Ibi's free 9am mountain walks: next one on 31 October

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• Open-Meteo expects Saturday 10 October to stay overcast and dry, with highs of 24 degrees in Alicante and 20 degrees in Ibi.
• El Campello is restricting traffic in its town centre from 15:00 on Sunday 11 October until 05:00 on Friday 16 October for its Moros y Cristianos festivities.
• VOX spokesman David Abad has asked Alcoy's PSOE-led council to suspend the variable part of the town's waste collection tax.
• Spanish authorities are investigating why a Ryanair plane aborted its take-off at Alicante-Elche airport.
• ADDA·Simfònica Alicante will perform 'Natura', an evening of Dvořák, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven, at the ADDA in Alicante as part of its 2026/27 season.

Today's essentials

Ibi's free 9am mountain walks: next one on 31 October. The Museo de la Biodiversidad de Ibi has three free guided hikes left in its 2026 'Rutas Mágicas' programme, starting on Saturday 31 October, and you don't need to sign up.

According to AlicanteOut, this year's programme includes seven interpretive walks in the hills around Ibi between March and December, and every one sets off at 9:00. After 31 October, the last two dates are Saturday 28 November and Thursday 24 December. Four outings have already taken place (14 March, 25 April, 30 May and 26 September), so this is the final stretch of the 2026 edition.

The calendar is a handy guide to the mountains right on Ibi's doorstep. In spring the group climbed the Serra Grossa to the Alt de la Sra. Marleta (994 m), then the Serra del Biscol to the Racó de les Rates (1,071 m). In May they reached the Alt de Pilatos (1,341 m) in the Parque Natural del Carrascal de la Font Roja, the protected holm oak woodland between Ibi and Alcoy. The year traditionally ends with a Christmas Eve climb to the Belén de la Teixereta (1,338 m), a nativity scene high on the mountainside.

Ibi is in the Foia de Castalla area, inland from Alicante and best known for its toy-making history, so in practice you'll need a car to get there. Each walk starts from a different place: the Museo de la Biodiversidad, the Ayuntamiento de Ibi or the Plaza de la Palla. For some of the routes that start at the town hall, a car run to the actual trailhead is organised. That detail comes from listings that cite the town and museum websites rather than from a confirmed 2026 page. The length and difficulty of each walk haven't been confirmed either, so check the meeting point with the museum before you drive up.

Mornings in the inland hills are noticeably cooler than on the coast at this time of year. Open-Meteo forecasts a low of 10 degrees in Ibi today, compared with 14 in Alicante, so bring a warm layer for a 9:00 start.

What this means for you: put Saturday 31 October in your diary and be in Ibi before 9:00 with walking shoes, water and a jacket. If you can't make that one, the walk on 28 November and the Christmas Eve climb to the Teixereta are your last two chances this year.

Weather today

Grey but dry Saturday, 24 degrees in Alicante. Open-Meteo forecasts an overcast, dry Saturday 10 October in Alicante city, with temperatures between 14 and 24 degrees and wind no stronger than 10 km/h.

Inland it's fresher: Ibi will range from 10 to 20 degrees under cloudy skies, with wind up to 11 km/h. On the coast, Jávea can expect 12 to 23 degrees and a slightly stronger breeze of up to 13 km/h. The chance of rain is zero everywhere, so you can leave the umbrella at home, but take a light jacket for the early morning and evening, especially if you're heading into the hills.

Transport & traffic

• El Campello restricts town-centre traffic, 11 to 16 October. El Campello town council is restricting traffic in the town centre from 15:00 on Sunday 11 October until 05:00 on Friday 16 October for its patron saint festivities and Moros y Cristianos, elperiodic Alicante reports. That's almost five days of restrictions, covering a full working week, so if you usually drive through the centre or park there, plan another route or park on the outskirts. The TRAM d'Alacant, which serves El Campello, is the easiest way to get to the festivities or to cut across town without your car.

What's changing for you

• Alcoy bin tax: VOX wants the variable charge suspended. According to elperiodic Alicante, VOX municipal spokesman David Abad has asked Alcoy's (Alcoi) PSOE-led council to immediately suspend both the requirement to pay the variable part of the waste collection tax and its collection. This is a demand from the opposition, not a council decision. If you live in Alcoy or own property there, the current rules still apply, so keep paying as usual and watch for the council's response or any vote at a future council meeting before you change anything.

Local news to know

• Franco Pepe: 'a different pizza every day' with Alicante produce. Speaking to TodoAlicante, Italian pizza maker Franco Pepe, widely ranked among the best in the world, said Alicante's local produce would let him make a different pizza every day.
• ADDA Simfònica pairs Dvořák, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven. According to AlicanteOut, ADDA·Simfònica Alicante, Carles Marín and Nayden Todorov will perform 'Natura', an evening of Dvořák, Saint-Saëns and Beethoven, as part of the orchestra's 2026/27 season at the ADDA in Alicante.
• Looking back at Benidorm Pride 2026. Benidorm Pride 2026 ran from 1 to 6 September, with a Pool Party, Ñ Divas Disco, a White Party, the parade and a Main Stage After-Party among the highlights listed in Life in Benidorm's quick guide.
• Inquiry into aborted Ryanair take-off at Alicante-Elche. Spanish authorities have opened an investigation into why a Ryanair aircraft abandoned its take-off at the last moment at Alicante-Elche airport, The Olive Press reports.