Carnaval in Alicante

Carnival in Alicante 2009

Van 15 februari tot 1 maart 2009

Carnaval in Alicante!
Iedereen is welkom om het carnaval in Alicante te komen vieren. Het leukste is om verkleed te gaan maar in Alicante vindt je ook veel feestvierders die niet verkleed zijn. Wij van ByTheSea raden echter aan om wel verkleed te gaan. Wij gaan altijd eerst eten bij de Mexicaan Cactus Cantina in de binnenstad. Daar kan je heel lekker eten en zit je tijdens carnaval gezellig tussen de heksen, tovenaars en andere uitdossingen te eten.
Het meest bezochte is het weekend van de carnval 20, 21 & 22 februari, waarvan de zaterdag één groot feest in de binnenstad van Alicante is.

Vrijdag 20/02/09 is de officiele openings dag, in het Spaans PREGÓN DE LAS FIESTAS - officiele openings speech. De burgemeester van Alicante zal om 21.30h op de Plaza Castellón het carnaval 2009 officieel openen.

Zaterdag 21/02/09 is beste dag que feest voor iedereen die van (carnavals) feesten houdt! Het is de Sábado ramblero. Ramblero komt van de Rambla de Alicante.
GEdurende de dag zijn er diverse feesten voor kinderen en gedurende de avond en nacht zijn er diverse feesten en optredens in de straten rondom de Rambla van Alicante. Alicante is deze nacht helemala voor het carnaval met muziek en de hele nacht feesten op straat en in de café´s.

22.30 H. PLAZA SAN CRISTOBAL.
dj TOTAL
with the sounds of
BONI DJ+DOCTOR LEBOSKY
CON SU BUEN ROLLITO STYLER

22.30 H. PLAZA DEL MERCADO.
Performance of
GAIA DUB SINDICAT Oir+ GERTRUDIS oir.

22.30 H. PLAZA RUPERTO CHAPI (beside the TEATRO PRINCIPAL).
FESTIVAL KARNAVAL LATINO.
Carnaval feest uit Latijns Amerika georganiseerd door de asociacion MON JOVE.

Tot 1 maart zijn er feesten en carbavals gebeurtenissen in Alicante, kijk op de website van het stadhuis van Alicante voor meer informatie.
Bent u op zoek naar accomedatie voor tijdens de carnaval of voor een bezoek aan Alicante neemt u dan contact met ons op via taco@bythesea.es of op 0034 687 572 472.

Een andere plaats om leuk het carnaval van 2009 te vieren is Torrevieja.

Ecocity Gran Monovar

ByTheSea presents you Spain’s first Ecocity, the ecocity is located in Monovar the lovely inland of the county of Alicante.

This unique project in the mountains of Alicante, Costa Blanca is the first ecocity in Spain. The constructor is building an innovate project using safe non-toxic building materials, high level of energy efficiency, solar panels, water recycling and grey water systems.

The urbanization will be equipped with bike paths so that safety for children is provided and this helps to encourage the inhabitants of the urbanization to use the bike instead of the car to move around Gran Monovar Ecocity.

The Gran Monovar Ecocity is situated in the town of Monovar with all its services on short distance. Monovar is a charming typical Spanish town famous for its local”fiestas” and the production of the famous and tasty Moscatel wine “Fondillon”.

Monovar town is located on only 10 minutes driving from the Madrid-Alicante highway so easy access to the beaches of the county of Alicante and the charming inland.

In the ecocity Gran Monovar there will be different styles of properties available like; apartments, townhouses, semi detached properties and villa´s. Gran Monovar will have a town centre with all necessary services like a supermarket, pharmacy, restaurants and banks.

On our website www.bythesea.es you will find information, please feel free to contact me on taco@bythesea.es or on 0034 687 527 472 for more information or an appointment to visit the ecocity in Monovar.

Carnavales Alicante 2009

Carnavales en Alicante 2009
Carnival in Alicante 2009

From the 15th of february until the 1st of march

How do people celebrate the Carnival in Alicante?
Everybody is welcome to the Carnival in Alicante, you can go dressed up or just like always, but we, from Bythesea truly recommends you to enjoy the night dressed up!
The main weekend in the Carnaval are the 20th, 21th and 22th of February. On Saturday it is amazing, doesn´t mind the age you are because all streets in the centre are full with people who wants to enjoy this day.

Friday 20/02/09 is the official opening day what in Spanish is called PREGÓN DE LAS FIESTAS - opening address o speech. The local authorities in Alicante at 21.30h in Plaza Castellón will officially start the party.

