Headlines

The proposal by Spanish multinational Nueva Pescanova to create the world's first commercial octopus farm on Gran Canaria has generated a great deal of controversy. The company aims to produce one million octopuses a year for consumption worldwide, three times the number currently caught in the wild by Spanish fisheries. However, the project has been condemned by many scientists who regard the proposed method of killing the octopuses as "cruel". Confidential documents obtained by the BBC...

Three men were arrested and charged with sexual assault after having allegedly gang-raped a young woman in a hotel, in the Santa Catalina area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Thursday, March 16, 2023. The woman, who is 21 years old, reported the incident at the hotel's reception, claiming that she had been raped by the men and could not remember anything after accepting a drink from them. Police began an investigation...

The National Crime Agency and partners have renewed an appeal to help trace some of the United Kingdom’s Most Wanted fugitives. Twelve months ago the NCA launched its most recent appeal to find 13 men who had gone on the run – all believed to be hiding in Spain or with strong links to the country. In that time, six wanted men have been traced, arrested and are at various stages of the extradition and judicial process. Today, the appeal - run in conjunction with independent charity...

The TSJC Canary Islands' High Court of Justice has ruled that increase in salaries granted by the municipality of Mogán, to eight of its employees in 2022, were illegal. The Contencioso-Administrative Court has, once again, criticised the “arbitrary” nature of the town council led by La Alcaldesa Onalia Bueno, mayor of Mogán, who plans this year to run for re-election under the name of her new party, Juntos por Mogán, directly aligned with the right of centre regionalists, Coalición Canaria...

Spain's, so far, second largest consignment of the pink drug concoction has been intercepted at Gran Canaria airport. A 22-year-old passenger from Belgium was stopped, by Customs Surveillance and Guardia Civil, with an estimated ten kilos of the drug, writes A. Castilian in Spanish language daily, La Provincia     Last Tuesday, Customs Surveillance and the Guardia  Civil intercepted a consignment of, what is known as, "pink...

As of January 1, public road transport services, urban and interurban, for anyone with a resident's monthly bus pass, can travel free by bus and tram in the Canary Islands, the Government of the Canary Islands and the seven island councils have announced after a meeting held on Wednesday. This and other issues will be included in an action protocol that will be signed by all parties before the end of the year.     Anyone not in...

A massive Atlantic storm has been rumbling across the Azores over the last few days, bringing some residual wet weather last weekend and another band of rain which looks set to sweep across the archipelago today, and over the next 12 hours. Spanish State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, have issued a yellow advisory warning for the southern half of Gran Canaria, this Wednesday, for rainfall that could accumulate up to 15 litres per square...

There are two bank holidays this week, as Tuesday marks Spain's Constitution Day and Thursday is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, both of which are national holidays every year, which will make next weekend a long "bridge" weekend, and of course lots of people will take the opportunity to stock up in time of the seasonal festivities relentlessly heading our way at the end of the month. Many supermarkets will change their opening hours for these two most important shopping days at the...

Bus operators, technicians and managers have been expressing some concern over the new plan to make public transport free for regular daily users as of next January 1. 2023 is expected to begin with a sudden increase in demand for which the bus companies are not well prepared. The  increase in the number of users, means that bus companies like Global Bus (Interurban island-wide) and Guaguas Municipales (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) will have to provide a potentially larger number of services...

The Guardia Civil arrested a Swedish man, in April 2019, in the tourist resort town of Puerto Rico, in the south western municipality of Mogán, accused of having beaten his partner to death. The woman, who was 42 years old, according to sources within the initial investigation was found dead in her apartment by a Guardia Civil patrol responding to a 112 emergency call, to ask for help at around 10 am the following morning. However,...

The Salvamento Marítimo (Maritime Rescue) rescued three stowaways on Monday, found on the rudder blade of an oil tanker that had just arrived in the Port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, having left eleven days earlier from Lagos (Nigeria). They were picked up this Tuesday by the Salvamar Nunki in the port of the capital of Gran Canaria, having been sighted in a precarious position outside the ship's hull, with their feet hanging barely half a metre from the surface of the water. [fb_plugin...

Last month, a Guardia Civil SEPRONA (Nature Protection Service) patrol investigated an individual for a crime of animal abuse and/or abandonment, as in addition to having four dogs at a private home in a somewhat precarious state, evidenced by images provided to the Guardia Civil, the owner of the dogs was seen striking one dog with a stick, then with a large heavy rock and later with some sort of wooden board, at the house in question in the municipality of Mogán.  ...

A three day congress, the first of it's kind in Spain, has found itself the target of criticism over the cost of aiming to inaugurate a national conversation on financial responsibility, in particular in the administration of local, regional, national and EU funding.  Some opposition parties, many of whom, it seems, were not invited, have sought clarifications on how the expenditure for the event itself was decided, and why there was only one sound and lighting company invited to tender...

In the early hours of the morning of this Thursday, November 17, Mogán Policia Local arrested three adults and a minor for allegedly having forced their way into the Bahía Playa restaurant, in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria, and stealing a cash register. Once alerted, the local agents managed to intercept a vehicle in which the suspects were fleeing, in the area of ​​El Tablero, just 10km away.     The Police were alerted around...

British singer songwriter Sting looks set to return to Gran Canaria in 2023. Gordon Matthew Thomas Summer (Wallsend, North Tyneside, England, October 2, 1951), known globally as Sting, will perform for islanders next summer, according to sources consulted by Spanish language daily, Canarias7. , in an enclave like the Gran Canaria Arena, in Siete Palmas.     The arena concert by the ex lead singer of The Police looks set to be one...

A man accused of having, allegedly, held a woman in Mogán during the state of alarm, against her will and wilfully engaging in her sexually abuse, confessed this Tuesday to being guilty as charged. The man acknowledged that he had taken the victim into his home, knowing that she was in a vulnerable situation, after having had problems with her partner, and that he took advantage of her, even engaging in non-consensual sex.     [adrotate...

It's the middle of November and Gran Canaria has been enjoying temperatures more typical of summer than of the middle of Autumn. The balmy sunshine looks set to continue for a few more days this week across the Canary Islands, while Calima haze is expected to trap some of that heat, forecasts suggest the temperatures may well drop by then end of the week and there is a distinct possibility of rainfall, so it could well be time to dust off the umbrella, just incase the prediction of Spain's...

Gran Canaria's second most important tourism municipality, Mogán on the south west coast of the island, are understood to be engaged in the process of endowing themselves with a new set of local bylaws which, among various other things, will prohibit and penalise anyone found sleeping, day or night, in public spaces. Prohibited too, in some of Gran Canaria's favourite resorts, will be the leaving of clothing or towels on balconies. The apparently deeply conservative Mogán town hall, led by the...

Policia Nacional have arrested a 39-year-old woman suspected of scamming more than €10,000 from at least five foreign restaurateurs on the south of the island island on the false premise that her daughter was suffering from a serious illness and then died after a failed operation, supposedly in Houston, Texas, for which she allegedly needed to raise money.     The detainee has been accused of fraud, forgery of documents, the...

