Playa Americas

From 24th to 26th of September, it will take place the 1st Canary Agroecology and Biodiversity Forum, organized by the Canary institute for agroalimentary quality, ICCA, in association with the Council of Tegueste, the “Red Canaria de Semillas”, the insular association for the rural development of Tenerife (AIDER), the Canary farmers and stockbreeders association (ASAGA), and the coordinating committee of the farmers and stockbreeders organizations (COAC). During these days, international experts will give talks about strategies to put into value the local agriculture production.

Among the activities scheduled for this event it is the 1st Canary Ecologic Operators Congress, which will take place at the “Prícipe Felipe” theatre. This event will gather all the producers and distributors of the seven islands with the objective of promoting the development of ecologic stockbreeding, and the promotion and diversification of the agricultural production to increase the offer of the local products and foster its consumption, as well as to improve the marketing channels to sell these products.

“The purpose and objective of this event is to coordinate the different actors of the agricultural activity creating a cooperation network that attends their needs and builds a space for debate and ideas interchange to construct a strategy that fosters its development”, said the director of the ICCA, Guillermo Díaz Guerra.

The talks about agriculture biodiversity and traditional vegetables varieties in the Macaronesia will be in charge of José Esquinas Alcázar, former secretary of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the FAO, together with Mrs. Esther Morena Vellos, chief researcher of the projects Pct mac agricomac-ASAGA Canarias-ASAJA that will share the results of the conservation experiences developed in Murcia and La Serranía de Ronda.

In the afternoon, the president of Slowfood España, Mariano Gómez Fernández and the director of the biodiversity foundation within the Ministry of Environmental, Rural and Marine Affairs within the Government of the Canary Islands, Mrs. Ana Leiva, together with the professor of the University of Murcia, José María Egea, will offer a talk about regions of agroecologic interest. Likewise, the representative of GIAHS-SIPAM-FAO, Parviz Koohafkan, will talk about relevant systems of the world’s agricultural heritage.
This event will serve also to present the results of the trial carried out to implement an ecological management of the local lettuce varieties in Tenerife. This trial was conducted by the technicians of the Canary seeds network and ICCA. A workshop on the seeds exchange method within farmers’ organizations will be the closure for this event.
During the days 25th and 26th of September, it will be celebrated at the “Casa de los Zamorano” a conference about the biodiversity and value of local production, which will count with the presence of national and international experts.

The same days will take place the “XI Feria Estatal de Biodiversidad Agrícola y I Feria de Canarias”, a fair about agricultural diversity that will gather representatives of the different local seeds network, which are devoted to the recovery and conservation of the local vegetal varieties and its production. In the framework of this fair, it will be celebrated a “land masters” congress that will serve as exchange platform between young ecologic producers and traditional farmers, which are real masters of the selection, maintenance and conservation of the local varieties.
A series of workshops have been scheduled about seed collection, grafting, and tinned vegetables among others, apart form a food tasting event that will present Canary local products as well as ecologic vintage wines of the islands.
To participate in this event, contact www.foroagroeclogiaybiodiversidadencanarias.org

For those who are enthusiasts of cultural tourism, next September it will take place the 2nd Lustral Visit of the Virgin of the Incarnation in Adeje, Tenerife. This religious celebration consists on the pilgrimage of the image of the Virgin through the different temples and neighbourhoods in the municipality of Adeje, Tenerife.

This way, the inhabitants of this region keep the promise made in the 18th century to give thanks for the miracles and favours the Virgin gave them. She is considered the patron saint of this region and her miracles are registered in the Virgin’s miracles book which is located in the Mother Church of Saint Úrsula in the old town of this city.
The Lustral Visit started on August 27th when the Virgin’s flag was rose in “Las Torres” fountain. On Sunday 28th, it took place the travel of the Virgin’s torch to the cauldron located in the same place.

The 4th of September it will take place the emotive celebration of the night rogation to the virgin. The pilgrimage will start in the Mother Church of Saint Úrsula and it will cross “Cruz del Llano”, the cemetery and “Tosca Colorada”. After that, the procession will go through “Los Guanches” and “El Humilladero” ending in “San Sebastián”.
The fishermen will also worship the Virgin the 2nd of September at 6:00 p.m. celebrating the arrival of the virgin’s image to Adeje. The fishermen’ pilgrimage will set sail from the “Fañabé” coast to port “Colón”. The pilgrimage day will end with a firework show at the shore.