Satuday 21/02/09 is the main party for those who want to enjoy parting, dancing and having fun with friends. It´s the Sábado ramblero. Ramblero comes from the Rambla de Alicante.
During the day will be a few festivals for children and in the night all the streets surrounding the Ramblas the Alicante will be ready and dressed up for the Carnival: music in the street until late in the night:

22.30 H. PLAZA SAN CRISTOBAL.
dj TOTAL
with the sounds of
BONI DJ+DOCTOR LEBOSKY
CON SU BUEN ROLLITO STYLER

22.30 H. PLAZA DEL MERCADO.
Performance of
GAIA DUB SINDICAT Oir+ GERTRUDIS oir.

22.30 H. PLAZA RUPERTO CHAPI (beside the TEATRO PRINCIPAL).
FESTIVAL KARNAVAL LATINO.
Carnaval party of the latin comunity and the inmigration community organized by the asociation MON JOVE, everybody is welcome also there.

During following days until the 1st of March, there will be other actuations that you can check in the web page of the city hall of Alicante.
If you are looking for accommodation for these days or if you would like to know more about the Carnivals in Alicante don´t hesitate to contact me on: ana@bythesea.es.

Another particular and nice place to celebrate Carnival 2009 is Torrevieja.

Spanish driving licence

I have decided to write about this subject because already several clients came into the office to ask: do I need a medical test with me when I am driving? They had found worrying stories in a few English forums and newspapers where rumours appear regarding the compulsory of having this test with you if the Guardia Civil or the police stops you.

Below you will find what the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico - Spanish traffic authority) has told us:

1. If you are only on holidays in Spain, you don´t have to worried about it, you will have to take with you just the original driving licence issued by your country.
2. If you are a resident in Spain:

*For people that are resident and are still driving in Spain with the UK driving licence: THEY MUST ALWAYS HAVE WITH THEM WHEN DRIVING THE MEDICAL TEST together with the driving licence. Or change to the Spanish licence.
*For people that are resident and the UK driving licence changed into the Spanish driver license: THEY DON´T NEED TO HAVE THE MEDICAL TEST WITH THEM, just the Spanish driving licence.

By the way: Which documents do you need to have in the car when you are driving in Spain?:

- Permiso de conducir: driving Licence

- ITV (Tarjeta de Inspección técnica): spanish equivalent of the MOT

- Car registration forms

- Proof of insurance payment

- Insurance documents

If you need any help obtaining the medical test or if you want to change your driver licence to a Spanish one please don´t hesitate to contact ByTheSea on 0034 687527472 or e-mail Taco at taco@bythesea.es

Castillo de Santa Barbara en Alicante

Invitación
Las alicantinas están que arden…
y que mejor que ir acompañadas con 100 bomberos del cuerpo de bomberos de la
provincia de Alicante…

Invitamos a las mujeres que lo deseen que nos acompañen en esta primera
Cena de Gala de Bomberos 2009 que se celebra el sábado 31 de enero en Alicante
La asociación benéfica “Las Llamas” ha organizado una Cena de Gala de
Bomberos para recaudar fondos para mejorar las prestaciones destinadas a las
mujeres maltratadas, una causa muy real.

Datos:
• Recogida en autobus
• Recepción en el Castillo de Santa Bárbara a las 20h30
• Cena de Gala a las 21h
• Discoteca y baile privado en La Isla Marina 23h30 -
El coste total de la velada es de €70 e incluye cena, acompañamiento por un
bombero sin uniforme, transporte desde el centro de Alicante al castillo, a Isla
Marina y de vuelta al centro de Alicante y mucha diversión.
Agredecemos al departamento de Igualdad del Ayuntamiento de Alicante y al
Cuerpo de Bomberos su colaboración y gran apoyo en esta iniciativa.
Para apuntarte, llama al teléfono 689 033 573 o envía un mensaje al correo
electrónico: aknimmo@gmail.com

Esperamos contar con tu solidaria presencia.

Gracias, Kristiina Nimmo
Presidenta de Las Llamas

*La Asociación Benéfica Las Llamas se encuentra en trámites de registro en la Consellería
de Justicia, Interior y Administraciones Públicas C/ Rambla Mendez Nuñez 41-3º planta
03001 Alicante.

Texto: Las Llamas: aknimmo@gmail.com, teléfono 689 033 573

Foto: Madjoker

Publicado por: ByTheSea

On the 18th of Januari at 10:30 starts the half marathon of Santa Pola.

The halve marathon of Santa Pola is a international well valued marathon. The route of the marathon goes through the whole town of Santa Pola, a town with more then 11 kilometers of beautiful beach, a lovely boulevard and all services you need to spend an unforgettable day enjoy the sun and the beach: sunbeds for rent, beach bars, restaurants,  lifeguards etc.

After the half marathon we suggest that you stay in Santa Pola to try a lovely ” arroz caldero” a typical dish from the Alicante area. Arroz caldero is a rice, paella style, make in a cooking pot. served with broth that you can order in one of the many bars and restaurants in Santa Pola.

