Gran Canaria´s hottest Real Estate News

Virgen del Pino Festival in Teror

2008-09-12T14:07:00.001+01:00

September the 8th was another big day in the Fiesta calendar for Gran Canaria with the celebration of the Virgen del Pino, Patron Saint of Canary Islands. The festival marks the visitation of the Virgin Mary in 1481 on top of a pine tree to a group of shepards.

The waters at the base of the tree were said to have magical powers and in the 16th Century the image of the Virgin was taken to Las Palmas as it had been without rain. Today the festival combines a mixture of popular sentiment, faith, pilgrims and visitors who come to the ancient village of Teror in the Northern part of Gran Canaria. This year was also the 300th anniversary of the tower that holds the bell used to announce that the Virgin has left the Basilica. Sunday the 7th started with singing and dancing, plus a procession of gifts from each municipality on the island as well as those from surrounding islands. Almost everyone on the island visits the village at some point in September to pay their respects. The festival continues until October so if you are planning to visit soon, there is still time to visit Teror.

Premium Class Flights to Gran Canaria on offer from Cadogan

2008-08-02T07:04:00.002+01:00

Cadogan Holidays are offering special ‘Cadogan Class’ seats on their BMI flights from the UK to Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote. The up-rated seats offer an improved seat pitch of 32 inches, a 30kg baggage allowance, upgraded in-flight meals including free wine and bar service, as well as access to the executive airport lounge and check in service.

In all six separate flights will offer the seats bookable through agents on routes in December and January.

Loggerhead Turtles flown back to Gran Canaria

2008-08-01T09:28:00.002+01:00

Two Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) washed up on beaches in Devon and Cornwall were flown back to Gran Canaria after being nursed back to health by the Blue Reef Aquaruim in Newquay.

In all 23 Loggerheads have been stranded off English and Irish coasts this year with ‘Dink’ and ‘James’ being lucky enough to be returned to the warmer waters off Las Palmas. Mr Slater from the aquarium said "It was absolutely beautiful. Let's hope no more turtles get stranded, but if they do we know we can look after them." Both turtles have been microchipped, so if they are ever spotted again, they can be identified by a tag in their flippers. After arriving in Gran Canaria, Dink and James were checked over and given the all-clear at the Wildlife Recovery Centre of Tafira. Some 150 injured turtles from around the Canary Islands are taken here each year. "Through diagnosis, treatment, operations, protein-rich food, fluid and antibiotics, we help save 80% of the turtles that we receive," said Pascal Calabuig the centre’s director. It was Mr Calabuig's excellent reputation and his centre's track record that helped Blue Reef decide to choose Gran Canaria as the release site. "We could also get cheap flights and the Canary Islands are the nearest land point to the loggerheads' migration route around the Atlantic," explained Mr Slater.

‘Free Software Desktop’ meeting to be held in Gran Canaria

2008-07-30T07:26:00.003+01:00

The GNOME Foundation and KDE e.V. today announced that they will hold their yearly conferences, GUADEC and Akademy in 2009 in Gran Canaria. The conferences will be separate events, but co-located and hosted by the same organizers, the Cabildo of Gran Canaria and its Secretary of Tourism, Technological Innovation and Foreign Trade in the famous Alfredo Kraus Auditórium.

"The GNOME community is very excited about the co-hosted GUADEC and Akademy" says Behdad Esfahbod, president at the GNOME foundation, "GUADEC has traditionally been a very important chance for our community to meet in person, build great working relationships and make new friends. We're looking forward to having the opportunity to extend those relationships to our KDE colleagues at Akademy/GUADEC."
KDE e.V.'s vice-president Adriaan de Groot adds "KDE e.V. is looking forward to a co-located conference, where the GNOME and KDE communities can mingle and cooperate as never before in one location. Gran Canaria is uniquely located at the junction of Europe and Africa, close to the Americas and is a fitting place for a historic 'meet-your-neighbours' conference."
GUADEC and Akademy 2009 will be held on Gran Canaria, an island of the Canary Islands archipelago. The tentative schedule plans the event from Friday, July, 3rd until Saturday, July 11th 2009 in the Alfredo Kraus auditorium and the adjacent Congress Palace in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
This co-located event will turn Gran Canaria into the capital of Freedesktop.org development for a whole week next summer.

