Top 5 People in 2008

In 2008 he won four battles: in the Supreme Court, in the National High Court of Spain, and the High Court of Justice for Andalusia. His titanic battle against speculation on the coast of Almeria has a major symbol: Hotel Algarrobico in Carboneras. If his luck continues, he may even manage to get this controversial project knocked down. The organization he runs, Salvemos Mojácar (Save Mojácar), is a fantastic example of environmentalism in action.

The series Pintores con letra grande has won him several prizes and special mentions. With Urban Landscapes he has portrayed the urban scene on canvas with a stimulating sincerity. He never fails to experiment from a position of maximum liberty “indispensable for any artist”. His works is in high demand in museums and galleries throughout Spain, his exhibitions are poetic and philosophical, and visiting them is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the urban experience.

Peláez has competed in five Olympic Games, six World Championships and nine European Championships, as well as being Spanish swimming champion over fifty times. Specialising in the 200-metre butterfly, she is one of Malaga’s sporting stars. She is reaching an age when some people say she should retire. But whilst there is still strength in her arms and legs she’ll keep competing.

It was hard to get a table even before the sparkling Michelin Star shone over the stove of Abantal Restaurant in Seville. This local chef, winner of the Best Andalusian Chef Award in 2005, works hard so as that visitors can enjoy great produce transformed into deliciously creative meals. Awarded in 2009, the Michelin Star is a sign of recognition for his know-how and good taste. abantalrestaurante.es.

Little by little this writer is publishing books that describe daily life and familial surroundings with unique sensibility. In 2008 he reached his zenith with his latest work: Pacífico. It is not often one reads literature that is so honest. The setting is so intricately constructed, both in terms of history as well as emotion, that one can read the unattainable desires of the characters he describes. Native of Catalonia, Garriga Vela has adopted the city of Malaga as his own.