No one ever plans for tragedy to happy during a family holiday, but for one family on Spain’s Valencia coast it has ended in the worse possible way after two teenagers discovered their parents dead in the jacuzzi of their rented holiday home in Cullera, with the Guardia Civil now investigating the unexplained deaths.

The Irish couple, aged 50 and 45, were found by their two children on Tuesday afternoon at a property in the Cap Blanc residential development, a popular area of Cullera overlooking the Mediterranean. The teenagers, aged 14 and 15 according to reports, raised the alarm after finding their parents unresponsive.

Guardia Civil investigates unexplained deaths

The circumstances surrounding the deaths have prompted the Guardia Civil’s Homicide Judicial Police team to take over the investigation. Officers have not established how the couple died and have kept several possibilities open, including an accident. However, investigators have identified indications that have raised questions about what happened inside the property.

According to Guardia Civil sources there was some indication that “something strange” may have occurred. The initial assessment suggested the deaths might not have been natural, although authorities have stressed that this does not currently mean the couple were murdered.

Puzzling injuries raise questions

 The bodies were found in the jacuzzi at the rented property, with reports stating that both victims were naked and appeared to have puncture-type injuries. These details have not established a cause of death, and investigators are examining whether the injuries could have another explanation.

Another line of investigation concerns possible substance consumption. Sources close to the investigation have reportedly indicated that the couple showed apparent signs of having consumed drugs, raising the possibility that this could have played a role in what happened. An accidental Investigators reportedly found the water cloudy and collected samples for laboratory analysis. The results could help establish whether substances or other factors inside the jacuzzi contributed to the deaths. The property has also been inspected by specialist officers as investigators work to reconstruct the couple’s final hours.

Teenagers left without their parents

The couple’s children were left without their parents after making the discovery and have been placed under the care of local support services while relatives are contacted in Ireland. Reports state that the teenagers do not speak Spanish and have special needs.

Social workers and psychological support were brought in following the discovery, with arrangements being made for a family member to travel from Ireland to care for them. The property owner was alerted by the teenagers after they found their parents. He then contacted Spain’s emergency services, bringing police and emergency personnel to the holiday home.

Autopsies could reveal cause of death

The bodies were subsequently transferred to Valencia’s Institute of Legal Medicine for forensic examination. The autopsies are expected to be crucial in determining exactly how the couple died and whether the injuries reported on their bodies are connected to their deaths. For residents and visitors in Cap Blanc, the deaths have brought an unsettling development to one of Cullera’s busiest summer areas. The residential development is particularly popular during the holiday season, when the coastal town’s population increases dramatically.

Despite the involvement of the Homicide team, Spanish authorities have not confirmed that a criminal killing took place. The Guardia Civil is continuing to investigate all available evidence, including the condition of the jacuzzi, the results of forensic testing and the circumstances inside the property before the teenagers discovered their parents. Until those examinations are complete, investigators cannot say whether the deaths were the result of an accident, substance-related incident or deliberate act. What began as a family holiday in one of Valencia’s popular coastal resorts has therefore become the focus of a major investigation, while two teenagers face the devastating aftermath of discovering their parents dead.

The viral runner, comedian and performance artist headed to Malaga for churros and sunshine, with unfinished cathedrals, empty beaches and Antonio Banderas all getting a mention.

Scottee takes his running to Malaga

Hilarious runner and performance artist Scottee has added the Costa del sol to his running routes and, naturally, in his signature style is latest reel comes with plenty of sarcasm and laughs.

The popular creator, known for his candid and irreverent approach to running, shared a whistle-stop tour of Malaga city, joking about some of its quirks while sampling its food, sights and sunshine.

Malaga Cathedral, whose unfinished southern tower has been a talking point for some time, leaned easily into a dig about slow Spanish culture.

Then came the beaches and some very topical toilet humour. Scottee quipped that nobody was on the sand because people had been going to the toilet in them. The joke landed rather close to recent headlines: Malaga closed six beaches to swimmers this month after tests detected elevated levels of faecal E. coli following storm-related sewage overflows. All six had reopened by 19 August after fresh tests confirmed the water was safe.

He also pointed out a couple of different spots he jokingly suggested was where Malaga-born Hollywood star Antonio Banderas lives. His most British observation, Scottee joked as he ran through a local park that “el parque” sounded like a type of flooring.

