Gone are my days of being able to fiesta all night and work all day! How the local Canarians manage it is beyond me, but they did, as every night of the recent eight day fiesta was well supported. Many of the winter residents had organised a couple of weeks extra holiday especially for the occasion.

Around 4,000 people gathered in the Puerto Santiago Plaza as celebrations kicked off on Sat 12th with Fiesta Joven, (concert for the young) organised by the department of youth, Santiago del Teide council and the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife. Girl group Las K-Narias was top of the bill supported by Madel.

The week continued with nightly entertainment by comedians, ventriloquists, clowns, folklore groups and many others, and the evenings always finished with a dance continuing almost to sun rise.

Gema Montesdeoca García(pic left) was crowned this year’s Fiesta Queen. Maids of honour were Selene Melián Gorrín, Ingrid Belardi Colombo, Mercedes Carmen Pérez Treiber, Yamilé Hernández Correa and Patricia Socas Domínguez.

The big night was Sat 19th – Firework night. No work on Sunday, so armed with camera and all accessories we made our way to Puerto Santiago, pausing to laugh at all the youngsters’ attempts to stay on the bulls which were a main attraction at the fairground.

A friend’s balcony above Puerto Santiago beach was the perfect viewing place, and over a couple of drinks we had a spectacular view of the procession and the fireworks.

Each year the fireworks get brighter, louder and last even longer and the vibrations could be felt through the walls and floors – I did spare a thought for all those terrified pets in the area.

Once the display finished it was back to the Plaza for another night of music and dancing to the wee small hours – this time to one of my favourites the Arguayo Band.

……..And if you missed it all, it will all be repeated at Santiago del Teide, Tamaimo, San Juan and Alcala in the next few weeks!

More pictures of the fireworks can be seen on losgigantes.com photogalleries

Tenerife is the top destination that Brits are jetting off to this summer, new research has revealed.

Cheapflights.co.uk analysed searches on its website for holidays between May 1st to June 30th 2008 and the Spanish island came top, reports Travel Weekly.

It was followed by sun-soaked Orlando, Florida, which thanks to the weak position of the dollar against the pound was 60 per cent more popular this year compared to the same period in 2007.

Other places popular with Brits included Euro zones such as Alicante and Malaga, while further afield the charms of Bangkok and Dubai are still luring in holidaymakers.

The only Greek entry was Paphos (7th) and fellow European destinations The Algarve and Turkey also slipped into the bottom half of the top ten.

Source - Travel Industry News

198 were discovered in a house in Fañabé

Police received a tip-off that a house in the Fañabé area was being used for  production. Most of the plants were being cultivated in a small greenhouse and the rest disguised under a canopy.

Police say the 26-year-old Italian, who now faces charges of drug trafficking, also had a small amount of ecstasy tablets in his possession when he was arrested.

The Blarney Stone in Playa Arena is back under its original management and will re-open it doors on Friday 18^th July at 8pm

Augustin and Colette aim to have the bar back in full swing just like old times. They have owned the bar for 12 years. Many of us knew the bar originally as Tiffanys, until 4 years ago when it was refurbished and opened as the Blarney Stone.

In the past there have been many reviews here are 2 of them:-

16 January 2006 a visitor from Leigh, Lancs UK wrote:
Review Subject: The Blarney Stone
Review title: “The Blarney Stone Is A Very friendly Well Run Bar And Restaurant”
Travel date: December 2005
The Blarney Stone situated across the road from the beach at Playa de la Arena is a very friendly well run bar and restaurant. The food is excellent, the atmosphere very hospitable and the owners Collette and Augustine work extremely hard. The entertainment is good, there is a quiz every night and karaoke. We certainly enjoyed our visits there. The Christmas night meal was fantastic. Well done to all concerned.

