Posted Week Commencing: Monday 29th March 2005
Its Easter once again and Arona councillors responsible for the management and care of the borough’s beaches, have organised a special operation to help guarantee the safety of the numerous bathers who are expected to use their beaches.
The beaches of Los Cristianos, Las Vistas and Las Galletas will be included in this holiday scheme in association with the Red Cross.
It is hoped that both local residents who spend their free time at the beach and tourists who have chosen to visit the coast of Arona for their Easter holiday will enjoy a safer atmosphere since lifeguards will be present on the beaches from 10am until 6pm.
As well as the 7 lifeguards there will also be help from the volunteer Red Cross workers from midday until 5pm each day and there will be a jet ski available for rescues and an ambulance standing by just in case.
These measures, explained the councillors, aim to control any potentially dangerous situations paying special attention to senior citizens, children and handicapped bathers.
Jairo Gonzalo, provincial Red Cross president, added that the Playa de Las Vistas is considered to be one of the most accessible beaches in the canary islands since it is equipped with ramps and special areas for handicapped bathers. The Red Cross are also equipped with specially adapted wheel chairs and crutches for use in the water.
Arona and San Miguel de Abona are putting together a joint action plan to meet the needs of Guargacho villagers who are served by both southern town halls.
In under a month, the local authorities will sign a collaboration agreement to complete infrastructures and facilities. One of the examples is a sports centre with San Miguel responsible for the installation and Arona taking care of the equipment.
July will see the inauguration of a cultural centre provided by San Miguel in that authority’s zone but with both town halls covering maintenance and personal costs.
A youth information point and residents association headquarters in Arona are seen as meeting places for all members of the population.
Also under discussion are an infants and education centre in San Miguel and a Secondary Education Institute in Arona. Both councils will share the maintenance and running of the village’s health centre and Arona has taken charge of renovating Calle Camilo José Cela which divides the municipalities.
Los Cristianos, Las Galletas, La Caleta and Los Abrigos are key target areas for illegal fishing.
An estimated 80% of the activities carried out along this section of South Tenerife coastline are reckoned to be clandestine with an increasing number of pleasure craft equipped with fishing gear. The claims were made by Vicente Rivero, the major employer of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes guild, who said the poaching was causing serious financial losses for regional fishermen.
To combat the illicit activities, he called on the Canarian Government’s Fishing Council and Madrid’s representative to channel more resources, both human and material, to step up the watch and control of the coast with round the clock surveillance.
Fishermen had noted a continuous decline in sales of their catches because the illegal operators were asking lower prices and contact had been made with port authorities over fish stalls at Los Cristianos dry dock where the guild had right of first sale, explained Rivero.
A 15 strong party from Granadilla de Abona will pay a six day visit to Tinduf refugee camps in the Sahara on a humanitarian aid mission.
Carmen Morales, the local authority’s Municipal Relations Councillor, said the delegation would take medicine and various equipment to Smara and El Aayún as part of the Town Hall’s policy of helping underprivileged people.
A collection had raised money for a portable X-ray machine and members of the party would organise workshops and activities as well as meeting a youth organisation in the spirit of co-operation with Granadilla counterparts, she explained.
Another objective will be to make contact with traditional music groups to take part in Muestra Folclórica de los Pueblos, an August event promoting African –Saharan folklore.
Granadilla de Abona Town hall and Tenerife Cabildo have co-operated with the Spanish Ornithological Society to provide information and raise awareness among residents and tourists for preserving the bird population.
Some species are exclusive to the area and the last examples on the island so the authorities and conservationists are anxious to stress the need to obey the reserve’s rules.
A large influx of visitors was expected to El Medano resort and surrounding areas coinciding with the breeding period, and a priority was to safeguard eggs and chicks by avoiding disturbance through visitors straying off paths or letting dogs free.
Community Policing could soon be stepped up in Costa Del Silencio where Arona Town hall promised that 2.4 million euros improvement scheme would get under way in the next few months.
Mayor José Alberto Gonzalez told residents that trials were being carried out to boost the local Police ranks by 33 officers and create district units as previously announced. Members of Vecinos de Costa de Silencio residents association met the Mayor at Las Galletas Cultural Centre to outline local problems, including insufficient policing which had led to daily crimes such as bag thefts with elderly people often targeted. They also called for improvements to the municipal cleaning service and street lighting and an increase in the frequency of Titsa bus connections with Reina Sofia Airport.
The Mayor said the infrastructures and tourist quality plan, which would see 2.4 million euros spent in Silencio through an agreement with the Canarian Government, featured a scheme to illuminate one unlit main road by removing an outer wall of the Ten Bel complex. He also revealed that the Town Hall was taking over the Ten Bel development and a company was interested in building a 5 star hotel with an artificial beach and theme park that could get the go-ahead despite tourist planning restrictions.
The Mayor felt that a Tenerife Cabildo project for a promenade between Silencio and Las Galletas would improve the quality of the zone, while talks were under way to replace the Chasna building with a new residential block and transport problems should be solved by urban buses scheduled for 2006.
For Las Galletas residents, he said the Island Waters Council plan for an outflow into the sea should tackle the flooding caused by heavy rainfall, although the scheme was understood to be opposed by fish farmers as a threat to the area’s tourist trade and marine environment. The fishing village’s harbour and beach improvements were imminent, stressed the Mayor.
