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The Cabildo (Corporation) of Tenerife has organised a series of nature walks and activities for nature lovers of all ages. The activities take place at different levels to suit every person, and prices are reasonable (between €10 and €21), which includes transport, insurance and material (depending on the activity). For those interested in participating, phone 922 239 511 for more information. If you do not speak Spanish make sure you let them know, and they will provide an English-speaking monitor for you. Reservations should be made two weeks beforehand, to ensure your place in the excursion.

Activities in April:
April 1: Nature walk from Trevejos until Taucho
April 2: Climbing and absailing in El Volcán (Fasnia)
April 22: Special route for observation of the stars (Las Cañadas)
April 23: Nature walk in Chipeque, La Caldera (Orotava)
April 29: Nature walk in Ruta de Los Cabreros (Arico)
April 30: Descent of Barranco del Rincón (Araya)

Nature and Adventure

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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The “Health and Beauty” sector of Tenerife’s tourism professionals will be promoting what they have to offer at the 2006 STEPS travel event in London on 29th and 30th March. Taking the latest trends in tourism into account The Tenerife Tourist Board “Turismo de Tenerife” will be concentrating on presenting the luxury spas and wellness centres of Tenerife as one of the main tourist attractions of the island.

Tenerife stepping out in London

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Actuphoto report that, "Miwa Yanagi is one of the most important Japanese photographers and video-artists in the world. She has made prestigious exhibitions, such as Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin, Museum Marugame in Japan, or Museum Hara in Tokyo. Her short film "Suna Onna" (2005), was shown also in Arco'06 at the Galeria Leyendecker.", and they continue, "The visual intensity of the DVD's images, shot at the Teide's Natural Park of Cañadas in Tenerife, drive us to the field of supernatural."

There is no doubt that the entire island is eminently photogenic, not that my "holiday snap quality" photos will have done anything to convince you of this! :)

Tenerife often turns up in films, both short and long and, sometimes in disguise. The landscape surrounding Mount Teide is said to resemble the surface of the moon and has been used as a film location for movies such as Planet of the Apes and Star Wars.

Andy McLeod, who is probably the only British cameraman based on the islands, reports that, "Tenerife, has a growing film and television industry which supports numerous commercials, movies and all types of television productions being made by production companies from all over the world." And the news that "There is also a major film studio being built on Tenerife, due for completion in 2007". He's the guy who would know.

Just reading through the HUGE LONG, impressive list of credits to his name, I see that one project Andy (who is also a qualified diving instructor), has worked on was Lonely Planet; Pakistan and Ethiopia (Ch4). It really shouldn't be, but it is always a pleasant surprise to discover that we have people of this calibre "hiding" here on this island paradise.

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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San Antonio in Texas is in the midst of celebrating the 275th anniversary of its foundation in 1731. Sixteen families from the Canary Islands founded the city then, and regional and national authorities, as well as personalities and historians from mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, including eight “alfombristas” (sand carpet makers) from La Orotava, travelled to San Antonio to take part in the celebrations.

Citizens of Texas impressed by sand carpets

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As the problem of meeting Tenerife’s energy needs becomes ever-more urgent, the pressure is on for the authorities to come up with a long-term solution.

Now comes disturbing news they are giving serious consideration to the idea of building yet another huge power plant, this time in the north of the island. Inhabitants in the north will not be best pleased by the revelation and although no location has as yet been indicated, the not-in-my-backyard brigade are expected to mobilize and join forces with greens and common-sense citizens who think it is time for an energy rethink.

Power plant plan for north

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The government of Spain's autonomous Canary Islands has looked through its economic aid to West Africa - mostly nearby Morocco - during the last ten years and found that it had totally co-financed 165 projects with euro 17 million. Aid levels have steadily grown, and for 2006, the Canary Islands have budgeted euro 8 million for Africa. Now, transport links between the archipelago and north-west Africa are to improve.