Review date: 12 March 2006 a visitor from Yorkshire wrote:
Review Subject: The Blarney Stone
Review title: “The Place To Go”
Travel date: December 2005
We spent Xmas again in Playa de la Arena for the fifth year running and went to the ‘Blarney Stone’ every day. The reception you get from Collette and Augustine is second to none. The food is of good quality and plenty of it. You must try the carvary - excellent. There is a great atmosphere on a night when people get up to sing. Sometimes you have to wait your turn to sing. They run a quiz every night. There is a great selection of beers, wines, spirits, cocktails etc. If you take a trip to Playa de la Arena, call in. It’s well worth a visit.

The Blarney Stone restaurant/entertainment bar will be open for breakfasts, lunches and evening meals with a varied menu and a special Sunday carvary. Their daily entertainment programme will be listed on losgigantes.com “What’s on locally” and will vary between live music, quiz nights and karaoke evenings.

To celebrate the opening on Friday 18th Augustin, Colette and their staff have a great night lined up with live Irish music and a finger buffet, guaranteed to be a great night out and everyone is welcome.

Los Gigantes Dive Centre owner Nev, having finishing his first days diving after returning from a well earned holiday, was relaxing over a well needed beer, when the marina suddenly erupted with activity!

There was much shouting “Nev, move your boat a car wants your berth”

Rather puzzled Nev wandered over to find………….see pic right

As the car was not over the water enough to tip the balance so it fell onto his boat Nev decided there was no need to panic, however a rope quickly appeared and the car was tied to the nearest lamp post until it could be winched back from the brink.

It turned out that the owner of the car, who wishes to remain anonymous, had forgotten to put the hand brake on, Oops! His major concern now with all the very enthusiastic boys in blue around:-Would he get a parking ticket as he was well over the newly painted yellow line!

However the local fire brigade were soon on the scene and the car was winched back onto the road.

Photo by Amy

New government rules revealed yesterday that false promises made by internet service providers could soon be a thing of the past.

Industry Minister, Miguel Sebastián said the government wanted to stop internet providers advertising broadband speeds which are far higher than the customer actually gets.

Under the new rules providers will have to guarantee to provide a minimum of 80% of the speed they advertise.

Up to now, providers advertise the highest possible speed, and that higher speed is only available to consumers living very close to a telephone exchange. Those customers further from the exchange, needing a longer cable, get a slower speed.

The Centro de Información de Carreteras (Road Information Centre) to include an intelligent transport control system

The Cabildo Insular de Tenerife (Tenerife Island Council) has recently given the go-ahead for funds to develop the Centro de Información de Carreteras (Road Information Centre), located in the Intercambiador de Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz Interchange), which will manage video surveillance of the island’s main roads and access to Santa Cruz and La Laguna, and possible congestion or danger points. The new device will facilitate immediate action for road incidents and will provide information at all times to users about the state of the roads. Read Full Story » »

Campaña Contra Incendios de Tenerife 2008 is to incorporate satellite use.

Over 700 personnel, 8 helicopters, 36 vehicles, 8 surveillance towers and three communications networks are the main resources available for the operating unit of the 2008 anti-fire campaign organised by the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife (Tenerife Island Council). Read Full Story » »

To encourage people to explore the capital on wheels Santa Cruz council has launched a new bike hire service.

The scheme was unveiled at the García Sanabria Park by Mayor Miguel Zerolo and his deputy Ángel Llanos where the pool of 16 bicycles and four tandems will be based for the next 12 months.

The bikes can be hired for just one euro an hour and must be returned back to the Park. The hire service runs on Thursday and Friday afternoons and all day Saturday and Sunday.

The council hopes the service, which is being sponsored to the tune of 25,000 euros by a well known food company, will enable visitors to see a different side of the city, not just the pedestrian shopping streets and main buildings, and keep the tourists fit in the process.

After living in Tenerife for seven years Birmingham couple Gayle and Mick Curtis headed back home. Due to rigorous quarantine procedure their two beloved dogs, 8 year old Ebony, a Staffordshire bull terrier, and 13 year old Libby, a White West Island terrier had to be left behind for a while, and they knew they would have to wait a few months before they could see them again.