A new study commissioned by Tenerife Cabildo reveals that sales of locally produced wines with the Tenerife Denomination of Origin quality label have a 17% market share on the island.
The study features information on the amount of wine sold last year, 22m litres in total, which accounts for just 3% of the wines sold in Spain. José Joaquin Bethencourt, Farming and Water minister for Tenerife says, “among the positive figures revealed by the study is the high level of production of DO wines making these wines much more popular – consumption is above the national average and they are considered a high value product”.
The market research was carried out under the promotion of Tenerife Wines Scheme launched by the Cabildo and the Regulatory Wine Boards with the support of the Canary Islands government. The scheme will run until 2006.
The Costa Adeje Golf course was recently granted the prestigious ISO 14001 Biosphere Golf status by the German organisation TUV international.
The Cabildo of Tenerife have financed the improvements necessary to comply with the strict environmental regulations of the organisation on the five courses interested in the category but Costa Adeje Golf is the first in the Canary Islands to be awarded the title.
Vice President of the Cabildo and Councillor for Tourism and Planning, Jose Manuel Bermudez, emphasised the importance of the achievement explaining that such a title places the island on a level with other leading golf destinations for its environmental policies, classifying the installations as “top class” and giving international prestige to the island.
The environment –friendly management system used on Costa Adeje Golf, which is the result of an assessment from the Responsible Tourism Institute, complies with the regulations of the ISO 140001 Biosphere Golf which basically means that it carries out its operations making sure any negative environmental impacts are minimised.
The golf course on Amarilla Golf, Golf Del Sur, Playa de Las Americas and Buenavista Golf are working towards being granted ISO status with the help of the Tenerife Cabildo.
Los Cristianos was first on the hit list as Arona Town Hall stepped up the campaign to keep public thoroughfares clear of tables, chairs and advertising.
Calles General Franco, Pablos Abril and Roma, Plaza de la Moncloa and CCs Joseba and Magali were named as target areas in the local authority clear up aimed principally at tourist zones. Mayor José Alberto González said businesses were being warned in advance of an impending swoop so they had a chance to remove any property regarded as unsightly or obstructing pedestrians and emergency services.
He said the work was being carried out efficiently and claimed it had created no ill feeling among traders who understood the need to comply with by-laws and improve quality in tourist areas. Any property taken away by municipal teams can be recovered on payment of a fine, the amount of which depends on the seriousness of the offence.
Long term security plans for tourist municipality Arona could see new Local Police headquarters established in El Mojon zone near the future South hospital complex.
The local authority’s civic security council has been studying the possibility of such a project as an effective response to the needs of the municipal force with continues to expand in terms of personnel, resources, training and specialisation.
It could be three or four years before the development starts to take place an in view of the likely investment required, the scheme will probably be tackled in stages.
The benefits foreseen include a considerable improvement in connections between the tourist zone and various districts due to proximity to the TF1 motorway and the carretera general, providing direct access to such important population areas as Chayofa, Aguilas del Teide, La Camella, la Florida, Valle de San Lorenzo and Cabo Blanco.
Arona, regarded as having one of the strongest Local Police forces in the South, will soon welcome 33 new officers and additional resources, including vehicles , have kept pace with the increase in manpower.
If the headquarters plan goes ahead the town hall will have to negotiate with the owner of the land earmarked, a well known tourist developer in the region.
Around 4 million euros from Tenerife Cabildo coffers are being spent on sanitation and sewage projects in 4 southern municipalities, including Arona and Granadilla de Abona.
El Fraile sanitation works, which began in the Arona village during February and should be completed in 14 months, will cost 1.6 million euros.
In Granadilla, more than 177,000 euros is being spent on channelling rainwater from the Chimiche road as far as Atogo junction into the Barranco de Cha Joaquina.
Agua Dulce-Piedra Hincada sanitation system will be connected to Playa de San Juan pumping station in Guia de Isora in a scheme with a budget of 1.1 million euros and more than a million euros are destined for El Socorro sanitation project in Guimar.
Tourist municipality Arona, which has the largest population in South Tenerife, is in danger of being overwhelmed by an uncontrolled influx of immigrants.
Calling for urgent strong action from the central and regional governments, Mayor José Alberto Gonzalez said foreigners made up 40% of the 70,000 plus residents.
While the European Union suggested an annual growth rate of no more than 3% for a well balanced society, the municipality is expanding by 15% which is out of proportion and untenable. He warned there was a risk of instability in health, education and employment and controls were needed to avoid jeopardising Arona’s future, culture and territory. He wants to tighten up frontier checks at the airport as 80% of illegals arrive by plane.

Posted Week Commencing: Monday 22nd March 2005
Modern sports stadium in Arona.
The Mayor of Arona, Jose Alberto Gonzalez Reveron, and Arona’s councillor for Sports, Jose Ramon Perez, have visited the work which are being carried out on the Fernando Perez football stadium in Arona town centre.
The work involves the construction of new seating, a medical attention room and a new changing room. The playing area will also be extended and an artificial grass surface will be laid towards which the Tenerife Cabildo will contribute 200,000 euros.
