NT Magazine 240

Jesús Martín - The influential G20 - Señorío de Bertiz - People from these shores Valle Gran Rey - El Cabrón Beach - Healthy leisure - Canarian onions

COMMITTED TO CONNECTIVITY AND EMPLOYMENT

Our commitment to ensuring connectivity continues. We are further expanding our routes from the Canaries to destinations outside the islands and are about to launch the biggest ever schedule of flights to Morocco in Binter’s history, operating eleven routes to eight destinations in the part of North Africa situated nearest to the Canaries.

Driven by our pledge to connectivity, we will also be flying to Essaouira and Tangiers, as well as from Lanzarote to Guelmim, which is further proof of our commitment to provide the whole of the Canaries with the best possible range of flights.

Moreover, since 27 March Granada has become a reality on our flight schedule and I must admit that it is proving hugely popular with passengers.

We continue to work to provide an effective, fast and safe service connecting the Canary Islands not only with each other but also with 34 cities in ten countries straddling two continents. This same service vocation has also led us to boost flights at peak demand periods such as Easter, for which we have laid on two hundred extra flights to guarantee connections between all the islands and also further afield. We want to carry the name of the Canaries to our flight destinations through initiatives such as the Binter NightRun, which is to be staged in Santander for the first time this month.

In addition, our commitment to our islands and our people has led us to conclude an agreement with the Spanish Air Force’s Air Command in the Canaries to facilitate the training and employment of military personnel, making it easier for them to enter the labour market once they switch to being reservists with so-called special availability.

To recruit further talent to our company, we have taken part in the Aviation Jobs Fair in Madrid, which provided details of available positions in the aviation sector. The sector will be a source of high employment in the coming years, particularly in the Canaries, and will require highly skilled professionals.

We want to continue to be part of the life and history of the Canarian people, to continue flying for you. To that end, we will continue to come up with attractive destinations, scheduling new routes and reaching new cities, so that the values that have made Binter a flagship Canarian company are shared by all our passengers and that you will continue to choose us as the airline to connect you to the world. We will announce our Summer Schedule shortly, along with the new routes available, so that you can plan your leisure and holiday travel in 2023.

Thank you for choosing us. We hope to continue to have you as passengers on board our flights.

Santiago Guerra General Coordinator

STAFF

CONTENT COORDINATOR

Beneharo Mesa · redaccion@barabaracomunicacion.com

TRANSLATION

Karl McLaughlin

EDITING

Lavadora de textos

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

Beneharo Mesa, Francisco Javier Torres del Castillo, Alberto Piernas, Galo Martín Aparicio, Saioa Arellano, Aarón Rodríguez González, Carla Rivero, Cristina Torres Luzón, Francisco Belín..

CREATIVE DIRECTION AND LAYOUT great · greatttt.com · estudio@greatttt.com

COVER PHOTO

Adobe Stock (Adrien)

PHOTOGRAPHS

Cintia Sarría, Felipe Hernández Durán, Saioa Arellano, José Chiyah Álvarez, Carlos Novella.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Capi Cabrera, Ilustre Mario.

BINTER

Rodolfo Núñez – President

Alfredo Morales – Vicepresident

Noelia Curbelo – Institutional Relations and Communication

FOLLOW US ON OUR WEBSITE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA www.bintercanarias.com · Facebook · Twitter · Instagram · www.revistabinter.com

NT is produced exclusively by BARA-BARA 3.0 S. L. for BINTER. Write to us at buzon@barabaracomunicacion.com.

Neither BINTER or BARA-BARA 3.0 S. L. are responsible for the content of advertising or the opinions expressed by contributors in their articles. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, edited or transmitted by any means or in any form without the express written approval of BARA-BARA 3.0 S. L.

PRINTED BY Gráficas Sabater S. L.

With technical assistance from 2informática

Legal Deposit TF 582-2019

NT magazine has used paper obtained from certified sustainably managed forests.

