Fire At Shopping Centre – Evacuation
There was a fire on Thursday at Lanzarote’s largest shopping centre, Open Mall in Arrecife. The fire started in the electrical distribution centre in the north wing, and smoke filled many shops. The centre was completely evacuated while firefighters searched to find and control the fire.
New Cruise Terminals Open In Arrecife
The new cruise terminals in Arrecife was officially opened this week. The one at Puerto Naos is 110 square metres and is designed to act as both a transit and base terminal, with full customs, immigration and security areas. The other is at Los Mármoles and has a main terminal of 556 square metres, which can handle up to three ships, and a satellite terminal almost as large, offering auxiliary services for both passengers and crew. About 250 ships stop in Arrecife each year, carrying around 600,000 passengers.
Spanish Government Orders Removal Of 66,000 Airbnb Listings
The government has ordered the accommodation platform Airbnb to remove 66,000 listings across Spain. The most common reason for the removal is that the properties in question are not displaying a licence number, or displaying one that does not correspond with the property. Ads are also required to show whether the owner is an individual or a business. The aim is to “end the lack of control and widespread illegality of tourist accommodation, as well as to favour access to housing and protect the rights of consumers.” In the province of Las Palmas, Lanzarote’s province, 59.9% of properties on the platform do not display a license number.
Fuel Prices Fall Again
Prices of car fuel have fallen again on the island, and they are now 20% lower than they were a year ago. The average price of Gasoline is currently 1.11 € with diesel at 1.10 € per litre.
New Water Bus For Playa Blanca
Lineas Romero has started a new water bus service for Playa Blanca, which runs between the ferry port and Marina Rubicon. There are three departures daily from Playa Blanca – 10:00, 11:10 and 13:30, and the returns from the marina depart at 10:30, 13:15 and 16:10. Return tickets are 18 € for adults and 12 € for children.
Over 2,000 Join Protest March
A march organised by the group “Canaries have a limit” attracted about 2,000 islanders, who walked from the kiosk in Arrecife to The Cabildo, where they presented a manifesto with the message that the current model of mass tourism is not sustainable. The organisers insisted that it is not a question of rejecting tourism as an economic engine, but of demanding a profound transformation that prioritizes social welfare and sustainability.
Ironman A Resounding Success
About 1100 athletes competed in Lanzarote’s famous Ironman triathlon at the weekend – the island’s largest sporting event. The overall winners were Lucy Charles-Barclay from Britain in the women’s category and Dylan Magnien from France in the men’s category, after completing the 3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180.2 kilometers of cycling and 42.2 kilometers of running.
Six Cruise Lines Show Interest in Playa Blanca
Talks are taking place with six cruise lines, according to Yaiza mayor Oscar Noda, about using the new port at Playa Blanca for stopovers on Canary Islands cruises. The port is able to accommodate small, boutique cruise ships.
We’ll add more news here as it comes in this week…….
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