A new parking area will be built on land given by the Tavio family and a wall will be constructed to separate the ground from the road.
A new ramp leading to a two storey building will ensure easy access and on the ground floor there will be a ticket office, an adapted toilet area, a store room and a laundry. On the top floor there will be a meeting room and various offices.
The town hall officials explained that in the first instance, the plans only included a new artificial grass surface but the plan for a complete renovation of the ground was finally accepted with the aim of providing a modern sports complex, which will cater for the needs of the local sports enthusiasts in the future.
Gonzalez Reveron concluded the visit with apologies to the local teams who have had to be transferred to other grounds until the work is finished but added that the new Fernando Perez stadium will be an outstanding example among all the sports stadiums in the south of the island.
It is hoped that the work, which has a total budget of 1,800,000 euros, will be completed by July, which will allow the local teams to return to their stadium for the beginning of the 2005 – 2006 season.
Carry on camping
More than 8,000 campers are expected to descend on South Tenerife coasts at Easter, but facilities may not be able to cope with the invasion.
José Antonio Pérez, President of PRODECAM which fights for campers’ rights, said he was worried that the island Cabildo had not kept promises to equip sites set aside for this popular leisure activity.
He named La Tejita, near El Médano, as the only location where the authority had tried to provide proper amenities, but work had been held up.
Meanwhile, there had been attempts to do away with other designated areas such as El Confital in Granadilla de Abona and Alcalá, Guía de Isora.
The President said his organisation felt snubbed by the administration and he called on town halls to collaborate by installing a water supply, toilets, lighting and rubbish containers at regular camping zones.
Fireman take action
Six firemen are on duty at San Miguel de Abona station to cover nine Tenerife municipalities with more than 130,000 inhabitants.
The demands are even greater for watches at La Laguna and La Orotava, say representatives of the island service who announced an indefinite strike from March 18 because of disagreements with a new operational plan in force from this year until 2009.
They hit out at a drastic reduction in personnel on night-time duty and differences in protocol depending on which island zone was involved.
The firemen didn’t rule out a hunger strike as Gran Canaria colleagues had done and called for solutions to their demands for basic rights.
After almost 100 professionals had demonstrated outside brigade headquarters and called for the resignation of Director Jacobo Kalitovics, island Cabildo Vice-President José Manuel Bermudez said the door was always open for dialogue.
The plan in dispute is understood to envisage the brigade’s expansion with 70 additional firemen and an investment of 2.2 million euros in new equipment.
But the strike committee, who launched meetings with the mayors of the 27 town halls covered by the brigade, insisted at least 250 recruits were needed to meet United Nations guidelines of one fire-fighter for every 1,000 inhabitants.
Following in Tenerife’s footsteps
Menorcan authorities have shown an interest in adopting the tourism promotion methods that SPET have used in Tenerife.
In response to an invitation from the president of the Consell de Menorca, Joana Barceló, Alberto Bernabeu ,director of SPET, recently attended a meeting in Mahon to explain the mechanism of the Society to the local authorities. Those present at the meeting, including Azucena Jimenez, the island director, representatives of the Balearics government and Menorcan businessmen, heard how private companies and public authorities in Tenerife work together with the common objective of improving the resorts and promoting the touristic aspect of the island externally.
The vice president of the Cabildo, Jose Manuel Bermudez, emphasized the importance of being ‘at the top’ of the tourist rankings and added that to be used as a reference for other destinations showed that the island had made the correct choice of promotional strategy and any improvements would simply add to the prestige of the island.
The Menorcans also heard how Lanzarote has chosen a similar system to promote the island.
Granadilla perfect for business centre
The Mayor of Granadilla, Jaime Gonzalez Cejas, believes that the Granadilla Industrial Estate, which is located 5 kilometres from the airport, would provide the perfect location for the New Technological Business Park which is being planned by the Tenerife Cabildo.
Gonzalez Cejas added that the inclusion of the new park on the Industrial Estate would add a new important aspect to the area - not only would the estate be a focus for industrial and economical activity but would also be transformed into a professional training centre for business students.
The Industrial Estate, explained the mayor, would become a centre for Investigation, Development and Innovation.
At present, the Granadilla Industrial Estate, which covers an area of 7 million square metres, is the centre for the basic industries of the island. Its size and the specialist equipment located within the zone makes it the most flexible industrial estate on the island and since it is the furthest south in Europe, it also provides a important commercial link between Africa and America.
On your marks . . .
More than 200 school children from San Miguel Arcangel in the centre of San Miguel recently took part in special sports day in the Oscar Gonzalez Sports stadium.
The ‘Sports For Fun’ day was organised by the councillor for sport, Julian Jesus Martin, and his department with the collaboration of the Tenerife Cabildo and the school itself with the aim of encouraging the youngsters to take part in different activities to generate interest in the Municipal School of Athletics.
Julian Martin explained that this event, together with a similar project organised in the football stadium Juanito Marrero in Las Zocas, aimed to show the children the positive aspects of sporting activities while they enjoyed a day away from the school books and learned to cooperate with each other in a different way.
Martin added that the town hall had plans to continue the initiative with older children making sports activities attractive to them and at the same time discouraging less healthy ways of spending their free time.