All saints’ Day, All Hallows’ Day, Halloween, Todos Los Santos Monday, 31 October 2022  The 31st of October has long been celebrated here in The Canary Islands. A most traditional celebration where families gather and tell each other stories of family members long departed, ancestors of note, parents, grandparents, and the occasional spooky ghost story. Graveyards extend their opening hours so that families can visit their loved ones. Of course, US influences have seeped in over recent years,...

Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has announced their forecast of a new "very unusual" warm spell for this time of year in the Canary Islands. Meteorologists have not ruled out that the end of October will make it the hottest October in Spain since records began. "Clearly warmer than normal conditions are likely to continue into the first half of November ," they have warned. According to AEMET, thermometers could reach up and over 30°C in the shade in The Canary Islands over coming...

Gran Canaria's island government, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, are working with the Coastal Authority to reinforce fences that delimit and prevent access to certain areas of the Maspalomas Dunes.     The president of the insular institution, Antonio Morales, who made a visit to the Special Nature Reserve, did not give details about which places they would be focused on, but he did clarify that they would include access to the...

The Guardia Civil in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria report that they identified a simulated crime, allegedly perpetrated by a 25-year-old on October 1, who stated that they had been attacked and held against their will by a group of six people, who forced them to withdraw €1,900 from a nearby ATM, in the popular tourist town on the southwest of Gran Canaria.     The person identified had reported to the Guardia Civil that day,...

Agents of the Policia Nacional have found the body of a man inside a vehicle parked in residential area of Bellavista, near Maspalomas, 0n the south of Gran Canaria. It is thought the deceased may have been there for about 15 days.     According to reports from sources within the San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Council, and subsequently from Spanish language news portals, late on Sunday, everything appears to indicate that it was...

A powerful electrical storm descended last night over Puerto del Rosario, forcing at least five planes destined for Fuerteventura to have to be diverted to land on Gran Canaria. All arrived without major incidents.       The affected flights all originated from the United Kingdom. The first, from Jet2, had taken off from Manchester and at about 8pm, after remaining on hold to the south of Fuerteventura, controllers...

The forecasts of the business sector and the Tourism Department of the Government of the Canary Islands, which indicate that the islands will have a good winter, are gaining consistency as November 1, the official start date of the season, approaches, reports Silvia Fernandez in Spanish language daily, Canarias7 this Tuesday. Over the last week, reservations have grown more than 12% and it is expected that in the coming days the tourism rebound will be higher,...

An intense Calima has been sweeping the Canary Islands since Monday, October 3. According to forecasts of the meteorological models consulted by CanariasAhora, Saharan dust will remain suspended in the air at least until Wednesday. It is expected that this episode will also affect the entire peninsula, especially southern and central parts of Spain. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://thecanarynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/10/finalVideo-3.mp4" loop="true"...

The rain last weekend has caused significant damage to roads and infrastructure across Gran Canaria, but the water has been "a blessing" for agriculture. This was expressed on Tuesday by the president of the Cabildo, Antonio Morales, who said that 2,721,212 cubic meters of water had been collected in the island's public and private reservoirs, a 6% increase on the total volume available. Specifically, the private reservoirs have collected 1,970,440 cubic meters, 8% of the total volume, and the...

The alert declaration for the heavy rains affecting El Hierro and the pre-alert situation that was still in place on La Gomera, La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria due to tropical storm Hermine ended at 12:00 noon this Wednesday, according to the General Directorate of Security and Emergencies of the Canary Islands regional government. In a statement they specified that the meteorological conditions behind the declaration have now ended. Likewise, they have assured that communications and...

The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, has reported this Sunday evening on the evolution of 'Hermine' over the Archipelago, which despite being downgraded this morning from a Tropical Storm, to a depression, continues to make its presence felt across the Archipelago. So far, more than 800 incidents related to heavy rains have been reported and more than 250 flights to or from the Islands having been cancelled. In addition,...

The NOAA Hurricane Centre has downgraded Storm Hermine to a tropical depression this Sunday morning, as had been predicted in previous discussions, as wind speeds fell below 62 kilometres per hour. Meanwhile on social media some members of the public had become confused by the use of the word "cyclone" which had been utilised to describe the cyclonic, or circular, motion of the winds attached to this Atlantic wet weather system; comparing the abundant rainfall as no worse than a "Saturday...

The Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) in the Canary Islands this Saturday updated their warnings for rain on Sunday, September 25, on the islands of Gran Canaria, El Hierro and La Palma as tropical storm 'Hermine' passes to the south and west of the archipelago. The Red Advisory warning (the highest level) comes into force from 12:00 midday tomorrow for the east, south and west of Gran Canaria, where accumulated rainfall of 120 litres per square meter...

Tropical Storm 'Hermine' is expected to bring Autumn rains to The Canary Islands this weekend, reaching a peak for Sunday , which is expected to be "a complicated day", according to the Emergency technicians at a Canary Islands press conference on Friday, with effects expected to last until Monday. Among the official recommendations, they advised everyone to ensure they had candles, flashlights and a radio on hand, to be prepared in the event of a power outage. Likewise, the regional...

Heavy rains forecast this weekend in the Canary Islands have led the regional government to remind everyone that the situation can change rapidly when a storm like this affects the weather systems of the archipelago. Stay at home and drive with extreme caution are just some of the advice that the Government of the Canary Islands urge in situations like the one that is coming. With sudden downpours like this barrancos and ravines can fill quickly and turn into...

The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, this afternoon appealed for "prudence" and called for "self-protection and maximum precautions" during the weekend, in the face of what, he pointed out, "may be the most important rains in recent years ”. Torres announced that all activities are suspended from tonight and until the change from maximum alert. At this time, the forecasts highlight that the core of the cyclone will not touch the islands, but the meteorological phenomenon...

The Atlantic cyclone that has formed to the south of the Canary Islands has in the last hour been officially upgraded from a tropical depression to a tropical storm. The new classification has confirmed this Friday night by the US National Hurricane Centre. The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, reported this afternoon's press conference that the Canary Islands would very likely be affected by what was then a "tropical depression",  a type of...

Ahmed Haison, of Moroccan origin and in an irregular situation on the islands, has been convicted of causing damage to the Puerto Bello complex, in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaira, where he was being accommodated by the Government of the Canary Islands, he has, this week, been sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Convicted by the Second Section of the Provincial Court of Las Palmas for a crime of public disorder, and another of attack on an agent of the authorities, he was acquitted of a...

The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Spain announced on Friday the opening to the public of books of condolences, following the death of Elizabeth II, at its headquarters in Madrid, as well as consulates in seven other Spanish cities, including Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Through a statement issued by the British embassy, ​​​​it was confirmed that a book of condolence would be available, to be signed, on Friday and over the next few...

The networks are going wild over a spectacular traffic accident this Friday in the capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, on Pancho Guerra street, Paseo de San Antonio, after a taxi mishap managed to result in a tumble from a height of 5 meters, into the middle of a building site. Fortunately, according to the Policia Local of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on its official Twitter account, the driver of the vehicle does not appear to have suffered any serious...

