Monumento Campesino Coming Back!
Work has begun on installing the refurbished monument, Manrique’s tribute to the peasant farmers of Lanzarote, in the centre of the island at San Bartolomé. The sculpture has been completely refurbished under the direction of the Fundación Cesár Manrique. It will take a few weeks for the installation to be completed, but the base layer is already in place.
New Road Surface For “The Strip”
Puerto del Carmen’s Avenida de las Playas is being resurfaced this week. The first section to be done will be between Avendia Italia and Calle Frankfurt. The work could take up to a month, and there will be traffic cuts and diversions.
Open Mall Requests Permission For Further Extension
The Open Mall shopping Centre in Arrecife has requested planning permission for another extension, which will increase the shopping area by 16,000 square metres, and give a frontage onto Calle Pérez Galdos, in front of the Valterra Health Center. The additional area would take over the old Ojeda fish cannery.
Huge Netflix Show Will Be Shot In Lanzarote
La Reina del Flow is the most watched Spanish-speaking series worldwide on the Netflix platform, and some of series three will be shot in Lanzarote. The production team are already on the island and the initial recording day will be Monday 13th January on the beach at Playa del Reducto in Arrecife, starting at 2PM.
Proposal To Install Solar Panels In Macher
A proposal has been put forward to install solar panels on a 100,000 square meter plot near the electricity substation in Macher, road between La Asomada and La Vega de Tegoyo. The plan has a budget of 1.9 million € and includes siting over 7,000 panels. The plan has been made public by The Canarian Government and they have asked The Cabildo and local Ayuntamiento for any objections or suggested changes.
Ryanair Sues Disruptive Passenger For 15,000 €
Budget airline Ryanair has filed a lawsuit against a passenger whose disruptive behavior caused a Dublin to Lanzarote flight to be diverted to Porto. They are seeking the return of their costs incurred, which included providing overnight stays for passengers, who lost a day of their own holidays, in Porto.
Tourism Record
For the first time ever, Lanzarote has exceeded 3 million tourist in the 11 months from January to November 2024. The data for December is not yet available. March had the highest number of visitors at over 322,000, and February, October and November both exceeded 300,000, confirming that the winter months are now busier here than the summer months of July and August.
And Big Increase In French Tourists
Visitors from France have increased by more than 155% over the last ten years, with over 216,000 arriving in the 11 months to November. Most arrive in August, closely followed by March.
Lucky Escape After Man Ends Up In Garbage Truck
A man had a lucky escape in the early hours of the morning, in Arrecife, when he was tipped from a bin into a garbage truck. Operators spotted him inside the truck before the operating the crusher. The man appeared to be drunk, and police are investigating how he ended up in the bin.
Tom Cruise In Lanzarote
The actor Tom Cruise spent a few days in Lanzarote last week, on a yacht in Puerto Calero, with a group of friends. He departed on his own private jet, bound for Farnborough in the UK, where he has a house.
Dead Cow Washes Ashore
Firemen had to deal with a dead cow, in an advanced state of decay, which washed ashore in Arrieta over the weekend. It’s a fairly common occurrence here, after cows that have died are thrown overboard from ships.
Warm December
December was one of the warmest on the island since records began, with the average temperature almost one degree higher than normal. A high of 30 degrees was recorded during the day, and 21.6 at night.
Property Prices Up, Mortgages Down
The average price of property increased by 6.6% over the last 12 months, but reduced interest rates meant that the average cost of mortgages decreased. People with a variable rate mortgage of 150,000 € over 25 years will see savings of around 100 € a month.
Unemployment Down Too
Unemployment on the island fell again in December in Lanzarote. There are now 8.3% fewer unemployed on the island than there were this time last year.
British Man In Hospital After Assault
Following an altercation in Puerto del Carmen, a British tourist is in hospital, after being punched by a Portuguese man, who has since been arrested. The argument started because the British man, with his partner, were walking on the cycle lane on Avenida de las Playas, on which the Portuguese man was riding an e scooter. The British man suffered jaw and eye socket fractures, and cuts to the back of his head where he fell.
We’ll add more news here as it comes in……
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