Tourist Centres Closed
Lanzarote’s publicly-owned Tourist Attractions have been closed due to strike action since the 15th of August. Workers claim that they are owed previously negotiated bonuses dating back to 2014 and that the management are privatising the centres by stealth through the subcontracting of security and other services. Management disagrees with the calculations made by the workers.
Lanzarote’s most famous attractions are affected including Montañas de Fuego (Timanfaya), Jameos del Agua, Cueva de los Verdes, The Cactus Garden, Mirador del Río, Monumento al Campesino and the Castillo de San José.
470Kg of Cocaine seized at La Santa
Guardia Civil detained two men and seized 470 Kilos of high-purity cocaine at the harbour of La Santa during the early hours of Sunday the 6th of August. While patrolling in the area, the agents heard the sound of a boat’s motor and followed it to the small fisherman’s pier at La Santa, where they found two men unloading the drugs from the boat. A third man, who fled the scene was arrested two days later. All three of the initial detainees were residents in the municipality of Tinajo. A Guardia Civil operation has subsequently revealed that the drugs were obtained in Venezuela and transported across the Atlantic on a sailing vessel, before being transferred at sea off the coast of Lanzarote. The Sailing Vessel used for the transatlantic crossing has now been seized after it was found in Puerto Calero. A total of six people have been arrested and imprisoned so far.
Papagayo Beach Evacuated
The popular horseshoe-shaped beach at Papagayo was evacuated on Sunday the 27th of August, when an off-duty Policeman discovered a torpedo-shaped device with the words “Warning” and “contains CO2”. The Guardia Civil’s Explosives unit made the decision to evacuate the beach and make the device safe using a controlled explosion. It was later confirmed that the object was in fact a device used for Oil and Gas exploration.
New Beach for Playa Blanca?
The Spanish Ministry of the Environment (Costas) have invited interested parties to submit offers for the creation and concession of services at a new artificial beach located between Playa Dorada and the Marina Rubicon. The idea was first proposed by the Gran Canaria-based company, Patuso, in 2014. Their plan includes the depositing of 150,000m3 of sand and the construction of a breakwater to protect the new beach from erosion. The project would require an investment of in the region of 2.9 million euros for which Patuso have asked for exclusivity in the provision of 600 sunbeds, 300 umbrellas and pedalos along the proposed 500 meter-long beach.
Playa Chica closed because of Sewage Leak
Puerto del Carmen’s Playa Chica Beach was closed to bathers on the 29th of August following the discovery of sewage contamination. The local council initially believed that the water was affected by a sea sawdust bloom, similar to those seen in Tenerife this summer, however an analysis revealed the presence of e.coli, prompting the immediate closure of the beach. Playa Chica is particularly popular with divers, and is one of the best snorkelling locations on the island. The local council have reiterated that the rest of Puerto del Carmen’s beaches remain open and are unaffected by the leak.
Zapatero acquires Holiday Home in Famara
Canarias7 have reported that Spanish Ex-prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has purchased a Holiday Home in the popular Los Noruegas Bungalow complex in Famara. The newspaper reported that the former leader spent time in a nearby rented property while works on his recently-acquired property were being carried out. Zapatero, who served two terms as Spanish Leader, has holidayed in Lanzarote for several years and is said to have been looking to buy a property here for quite some time.
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