Tag: Western Sahara

Latest Gran Canaria News, Views & Sunshine

#GranCanariaWeather: A Little Overcast with Mild Temperatures, Warming Towards The Weekend

Dec, 2023 |

It’s the Constitution Day Bridge Weekend, with bank holidays on Wednesday and Friday, meaning that many will have also taken off Thursday to make a five day break to start the seasonal shopping season. Temperatures into the weekend looking to remain at between 18º and 24ºC in the shade. With the sun rising around 07:40 and setting again just after 6pm. The waning crescent moon transitions to a new moon on December 12 so plenty of stars visible on clear nights as the gradually less visible lunar surface orbits closer to the sun from our perspective.

GLAY+ Maspalomas World AIDS Day Commemoration at La Plaza De La Diversidad a Resounding Success

Dec, 2023 |

Yumbo, Playa del Inglés, Gran Canaria, December 1, 2023 – On Friday evening, December 1, La Plaza De La Diversidad GLAY+ Maspalomas, on the south of Gran Canaria, lit up with solidarity and community spirit as the GLAY+ Maspalomas association (Gays and Lesbians Associated of Yumbo, Maspalomas) led an emotional commemoration of World AIDS Day. The event, which began at 7:00 PM, with the participation of Amigos Contra El SIDA, Aula Darío Jaén, and Checkpoint Canarias, drew significant attendance, including local government representatives and community leaders.

The Canary Guide #WeekendTips 1-3 December 2023

Dec, 2023 |

The first weekend of December, the first rains of winter, and the count down to Christmas has begun in earnest. Friday is World AIDS Day, a day of remembrance and the celebration of life down at the Yumbo in Playa del Inglés. There are more lights on events taking place around the island as well as Christmas Markets to enjoy. There is also the Mogán Avodacado Fair to explore in Arguineguín and a beach clean by the original Gran Canaria beach cleaners of Surf Canarias to join just to name a few. Remember that adverse weather conditions might cause any outdoor event to be postponed or cancelled, though most of the rain is expected to pass by the end of Saturday.

#GranCanariaWeather: PreAlerts for Thunderstorms, Wind and Heavy Rain in Places

Nov, 2023 |

A powerful storm looks set to sweep across the Canary Islands from west to east on Thursday and Friday, bringing rainfall that could be occasionally heavy and accompanied by thunderstorms, according to forecasts by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).

New Meloneras Hotel For The South of Gran Canaria Begins Ambitious Urban Development Plan

Nov, 2023 |

The touristed south of Gran Canaria is set for some urban transformation with the licensing of a new five star hotel in the popular resort area of Meloneras, marking a major developmental milestone for the destination. The Urban Planning Council of San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council plans to grant six Major Works licenses following their approval in the Government Board meeting to be held this Thursday November 30, granting Lopesan Touristik a license for a new 533-room hotel, representing a €61 million investment. The planned five-star establishment will be located on the plot Meloneras 2A behind the ExpoMeloneras Convention Centre, and will be the first new hotel in the area since 2009. It promises to combine leisure and commercial facilities over a sprawling 48,276.26 square meters, featuring a seven-story hotel and three-story commercial and office space.

Judicial Ruling Halts Major Maspalomas Commercial Park and Housing Plan in El Hornillo

Nov, 2023 | Local Council, Maspalomas, News, Property

Gran Canaria – The Canary Islands’ High Court of Justice (TSJC) has upheld the annulment of the urban planning for El Hornillo, a contentious development project in Gran Canaria’s tourism heartlands of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The judgment reaffirmed a previous ruling by the Administrative Court Number 4 of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which in May 2021 nullified the municipal town hall’s already approved plans for a commercial park and over 300 homes.

Court Revokes License for Luxury Hotel Project in Pasito Blanco

Nov, 2023 | Las Palmas, Maspalomas, News, Property, Tourism

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – In a recent legal ruling, the Administrative Court Number 2 of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has annulled the license granted to Centro Helioterápico de Canarias for the construction of a luxury hotel by the Seaside Group at Pasito Blanco, located in the southern Gran Canaria municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The decision, issued on November 15, represents a major setback for what was an ambitious tourism project, highlighting ongoing challenges in balancing development and legal compliance in the Canary Islands.

Canary Islands Aim to Regulate Vacation Homes Amidst Growing Concerns Over Housing

Nov, 2023 | Government, Maspalomas, politics, Property, Tourism

Canary Islands – The Canary Islands Regional Government is taking a proactive stance to regulate the burgeoning vacation home sector, with a new law expected to be introduced in the summer of 2024. The legislation will aim to curtail the rapid growth of vacation rentals, a trend that has consumed 35% of the lodgings market in the region. The law will ultimately grant local municipalities discretion to make the final decisions regarding the regulation of these properties.

Canary Islands’ Tourism Industry Already Hitting Record Highs This Winter Season

Nov, 2023 | Business, Tourism

Canary Islands – The Canary Islands have launched their 2023-2024 winter tourism season, setting new records in the hotel industry and reinforcing their status as a premier European and global destination, and Europe’s only sub-tropical winter sunshine destination. The main winter period, stretching from October 1 to March 31, typically marks the most lucrative phase of the year for the archipelago’s tourism sector, known for its appealing climate and beautiful landscapes.

Canarian Gay Concentration Camp At Tefía To Be Recognised As A Place Of Democratic Memory

Nov, 2023 | Government, History, News

Underscoring Spain’s commitment to confronting its Francoist past, Ángel Víctor Torres, the former President of the Canary Islands and now the newly announced national Spanish Government’s Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, in his first act of his new office, has announced the recognition of the Tefía LGBT+ concentration camp in Fuerteventura and the Sima de Jinámar, scene of fascistic murders on Gran Canaria, as places of democratic memory. This declaration will mark a significant step in the Spanish nation’s journey towards reconciling with its historical injustices.

The Canary Guide #WeekendTips 24-26 November 2023

Nov, 2023 | Events & Leisure, Fairs & Markets, Weekend Tips

What warm month it has been, and now it’s time to enjoy the last weekend of November with more typical seasonal weather. We have one busy weekend coming up, and that most American celebration of consumerism, the so-called Black Friday, can be clearly seen on Gran Canaria as well. Events to celebrate the switching on of Christmas lights continues and there is even a chance to enjoy the first Christmas markets.

Playa del Inglés Annexo II Shopping Centre Demolition Proposal Revealed At XI Tourism Forum

Nov, 2023 | News

This Thursday it was revealed that the Environmental Department of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, island government, has returned an unfavorable assessment of the latest proposed renovations project for the Annexo II shopping centre in Playa del Inglés, in the tourism heartlands of the south of Gran Canaria. They have argued that the project is simply incompatible with the conservation of the Dunes Special Natural Reserve, suggesting that the building be completely demolished and reconstructed further back, nearer to the Paseo Costa Canaria coastal walkway.

2.1 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Santa Lucía in Gran Canaria

Nov, 2023 | Natural World, News

Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Gran Canaria – An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.1 rattled the interior of the Gran Canaria municipality of Santa Lucía de Tirajana this Thursday evening. According to data from the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), Spain’s national geological institute, the tremor occurred at precisely 20:07 local time and was registered at a depth of approximately 25 kilometers. Thankfully, this seismic event went pretty much unnoticed by the local population.

The Canary News, Views & Sunshine - Est. 2009