Below you can see the video of the presentation of the half marathon of Santa Pola:

The town of Santa Pola is located near our office (ByTheSea housing & services). We can help you find a nice holiday home or apartment for this period or for a visit to the beaches of the Costa Blanca in the summer season. We have several holidays homes available in Gran Alacant-Santa Pola and Arenales del Sol. Please feel free to contact us for more information. www.housingbythesea.co.uk

In Spain we find the last years more and more resort in all types and for all kinds of people. The people are looking (payable) luxury, easy going life & security and they find in one of the many Spanish resorts. There are off course the well known golf resorts, health resorts, business resorts and new also 50+ resorts.

The golf resorts are well known and in the county of Alicante you can find Alicante golf in San Juan de Alicante on 5 minutes from the coast just outside the city centre of Alicante, La Marquesa golf in Cuidad Queasada in the inland of the county of Alicante and Alenda golf resort in Montforte del Cid in the inland of Alicante in between the mountains of the Alicante region but really good accessible.

In the county of Murcia you will find the United golf resort of La Tercia near the town of La Tercia in the inland of Murcia, La Manga golf resort in La Manga a great mix of golf and enjoy the sea Mar Menor and the Mediterranean sea in one and then there is in San Javier on the border of coast and inland the Roda Golf resort with good highway access and lots of facilities.

The health resort there are in all sorts, from exclusive swimming pool with massage centre to resort with hotel oriental therapies, massage salon and special diet restaurants.

SolMelia Altea is a good example of a health resort and the Hesperia hotel in Alicante golf also good address to combine the golf sport with a health & relax day.

The business resorts are mostly a combination of possibilities, now a days the people want beside a meeting or brainstorming session also possibilities to relax and free the mind for new ideas. To make sure that everything stays in the working atmosphere there must be a business program with a good combination of meeting, team work, sports and dinner. Most 5 star hotel in the Alicante will have a department that organizes these events to the needs of your company.

The newest trends in Spain are the 50+ resorts. These resorts offer a great of services for the residents; these services are beside the security & medical service but also cleaning & maintenance, fitness, restaurants, shops and in most cases a service centre with internet, library, TV room & game room.

The 50+ resorts are based on independent living and in no way similar or comparable to a nursing home.

The 50+ resorts mostly are exist from spacey bungalows and apartments, in some cases even villa´s, all very complete with a spacey lounge/dining room, open kitchen, bedroom en terrace. In most cases the doors and the space in bed and bathrooms are wide enough for wheelchairs, with only few adjustments the properties are easily converted in a home for people that need a wheelchair. In most resorts the properties are equipped with an alarm button or cord to notify the medical service or security staff.

These 50plus resort are in same cases tied to strict rules, for instance it is only possible to live in the resorts when the main person living there is 50 or 55 year or older. Children and grand children can come and stay for holidays without any problems in most cases, as long as there is a person of 50 years or older living there. These rules are different in each 50 plus resort, including there are soma that special guest apartments to rent for family on holidays.

To buy a house in 50 plus resort often is a very profitable investment; you can often buy the properties at any age. In most resort the age of the owner is free and only the (permanent) use not allowed for any people with less then 50. The buyer can, for instance, have 30 years and rent out the property from that age until he/she is 50 years old and wants to use the property himself.

To make these resort interested for investors most of them have well connected rental agency that make sure that the owner is able to rent out the property or for long term or for the holiday months.

The 50+ resort is a trend to stay so make sure that you get to know about. As each resort is different you want to be informed before buying a property to live or as an investment. For more information about the 50+ resorts or the golf resorts please contact the sales team of ByTheSea or call Taco Albertsma on 0034 687527472.

Photo: pop.si.que

Resident in Spain

Any resident of the European Union living longer than 6 months in a country of the European Union should reported to the police as a resident. The police registers you as a foreign resident in the “registro central de extranjeros” and you receive a” certificado de residencia “.

The previously handed out “tarjetas de residencia” no longer exist, the residents that still have a “tarjeta de recidencia” can simply use until the caducation date and thereafter apply for a “certificado de residencia”. Since the 2nd of April 2007, this is mandatory throughout the European Union and failure to comply with this rule in Spain can result in a fine.

Unfortunately, there are still many foreigners living in Spain who have not registered as resident in Spain. Many people think that too much hassle, or that there are only disadvantages (tax payments) but there are obviously also benefits.

Once you are resident in Spain than you can enjoy in the municipality where you live things such as voting rights for the local elections, including improvement the services for example: garbage collection, post office, medicalpost of the town / city where the property is will improve as the local government knows how many people live in the area where they are responsible for.

When your driving license expires and you’re living in Spain, you will need to apply for a new license in Spain, this is only possible with the “certficado de residencia”, in other words registered as a resident in Spain. Also all drivers with a not European driver license will have have to change when they come to live in Spain, even when it doesn´t expire yet.