Congress on CO2 emissions in Gran Canaria

2008-07-28T15:50:00.003+01:00

All across the world scientific experts are working hard at ways to limit CO2 emissions, and Spain is doing its part. This year, the 12 th annual Congress of Spanish Geologists is meeting in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to look at ways to make a difference.

The congress runs from July 14 to 18 and will be based at the Alfredo Krauss auditorium, where 500 delegates will pool their knowledge and ideas. Representatives and speakers will not only be from Spain, Holland, Italy and several other European countries will be taking an active interest.As well as using the auditorium, some of the experts will be going out around the Canary Islands. Visits have been arranged to Roque Nublo and the Maspalomas sand dunes in Gran Canaria and even further afield to Tenerife, Fuerteventura and El Hierro.

Destination Spain – Holidaymakers choose Spain

2008-07-10T08:41:00.001+01:00

The number of British holidaymakers in Spain is set to increase this year according to a tourist official. Ignacio Vasallo of the Turespana Spanish Tourist Board in London said the country will continue to attract people from the UK, despite the impact of ongoing economic problems. Speaking to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, he was so optimistic that he forecast a 2 % increase in visitor number. Despite the relative cost of the Euro Mr Vallasco said property prices in Spain still compare favourably with many other European countries. He commented ‘Spain is still one of the cheapest eurozone destinations so the slight increase in a bottle of beer for example is not going to turn people away.’ Meanwhile Reuters has cited official figures showing that during the first quarter of the year, Spain attracted 10.6 million holidaymakers.

Spanish Lifestyle – a safe and affordable investment

2008-07-04T07:41:00.001+01:00

British people are increasingly buying homes in Spain in order to take advantage of its lifestyle, an expert has said. According to Paul Bradley of the Spanish Property Owners Guild, the country is a safe and affordable place in which to live or own a holiday home. Spain was described as an easily accessible destination where people can enjoy an outdoors lifestyle and a rich culture.
Mr Bradley added that the country appeals to older people in particular, as it is similar to how Britain used to be, only with better weather. He commented: "It reminds many baby boomers of how the UK was in their childhood: few rules, no cameras, little street violence and no binge drinkers."

According to the Association of International Property Professionals, Spain is still the most popular foreign market among British property buyers. The country was said to account for more than a quarter of the overseas property market in 2007.

Cities managed by FCC are the cleanest in Spain

2008-07-03T10:45:00.001+01:00

The cities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Bilbao, Pamplona, San Sebastián, Oviedo, Vigo, Castellón de la Plana, Laredo (Cantabria) and the Ribera grouping of municipalities (Navarra), all of which are cleaned by Spanish construction firm FCC, have received the Platinum Broom awards as the cleanest cities in Spain.

The Platinum Broom is the highest award granted every two years by ATEGRUS (Technical Association for the Management of Waste and the Environment) in order to disseminate best practices in waste management and city cleaning, project design and the development of technologies for sustainable management of our environment; it also awards Silver and Gold Brooms and Special Mentions.

FCC first began working in urban sanitation in 1915 with a waste collection contract in Barcelona; today it is a leader in the sector. Other urban sanitation contracts in Spain followed and, at the end of 1980, it began to expand abroad. FCC operates in over 5,000 municipalities in Europe, Africa and Latin America.

GoldAcre Estates Expands Into Greece

2008-06-04T07:35:00.002+01:00

We are pleased to announce the expansion of our company into the growing market of Greece and the Greek Islands. GoldAcre Estates has just launched a new website www.goldacreestatesgreece.com offering properties throughout Greece.
Our new website offers information on all aspects of Greek life along with Tourism information as well as the important things such as how to buy a property safely in Greece, you will also find much information on the history of Greece as well as the many different islands and beaches and culture that is offered in places, like Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Santorini, Patmos, Samos, Zakynthos, Kos, Naxos, Paros, Spetses and a whole lot more including Skiing and the Greek Ski resorts.
We have appointed an operations Manager for Greece Elena Panagopoulou, whose responsibility will be to develop GoldAcre Estates business throughout Greece.
GoldAcre Estates have been developing this project over the last 12 months to get us into a position where we can offer our full client services wherever you decide to buy in Greece.
For further information contact via email elenap@goldacre-estates.com or visit www.goldacreestatesgreece.com