August comes to an end on the Canary Islands with heat and Calima haze, from African winds carrying Saharan dust in suspension, with a mass of warm air that looks set to raise temperatures to 34ºC, or more, in the shade, particularly on south and west facing slopes, the spokesman for Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), Rubén del Campo, has reported. By Wednesday, however, there could be some storm showers on the westernmost islands, and from Thursday...

👷🏽‍♂️This week the installation of innovative Fog Water Collectors has begun on the north of Gran Canaria as part of a 4 year project to use this innovative method of water collection in an attempt to prevent further soil degradation or loss of vegetation.🛠️. Deforestation and desertification have long been recognised as two of the principal causes for biodiversity loss and soil degradation. These phenomena are mostly caused by a mixture of ongoing climate...

August 10th is International LGBTQ+ Tourism Day, and Maspalomas is world famous for its large Rainbow Community as well as welcoming an estimated 15% of Canary Islands tourism oriented specifically towards this sector.  Maspalomas is also, therefore, a focal point for a large number of foreign residents who work within tourism related businesses, and among whom there are a number of HIV+ patients who, with the right medical assistance, are able to successfully manage their condition and...

The countdown has begun to power-saving blackouts, in shops and institutional buildings, set to be in force at least until November 1, 2023. The measures, decreed last week by Spain's central government form part of the package of measures on energy saving and efficiency. The open commercial areas of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have reportedly reacted with skepticism, waiting to see how it will affect business and consumption; however, the sector recognises that inflation and the rise in...

A 62-year-old French man, rescued last Tuesday in a harrowing shipwreck off the Costa da Morte, was, it has emerged as reported in La Provincia, located thanks to a signal from his sailboat's emergency beacon, which reached the COSPAS-SARSAT search program, located at the Maspalomas Space Centre . Operators in Maspalomas quickly notified the National Maritime Rescue Centre in Madrid, which deployed units to begin an intervention that lasted more than 16 hours, in which the survivor had managed...

Ryanair has cancelled at least ten flights this Monday, coinciding with the start of the new strike call for cabin crew (TCP), as well as having experienced a number of delays. At the moment, no Canary Islands air traffic has been affected, as with previous strikes, the majority of problems caused appear to have been on flights to and from mainland Spain and elsewhere in Europe. This morning cancellations have been reported between Barcelona and Milan, Menorca,...

The Canary Islands are yet again expecting to spend the next few days in short sleeves, flip-flips and shorts, due to warning advisories from the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), among others, due to yet another wave of incoming high temperatures. This latest heatwave, though for many a little less oppressive than the back to back swelters we experienced throughout July, is expected to persist throughout this week, at least until Thursday. Gran...

The Guardia Civil Judicial Police continue to investigate the death of Juan José VJ, a 53-year-old resident of Santa Lucía whose body was found last Friday in the Los Frailes ravine (Mogán). The body was found with numerous injuries including several deep cuts believed to be the result of stab wounds, according to sources close to the investigation, who added that it has now been ruled out that his death occurred due to a fall. This is now a homicide investigation. [fb_plugin...

A woman has died and a man seriously injured after being hit by a rally car participating in the competition being held this weekend on north of Gran Canaria, in the municipality of Gáldar. The vehicle left the road and travelled a few meters up a hillside, running over a small group of people who were there watching the event. The rally was suspended shortly afterwards. The 112 Government of the Canary Islands Emergency Coordination Centre (CECOES) reported...

Residents at the top of Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria's West Hill, on the other side overlooking Amadores, were shocked at around 22:30 on Friday night after a fire broke out in the barranco below the Lairaga apartment complex. Local resident and fitness trainer, Ben Stone, managed to capture a video of the blaze, including the heroic actions of at least one resident who appeared to be trying to tackle the fire from above using a garden hose. Fire crews were called to the scene,...

At least one worker has died and the other has been seriously injured this Wednesday when major hotel renovation work lead to the collapse of a retaining wall in the popular holiday resort town of Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria, in the municipality of Mogán. At around quarter past three in the afternoon, one of the walls collapsed trapping the two workers. Numerous emergency services were deployed to the scene, including firefighters from the Puerto Rico Park Consortium, Mogán...

British holidaymaker Russell Stones from Wellington, Telford travelled with his wife Vicky and their two teenage daughters on all inclusive family holiday holiday to Furteventura back in May. Within a couple of days of being there the whole family fell ill, and Russell managed to rupture his oesophagus due to chronic vomiting. He was flown by air ambulance to the Insular Hospital in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for a life saving operation to repair it. Thanks to the excellent surgical team that...

Supermarket chain ALDI today opened their first two stores on Gran Canaria in the municipalities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Telde. These are the island's two main population centres, and the locations are easily accessible from the primary motorways, off the GC23 ring road and at the Melenara exit from the GC1. Both stores were rammed full, on their first day, of people eager to find out what this new-to-the-islands store brand can offer, in Las Palmas the prices across all sectors were...

A 78-year-old Norwegian tourist, who had been missing since Sunday, was found by a Guardia Civil patrol in a hard to reach area, thanks to the reflections they say from the mans watch. A helicopter took him to hospital with a serious blow to the head, and severe burns all over his body.             The report was filed by his son at eleven o'clock on Sunday night. The septuagenarian had gone for a walk in the...

On October 22, 2022 the concession for the deep water dock, used by the cement factory operated by Cementos Especiales de las Islas (Ceisa SA), in the port of Santa Águeda is due to come to an end after 65 years of use, however the company is hoping to renew their contract. The Government of the Canary Islands owns the port and will have to decide whether to extend the concession for the industrial facility to maintain activities there or alternatively follow the established 2003 planning...

GLAY is the volunteer-led LGBTQIA+ not-for-profit association that founded Maspalomas PRIDE back in 2002. The Gay & Lesbian Associates of Yumbo were responsible for establishing communication with their local town hall, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, taking this community event from very humble beginnings, during the quietest month of the year, to becoming one of the single most highly attended annual celebrations on the island, bringing foreigners and native Canarians together, visitors and...

The British Club of Las Palmas this week continued their celebrations of the Queen of England's Platinum Jubilee, with the planting of an olive tree in their grounds, where it can be directly viewed from the main entrance to their historic headquarters in this once-mostly-British enclave of the city, known as Ciudad Jardín.             The event, organised by the club committee headed up by the newly re-elected...

A Las Palmas Court has sentenced four men accused of raping a Danish tourist to between 3 1/2 years and 8 1/2 years in prison, after one took advantage of her the other three then also abused the young woman during the early hours of the morning of December 25, 2016 at a shopping centre in the south of Gran Canaria. The judge ruled that there is "sufficient evidence" to destroy any presumption of innocence of the four defendants, Mohamed EH, 31 years old; Ahmed A., and Brahim A., 30; and...

A controversial campaign from the Captial City Town Hall proclaiming “Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, One, great and free, free of prejudice, free of LGBTQIphobia, free of mortal sin, free of injustice and free of hate”. The motto of the new campaign, being used to commemorate this Saturday's LGBTQIA+ Pride event, in Gran Canaria's capital, has been clearly inspired by the words spoken by the Franco regime, and this has generated uproar on all sides of the debate. The Councillor for Equality in...

