MADRID—A Spanish mountain climber emerged Friday from a cave 70 meters (230 feet) underground where she spent 500 days isolated from the outside world. Beatriz Flamini, 50, of Madrid, left the cave in southern Spain shortly after 9 a.m. after being told by supporters that she had completed the feat she set out to accomplish…

Spaniard Justo Gallego Martinez (1925–2021) spent his entire life building a cathedral and he did it on his own. But this enigmatic man—who gained renown as “God’s crazy bricklayer”—from Mejorada del Campo, a small town close to Madrid, was not a lofty architect. Rather, Don Justo (his honorific name) was raised in a humble, devout…

It’s a corner of Spain that remains well off the main tourist track, nowhere near the popular cities of Madrid, Barcelona, or Málaga. Set on an Andalusian islet in the southwest corner of the country, the port city of Cádiz has been welcoming ships from around the world since ancient times—and they’ve all left their…

BARRACAS, Spain—Officials told “fire tourists” to keep away from blazes raging in eastern Spain on Sunday, saying onlookers were putting themselves at risk and disrupting efforts to quell the flames. More than 500 firefighters backed by 20 planes and helicopters were battling the fire four days after it broke out near the village of Villanueva…

MADRID—More than 1,500 people were evacuated as a major forest fire raged in Spain’s eastern Castellon province on Friday, marking an early start to the nation’s fire season amid bone dry conditions. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez promised full support to those who had fled their homes. “We’re looking at the first major fire, unfortunately,…

Some of the largest vaccine companies in the developed world are reportedly preparing avian flu H5N1 shots for humans in case the virus were to mutate and become easily transmissible from person to person. Vaccine makers GSK, Moderna, and CSL Seqirus told Reuters that they have begun developing or are about to test new human…

MADRID—Ford Motor Co. announced Friday that it will cut around 1,100 jobs at its plant in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia. The cuts are in addition to the 2,300 layoffs largely in Germany and the United Kingdom that the automaker announced last month as part of a “leaner, more competitive cost structure in Europe.”…

Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor, Spain’s grandest square, seems to celebrate life. Strolling across the square with Carlos, my guide, we passed a young man walking alone who suddenly burst into song. I asked Carlos why and he said, “Doesn’t it happen where you live?” Northwest of Madrid (1.5 hours by high-speed train), Salamanca is youthful and…

When Ariana Giampietro brought the rescue dog named Monty home, she couldn’t understand why the adorable pup was ignoring her commands. Perplexed, she got in touch with the shelter and was told Monty only understands Spanish. Giampietro, 26, from Gainesville, Florida, works as an adoption case manager for children in care. She had been caring…

BARCELONA—A Spanish court rejected a request by Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves to be released from jail on remand as the investigation over an alleged sexual assault in a Barcelona night club continues, the regional court said on Tuesday. The 39-year-old, who has denied any wrongdoing, was jailed on remand without bail on Jan. 20…