Los Alcazares welcomed around 180 watersports athletes from several countries as the 27th edition of Surfari Mar Menor brought three days of windsurfing and sailing action to the Costa Calida over the weekend of October 9 to 11.

Surfari Mar Menor welcomes national and international athletes

The annual competition attracted national and international participants from Spain, Portugal, Finland and the Dominican Republic, turning the Mar Menor into an international showcase for watersports. This year’s edition also introduced a new venue and additional varieties of sports.

New venue brings races closer to spectators

For the first time, Surfari Mar Menor took place at Playa Náutica de Las Salinas, a recently inaugurated watersports area in Los Alcazares. The new location brought competitors, organisers and spectators together in one setting, with dedicated spaces for equipment preparation, race information and the presentation of trophies.

The venue also allowed races to take place close to the shoreline, giving residents and visitors a better view of the colourful sails crossing the lagoon. Organisers hoped this would make the competition more accessible to people who wanted to watch the action without taking part themselves.

Windsurfing, wingfoiling and Formula Kite take centre stage

Windsurfing remained the central focus of the event, but this year’s programme expanded to include wingfoiling, a wind-powered sport where you stand on a hydrofoil board while holding a wing to glide above the water, and Formula Kite, a high-speed Olympic sailing sport where athletes on hydrofoil boards are pulled by ram-air kites. The latter, which made its Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games, also featured the Spanish Formula Kitesurf Cup.

These additional sports brought different ways of harnessing the wind to the competition, showcasing the range of watersports possible on Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon.

International competition boosts the Costa Calida’s watersports appeal

The event’s international participation further underlined the lagoon’s appeal as a destination for sailing and wind-powered sports. The Mar Menor’s relatively consistent sailing conditions are another major attraction, allowing participants to enjoy watersports while giving spectators a chance to watch the thrilling races from the shore.

The competition concluded on Sunday, October 11. Andalusian competitors secured seven podium finishes across five categories, while Canarian sailor Isidro Enríquez won the overall Windsurfer title by just one point.

With its new venue, expanded programme and international participation, the 27th Surfari Mar Menor re-established Los Alcazares’ reputation as a top destination for watersports, thrilling races, and an active supporting community on the Costa Calida.

A Roman association from San Pedro del Pinatar took part in a major parade in Lorca on Saturday, October 10, joining groups from across Spain for a celebration of the country’s historical heritage and traditions.

San Pedro del Pinatar joins national Roman parade

The Tercio Romano Hermenegildo Fresneda Pujol represented the coastal municipality at the grand parade of Roman groups, organised as part of the third National Congress of Roman Groups and Associations. The gathering brought together eight groups from different parts of Spain, highlighting the cultural significance of these organisations and their role in preserving historical traditions.

Eight groups celebrate Spain’s Roman traditions

The parade formed part of the wider gathering, which celebrates the history, cultural heritage and traditions represented by Roman associations throughout Spain. These groups play an important role in bringing historical periods to life through traditional costumes, public processions and participation in local cultural events.

Preserving historical heritage across generations

For San Pedro del Pinatar, the occasion was an opportunity to showcase its own Roman association alongside other organisations from different parts of Spain and strengthen connections between communities that share an interest in historical reenactment and cultural preservation.

The participation also highlighted the importance of maintaining traditions that are passed down through generations and continue to form part of Spain’s cultural identity.

Local representatives support cultural connection

The participation of eight Roman groups from different parts of Spain demonstrated the widespread interest in historical associations and their contribution to cultural life. Through their public appearances and participation in national gatherings, these organisations help keep historical traditions alive while encouraging communities to learn more about their heritage.

For San Pedro del Pinatar, the parade offered another opportunity to represent the charm and history of the municipality outside of its local boundaries, as well as celebrate the people who dedicate their time to preserving its cultural traditions.

The event also reinforced the value of cooperation between towns and associations in keeping Spain’s diverse historical customs alive for future generations to enjoy and practice.

