Juzcar to decide in November whether to remain blue

RESIDENTS in Juzcar (Malaga), the village painted blue in June to promote the ‘Smurfs’ cartoon, will decide after the general elections whether to keep it that way.

Since the town in the Serrania de Ronda became a ‘Smurf Town’ many people have visited to see its houses, town hall, church and even the cemetery painted blue like the cartoon characters first introduced as a series of comic strips by Belgian cartoonist Peyo.

The Mayor of Juzcar, David Fernandez, said residents will vote on whether to go back to being a typical whitewashed village between the end of November and the beginning of December, once the elections are over on November 20, because such things cannot be discussed during the campaign.

The original plans was for it to go back to normal in September, however, being a Smurf town has been a huge benefit for local bars, restaurants and the hotel, which have seen their clientele increase over the past months. Around 3,000 people are estimated to visit the town every weekend, and three Local Police officers are needed to direct traffic.