After the wait was over the couple looked forward to welcoming their faithful hounds back at their Marston Green home. When they arrived at Manchester airport to collect the dogs they were left devastated when officials told them they had lost their pets on the flight from Tenerife to Manchester.
Instead of being unloaded, bungling baggage handlers forgot to take them off the aircraft and the poor dogs were left on board for an hour before being sent all the way back to Tenerife – a round trip of nearly 4,000 miles and nine hours.

Beside themselves with worry they were told the dogs would be walked, given water and food when they landed back in Tenerife.

Ebony and Libby finally arrived back in Birmingham at 9.30am on Saturday morning, nearly 24 hours after they left Tenerife. They had been on the aeroplane for around 12 hours.

A spokeswoman for Thomas Cook said: “The welfare of the animals transported on Thomas Cook Airlines is always a priority. We would like to apologise to Mr Curtis for any upset and inconvenience caused.”

A spokesman for baggage handlers, Menzies Aviation, said: “As soon as the error was realised staff took immediate action to ensure the animals were met by a vet in Tenerife and were examined before being allowed to travel back to the UK. Menzies Aviation is undertaking an investigation into this incident and will take disciplinary action where appropriate.”

A defibrillator is to be install in one of the south’s busiest tourist areas to help speed up responses to medical emergencies.

A special unit is to be set up in Playa Fañabé by Adeje Council. It will be manned by civil protection volunteers and equipped with a state of the art portable defibrillator for use in heart attacks.

In the coming months the equipment will also be installed at other beaches in the area.

The corporation adopted the decision unanimously yesterday after an in depth debate on insurance cover for personnel who are called on to intervene with the defibrillator.

The newly refurbished beach promenade in Los Cristianos was officially opened by the Arona council on Friday 27th June.

The project took 15 months to complete and cost the council over three million euros. The work consisted of, “improvements to the 20 year-old promenade which involved repaving, replacing the furniture, creating accesses to the beach, public lighting and services such as the provision of toilets, showers and security. Read Full Story » »

A large haul of marijuana was intercepted shortly after it arrived by boat in the coastal town of El Médano. The haul is believed to have come from Morocco.
During searches of a number of properties in the area police uncovered 3000 euros in cash, night vision binoculars, GPS equipment and 20 mobile phones, all of which are thought to have been used in smuggling operations over the past year.

The identities of three men of different nationalities who have been detained have not been released. All three were remanded to Tenerife II prison.

During a routine inspection Santiago del Teide police discovered that two bars, one in Playa Arena and the other in Centro Comercial Tenir in Puerto Santiago, were operating under the same opening licence.

The bar owners are identified only by their initials, O.G.M. and D.G.M. and are brother and sister. The original licence applies to the bar in Playa de la Arena.

The two licences have been forwarded to the judicial authorities, as there was no clerical error in the municipal records.

Lions presidents night is the night when we celebrate the start of a new lion year and traditionally the president officially hands over power to a new president who has been elected by the club in a democratic (no arm twisting, vote rigging or opposition killing allowed) election.

This year was no exception, the main difference being that our current president was unanimously voted back for a second year in office.

Mary Thompson is now going into her second year as Lion President and her speech was short and to the point. Mary also, as is traditional, handed out a number of awards. The Lion of the Year award this year went to Club Secretary Jon Thornley. (pic right) and appreciation awards went to Ken Ward, Sheila Widdrington and Richard Dobinson.

Then night was held at El Marques in Puerto Santiago and what a fantastic night, the food was a sumptuous buffet, the staff were helpful and polite, José the head waiter was only too happy to help with last minute seating plan changes.

The entertainment was superb, Rick Porter had one of the hardest jobs of the night providing the pre-dinner and background music for the evening, he was followed by Steve Delsey (left) a very funny man who had the audience laughing with some very quick humor, and then just to show his talent more he finished his show with an operatic song Nessun Dorma, which had the audience on there feet in appreciation.

Next Rick was back with some dance songs to get the dinner worked down, then a special surprise Tuxedo Nights(right), a close harmony singing trio, Tom Bell, Eddie Hastings and guess who, yep the one and only Rick Porter, had every one up and dancing, and brought the night to a fantastic close.

