Five retired Marbella police horses have been given a second chance after activists stopped their planned auction and secured a new home for them at a sanctuary in Cadiz.

The horses, which were no longer fit for police duties, will now be donated to Santuario Rancho Edén in Arcos de la Frontera, where they can spend their retirement receiving specialist care.

Marbella police horses saved from auction

Marbella Council cancelled the auction at the end of July following pressure from animal welfare campaigners. Marbella Activa had launched a micro-donation campaign, raising around €1,000 in the hope of buying the animals and finding suitable accommodation for them.

Activist Virginia de Nibiru was among those calling for the auction to be stopped and the horses to be donated instead. Administrative procedures have now been completed, meaning Pajarita, Lucero Picasso, Evaristo II Melendi, Deseado Felipe and Ruidoso XVIII can move to their new home.

Several of the horses have chronic health problems, including tendonitis, degenerative arthritis, skin melanomas, colic and dermatitis. One animal also has training problems.

Sanctuary offers retired horses a new life

Money raised by supporters will now help cover their initial needs at Rancho Edén. Local businesses, the family of Sheikh Mohamed Ashmawi and a Belgian company have also helped, with the latter agreeing to transport the horses to Arcos de la Frontera free of charge.

Rancho Edén specialises in caring for vulnerable horses and animals with difficult histories. Canal Sur recently featured the sanctuary, describing how its founder dedicates her time to feeding, treating and caring for animals in need.

Marbella previously attempted to sell retired police horses in 2023. That auction also failed to find buyers, with some of the same animals later returning to the auction block.

For these five horses, however, the latest chapter has a much happier ending: retirement will now mean sanctuary rather than another sale.

Motril’s busy docks are set for a strong finish to summer as 23 cruise ships bring more than 47,000 passengers and a matching number of crew between June and September. Port bosses say the figures are testimony to the Granada facility’s growing reputation as a favoured Mediterranean stop-off, even though summer still counts as the quieter part of the year for most cruises.

Spring and autumn usually deliver the biggest crowds, a pattern that spreads the economic gains more evenly and helps avoid the usual tourist overcrowding. Local restaurants, shops, taxi firms, tour operators and cultural sites across Motril, the Costa Tropical and the wider Granada province all pick up extra custom when ships are in. Many visitors leave with a good impression and come back later under their own steam.

Summer calls still pack a punch

José García Fuentes, president of the Motril Port Authority, put it plainly: “These summer figures show cruise tourism is becoming an ever more valuable asset for the port and, above all, for our destination. Every call means more people discovering Motril, the Costa Tropical and Granada.”
Norwegian Dawn leads the pack with 18 of the 23 scheduled summer visits, giving the town a regular weekly boost. Full details of the season’s early planning appear in an earlier Euro Weekly News report on the port’s ambitious 2026 outlook.

Push for balanced, year-round tourism

Port managers stress they want sustainable growth that keeps the experience enjoyable rather than overcrowded. García Fuentes noted that cruise passengers often turn into longer-stay visitors and help promote the area during quieter months.

Historic totals expected by year end

Cruises started in April and run through until November. By the close of the year Motril expects 68 ship calls, 123,997 passengers and 53,660 crew – a clear record that continues the upward trend of recent seasons. Official updates sit on the Port Authority’s own site at apmotril.com.

These numbers go to show how cruise traffic now acts as a useful engine for spreading economic activity beyond the peak summer weeks, giving restaurants, transport and tourism services a steadier flow of custom right across the calendar.

Motril port’s cruise visitors. Credit: MP FB