Sharp increase in Canary Islands aid to Africa

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Hookers, whores, prostitutes, tarts .. These days they call them sex workers, so that it seems an acceptable "employment service" to contract and, clearly, there are plenty of er, "gentlemen" wishing to do so.

One such visitor from Finland used Google to search for "tenerife prostitute price" and the unfortunate fellow ended up here.

So, always aiming to give satisfaction (though I would emphasize that my own street walking adventures are of the purely non-prostitute kind), I thought I would carry out a little research into this, erm, niche of the service sector. What price for pleasure, eh?

Certainly, there isn't and never has been, a shortage of prostitutes in Tenerife.

Getting directly down to business, the World Sex Guide (don't go there, unless you're a grown-up open minded enough to read explicit content), quote prices for these services in Tenerife, in pesetas, from 2000. Undoubtedly, these will have risen (no pun intended) since then, as they seem to have in everything since the introduction of the Euro.

The price for a 5' 10", blonde, "porn star quality" prostitute in Playa de Las Americas in Tenerife back then, apparently, oscillated around 30,000 Pts per hour. That equates to 180.00 Euros in today's money, which is roughly £120.00 sterling or US $220.

World Sex Guide also (WARNING: The following link contains explicit images tell us) that "The word "whiskeria" is often used for brothel. So in Santa Cruz de Tenerife you can find the "Whiskeria del Luna" and that "Barra americana" (American bar) are bars with a very long bar where you can find girls. They say the best was the "bar de la rosa" at a highway exit shortly after the Tenerife South Airport northbound in direction Santa Cruz de Tenerife. They don't say when or for what, but they say they paid 15.000 ptas (90 Euros/£60).

Nightclubs, The Matrix Club and La Florita in Playa de las Americas, as well as Club Cleopatra in Callao Salvaje, Tenerife, offer a variety of euphemistically named relaxation and escort services of varying levels of luxury and exclusiveness.

Out on the street, there are bargains to be found, although one man "blew his top at the €20 price charged by a prostitute for oral sex and tried to denounce her for over-charging", say The Western Sun Newspaper, under the headline of Blow me! That's a bit steep!

They go on to say that, "The 48-year-old Spaniard was still complaining about the rising cost of loving as he was arrested and charged with drunk driving", after he arrived at the police station in Santa Cruz in his car, with the prostitute still in the passenger seat.

(Oh boy, never let it be said that we journalists write predictable phrases. :-)

Of course, the world's oldest profession is nothing new, even on this island.

Tenerife manages to get a mention in this book, The Floating Brothel (UK punters) by Sian Rees, set in the 1780's and sub-titled "The Extraordinary True Story of an Eighteenth-Century Ship and its Cargo of Female Convicts".

The female convicts antics are compared to the notorious dock-women of Tenerife in Chapter 8 of The Fatal Shore (UK), which contains the following passage:

"Since the liaisons were free of legal ties, a settler could simply throw a convict woman out when he was tired of her. This caused a troublesome floating population of whores and unattached "disorderly women" to accumulate around Sydney Cove, whose westerly arm, "The Rocks," soon acquired a well-deserved name as the rowdiest and most dangerous thieves' kitchen in the colony. As early as 1793, these women were offending all who met them, including a Spanish lieutenant who stopped in Sydney on an exploration vessel, the Atrevida: They made "continuous seductive advances" to his crewmen, slipped them Mickey Finns, robbed them blind, and were so "degraded by vice, or rather greed" that the notorious dock-women of Tenerife paled in memory beside them."

Mostly British, French and German travellers chronicles from the 18th and 19th Centuries also reveal the invisible History of Canary Islands Women, in which, "Some travellers also spoke of how misery drove many island women to prostitute themselves in exchange for a few coins, mainly those who did not have a man to look after them. And there are stories of how women offered themselves to sailors or a group of thirty girls, accompanied by their old mothers, who begged insistently for "the favour of an intimate conversation"."

