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Any tourist will know that the siesta is an essential part of Spanish life.

Shops used to close between 2 and 4pm and stay open late into the evening, although this arrangement has become less common because of commercial considerations and work/life balance.

The city of Granada, however, is determined to protect the afternoon nap and has introduced regulations to ensure its residents are undisturbed.

The London Daily Telegraph’s correspondent in Spain, Fiona Govan, reports that a new by-law, approved this week, means that anyone making what’s called ‘unnecessary noise’ in Granada between 3 and 5pm could be fined up to 3,000 euros (£2,640 / $4,100).

Noisy activity includes shouting, singing, dancing or slamming a door. Pets, vacuum cleaners and washing machines will have to be silenced.

Other people now facing fines include those spitting or urinating in the street, beggars, buskers, car windscreen cleaners and gypsies offering tourists sprigs of herbs or wild flowers.

The new regulations have been branded ‘restrictive’ and ‘impossible to enforce’ by some, but the authorities insist they will make it easier to deal with complaints between neighbours.

by Andy Moreton

The city of Granada in Andalucia is home to one of Spain’s most visited tourist attractions – the Moorish citadel and palace known as the Alhambra. For your stay in this historic city, Luxique has carefully selected six superb luxury hotels in Granada with a variety of styles.

Property developers on Spain’s holiday coasts were already feeling the pinch well before the present credit crunch.
Hundreds of estate agency offices have closed in the past year since the bubble burst on a construction boom that had been powering Spain’s economy for some ten years.

One company on the Costa del Sol recently resorted to desperate measures in an attempt to sell new homes – offering two for the price of one.

At the Malaga property fair, the company said that buyers of one of its £620,000 ($1 million) beachside homes would also get a one-bedroom flat at a golf resort.

Organisers of the fair reported a significant drop in exhibitors at this year’s event and added that the price of homes on offer had fallen by up to 20 per cent from last year.

The President of Spain’s Association of Constructors and Developers, Guillermo Chicote, said the industry desperately needed government help to aid its recovery. “If the government doesn’t react, this situation could last for another three or four years,” he said.

Even super-rich celebrities are not immune to the property squeeze in Spain. David and Victoria Beckham have apparently been trying to sell their luxury villa in the capital, Madrid, since last year when the couple moved to the US. The price has reportedly come down from £5 million ($8.6 million) to £3 million ($5.2 million).

The five-room villa in the chic suburb of La Moraleja is ‘incredible’ according to the selling agent. It includes two acres of land, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a small soccer pitch and a children’s playground.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique offers a selection of luxury and boutique hotels throughout Spain, including two boutique hotels in Malaga and 12 luxury hotels in the Costa del Sol region.

Top fashion designer Georgio Armani has fallen foul of the authorities in the Spanish city of Granada.

He’s named a new perfume Alhambra without authorisation to use the trademarked name of Granada’s world famous Moorish palace and fortress.

Once the residence of the Muslim rulers of Granada and their court, the Alhambra is now one of Spain’s most popular tourist attractions. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site and, since 2001, commercial use of the world Alhambra has been restricted.

The trustees of the monument have approached the Armani fashion house for an explanation and could pursue legal action if a deal’s not reached.

Armani has called his fragrance ‘Oranger Alhambra’ and says it’s a homage to the gardens of the palace in Granada. The Armani blurb waxes lyrical: “White arrow-shaped blooms of jasmine and tender garlands of roses find shelter in the shade of the sweet-smelling foliage of orange trees, only spindly-leaved rosemary and the hardy stems of marjoram turn and face the baking sun.”

The top people in Granada have no problems with such approbation – they just wished he’d asked first.

It’s not all pain in Spain for Armani, however. He’s designed an outfit for one of the country’s top bullfighters, Cayetano Rivera. It’s a dazzling satin creation in grey and beige with a full-length scarlet velvet cape and silver thread and some Swarovski crystals here and there.

Rivera will wear it at Spain’s fiesta, the Corrida Goyesca, at Ronda in the south of the country, on September 6.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique can offer an unrivalled selection of luxury and boutique hotels in Spain, including the faux-Moorish Alhambra Palace in Granada and three distinctive hotels in beautiful surroundings around Ronda.