Low Cost Winter Flights by JET2

2008-06-04T07:32:00.001+01:00

The low-cost carrier is offering reduced one-way fares to top destinations such as Lanzarote from £49.99. Other holiday spots included in the offer are Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Flights are available to book now and include taxes and charges.Those looking to escape the typically gloomy British winter can make bookings "right the way through until March 2009". Travellers can make their way from Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle and Blackpool airports.In an announcement on its official website, the carrier said: "If you like planning ahead and are looking to catch some winter sun then why not head to the Canaries with Jet2.com." For bookings refer to Low cost flights to Fuerteventura

Thomsonfly Low Fare Flights for Winter

2008-06-04T07:29:00.002+01:00

Thomsonfly is now offering winter holiday flights from nine UK airports including Gatwick and Manchester. Thomsonfly claims to offer the most comprehensive range of flights from UK airports beginning 1st Nov to winter sun favourite the Canary Islands, with flights starting from £54.99 one way.

“As well as offering great low fares and service options including pre-booked seating and quality, hot meals, Thomsonfly provides customers with convenience and flexibility by flying to many exciting destinations from their local airport. This is why Thomsonfly was voted ‘the consumers’ favorite leisure airline’ at the 2007 British Travel Awards,” says Thomsonfly commercial director, Guy Stephenson. Flights from Gatwick airport go to Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Malaga, Alicante, Paphos, Salzburg and Funchal. From Manchester airport Thomsonfly flies to Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote,Malaga, Alicante, Salzburg, Paphos, Marrakech and Funchal. During the winter season the airline will also be offering flights from East Midlands airport to Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Alicante,. The other UK airports included in Thomsonfly’s winter flights programme include Coventry, Doncaster, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Newcastle and Luton.

BuyIN Gran Canaria Out

2008-06-04T07:24:00.001+01:00

The 10th edition of BUYIN’ Fuerteventura and the 3th edition of BUYIN’ Gran Canaria is now available in hard copy throughout both Islands. The renowned property portals can also be visited directly on www.buyin-fuerteventura.com and www.buyingrancanaria.com where you can download both editions with their wide coverage of services, properties and useful information.

Gran Canaria Investors Market Analysis

2008-06-04T07:19:00.002+01:00

1. Online Enquiries put Spain on Top

Established markets in Europe are still highly popular with British property investors a new study has found. According to Global Edge, towns and cities in Spain have attracted more online searches from prospective investors than anywhere else in the world. In addition, many buyers were found to be very interested in buying a house on Spanish islands such as Lanzarote, Tenerife and other Canary Islands such as Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria.
Global Edge commented: "Five out of the top ten most popular search locations are Spanish and the top 103 locations are dotted with Spanish towns and coastal names." High on the list of searches was Fuerteventura, Corralejo, Calete de Fuste along with Lanzarote and Gran Canaria with places such as Puerto Rico.
Spain was rated as the most popular location overall, despite the strong competition from rival markets such as Turkey and Cyprus.

2. Property Investors Looking Abroad for Better Returns

First time buyers (FTBs) from the UK are increasingly considering investing abroad, an expert has revealed.
Nick Fullerton, managing director of FC Exchange, stated that the housing market in Britain is currently in a state of "turmoil". This, he said, has led to people who are looking to get on the housing ladder for the first time looking elsewhere. FTBs do not wish to take a hit in the domestic market and believe that investing abroad offers better growth potential and value for money.He added that other buyers in the UK are concerned about the plummeting house prices in Britain and would prefer to invest in expanding markets overseas. As a result, FC Exchange has seen a surge in the amount of enquiries related to purchasing a house abroad. Mr Fullerton said: "These record figures are encouraging and demonstrate the continuing appetite to invest in overseas property."According to research by A Place in the Sun magazine, France and Spain are currently the two most popular markets with British property buyers.

Gran Canaria Holiday Market Analysis

2008-06-04T07:08:00.002+01:00

1. Self Catering Holidays Are Now More Popular Than All-in Packages:

Low air fares to most holiday resorts and a plentiful supply of accommodation to rent, means more people now take their holidays in self catering apartments and villas than package tours.

