We are blessed in this amazing country with thousands of kilometres of quiet, traffic-free roads, not at all like the crowded and often jammed coastal roads near where we live.

That access to these roads has been the inspiration for such groups as The Classic & Sportscar Club and Iberian Motoring Events to put on motoring ‘tours’ over the past 20 years. As both are in our area and have common interests and aims, it seemed logical for them to get together and pool resources with the aim of producing the very best motoring events possible.

This, they have done admirably over the last couple of years and their recent ‘Tour Parques Nacionales’ was a marvellous example of what can be done and for a very sensible price. Stunning scenery, amazing vistas and the very best roads for drivers and passengers alike. Mountains, lakes, gorges, coastal roads would all be enjoyed and all within a five-day event.

This Tour started just a few kilometres north of Malaga at the end of October and was blessed with beautiful blue skies and sunshine for the entire duration.

The Entry itself was truly international and had the flavour to match. Participants came from Ireland, Belgium, Norway, France, UK, Finland, Holland and even Mexico! Many were members already of The Classic & Sportscar Club and others were ‘new recruits’ coming via IME especially for the event.

It should be stressed that these events are ‘Tours’, not rallies and no speed is necessary; participants drive at their own pace, but they do have the services of professional rally people who produce fabulous, easy-to-follow roadbooks to navigate them from place to place and ensure all get to see the spectacular scenery and roads.

Not only was the entry list very cosmopolitan, so were the cars that arrived too! Numerous Jaguars, Porsches, BMW Z4’s, Mercedes from the 1960s as well as modern AMG variants. A beautiful green Morgan arrived, its luggage strapped to the boot in real 60s touring style as was the 1965 MGB of Paul Kirwin. A Mazda MX-5 and a BMW M-850i provided such a contrast but the common link was the smiles on everyone’s faces as they gathered for the Start and enjoyed a chat with some coffee whilst inspecting each-others cars, signing-on and collecting roadbooks, rally plates and unique event polo shirts.

Act 11am the ‘course-opening car’, a beautiful green Jaguar XKR, set off to make sure all was well en-route. Five minutes later and car No.1 a Porsche 997 Carrera 4S set off as the first of 25 beautiful cars towards Casabermeja, before heading towards Periana and the amazing climb up to Alfarnate, and a quick pit-stop at the oldest inn in Andalucia. From here, the route went east towards the Alpujarras and the first night-stop, a 5-star Golf Hotel near Almeria.

Here the organisers had arranged a cava reception followed by a well-deserved dinner with everyone together in a private dining room. Needless to say, the hotel bar was kept well occupied after dinner!

Tuesday morning dawned bright with more blue skies and sunshine. After a quick reassuring briefing by the organising team, the first cars headed off sedately at 10.30am to head over the mountains with some spectacular vistas and contrasting topography all the way, crossing the Alpujarras, to the beautiful Cazorla Parque Nacional. The night-stop here was at a beautiful hotel, rather like a 5-star hunting lodge, right in the middle of the Park, where deer could be seen running around, curious about their international visitors and their 4-wheel chariots. Dinner that night was quite superb, with most participants saying they loved it, but couldn’t eat the mountain of food provided! Wines were a different story and were consumed with gusto. Well, no-one was driving anywhere!

Wednesday dawned bright and clear but here the organisers were faced with their first big challenge – there was only one road available to take crews up through the town of Cazorla and that was closed for the morning! A rapid re-route was calculated but the bonus was a run all the way around the lake of Cazorla, before heading off to Granada, where a two-night stop had been arranged.

The idea of a two-night stop in Granada was well received – participants could have that afternoon to see Granada, go to the Alhambra and then enjoy the tapas bars and superb restaurants that are plentiful in and around the city.

The following day, day four of five, produced a short 75km run that took cars by a beautiful, scenic route to the very top of the Sierra Nevada. Time to have a coffee and see the amazing views of Granada and the mountains before descending back to the hotel, and then having the afternoon for lunch or sightseeing. That night the organisers arranged a magnificent dinner at a top-class restaurant that was within walking distance of the hotel, and quite a party was the result!

Day five of five was yet another spectacular route with stunning scenery and a coffee stop in the mountains before further descending to the coast. To finish up this fabulous event, a magnificent lunch was provided at the 5-Star B-Bou Hotel, Cortijo Bravo, near Velez-Malaga, and it really was a fitting way to finish.

The event was considered a huge success, and most people are already asking when would be the next one. It must be said that this must be the least expensive 5-day, 5-star tour ever, the cost with all hotels, dinners, wines, parking, the route and all that goes with it, professional roadbooks and organisation was a paltry €790 per person!