Poachers to be targeted
Los Cristianos, Las Galletas, La Caleta and Los Abrigos are key target areas for illegal fishing.
An estimated 80% of the activities carried out along this section of South Tenerife coastline are reckoned to be clandestine with an increasing number of pleasure craft equipped with fishing gear.
The claims were made by Vicente Rivero, the major employer of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes guild, who said the poaching was causing serious financial losses for regional fishermen.
To combat the illicit activities, he called on the Canarian Government’s Fishing Council and Madrid’s representative to channel more resources, both human and material, to step up the watch and control of the coast with round-the-clock surveillance.
Fishermen had noted a continuous decline in sales of their catches because the illegal operators were asking lower prices and contact had been made with port authorities over fish stalls at Los Cristianos dry dock where the guild had right of first sale, explained Rivero.
Local boost for police
Long-term security plans for tourist municipality Arona could see new Local Police headquarters established in El Mojón zone near the future South hospital complex.
The local authority’s Civic Security Council has been studying the possibility of such a project as an effective response to the needs of the municipal force which continues to expand in terms of personnel, resources, training and specialisation.
It could be three or four years before the development starts to take place and, in view of the likely investment required, the scheme will probably be tackled in stages.
The benefits foreseen include a considerable improvement in connections between the tourist zone and various districts due to proximity to the TF-1 motorway and the carretera general, providing direct access to such important population areas as Chayofa, Águilas del Teide, La Camella, La Florida, Valle de San Lorenzo and Cabo Blanco.
Arona, regarded as having one of the strongest Local Police forces in the South, will soon welcome 33 new officers and additional resources, including vehicles, have kept pace with the increase in manpower.
If the headquarters plan goes ahead, the Town Hall will have to negotiate with the owner of the land earmarked, a well-known tourist developer in the region.
Also in the pipeline is the enlargement of the harbour premises which Local Police share with Guardia Civil in fishing village Las Galletas. Facilities would include a depot for traffic unit vehicles.
Quad bikes for local police
Adeje Local Police’s elite Civic Security Operations Group have taken delivery of three unique high-tech vehicles to aid their prevention and control duties.
As the oldest Local Police unit of its kind on Tenerife, the group have carried out more than 300 special missions since being created in 2000 and have a good reputation with the public.
Members have been trained by top national and international police instructors to a high degree of professionalism to intervene in crime situations of all kinds
Co-operating with State security forces, they have a brief to provide support in cases of emergencies, fires and search and rescue operations.
Local Police Councillor Carmen Nieves Rodríguez said the group had been formed to adapt to changing times and guarantee citizens’ safety, showing a high level of effectiveness in their in collaboration with other special security units.
In other news, a new batch of 23 officers has boosted the National Police strength at the South Tenerife station.
They were among 92 recruits welcomed to Santa Cruz de Tenerife province after completing their exams, Ávila School course and an obligatory training period.
The other new arrivals were distributed around Tenerife capital Santa Cruz, La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz and La Palma.
During the 12 months up to January 1, 2005, National Police dealt with 14,507 crimes and 17,464 misdemeanours in the province.
More money for road improvements
The Cabildo of Tenerife will invest more than 54 million euros to improve the roads in the boroughs of Fasnia, Arico, Guia de Isora, San Miguel de Abona, Arona, Granadilla de Abona, Adeje and Vilaflor.
The president of the Cabildo, Ricardo Melchior, and the councillor responsible for roads and transport, Lorenzo Dorta, outlined the work to be carried out during a recent meeting with the South Tenerife Businessmen’s Group.
In the borough of Adeje, work will be carried out on the improvement of the drainage systems in Fañabé and Torviscas to avoid the accumulation of water during and after heavy rainfall. Improvements are also planned for the Callao Salvaje and Playa Paraiso intersections, the road which connects Playa San Juan and Guia de Isora, the Tejina de Isora road and access to Fonsalia.
In Arona however, many of the proposals highlighted in the project will require the acquisition of land from various different owners which could mean delays.
Improved access to the Mojon specialist medical centre and the long running work on the entrance to Los Cristianos should also be completed under this scheme.
Improvements will be made to the rain collection system on the Valle San Lorenzo to Guaza road, as well as modifications to the Guaza roundabout which is to be extended in the future, the drainage system and pavements in Valle San Lorenzo, access to La Camella and Los Cristianos Golf will also be addressed.
The Cabildo informed those present that work on the access to San Isidro in the borough of Granadilla is on hold while negotiations are made with AENA who own the land in question.
Easter strike would cause huge delays
Ground workers of airline Iberia in the Canary Islands are considering Easter strike action, fearing the loss of hundreds of jobs.
They believe the posts could be put in jeopardy by the July 25 ending of Binter Canarias’ contract with Iberia.
Check-ins and the transfer of passengers and baggage to and from planes are among the ground services which have been provided since Binter began archipelago operations as an Iberia subsidiary in 1988.
Before Binter was sold to a Canarian consortium in 2003, a three-year agreement was signed for the workers to continue with the same duties.
But they think Binter Canarias has no intention of renewing the contract because the company wants to organise its own handling operation.
The employees most affected are at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife provincial airports of La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro where they carry out 100% of the activities, but up to 90% of the jobs at North Tenerife’s Los Rodeos could be in danger.