In each autonome community of Spain the benefits of the resident are different, we will show you some of the advantages for when you live in the Comunidad Valenciana.

In the Comunidad Valenciana the resident heirs of a deceased resident pay less inheritance tax.

The working mothers living in the Comunidad Valenciana can also count on extra support from the Gobierno de la Comunidad Valenciana, the amount of help dependents on the income.

The residents in the Comunidad Valenciana, who sells his 1st home can count on a lower tax rate and the resident older than 65 years has no tax t pay on the profit on sales.

Of course, these benefits vary per person depending on income, for more information you can always make an appointment with a lawyer to consult the tax advantages.

When you are a resident in Spain, of course, you will have to pay taxes in Spain. When you pay your taxes in Spain than you will have to ask to the former resident country (UK, Ireland, Sweden, etc.) for a tax return. After a year being tax payer in Spain it is also possible to the ask for an exemption from taxation to your former resident country, this to avoid double taxation.

This sort of things you might want a solicitor to arrange on your behave, he can make for you an annual return and also apply for the tax return to avoid the double taxation for you.

To register as resident in the police station is a time-consuming and sometimes complicated task, sometimes long queues, a lot of complicated paperwork and a language problem. ByTheSea is a service agency that specializes in such applications in the county´s of Alicante and Murcia. Please contact us to speak about the opportunities that being a resident can have for you.

Source: You & the law in Spain, David Searl

Photo´s: César Astudillo

View Larger Map

When you decide to visit Alicante for holidays or move to Alicante to live there we would like to remind you that the county of Alicante has a great selection of fine restaurants to take dinner.
There are various restaurants with different styles and regional kitchens. On the map above you will find the restaurants in Alicante that are known for their fine kitchen.
Their fame is based on the well known dishes created with the finest products from the area.

There are lots of products with a denominacíon de origen: the packed grapes of Vinalopó, the medlars of Callosa, cherries from the mountains of Alicante, the ñoras or round peppers of Guardamar, honey from the Marina Alta, red gamba´s from Denia, echinoids of the coast of Alicante, dates from Elche, fresh goat & sheep cheese from La Nucia and oranges and lemons from the Vega Baja.
Also something not to forget is the nougat (turron) from Jijona, the chocolate from Villa Joyosa and the ice cream and soft drinks from Ibi.

In the restaurant, let yourself be carried away by the local kitchen and ask if you want a good wine from the region: there are white, and sweet red wines that correspond to the three officially recognized appellations of origin in the Valencia region: Alicante, Utiel - Requena and Valencia. Modern sweet muscatel from Marina Alta with its international reputation. To accompany your desserts, ask for a Fondillon. You will not regret it.

ByTheSea has various nice homes for rent and for sale in the county of Alicante for both the holiday maker as the ones planning to come and live in Spain. The houses are situated in both coastal region as the beautiful inland of the county of Alicante.

Mountainhiking in Alicante

The mountain hiking sport is one of the healthiest sports. Mountain Hiking in Alicante enables you to see the wonderful nature of the Alicante province from another side through mountain paths, b-roads and old cattle tracks. The only thing you need is a couple of solid shoes, easy clothes, a backpack or bag for some food and water.
Do not forget to take the sun cream because even on a cloudy day in Alicante, you can burn easely.
In Spain, the marked paths as the Pequeno Recorrido, short routes (PR), routes of 10 to 50 km long. Some have a length less than 10 km if there is a lot of height or a difficult piece inside. The walking tours will take an average of 1-2 days. The routes are indicated by means of poles with horizontal white and yellow stripes.

In Alicante, there are several mountain hiking routes (PR Pequeno Recorrido) in or near the towns: Agres, Banyeres de Mariola, Benasau, Benifato, Biar, Bigastro, Callosa de Segura, Castalla, Castell de Guadalest, Cocentaina, Confrides, Crevillent, Denia, Elda, Finestrat, Guardamar del Segura, Ibi, Xixona, L’Alfàs del Pi, Pego, Petrer, Polop, Quatretondeta and Sella.

The interior of the Costa Blanca is one of the most beautiful environments of the Mediterranean part of Spain. The landscapes, valleys and mountain areas,
with mountains up to 1500 meters, canyons, caves, archaeological sites, castles, old farms, fortreses, churches, palaces and public use buildings as: irrigation ditches, waterreserves and public laundry facilities that you can see or visit during a trip.

A mountain walk in the Costa Blanca region in Spain is a beautiful experience and we recommend everybody to try this.
ByTheSea has several holiday homes available for rent or for sale in this region. We are more then happy to inform you about the rental and sales possibilities.

Source: Wikipedia and Costablanca.org

Photo: Nuberu_na