For more information on the Lions Clubs International Santiago del Teide branch and what they do visit their web site

http://lionsclub.losgigantes.com/whatwedo.htm

Photos of the evening are posted in our picture galleries http://www.losgigantes.com/pictures/

Jungle Snake, adventure in the Siam Park jungle.

Siam Park is getting ready to open in 2008 and currently we are working on the final phases of decoration and technical trials. The park offers brand new and innovative attractions as well as the classical water rides that all have a special Siam touch.

The Jungle Snake is one of the rides that’s ready for everyone to enjoy. This attraction twists and turns in a jungle setting and can be enjoyed by the whole family. It can be ridden in individual or double tubes and as you plunge down on a thin film of water you slide through an amazing adventure. Each of the slides inside the Jungle Snake offers a different ride through open air sections with great views and other sections that are enclosed and in total darkness. The slide is designed to look like entwined snakes that are hidden amongst the lush greenery so that riders are not sure where the journey will take them and this really adds to the sense of mystery and adventure they will experience.

A key part of the design is to make sure that the attraction harmonizes with the setting and so the slides are set on a slope covered with plants, bushes and trees that camouflage the structure underneath. The height requirement is 1.25m and will be loved by all ages. It will without doubt be an experience they won’t forget. Siam Park is currently updating it’s website to include the latest news about the park www.siampark.net

The naked body of a man, thought to be aged between 30 and 35, was found floating in the sea off Diego Hernandez beach in Adeje on Sunday morning. People on board a private boat made the initial discovery. The body was recovered by Guardia Civil officers in their patrol boat Rio Gallo.

The man, who has not yet been named has long hair, a beard, a tattoo on one arm with the words Maria Ines inside a heart, as well as other tattoos.

Forest fire units in Tenerife sped into naction for the first time this summer to deal with a blaze near La Esperanza.

The fire broke out around 4pm yesterday near the road which is used by many tourists to drive to and from Mt Teide.

The flames, initially confined to the right hand side of the road soon crossed over, triggering alarm among locals with houses nearby.

Four helicopters were quickly on the scene and began ferrying giant buckets of water, which were emptied from the air to dampen the surrounding area and prevent the fire from spreading further. The blaze was put out shortly afterwards and a fire brigade team stood by for the rest of the evening to make sure it was not rekindled by the strong winds.

Four men, aged 32, 40, 43 and 55, employed as baggage handlers at the Tenerife Sur airport, were caught on security cameras and have been arrested in connection with the theft of items from luggage.

The police, after receiving several complaints from members of the public, have opened an investigation.

Guardia Civil officers had a rather unusual call yesterday in Las Americas when a hotel employee reported a monkey was on the beach.

They quickly swung into action and followed the monkey to an apartment complex where it was finally captured by their Nature Protection Unit. It was then transported to a local animal park where it will stay while investigations are carried out to locate its owner.

The African monkey, which is in very good health is a Cercophitecus Campbelli, or Campbell’s Monkey and it does not have the mandatory microchip which zoos are obliged to fit to their animals.

Spanish Customs have been alerted in case the monkey has been imported illegally.

The Canarian government, bowing to pressure from trade associations, have brought forward the start date for the annual summer sales.

Initially scheduled for 12th July, the Sales now begin next Monday (7th July) on most islands.
The decision had to be taken because many shops wanted to go their own way and start their sales from late June in a bid to attract custom and mitigate the effects of the current economic downturn.

The leading retail associations and chambers of commerce asked the authorities to amend the initial date to create a united position and prevent a split between the early birds and other shops who were willing to respect the original plans.

The Museum of the Fisherman in Puerto Santiago have organised a painting competition, open to all artists. The theme is the sea, fishing and its arts, fishermen, customs etc.

Entries are restricted to 1 painting per artist and can be handed in to the musuem between the 7th and 21st July.

Judges will be appointed by the musuem. 40 works will be selected and will be exhibited in the museum between 4th and 31st August. The winners will be announced and prizes given on 31st Aug at 20.30

First prize - A trip to Gomera staying at the Tecina Hotel for 2 people.

Secons Prize - A stay in Playa Arena Hotel for 2 people.