Involvement at southern Reina Sofía is 30% which is the same as Gran Canaria, while they perform 70% of the services at Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
A spokesman for general workers union UGT called on the Canarian Government to find an urgent solution by setting up a commission with Binter, Iberia, the Regional Executive and unions represented and José Segura, Madrid’s man in the archipelago, as mediator.
Binter Canarias insisted no definite decision had been taken over the contract and no comment was available from Iberia or Spanish airports authority AENA:
Transport system taking shape
Lorries carrying eighteen metre long tram rails arrived in Santa Cruz this week in preparation for the new transport system which is currently being installed.
The steel bars used to form the rails for the system weigh almost a thousand kilos each which means that for just one section in the Imeldo Seris street, the total weight will be ninety tons!
Before the rails and the sleepers can be put into position, a type of elastic blanket will be laid to prevent vibration on top of which a metallic grid will be placed. The rails themselves are made from specially treated steel which is wear resistant and which reduces noise to a minimum.
When the sleepers have been positioned and fixed with concrete they will be hidden from view and the rails will also be invisible - they will form a flat surface on street level..
To make the rails which will run between Santa Cruz and La Laguna, 3,000 tonnes of tracks will be needed - a further 850 tonnes will be arriving in April and the rest will arrive gradually until the work is finished.
Visitor numbers drop in February
A 4.97 per cent drop in visitors to Tenerife was registered in February, figures that reflect a difficult month for the island's holiday industry due to a number of adverse factors which have affected the three main incoming markets: the UK, Spain and Germany. By contrast there are more Scandinavian visitors, numbers are up 16.7 per cent.
Cabildo vice president and Tenerife tourism and planning minister, José Manuel Bermúdez, says that although British visitor numbers are down 12.14 per cent compared with last year, "the effects of the traditional tour operator crisis are easing and the situation is gradually being compensated for by independent travellers." The island's tourism chief adds that this has provoked: " a cut back in the number of seats to the island and to other western Mediterranean destinations and customers being diverted to more profitable destinations. The emphasis is on price and novelty offers in places like Egypt, Turkey or Morocco and brand new destinations like Dubai and other Arab states.
Bermúdez explains that the situation is being felt most in the UK due to its traditional leadership in changes of habit in world tourism: "we must compensate by increasing independent holidays via Internet for example, which the Cabildo is trying to speed up by joining forces with British airlines amongst other things. This is the case with British Airways and its affiliate GB Airways as well as promotion on the world wide web."
The Spanish market has also dropped significantly showing a 9.18 per cent loss visitors in February which the tour operators say has been due to the bad weather on the mainland that made travelling really difficult and also the poor weather experienced in the Canary Islands in January and February. However, major Spanish tour operators are predicting even better figures than those registered in March 2004, which were up 10.4 per cent on the previous year 2003.
Germany, Tenerife's third largest visitor market, is still in the throws of economic recession from which it is slowly recovering and is proving unreliable. The general trend in the last few months shows the drop in visitors has slowed down. In February it was 2.7 per cent.
The minister insists that, with the exception of the weather, "which obviously we cannot do anything about, the promotional strategies of SPET, designed jointly with town halls and representatives of the holiday industry, aim to counter these difficulties with moves to pump up the number of aircraft seats operated by independent companies, to increase market share in segments of the population least affected by Germany's economic crisis and by branching out into new markets."
Last year promotions were launched in markets viewed as priority targets in the Tenerife Marketing Plan and specific drives were launched in traditional markets like Scandinavia and the Netherlands as well as in new markets such as Russia and Ireland. Specifically, Scandinavian visitor numbers are up 16.71 per cent in February. Sweden and Finland showed the highest increase, the two countries where campaigns were launched jointly with Arona, Adeje and the Orotava Valley, with Swedish visitor numbers rising 26.68 per cent and Finns by 17.68 per cent.
Similarly, upcoming major promotions will focus on Belgium, Holland, Sweden and Finland among others.
As far as levels of occupation in Tenerife's hotels and apartments is concerned, last month the average was 67.06 per cent, two points below the index recorded for February 2004 when 0.31 per cent more rooms were occupied.

Posted Week Commencing: Monday 15th March 2005
Accessibility Awards for hotels
Through SINPROMI (the Society for the Promotion of the Disabled), Tenerife Cabildo plans to award prizes to tourist hotels improving the accessibility of their facilities.
The island councillor for Social Affairs, Cristina Valido, explained that this initiative, organised in collaboration with SPET and ASHOTEL, aims to raise the awareness of business people in the tourist sector to the need for catering for visitors with physical handicaps or mobility problems.
The competition forms part of a larger project organised by Sinpromi with the aim of encouraging architectural and urban accessibility and a positive attitude towards the social integration of the handicapped in today’s society.
Sinpromi has been carrying out projects to improve the accessibility in tourist establishments since 1995 and the web site www.portaldeturismoaccesible.org provides information about accessibility in hotels and other establishments in the island of Tenerife.
Still no decision on design
Time is running out on the scheme for remodelling Avenida Rafael Puig as the outstanding project in the tourist excellence plan for Adeje and Arona.