International experts will visit the Canary Islands between the 27th and 31st of August to take part in the 28th International Horticulture Congress – Lisboa 2010, which includes a trip to Tenerife to visit banana plantations as well as ornamental plants and tropical fruit trees cultures, according to the information provided by the Agriculture Council of the Canary Islands on a press release.
The 28th edition of the International Horticulture Congress in Lisboa is an event celebrated every four years by the International Society for Horticultural Science and the “Asociación Portuguesa de Horticultura” (Portuguese Horticulture Association).

Among the activities scheduled for this edition, which will be celebrated in Portugal from the 22nd to 27th of August, is the visit to the Teide National Park, the Botanic Garden of Puerto de la Cruz and the gardens of the Abama Golf & Spa Resort in Guía de Isora, all of them located in Tenerife.

The president of the “Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias – ICIA” (Canary institute for agriculture research), Mrs. Milagros Pérez León, said that during their stay in Tenerife, the participants will visit the banana and ornamental plants plantations as well as farms owned by the institute dedicated to the research of tropical fruit trees.
Likewise, there will be a conference about the Australian banana industry conducted by Jeff Daniels, who is a researcher specialized in this fruit culture and chief of the horticulture department within the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation of the Queensland Government, Australia.
The conference live translation will be in charge of Víctor Galán, researcher professor of the department of Tropical Fruits Culture of the ICIA and co-president of the 28th International Horticulture Congress – Lisboa 2010, who will also be the moderator of the debate that will take place after the conference.

The assistants to this congress that will count with 3,000 participants will visit other places of scientific interest such as the ornamental plantation areas in the province of Sevilla and the northeast coast of Cádiz, the Doñana National Park, the grapes plantations in Valle del Duero, and the experimental cherry and pear trees plantations in Zaragoza y Huesca.

The two zero cars of this championship, a Ferrari and a Volkswagen Golf that will open the regularity rallying are ready for the next 21st Edition of the “Rally Villa de Adeje 2010” Cantefe trophy.

The preparations for the upcoming “Rally Villa Adeje” are moving forward. The Ferrari 360 owned by Victor Martin was decorated this week showing a “0” on both doors. This will be the zero car of this championship in charge of opening of the 10 special stages that drivers have to complete in the shortest time.

Likewise, the GT car of this championship has passed the tests for the race. Victor Martín said that he is pleased with the work done by the Villa Adeje motor-racing team. “The team has been working with professionalism and I feel proud to be part of this competition driving the zero car. I really feel part of the team and these last preparation days are very important to me because I want everything to be perfect for the race”.

A wonderful VW Golf GTI I property of Ángel Bello will be the zero car in charge of opening each stage of the “Regularidad Sport” (regularity rallying). The vehicle was remodelled in the facilities Ángel Bello has in “Las Chafiras” making it look like a brand new one. Having a 1.8 engine and 118 HP this is a museum piece that the owner has offered to the Villa de Adeje motor-racing team. Ángel Bello said that we was happy to offer his car to be the opening car of each stage of he competition, “I am pleased to offer the Golf I to the rally organization. I hope the participants and motor-racing enthusiasts enjoy it”.

The president of the Council of Tenerife, Ricardo Melchior, said that “wind is our oil” and he assured that there isn’t other place in the entire world like the Canary Islands where it can be found all the necessary natural resources for the production of clean energy.

The president of the Council of Tenerife made these statements during his participation in the conference entitled “El Hierro, experiencia mundial en energías limpias” (El Hierro, world experience in clean energies). The conference also counted with the participation of the president of the Council of El Hierro, Tomas Padrón, and Manuel Candagorta, manager of the ITER (renewable energies institute), an entity within the Council of Tenerife.

Ricardo Melchior said that “thirty years ago when we used to talk about renewable energies everyone though it was a utopia, but nowadays it has become a reality”. He added that the hydroelectric plant project El Hierro Island has developed is an admirable example of sustainability because the cost of traditional energies is much higher if it is taken into account the environmental cost, which turns renewable energies in the best option for the future.

Likewise, Manuel Cendagorta, manager of the ITER institute highlighted the relevance of this project that will be a point of reference for future projects related to the use of hydroelectric plants as source of energy. “There is a whole world to be discovered in terms of renewable energies”, said Centagorta, who added that in the following years these clean energies will become the most common ones.
With the construction of the hydroelectric plant El Hierro will become a reference in terms of renewable energies usage at an international level because it will transform the island in the first territory to be self-sufficient in energy terms.

During the conference it was also presented the “Atlántica” magazine, which is intended to promote the Canary Islands through its culture, history and natural heritage.

