Even in a whirl of social activity like the Canary Islands, it’s not always easy to meet like minded people. Sparkle is a great way to share interests and to discuss the latest trends in music, sport, gaming, films and much more as you get to know a wide circle of new friends.

Friendship can soon grow as you discover you have so much in common, this is not speed dating, or even blind dating, it’s a modern, safe and precise way to add extra dimensions to your life. Dive into the world of Sparkle today and see what eveyone is talking about.

More than 100 multicoloured birds inhabit the aviary with the same volume as the auditorium of the Paris Opera

Loro Parque, one of the finest environmental and zoological parks in the world, continues to expand its leisure offering with surprising innovations to delight its visitors, and on the 24th  of September it will launch its latest and majestic attraction, Katandra Treetops. Katandra is the word used by the Australian native people to refer to the song birds in the aboriginal language. This is Loro Parque paying homage to nature, returning to its roots, the birds, nearly 38 years after opening its doors for the first time.

The opening ceremony will be attended by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Paulino Rivero Baute, President of the Tenerife Cabildo, Ricardo Melchior and the mayoress of Puerto de la Cruz, Dolores Padrón, among other authorities who will also attend the event.

This is one of the most impressive free-flight aviaries, where visitors can enter, climb the hanging bridge and look face to face the hundreds of different species and subspecies of birds from Australia and Asia.

Colourful lories, cockatoos, kookaburras, pheasants, thrushes and fruit doves, among many other birds, are the stars of this wonderful aviary, in which a mysterious tropical rain forest enshrouds visitors and captivates the senses. The humidity of Australasia moisture, the light and shadows, and the eucalyptus and caramel aromas combine with lush tropical jungle, in a unique environment.

Marvels of the air, earth and water. Among the species that inhabit Katandra Treetops one can highlight, among many others, over 100 lory species and subspecies, which attract attention for their intense and varied colours, up to 5 different colours in a single bird. Furthermore, the special tongue of these birds, thanks to its rough texture, allows them to feed on the nectar and pollen of flowers, an activity that can be seen from the high bridge in between Eucalyptus, Indian laurels and thick vegetation which adorns the exhibition, and which has maintained the original trees of the zone.

Among other striking birds, Katandra Treetops is home to species that live in the lower areas of the enclosure such as partridges, Crowned pigeons and Golden pheasants which, together with its distinctive laughing kookaburras and elegant herons make this aviary a melting pot of sounds and confirm the authenticity of his name. Besides the great bridge, there are also boardwalks, platforms and stairs included for visitors who so wish, and can truly enjoy bird-watching at really unimagined heights, and observe behaviour in the nests, the free flight within the enclosure and finding odd or fancy fruit hidden among the vegetation.

Pink cockatoos, Asian parakeets, Crowned pigeons and even Mandarin Ducks will give life and colour to the lake in the centre of the exhibit, which will become a mirror thanks to the rays of light illuminating it through the trees.

For the construction of Katandra Treetops an endless steel array of especially created complex pieces have been used, including the brackets, rings and pillars that comprise a stainless steel structure of 21 tons responsible for supporting the mesh of 3000 m2 and up to 27 meters at the highest points, which creates a huge space for free flight of 17,000 m3 (the same volume as the Paris Opera hall).

Katandra Treetops is also designed as an area of environmental enrichment in which the Loro Parque Fundación can carry out diverse educational activities, interactive videoconferencing on-line and species identification workshops, for children from many schools to have the opportunity to discover the wonders of this tropical forest ecosystem.

Loro Parque, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife

The news is out about a forthcoming site called Supa Swap where kids can buy, sell and swap almost anything! This new and innovative site is the first online trading site for kids aged 8-18yrs and is set to take online trading for kids through the roof! As a pre-launch to their website they are offering an Apple Mac Air Book in their Logo Design Competition which is open to anyone between the ages of 8-18yrs.  All entries will be entered into a Disneyland Paris Holiday Free prize draw, which also includes €1000 spending money. Closing date for entries is 30th September 2009.

Guilly Brandao

 

 

If you love Kite Boarding, then Lanzote is the place to be this August if you want to learn from the best! The World Champion Kite Boarder  Guilly Brandao  from Brazil, is holding two Kite Boarding sessions at the  luxury resort of Sands Beach Resort, in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote.

Sessions are designed for intermediate to advanced Kite Boarding enthusiasts with the first session being held during 14 – 16 August and the second taking place during the period 21 – 23 August 2009. Spaces are limited to a maximum of 10 people and as you would expect, going fast!  For more information about this great event, including prices, availability and accommodation at Sands Beach Resort in Lanzarote, contact them at the following:

Reservations & Enquiries:
UK Freephone : 0800 3897491

Telephone :      +34 928 826 095    

   
Fax : +34 928 590 065

Email : reservations@sandsbeach.eu

Aitor, Gorka and Waiter

It´s true that all the best places are “hidden” and Escondida Restaurant  is no exception, as you can tell from the name!  This is a great Restaurant and Lounge Bar located adjacent to the sea  in Alcala,  in the south of Tenerife.  It was originally opened in 1995 and was predominately a fish restaurant, but in wishing to expand on their experience and knowledge, the owners, Aitor and Gorka, decided to create a wider choice for their discerning customers.  Their menu is decisive and inviting and their choice of  Restaurant and Lounge Bar lends itself to everyone.

A picturesque location close to the new Gran Sol Melia five star hotel in Alcala, a delightful ambiance with a creative menu and a friendly team await you at Escondida.  Book your table soon!!

English and German speaking staff will make Cabildo paper work and transactions easier

The Tenerife Cabildo, through its Centro de Servicios al Ciudadano or Citizens Service Bureaux (CSC) in Icod de los VInos, La Orotava and Los Cristianos (Arona), now has trained staff on hand to attend to the needs of foreign residents. The service has been launched  in keeping with a pledge made by Cabildo president Ricardo Melchior to cater for the large number of foreign residents living on Tenerife. It means they will have access to Cabildo services without a translator/interpreter. 

Rosa Baena, General Coordinator for Personnel & Legal Affairs at the Tenerife Cabildo, says: “We have hired these staff to make dealings with the Cabildo’s office easier because their enquiries and business can now be handled in English or German.”

As well as providing information about  the different activities offered by the Tenerife Island Government, the new customer service staff will also take care of the standard procedures which local resident shave to follow to be entitled to the public  services offered by the Cabildo  and  also the General Registry for receipt of documents.

In the north, the service will be available  at the offices in La Orotava  in Plaza de la Constitución  number 4 on Wednesdays and Fridays and in  Icod de los Vinos at Calle Key Múñoz  number 24  on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8am-2pm. In the south the service is avilable from Mondays to Fridays from 8am-2pm at the CSC office in the Valdés Centre, Avenida Amsterdam in Los Cristianos. 

The Citizens Service Bureau is a Cabildo one-stop service point for the public and forms part of a network of offices located around the island which all boast the latest information technology in an integrated system to guarantee qualityof  service. 

The CSC gives citizens access to an improved service because all kinds of Cabildo- related services can be dealt with under one roof.  The aim is to make the Cabildo’s public administration  simpler and more user friendly for residents anywhere on the island, who do not now have to travel to Santa Cruz to take advantage of the services offered by the Island Corporation.  Thanks to this network of offices, local government is now more accessible for ordinary citizens in the most important population centreson Tenerife and it guarantees access to services  under equal conditions.   

The CSC offices are NOT tourist information offices.