Scottee boasts an Instagram following of close to one million. He runs the accessible yoga community Wonkee and digital running club Mince Club. His work has also earned wider recognition this year, with Scottee named among 50 LGBTQ+ people on The Independent Pride List and shortlisted for the ITV b-Creator awards.

Churros, coffee and a very Scottee Malaga guide

Away from gags he was seen enjoying an orange juice and churros before adding a mini guide to his Reel. He recommended Bun & Coffee, Cortijo de Pepe and Casa Aranda, and newcomers Urtelia Malaga and Parentesis Bar.

For coffee, his picks included The Lab by Next Level Specialty Coffee and Ganbaru, while Bianca Wine Room earned his standout-scran recommendation. Dessert-wise, he singled out Dulce de Leche at Casa Mira, plus Vinoteca Bouquet. His more unusual tips included taking the forest route up to the castle, grabbing the €3.90 workers’ breakfast at La Recova Málaga, drinking the local generosos and using contactless on the Metro.

After all the jokes, his verdict was affectionate: “I’ve been lucky to visit here so many times over the years – my fondness grows.” A glowing review from the extremely popular online favourite.

A new nonstop flight from New York is about to make the island of Ibiza easier to reach from America than ever before. Valencia also gets the same route in 2027, a city that has spent years chasing exactly this connection.

Nonstop flights to Ibiza begin on Monday May 31, 2027

United Airlines will fly nonstop from Newark to Ibiza four times a week from Monday May 31, 2027, becoming the first and only airline to connect the island directly with the United States. The seasonal route runs into early October and will use United’s new Airbus A321XLR jets.

Until now, anyone flying to Ibiza from the US has had to change planes, usually in Madrid, Barcelona or a European hub such as London or Amsterdam. United’s announcement removes that step entirely for New York-area travellers for the first time.

Valencia follows two days later, as part of United’s biggest-ever expansion

A second new Spanish route starts shortly after on Wednesday June 2, 2027, when United begins flying nonstop from Newark to Valencia three times a week, also on the A321XLR and also seasonal. United says it is the only US carrier offering nonstop service to either city.

The two routes form part of what United is calling the largest international expansion in its history. 10 new cities have been added as destinations across Europe and Asia for 2027, including Luxembourg, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Toulouse and Marseille in France, and Olbia and Catania in Italy. Chief executive Scott Kirby said Newark was “the best Atlantic gateway in the country”. A seasonal service to Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, is also returning in summer 2027, giving United three Spanish destinations from Newark. 

The new jet making routes to smaller cities possible

The Airbus A321XLR is a narrowbody aircraft with the range to fly routes that previously needed a larger widebody jet, which is what allows United to justify flying to smaller markets such as Ibiza and Valencia rather than only major hubs. 

On board, the aircraft carries United’s Polaris business suites with privacy doors, complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members, and an Economy Plus cabin with extra legroom across an open middle seat, a configuration United says no other major US airline currently offers. 

Ibiza’s route arrives amid a rental squeeze for residents

The timing could seem awkward for Ibiza. Short-term holiday rental listings on the island fell by nearly 50 per cent in 2025 compared with the year before, and supply is now 80 per cent lower than in 2017, according to figures reported by the Spanish tourism alliance Exceltur. Authorities have ramped up inspections to weed out unauthorised listings, part of a wider push blamed on residents’ complaints that tourist demand is driving up rents and home prices.

The Balearic regional government has also faced pressure to cap total visitor numbers to the islands, after tourism reached close to 19 million arrivals in 2025. A new nonstop link from one of the world’s biggest travel markets lands directly into that debate, even though it only adds a few flights a week during the summer season.

Valencia has been chasing this connection for years 

Valencia’s experience is quite the opposite. The city’s tourist board has said for some time that it wants to become “more known, and more accessible” to North American visitors, who tend to default to Madrid or Barcelona when planning a trip to Spain.

However, that doesn’t mean Valencia has merely waved through unlimited tourism. The city has capped new holiday flats at 2 per cent of housing in any one neighbourhood, with Mayor María José Catalá saying the rules would keep at least 98 per cent of homes for residents. The strategy appears to favour hotel-based, higher-spending visitors, such as those a direct US route is likely to bring, over the kind of rental-driven tourism now being restricted.

For British and local owners with property in either city, the extra transatlantic traffic could mean renewed interest from buyers and holidaymakers alike, though in Ibiza’s case it arrives just as the island tries to manage exactly that kind of pressure. United has not yet said when tickets for either route will go on sale.