Mobile phone and internet service provide Vodafone has announced plans to invest over €25 million in the Canary Islands.  As the company pushes ahead with deployment of is own fibre optic network in the archipelago – which is designed to connect with the WACS undersea cable off the West African coast.
Vodafones inaitive will break Telefonica´s current monopoly as the only operator with an underwater cable connecting the Canaries with the Iberian Peninsula.  According to Vodafone’s regional director the WACS cable is currently being laid in South Africa and will reach …

Top Brazilian rider Heitor Alves has won this year’s La Santa Surf Pro in a wild and windy final day of action at Playa San Juan in Famara.  Seeing off the challenge of Cory Lopez from the US.  Taking him one step closer to sealing a spot on the 2011 ASP World Tour.
6 to 8 foot swells fuelled by strong winds created challenging conditions for the riders on the final day of this annual event.  But the conditions could not deny Alves – who leaves the European tour with a …

The phenomena of climate change is already beginning to have an effect on local flora and fauna in Lanzarote and the waters surrounding the islands, according to the Canarian Agency for Sustainnable Development and Climate Change.
These affects include seasonal changes, such as alterations in the times of the year when plants produce leaves and fruit. And with these alterations in the cycle of vegetation there are additional affects on local fauna, such as small mammals and vertebrates, with the possibility of less food to sustain wildlife.
The agency also noted that …

The average price of houses for sale in the Canarian archipelago fell by 4.2% in September, whilst the average price nationally fell by 5% in comparison with the same month in 2009, according to data compiled by the association of evaluators known as Tinsa.
This smaller percentage in decreases across the national market reflects the possibility that the tide may be turning for the Spanish housing market. Since December 2007, which is regarded as the peak of the housing boom in Spain, prices have dropped an average of -18%.
The average fall …

The RC44 World Championships splash down in Puerto Calero next week from October 11th to the 16th.  And will be broadcast live on the internet in real time for the first time.
According to event organiser Daniel Calero; ‘We have been working hard with Virtual Eye and Technosound to produce an optimum viewing platform for enthusiasts with the aim of constantly improving the accessibility of this fantastic sport to a worldwide audience. The first tests have been successful. There will be one camera on the water and another one on top …

Fans of Lanzarote´s wines may want to start stocking up.  As prices look set to  rise over the next year as a result of a smaller grape harvest.   Only 1,568,000 kilos of grapes have been collected this summer in comparison with 1,814,000 kilos harvested in 2009.  With approximately 65% of the total amount harvested  destined for  the production of white Malvasia wines, which Lanzarote is famous for.
The lower level of yield has been attributed to  weather conditions that have significantly reduced grape growth over this cycle.  Such as  rainfall, heat waves and seasonal temperature …

Figures compiled by the Canarian Institute of Statistics (ISTAC) have revealed that the foreign population of the seven islands continued to grow in 2009, with a further 4,457 non-Canarian residents registered as living in the archipelago. Bringing the total number of foreign residents to 305,661, or 14.55% of the 2.1 million people who live in the Canary Islands.
The population also continues to grow in diversity, with 65% of the 192 nationally recognized states represented within the Canarian autonomous community. The breakdown of foreign residents shows that the vast majority are …

The future of banana production in the Canary Islands could soon come to an end, as rising transportation costs and an unstable market threaten the viability of its continuation. The local growers association in the islands, Asprocan, issued a stark warning yesterday, after several weeks have seen declining sales and a marked increase in shipping costs.
Approximately 1.6 tons of the fruit have been left to rot as a result of lower than normal demand. This, combined with a thirty percent increase in transportation of the fruit to mainland Spain, is …

Street artists and graffitists are showing a collection of their works in a new show at the Exhibition Hall in the Charco de San Gines. More than one hundred artists from the national and international scene have examples of their work featured in the show, under the title of the Icongraff Festival. Opening on Friday 3rd September, the exhibition displays examples of graffiti, street illustrations, figurines, music and DJ sessions which all form part of the urban art movement. As well as forming a showcase for established artists in the …

Despite talk of the weaker pound and the current trend towards stay-cations in the UK British tourists flocked back to Lanzarote last month.  As more than 80,000 visitors arrived on flights from the UK during July.  A figure that is even higher than July 2008, before the crisis hit.  And which is up by massive 34.41% versus July 2009.
In total foreign tourist arrivals rose by nearly 30% last month versus July 2009 figures, according to statistics released by the Spanish Airport Authority AENA.  As a total of 146,603 non Spanish …