Camping is the best option for hundred of families that choose to spend their holidays in Tenerife. This island located in the Canary archipelago, offers fabulous camp sites just 20 metres from the beach where you can hear the sound of the sea and get away from the noise of the city. Those who choose to go camping can enjoy a one-month-holiday with their families for 200 Euros in the varied camp sites Tenerife offers next to the beach with all the necessary amenities.

Tenerife counts with ten different camping areas for tents and caravans. Two of the most popular camp and caravan sites are located at “Montaña Roja” in the county of El Médano and at “Punta del Hidalgo”.

Although summer season is about to end, the camp site at “La Punta” is almost full of people. From the 74 lots the site counts with, only 4 are available. According to the manager of the camping, they have full occupation each weekend. This camp site has 300 hundred people capacity divided in areas for tents and caravans. Each lot is divided by bushes to provide privacy.

This camp site is managed by the La Laguna Council, through the council services department. It is open to the public every day in summer and on weekends during winter season. The ticket to stay at this camp site costs between 4 to 5 Euros per day. Each lot includes water and power supply.

Visitors say that spending their holidays in these sites is like having a cabin next to the beach with all the necessary amenities for a comfortable stay. The camp site provide the perfect atmosphere for a family holiday, and tourists usually say that they feel part of a big family where everyone knows and help each other.

The services the camp sites provide are in good conditions and they include showers, fresh water, dinning tables, car lots, and playrooms among others. Of course, children are the ones who enjoy this way of spending holidays the most, since they can ride their bikes and play with new friends all day long. Parents agree that this is one of the best ways for them to spend their holidays because they can play and make new friends in a safe environment. Some of the activities tourists can enjoy in these camp sites are biking, fishing, swimming, or just reading a good book lying in the sun.

The Tourism Department of the Canary Islands Government, has signed an agreement with the Spanish airline Iberia to create a direct regular flight that will connect Tenerife to Paris from next 6th of November.
This new flight connection is going to departure from the “Reina Sofía de Tenerife” airport every Saturday to Paris Orly Airport. The flight will take about 3:55 hours approximately, according to the information provided by the Canary Government.

According to the timetable the Spanish airline programmed, the flight will departure from Tenerife South at 3:50 p.m. arriving to the French capital at 8:45 p.m. From Paris, the flight is going to departure at 11:55 a.m. arriving to Tenerife at 3:00 p.m.

The company will use Airbus A-321 airplanes for these flights, which have a capacity for 200 passengers. This flight will provide a direct connection to Paris avoiding the stop over in Madrid.

This initiative is developed in the framework of the promotional campaign the Government of the Canary Islands is carrying out in France to open new markets in Europe and to assure that the Canary Islands are present in every European travel operator’s catalogue.
“Thanks to the promotional campaigns the Tourism Department has carried out in France, we have a significant increase in the number of French tourists that had chosen the Canary Islands to spend their holidays”, said the Councilor of Tourism to the Government of the Canary Islands, Mrs. Rita Martín.

Likewise, she said that in March 2009 it was got under way the “Plan de Reposicionamiento de Islas Canarias” (Canary Islands Repositioning Plan) in France in association with “Turespaña” to develop in that market the new promotional campaign focused in four different tourist offers: water sports, family, health and relax.

“We have obtained promising first results and we can dare to say that the archipelago has been successfully introduced in the French market”, concluded the councilor.

The event took place last 10th of August at the “Centro Magma de Artes y Congresos” in Costa Adeje. Form 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the assistants were able to enjoy a spectacular night full of music and dancing.

The event was organized to provide a different leisure and cultural offer for young tourists counting with eight international DJ’s and five Spanish DJ’s who were in charge of the entertaining playing the most popular music of the moment.

Those who attended this festival had the chance to dance till 6:00 a.m. and the stand of the festival and the souvenirs store.

This festival was celebrated for the first time in 2003 in Lloret del Mar, Gerona. The first edition lasted three days and was sold as a tourist package that included sun, beach, and cultural and musical exchange. It was promoted in England and it included three hotel days and nights with breakfast.

Nowadays, the Innovation in the Sun Festival lasts a whole week and includes lodging, day tours and tickets for the festival for 4,000 tourists. The audience comes mainly from England, Germany, Holland, France and Spain. In fact, several companies from Holland, France, Germany and Canada have bought the rights of this festival to make the event in their countries. However, only the festivals of Lloret del Mar and Tenerife can have the name “In the Sun”.

It was celebrated for the first time in the Canary Islands in 2006, counting with 4,000 assistants. The event took place at the “Sala Tropicana de Costa Adeje” being the biggest music event of that year.

