Fans of Asterix may like to head to Alicante this week, as the comic character’s latest film instalment is set to premiere in the Costa Blanca city.

According to Typically Spanish, Asterix at the Olympic Games will be shown for the first time at Alicante’s Teatro Principal on Tuesday, having been shot in several locations around Alicante.

Made at a cost of €78 million (£58.5 million), the film is said to be the most expensive movie production in European history and was mainly shot at the Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante, while nearby locations such as Santa Pola and Benidorm were also used.

Gerard Depardieu reprises his role as Asterix’s faithful companion Obelix, while Clovis Cornillac takes the title role. Veteran French actor Alain Delon also stars as Julius Caesar.

The film is adapted from the popular series of comic books by French artists Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. According to Time magazine, the new movie also features cameo appearances from Zinedine Zidane and Micahel Schumacher.

This month’s Santa Pola half marathon has been hailed as a great success, with 6,000 people running through the Costa Blanca town.

Often used by international athletes as part of their training regime for major summer competitions, this year’s half marathon saw many runners with hopes for the Beijing Olympics competing, Round Town News reports.

The race is now in its 19th year and has become the second largest running competition in Spain, with many of the country’s major athletic clubs praising its good organisation and location.

Kenyan entrant Silas Kipngetich Sang was the first to finish the 13-mile course, taking just over an hour to complete the route. Maria Jose Pueyo Bergua won the female competition with a time of one hour and eleven seconds.

Visitors and property owners in Santa Pola looking for a more relaxed experience can take a short boat trip to the island of Tabarca, the smallest permanently inhabited islet in Spain.

New passenger statistics have revealed that Alicante’s El Altet Airport saw significant growth during 2007 and is developing into one of Spain’s busiest destinations.

Official data shows that overall passenger levels increased by three per cent at El Altet last year, with the Costa Blanca hub now ranked as the sixth most important airport in the whole of Spain.

According to Costa Blanca News, the expansion of low-cost airlines such as Ryanair has given the airport a significant boost in the last few years, with the Irish carrier recently making Alicante one of its main flight bases.

In addition, the enduring popularity of Costa Blanca resorts among European holidaymakers continues to fuel demand for flights to Alicante, with the airport serving over one million passengers during the peak holiday month of August last year.

Airport officials have predicted that El Altet will continue to go from strength to strength this year, with plans for a new terminal and car park well underway, the website reports.

Work is also progressing on the new airport at Murcia, Round Town News reported last year. The Corvera hub will function in addition to the existing San Javier Airport and is expected to be operational by 2010, improving access to Costa Blanca locations such as Torrevieja and Santa Pola.