Latest news with #CastillaLaMancha
Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Telegraph
Instagram tourists told to stay away from Spanish lavender fields
Instagramming tourists have been told to stay away from a Spanish village's vibrant lavender fields because huge numbers of visitors are placing a strain on local services. More than 100,000 people flocked to the pastures outside Brihuega in July, and many of them were seen posing for selfies among rows and rows of purple flowers. But Luis Viejo, the mayor, said he wanted people to avoid coming on weekends as the village could not cope with the amount of tourists arriving. 'Take last Saturday, for example: the village collapsed. It was a hard time for me,' Mr Viejo said. 'We have a wide range of tourist, cultural and artistic offerings thanks to lavender,' he told the ABC newspaper. 'But my advice is that people come and visit us between Monday and Thursday – please! Weekends are more difficult because of the huge quantity of people who come.' The village's narrow streets, some of which are a thousand years old and are lined with shops selling lavender-related wares, overflow with tourists during the blooming season, with parking becoming a massive problem. Mr Viejo said his village could be the victim of its own success in attracting tourists to the area. He said that 'access to the fields is free', which means the village authority has no levers to limit numbers of visitors by restricting access or charging a fee. 'Ahead of next year, we need to build a park-and-ride parking lot on the outskirts of the historic centre and connect it with shuttle buses,' Mr Viejo said. Lavender season tourism has transformed Brihuega, bringing in eight million euros thanks to the arrival of about 140,000 visitors, mostly during July. 'Managing such an influx of visitors in such a short time is difficult. We work hard, we have a security committee, but it's still a large turnout,' the mayor said. Mr Viejo said the village now hosted 'the first five-star hotel' in the province of Guadalajara, adding that the challenge is to make tourism an all-year-round activity and less reliant on the lavender blooming. The annual Lavender Bloom Festival this July will include concerts by major Spanish pop acts such as Los Secretos, alongside yoga workshops and watercolour sessions in the fields.
The Sun
12-07-2025
- The Sun
Shock as 3ft CROCODILE spotted swimming at reservoir in popular Spanish holiday hotspot
A FRIGHTENING 3ft crocodile was spotted by tourists at a holiday hotspot in Spain - causing cops to search for the person who released the beast. Tourists were left horrified after spotting the scaly reptile near a popular bathing spot, which police say could have caused a serious injury. 2 The reptile was luckily seen by teenagers and captured by cops before it could cause any harm. The Guardia Civil is now probing who may have released the animal into the reservoir in Albacete in Castilla-La Mancha. The nature protection service (Seprona) originally thought the reptile was an alligator but later identified it as a yacare caiman. This species is a member of the crocodile family usually found in Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Conecta Fiction & Entertainment Hands Out $115,000 Prizes As Spanish Confab Kicks Off
A duo of scripted projects has landed €100,000 ($115,000) each at Conecta Fiction & Entertainment. The international content event began last night in the against the dramatic surroundings of the mountainous Spanish city Cuenca, with Patricia Franco, Regional Minister of Economy, Business and Employment of Castilla-La Mancha, using a speech to announce the winning projects of the third Castilla-La Mancha Feature Films and Series Competition. More from Deadline Robin Wright Says AI Is Coming For Industry Jobs & Recalls Battle For Equal Pay On 'House Of Cards': "It Was Difficult" Getting Emotional With Holmes: 'Sherlock & Daughter' Creator On His Take On The Iconic Sleuth Mariel Molino & Austin Stowell On Their Hopes For 'NCIS: Origins', The Big Season 1 Scenes & Who Should Play The Older Lala In the regional category, Piedra, Papel o Tijera (Rock, Paper, Scissors), which comes from Toledan production company Altamira Entertainment, won out. The series stars the likes of Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, José Coronado, Irene Escolar and Chino Darín. In the national category award went to La Celestina, a modern take on the 1499 book by Fernando de Rojas. Directed by Tina Olivares, it stars the likes of Esmeralda Pimentel and Juana Acosta. A total of 19 projects were submitted for the awards. The awards were the first news out of the ninth edition of Conecta, which began as a scripted-only event but has in recent years expanded to incorporate entertainment. This is the first year it's being held in Cuenca, UNESCO World Heritage Site that is around 170km south-east of Madrid. The opening ceremony was held at the Church of San Miguel last night, with representatives from Conecta, Government of Castilla-La Mancha, Unifrance, the Institut Français of Spain and the Canadian Embassy in attendance alongside execs, talent and creatives. France and Canada are the countries of focus. Géraldine Gonard, Director of Conecta, used her welcome speech to pay tribute to the countries, saying they were 'two powerful markets with a highly competitive content industry on the international scene, which will find in Cuenca and Castilla-La Mancha the ideal setting for developing future co-productions and joint projects.' Best of Deadline 'Bachelor in Paradise' Cast Announcement: See Who Is Headed To The Beach For Season 10 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