Spain's Subcommittee on medicinal cannabis in the Congress of Deputies (lower house) this Tuesday approved their final report to regulate the legal, therapeutic use of marijuana. The proposal has been supported of various political parties including the socialist PSOE, United We Can, and Ciudadanos, PNV and PDECAT, however the ERC and Bildu parties abstained, demanding a more ambitious text, and the conservative PP, along with ultra right wing Vox, voted against the proposals....

Gran Canaria's highways maintenance department have announced night time closures in both directions on the main GC1 southern motorway for asphalting work between the exits for Pasito Blanco and Arguineguín, starting from Sunday night, in work expected to continue until at least Thursday.            Diversions will be in place every night from 11pm between kilometres 50 to 56 of the primary north south highway,...

Ryanair are due to operate some 300 international flights (150 round trips) in the Canary Islands during the six days of strikes called by the unions representing cabin crew this summer, for the weekend of June 24, 25 and 26 and June 30, July 1 and 2 . An estimated 50,000 passengers are booked to be on these flights, and they could suffer delays and cancellations, according to Spanish language daily Canarias7.            ...

One of the more interesting legacies, promoted through Gran Canaria's near 500 year old tradition of Carnaval, has got to be the outlandish displays of public cross-dressing, these days celebrated as mass media events with a full system of lights, pyrotechnics and massive sound, but they were once upon a time more hidden away in rural communities.  It is one of the most transgressive acts of annual trespass to be found in this sub-tropical archipelago. Carnival arrived here with the Genoese...

A controversy has been brewing over the "chiringuito" street bars that were properly authorised for the Maspalomas International Carnival. Last week 25 unauthorised street bars set up in a car park at the Yumbo (why do they call them "chiringays"?), were officially closed down by the Town Council of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, but at the last minute managed to get a judge to lift the ban with a temporary judicial order. Now the 13 legitimate businesses who followed the law, supported the town...

Ryanair have been reported as saying it does not expect widespread disruption this summer, after industrial action was called unions representing cabin crews in Spain, on Monday.             Announcing their six-day strike the USO and SITCPLA unions, representing a significant number of airline staff across Spain, following a break down in talks with the Irish no frills air carrier, who are calling for more...

The well loved European brand will open its first supermarkets in the archipelago on July 13, two on Tenerife and two on Gran Canaria · The supermarkets will have nearly 330 products of Canarian origin, from more than 40 suppliers in the archipelago · ALDI is working to make this platform the first logistics centre in the region to have the "BREEAM" sustainability and energy efficiency certificate with an "excellent" rating.          ...

Ryanair cabin crew will go on strike for six days at the start of the summer season. The USO and Sitcpla unions announced this Monday a call for a six-day strike set for June 24, 25, 26 and 30, as well as July 1 and 2. USO (Unión Sindical Obrera or Labour Trade Union) and Sitcpla (Sindicato Independiente de Tripulantes de Cabina de Pasajeros de Líneas Aéreas; Independent Airline Passenger Cabin Crew Syndicate) are the unions representing a majority of airline crew staffing Ryanair in...

A 48-year-old man was seriously injured after his a car crashed into a ravine, having left the road that connects the mountain market town of San Mateo with Utiaca, on the way towards Teror. The occupant had to be rescued by helicopter and taken to a car park in nearby for evacuation in another aircraft to hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition. A large rescue operation was deployed at the scene.          ...

The driver of a truck transporting a dangerous load in the Gran Canaria municipality of Santa María de Guía was arrested after trying to carry a large tube that protruded several meters behind his vehicle.  Reports of his having tested positive for alcohol, however, appear to have been mistaken.             A witness to the events, working at a nearby supermarket told a local radio station "We heard a noise like stones falling,"...

The Maspalomas Town Council (San Bartolomé de Tirajana) this Thursday ordered the closure of two outdoor Carnival street party areas, which use mobile beach bars usually called "Chiriguitos", but for some reason renamed "chiringays" by the organisers, which were located within two private parking areas at ​​the famous Yumbo Shopping Centre (in front of a well-known restaurant), prior to the celebration of the Maspalomas International Carnival for “lacking authorisations and organising a...

A truck driver had a nasty surprise when he ended up doing a wheelie in the northern Gran Canaria town of Montaña Alta, in the municipality of Guía, after trying to transport a large tube that was twice as long his vehicle, and was arrested shortly afterwards having tested positive for alcohol.              After having initial difficulties climbing a hill, which were caught on video, the truck continued...

Firefighters have been working during the early afternoon of this Wednesday, June 8, to extinguish a scrubland fire in an area of ​​Las Mesas and Los Giles, within the municipality of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, not far from the capital.            The fire affected a grassy area with dry weeds and had nowhere to spread. Aerial means were deployed to extinguish the flames, which were declared under control less...

What greater demonstration could there be of the dire, urgent need for tighter controls over discarded fishing gear, plastics and other human pollutants in the ocean, on this World Ocean's Day 2022, than the utter tragedy of a dead wild cetacean found with blue fishing net wrapped around its tail? Disgust must surely rise in the throats of anyone who cares for our environment, or about our marine neighbours, so many of whom make their homes off our southern coasts and a third of the world's...

One of the most exciting celebrations in the Canary Islands has to be Maspalomas Carnival! Usually celebrated in the run up to lent and Easter this year is a little different with all of Gran Canaria's "carnavales" occurring in the summertime.  And what a way to celebrate!  You'll find people of every age and background celebrating in the most outlandish costumes, most of them home made, with some glittering and truly entertaining people participating, some of them even on the main...

A pre-alert was being declared on Tuesday, due to a potential risk of forest fires on the island of Gran Canaria, as the well-known 30-30-30 guideline was being applied in readiness should the authorities need to activate the PEFMA (Plan Específico por Fenómenos Meteorológicos Adversos) "specific plan for adverse meteorological phenomena" following warnings of rising temperatures and strong winds from Spanish Meteorological Agency AEMET.       ...

The Canary Islands have become Spain's first destination, and Autonomous Community, to exceed the numbers of international tourists visiting prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and have been joined by the Balearic Islands and, to a lesser extent, the Community of Valencia who are very close to matching pre-pandemic figures recorded in the fourth month of 2019.            According to the National Institute of...

A murder investigation has begun into the series of events that allegedly led to a man, who had lived quietly for ten years on a farm near the well-to-do neighbourhood of Santa Brígida, having attacked the lawyer, say sources, who had let him live there in exchange for help around the property.               The well respected criminal lawyer, and former chief inspector of the Policia Nacional, from Gran...

Spain is the country with the highest number of Monkeypox cases in Europe, and the Ministry of Health has confirmed thirty cases so far, all of them in Madrid. The majority of cases detected have been men who have had sex with other men, however it is very important to understand that this virus is in no way based around sexual orientation or so-called "risky" practices. The simple fact is that this is an infection that can be passed between any individuals who come into close contact with...

