Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, has again been chosen to host the fantastic El Corte Ingles 2008 Car Rally. Run over two days, 18th and 19th of April the cars will cover a distance of over 600km over many different types of terrain from mountainous ranges to high-speed dirt tracks and promises to be a treat for all speed freaks everywhere.

Over 100 rally teams are expecting to compete and visitors will have a chance to watch this annual event as well as sample the delights that Gran Canaria has to offer as the race goes through spectacular areas of Tejeda, Vallesco and San Mateo.

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After opening its first shop in 1980, a second in 1991 and a third in 1997, Marks and Spencer continue to bring a little bit of home to Gran Canaria with the opening of another store on the island in March 2007 in Vencindario. This area was chosen specifically because of the large numbers of expatriates living in the south of the island.

The new store will carry on the tradition of offering a full selection of underwear, ladies and gents clothing and, of course, their fabulous skin care ranges. They are due to launch a new range of skin care in the near future and already have a huge selection of bath and shower products.

But what about their famous food halls? Jorge Cantero teases us with a “Never say never” comment, so who knows, we can live in hope.

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.

Address:
Taoro, 11 Esq Victor Jara
Vecindario
Marks and Spencer’s History

The success story continues and for those living or visiting Gran Canaria a little bit of home comes to the Canary Islands.

Gran Canaria is to host the 2008 Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) Travel Convention, it has been announced.

According to Abta, the Travel Convention 2008 will be held in the Maspalomas Conference Centre in Gran Canaria between October 7th 2008 and October 9th 2008.

“Gran Canaria is looking forward to hosting the Travel Convention in 2008 as we believe it is an excellent opportunity to present our destination to the best of the UK travel industry,” Roberto Moreno Diaz, president of the Gran Canaria tourism board stated.

He added that is was his hope the board would be impressed by the improvements made to the conference centre.

Gran Canaria is the third largest island of the Canary Islands which include Tenerife, Lanazarote and Fuerteventura.

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Away in a manger, No crib for a bed… hang on a minute, I don’t remember the manger being made of sand. True to tradition in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, the magnificent sandcastle Nativity scene has been recreated for yet another year on Las Canteras beach over the Christmas period.Onlookers have observed with amazement the hard graft of sand sculpture specialists over the last month. As work progressed, they witnessed the emergence from the sand of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and let’s not forget the three wise men and the shepherds, flock and all.

The Nativity Scene was traditionally made by Canarian sand sculptor Etual Ojeda, whose more modest work of art provided him with a well-earned reputation. Originally located half-way along the Canteras beach, the Nativity scene has now grown in size and can be found in the area in front of Plaza Saulo Torón near La Puntilla. And Etual is now one of nine international sand sculptors who have been employed by Las Palmas Council to create this amazing ephemeral work of art.

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No, this isn’t a mistake, you can find camel excursions on Gran Canaria!

The famous Sahara-like sand dunes of Maspalomas, forming part of a nature reserve, are – for example – one of the places on Gran Canaria, which can be explored by foot or… on the back of an exotic dromedary!

Alternatively, camel rides are also available near the attractive village of Fataga. After a brief introduction about the life of a camel you will enjoy a ride through the beautiful valley of Fataga, a camel show and finally a delicious lunch.

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Beryl and John in Gran Canaria would like to thank all their clients that have worked with them throughout 2007 and wish them all a very happy Christmas.

Looking to escape the winter blues this season and thaw out in a warmer climate? It’s difficult to beat Gran Canaria, with its long, silky beaches, buzzing resorts and eternally spring-like climate, Gran Canaria is justifiably famous as a fun-in-the-sun destination. But there’s more to the island than sun, sand and sangria. Head inland for lush mountain landscapes, quaint colonial villages and incredible vistas. On the coast, drive past windswept bluffs or seek out solitary, unspoilt shorelines.

Where to stay
Overlooking the grand yacht port of postcard-perfect Puerto de Mogán is the Hotel Club de Mar, which boasts spacious, comfortable rooms with stellar views. Spend your free time in the spa or splashing about in the infinity pool.

The beach to seek out
Just west of Playa del Inglés you’ll find a series of beautiful, pristine beaches the crowds have yet to discover. The best of the lot is Playa Carpinteras, an unspoilt stretch of golden sand surrounded by dunes and lapped by gentle waves.

Full version of this article appears in Mytravel Magazine:

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Kate and Gerry McCann are clinging to hope their daughter is alive and have launched a new 24-hour phoneline to find her.

The line will be manned on a confidential basis and people are encouraged to ring in with sightings or evidence.

Spokesperson for the couple, Clarence Mitchell, told Sky News: “Without any hard evidence of her death, Kate and Gerry hope against hope that she is alive.

“They want this to exist as another line for anybody who might want to contact somebody independently.

“Any credible leads, of course, will be acted upon.”

Portuguese and Spanish police have given Gerry and Kate McCann their full backing in setting up the number, which will be based in Spain.

The operators of the line will speak a range of differerent languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, French and English.

Full article

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The campaign for the reintroduction the the extinct Canarian Lion (Panthera leo canariensis) gained ground this week after the birth of twelve cubs at the Montevideo zoo in Uruguay, where the only captive population of the species survives. The Lion, slightly smaller than African lions and with teeth adapted to the capture of prey in water, died out in the late 16th Century due to hunting pressure. Large numbers of Canarian lions used to roam across the Southern plain of Gran Canaria, with numbers concentrated in and around the sand dunes of Maspalomas. Conservationists claim that there is enough natural habitat remaining for the species to be reintroduced to the island, but face fierce resistance from the tourist industry, who describe the plans as “an absurd concept that only a fool would consider”.

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