PRODUCED IN THE CANARY ISLANDS

Valle Gran Rey Walks

El Cabrón Beaches

onions Gastronomy

By Beneharo Mesa

Illustrated by Capi Cabrera

«DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS THE BRAIN IMPOSES ON US, WE NEED TO GO FURTHER»

Jesús Martín (La Palma, 1992) is a neurosurgeon and scientist who has gained international recognition for his contributions to the study of the human brain. His most recent achievement is the creation of a test with metahumans (avatars) to identify the part of a patient’s brain that is responsible for processing emotions, so that these emotions can be preserved during surgery. A composer also, Martín identifies music and neurosurgery as two of the bedrocks of his life. There is much more to him, however, particularly his great passion for what he does, the type of passion present in all those who strive to transcend boundaries.

How did you begin in neurosurgery and your work on the human brain?

Someone was selling encyclopaedias in La Palma and my parents bought one of the human body. I became fascinated by the brain and, in time, realised I wanted to be a neurosurgeon and wanted to

help people by «entering» their brain to see what I could do for them. At the same time, I developed an interest in music. I was restless and creative and at the age of four began to study music. I always saw neurosurgery as a space where I could be myself and be creative. For me, both [music and neurosurgery] are quite similar.

Interestingly, you have ended up combining both components in your study.

Yes, it was a way of closing the circle, so to speak. I have managed to close two important circles and feel very fortunate: the first is the study published in the journal Neuroscience, in which we showed how the brain reacted to music ranging from classical to reggaeton. To understand the second circle closed, I need to take you back to when I was in the fourth year of my degree in medicine. My uncle was diagnosed with a tumour in the right-hand side of his brain. He came out of the surgery perfectly, talking and moving, but was never quite the same person again. He did not interact or express emotions the way he had done before. So, I devised a test which is still under validation to identify in brain tumour surgery on an awake patient the brain regions that are crucial for perceiving emotions in other people. I have been lucky enough to close both circles and carry out surgery that I would have loved to have performed on my uncle.

How was the operation for you?

We are in the process of validating this test, but it needed to be tried out first. From what we have seen so far, all the cases have worked. The moment when I placed the stimulator on the brain and the patient was seeing emotions but was then suddenly unable to recognise them or, occasionally, when touching, they told us they were wrong, is an indescribable situation because we had managed to devise a test using artificial intelligence to reach the parts of the brain responsible for emotions in order to preserve them and not remove them when taking out the tumour. It’s just crazy, particularly for someone like me because of my experience of my uncle’s situation. This was almost like a metasurgery on my uncle. I

felt that I was operating on both Yolanda [the patient on whom the test was done] and on my uncle the same day, even though he died seven years ago. When I spoke to the patient, she said «Thank you for allowing me to be who I am; with my emotions intact I can look after my son properly». As I said earlier, we need to continue the research. We can’t say «the test is now usable with everybody». We need to carry on with the validation. -

«Brains differ hugely from person to person»

How do you prepare each case? Is every brain the same?

No, they only look the same on the outside. Brains differ hugely from person to person. That is one of the reasons why you need to operate on an awake patient. Because in every location that you might think is going to be the same for the patient, things suddenly change, particularly in the case of more complex functions. There is just no way of predicting. Professor Hugues Duffau calls this awake surgery a la carte. Depending on the person, the needs will be different (for an engineer, for instance). Think also of an actor and what social cognition, the mentalisation process and their creativity means to them. That is probably more important than removing the tumour 100%. You need to strike a balance in which you remove as much of the tumour as possible but allow the patient to be what they want to be, to carry out their functions. Duffau has amply shown that, with this philosophy, you can perform surgery a la carte. Despite the limitations the brain imposes on us, we need to go further.

By Francisco Javier Torres del Castillo* Illustrated by Ilustre Mario

THE INFLUENTIAL G20

April is underway and it is book month as it marks the month of the deaths of two great writers, William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. Comparisons are always odious, so I will not compare the texts I bring you every month on your flights with their works.

As I was rummaging around for ideas to write about for you, a few weeks ago –aside from the massive resurgence of Fernando Alonso in F1– I noticed numerous references to the so-called group of twenty (G-20), the popular and main forum of world leaders and chairs of central banks, who together account for 85% of the world’s gross product.

Although like many of you I have always believed I knew how it worked, I decided to investigate more deeply and share with you its importance as a result

of the presidency held in 2023 by the world’s most populous nation, India.

