Good news for regular travellers to and from Tenerife, not only are Ryanair opening new routes connecting to Manchester, here in Tenerife the south airport is ready to open its second terminal building this year. Demand for Tenerife flights has never been stronger but Ryanairs commitment to open a base at Tenerife’s Reina Sofia airport has paved the way for a golden era for travellers.

The Manchester flights begin on 14 April and will link Tenerife to Manchester four times a week offering low cost flights just in time for the spring and summer rush. Meanwhile work is going well to improve facilities at Tenerife South airport, the new 21,400 square metre second terminal will be in use by the end of the year reducing congestion at peak times. This will mean they can process 4,400 passengers an hour as oposed to the current 3,000 and there will also be 32 new check in desks.

All good news for our Wimpen clients who can look forward to more frequent, cheaper and more comfortable journeys to enjoy the sun and our hospitality in Tenerife.

The Canary Islands are again proving to be the biggest draw as people start to book summer holidays but with increasing competition it’s important to keep people aware of the wonderful climate, beaches  and scenery. The 2011 tourism market fairs are about to start with Fitur in Madrid from 19 to 23 January and the Canary Islands will be making their prescence felt.

A huge stand for all the Canary Islands costing 360,000 euros will attract the crowds and individual islands and councils will be doing their best to entice the movers and shakers in the holiday trade. In these tough financial times the Canaries are looking to get value for money and their stand has been designed for re-use at the Berlin travel fair later in the spring.

The hot themes for this year in Tenerife are health and wellness, and gastronomy. Arona council are holding a special launch night on 19 January at the world famous Reina Sofia museum in Madrid, invited guests will be able to sample the best of traditional Canarian food as served in their region. All the signs are good for visitor numbers to the Canary Islands in 2011 and Wimpen are looking forward to welcoming back old friends and adding lots of new ones.

There are so many great places to see in Tenerife and just when you think you have got to know them they add an extra surprise. Adeje is such a place, serene and steeped in history the main street Calle Grande is shaded by palms and lined with intimate pavement cafes. Making changes can upset the balance but full marks to the locl council for its facelift of Plaza de España tucked between the council headquarters and the old church of Santa Ursula.

The new look is very modern and concrete based but careful design has allowed a clear view over the back to the magnificent Barranco del Invierno. The 1,182 square metres are open and welcoming and the new metre high tower salutes the clipped top of Roque del Conde and the hang gliders that swoop around it. The church is now more clearly seen, encouraging visitors to browse inside and see the vast glory of the ornate decoration and annex that pays tribute to the crucifiction, so emotionally brought to life in the annual Good Friday street performance of The Passion.

Just down the hill past the old canon that stood guard many years ago, the remains of the old battlements stand defiantly as a reminder of past struggles. The modern tourist area of the municipality has been renamed Costa Adeje and offers everything from beach comfort to night life and designer shopping but the old town is always worth a visit to get a feel of Tenerife and its older charms.

Plenty of pre christmas cheer here in Tenerife with good news updates on 2 previous stories. Firstly going back to September we told you how the beach improvement project for Callao Salvaje had been approved and was ready to start in November. Running just a few weeks behind schedule the first new sand was depositied on Playa de Ajabo on 14 December during the inauguration ceremony.

This is the main stage of the 1.2 million euro project and the new revamped beach should be ready for use in July 2011, this will include new beach kiosks, sun beds and life guards. Then later after the 15,200 square metre beach is in full swing, the coastal walkway will be completed making it possible to walk from Callao Salvaje to Playa Paraiso. It’s all great news for visitors to Sueño Azul one of the many well placed Wimpen resorts.

Beach promenade walks seem to bring out the best in people, on Sunday 12 December The Walk For Life for breast cancer took place and was again a great success. The 3.5 km route from Salytien in Playa de Las Americas to the Plaza de la Pescadora in Los Cristianos was packed with well over 1,000 walkers who raised 13,631 euros. A group of swimmers took the sea route and pink was the dominant colour for all those showing support for this great cause. One of the many pleasing aspects of the walk was the way it drew together the British and Spanish communities, Tenerife is always a great place to make new friends.

Slushy pavements, big coats to keep out the cold and rain driving in sideways, that’s no way to do christmas shopping. Santa Cruz the capital of  Tenerife is putting on the style this year by installing an artificial ice rink in Plaza de España. It’s the focal point of the city with views out to the quayside and the Atlantic beyond and heads Calle del Castillo, one of the main shopping streets.

Now imagine christmas shopping in the sun, stopping for a coffee or a festive tipple, and having a whirl on the ice rink. The ice surface will be in place from 3 December to 10 January and an hours skating including skate hire is expected to cost 4 euros. It’s a decent sized rink of 600 square metres and can take 100 people at any time, opening hours will be from 10am to midnight.

Santa Cruz is just an hour from the south and has a wide selection of stores selling the latest in fashion and electronic goods. Sounds tempting, and not a snowflake in sight.

