Michael Coy, Author at Olive Press News Spain

ON THIS DAY: The Battle of Lucena – where Spain’s last Muslim king lost his fight against Christianity

TODAY, you could drive through the little town of Lucena, halfway between Córdoba and Granada, without really noticing it, but on April 21 in the

21 Apr, 2025 @ 09:15

Andalucia·La Cultura·Lead

LIFE IN SPAIN: Spanish surnames – why do they have two?

HAVE you ever experienced – or more likely, caused – confusion over your use of surnames? If you’re not Spanish, you know the rule. Two

20 Apr, 2025 @ 14:46

La Cultura·Lead

How Hernan Cortes and his Spanish Conquistadores took on the mighty Inca empire

ON April 22, 1519, a Spanish man and his 200 or so followers built a camp on the Mexican coast which they called “Villa Rica

20 Apr, 2025 @ 11:35

La Cultura·Lead·Other News

ON THIS DAY: The Holy Saturday Storm that devastated northern Spain

THE Holy Saturday Storm was an extreme meteorological phenomenon that occurred on April 20, 1878, off the northern coast of Spain in the Cantabrian Sea.

20 Apr, 2025 @ 09:30

La Cultura·Lead·Other News

Little-Known Cordoba: Michael Coy takes you on a tour of the Andalucian city to discover hidden corners

THE city of Cordoba is one of Andalucia’s most spectacular treasures. Most visitors are familiar with the Mezquita – the astoundingly beautiful former mosque –

18 Apr, 2025 @ 12:30

Andalucia·Cordoba·Lead·Olive Press Travel

Scared of needles?: Researchers in Spain may have the answer

GOOD news, if you’re afraid of needles, researchers may have made a discovery that could end your fear.Apparently, its official name is “aichmophobia”, but we

18 Apr, 2025 @ 10:30

Health·Lead·Malaga·Other News

SPANISH RECIPE: Mercedes’ Andalucian Kitchen – Chorizo a la Sidra

Chorizo a la sidra is a classic Spanish tapas dish, and is one of the best ways to enjoy smoky chorizo sausage and apple cider

18 Apr, 2025 @ 09:30

Food & Drink·Lead

What links Andalucia’s Easter processions to the fascist Millán Astray?

MANY readers will know about the Spanish ‘Legion’, the crack unit of the Spanish Army, based in Ronda and Almeria. You are likely to see

17 Apr, 2025 @ 16:00

Andalucia·La Cultura·Lead·Politics

ON THIS DAY IN SPAIN: A dodgy deal and a dynamite girl that created a country and then blew it up

THERE are two reasons why Spaniards keep April 17 in mind. The first is a strange business deal between a ‘power couple’ and an Italian

17 Apr, 2025 @ 09:30

La Cultura·Lead

Spanish property bargains: How to get involved in government auction which sees some homes in Spain going for just €7k

THE Andalucian city of Huelva, near the Portuguese border, will be the venue of some unusual house auctions throughout April and May. Some of the

16 Apr, 2025 @ 12:15

Andalucia·Lead·Other News·Property

Foreign buyers accounted for HALF of all property sales in Alicante last yeart

Brits to the south, Yanks to the north: Where are foreigners buying property in Spain?

“THE English are buying in the south, Germans on the islands, and the French and Americans in the north.” That’s the word from Spanish estate

16 Apr, 2025 @ 10:30

Lead·Property

LIFE IN SPAIN: It’s romeria time again!

HARVEST festivals are as old as time – but the communities of Andalucía do harvest festival in their own special way. First of all, in

15 Apr, 2025 @ 10:00

La Cultura

Woman on trial for causing Marbella scrub fires

A WOMAN stands accused of allegedly setting two fires in the Málaga municipality of Marbella. One of them forced the evacuation of homes in a

14 Apr, 2025 @ 17:26

National News

The electric car charging map of Spain is out – is there one near your house?

THE Spanish government has released a map showing where you can charge your electric car. Just in time for Easter, when Spanish people traditionally take

14 Apr, 2025 @ 16:30

Environment·Lead·Other News

These just might be the best burgers in Spain: Who do YOU think does the best hamburger?

FOR the best part of Easter fortnight, Mallorca will be home to The Champions Burger. It’s a competition dedicated to producing gourmet hamburgers, and they

14 Apr, 2025 @ 14:20

Balearic Islands·Food & Drink·Lead·Mallorca·Other News

Hidden Corners of Spain: Salobreña is a must visit whether you are in Malaga or Granada

Salobreña is a beautiful little town built on the summit of a rocky crag, a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean Sea. It’s 50 miles east

14 Apr, 2025 @ 13:28

Andalucia·Granada·Lead·Olive Press Travel·Travel News

Spain’s famous Easter processions kick off in Malaga’s Ronda amid the threat of rain

The opening of Holy Week 2025 was a big success in Ronda. Three processions took to the streets and nothing was marred by the predicted

14 Apr, 2025 @ 11:08

Andalucia·La Cultura·Lead·Other News

EXPLAINER: How to obtain your Andalucía health card in Spain

THE medical card (tarjeta sanitaria individual) is the document that identifies the individual before the Public Health Authorities of Andalucia. Each person should possess one,

12 Apr, 2025 @ 14:54

Health·Lead·Other News

LIFE IN SPAIN: Bar-hopping during holy week

YOUR Spanish friends will agree with you on two things, at least: semana santa has evolved, and it’s a culinary delight. That is to say,

12 Apr, 2025 @ 14:03

Food & Drink·For Foodies·Olive Press Travel·Other News

Police kept busy with two big drug busts in Spain’s Sevilla

ELEVEN people have been arrested and two others investigated in two anti-drug operations carried out by the Policia Nacional in Sevilla. The first was in

12 Apr, 2025 @ 09:30

Crime & Law·Lead·Sevilla

EXPLAINER: New Spanish law on food waste – what you need to know

SPAIN has passed a new law requiring all parts of the food supply chain to take action against food waste. The measure places legal responsibility

11 Apr, 2025 @ 17:15

Lead·National News

Spain’s illegal Hotel Algarrobico – asset or eyesore?: Michael Coy investigates the saga that has been going through the courts for decades

IF you drive along the Andalucian coast road east of Almería, you enter a desolate wilderness. The bustling port gives way, alarmingly rapidly, to a

11 Apr, 2025 @ 14:15

Andalucia·Lead·Property

Heartless farmer jailed for starving 170 geese to death in Spain

THE Spanish Supreme Court has upheld a 15-month prison sentence imposed on a farmer who abandoned 170 geese to die of hunger. In its judgment,

11 Apr, 2025 @ 13:15

Andalucia·Lead

Doctors, nurses and 34 tonnes of water at the ready: Spain’s gruelling 101-kilometre ultramarathon returns to Malaga

MORE than 10,000 people will take part in a famous ultramarathon race between 9 and 11 May, organised by the Spanish Legion. The challenge is

9 Apr, 2025 @ 17:30

Lead·Malaga·Sport

Will Spain’s hallowed Semana Santa be another washout? Storm Olivier brings orange alerts to Andalucia

AEMET, the Spanish meteorological office, is predicting “certain” rainfall, at least for the first few days of Holy Week. Semana Santa starts on Sunday 13

9 Apr, 2025 @ 13:30

Andalucia·Lead·National News·Weather

SPANISH RECIPE: Make gazpacho the traditional Andalucian way

COLD tomato soup might not sound particularly appetising at first, but gazpacho is an essential superfood. It’s highly nutritious, delicious, inexpensive to prepare, and when

6 Apr, 2025 @ 13:15

Food & Drink·Lead·Other News