India is not only the most populous country but also the fifth biggest economy in the world, having overtaken the United Kingdom. However, even more important is the fact that it is the world’s biggest democracy, hence its influence on this puzzling chess board, an influence that could trigger a change in the rules in the eternally complex field of international relations.

*Director in the Canary Islands of Renta4 Banco

«One earth, one family, one future» is the motto of the meeting, an acknowledgement of the multiple challenges we face at present, albeit focusing on three of these. Climate change and its effects, which pose a clear threat to humankind. Solidarity among countries, given that food insecurity still persists, and the growing political tensions – particularly the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Lastly, one future, a reference to technology-led transformation and digital progress.

In complex times such as the present (although all times have been complex), when Europe is once again experiencing war, India’s presidency of the G20 should mark an opportunity to reduce international tension.

-

The G20 is not exactly a perfect organisation. Despite comprising the most important countries on earth, it is often criticised for its failure to take action and decisions on key matters, one example being the financial crash of 2008 when concrete measures were anticipated but all that emerged was a text replete with good intentions and empty statements.

It is not all negatives with the G20, however. Occasionally, funny situations arise that remind us that world leaders are human beings after all. You can still read references to the meeting between Obama and Putin in the 2013 summit. The TV cameras of the day captured the moment when they shook hands and stared intently at each other; the sparks were visible and there was much speculation as to what each was thinking. A great live show!

-

As conflict hovers amid the clashing interests of China, Russia and the United States, host country India may be the key piece in this new rebalancing of powers, and although in Europe (including the Canary Islands) we have always tended to consider that we are at the heart of events, the reality is regrettably very different. In this new map, Europe plays a secondary role.

However, for others this summit is seen as an opportunity for world leaders to take a break from their day to day responsibilities, travel with inconceivable and excessive security, not to mention massive teams of advisers, and enjoy an ego boost on a planetary scale.

A similar spectacle occurred some weeks ago in the Indian city of Hyderabad, where due to the aforementioned security measures the hundreds of advisers and journalists encountered an unexpected problem: traffic. Yes, traffic! The summit attracted such a massive concentration of cars and people heading to the area that the roads were gridlocked and chaos ensued. It was so bad that some leaders were forced to walk several kilometres to get to the meeting venue.

I am not sure if the G20 can solve the problems of our planet but, while it tries to do so, we can at least reflect on such matters as we fly to our destination.

Now you know: if you are ever invited to the G20, make sure you take a pair of comfortable trainers in case you have to walk several kilometres!

Have a good flight.

Occasionally, funny situations arise that remind us that world leaders are human beings after all.

MAY AND SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE

The month of May and Santa Cruz de Tenerife form an indissoluble tandem, both being connected through a centuries-old tradition combining folklore and history. This year is the 529th anniversary of the founding of an Atlantic capital whose urban history commenced on 3 May 1494.

The festivities marking the founding of the ‘Very Loyal, Noble, Undefeated and Highly Beneficial City, Port and Garrison of Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife’ include an extensive array of events that commence in the last week

of April, with the official proclamation, and continue until Canary Islands’ Day on 30 May.

In addition to the key events such as the election of the Queen of the Festivities, the floral crosses and the Baile de Magos street party, a series of other events are etched in the hearts of locals, including the Regional Flower and Plant Exhibition, the Gorgorito puppet show and a programme of concerts that will enliven the city across the four weekends.

www.elcorazondetenerife.com

A NEW HOME FOR THE ELDERLY IN SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE

THE BEST TRAINING WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO

Elderly residents take pride of place at CleceVitam Vía Ronda, enjoying welcoming and comfortable surroundings as well as extensive areas for rest and wellbeing. The new residence is staffed by an interdisciplinary team consisting of specialists in elderly care. Everything is designed to ensure that residents feel very much at home.

www.clecevitamviaronda.es

Our Grupo Dentazul Vocational Training Centre is a private centre accredited by the Canarian Ministry of Education, Universities, Culture and Sport. It offers higher-level vocational qualifications in Dental Hygiene, Dental Prosthesis and Prosthetic Audiology, which provide access to university degrees, preferably in the field of health.

NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT OF SAGGING FACIAL SKIN AT BASCOVIDALES MEDICAL CENTRE

High-intensity micro-focused ultrasound (Ultherapy) is a non-invasive treatment that helps stimulate the production of skin collagen and promotes skin rejuvenation. Ultherapy works by renovating your skin inside and out, without damaging the surface and with no recovery time needed. It requires just

one session annually. Ultherapy is the only FDA-approved device that incorporates ultrasound and allows real-time visualisation to see which tissue layers are being treated where the new collagen is generated.

www.bascovidales.com

LORO PARQUE PRESENTS ITS NOVELTIES AT ITB BERLIN

The Loro Parque group attended ITB Berlin, one of the world’s most important tourism fairs. The event enabled it to present its novelties for the year while also giving it the opportunity to strengthen both its own position within the holiday industry and the position of the Canary Islands as a holiday destination in Germany, the most important source market for tourists to the Islands.After three years of pandemic, ITB Berlin once

again took place under normal conditions. In a context of tourism sector recovery from the body blow caused by the health crisis, Loro Parque once again shows the international market its commitment to sustainable and quality tourism.

Loro Parque faces 2023 with great enthusiasm and the year sees the culmination of various projects in its different theme parks.

13TH FLORAL EASTER TAKES TO THE STREETS OF GUÍA DE ISORA

This event emerged as a way of combining art and the long-enshrined tradition of Holy Week processions and floats in the idyllic setting of the historic centre of this south-west Tenerife town. It has become firmly established as a unique celebration of its kind in Spain, drawing new plastic artists, specialists in floral art and Spanish and international schools each year.

Visitors to Guía de Isora between 6-9 April will enjoy over twenty floral art installations themed on the Passion of Christ, along with a range of cultural events including opera, dance and theatre.

The public will also be able to enjoy an exhibition of Canarian artists whose works will be on display in shop windows in the town centre.

Text by Alberto Piernas Medina

WHERE SUMMER IS BORN

The island of Ibiza emerges from its annual state of slumber. Aware of this are the longer days, the superlative blue of its beaches, and the growing aura of magnetism that places us right back in the heart of the Mediterranean. We lose ourselves in the secrets of Ibiza, following the clues thrown up by the light, the sound of a sitar from a hidden cove, and the rustling of the pine trees, our wonderful hosts.

Photos by Cintia Sarría

The first to serve notice of the change is the bougainvillea that covers a blue door in Dalt Vila, the old walled part of the city of Ibiza. Nature emits a song that sways the first yachts of the season and slips in via the green doors of the boatyard huts. The fishermen are also aware, as is the yogi in lotus position at dusk and the table coverings laid out on the first beach bar. You are not going to escape from it either.

summer. You might choose to immerse yourself in the clubbing scene in Sant Antoni de Portmany, its streets brimming with the beats of house music and state of the art hotels next to the beach. Or you might prefer to travel by car to the infinity promised by the sea caves and fields of seagrass. In Ibiza you can dance and come alive, but can also lose yourself.

With the arrival of the good weather, Ibiza emerges from the farmhouses that seduce winter holidaymakers –there is more than one Ibiza and all are equally fascinating– and signals the road to

You can discover this for yourself on its picture-postcard beaches, some of them remote and others mystical. Situated opposite the small and charming Cala D’Hort beach, the mysterious islet of Es Vedrà seems to protect Ibiza from evil energies and is home to legends of errant priests and storybook goats. Considered one of the most magnetic points on Earth, Es Vedrà keeps permanent watch from afar while the Sunset Ashram beach bar and Ses Roques restaurant offer an exuberant range of dishes next to Cala Conta. This is Ibiza’s

-

There is more than one Ibiza and all of them are equally fascinating -

best-known nudist beach and it gifts us a summer dream and a sunset that can rekindle memories.

You can also head up the coast and into the very heart of the island. You hear voices and psychedelic rhythms among the pines that surround the village of Sant Carles. Starry nights are celebrated in Las Dalias, a market with more than two hundred stalls whose flower power vibes transport us back to the summer of love in a unique setting. You can also swap settings, sit alone to eat a typical dish of bullit and guisat de peix on a terrace that does not feature on maps, or take a dip in the sea while your partner takes a picture on your Polaroid from above. Such is Ibiza: at times future, at times retro, with its sepia skies, all sharing the common denominator of light.

