic and typical areas of the city. The historic building is called Dalahorra which means 'house of the honest lady' because according to the legend, the moth of the last King of Alhambra, Boabdil, spent her last days here. This historic building will now be open every day from 10.00 to 14.00. The itineraries included three different routes and as well as showing the lesser known places, intend to promote the identity of this typical district of Granada.

THEATRE HOPES FOR CURTAINS UP

The project to build a theatre in the Parque Central in Estepona is currently being studied by the Town Hall. The plans are currently being drawn up by the town's technicians along with representative of regional government's Culture Department. It is anticipated the project will cost 400 million pesetas. The Town Hall hopes to give the curtains up for work to commence in about three month's time. ALL LIT UP The inauguration of the restored and illuminated El Castillo de la Duquesa in Manilva is due to take place on June 8. The project to artistically illuminate the building, which dates back to the reign of Carlos III and also to renovate the interior will cost more than 32 million pesetas. Manilva Town Hall is also going to tun a public competition for the funding of a village restaurant featuring local products such as raisins and wine.

PROTECTION PLAN FOR MEDINA AZAHARA

The Andalucian Government will enforce a protection plan at the site of Medina Azahara in Córdoba, with the aim of recovering the pavements and walkways from the times of the Caliphs, as well as the old water courses. From now until 2007, regional government will invest over 3,000 million pesetas. The proposed protection area under the plan is 280 hectares, which means the compulsory purchase of some plots next to the site of the Medina Azahara. An additional 1,000 million pesetas will be spent on the construction of a reception building for visitors, an auditorium, library and restaurant, as well as worldwide promotion. Currently the site is host to an exhibition on the splendour of the Onmayads. The display was opened by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, together with the President of Syria, Bacher el Assad and the President of the European commission Romano Prodi. It will remain open until September 30.

......Costa del Sol News Archive