I am also now informed that the next tour will be at the end of January, and will be set around the Atlantic coast, and features a two-night stop in Jerez passing near Vejer, Cadiz and other interesting places. Information on these events can be found at www.iberianmotoringevents.com and more information will also be available through this column next month.

The Classic & Sportscar Club will also be having some great events this month, starting with a one-day run on Saturday, November 7, which will start at 11.00am from Venta Perejil, on the coast road near San Pedro, and will finish at the superb Restaurante Nuevo Reino in San Pedro.

On Sunday, November 15, there will be a resumption of the popular ‘Cars and Coffee’ meetings at YANX American Diner in Puerto Banus. From 10.00am to 1.00pm
I shall be there too, and am always interested in meeting with EWN readers and enthusiasts!

That’s it until next month. Happy Motoring!

A common worry among victims of online banking fraud is that the bank will blame them. After reporting the scam, it is not unusual to hear that the customer was careless with their credentials and that the bank therefore refuses to refund the money. Can the bank really refuse on that basis? A recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union confirms that, in some cases (and at least as far as the initial refund is concerned) it may not.

The case, decided in October, concerned a woman in Poland who lost around seven hundred euros after a fake buyer of an item she was selling online sent her a link that led to a copy of her bank’s website. The bank refused to refund her, arguing she had been grossly negligent. The court’s answer, in broad terms, was that the bank cannot use that argument to delay the refund.

Money back first, questions later

The judgment separates two steps clearly:

• First, when there has been an unauthorised payment, the bank must refund it At the very latest, by the end of the next business day. The only exception would be where the bank has reasonable grounds to suspect fraud by its own customer and reports those grounds in writing to the national authority.

• Second, the argument about negligence does not disappear. It simply comes later. If the bank believes the customer was grossly negligent, it might try to recover the money afterwards, and it would have to prove it.

So, is it all solved?

Not quite. The ruling concerns unauthorised transactions (such as Phishing) and not every scam fits that label. Some banks might still resist. And nobody can say yet how consistently the rule will be applied in practice.

What does seem clear is that the first hours matter. Tell the bank straight away, as the refund clock starts from there. Report it to the police. Keep every message, email and screenshot. Then put your request in writing and mention the ruling.

If your bank refuses to refund you, do not assume that is the end of the story. At White-Baos Lawyers we help clients who find themselves in exactly this position. Reach out to us today.

You may be interested in the following services and articles:

Claims against banks. The mortgage swap or the interest financial swap. New legal success against banks. Spanish banking law

Revolving cards. Claim against your bank. Expert Solicitors. Time limitation, nullity, lack of transparency and usury. Court precedents.

Bank responsibility in phishing fraud cases. Legal advice. Spanish Expert lawyers in banking law.

Carlos Baos (Lawyer)

White & Baos.

Tel: +34 966 426 185

E-mail: info@white-baos.com

White & Baos 2026 – All Rights Reserved.

Perched in the Atlantic like a sun-lounging celebrity just off Africa’s north-west coast, Tenerife is the grandest of Spain’s Canary Islands. Its north-eastern tip shoots skywards in a dramatic, craggy ridge forged by volcanic theatrics, except for a rare, corridor-like dip near San Cristóbal de la Laguna — the island’s only proper stretch of lowland.

The remaining bulk of Tenerife swells into a mighty volcanic dome crowned by Teide, Spain’s highest mountain (12,198 feet). The earth here hasn’t entirely settled – the most ruinous eruption, in 1706, sent molten lava trundling through Garachico, swallowing much of its harbour and town.

Island life largely hugs the lower slopes and proximity to the sea. Nearly half the residents cluster around the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and nearby San Cristóbal de la Laguna – the former seat of power, now the island’s cultural heart and home to its historic university.

Beyond these centres, communities flourish on fertile northern hillsides thick with bananas and vines, while the drier south favours hardy crops and the occasional camel plodding about its business. However, large-scale tourism – particularly around booming resort strips like Playa de Las Américas – has swelled the island’s population (and local opinions for and against do indeed “vary”!).

Looking for a last blast of sun this autumn? Head to Tenerife!

Finally, thanks for all messages to my website below. Thrilled you also enjoy my novels — invited for inclusion in the prestigious Book Riot’s 2026 Read Harder Challenge!

Nora Johnson’s 15 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers, including the latest ‘The Girl in Red’ (www.nora-johnson.net), all available online at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.