Do you want something to do on Halloween that is more satisfying than scary? Come along and help Eco Amigos with their latest clean-up, and keep litter out of the Mediterranean before the autumn downpours do their worst. This time the team is heading for the spots where heavy rain is most likely to sweep man-made rubbish and debris straight into the sea, and every extra pair of hands will make a real difference.

When and where is the Sabinillas clean-up?

Saturday, October 31 is the one to pencil in and not just for trick or treating, the session runs from 10am to 11.30am and all volunteers should meet outside Chirringuito El Paseo.

Litter-pickers will cover the zone running from the Manilva river down to the sea, taking in Playa de San Luis de Sabinillas. It is a smart choice of location, because riverbeds and drainage channels carry whatever has been dropped inland towards the shore once the rain arrives. Clearing them first stops the problem at its source.

What will Eco Amigos provide?

Organisers will supply bin bags, protective gloves, litter-picking sticks and hand sanitiser, so just turn up and get stuck in. Youngsters are very welcome, which makes this a lovely chance to show children how a little effort keeps a beach beautiful. Dogs, sadly, are not permitted.

Amazing results since 2024

Results speak for themselves. Volunteers have now removed 1,344 large bags of rubbish from natural spaces on the western Costa del Sol since 2024, all of it disposed of properly. Sessions usually take place on Sunday mornings around Casares, Manilva, Estepona and Marbella.

How to join in and help out

Not sure whether it is for you? Message the organisers through the Eco Amigos Facebook group, or visit ecoamigos.net for more information. Bring a friend, bring the kids, and help keep Sabinillas beach looking its best before the rains arrive.

Christmas seems to arrive earlier every year, and one small village in Malaga province has already switched on its festive lights while much of Spain is still enjoying October, preparing for Halloween and All Saints’ Day.

Cartaojal, a village belonging to the municipality of Antequera, switched on its Christmas lights on October 22, getting ahead of the famous displays in Vigo and leaving the rest of the country wondering whether it is too early to start thinking about Santa Claus.

The early switch-on prompted a cheeky message from Antequera’s mayor, Manolo Barón, who took the opportunity to tease Vigo and its mayor, Abel Caballero, over their annual Christmas lights rivalry.

His message was essentially that Christmas had started in Cartaojal, with an apology to Vigo for getting there first.

Cartaojal beats the Christmas rush

¡ Este año la Navidad empieza en Cartaojal !

La primera población de España en encender su alumbrado navideño.

Lo sentimos por Vigo y por su alcalde… 😉 pero este año Cartaojal se adelanta a todos.

🎄Cartaojal y Antequera.

¡ Los primeros de España en encender la Navidad ! https://t.co/vVPdwYIGj8

— Manolo Barón 🇪🇸 (@manolo_baron) October 22, 2026

The village, home to around 1,200 people, may not have the enormous displays or national fame of Vigo, but it has certainly grabbed attention by getting into the Christmas spirit before the end of October.

Vigo has become one of Spain’s best-known Christmas destinations, attracting visitors with its huge illuminated displays, festive attractions and increasingly elaborate annual switch-on ceremonies. Visitors can explore Vigo’s famous Christmas lights through the city’s official tourism website.

However, Cartaojal has now thrown down the gauntlet, at least unofficially, in the race to get Christmas underway. The village joins the race to switch on Spain’s Christmas lights, which has seen smaller Andalusian towns compete with the country’s better-known festive destinations.

For everyone in the area, the early lights offer a welcome splash of festive cheer as the autumn evenings draw in. For others, it may be a reminder that there are still several weeks to go before December 25.

Malaga prepares for Christmas

Cartaojal is not the only place already looking towards the festive season. Towns and cities across Spain are preparing their Christmas decorations, with Malaga city scheduled to switch on its famous lights on November 27, according to the city’s published plans. The official Malaga Christmas lights schedule lists the planned inauguration.

Vigo is also preparing for another major display, although its annual celebrations traditionally take place later in November. EWN readers can look back at Malaga’s famous Christmas lights to see how the Costa del Sol capital celebrated last year.

Whether people love the early arrival of Christmas or feel the decorations should wait until December, Cartaojal has certainly started the countdown ahead of schedule.

And with Halloween still to come, anyone hoping to enjoy a little more autumn before the festive season takes over may have to look away from the Christmas lights for a few more weeks.

It makes one wonder if they will remember it’s Christmas by the time the festive season is actually celebrated, or for that matter, if they will remember to take the decorations down before Carnival, like so many don’t.

Two rare Atlas lion cubs have been born at Selwo Aventura wildlife park in Estepona, giving conservationists fresh hope for a subspecies that has been extinct in the wild since the 1950s.

The cubs, born towards the end of summer, are the offspring of Ghizléne and Tayo, two lions brought to the Costa del Sol from European zoos as part of an international breeding programme.

Both cubs are reported to be in excellent health and weigh around eight kilos each. They have passed their first veterinary examinations, received identification microchips and been dewormed.

Rare Atlas lions born on the Costa del Sol

Their mother, Ghizléne, arrived at Selwo Aventura from Plzeň Zoo in the Czech Republic in spring 2025. Their father, Tayo, came from Hanover Zoo in Germany and has a pedigree recorded as 100 per cent Atlas lion.

The birth forms part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), which coordinates breeding between participating zoos to help preserve threatened animals and maintain genetic diversity.

During their first weeks, the cubs stayed in their enclosure under their mother’s care, with the park’s conservation team monitoring their development.

The young lions opened their eyes about a week after birth. Staff have also taken hair samples to establish their genetic profiles, an important step in registering them with the European breeding programme.

Could Atlas lions ever return to the wild?

Also known as Barbary lions, Atlas lions once lived across North Africa, particularly around the Atlas Mountains. Hunting and other human pressures contributed to their disappearance from the wild during the 20th century.

Their survival now depends on captive populations, including animals managed through breeding programmes in Europe and Morocco.

Selwo Aventura says the cubs are expected to take their first steps into the park’s outdoor meadow in the coming days, giving visitors an opportunity to watch them. Visitors can find further details about the park’s animal collection and conservation work.

Their mother is expected to continue nursing them until they are between seven and ten months old.

Although their birth is an encouraging development, any future return of Atlas lions to their original habitat would depend on further conservation work and suitable conditions in the wild.