As advanced by this publication on Thursday, non-EU, third country, travellers from this Saturday can now enter Spain, by just presenting a negative PCR or antigen test, with so-called Covid certificates no longer needed, regardless of place of origin, according to the latest update to the Spanish pandemic restrictions.               The BOE (Spanish Gazette) this Saturday published the order from the...

The World Health Organisation today, in a statement, have said they and their partners are working to better understand the extent and cause of an outbreak of monkeypox. Editor’s comment: While sexual interaction has been identified as a potential vector, special emphasis was given to the importance of not jumping to conclusions, highlighting the unusual multiple occurrences currently being reported across the world, still less than 100 confirmed cases, and the inherent differences...

Something unusual is happening across the world, though many have been pointing out that our currently heightened state of awareness, means our ability to detect even small epidemiological outbreaks is more acute than ever.With less than 100 cases confirmed worldwide, doctors are urging calm as a series of Monkeypox infections have been reported, including at least one suspected case on Gran Canaria. This rare, and most-often mild, infection, is not new, and was first detected in the...

The Canary Islands have been confirmed, as of April, to be leading the Spanish tourism recovery with international passenger volumes comparable with pre-pandemic levels in 2019, with a total of 1.1 million, representing 15.9% of national market share throughout Spain, according to data released this Wednesday by the national tourism board, Turespaña. The Canary Islands are, not only, still the favourite destination in Spain for UK tourists, but they are also the fastest growing destination for...

Spain's Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, has said this Thursday that the requirement for travellers coming from outside the EU to present a COVID19 certificate, for vaccination status, test result or prior infection, will come to an end "in a matter of days" allowing them to enter the country with a simple negative test result.             "It will be a matter of days before we are going...

The regional Ministry of Health has this Thursday updated the health alert levels in line with the epidemiological report from the General Directorate of Public Health, carried out in accordance with the latest Surveillance and Control Strategy criteria for COVID-19, following the acute phase of the Pandemic, based on the indicators in use to assess assistance services.         ...

The Canary Islands received 1.12 million foreign tourists in March, exceeding the one million visitors in one month mark for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The figure represents an eleven fold increase in the number of arrivals in March 2021, which stood at just 100,525 for the whole archipelago.         The figures are, however, slightly down on those registered in March 2019, the year before the...

The body of a deceased man was found early on Thursday morning, April 14, at the main Juan Grande landfill site, in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, on the south of Gran Canaria. The dead body had come from a refuse container that had been collected from Gran Canaria's north eastern town of Telde.         Judicial police cordoned off the area to proceed to remove the body, once a court order was obtained....

Europe welcomes Ukrainian refugees with an asylum system that averages more than 15 months of delay Ukrainian refugees now arrive under the aegis of the ultra-fast special protection system, but regular reception centres are piling up hundreds of thousands of applications and rejecting many.         Eva Belmonte, Ángela Bernardo, Miguel Ángel Gavilanes, Carmen Torrecillas, David Cabo, Lucas Laursen, April 4, 2022 Story...

Spain's Office for Asylum and Refuge (OAR) and the Policia Nacional have granted 51,957 temporary visas, over the last month, to people displaced by the war in Ukraine, almost a thousand of those are in the Canary Islands (965), according to the Ministry of the Interior.  More have been arriving across Spain, and on the islands, some being accommodated by private individuals, with many more seeking refuge after more than 45 days of horrendous bloodshed.     [fb_plugin...

Félix Guerra spent four days trapped between two walls at a farm in the north Gran Canaria area of Gáldar, he was rescued on Wednesday when another man heard his cries for help, and admitted to the Dr. Negrín hospital in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, here he is now recovering. His family say they are confident that he will be able to return home very soon, once his body returns to normal.           Residents of the...

The Second Section of the Las Palmas Provincial Court this Tuesday will hear the case of one Ahmed Haison who, according to the Prosecutor's Office, was at the heart of the serious incidents that occurred in the Puerto Bello apartments, in the tourism enclave of Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria, after being transferred to the temporary facility used to accommodate unaccompanied minors, having arrived on the island of Gran Canaria by open boat.      ...

The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, has announced that, in this week’s Governing Council on Thursday, as ever following the technical criteria, "we will suspend all restrictions that remain in the Canary Islands" regarding the covid pandemic.         Torres stressed that this is to take the form of a temporary suspension of the general and regional measures, making clear that if circumstances worsen,...

Calima has returned to the Canary Islands this Thursday and looks set to continue until at least Saturday, affecting all the islands, particularly in the easternmost province, the mass of Saharan dust clearly visible on the latest NASA satellite imagery.         Strong winds from the north from storm Celia left rain and snow, strong waves and a cold snap that closed roads and left snowfalls at the summits of Gran Canaria...

A night of strong persistent winds, and rain from the north, has brought snow and hail to the summits of Gran Canaria. The Cabildo closed access to Pico de las Nieves this Monday afternoon-night due to adverse weather conditions caused by storm 'Celia', just two hours before the snowfall arrived.           'Celia' brought strong winds and caused the suspension of school classes and extracurricular activities this...

The Canary Islands Ministry of Health, today, updated health alert levels following the latest epidemiological report from the General Directorate of Public Health, using data consolidated as of March 9. The report analyses the evolution of health indicators regarding COVID-19, and confirmed the island of Fuerteventura could drop to level 2, thanks to improvements in the epidemiological indicators. The rest of the islands maintain their current alert levels for another week. This means that...

The Spanish Supreme Court (TS) has rejected an appeal, presented by Cordial Properties, trying to end the cement company, CEISA, concession held on the port of Santa Águeda. CEISA general director, Claudio Piernavieja, celebrated the decision.         In a statement sent to journalists, CEISA reported that the Supreme Court would not admit the appeal for processing, and instead Cordial Properties will have to pay the...

Two separate accidents on the GC-1 main highway, near Playa del Inglés, just before noon this Friday, March 4, were reported by 1-1-2 Canarias. As a result, a 54-year-old man suffered moderate injuries and was transferred by medicalised SUC ambulance to the Gran Canaria Insular University Hospital.         The first accident, heading north, occurred when a car collided with the central reservation and the driver became...

The Canary Islands' General Directorate of Security and Emergencies, based on predictions from the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and other available sources, in application of the Specific Emergency Plan of the Canary Islands for Risks of Adverse Meteorological Phenomena PEFMA (Decree 18/ 2014, of March 20), has declared an alert due to strong winds expected on the islands of La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, El Hierro and La Gomera. This alert will take effect at 00:00 this...

Anyone passing by the Yumbo centre, in Playa del Inglés, was likely to be more than a little surprised this Monday after yet another hire car driver appears to have become confused about how to enter the commercial and leisure zone, famous for its Drag bars, nightlife and colourful characters.     Believe it or not, this is not the first time that a visiting tourist has taken a wrong turn at the Yumbo. Just 18 months previously,...

This Monday it was announced that the crime rate fell in the Canary Islands, in 2021, to now stand at 37.4 criminal offences per 1,000 population, the lowest figure in the last decade, ten points below the 2010 data, which the National Police commanders and Civil Guard have put down to the "good performance of their troops."       This places the Canary Islands almost four points below the national average, of 41.3 criminal...