Renting an apartment or villa gives you more freedom than a hotel. You can have better control of your diet, come and go as you please, watch TV and there’s no fighting for space around the pool. The only disadvantage is you have to clean up when you leave – there are no servants to do that for you!The boom in property prices worldwide has also provided plenty of choice of accommodation, as owners have used equity in their homes to invest in a holiday home. Many owners stay in their holiday home during their vacation, then rent out the property at other times.Is buying a holiday villa a wise investment? First, let’s consider alternative places for your savings. The stock market has being going sideways or down for several years and many experts are talking about a long term downward move. Of course there’s always the bank but the return there is very low. The price of property may go down in the short term but it has always bounced back in the past and buying at a lower price is attractive; and property, unlike some stocks and shares, will never go bust!. Don’t forget you can use a second home for your own holidays, a perk not supplied with a savings account!So, if you decide to buy a holiday villa the next question is where to buy? Some areas attract holidaymakers all year round, and some just during the summer months. The weather is the reason of course. The Canary Islands are the preferred holiday destination for most Europeans as average temperatures vary little all year and holiday accommodation in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Tenerife and Lanzarote should prove a worthwhile investment. As an apartment or villa in the Canary Islands will attract visitors 12 months a year, so the rental income is going to be higher than you would expect from, say, a cottage in Cornwall. Florida to gets visitors ,throughout the year, especially if you buy a villa or apartment within easy reach of Disney World and other theme parks but of course you have much further to travel and can sometimes be subject to severe weather something you do not find in the Canaries .Of course other European destinations and emerging markets do not offer year round opportunities to rent / let your property because of the closed winter season, unless of course you look at places like Crete which has a similar weather pattern to the Canary Islands but it can be 14-15 C in the winter months which is a little cooler than the Canaries. If you decide to buy a holiday home you will of course need to advertise your apartment or Villa to attract holidaymakers. The best way is on the internet. Most holidaymakers now use this to book both their accommodation and flights.
For the Canaries try www.buyin-fuerteventura.com and www.buyingrancanaria.com and for advertising Fuerteventura properties why not talk to www.roomtobreathesl.com.

2. Families Shrug off The Crunch for Summer Holidays

According to a recent article on holiday package sales, holidaymakers are ignoring the economic gloom and spending more than ever on their summer breaks.
The big tour operators say holiday sales are up eight per cent on last year, despite huge hikes in fuel, power and food bills. Some are shying away from Euroland and going to Turkey, Bulgaria and other countries based on price. But many know that for quality Spain is still No1 and also still cheaper than the UK by far and people seem to be spending more to escape the doom and gloom."Holidays tend to be the last to suffer and while costs are up in the traditional holiday hotspots, they still represent good value compared to prices here."Flyglobespan chief Rick Green said flight sales were up from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. He said: "Although we are seeing strong demand for our non-Euro routes, our traditional European summer holiday destinations are still the most popular. There's been an upsurge in demand on key traditional routes as well as exceptional sales to Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.”Green added: "We have a loyal customer base who fly with us year after year, often returning to the same Euro destinations. The exchange rate has not affected their decision on where to holiday as they are confident that they will still find good value in these resorts, and know that we will continue to offer low-cost flights and accommodation packages to all our destinations.""The biggest increase of all seems to be in winter sun holidays, with November and December filling up fast - the Canaries being the most popular plus New York for shopping. When you live in our northern climes your prescription for good health is a holiday in the sun."

RIU Hotels & Resorts earn five 2007 HolidayCheck Awards

2008-04-03T10:42:00.000+01:00

Five RIU Hotels & Resorts are among the winners of the Third HolidayCheck Awards: ClubHotel Riu Funaná Garopa Resort (Island of Sal, Cape Verde), Riu Palmeras (Gran Canaria, Spain), Riu Don Miguel (Gran Canaria, Spain), Riu Festival (Mallorca, Spain) and Riu Palace Tenerife (Tenerife, Spain) were ranked by HolidayCheck portal users among the world’s best 99 hotels.
One of the hotel industry latest most sought after award is the ‘holidaycheck’ The results are obtained by the scores received by the 200.000 surfers of this internet portal. These scores for various hotels worldwide form the foundation of the world’s best 99 hotels that is recognized by the 2007 holidaychecks award.
The awards ceremony was held at the universal restaurant in Berlin on the 5th March as part of the International Tourism Fair that was running from March the 5th – 9th.
In 2006 holidaycheck acknowledged the Riu Oliva Beach Apartments in Fuerteventura, Spain as one of the five world’s best 100 hotels.