The history of prostitution in Tenerife gets even darker when it gets linked to politics and cult religion with "the ancient practice of religious prostitution" and the story descends even further into the murky depths when Tenerife sex cult messiah turns killer.

The Canary Islands get a fictional link to the sex trade in Christophe Honore's film Ma Mère, but it isn't always all it's cracked up to be. The critics said that the Hooker's Oedipal romp was boring. Upon reflection, perhaps this shows that reality is preferable to fiction.

But, speaking of fiction, it must be remembered that not all "happy hookers" wind up with their "Prince Charming" like Vivian (Julia Roberts) in "Pretty Woman".

It is not my place to judge and I am not against someone voluntarily providing services for which there is obviously a demand - and it should be underlined that this is also perfectly legal in Spain - however, there is an increasing problem, where "around 80 percent of prostitutes working in Spain are immigrants, many of them illegal, from Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa, as seen here in the Canary Islands. There is little doubt that many of the foreign prostitutes have been coerced into the trade by criminals who lured them to Spain with false promises of other jobs", as reported on numerous occasions in The Paper and, now 'Europe's brothel' Spain seeks solutions to prostitution.

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Gofio is a flour made from roasted sweetcorn and other grains (e.g wheat, barely or oat) . Gofio was first eaten by the Guanches, the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands, as the main staple of their diet. Gofio is still an important ingredient in Canary Islander cooking, and Canary Islander emigrants have spread its use to the Caribbean and all of Latin America. Gofio can be added to soups, stews, desserts, ice cream, sauces, and more.

Gofio From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Later today at a presentation to be celebrated at the Garachico establishment, the Hotel La Quinta Roja, José Rodríguez, the publisher and director of the newspaper EL DÍA, is to be awarded the honorary title of "Condestable de la Quinta Roja".

Condestable means High Constable or Commander-in-Chief.

This recognition is based upon Rodríguez', whom they describe as "a liberal, a humanist and a man eminently tinerfeño", many merits. The title is registered with the ministries of Culture and Tourism, with the aim of recognizing "people who do things with love".

Garachico born writer, poet, journalist, Carlos Acosta García, received the title of "Condestable de la Quinta Roja" in March 2005, the first time the award was conferred.

The Hotel La Quinta Roja was formerly the 16th Century mansion of the Marquis de La Quinta Roja, title that was conferred upon the descendants of Garachico's founder, Cristóbal de Ponte, by Royal Decree of Carlos II on July 17th, 1689.

José Rodríguez recibe el título de Condestable de la Quinta Roja

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Just in case you are one of those people who fears flying to Tenerife because of the island's crash record, you may like to know what help is at hand these days.

The tender pictured, plus other models, have been supplied by ROSENBAUER, to the Spanish Airports' Authority (AENA), including to both Tenerife South and Tenerife North airports.

ROSENBAUER reassuringly say, "In case of a crash situation, the run across the airport must not only be as fast, but also as short as possible, whereby small obstacles, fences and hedges will be driven over, traversing difficult ground and the tarmac at over 100 kph. This is the reason why ROSENBAUER uses not only standard chassis but also military and special for its air crash tenders, to be capable of meeting the selective demands made by major, top category international airports."

Air Crash Tenders

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Whilst much has been written about the March 1997 crash at Tenerife's Los Rodeos airport - and not to worry anyone here - but did you know that four air crashes had occurred on the island since 1965?

And, three of them, lamentably, make it into the Top 100 Aviation Disasters. Those three, in order of severity, are:

March 27 1977 - 583 killed - KLM Boeing 747-206B collides with Pan Am Boeing 747-121 on the runway at Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport.

December 3 1972 - 155 killed - Spantax Covair 990-30A-5 Coronado, carrying West German tourists, lost control on take-off from Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport.

April 25 1980 - 146 fatalities - Dan-Air Services B-727-46 flying from Manchester crashed into a mountain south of Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport on approach.