Adeje Tourism Councillor Miguel Ángel Santos said Tenerife Cabildo seemed to placing obstacles in the way of the work which involved revamping the image of the avenue linking the two municipalities, providing more space for pedestrians and reducing traffic circulation to a minimum.
The Tourism Ministry, Canarian Government, Cabildo and two town halls were contributing nine million euros to the project, but the deadline for settling on a definitive design and carrying out the work was closing in.
A co-operation agreement had been signed in December 2000, but not a single stone had been laid in Adeje, said the Councillor.
On the Arona side of Playa de las Américas, the only section completed was between Hotel La Siesta and Colón apartments, while local opposition had led to modification of the original scheme and a halt to work.
With many parking spaces disappearing, the plan was to compensate by building underground areas, explained the Councillor, but the only one so far was near CC Salytien.
Falcons stolen from airport
Trainers checking the falconry at South Tenerife’s Reina Sofía Airport were astonished to find that the birds had flown.
Six falcons – kept for the control and extermination of other birds that could be a safety hazard for planes – were gone from a supposedly secure area with access only by official authorisation.
Guardia Civil launched an investigation into the theft of the birds of prey, valued at around 18,000 euros.
Birds of prey have been used at Reina Sofia Airport for many years. They are trained to ward off other smaller species of birds, which may cause problems if they enter the area of the runway when the planes are taking off, or landing. The use of the birds is environmentally friendly and highly effective.
Fashion for your feet
The first collection of shoes designed by Dámaso Guardí will be exhibited at the International Shoe Festival in Milan until 22 March.
Juan Antonio Nuñez, the island director of economic development, explained that Dámaso Guardí will be representing the project ‘Tenerife Isla de Moda’ which aims to promote locally produced clothing and other items.
The Dámaso Guardí collection is made up of 43 different designs including sandals, shoes and long fitted boots. The collection is characterised by the use of satin ribbons, large bows and special buckles.
A graduate in fine Arts, Dámaso Guardí, has worked in companies in Barcelona, London and New York and his love of voluminous clothing, silks and new fabrics is reflected in his prêt a porter collections.
The Micam Shoevent is one of the most important events of its kind with over 300,000 people attending last year’s event and over 1,415 designers will be exhibiting exhibit their footwear in the specially adapted precinct.
Improvements for Guargacho
Rotten pipes will be replaced during a renovation of the water supply system at Guargacho which is shared between Arona and San Miguel de Abona Town Halls.
Arona Mayor José Alberto González announced the project costing more than 420,000 euros after meeting Flor del Sur residents association.
He also revealed a scheme to lay pavements throughout the village in the next few weeks followed by the provision of road signs and markings and speed bumps.
A Secondary Education Institute (IES) was planned for Guargacho, said the Mayor, and, while being located in San Miguel, the future infants and primary centre would help take pressure off El Fraile school in Arona.
In response to residents’ questions, he listed a park or sports centre among the possible developments to be undertaken.
Isla Baja gets cash injection for tourism
The unspoilt Isla Baja area is set for a major promotional package. Tenerife Cabildo and members of the commission set up to promote Isla Baja have opted to invest a total of 106,000 euros in different promotions during the current legislation. This is the initial budget and it could well be increased medium term.
Members of the committee include the SPET (Sociedad de Promoción Exterior de Tenerife S.A.), the Development Consortium of Daute- Isla Baja plus local hoteliers. The main aim is to implement a series of marketing activities such as producing brochure and maps, creating walking tracks and organising visits to this spectacular part of the island, whose slogan is "Tenerife's secret".
According to Lorenzo Dorta, the Cabildo vice-president and minister for Tenerife's Roads and Transport, who heads the Consortium, "The Consortium has supplied sixty per cent of the budget. Members are the Cabildo, the town councils of Buenavista, Garachico, Los Silos and El Tanque. The Cabildo has agreed to pay an additional thirty per cent while the hotel sector will contribute ten per cent. Later on, the local business sector will also be included."
The idea of promoting Isla Baja was first put to the test back in the summer of 2002 with the same members and the results were positive. Now a specific promotional package will be launched featuring promotions both locally and abroad. At local level these will include: promoting local events, setting up sightseeing and walking tours as well as organising visits by certain groups.
Promotions abroad include launching a publicity campaign on the Spanish mainland and stepping up activities for the summer season. Improvements to what's on offer in the area are also in the pipeline but first research will be made with a view to setting up quality holiday products. Holiday promotional material such as an area map, a walking guide, brochures and info packs will be produced.
San Miguel reservoirs tanks overflowing.
As well as the negative aspect of the torrential rain which fell in the south of the island last week, the wet weather has also had some positive repercussions.
One hundred litres per square metre of rain fell on San Miguel de Abona in one day which pleased the local farmers as the boroughs resevoirs used to water the crops are full to overflowing.
Furthermore, the situation will guarantee a continuous water supply over the coming months including the summer time when water is usually in short supply.
Water from the peaks of Las Cañadas is also flowing in abundance down the barrancos of San Miguel while the charca Jimenez and the charca Don Virgilio are completely full.
Feel the rhythm
The Municipal Sports Hall of Granadilla de Abona was recently the backdrop for the Carnival Festival of Rhythmic Gymnastics.
This annual event was organised by Rufino Javier Acosta Alvarez on behalf of the local sports department and over one thousand people went along to see the displays.