A ship loaded with luxury cars is currently adrift in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, some 1,700 kilometres northwest of the Canary Islands. The Felicity Ace was carrying Porsche or Volkswagen brands, but suffered a fire that forced the Portuguese Maritime Rescue authorities to evacuate its crew.       The ship, a 200-meter-long car carrier, was travelling between the German town of Emden to Davisville, and the US state of...

Canary Islands Minister of Social Rights, Noemí Santana, this Tuesday launched a cry for "help" and "assistance" in guaranteeing fundamental attention for migrant minors on the islands, which currently total 2,869 under guardianship as wards of the State.     "The situation is extreme", Santana urged during an appearance at a parliamentary committee, in which she warned that "there is not a single space more", economic and human...

Tanausú O., was jailed this Tuesday, February 15, by decree of a Telde Investigating Court, after being involved in an altercation with security forces on Monday, having fled in a stolen car, dodged a check point and was pursued on the GC-1 to end up crashing into two Guardia Civil crews on the main highway passing the Las Terrazas Shopping Centre.     The Prosecutor's Office has announced the perpetrator having been admitted to...

A bus driver was assaulted in the early hours of this Tuesday morning, February 15, at the Guaguas de Gáldar bus station, in the north of Gran Canaria.       The events are reported to have taken place around 04:38 in the morning, according to the 112 Emergency and Security Coordination Centre (CECOES). Doctors from the Gáldar health centre, located next to the scene of the attack, responded first. “They told me from 112 that...

First thing, this morning, the sun bed and umbrella service staff were visibly back in action to reactivate the services that have been absent for nearly two years on the beaches of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. 9 sectors have been reactivated, with a total of 1,000 hammocks, distributed as follows: One in Meloneras, three sectors in Maspalomas, four in Playa del Inglés and one on El Cochino beach, near San Agustín. This week the rest of the sectors will continue to be added, to total 23 in...

A car chase on the GC-1 followed a driver evading and escaping a control checkpoint, on Monday afternoon. In a joint operation by the Policia Nacional and the Guardia Civil, the main GC-1 north-south highway was closed as a fugitive was being pursued.     At first the driver slowed and stopped for agents but then escaped by dodging the control point. He was followed until he collided with a motorcycle near Las Terrazas de Jinámar,...

Health restrictions, imposed during the COVID-19 response, that prevented British children traveling to Spain, are to be relaxed by Spain's Central Government, according to an announcement made by Canary Islands President, Angel Víctor Torres. In coming days, the central government will facilitate the arrival of families thanks to the modification of current health requirements.     The Archipelago's tourist sector should get a...

The Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has declared a yellow advisory warning for this Tuesday, due to gusts of very strong winds from the southeast, which could exceed 70 kilometres per hour, in the west of the easternmost islands and on the summits and western slopes and north of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Gomera.       According to the AEMET forecast, the skies will clear, with occasional cloud, and intervals of...

Spain's Health Minister, Carolina Darias, said this Friday that from next Thursday she expects the use of masks outdoors may no longer be mandatory, once the measure has been published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) next Wednesday, following approval one day before at the Council of Ministers.     "If everything goes well, which is what we hope, it will be published in the Official State Gazette on Wednesday so that it comes...

San Bartolomé de Tirajana Policia Local and Policia Canaria, on Sunday morning, had to enforce the closure of Heaven nightclub, in the Yumbo shopping and leisure centre, Playa del Inglés, where clients were still being served at dawn despite Level 4 restrictions temporarily meaning all nightlife is supposed to close by midnight.     Policia Canaria agents forced customers inside the establishment to leave it at around 6am, it is...

The Commerce Court number 1 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria agreed this week to declare necessary bankruptcy for tourism companies Anfi Sales SL and Anfi Resorts. There will be an appeal against that judgement heard before the Provincial Court, although it will not be suspensive, that is to say it will not impede the judgement.                 Judge Alberto López Villarrubia accepted the request made...

Hilarity and a little confusion in Playa del Inglés this Friday afternoon after a rental car driver apparently got confused and took a wrong turn, ending up on one of the access stairways of the famous Yumbo Centre. -  Passers-by and witnesses were left bemused by the extraordinarily bad parking, after the driver had realised his error and decided to get out and leave the vehicle where it was, presumably to go and inform the well known...

The Government of the Canary Islands, according to the Department of Social Rights, say their priority now is the closure of the Puerto Bello temporary reception centre for migrant youths in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria, Mogán, saying once that objective is achieved, decisions will be made as whether any action needs to be taken against the Siglo XXI Foundation, who were contracted to manage the out of use hotel facility in December last year, after it began to be used as temporary emergency...

The manager currently responsible for the unaccompanied migrant minors, temporarily housed in the Puerto Bello apartments, in Mogán (Gran Canaria), it has emerged, was only appointed to the position one day before being asked to give a statement to the Prosecutor's Office Puerto Bello investigation based on anonymous allegations sent on June 10, and so he says he does not know what happened in March, when the reported sexual crimes are supposed to have occurred. -  [fb_plugin...

The Las Palmas Provincial Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into accusations of alleged sexual assaults against at least one minor and reports of three individuals having been involved in prostitution at the temporary reception centre for unaccompanied migrant minors, who have been accommodated in the Puerto Bello apartment complex, in the tourist town of Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria, after taking a statement from the director of the facilities and having verified that eleven of...

Canary Islands Health Minister, Blas Trujillo, reported, this Tuesday morning, to the Regional Parliamentary Plenary, the affirmation that his department are moving forward with the EU's COVID Digital Green Certificate, the official document with which, as of July 1, anyone residing in European Union Member States will be able to prove that they have received the vaccine, overcome the disease or have received a negative diagnostic test result. -  [adrotate...

The Canary Island of El Hierro marks the last possible point of landfall for those who head west into the Atlantic Ocean from the coasts of Africa. Beyond it lies 4,500 kilometres of open ocean. The Canary Islands rescue services hold their breath, says Efe's José María Rodríguez today in Spanish language daily La Provincia, whenever an open boat is discovered in the westernmost waters of Europe's most southwesterly point, as they are probably adrift and for anyone still left alive on board,...

The Canary Islands, along with the rest of Spain, as of Monday now allow travellers from non-EU and Schengen third countries, except India, Brazil and South Africa, if they can prove they are vaccinated against COVID-19. The order, published last Saturday in Spain's Official State Gazette (BOE) modifies the temporary covid restrictions on non-essential trips from third countries to the European Union and Schengen associated countries. -  [adrotate...

Last weekend on the south of Gran Canaria, at a leisure centre, a little panic was caused after a 3 year-old managed to crawl into an arcade machine, according to BTC Canarias, from Televisión Canaria. -  The minor ended up trapped inside the machine after sneaking in through the prize chute, where cuddly toys are delivered whether won through luck or skill. The security personnel quickly arrived to assist the child, no injuries reported.. [adrotate...