If you have started leaving things off your shopping list because the bill is getting too high, you are far from alone. Fresh food that once went into the trolley without much thought is becoming harder for some families to afford, and now a food-policy campaigner is asking whether shoppers should hit Spain’s biggest supermarket chains where it hurts, by refusing to buy from them for a week.

Javier Guzmán, director of Justicia Alimentaria, has raised the idea of a coordinated consumer boycott to demand lower prices for essential, healthy food. In an opinion article published by El Salto on October 11, he argues that families should not have to keep cutting back while the major players in the food supply chain retain the power to influence what people pay.  The proposal is not an announced nationwide strike, and no dates have been set. But it comes as food affordability remains a concern for households across Spain.

Food prices are changing what people buy

Food and non-alcoholic drinks in Spain are around 36 per cent more expensive than they were five years ago, according to the figures cited by Guzmán. Over the same period, wages have not kept pace with food-price increases.

The consequences go beyond shoppers choosing a cheaper brand. Guzmán points to national food-consumption data showing that more than half the population has significantly reduced its consumption of meat and fish. More than a quarter have cut back on fruit and eggs, while purchases of vegetables and dairy products have fallen by more than 10 per cent.

These figures matter because people are not simply spending less on treats. Reducing the amount of fresh food bought can make it harder to maintain a balanced diet, particularly for families already working within a tight budget. Guzmán argues that consumers are repeatedly being told to look for offers, change supermarkets or adapt their diets, while the structure of the food market receives less attention.

Why are supermarket margins part of the debate?

The campaigner points to figures from Spain’s Observatorio de Márgenes Empresariales, which draws on data from the Tax Agency and the Bank of Spain.

According to the figures cited in his article, the supermarket sector has reached record levels of turnover and margins, with margins averaging close to 8 per cent. The food manufacturing industry has maintained margins of around 10 to 11 per cent for at least three years.

These figures do not mean that every supermarket makes the same profit, or that margins alone explain food-price rises. However, Guzmán argues that they raise questions about how prices are formed across the supply chain and whether there is room to make essential food more affordable. His proposed boycott would seek to put pressure on large retailers to reduce their margins on basic, nutritious products.

What would a week without the big supermarkets look like?

The idea is for millions of people to avoid buying food from the major chains for one week, turning instead to municipal markets, independent neighbourhood shops, food cooperatives and local producers where possible. The aim would not simply be to move spending from one retailer to another. Participants would also call for a specific reduction in the price of a basket of healthy foods, making the demand clear to supermarket chains.

Guzmán acknowledges that a boycott alone would not transform the food system. Its potential value would be in showing that consumers can act together rather than each household struggling separately with rising bills. There is also a practical challenge: a boycott would need widespread participation to make a significant commercial impact, and there is no guarantee that retailers would respond by lowering prices.

The proposal for 100 healthy foods at fair prices

The boycott idea follows a separate initiative launched by Justicia Alimentaria on 22 September, called 100 alimentos saludables a precio justo, 100 healthy foods at a fair price.  The organisation wants major supermarket chains to offer a permanent basket of 100 essential, nutritious foods at cost price.

The proposed basket would include fruit, vegetables, pulses and other basic foods compatible with official healthy-eating recommendations. Justicia Alimentaria says the reduction should come from a limited part of retailers’ commercial margins, rather than lower payments to farmers, livestock producers or food suppliers. It also says the measure should not be financed with public money.

Can Spain follow France’s example?

The organisation is seeking support from consumer groups, health and social organisations, family associations, unions, environmental groups and agricultural representatives to build a wider coalition around the proposal. It points to a similar initiative in France, where 42 organisations from different sectors have come together to campaign for a basket of healthy foods at cost price, accompanied by a proposed legislative measure.

For Guzmán, the question is whether Spain can build comparable collective pressure to make healthy eating more affordable. For now, shoppers should not expect an organised boycott to begin on a particular date. The immediate campaign is a call to discuss and support fairer food prices, while the proposed week-long action remains an idea. Whether it becomes a coordinated movement will depend on whether consumers and organisations decide to take it further.