Don’t panic if you haven’t started shopping yet, just a few gentle notes for your diary if you are planning Christmas in Tenerife. As always there will be plenty of events to enjoy and details and dates are now being revealed. Many of the big concerts are in Santa Cruz the northern capital but even that is a short drive of an hour, a little more from the west coast.

Let’s start  down south, big classical concerts tend to head for the north but the Magma Arts and Congress Centre next to the Playa de las Americas bus station is trying to redress that balance. On Monday 6 December the Moscow Ballet will be performing The Nutcracker there at 7pm. Tickets are 35 euros from their website or call the box office on (0034) 902109974.

Christmas Day may end back home with snoozing by the fire but in Tenerife you can end the night on a lively note in Santa Cruz with the annual FREE quayside concert. This year it’s Gospel Sinfonico featuring the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and the Mississippi Mass Choir, a stage full of 200 performers. It starts at 10 pm and finishes at midnight, or a bit later, with a huge firework show.

There is no Boxing Day in Spain but the show goes on with the start of the big festive season offering at the Santa Cruz Auditorium. This year’s musical treat is Chicago with a top Spanish cast. Tickets range between 30 and 50 euros, phone the box office (0034)  902317327 or the website. The show runs until 2 January but no show on New Years Day – even musical stars are entitled to a hangover.

There will of course be lots of local music, colour and culture all around the island, and the nativity scenes at the town halls are always worth a look. Sorry we can’t offer you any snow – well maybe a little bit up on Mount Teide.

The Las Rosas Precis Minutes are now available

To read or download your copy – Please go to the Owners Log–In section

 It’s going to be a musical summer, as always, in Tenerife, there are jazz and opera seasons coming up in the capital Santa Cruz but down in the south there is an equally amazing mix.

July brings two major events at different ends of the musical spectrum. On 20 July Simply Red perform outdoors at Golf Costa Adeje as part of their farewell tour. The course has already staged concerts from Rod Stewart and Elton John in previous years and proved to be a superb setting.

Then on 23 July the Moscow Ballet bring Swan Lake to Playa de las Americas. That takes place at the Magma Arts and Congress building next to the main bus station. The modern centre, normally used for conferences and corporate gatherings is adding more cultural events to its programme and will bring some of the top orchestras down south from the capital.

Talking of Santa Cruz, it may be early to think of christmas but bookings are now being taken for the festive seasons big musical offering at the auditorium on the sea front. This year it is the Spanish production of Chicago, one of the biggest modern musicals around.

Here are a couple of useful websites if you want to keep up with forthcoming music and cultural happenings. www.tenerifemagazine.com and the governments English site www.whatsontenerife.eu  Enjoy the shows.

The Club Bena Vista & Los Claveles Precis Minutes are now available

To read or download your copy – Please go to the Owners Log–In section

Owners will be aware that for those with an Escritura it is necessary to obtain an NIE Number for their villa(s) in Tenerife & Lanzarote and since it is a simple procedure to apply direct to a Spanish Consular General Office in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, I thought it would be of interest to relate my experience for the benefit of other owners who may be contemplating applying for an NIE Number.

My villa at Las Rosas is owned jointly with my wife and on 16th October last we visited the Consular General´s office at 20m Draycott Place, London SW3 2RZ, just a few minutes walk from Sloane Square Tube Station, where we met a Consular Officer – a lady, who was very courteous and helpful.

YOU MUST APPEAR IN PERSON AND TAKE WITH YOU:-

A) Form EX-14 IN DUPLICATE – two for each owner, this form may be downloaded from the Spanish Consulate´s website www.conspalon.org or alternatively obtained from WimPen´s Admin Office in Tenerife, and since this form is printed in Spanish and MUST be completed in Spanish online, PDF or on a typewriter, NOT HANDWRITTEN, I decided to contact WimPen whose Admin staff were very helpful and in addition to copies of the Spanish Form will also send you an English version as a guide, which will undoubtedly help facilitate your completion of the form.
Complete the Spanish form in front of the Spanish Consular Officer, who will then stamp the form and hand one copy of the form back to each owner. The retained copy will be forwarded to Madrid and in 1 – 3 months time the NIE Number will be forwarded to WimPen in Tenerife for personal collection in due course.

B) YOUR VALID PASSPORT and a photocopy of the page in your passport containing your personal details, but make sure you also copy the blank page opposite your personal details which will also be stamped and retained by the Consular Officer.

I am pleased to say that this service was provided completely free of charge. No passport size photographs were required, I did take my Escritura with me.

We arrived at the office at 10.50am and left at 11.00am – an excellent and efficient service, and we will collect the NIE certificates from WimPen when we next visit Las Rosas in August.

As indicated, the procedure is very simple and if any Las Rosas owner(s) would like to discuss the matter my email address is nallen772@btinternet.com

Nevilla Allen – Villa 50 – Weeks 35 & 36.