A clip of a bull lashed to a flat’s railing has set local social media on fire in Fuengirola, hours after the town’s Romeria in honour of the Virgin of the Rosario left the parish church.

Fuengirolasequeja posted the footage. Viewers saw a working ox standing by a metal fence, looking lonely, and comment threads filled with complaints about how the animal was being treated.

Town hall and police call it a planned stop (honestly)

Fuengirola Town Hall and Local Police sources told 101TV nothing irregular had happened. That stretch, running parallel to Calle Cordoba, is the agreed dawn meeting point where oxen are usually hitched to the floats before the pilgrimage leaves town. The trouble is, no one was with it.

Officers were close by, those sources said, so no incident and no risk developed. What the camera caught, they added, was a brief, scheduled pause: “a matter of minutes.”

Sunday’s route is the usual one. After the 10am pilgrims’ mass at the Rosario parish, a replica of the Virgin travels on an ox-drawn cart from Plaza de la Constitucion toward Parque El Esparragal in Mijas. Riders, decorated waggons and walkers follow. Return is due from about 7pm.

Why the clip travelled so fast

Ox carts still open this romeria every year. Many locals treat that as an ordinary Andalucian custom. Others see a huge animal with horns parked against a residential fence and want it gone from busy streets. Spanish pet rules often leave working oxen in a different legal box, which is why these videos spark heat even when councils say the stop was brief and watched.

This row is not quite in the August carriage crash category in Plaza de la Constitucion, when a horse bolted in high heat and two women were hurt. That smash reopened the Costa del Sol argument over tourist calesas.  Fuengirola’s big week, the Feria del Rosario, runs 6 to 12 October. EWN’s 2026 feria guide has concerts and street times. Last weekend’s Fuengirola a Caballo already put horses back in the same central streets.

No injury, no fine and no PACMA filing has been published for this ox. And no tipsy tourists stumbled upon it, thankfully. Officials say the animal was where it was meant to be. Online, plenty of people still want working beasts kept off railings in a packed resort town. Where the owners of the animal were at the time is up for debate.

Residents of Los Iberos, a Velez-Malaga village, are set to benefit from a €728,840 investment to improve a key road.

Malaga Provincial Council has included the project in its 2026 Plan Vía-ble, a €5.2 million programme covering five roads across the province. For people living in Los Iberos, the work will focus on 2.7 kilometres of the access road connecting the hamlet with the MA-3203.

The long-awaited repairs will tackle deformed sections of the road, while new covered drainage channels will be installed where the route is narrow. Road markings and metal safety barriers are also planned.

A useful link towards the A-7

Connection to the MA-3203 is important because the provincial road provides a route towards the A-7, giving residents a link to the coastal road network.

The Los Íberos road also forms part of a route between Macharaviaya and Cajiz, so the project has wider value for people travelling between rural parts of the Velez-Malaga area.

For British residents who live in or drive through the countryside around Velez-Malaga, better maintained roads can make trips to shops, schools, medical services and the coast less awkward.

Five roads share €5.2 million

Plan Vía-ble will fund four other projects in Malaga province. Alhaurin el Grande will receive €1.4 million for three kilometres of the road to Villa del Guadalhorce, including wider carriageway sections, drainage and new signs.

Coin has been allocated €1.3 million to repair 1.7 kilometres of the Camino de la Charca, including drainage, slope stabilisation and safety barriers.

Igualeja will receive €1.1 million to improve the Camino de El Toril connection with the A-397, while Teba will get €694,184 for 5.2 kilometres of its road towards Cañete la Real.

More than €16 million spent since 2022

The latest projects take total Plan Vía-ble investment over the past four years to more than €16 million, covering 19 projects completed or launched. For the Velez-Malaga area, however, the focus is closer to home: improving a 2.7-kilometre road and making the journey from Los iberos towards the A-7 safer and easier.

Horse lovers have a date for the diary as Salobreña prepares for its traditional Romería del Sur on Sunday, October 4.

Held as part of the town’s Fiestas Patronales in honour of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, the celebration brings together riders, horses, carriages and the procession accompanying the religious festivities.

Salobreña Town Hall has now opened registration for anyone wanting to take part on horseback. Applications must be made at the Town Hall by Wednesday, September 30, between 9am and 2pm.

Different participation categories are available, including rider, horse and carriage, giving horse enthusiasts ways to join the event.

What horse riders need to know

Applicants must provide the application form, the horse’s documentation, insurance papers and the owner’s DNI identification. Under-18 riders must also provide the DNI of a parent or legal guardian.

Facilities will be provided for horses at the event site, while riders must use the designated access points and follow instructions from organisers and the Local Police.

Horses will not be allowed into the beach areas where the carriages, stage, bars and other public attractions are located. After Mass, access along the seafront will only be permitted on the authorised route and when accompanied by the Local Police.

A Costa Tropical celebration

The riders will accompany the Romería procession dedicated to Nuestra Señora del Rosario, following the route and safety instructions laid down for the day.

Salobreña’s council has encouraged horse enthusiasts to take part, describing the Romería del Sur as an important part of the town’s traditional celebrations and giving riders a central role in the day.

Anyone planning to bring a horse should therefore get their paperwork sorted early rather than leave registration until the last minute.

For visitors and residents who enjoy horses, Spanish fiestas or watching the procession pass through town, Sunday, October 4, should be one to put in the diary.