Third Prize - A weekend in Los Gigantes.

Al l prize winners will obtain diplomas and trophies.

For more info tel: 671 329 500 or email museo@museodelpescador.com

Once again it is the time of year for the Santiago del Teide “Nooks and Crannies of Santiago” painting and photographic competition.

The competition is open to non-professional artists or photographers, there is no age limit.

The theme is Rincones de Santiago, or Nooks and Crannies of Santiago, and entries should reflect the picturesque nature and/or local culture of the municipality.

Artists are limited to three entries per person, and each painting must be a minimum of 40 x 30 cm and correctly marked with the artist’s name.

Prizes for the painting competition are:

First Prize €601

Second prize €301

Third prize €150

Photographic entries are limited to 3 per person. They can be in colour or black and white and each must be a minimum of 30 x 40 cm and clearly marked with the photographer’s name.

Prizes for the Photographic competition are:

First Prize €301

Second prize €240

Third prize €180

Fourth prize €120

Fifth prize €60

Competitors are limited to one prize. Entries need to be handed in by 2pm on 24th July to the Department of Culture at the Santiago del Teide Ayuntamiento, with the following words clearly marked on the outside, “Para el concurso Rincones de Santiago”.

All entries will be on show on 27th July in the Guaninfa cultural centre in Tamaimo, to coincide with the Artesanía Popular Canaria - the local Arts and Crafts Fayre.
At 5pm the winning entries will be announced.

The second five star hotel (after Abama) in the borough of Guía de Isora open its 1st phase to guests today. Several months of work are still needed to complete all the building work before the hotel can be fully open to the public.

Being heralded as the new luxury flagship of the Sol Meliá group, The Gran Meliá Palace de Isora in Alcalá was designed by Spanish architect Álvaro Sans. (Artists impression - right)

To serve different client needs the hotel will offer a number of different zones. In the best part of the complex there are 53 bedrooms, an independent entrance and reception area as well as a number of unique services. There are also several Garden Villas each with its own pool, hydro-massage bath and garden.

In the general zone there are 114 Demi Suites with garden view, 296 Demi Suites with ocean views, 49 Demi Suites with private gardens, a number of master suites with whirlpools, family suites and 53 Demi Suites and six Garden Villas labelled as ‘exclusively for adults’.

Special attractions include the Infinity Pool, a salt water pool 265 metres long placed next to one of the biggest artificial beaches in Europe.

There are five superb restaurants each of them offering individual specialities, and a central 2,800 m2 plaza.

Families are well catered for as there is an enormous children’s zone with a terrific range of activities for all.

The hotel caters for business as well as pleasure, offering a fully functional business centre with four conference halls (with provision for up to 11 more within the complex).

The hotel also boasts up to 500 underground parking places so in theory that should take the parking pressures off Alcala!

Once again the Canary Islands host one of the most amazing events in the annual music calendar, the Canarias Jazz y Mas festival, sponsored by Heineken. Apart from the concerts at the Auditorio, the shows are free, so jot them down in your diary!
Tenerife:
4 July 21.00 Puerto de La Cruz, Plaza de Europa - The Pee Wee Ellis Assembly, Kike Perdomo, Ac&Funk
5 July 21.00 Puerto de La Cruz, Plaza de Europa - Lizz Wright, Nguyên Lê Quartet
6 July 21.00 La Laguna, Salón de Actos del I.E.S. La Laboral - “The Music of Ivan Lins”, featuring Ivan Lins with special guest Nnenna Freelon and guests Leonardo Amuedo, Marcelo Martins, Teo Lima, Marco Brito, and Nema Antunes
7 July 11:00 to 14:00 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Conservatorio Superior de Música - Seminars
21.00 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Plaza behind the Auditorio - Kyle Eastwood, Esperanza Spalding
8 July 11:00 to 14:00 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Conservatorio Superior de Música - Seminars
21.00 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Plaza behind the Auditorio - Spyro Gyra, Yul Ballesteros
9 July 21.00 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Plaza behind the Auditorio - Toto Bona Lokua, Gerald Toto, Richard Bona & Lokua Kanza, and the Ramón Díaz Group
10 July 21.00 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Plaza behind the Auditorio - New York Voices, Polo Ortí Group
11 July 21.00 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Auditorio de Tenerife - Sala Sinfónica The Crusaders featuring Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Ray Parker Jr., Nick Sample, Nils Landgren and the Funk Unit. Co-organized with “Auditorio de Tenerife”
12 July 21.00 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Auditorio de Tenerife Sala Sinfónica - Madeleine Peyroux.
Co-organized with “Auditorio de Tenerife”
Tickets can be purchased for Auditorio events direct from the box office, or through CajaCanarias ticket sales at the Los Cristianos Cultural Centre.

