As Carnaval season binds its spell on the Canary Islands Lanzarote is gearing up for a whole series of regional events. Where ever you are living or visiting on Lanzarote it’s time to dress up and dance, the really hardy party goers will probably be popping into all the Carnavals.

It all starts in the capital city Arrecife with the longest party from 25 February to 9 March, all under this years theme of Opera. The big parade takes place on Monday 7th March when all ages unite to show off their costumes and to dance the night away. The capital doesn’t get it all its own way, there is a lot of pride at stake as other towns pull out the stops to try and outshine their rivals-

Playa Blanca will be awakening memories of childhood with their theme of Fairytales for their Carnaval from 17 to 20 March. It’s a great chance for our guests at Las Brisas and Las Casitas to enjoy the flavours and colours of this great Lanzarote tradition. The highlight of the celebrations is the big parade on Saturday 19 March from 5pm. Music and fireworks always play a big part and everyone is invited to join in.

Those with the stamina can also dip into the fun and games at Puerto del Carmen from 10 to 12 March and Costa Teguise from 25 to 27 March. The good news is that after all that late night partying the beaches and pools of Lanzarote will always be there to encourage a much needed relaxation under the clear sunny skies.

Please note that the AGM 2010 Minutes are now available in the Owners Log In for El Marques, Las Casitas and Las Brisas.

Sueno Azul 2010 AGM Minutes now available on the Owners Log In.

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.

There’s always something to look forward to in Tenerife and with spring in the air that means Carnaval season. It all kicks off with Santa Cruz, second only to Rio in terms of size and status, after that the regional versions follow with each town trying to outdo its near neighbours.

Santa Cruz has a long lead in with qualifying events starting 10 February but the main action runs from 2 to 13 March. La Laguna takes place between 5 and 12 March, Puerto de la Cruz 3 to 12 March, Los Gigantes 17 to 21 March and Los Cristianos 18 to 28 March – to be confirmed. Different towns have different variations to the main themes but they are all about music, dance, fireworks, late nights and drinking, and everyone is invited to join in.

The key events are the election of the Carnaval Queen, every young girls dream, the Murgas competition – satirical songs sung to the backing of kazzoo trumpets, and the sardine funeral. Carnaval is steeped in tradition and is based around Lent. The sardine funeral features men dressed as female mourners following the procession of the sardine, destined to ne cremated amid much celebration. This is a direct dig at the church who turned a blind eye to their own hierarchy and the rich eating anything they liked during lent while the people had to scrap for sardines.

The road to Carnaval starts as soon as one years celebrations end, then costume designers start work on creating ever more lavish outfits for the following year. The rhythm of carnaval is infectious and one that most people cannot resist, make sure you are ready to party.

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.

Many congratulations to some long standing owners at Las Rosas: Mr & Mrs Schneider, Mrs Kinsella & Mr Bradley who received their diplomas from the local authority.

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.

What a timely boost to the Canary Islands, Ryanair have announced a 400 million euro investment to establish bases in Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. This will mean increased routes using the 7 Canary Islands, 35 routes in all and means the low cost flights company will be bringing in 4.5 million passengers a year.

It will start with new bases at Tenerife (Reina Sofia) and Gran Canaria (Las Palmas) airports in February 2011 and Lanzarote (Arrecife) in March 2011, there is also the possibility of a base in Fuerteventura. All this is the result of intensive work by the airport authority AENA and the Canaries government (Gobierno) led by President Paulino Rivero. The good news may not end their, talks are still going on with Air Berlin and Easyjet to lure them to make a home in the Canary Islands.

The investment will give a bigger choice of cheap flights from the UK and direct flights to more destinations in mainland Spain. All this should help to maintain the Canaries position as the top destination for all year round sunshine.