A British-flagged cargo freighter on Monday night rescued 25 sub-Saharan migrants, 426 kilometres south of Gran Canaria, and is now headed to the port of Las Palmas. -  A Salvamento Maritimo (Maritime Rescue) spokesperson reported to Spanish News Agency, Efe, that the M/V Anvil Point, a 193-meter-long merchant ship, reported last night at 8:35 p.m. that it had located and rescued 25 men from a boat in the Atlantic Ocean,...

The loading and unloading of more than 1 million containers every year at the Puerto de La Luz, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, comes with its own set of dangers, which is why health and safety is of paramount concern in The Canary Islands biggest port. Disaster nearly struck last week, when several large containers toppled on to a waiting truck under a one of the cranes. Thankfully there were no injuries as a result of the incident, although the company has opened an investigation into what...

**UPDATED** UK press reported early today that their government were not likely to add any new countries to the British travel "green list" leaving many in The Canary Islands region hoping they might yet stand a chance of being included, despite the rest of Spain missing out.  Those hopes have now been dashed. The UK's Joint Biosecurity Centre met on Wednesday to present their risk assessment based on 7-day & 14-day accumulated incidence, infection rates, risks of Covid variant...

The Brifor Tenerife Forestry Brigade firefighters and technicians have continued this week to work on concluding the Arico forest fire, which has continued to burn despite having been declared under controlled since Monday, May 24. The Tenerife forestry brigade are focused on smothering the tree stumps and pine trees that are still burning and smouldering within the perimeter of the burn zone. -  The Cabildo de Tenerife...

I couple driving an Opel Corsa along the GC2 highway, on the north coast of Gran Canaria, had a nasty shock this afternoon after stopping outside the popular Pepe Chiringo fresh fast food outlet opposite the BP service station at San Andres roundabout in the municipality of Moya. -  A sudden flash of flame from below the car sends the couple inside into panic as they leap out, the driver grabbed a cushion from off of his seat and tries to tackle the fire, but...

The Canary Islands Ministry for Tourism began making changes to their websites this Tuesday, in expectation of new amendments to regional laws regulating access to hotels and other tourist accommodations during the pandemic.  The Canary Islands pioneered their new "safe tourism" law last autumn, in the absence of any national legislation for testing arriving tourists, by making it mandatory for anyone checking into a registered tourism accommodation to show that they had been...

The African Lion 2021 military exercises, in which Morocco, the United States and seven other countries are set to participate, will not be held in Western Sahara after all, according to to El Periódico de Catalunya news portal, who contacted US Military Command Africa (Africom) for comment and to clarify speculations over recent days, fuelled by the Moroccan president, Saadedín Otmani, who said this week that part of the exercises would be held in the former Spanish colony, suggesting that...

.:. Edward Timon .:. The Canary - Feature Image: View For Sale - 45photos.com Bård Ove Myhr The Canary Islands have this Thursday announced that they will no longer require, from as early as next week, a PCR or an antigen test from domestic travellers, and international transit passengers, who arrive on the islands, so long as they have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently  recovered from the disease.  The changes look set to align with measures already taken in Spain,...

New measures announced in the Queen’s Speech will make it easier for British citizens who have moved abroad to participate in UK democracy, according to a statement released today on the British Government's Cabinet Office, on their main website. -  The UK government vowed to scrap the law, introduced in 2002, that bans British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from taking part in UK elections. Decisions made in the UK...

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Criminal Court number 2 has sentenced the driver who killed a musician in Pasito Blanco on February 5, 2019 while he was fleeing from the Civil Guard, to ten years and six months in prison. -  The judge accepted the merits of prosecutor Cecilia Acebal's request for eight and a half years in prison for the crimes of reckless driving in contest with homicide through serious recklessness and one count of an attack...

Military manoeuvres will take place in June both on land in Western Sahara and close to the waters of Canary Islands in a joint US and Moroccan exercise, along with several other countries but not including Spain. This has been billed as the "largest exercise in Africa" with an overwhelming deployment of resources planned for Operation African Lion scheduled from June 7 to 18. The main peculiarity is that the Western Saharan town of Mahbes, near the border with Algeria beside the Tindouf...

Spanish borders officially reopen to the British, who will be able to visit from Monday without the need to test, after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared last Friday that the country is "delighted" to be able to welcome back tourists from Spain's main tourism source market, as well as from other third countries deemed to be safe, based on their current epidemiological data.  Whether vaccinated or not, Spain has decided there will be no need for tests so long as the UK's 14-day incidence...

The Tenerife forest fire has continued through the weekend, though the conditions on the ground have led to more favourable forecasts by fire crews who have been battling since Thursday to bring the blaze under control. Last night and into the early hours of Monday morning work continued along with surveillance to control hot spots, according to reports from the main 1- 1-2 Canary Islands Emergency and Security Coordinating Centre. -  Aircraft have continued...

The Minister of Public Administrations, Justice and Security, Julio Pérez, announced on Friday night that the forest fire declared on Thursday in the municipality of Arico, on Tenerife, is still active and uncontrolled, although conditions are favourable for the extinction tasks. "We can say that the situation this afternoon is better than this morning." -  The perimeter around the blaze has reached 25 kilometres, containing a surface area of 2,600 hectares of...

Ángel Víctor Torres, president of the Canary Islands, travelled to the Tenerife municipality of Arico today to learn in detail about the forest fire that has affected that area since noon on Thursday. Torres highlighted the effort that public administrations have made from the beginning to try to perimeter the blaze, control it and extinguish it as soon as possible. This effort has been joined by six helicopters, a seaplane and some 300 service personnel, including members of the Military...

The Tenerife forest fire that started on Thursday, around 11:30 a.m., in the Chajaña ravine, in Arico, remains uncontrolled this Friday morning having already affected more than 1,500 hectares of forest, and continues to climb towards the peaks of the island. The blaze has now been declared a Gran Incendio Forestal ( GIF - Great Forest Fire). The right flank is heading towards the Teide National Park and the left flank towards the south of the island, with firefighters already at work in the...

The Canary Islands Governing Council met on Thursday, as they do every week, to discussed the development of the coronavirus pandemic in the Archipelago. The Canary Islands Government spokesman, Julio Pérez, explained that the alert levels for each of the islands remain unchanged, and he expressed positivity regarding the contagion data over the last week, adding that it is important to continue improving the situation.  Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote and La Graciosa are all on alert level...

The Canary Islands are hoping to recover up to 85% of the tourism connectivity they had in the pre-Covid era, in 2019, throughout the course of this year. Announced on Thursday, at the FITUR International Tourism Fair by the Canary Islands Regional Minister for Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Yaiza Castilla, it was explained that the Archipelago had reestablished flight connections with 130 of the 153 cities for 2021 with which there were connection routes two years ago. - ...

A forest fire was declared this morning on Tenerife, in the Chajaña ravine, and by 4pm this afternoon had already affected more than 240 hectares of pine forest in the south eastern municipality of Arico. Strong gusts of wind, exceeding 30 kmph, have been pushing the flames in the direction of Granadilla de Abona.  -  ?En estos momentos tres helicópteros del #GES trabajan en las labores de extinción del #IFArico pic.twitter.com/NWvM5uh2ig — 1-1-2 Canarias...