All three accidents happened in fog conditions.

Tenerife's Los Rodeos airport is situated on a 2,000-feet-high plateau, which is subject to cloud descent and sudden dangerous crosswinds, say the British Council.

Of course, it should be remembered that not only does Tenerife now have another, much larger, airport (Reina Sofia) on the south of the island that enjoys much better weather conditions and is further from mountains, an awful lot has changed in the last 26 years, since the date of the last major accident to occur at Los Rodeos.

Logic, if not actual reports, tells us that radar and communications will have come on leaps and bounds since then, so that taking off or landing, even if Los Rodeos is prone to fog (and it is), is no longer quite the danger it was over a quarter of a century ago.

Tenerife Air Traffic Control was implicated (giving wrong directions) in the 1980 Dan Air crash, according to the accident report referred to in comments here, although, neither they, nor the airport itself were found to be to blame in the other two major crashes.

It seems wrong that they are never allowed to "live it down", when this is the proven case. Yes, there are still people who fear flying there. There are those too who think it a disgrace that there is no memorial to crash victims at the airport and accuse the Tenerife authorities of wanting to forget. Whom would it help? Certainly not passengers passing through!

Of course, four crashes is four crashes too many, but the world is not perfect. Four crashes in over 40 years, when, for instance, you take into account the fact that Tenerife's airports combined are set to handle over 73,000 flights during this year's seven month summer season alone, puts the matter into a much better perspective, I think.

Tenerife / Los Rodeos, SPAIN Weather

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

Labels: Tenerife Disaster

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Paragliding enthusiasts and, indeed, visitors of all persuasions, will enjoy this report on a flying visit to Tenerife.

They have this to say about the northwest cliffs at Teno Alto, "Although the terrain near the high mountain village of Teno Alto on the northwestern tip of the island is somewhat out of the way, it is that much more worthwhile seeing, and that even if it didn't happen to be possible to take off. The beautiful grassy meadow at an altitude of 720 meters above sea level, just asking to be camped on, including the perfect stone fire pit, terminates in a sharp cliff edge. The view from the edge down to the ocean is enthralling and the crash of the breaking waves is heard all the way at the top." It is spectacular.

However, visitors who wander off the beaten track and into banana plantations should heed the warnings of their experience with an unripe banana, which they found shares a number of properties in common with Czech glue, Kanagom. :)

The whole report Flying on the Canaries - Tenerife is a delightful read, because it contains many keen, seemingly small, but very accurate observations. There are also numerous photos and, like many things written by non-native English speakers, is written so much better than those of us lazy sobs who are native speakers would be inclined to do.

Flying on the Canaries - Tenerife

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Even though Tenerife is a relatively small island and I have spend almost a decade and a half on it, there is still a LOT I haven't seen myself. There are even sights that I never imagined that you could see, like Mount Teide and the unmistakable Roques de Garcia up in the cañadas, reflected in an enormous lake that has formed on a spot that is normally a vast, dry desert.

54fotos.com (I didn't count them) has images of just such sights, plus amazing sunsets, spectacular seas of clouds and many more art quality images of the island. Just go to the site and click on Paisajes (Landscapes). There are more gorgeous photos under Otras (Other) and, for those interested in paragliding, yet more under Parapente.

54fotos.com

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Mentioned before on these pages are various birds that I've spotted locally, even without trying, since living here.

The birds mostly just come to visit me, however, some people come from far and wide to get the chance to add interesting local sightings to their lists.

Some of the birds you might see in the Teno areas are; Barbary Falcon, Rock Sparrow, Plain Swift, feral pigeon, Kestrel, Raven, Buzzard, Cory's Shearwaters, Pallid Swifts, Berthelot's Pipits, Linnet, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and flocks of Island Canaries.

This Birding Trip Report for Tenerife will tell you more.