If you head north you really should stop in Cala de Benirràs, especially on

Sundays when improvised jam sessions talk to the horizon through bongos and guitars. If you prefer something less crowded, rumour has it that mermaids have been seen at the cove known as Es Portixol. Follow the trail through Mediterranean forests, white villages such as Sant Joan de Labritja and the timeless boutique hotel where you will discover that Ibiza has many faces beyond its party image. –

IBIZA

From 12,000 points one-way or earn up to 1,200 points one-way.

For terms and conditions, see bintermas.com Ask our cabin crew for a leaflet or register with bintermas.com and start earning on your Binter flights and with more than 30 programme partners. –

You might want to head back south along the coast, in which case you can choose between Cala Salada and Saladeta. Or lose yourself in Atlantis, an old quarry converted into an artistic park by 1960s hippies, who kept this paradise a well-guarded secret for many years. Finally, you are drawn by something to the city of Ibiza, with its chill outs, little streets with hung-out washing, and walls that look as if they are expecting the arrival of the pirates of old. Nobody told you that in Ibiza you would find answers rather than drink shots. You still have your beach wrap on and salt on your skin, and you caress the Polaroid in your pocket.

You are drunk on blues and greens, dance with the wind and feel you might stay here forever. The Mediterranean is preparing its summer song and you will not escape it this year. This is what Ibiza is all about: we travel to the island to live the summer but sometimes to discover the light.

SEÑORÍO DE BERTIZ NATURE PARK

The Señorío de Bertiz Nature Park consists of a misty forest of beech, oak and chestnut trees. It covers an area of 2049 hectares and includes a delightful centenary garden three hectares in size. It is situated on the slopes of Mt Aizkolegi in the Baztan-Bidasoa district in the north of the region of Navarra. This protected area is a veritable jewel of the region and is home to lamias, the mermaid-like creatures that guard Bertizarana valley and appear on the crests of noble houses in the various mist-shrouded villages.

Text by Galo Martín Aparicio Photos by Felipe Hernández Durán

The legacy of the last lords of Bertiz, Pedro Ciga and Dorotea Fernández, a rich and childless couple - conservationists and protectors of nature who brought back a seed from every place they visited on their travels -, was that the forest and garden they cherished and looked after so fondly would become the natural park it is today. They purchased the land in 1898 from the Oteiza family, timber merchants who were forced to sell up due to debt.

-

Bertiz Palace is located in the Historic-Artistic Garden, the jewel of the nature park

The Ciga-Fernández couple’s fondness of this humid forest over three thousand years old was reflected in their desire to recuperate it. They rebuilt the palace which had served as home to some of the oldest and most influential lineages of Navarra’s nobility; they built the bridge across the river Bidasoa to facilitate access from the town of Oronoz-Mugaire; and they extended and enhanced the old garden (Jardinzarra), turning it into the romantic and modernist Historic-Artistic Garden it is today, with species of trees from all over the

world standing around fountains, ponds, pergolas and arbours. Among other paths, they renovated the one leading up to Bertiz’s highest point, Mt Aizkolegi, 830 metres above sea level. On the way up to the peak, Arkaitz, our guide from Baztantrek shows us a calera –a kiln to make the limestone used to build houses and also as an insecticide– and a carbonera from which charcoal was extracted. On the peak, Pedro Ciga built a second residence, a now-abandoned modernist mansion from which he enjoyed views over the neighbouring valleys and even the Bay of Biscay.

Due to the proximity of the Cantabrian Sea, Bertiz has an oceanic climate that brings abundant rainfall. It is not unusual for 2000 litres per square metre to fall annually. In addition to the rain, the mist ensures the forest is permanently humid. Humidity that drips down the trunks and leaves of the beeches, oaks and chestnuts, producing an array of channels and mini waterfalls of pure water that eventually end up in the river Bidasoa. Prior to the arrival of the Ciga-Fernández family, these surroundings were protected by lamias, mermaid-like creatures that inspired respect and fear in their story-book forest. Indeed, the heraldic crest on the palace of Bertiz depicts waves of silver water and a mermaid holding a comb and mirror.