Gran Canaria to host rally tournament

2008-04-03T10:36:00.001+01:00

Once again Gran Canaria will host the yearly rally event giving motorsport fans an opportunity for a trip to one of the Canary Islands.

The El Corte ingles Rally will be held on the April 18th and 19th of this year, covering a distance of approximatley 600 kilometers. Over 100 Rally teams are believed to be competing this year performing on a range of different terrains from risky mountain roads to the high-speed dirt tracks around the island.
Visitors to the rally will have the best opportunity to visit the most hidden places of beauty in Gran Canaria - as long as they keep up with the race, including areas such as Tejeda,San Mateo and and Vallesco.
Rally fans will also have an opportunity to visit Turkey this year as the World Rally Championship visits the country from June 13th to 15th.
The race this year will take place in Kemer, just down the road from the tourist resort of Antalya.

Pension rights, the Canary Islands offers more for your money

2008-04-03T09:41:00.002+01:00

Canary Islands offers a better place to collect your pension.

A new survey shows that more and more Britons are choosing to leave the UK and retire abroad. Up to two thirds of higher rate tax payers plan to join the so called “Silver Flight” when they finish working.Many people are opting to purchase a home abroad sooner rather than wait for the actual retirement date and use the property for holidays and letting so reducing any mortgage costs before their pensions are due.According to the Department of Work and Pensions more than one million people already draw their pensions abroad.
In Spain more than 75,000 pensioners receive their benefits paid into their foreign accounts while enjoying the benefits of better weather, lower costs and an easier pace of life. Specific gripes mentioned are spiralling council taxes, high energy bills and a faltering NHS.
The findings follow emigration trends with figures from the Brits Abroad Report published by the Institute for Public Policy Research showing that 5.5 million Britons now live abroad and that a further one million may leave by the year 2011.
The Canaries are proving to be one of the most popular destinations for the Silver Flight as it offers an all year round summer climate just a short flight from the UK and still having the benefits of the EU.

Cost Of Living In Spain Still Cheaper Than UK

2008-04-03T09:34:00.001+01:00

The results of a Cost of Living in Spain survey prove it is cheaper than the UK, especially if you live like a local.
The Cost of Living in Spain survey, from Spanish property portal Kyero, reveals on average a couple can live on €644 per month in addition to any rent or mortgage payments.
Taken from a wide range of locations in Spain and calculating average monthly figures, visitors responding to the survey gave the following figures:

Monthly Charges:
Buildings & contents Insurance €25
Council Tax €20
Community Fees €20
Administrative Fees €7
Electricity €50
Gas €12
Telephone Standing Charges €20
Telephone Calls €30
ADSL €40
Mobile Phone Calls €28
Car Insurance €35
Car Road Tax €7
Car Service Costs €30
Grocery Bill €300
Satellite TV Subscription €20

Monthly Total: €644

The figures were collated from across all regions of Spain and some regions such as the Canaries came in with a lower figure due to such things as better home and car insurance premiums because of the low incidence of crime.The results of a Cost of Living in Spain survey prove it is cheaper than the UK, especially if you live like a local.
Another fact that came out of the survey was the substantially lower cost of a night out, with again the Canaries working out very inexpensive, possibly due to the duty free status of the island.

Easyjet Extends its service in Gran Canaria.

2008-02-18T08:28:00.000Z

Buying a home in Gran Canaria just became easier.. One of the low cost kings is now making your second home more accessible and cheaper.