It is interesting to note what they say about the road to the Punta de Teno itself, "Once we had arrived a sign appeared to say that the road around the cliffs was closed! However, a lot of people seemed to be ignoring this and so we did likewise." Yes, I have also arrived there and found the road seemingly blocked, yet everyone drove onward. Whilst I don't know the "official policy", it is believed that this is to deter large numbers of people from going down the, frankly, eerie road with long tunnels and to the peaceful point itself. It seems that when "too many" people have gone down, the police will suddenly turn up to the barricade and start meaning it. Maybe they have a counter thingy in the road?

Field Guide to the Birds of the Atlantic Islands by Tony Clarke, Chris Orgill (Illustrator), Tony Disley (Illustrator). The first comprehensive field guide dealing exclusively with the birds of this spectacular region. It covers all resident, migrant and vagrant species found in Macaronesia which comprises the Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde.

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Speaking of Tenerife beauty spots, as we were earlier, one visit that should not be missed in Tenerife is to the Parque Etnografico, built around the Pyramids of Guimar by the late Dr Thor Heyerdahl and shipping magnate Fred Olsen.

Like every single aspect of Tenerife's history, there is truth and there is myth and the two have become almost indistinguishable over the centuries, which combine to make this one of the most fascinating places, not just on the island, but on earth.

For me, it was not just magical to see the pyramids themselves and the other extremely well-presented exhibits, but also to see the replicas of the reed boats that Paulino Esteban in Bolivia had helped make for Heyerdahl. Viewers of Michael Palin's journey, Full Circle, will have "met" Esteban when he took Palin for a test-drive on Lake Titicaca.

Yesterday, I came across a wonderful article that describes The Lost Pyramids of Guimar.

"Although well known in Europe, few people outside the continent have even heard of the Islands let alone the mysteries they hold. The Canary Islands could contain definitive proof that ancient people crossed the globe by sea long before Columbus ever did."

"That proof might well lie in a large pyramid complex on the biggest of the Islands, Tenerife; and in the research of the Norwegian explorer, anthropologist and author, the late Dr Thor Heyerdahl. Realising that the pyramids were extremely similar to the step pyramids found in Peru, Mexico and ancient Mesopotamia, Dr Heyerdahl spent the last few years of his life living in Guimar, supervising the archaeological mission to survey and preserve the six step pyramids and the complex they were part of. "

Read more: The Lost Pyramids of Guimar

There are also over 70 photographs of the pyramid complex of Guimar in their Gallery. Check them out, by clicking here.

Parque Etnografico Website

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Over the next few weeks, the town hall in Buenavista del Norte, Tenerife will launch a new service via mobile phone that will improve communication of information about various events and initiatives promoted daily from the local corporation.

The service will be provided by sending text messages to phone users who subscribe to the system, also allowing them to distribute relevant information, targeted according to age, employment or place of residence within the district.

Similar systems are already in use in Garachico and Los Silos.

Good job I got myself a new mobile phone when I was in Icod de los Viños on Monday!

This is excellent news, because I have often missed fiestas, the irregularly scheduled Sunday Farmers' Markets and other local events, because, despite them being on the doorstep, there was no way to know when they would be taking place. Up until now, only when there have been sizeable events coming up, the town hall would send round a van with a loudhailer, but that requires that one is awake and has no other distractions on in the house and, even then, is most difficult to catch from here on this ridge.

If I actually know what is going on, this will give me not only more opportunities to go to events, but also record and photograph them for your enjoyment too.

El ayuntamiento de Buenavista del Norte recurre a móviles para informar a los vecinos

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Just a small traveller's tip here: which it occurred to me to write, since I have just been stupid enough to stab myself in the hand with a kitchen knife!

This applies to anywhere where the climate never gets cold enough to kill germs. No matter how small the cut, abrasion, etc., don't ignore it. Yes, in northern climates it might work to wash (or perhaps lick) and leave a small scratch, but not here. You may be lucky, but I've had some nasty swellings in the past when I've tried to ignore my own advice.