Innovation The Tenerife Reunion has had many editions and it includes lodging, tickets to the day cultural workshops and tickets to the night festival. The major part of the assistants come form the Canary Islands, the United Kingdom and in the last edition from Holland.

The event Innovation in the Sun – The Tenerife Reunion grows every year thanks to the help of local businesses and the Council of Puerto de la Cruz. For that reason, the success of the 2010 was secured, providing an added value to the well known sun & beach offer of the island.

The low cost airline Rynair will provide two new routes from next November connecting Tenerife to Rome (Italy) and Marseilles (France).

The information was provided by Turismo de Tenerife, a public entity in charge of the tourist development of the island, which said on a press release that the airline which already has connections to Milan, Italy, will provide a new connection to Italy and the first connection to France.

There will be two flights per week to each destination. Regarding Rome, flights will be on Wednesdays and Sundays, while flights to Marseille will be on Mondays and Thursdays, all of them roundtrips.

The implementation of these two routes will allow the arrival of more tourists from those issuing markets in winter season. Italians represent 1.8% of the tourists who travel to Tenerife, being in 2009 85,000 people. On the other hand, French tourists who travel to Tenerife last year were about 100,000 which represent 2.1% of the market.

This documentary movie that obtained an Oscar award will be presented at the “Tenerife Espacio de las Artes – TEA” (arts complex in Tenerife) from this Friday till Sunday.

This documentary film produced by Louie Psihoyos shows the annual killing of dolphins in the Taiji National Park (Japan) from a conservationist point of view against dolphins hunting. The film will be presented in English and Japanese with subtitles in Spanish twice a day at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. This documentary film also received the audience award at the Sundance films festival.

Dolphins are one of the most intelligent animals in the entire world and they are loved and admired for many people. However, a small coastal town in Japan, which declares to love these animals, hides an awful secret. A group of environmentalists leaded by the renowned former dolphins’ trainer Richard O’Barry, embarked on a risky undercover mission to reveal to the world the real situation of this region, producing one of the most shocking documentary films in years.

“The Cove” counts with the participation of Joe Chisholm, Richard O’Barry, Mandy-Rae Cruiksank, Charles Hambleton, Simon Hutchins and Kirk Crack. It shows up the dolphins’ killing during hunting expeditions in Taiji. The number of hunted animals is much higher than the number of whales hunted in the Antarctica: near 23,000 dolphins and porpoises per hear to satisfy the Japanese whales’ industry. Some of the scenes of this film where shot in 2007, using submarine microphones and high-definition cameras hidden among the rocks of the coastline.

Louie Psihoyos, director of the film, has been acknowledged as one of the best photographers in the world. After finishing college he was hired as part of the National Geographic Magazine list of photographers providing lots of covers for this magazine for a period of 18 years. His work is characterized by the humanity and talent to portray complicated scientific issues. Inspired by his passion for diving and underwater photography, he has shown the world the worsening of the most important natural resource we have: water.

Psihoyos also worked for the Fortune Magazine and made hundred of covers for other publications such as Smithsonian, Discover, GEO, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times Magazine, New York, Sports Illustrated and Rock and Ice. He has shown his work in the Discovery Channel, History Channel and National geographic Television as well. Psihoyos’s photography work has been exhibited in museums, and is part of many private collections around the world. He created the Oceanic Preservation Society in 2005 together with Jim Clark. This non-profit organization provides a unique point of view about the beauty as well as the destruction of the oceans with the intention to promote positive changes.

The director and crew of “The cove” used high-technology military equipment, and diving professionals who dared to make the risky underwater shoots completely undercover. With this documentary film the production tried to show not only the dolphins’ killing but also the sanitary risks people faces, the corruption of the government, the deterioration of the oceans and the emotive fight of men for redemption.
The leader of this undercover mission was one of the most renowned figures of the marine world: the former dolphins’ trainer rick O’Barry who has become an enthusiast environmentalist. This man is described by the director as “the most committed, tenacious and passionate person I ever met”. He had to deal with several dangerous situations, sues, legal actions, persecutions and distress to keep his personal commitment to free all the dolphins kept in captivity nowadays around the world.

Ironically, O’Barry used to be one of the most famous dolphin’s trainers. In the sixties he captured and trained five wild dolphins for a TV series called “Flipper” being these animals the main characters of this show. The TV series caused the public to be mad about dolphins and many kids dreamed about having a dolphin as a pet. However, O’Barry started to realize that the captivity was bad for these animals instead of positive. Day after day he was witness of the intelligence and social abilities the animals he had trained had, and that was the starting point of his questioning about keeping these animals in captivity.