The nearly perfect all year round weather in Gran Canaria makes it the ideal destination for those looking for plenty of sunshine and the opportunity of purchasing a great priced holiday or second home. The sea temperatures seldom are below 19°C the average temperature being 23°C.
Apart from the sunshine and warm water temperatures which allows visitors to enjoy outside activities all year round, such as windsurfing, scuba diving, sailing to mention a few but Gran Canaria also offers a diverse landscape and different climates which support its botanical gardens, indigenous plants and trees making the northern part of the island extremely attractive to nature lovers, walkers and those who prefer to be away from the golden beaches and warmer climates.
Accessibility to Gran Canaria has just become even easier with Easyjet, the low cost airline announcing this years new routes beginning the 31st March with Las Palmas, Gran Canaria being one of them, previously EasyJets only service from Las Palmas was to Geneva.
Flights will be departing from London Gatwick to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria from the 31st March 2008 and is part of the expansion programme, further popular destinations include Ibiza and Malaga
Easyjets recent purchase of GB airways based at London Gatwick will operate the 32 approved destinations for this summer, covering southern Europe and the north of Africa under the agreement in place with British airways {BA}
It seems that GB airways will operate all its 32 routes under the name of British Airways {BA} until the 29th of March, at which point the flights under GB Airways will then fly under the name of Easyjet.
The reason for this is that the clients who have already reserved their tickets with GB airways for the summer will have the choice of either flying with Easyjet or being reimbursed for their tickets.
Flights from Manchester airport to Tenerife and Malaga are also available. In total Easyjet offers 66 routes from London Gatwick and another 6 from Manchester airport.
For further information log onto www.buyingrancanaria.com and see the flight section.

Life in Gran Canaria just got faster

2008-02-18T08:25:00.001Z

Tenrifes success rekindles the plans for a new train for Gran Canaria.
Like many European capital cities one of its objectives is to facilitate the every day travelling for its inhabitants. According to the transport experts the use of trains aids in the reduction of traffic congestion, will increase the quality of public spaces in the cities and also the reduction in noise pollution and contamination.
Gran Canaria wishes to establish a rail network which links Las Palmas in the north to Maspalomas in the south. This safe, fast and comfortable way of travelling will automatically transform the connection between the north and the south of the island allowing more job opportunities, the offer of competitive services, another means of transport and generally an improvement in public transport making the accessibility between the municipalities easy to the inhabitants and to the many visitors to the island.
The proposed route is Las palmas de Gran Canaria – Telde – airport – Arinaga- Maspalomas, this project is part of the future and continual investment and growth for Gran Canaria and welcomed by many.

Canary Islands More Popular Than Balearics

2008-02-18T08:21:00.000Z

Property hunters in Spain choose the Canary as opposed to the Balearics due to lower prices and a year-round mild climate.
A survey of Spanish property agents has revealed the Canary Islands, situated 60 miles off the coast of Morocco are more popular with those looking for property in Spain than the Balearics, in the Mediterranean Sea. The Canary Islands (comprising of Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma) may be a better option for a lot of people because of the fact that that average property prices were substantially lower on the Canary Islands compared to the Balearics, €207,000 and €451,000 respectively at the end of 2007.Tenerife, received 46 per cent of all enquiries, and appeals to northern Europeans during summer and winter months due to its mild, sunny, year-round climate. And saw an increase in property prices of around 7.5 per cent.
In second place, commanding just over a quarter (25.6%) of enquires was Fuerteventura, the second largest and closest island to the African mainland. Receiving just over 4.6 million passengers in 2007, Fuerteventura is a quieter island however with Ryanair now starting to fly direct from most UK regional airports, owning a second property here remains affordable and increasingly more accessible.
The Balearics although closer to the UK and Ireland does not benefit from the potential of a 52 week summer climate and tourist season. This makes the Canaries a far better prospect for those wanting to permanently move abroad or investors looking for an extended season in which to rent their property.

Marks and Spencer in Gran Canaria , Canary Islands

2008-01-28T12:39:00.000Z

The outlook continues to remain bright in Gran Canaria with inward investment in the tourism facilities of the Island by the local town halls and Cabildo, along with outside investment coming from major UK companies such as Marks and Spencer.
Marks and Spencer continues to bring a little bit of home to Gran Canaria with the opening of another store on the island.

MandS now have over 500 stores in the U.K and 240 World wide. They also have stores franchised in 34 countries, in Spain there are 5 stores these are located 1 in Tenerife, and 4 in Gran Canaria the latest has been opened recently in Vecindario.