Get the antiseptic out straight away when the skin in broken, even for minor cat scratches (and I get a LOT of those, with five of them). If you need to go to the Farmacia (chemist), ask them for some old-fahioned iodine, which is sold under the brand name of Betadine.

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Gerald England, who made a trip to Tenerife and La Gomera earlier this year with his wife, took some lovely photos, including this one looking down on the El Palmar valley.

You'll find an Introduction to Tenerife Photographs and a Sequential List of Photographs from which to browse.

Actually, I've been in touch with Gerald since I found his photos on the web - wouldn't you if you found one that your house is in? Lovely man and well-travelled too. While you are at his site, take some time to browse those of the British Isles and the rest of the world.

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Islas.com says, "Tenerife's Beauty Spots are, as you might well imagine, er, beautiful. (Got a way with words, haven't I?) During the long daylight hours, if you need a rest from the rigours of sun, sand and sea, you may find yourself sightseeing around the fascinating and beautiful island of Tenerife, whether on an organised excursion or in your own rented car. We highly recommend that you do!" Here are some of their favourite places.

Tenerife's Beauty Spots

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Excel Airways is planning to install winglets on the wing tips of four of its leased aircraft in a bid to cut fuel costs. A growing trend in the aviation industry, the technology will be installed on the company's 737-800 airplanes and is expected to be particularly beneficial for some of the airline's longer flights. These include flights from Gatwick to Luxor in Egypt, Tenerife and Spain, which could require up to four per cent less jet fuel, saving 115,000 gallons per plane. It remains to be seen whether the savings will be passed on to Excel's passengers in the form of cheaper seats. Excel Airways to cut fuel costs

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Top30 has installed a climbing wall/tower 12 meters in height, made entirely using 3D Real Rock panels. With this wall Top30 has delivered 3 first class climbing walls (Las Palmas, Breña Baja and Granadilla) and seemingly the three are not the end of it.

The climbing tower installed by Top30 in Granadilla has a platform on top and an internal staircase. The installation is located next to the municipal sports pavilion. Canary Islands; the trilogy

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Europe's banana growers will soon face big changes to the way they receive the lavish EU subsidies that keep many of them in business, as the 13-year old policy comes in for a long-awaited overhaul, officials say.

After introducing a single-tariff import duty from 2006 that was the deal to end the 1990s "banana wars", which Europe lost at the hands of Ecuador and the United States, the EU has now turned its focus towards reforming its internal subsidy system. It will be of prime interest to France, Spain and Portugal, the EU's main banana growers in some of its remotest islands: Guadeloupe, Martinique, the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores. The Canary Islands are Europe's largest banana producer, turning out 412,000 tonnes in 2004.

EU gears up to overhaul banana subsidy regime

Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias

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Do people honestly travel to foreign climes, only to search for "the comforts of home"?

Personally, I prefer to sample the local delicacies wherever I go, but perhaps I am more than averagely adventurous in my culinary tastes. You would think so if you spend much time in Tenerife's resorts, especially those on the south of the island with their plethora of English cafes.

And, those which serve this particular combination (OK, chips may not be a breakfast food, but English breakfasts in Tenerife do usually include the beans - I think, to fill the plate cheaply) are being documented by Russell Davies at eggbaconchipsandbeans. But, says Davies, "... it's gradually dawning on me that I'm not going to be able to visit every cafe in the world." Quite right too: imagine the effects on his health from such a diet.

And it dawned on me that if you are a connoisseur of Tenerife's many fried English offerings, then you might like to contribute your reports to his "open sauce" blog.

eggbaconchipsandbeans Via: Jaunted

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President of the Island Corporation, Ricardo Melchior, said yesterday, that after the opening of the Zona Franca (free economic zone ) in Tenerife, the island will become the European location which offers the best fiscal advantages. The free economic zone was approved in January 2006, but awaits approval of it's internal regulation from the Ministry of Economy, expected in about two months. The article also notes that a maritime link between America and the Canaries will begin functioning within a month.