Confusion for British tourists continued this Thursday after Health Minister, Matt Hancock, at Wednesday's Downing Street press briefing, downplayed any possibility that the UK Government will expand their Green List of destinations. For the moment the United Kingdom has not made any clear decision regarding which destinations might be added to the list, despite the European Union this Wednesday having approved new rules for vaccinated travellers from third countries, with a particular focus...

A reckless driver whose actions while fleeing from the Guardia Civil led to the death of a well known Canarian musician, Miguel Estupiñán Díaz, on February 5, 2019 in Pasito Blanco has tried to suggest that it was the agents chasing him who caused him to lose control of the vehicle, invading the opposite lane and colliding with the victim. -  The defendant, Evaristo José P. M., also known as El Platanito, testified yesterday before the...

The residents of Playa de Tauro beach this Thursday began to dismantle what they called the "illegal fence" preventing them from accessing the beach in front of their homes. According to Los Verdes, the Green party of Mogán, in a statement, the Costas, coastal authority, has decreed the opening of Playa de Tauro following a complaint made by the party last December to the Prosecutor's Office. The Greens denounced "the abuses that have been repeatedly committed against the residents of Playa de...

The Costas, Costal Authority, the Government department for the Demarcation of the Coasts of the Canary Islands, have commissioned the public company Tragsa to remove a breakwater and embankment built "without a license" by the timeshare company, Anfi, that held the concession during work carried out back in 2016 on Playa de Tauro beach. -  The esplanade covers an area of between ​​50 & 60 meters by 20 meters, and will cost an estimated €35,000 to be...

Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will present the Digital Green Certificate, a health passport, on Friday, May 21 alongside the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, to promote the reactivation of international tourism at the main FITUR international tourism fair 2021.  Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, made the announcement during a press conference to present the Madrid tourism fair, which aims to represent a turning point for the recovery of travel and...

The Councillor for Urban Planning for La Aldea de San Nicolás town hall, Naira Navarro, has issued a statement, following an interview on radio station Cadena Ser last Friday with the representative of a now infamous US company known as Kokoon, stating very clearly that La Aldea say no project of any kind has been presented to the town council regarding the supposed "macro complex" Kokoon resort in La Aldea. -  The company behind Kokoon were supposed to be...

Four foreign nationals are accused of allegedly participating in the group rape of a Danish woman in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria, back at Christmas 2016. Their case is to be heard at the Second Section of the Provincial Court of Las Palmas next Tuesday and the accused face sentences of between nine and sixteen years in prison. -  The brief of conclusions, from the Las Palmas Provincial Prosecutor's Office, reveals that the first of the accused, a 30-year-old...

A Canary Islands TSJC High Court ruling has refused to endorse the regional government's intention to maintain scheduled curfews, and in particular travel exclusion rules around perimeter closures on islands at alert levels 3 or 4. The Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the TSJC also established the limits to people in places of worship and maximum numbers of non cohabitants at family or social gatherings in public and private. All Canary Islands are currently at level 1 or 2, and so for...

The UK Government this Friday announced their initial 'green list' of 12 countries and territories to which their citizens can travel without having to quarantine of May 17, which includes Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel, but leaves all of Spain, France and Greece out for now. The Canary Islands are also excluded from this list of safe places. -  British Transport Minister Grant Shapps explained that travellers returning to England from those destinations will...

The British Government on Tuesday let it be known they are removing the Canary Islands from their list of destinations to which they advise against non-essential travel, due to the low incidence of the coronavirus. -  An update to the travel restrictions for Spain, that appear on the British Government's main website, said "The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic Islands but excluding the Canary Islands, based on the...

On Friday the mayor of Mogán, O Bueno, opened her latest gift to the residents of Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria with a new trailer park space for overnighting of motorhomes and campers. Beaming, together with members of her current governing group, she welcomed the first motorhomes to arrive, ready to enjoy May day weekend. -  The space, located beside the park, in the old Motor Grande neighbourhood, makes use of a large parking area which will now be for the...

The Canary Islands are once again officially the region with the highest unemployment in Europe, reports Spanish language daily La Provincia this Monday. However to reach that conclusion they have added the official statistics regarding registered unemployed to the number not currently working because they are on the Spanish furlough system, known as a Temporary Employment Regulation File (ERTE), workers who, although they do not officially count within the national stats, are, say the...

The Guardia Civil in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria, Mogán, have been investigating two crimes of theft resulting in four arrests announced this week.  The first three detainees were caught red-handed having allegedly stolen booze from a supermarket and the fourth was charged with stealing the wheels from a parked vehicle, all of which happened in Puerto de Mogán over the easter holidays. -  €359 worth of booze A shop worker first reported a group of three people,...

The Costas, Spanish Coastal Authority, are investigating whether the San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Hall's Beaches Department have been carrying out unauthorised work by moving large rocks around the Faro de Maspalomas Lighthouse, in an alleged effort to expand the breakwater running parallel to the walkway, along which Gran Canaria's most iconic beach is accessed from the lighthouse. A video, recorded by local residents shows a digger operator moving large stones and stacking them in front of...

The Canary Islands Government Ministry of Health recorded 202 new cases of coronavirus COVID-19 on Saturday. The total number of cases accumulated in the Canary Islands has now reached 48,943, with just 4,567 patients still being actively monitored.  78 are currently admitted to the ICU, and 316 others remain hospitalised. There has been one new death, a 66-year-old woman in Tenerife, who had been admitted to the hospital and was also suffering from previous pathologies. For the latest Canary...

The Guardia Civil's Investigation and Traffic Analysis Group from Las Palmas successfully identified the 'surfer' driver of a vehicle who was caught on camera with either end of a surfboard sticking out both rear passenger windows of the small car he was driving down the main GC-1 highway, on the island of Gran Canaria last week, and have administratively denounced his failure to understand that his actions were illegal, based on the General Traffic Regulations. [fb_plugin...

The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, has asked that "common sense" solutions be found, while always protecting public health, to the mandatory use of masks included in Tuesday's Official State Gazette (BOE), reported to include beaches and swimming pools, regardless of any interpersonal distance that may exist. The BOE itself however does not appear to specifically mention either beaches or swimming pools. ?  This was made clear to the...

United Kingdom Residents who travel without a valid reason will face fines of up to £5,000 (€5,789) from next week, according to new legislation prepared by the British Government that will be voted on this Thursday in Parliament. British Health Minister, Matt Hancock, indicated that there was a possibility of a new wave of infections that could arrive from Europe. The new law, which will tighten restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-19, imposes large...

Spain's Council of Ministers this Friday approved an €11 billion aid package to help self-employed freelancers and companies to overcome the economic crisis into which the global pandemic has plunged them.  €7 billion euros will be allocated to autonomous communities with €2 billion of that exclusively for the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands, as they are the territories most affected due to their dependence on tourism. Canary Islands President, Ángel...

The Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (BOC) published this Saturday new protection measures set to be in place for at least the next two weeks, to fight the spread of COVID19 on the islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, aimed at curbing infections, the Regional Health Ministry has reported. [fb_plugin...