A summer outing turned into an evacuation for Albox’s historic scout group when flames spread near its Granada campsite. The 73 minors and their adult leaders were sheltered in a village school before receiving the all-clear to return.

Scouts spotted the fire during an outing

Music from Restábal’s fiestas provided an unexpected distraction for dozens of young scouts waiting out a wildfire evacuation on Saturday July 25. The Albox-based Grupo Scout 106 del Saliente was staying at the ValleScout campsite near Restábal, in Granada’s Valle de Lecrín. Around 100 people, including 73 minors, were ordered to leave as a preventive measure when a fire spread near the Béznar reservoir.

Monitor Pedro Gómez told Granada Hoy that members of the group were away from the campsite for an activity when they saw the fire. They alerted the 112 emergency service immediately and warned the camp before returning to assess the situation. As conditions developed, the group moved to Restábal, where El Valle council opened the local school as temporary accommodation. Food was provided, and music from a charanga (traditional street marching band) coincidentally performing during the village fiestas helped occupy the youngsters.

Infoca gave the group the all-clear and the scouts were able to return

Camp leader Ramón Guirao stressed that the flames had not reached ValleScout and that the children and leaders were all well. Infoca, Andalucía’s forest firefighting service, authorised the group to return to the campsite later on Saturday night. Guirao said the night passed normally and the Albox party began its journey home on Sunday July 26. He thanked El Valle council for its help, including the use of the school and the meals provided during the evacuation. A group due to arrive from Seville on Sunday did, however, cancel their stay after parents expressed concern.

The 200-hectare blaze was brought under control

The fire began around lunchtime on Saturday and was stabilised at approximately 8pm, after more than seven hours of firefighting. Pinos del Valle residents were temporarily told to remain indoors, while the Béznar and Rules reservoir areas were also cleared to give aircraft room to operate safely. At the height of the response, 125 ground personnel, 19 aircraft and three heavy firefighting vehicles were deployed. Initial estimates put the affected area at around 200 hectares.

Plan Infoca declared the fire controlled at about 10pm on Sunday July 26. No one from the scout camp was injured, and two people rescued from a nearby farmhouse were also reported unharmed.

A historic square, a veteran folk group and no ticket price give Oria one last summer night out before July ends. Acetre will bring sounds from both sides of the Spanish-Portuguese border to the Plaza de la Constitución at 10.30pm.

A folk sound shaped by two cultures

Acetre comes from Olivenza, the border town in Badajoz where Spanish and Portuguese traditions meet. Formed in 1976, the group reworks music from Extremadura alongside Portuguese fados, corridinhos and other traditional forms.

The Oria date comes in Acetre’s 50th year. Its repertoire draws on regional dance tunes, dawn songs and festive melodies from Extremadura, alongside Portuguese influences. The result remains rooted in the border country without being treated as a historical recreation. 

That makes the group a fitting closing act for Rincones de Música y Palabra, a festival built around bringing music and performance into places with a strong local identity. 

Five nights in five corners of Oria

This year’s 16th edition began on July 2 at the Era de Ciezar with Albardín. Fernando Labordeta and Kikín Fernández followed at the Lavadero del Rulador, Los Hermanos Cubero played beside the Ermita de San Gregorio, and Javier Ojeda took the fourth concert to Plaza del Norte. The final performance moves into Plaza de la Constitución, closing a five-night programme spread across July.

Over its 15-year history, Rincones has hosted musicians including Diana Navarro, Pedro Guerra, Carmen París and Marwán, as well as writers and storytellers such as Espido Freire and Félix Albo. The wider festival format combines music with literature, oral tradition and stage performance, although the five advertised dates this year are concerts.

Oria’s deputy mayor has described the idea as an alternative to large, conventional events. The festival uses settings including threshing floors, old public washing places, chapels and plazas, with lanterns, candles and torches forming part of its wider visual style.

Free entry for the final concert

The Acetre concert begins at 10.30pm on Friday July 31 in Plaza de la Constitución, Oria. Admission is free until capacity is reached, making an early arrival sensible.

The festival is organised by Oria council, with backing from Almería provincial council, the Junta de Andalucía’s tourism department and Cosentino.

Beach trips and cross-town errands have a new option in Vera. A shared-bike network due to reach 150 bicycles now connects the town centre with Vera Playa and Mojácar, allowing riders to cross the municipal boundary without having to change services.

From Vera town to Mojácar on one system

The service became operational on Thursday July 23, with Hoppy bikes and designated parking areas appearing around Vera town and Vera Playa. Riders can locate a bicycle in the Hoppy Mobility app, unlock it by scanning the QR code and end the journey at an authorised point shown on the map.

The major advantage is the connection beyond Vera. Hoppy already operates Mojácar’s shared electric-bike scheme, so the two service areas now work together and a rider can continue to Mojácar rather than having to return the bike inside Vera.

Vera councillor Antonia Marín said the service had been delayed by administrative issues, but the municipality now expects a full fleet of 150 bicycles. Mojácar’s network began on Monday June 8 with 120 bikes, with a progressive expansion towards 200 announced.

The everyday gain is fewer short car journeys

For residents, the bikes offer another way to make shorter trips between the town, beach, shops and leisure areas, particularly when summer traffic makes parking near the coast more difficult. Visitors staying in Vera can also reach more of the coastline without using a car for every outing.

The system uses geofencing, a digital boundary linked to each bike’s location. It sets permitted parking points and can create slow-speed or no-ride zones in busy or sensitive areas, so there is no need to worry if when using one of the bikes it suddenly slows down. A journey can only be closed in an authorised bay, helping to prevent bikes being left across pavements or promenades.

Prices and available passes are displayed in the Hoppy app.

Nearby towns are not connected yet

For the Levante Almeriense, this could only be the start. One shared service now crosses a municipal boundary. It gives Vera and Mojácar a joined-up option for local journeys and provides a practical example of how neighbouring councils could form a broader coastal network.

No extension to Garrucha, Turre, Cuevas del Almanzora or other nearby municipalities has been announced yet. For now, the confirmed network covers Vera town, Vera Playa and Mojácar, with trips ending only at the parking points shown in the app.