This is the second open free economic zone in Europe and covers the whole of the port of Santa Cruz and would be extended to the proposed (contentious) port of Granadilla.

Melchior: "Tenerife será el lugar con las mayores ventajas fiscales de la UE"

A free port (porto franco) or free zone (US: Foreign-Trade Zone) is a port or area with relaxed jurisdiction with respect to the country of location. Most commonly this means being free of customs or being a special customs zone with favorable customs regulations. The free economic zones are usually called free ports.

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There's no excuse to stay at home any more, because the Canarian Government has launched a project, "Días C de Cultura" (C for Culture Days) in which residents can get 50% discounts on all tickets from Canarian air and ferry companies; Binter, Islas Airways, Garajonay Express, Fred Olsen y Naviera Armas, for those who wish to travel to cultural events that are held on an island other than the one on which they reside.

The fundamental tool, says Canarian President, Adán Martín, is the internet. Through the new website at www.diasc.com, you can find listings of the cultural events that are part of the program. Once you've bought a ticket for the event, or obtained an invitation there in the case of free events, you may be able to acquire travel tickets at half price.

Not all cultural events are included and there will generally be (sometimes flexible) limits on the numbers of discounted places available at the discretion of the carrier.

La mitad del billete será gratis para quienes viajen para asistir a actos culturales
Viajar entre Islas con destinos culturales será desde ahora un 50% más barato

(NOTE: on the website it seems that only Fred Olsen is participating at the moment)

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Traffic in Tenerife's airports is set to increase by 9.47% during the 2006 summer season, which began this week and prolongs until October 28. Movements programmed for the two Tenerife airports amount to 73,072, which is 6,324 more than in the same period last year. The airports authority predict a 10.22% increase in flights in the south (Reina Sofia) and 8.7% in the north (Los Rodeos), figures which are above the national averages.

El tráfico aeroportuario en Tenerife crecerá un 9,5% durante este verano

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"The extensive use of coño throughout the Iberian Peninsula, however, is well documented. It’s the one swear word – well, at least the nastiest – that seems to slip effortlessly into the daily conversations of fellow Spaniards from the Canary Islands to the Pyrenees Mountains. I think that because it is used so often, the word has simply come to lose the power of insult and vulgarism that its English equivalent still possesses."

Pichas and Chochos

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Interesting observation by The Spanish Cockpit, "Given the Spanish propensity for coming together in large groups (to drink and chat, to protest educational reform, to run with the bulls), you'd think that labor actions would be more dramatic here." And they aren't: protests seem like any other fiesta and are always conveniently planned.

The Hedonist's Approach to Labor Unrest

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Tenerife Cabildo has begun to cordon off Santa Cruz’s Plaza de España in preparation for the remodelling project which is to take place in the central area of the city. Over 14 million Euros will be spent on the the woks in which the Plaza de España is to be given a new look, which will permit a good view of the sea from the central area.

Face lift for Santa Cruz’s “zona centro”

(Sarcastic quip: Maybe if they can clearly see all those cruise ships in port, this "good view" will finally persuade Santa Cruz' shopkeepers to open for shoppers' benefit.)

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German electronics multinational, Media Markt, is planning to open its second branch in the Canary Islands, after opening the first in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 2002, this time in the Tenerife capital, Santa Cruz. Specializing in low prices (and advertising scandals), the greatest probability is that the store will instal itself in Santa María del Mar, close to Carrefour. Media Markt, who are already recruiting executive personnel, already have more than 30 branches in Spain and 350 throughout the world.

La alemana Media Markt planea abrir una sucursal en Santa Cruz
Media Markt - Spainish website

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The Canary Islands may not be a too bad place to see a partial eclipse this morning. The BBC report that the path of totality will traverse parts of West a