Also distributed in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. 1.50 euros at newsagents.
THE INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WITH LOCAL, NATIONAL ATIONAL AND INTERN A INTERNATIONAL ATIONAL N A NEWS EWS
FRIDAY 5TH JUNE TO THURSDAY 18th JUNE 2015 PAGE 3
EDITION 527
SUMMER CAMPS & ACTIVITIES PAGES 21-23
PAGES 29- 36
SAND CARPETS IN INTERNATIONAL BID T
HE wonderful sand carpets of La Orotava are so spectacular that they deserve to be listed at international level, the local council believes.
As preparations are made for the traditional Corpus Christi celebrations, the Mayor Francisco Linares has revealed an application is being made to upgrade the events from “national tourism interest” to a worldwide classification. The wonderful floor tapestries are made from the coloured sand of Mount Teide and cover the entire central plaza of La Orotava to resemble great masterpieces whilst elsewhere, local people make smaller “carpets” with flowers. The tradition has taken place every year since 1847 when it was started by the Monteverde family and are now visited by hundreds of thousands of people. In 1980, they were classified as of national interest but international status would give the celebrations even greater recognition and protection. The emblematic Day of the Carpets is on June 11th but the full programme includes a host of other events. See our Lookout section for further details.
More pateras Double boost for Tenerife as another 30m euro project confirmed intercepted
M
ORE illegal immigrants have tried to reach the shores of the Canary Islands in tiny boats.
First Siam Mall, now Tenerife Motor Circuit
A
N Italian company has won the right to construct the new Tenerife Motor Circuit after pledging to invest more than 24 million euros in the exciting new development. The news is another major boost for the island which last week saw the opening of the huge new shopping complex, Siam Mall, at Costa Adeje which is already attracting thousands of people every day. Milan-based Axia SRL is ploughing private money into Tenerife because it believes in its future and is expected to start work on the access road and motor circuit at Atogo, in the municipality of Granadilla, this summer. It
should be completed within 21 months. The circuit is being promoted by Tenerife Cabildo, with president Carlos Alonso commenting: “The award has been a long process, which culminated on May 18th, and now we have to fulfil the administrative procedures to start work. This project will be done with private money, which will generate activity and employment in the south of Tenerife.” The company has already
deposited a guarantee of 1.2 million euros and it is ever yone’s hope that the circuit will be finished as soon as possible. The unveiling of details was attended by Axia’s chief executive officer, Riccardo Ferretti who said they intended to use local companies and labour and to “work with the island.” He said they were “very excited” to be carrying out the project on which they had worked for so long and confirmed the project would begin this summer. The Cabildo’s projects councillor, Eduardo Pintado said the whole process had not
been easy and they had spent many years waiting. Now it was time to press on and do justice for motorcycling and motoring. Aixa faced 20 hard months of work but did so with “passion and enthusiasm”.
Continued on page 2
Police were alerted to the arrival of a patera at La Graciosa in the early hours of the morning and found three occupants. However, a local resident said he had been stopped by three other sub-Saharans a few hours ealier, asking where they could catch a cab. On the same morning, another boat with 18 people on board was intercepted on the beach of Teguise in Lanzarote. All were male and were said to be in good health.