Nerja town hall on the eastern Costa del Sol has approved plans to reopen the viewpoint below its iconic Balcón de Europa, known locally as ‘La Reola’, to the public. The town hall has approved a draft project, valued at 291,000 euros, designed by the municipal architect, Beatriz Pérez. Mayor of Nerja José Alberto Armijo said that this would be “one of the most important projects carried out in recent years at the Balcón de Europa,” as it will allow “the recovery of public use of the lower La Reola viewpoint and return it to its original configuration.”

Snow forced the closure of road access to the Torcal de Antequera nature reserve, in the centre-north of Malaga province, on Monday 2 February. The site, famous for its unique karst limestone formations, was covered in snow following a sharp drop in temperatures across the region. After assessing the treacherous conditions of the mountain passes and consulting the latest weather forecasts, management decided to close the reserve to the public and block access at the main entrance.

While modernisation takes place in Marbella’s Orange Square, meetings of the full council will be held in San Pedro de Alcantara. Speaking about the 3.6-million-euro overhaul, which began earlier this month, mayor Ángeles Muñoz said “the historic building needs to be adapted to the demands of a modern administration.” Muñoz explained that the renovation will mean “more available space” and “more open-plan areas”, making the most of “all the possibilities” offered by the town hall, where 300 public employees work. Councillor for works Diego López explained that the town hall project includes updating plumbing and drainage systems.

The snowfall has mainly affected the main mountain ranges in inland and west of the province of Malaga. Snowfall has also been recorded in the Sierra de las Nieves, Sierra Blanca, Sierra Bermeja, especially in the area of Los Reales behind Estepona, as well as in high sectors of the Sierra de Marbella, starting from around 800m altitude. Although the probability of more snow is decreasing as the atmosphere stabilises, the snow that fell during the early hours of the morning has left one of the most outstanding wintry scenes of recent years in the Malaga mountain ranges.

An investment of almost six million euros, aims to prevent flooding and includes a 1.5-kilometre walkway along the Benabolá stream. It is equipped with sitting areas, lighting, benches, fountains, meadows and large green areas. Hydraulic safety has been guaranteed against river floods of average frequency 1 per 500 years, and the drainage network has been completely improved. A storm tank with a capacity of over 60,000 litres has also been installed, preventing flooding and guaranteeing the safety of both road traffic and pedestrians.

The province of Malaga closed 2025 with strong advances in employment growth, making it one of Spain’s top performers in job creation. According to data from the Social Security system, the average number of workers signed on with the Social Security system in December reached a historic maximum record of 738,958.

This counts as a 3.46 per cent year-on-year growth, the fourth highest in Spain, behind only Melilla, Ceuta, and Valencia. Within Andalucia, Malaga far outpaced the regional average of 2.03 per cent.

The Málaga TechPark (PTA) has established itself as one of the most dynamic technology ecosystems in Spain. In the 2025 edition of the annual ranking by the Spanish Association of Science and Technology Parks (APTE), three Málaga-based startups—Cloud y Olé (Cybersecurity and Digitalization), Innova IRV Microelectronics (Engineering and Microelectronics), and Ubora Solar (Energy and Sustainability) – have entered the select group of the top 100 startups in the country. This achievement highlights Málaga’s ability to attract and foster high-impact talent and businesses in strategic sectors.

Competitive public transport fares will continue from January 1st. Policies implemented during the pandemic to support operators and household budgets are proving successful and are resulting in an increase in passenger numbers. “Andalusia will not only apply the subsidies from the Ministry of Transport, but we will also add an additional 20% discount, so that public transport continues to be the option chosen by Andalusians for their journeys,” assured the Minister of Public Works, Rocío Díaz. Tariff policies, beyond demographic and socioeconomic factors and the rise of Malaga as a major metropolis, are an important key in its success and quality of life.

Meliá confirms a major refurbishment of the Senator Marbella, while safeguarding the workforce. The revamped hotel will reopen its doors in 2027 under the renowned Meliá Hotels & Resorts brand after “an ambitious renovation that will reposition it as a benchmark for quality, wellness and local experience”, stated the chain. The invesment will cost 12.8 million euros and the hotel will have 191 “fully equipped” rooms, five more than the Senator had. All this is complemented by five meeting rooms and parking for over 50 vehicles.

A snow cover of more than ten centimetres deep has covered the peaks of the Sierra de las Nieves, La Maroma and El Torcal in the province and the unstable weather conditions are expected to last at least until the end of the year. The combination of various meteorological phenomena will make this Christmas one of the coldest in the south of Spain for a long time.