A total of 300 children aged four and upwards took part on the event. The children attend classes between November and May which are organised free of charge by local schools.
As part of the town hall’s policy to encourage the children of the borough to take part in sporting activities, Granadilla town Hall has municipal schools for various different sports including basketball, volleyball, football, judo and badminton.
Getting it right
Hotel Mare Nostrum Resort in Playa de las Américas will host a pioneering April 8-9 protocol course organised by Arona Town Hall’s Employment & Local Development Council.
Councillor Águeda Fumero explained that the idea was to cover aspects such as the basic rules of protocol, preparing and organising events, business etiquette, arranging dinners and banquets, and staging congresses.
The course had been put together in response to requests from the local business sector, demonstrating the council’s support for small and medium-sized companies, she said.
Registration will be open until April 4 at the offices of the Citizens Advice Bureaux (SAC) in Los Cristianos, Las Galletas and Arona town. A place on the course costs 25 euros.
Plain sailing
At Miami’s prestigious Seatrade fair, Tenerife will seek to confirm its position as the No 1 base for Atlantic cruises.
For the March 14-18 event, regarded as the most important in the international sector, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Port Authority will be joined by those of Las Palmas and Madeira under the banner of Cruises in the Atlantic Islands.
The authority is forecasting a 10% growth for the current campaign after the 2003-4 season saw trade up by 12.3% as 359 stopovers brought 456,405 cruise passengers into port.
The Tenerife capital’s port alone welcomed 332,090 tourists (a 16.4% rise) from 230 visits. So far, 192 cruise ships have been confirmed for this season.
British and German passengers lead the nationalities table and ships using Santa Cruz as base are Thomson Spirit, Carousel and Aida Blu.
No sonar or live ammunition
That was Defence Minister José Bono’s guarantee over NATO military manoeuvres due to take place near the Canary Islands.
He gave the assurance in Congress when questioned by Coalición Canaria Deputy Paulino Rivero bout whether Central Government was keeping a promise that no harm would be caused to cetacean colonies in archipelago waters.
Bono insisted no combat would be involved and the exercises were necessary to guarantee the islands’ security as NATO territory.
Rivero reminded the Minister of Madrid’s threat to ban manoeuvres within 50 miles of Canarian waters and wondered why, if the operation was quite innocuous, it wasn’t being staged somewhere that wouldn’t affect the archipelago or its tourist image.
Fourteen ‘touristic boroughs’ in Tenerife
Fecam and the Canarian government have finally reached an agreement on the definition of a touristic borough.
According to the agreement, a borough where forty percent or more of the population is represented by tourist beds will be known as a touristic borough.
The president of Fecam, Ramon Miranda, explained that although at present there are only fourteen boroughs which meet this requirement, populations are always on the increase and boroughs which are just below this figure could well be included at a later date.
Although being declared a touristic borough has certain advantages, particularly the financial ones, it also comes with obligations. Boroughs must comply with the regulations in force which means the presentation of plans on an annual basis and they will also have to have a separate tourist information office.
Fecam aims to make the classification of tourist borough work as an encouragement to improve the services and facilities offered to visitors to the islands.

Posted Week Commencing: Monday 8th March 2005
Reclaiming the coast
About 30 illegal buildings on the Granadilla de Abona coast between Los Abrigos and La Tejita are being targeted by the Environment Ministry.
Through the Tenerife Coasts Office, Granadilla Town Hall has been authorised to reclaim around one kilometre of coastline from Puerto Clérigo to Punta del Levitero.
A ministry letter gave the go-ahead for the local authority to communicate the intention to individual owners and town halls in the municipality where they lived.
Owners would have eight days to respond in writing and offer any evidence they deemed relevant.
If there was no reply or reasons were rejected, measures would be taken to recover the land along the strip to enable Granadilla Town Hall to continue improving the zone as had been achieved with El Médano walkway, harbour and beach accessibility.
Works Councillor José Antonio Gobzález Cejas said the authority had been trying for a long time to clear the coast so residents and visitors could enjoy its beauty.
Huge desalination plant for the south.
The Island Water Board (CIA) has approved an ambitious project to construct a huge desalination plant on the Granadilla Industrial Estate with more than 18 million euros allocated for its construction.
The advisor for Agriculture and Water from the Tenerife Cabildo, Jose Joaquin Bethencourt, explained that sea water will be collected by means of six 63 metre deep wells which will be constructed on the shore line. The plant will be able to produce some 14,000 cubic metres of drinking water which would be sufficient to maintain an adequate water supply for the boroughs of Arico, Granadilla de Abona, San Miguel de Abona and Arona.
A second phase for the plant would allow a further 7,000 cubic metres of water to be produced.
The plant itself will occupy an 18,000 square metre plot on the Granadilla Industrial Estate and will be equipped with sand filters, a processing plant and other buildings necessary to complete the process.
The island advisor commented that since the boroughs of Arico, Granadilla, San Miguel and Arona have experienced population booms in the last few years, the demand for drinking water has increased dramatically making the installation of the desalination plant all the more necessary.
Bringing developments in line
A study of Tenerife’s south-west coastline will be carried out in order to draw up a plan co-ordinating municipality projects and setting standards for protected natural areas.