The store is situated behind the Atlantico shopping centre close to the GC1 in Vecindario so there is easy access off the motorway with an abundance of parking in the shopping centre car park or there is parking close to the store. Vecindario is the most cosmopolitan town in the area of Santa Lucia and close to the airport.Once surviving on agriculture alone (the area is one of Gran Canaria's most prolific for growing tomatoes), it is the industrial centre of the island.Her two commercial centres, La Ciel and Atlantico between them contain around 200 different stores and 17 cinemas and the Avenida de Canarias is lined with shops and other businesses.
Address:Taoro, 11 Esq Victor Jara Vecindario

Marks and Spencer’s History
1884: Michael Marks, a Russian born Polish refugee opened a stall at Leeds Kirkgate Market.

1894: Michael Marks formed a partnership with Tom Spencer a former cashier from the wholesale company IJ Dewhirst.

1901: A new warehouse and head office opened at Derby Street, Manchester. It was the first property that was built to their specifications.

1904: Acquired premises for a shop at the Cross Arcade in Leeds. This was a prestigious site and marked the transition from market stall to a covered arcade.

1905: Tom Spencer died on 25 July.

1907: Michael Marks died on 31 December.

1928: The St Michael trademark was registered.

1956-1979: The first stores in Continental Europe opened in Paris and Brussels. They now have over 500 stores in the U.K and 240 World wide. They also have stores franchised in 34 countries, in Spain there are 5 stores these are located 1 in Tenerife, and 4 in Gran Canaria the latest has been opened recently in Vecindario.

For best winter sun and essential value for money when Buying or Holidaying, visit the Canary Islands!

2008-01-28T12:34:00.001Z

Brand new research from the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals that vitamin D is critical in offering us protection against all sorts of serious illnesses and conditions such as strokes and heart failure, and that vitamin D also plays a vital role in supporting bone strength.
The findings of the research, which took five years to complete, have been published along with evidence that only around 10% of us ever has high enough levels of vitamin D in our bodies because we lack exposure to the one source guaranteed to top us up, namely the sun.
And how well timed is the publication of these findings? After all, in January we are more likely to be suffering from winter blues and post- Christmas depression than basking in sunshine and soaking up our daily dosage of essential vitamin D...which is where the topic of winter sun holidays certainly comes in!
In a recent article in the Guardian newspaper, a reporter cites ABTA, (the Association of British Travel Agents), as saying that because summer 2007 in the UK was such a washout, the 2007/08 winter sun season is going to be busier than ever with record numbers of Brits having booked to go abroad in search of the warm rays of the sun.
If you're one of the estimated 3.5 million Britons heading off in search of winter sunshine this season, which are the destinations that you should be focused on for guaranteed vitamin D levels, excellent affordability, ease of accessibility and a great holiday to boot?
Well, according to the Telegraph, ABTA and the Times newspaper, the number one location you should be considering in 2008 is the Canary Islands.
The Canary Islands an archipelago that make up part of the Kingdom of Spain. They are a dramatically beautiful group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean that enjoy year round temperate conditions making them ideal for winter sun, and also summer sunshine holidays.
Accessible from the UK in around 3.5 hours and serviced year round by a host of cheap flight operators such as Jet2fly, EasyJet and Ryan Air which has flights currently starting at only one penny and averaging GBP 49.99, the Canary Islands are a favorite with sun seekers and a favorite with travel correspondents from leading British newspapers this season it seems.
Interestingly enough, 2007 was a poor year for the Canary Islands – in terms of tourism arrivals.
Tourism arrivals declined to 7 million between January and October 2007 with predictions at the start of the year estimating arrivals during this period at around 7.25 million
According to Martin Dell, the managing director of the Spanish property portal Kyero.com, the Canary Islands now offer so much more in the way of value for money for would-be Spanish home seekers. For average property prices still remain 15% below the national average in Spain.”
The news about the tourism decline in 2007 caused something of a knee jerk reaction or perhaps an awakening in Spain, and in Particular within the Canary Island government and main Toursuim office and now a huge investment and a concerted drive has been made to once again promote the attraction of the Canary Islands which is why so many British journalists are now once again revisiting the delights of the archipelago and passing on their positive findings to their readership.
The islands derive almost a third of their entire GDP from the tourism industry and a further 20% from construction – so you can see how essential their travel and property markets are. Good news for the consumer going in to 2008 then – because the government and private sector are both behind a significant push to once again promote the delights of the islands.
What this means for the likes of you and me is that if we're looking for cut price holidays and reduced price Spanish property in 2008, along with our winter sunshine and our vitamin D fixes, the Canary Islands are the destination of choice. And offering a one stop shop for tourism and long term rental property as well as property for sale in the Canary Islands is the the well known wdsites of GoldAcre Estates.com and www.goldacreestatesgrancanaria.com for rentals visit www.buyinfuerteventura.com, www.buyingrancanaria.com and www.roomtobreathesl.com making it much easier for you to find a vacation home for a property inspection trip and a healthy dose of vitamin D, locate properties you might like to buy and arrange for a longer term rental home for you to move into whilst you wait for the completion of your property purchase to go through!
In terms of which Canary Island to choose from, well, you can select from Fuertaventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera or Lanzarote for example - each island is popular and each is also distinctly different from the next and offers an entirely different travel experience.
For example – Fuerteventura is the least well known and also the second largest of the islands. It has the best beaches in the whole of the Canary Islands with some 167km of Golden sands that stretch as far as the eye can see the airport is in the centre of the island making all destination accessable it has one of the best climate and is underdeveloped with an excellent array of amenities and facilities to keep the entire family happy on holiday. This island is very best for holiday home buyers too, and as prices are so far below the national average you can snap up your own Spanish property bargain.
For nature lovers and those who holiday in search of tranquillity, you might be recommended to try La Gomera, and if you're interested in discovering a miniature continent, try Gran Canaria – home to more landscape and climate varieties than all the other islands put together.
As you can see, the Canary Islands offer more than mere winter sun appeal and essential vitamin D doses – they offer a diversity of geography and climate, a short haul, affordable and accessible year round sunshine destination, and a location which now offers would-be buyers better value for money.
2008 is likely to be a very good year for the Canary Islands
Source European Homes

