Today, August 1st is not only the start of the holidays for many Europeans but also the start of Ramadan for our Moorish friends. Ramadan runs until August 28, with followers not allowed to eat or drink during daylight hours. It is also at this time of year when many of our roads leading to Algeciras and Malaga are filled with Moroccan drivers returning to their homeland for the holidays – you will recognize the top loaded vehicles as they move along at a steady pace, usually in a small convoy of three or four and often all taking the corners very wide! So be careful please when you are driving this month should you meet a small group of such drivers…

Surprising news released just last week affected both local and national government. First, Spain's Prime Minister Zapatero announced an early general election for November 20 2011, and then the Andalucian regional government announced that it was investigating possible irregular activity concerning the late Almunecar mayor's decision to grant a building licence to the 7-start hotel project above Marina del Este. Snr Benavides refused to comment but the recently elected Partido Popular mayor(ess), Trinidad Herrera, Said that for the moment the licence to begin work was "on hold" until such times as they receive a report form the Junta. Two events which slide gently into the summer news that could have many consequences to the year end.

Despite this gloriously hot, humid and sticky weather, it is clear that the locals and the tourists are continuing to fill the beaches (& the roads) of Spain's Costa Tropical; with Friday evening through to Monday being the busiest traffic days reported. The coastal road, the N-340 - the last remaining part of the A7 motorway to be by-passed - has been seeing traffic jams up to 3 and 4 kilomteres in length between Almunecar to Salobrena and Motril to Torrenueva. Not just foreign tourists but also the Spanish people are pouring down from Granada, Jaen and other cities to escape the intense heat of the cities (40 degrees plus in some) in order to locate the relative cool (sic) sea and sand for the weekend.

This month is "all the fun of the fair" time… with ferias in Malaga, Almunecar and Motril. The Almuñecar feria starts on Monday August 8 (official opening on Tuesday 9th) and ends on the night of August 15 with a spectacular firework display on the beachfront. Culminating with the procession of the statue of the Virgin del Antigua (the town's patron saint) that leaves the church in the late afternoon, is carried to the sea at Playa San Cristobal and then transported by a flotilla of small boats around to the Puerta del Mar beach near the main promenade. At around 23.30 the Virgin returns from the sea to the land and in celebration a spectacular firework and music extravaganza is launched – this is a real must see for any visitor to Spain's Costa Tropical. However, don’t forget that as with all the local fiestas then many banks and administrative offices will be closing by 12 noon throughout the week.

The full programme of events is listed here . From Monday August 8 until Monday 15 (Asunncion de la Virgin being both a national and local holiday) there are a range of activities, events, concerts and musical shows that not only take place around the town and beaches but at night centres in the main Feria ground; this is the site  known as Puerta de Almuñecar and is popularly known as the site of the Friday market. Many events are free to enter, and if you have never visited then it is well worth taking part. There is the fun of many traditional fairground attractions and rides plus, to relax and eat, there are the various casetas (local political parties and the Semana Santa brotherhoods set up their tents offering traditional food, entertainment and drinks to help with fundraising). The party will go on until the early hours of the next morning on each and every night.

Please, please, please be very careful with your bottles and cigarettes – the countryside around at the moment is absolutely tinder dry and the slightest flammable material could spark a serious forest or campo fire. We have already seen some outbreaks in Portugal and the north of Spain and we have not seen serious fires here since 2007 so let’s keep it that way…

Looking for something different to do with family and friends this month then why not invest 10 Euros, and pick up a copy of the useful pocket guide – Granada Tapas Tours: 100 Tapas Bars in Granada; researched and written by Vernon Grant & Gayle Mackie. With 18 routes of 4 bars each to choose from, and 72 bars in various parts of the city where you will be treated the same as the locals. The book guides you away from popular tourist bars, and as you stroll from one to the other (using the simple to follow directions given), then you are made aware of some of the lesser know attractions of Granada city. The book also offers 28 bars that you can drive to in the vast and varied province of Granada, including the Costa Tropical, the Lecrin Valley, La Alpujarra and some that are hidden in spectacular countryside locations. The book also offers tapas tips to ensure you get the most pleasure from your tapas experience, a glossary of the dishes you are most likely to be served and, crucially, how to pronounce them.

The book is for sale via www.guiribooks.blogspot.com ,

www.lecrinlet.blogspot.com  and

www.granadagardens.blogspot.com

And then for a more individual experience you can contact Vernon to arrange guided tapas tours and, or, tours of Andalusian gardens around the area.

For the latest news and updates, you can find me at www.twitter.com/SpainCostaTrop