An in-depth analysis will be made of the stretch from La Caleta in Adeje to Teno Rural Park.
The island Cabildo has appointed a company to undertake the work which should take 10 months at a cost of 85,500 euros.
The objective of the initiative is to co-ordinate and harmonise all the developments on the coast but the task will not be a straightforward one. All the work undertaken must comply with numerous regulations already in force concerned with agriculture, fishing and the protection of natural spaces like La Caleta, the Isorana cliffs, Erques barranco and the Rural park of Teno.
Apart from the shoreline itself, the Plan will include any development up to 500 metres inland.
Friendly farming
Over the next few years, the Canarian Government, with the support of all political parties, hopes that 10% of all agricultural land will be turned over to ecological farming.
On the same theme, Valle de San Lorenzo Agricultural Office in Arona launched eight days of conferences on cultivation techniques compatible with the environment.
Organised by Tenerife Cabildo as part of the island authority’s plan by the Farming & Rural Development Service, the activities consisted of theoretical and practical classes at different South regional farms.
The conferences were authorised by the Regional Executive’s Agriculture, Stockbreeding, Fishing & Food Council.
Ecological farming is defined as an agricultural system with the basic objectives of producing top quality food while respecting the environment by using natural resources and conserving the fertility of the soil without employing synthetic chemicals.
Offering a professional service
Arona’s councillor for Transport, Pedro Cabeza, recently announced that in recognition of the need to offer a professional taxi service in the area, the town hall has organised a specialist training course for drivers.
Seventy Arona taxi drivers will be able to take part in the course, which is being promoted by the Ministry of Transport.
The course, which will be held in Los Cristianos Cultural centre, includes training in the correct treatment of the customer, basic English, information about the new Eurotaxi and lessons in the history and interesting places of the borough.
Scheme aims to encourage reading
During the month of May, the borough of Arona is taking part in a project which aims to encourage good reading habits among infant and primary children in the month of May.
Pura Toste, the President of the Island Federation of Parent Teachers Associations (Fitapa), explained that the organisation would like to bring the event, which is currently held in Santa Cruz, to the south of the island but that the main problem is finding an appropriate location.
Among the activities planned are workshops, reading encouragement sessions, drama sessions and lessons in study skills. Furthermore parents who attend the event will be issued with a reading handbook so that they can help their children choose appropriate reading material for their age.
The president of Fitapa explained that if the event is successful in Arona, then it will be taken to other boroughs.
Safety barriers installed
The Town Hall of Arona has begun to install safety barriers along the avenida Chayofita in Los Cristianos with the aim of preventing pedestrians crossing the busy road.
The Mayor of Arona, Jose Alberto Gonzalez Reveron, and local councillor for police, Arturo Reveron, explained that the barriers were being installated at the request of the teachers and the parent teacher association of the IES Secondary School in Los Cristianos who explained that although there is a bridge over the road not all the pupils use it. The barriers would ensure that all the pupils and those using the sports facilities who prefer to cross the road on foot, have to use the safer alternative .
Gonzalez explained that the barriers, which will stretch along 500 metres of the avenida, will cost 30,000 euros.
Schools can’t cope with expanding numbers
Adding new classrooms to Luis Álvarez Cruz public school in Las Galletas and improving the Secondary Education Institute (IES) at Los Cristianos are among Arona’s needs to meet academic demands resulting from a large population increase.
Pedro Cabeza, the local authority’s Education Councillor, outlined municipality proposals to the Educational Infrastructures Office via assessor Raúl Medina who has been visiting various centres.
Extending the Las Galletas school, where renovating old classrooms has been discounted, was vital to avoid overcrowding, while the Los Cristianos centre needed to adapt space for new formative courses.
Enlargement of La Estrella Infants & Primary Centre was a possibility and four new classrooms for primary pupils under construction at Playa de las Américas School should be completed in March.
Measures to be introduced to cope with extra demands will be studied by the Educational Infrastructures Office which has also carried out assessments in neighbouring Adeje.
That authority’s Town Hall alerted the Education Council to a proposal to hand over a plot of land to extend Las Torres Infants & Primary School to provide enough space to meet future demands.
The Town Council also wants to build more classrooms at El Galeón Secondary Centre and enlarge existing ones, and is studying options for the Tijoco-La Hoya nucleus, either providing a new complex or demolishing part of the existing building and replace with modern facilities.
Making the most of the sun
Grants are to be handed out by Granadilla de Abona Town Hall for the installation of solar panels for producing hot water.
Through the Employment & Local Development Agency, the local authority has invited applications up to March 15 for subsidies from a pool of almost a million euros.
Public or private companies could qualify along with private individuals, residents associations, non-profit-making organisations and local corporations.
Granadilla Town Hall has set the project in motion as part of a continuing policy of introducing clean energies in the municipality.
Statue to honour storyteller
Tenerife Cabildo President Ricardo Melchior, a descendant of the merchant family which provided a home for Hans Christian Andersen in the last years of his life, wants the island to pay permanent homage to the Danish writer with a statue on the coast.
Melchior, one of four ambassadors in Spain appointed by the Danish foundation dedicated to preserving Andersen’s memory, said the tribute to the author of The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling should be simple but symbolic.