The Guiniguada Project , Las Palmas

2008-01-28T12:29:00.000Z

The Guiniguada project is a plan to link the historic areas of Triana and Vegueta and then rejoin this area of Las Palmas to the sea.

Before the building of the main road that separates Triana and Vegueta, the barranco (dry river bed) that runs from the centre of the island to the sea, it was crossed by a series of bridges (see picture) . The area was a favourite with walkers, meeting friends and even for lovers.

They plan to restore old bridges over the lower part of the dry river bed a long with two of its historic bridges Piedra (picture) and Puente de Palo, (Stick Bridge).
Triana and Vegueta are separated from the sea by Maritime Avenue a 6 lane highway, this will be sunk into a half kilometre tunnel, Then some land will be reclaimed from the sea, This will create a large public park and promenade of almost 3 hectacres by the sea, which will have, grass, plants, trees,a water feature and places to sit or just amble away the time, and even a cycle way. This area will be large enough to hold festivals as well.
Las Palmas is not the first City to rebuild or replace lost features, but like other city’s they are doing something about it.
So come and visit GoldAcre Estates to speak to our consultants on how 2008 can be your year to buy your dream home in Gran Canaria.

Gran Canaria a continent in miniature

2008-01-14T13:15:00.000Z

Gran Canaria a continent in miniature offers many micro climates and some of the best air quality in the world today, this Island which is part of Spain, but set some 1,200 kilometers and 2.5 hours flying time from mainland in the mid Atlantic, offering one of the best all round climates with hours of glorious winter sunshine, diverse sports such as Golf, Wind surfing, Sailing, Mountain Walking and much much, more.
Perfect for buying Land or Real Estate, with opportunities for Beach front villas and apartments at very reasonable prices.

Low cost of living and special Tax exception from the European Parliament has made the Canary Islands and in particular Gran Canaria a favorite because of its duty free tax base and more and more overseas companies are finding out that the special ZEC zone that we are classed as, can be very beneficial to their overall growth

Investment in Gran Canaria’s real estate market has shown stable and long term growth opportunities which have been consistent over many years, view our continent in miniature and see why Gran Canaria has become the first choice of many European nationalities for their holiday, second or permanent home overseas.

HAVE A LOOK TO THE PPT ATTACHED

Gran%20Canaria.ppt