Items filtered by date: May 2024

The State Meteorological Agency has issued a yellow alert for Tenerife and Gran Canaria warning of high temperatures reaching 34 ° C in the East, West and South of the islands. The warning is active for the daytime hours of between 10am and 8pm, and could last through the weekend.

A young girl of 8 years was saved from frowning in a hotel Jacuzzi in the Golf del Sur area at about 19:15 last night.
The girl has been move to Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria and is in a serious but stable condition.

Two people have died after their car plunged into a ravine in the town of Güímar, Tenerife. It happened at 13:30 yesterday in the Barranco de Los Bare, when an emergency call was received about a car leaving the road and falling into the ravine.

A doctor from the local health centre confirmed the death of the 70 year old woman at the scene after the body had been recovered by the fire service. The second body was recovered from the ravine by helicopter.

Bomberos from San Miguel of Abona and Adeje volunteers were required yesterday, Sunday, July 29, about 10:30pm, to intervene in the rescue of a man who fell to the sea in Playa Paraiso, near some rocks.

Two people helped the victim until emergency services arrived. Two fire fighters also moved up to the location of the injured man to assist the rescue by helicopter.

Also present were the local police, Civil Guard and the Canary Islands emergency service.

Two youths aboard a Thomas Cook Flight to Tenerife Reina Sofia Airport from Manchester, threatened to detonate a bomb on board after having an argument with the cabin crew.

The youths were drunk at the time, and claimed “it was just a joke”.

Police surrounded the plane when it landed and evacuated the passengers, the youths were arrested.

The beaches of Playa Jardín and San Telmo in Puerto de la Cruz have been reinstated with the blue flag after an enormous amount of work to improve the beaches has been completed.

The blue flag is a system of certification of environmental quality that promotes and rewards participation in voluntary environmental initiatives.

The councillor of health for Puerto de la Cruz said that "the criteria are grouped into four areas, such as the quality of waters and zones of bathroom, information and environmental education, environmental management and safety, services and facilities”.

The Foundation for Environmental Education recognises the effort made in the above areas by Puerto de la Cruz.

Read our Puerto de la Cruz review

Commemorations for the victory over Admiral Nelson by the people of Santa Cruz in July 1797, recalling the one most important event in the history of post conquest Tenerife will begin this weekend on Saturday 21st July.

The main event will be held on Saturday July 21 at the Castle of San Juan (Black Castle) where members of the ‘Asociación Histórico Cultural Gesta del 25 de Julio’ will re-enact the battle with some other volunteers. From 19.00, the audience will see, among other things, the tools and weapons used in the battle and witness a display of fencing and rifle usage.

Later, at 21.45, a reconstruction the English attack on the Castle of San Juan, which will simulate the landing, the artillery fire and the response of the Santa Cruz defences. The finale will be a fireworks display.

British holiday home owners on Tenerife are facing huge fines for breaking a law that requires property owners to have a licence before renting out their properties to holiday makers.

The law was introduced in 1995 but has not been enforced for over a decade, so this has led to holiday rental owners to not bother to apply. However to authorities on the Canary Islands are now looking to enforce this law and are issuing fines to the owners of £15,000.

Many property owners are note even aware the fines have been issued and may find that their properties are sold to pay the fines.

Rita Emma Hernandez, the canary’s tourism chief says ‘The simple fact is there is a law in the Canary Islands which says you can’t rent your property out to tourists without prior authorisation. And those who seek this authorisation for their villas or apartments won’t get it right now.’

When I myself was looking for a property on Tenerife in 2003, only one estate agent even informed me that this law existed and made it clear at the time that renting out the apartment without a licence was illegal. All the other estate agents never mentioned it, even though they were aware that I was intending to rent the property out.

In Puerto de la Cruz there are many shops selling Perfumes and cosmetics. These are worth looking in as you may find fragrances and make-up that you have not been able to buy at home. There are many touristy shops, selling souvenir’s and gifts to take home. The local Mojo sauces (red and green) are on sale everywhere, they are traditional of the Canary Islands.

Shopping along the seafront in Puerto de la Cruz has that special holiday feeling especially in the evening, when there are numerous street traders selling a colourful array of handbags, African ornaments, sunglasses and, jewellery.  There are also a couple of clothes, and jewellery shops along the promenade. If you want something a bit different there are bracelets and necklaces for sale with the volcanic rock in them. Some street traders sell this volcanic rock jewellery as well.

You can take home some very different fashion items, and the price to have something unusual from here is not expensive. Have a look in the fashion boutiques. In England we tend to have more chain shops such as H&M, Top Shop and Next. In Puerto de la Cruz the shops and boutiques tend to be more individual.

If you venture away from the main tourist area of Puerto de la Cruz you will find shops that are stocked more for the locals, therefore prices are cheaper, you will find some good footwear, and clothes in these shops.

It is worth checking the supermarkets for face creams, toiletries, and some other items that you may not have thought off. Some sell nice inexpensive kaftans.

There are usually some special offers on for alcohol. Wines, champagne, and liquors are good prices in the Supermarkets. The local rum made from palm syrup makes a good gift to take home. With Tenerife’s tax free status alcohol tobacco, leather and electrical goods are popular purchases.

In the old quarter of Puerto de la Cruz you can see cigars being rolled and made. The reputation of tobacco from Tenerife is excellent. Fancy cigarettes and handmade cigars can be bought in the shops or from street sellers. 

If the weather is not so good there is an undercover shopping centre called Martiánez Centro Comercial the east side of town in Calle Aguilar y Quesada. This is similar to what you would find back in the UK. The mall houses fashion shops, shoe shops, perfumeries, jewellers, watches, Movie Star, Car rentals, a cafeteria and a Mercadona supermarket. There are parking facilities underneath the mall and a Burger King and noodle bar takaway.

Read our Puerto de la Cruz review

Today whilst doing some research for the website, we were in Punta del Hidalgo in the north of Tenerife. Unfortunately someone died on the promenade at about 2pm this afternoon while we were there.

It appears from communicating with a street cleaner that someone fell over the promenade wall and sustained server head injuries. We don’t know anything about the victim, but family members arrived at the scene and where clearly grieving.

Several police officers, including plain clothed investigators arrived as did the ambulance and lifeguards, but the victim could not be saved. The body was left at the scene under a red cover for some time before being removed.

Picture of the scene above.