After the island’s Cabildo had to bail out Titsa Bus Company to the tune of €23 million last year, there are calls for a massive rethink.
Another €13 million was added to that figure from the regional government and Madrid, the total amount of public money used to keep the company operating has amounted to €36 million.

Critics say the company is over staffed and current routes are poorly-planned. TITSA was taken over by the Cabildo last year in a bid to streamline public transport provision in Tenerife following the entry into service of the tram link between the capital and La Laguna. The funding revelations call for changes at senior management levels in TITSA.

Tipsy Terrace Bar and Bistro officially opened yesterday. To celebrate the occasion there was entertainment by various well know singers in the village and a special menu prepared for the day.

For the next two weeks the new restaurant will only be open at lunchtime, but Sally aims to have the restaurant open in the evenings with the full evening menu available by mid July.

Busi­ness owners in Icod are gathering support from town councils throughout the north of Tenerife to push for a planned railway to reach the old commer­cial town.

The regional government are planning to build a railway connecting Santa Cruz to Adeje, which will improve travelling to and from the capital to the tourist resorts of the south. The rail link will reduce traffic and mod­ernise the island’s trans­port network. The lines will then be extended to reach Los Realejos.

A railway tunnel between La Orotava and Güímar is also in the advanced planning stage. Icod’s business as­sociation, Aspymecod, is playing the victimised card and suggests that by be­ing excluded they are being treated as second class.

For the future progress of Tenerife’s northwest it is concidered that their inclu­sion in the railway network as absolutely imperative.

No doubt the councils further to the north feel the same and with more reason. Icod at least has a major bus sta­tion which acts as a hub for connections to many of the neighbouring towns and surroundings, whilst other towns are lucky to see one bus an hour.

Many thousands of miles to travel, an out of date passport, a missed flight, a death in the family – yet it all came together at the last minute when Alison and Nigel tied the knot with friends and family of many nationalities as witnesses, in Los Gigantes Church.

It was always Alison’s dream to have a white wedding and to walk down the Isle with her father, and that dream came true earlier this month on June 14th.

Nigel and Alison have been an ‘item’ since 1999. They met in the 80’s in Coventry where Nigel works as an IT field engineering manager and Alison is a beauty therapist in her own business. Arranging a wedding was very difficult for Alison because she has an evening job too – catering in her now retired fathers’ previous bar, the Queens Head in Meriden. Read Full Story » »

Soon to open to the public in Icod de los Vinos is a section of the second largest volcanic tube in the world.

The Cueva del Viento is a volcanic tube system which consists of more than 18km of intersecting galleries unique in the world as they are laid in three floors superimposed over each other. Lakes, falls, terraces and walls of lava make up the largest underground labyrinth worldwide which have still not been fully investigated despite the almost 40 years of dedication by various teams of speleologists.

During the explorations of the cave system many fossils have been found of extinct animals and insects. The cave system takes its name from the strong currents of air that can be felt underground and an enormous amount of work has been done to make it accessible and safe to the public with maintaining its ecological integrity as a priority.

World environment day was chosen to announce the opening of the visitors centre and the restricted visit to the tunnel system although a fixed date has not yet been set.

Information panels are in Spanish and English and of special interest are the 170 insects which live in the caves of which 48 only live underground and 15 are new to science including two members of the coleopterous, Wolltinerfia martin and Woltinerfia Tenerife and an eyeless cockroach, Loboptera subterranea.