The aforementioned palace is located in the Historic-Artistic Garden, the jewel of this nature park. Next to it stands a centre for interpreting the local nature and the old garage where the couple kept what was, for a time, the only car in the valley; today, the space houses a model of the nature park and a video on Bertiz. The paths around the garden are flanked by species of exotic foreign trees including a swamp cypress, a Chinese-Japanese ginkgo, a thicket of green and black bamboo, liquidambars, yews and a sequoia from Sierra Nevada in California 85 metres tall and eleven wide. Unique trees set in a landscape that boasts an array of art nouveau ambiences and architectural elements including the chapel, an Asian-

style viewpoint overlooking the river and the village of Oronoz-Mugaire, a lake pergola and a multi-coloured pergola, which is the best spot to contemplate the garden in its entirety and leads to a walkway which is shaded in June by linden trees.

PAMPLONA

From 12,000 points one-way or earn up to 1,200 points one-way.

For terms and conditions, see bintermas.com Ask our cabin crew for a leaflet or register with bintermas.com and start earning on your Binter flights and with more than 30 programme partners.

EL HIERRO, THE ISLAND WITH SOUL

Can an island have a soul? To answer the question you need to visit El Hierro, which is the youngest of the Canary Islands as it emerged a mere 1.1 million years ago. It is hard to convey the magic of this tiny volcanic island in the Atlantic that offers peace and calm and lets you forget the hectic pace and stress of life...

Volcanoes, lava outcrops, lush forests of Canarian pine and laurel, trees that bend in the wind, sheer cliffs, relaxing natural pools, dizzy panoramic views … That is El Hierro: enigmatic, awesome, a refuge where you can switch off. So, yes, an island can have a soul and El Hierro does.

Apart from La Graciosa, El Hierro is the Canary Island which has the highest percentage of its land (58 % of its total size) officially classified as protected. A Biosphere Reserve also, it forms part of the network of Global Bioparks due to its geological importance and the integration of the landscapes in the lives of the local population.

A diving paradise

With over forty diving spots, El Hierro is a genuine paradise for divers of all

nationalities who see the island as one of the best places on earth for practising their sport.

Various factors combine to give this small island, home to one of the Canary Islands’ three Marine Reserves, its deserved reputation. First and foremost among them are its clear waters, which provide visibility down to thirty metres. Other reasons include the tremendous variety of species and spectacular undersea volcanic landscapes.

Different scenery at each step

The island’s tiny size is no obstacle to a surprising variety of landscapes. Within short distances of each other, we can find ourselves having a relaxing swim in the sea and then following one of the trails through Canarian pine trees

or species of laurel forest. The trails include the Jinama Trail, a route used by the local population in olden days. Despite its three-kilometre length and steep nature, the views it offers along the way make every step worthwhile.

Meanwhile, on our way up to the highest parts of the island, we can stop off at one of the viewpoints to take in the dizzying panoramic views such as the majestic El Golfo Valley, formed by a mega-landslide thousands of years ago, and the sheer cliffs battered by the sea. Or the opposite: the ocean on this island shows its best face also in the form of the absolute calm of the La Restinga-Mar de las Calmas Marine Reserve.

El Hierro also boasts stunning volcanic landscapes such as the area around the Orchilla Lighthouse, which in ancient times was considered the end of the known world and where the prime meridian existed until 1884. If we did not know that America lay on the other side of the ocean, we would believe we were at the very end of the earth. An awe-inspiring, sober landscape featuring volcanoes, extensive outcrops of twisted lava, total silence … Emotional!

The nights tend to be very clear and cloudless, allowing us to raise our eyes towards another landscape: one of the cleanest and most brilliant skies on earth for stargazing.

Natural pools

A different and unforgettable experience. Sheltered from the sea currents and built beneath volcanic cliffs, these are the perfect place to relax, enjoy a dip in dream-like waters and forget the world. Many of the pools are vestiges of lava that formed a wall around the sea water. The pools were created by nature and the

only intervention by humans was to add steps and walkways, terraces for sunbathing and picnic areas to enjoy alone or with friends, a partner or the family. All the island’s natural pools offer you a seafront balcony.

El Hierro from the air

If El Hierro offers a fascinating experience on land and underwater, there are simply no words to describe the feeling of contemplating its landscapes from the air, with the wind as your only ally. El Hierro’s trade winds and relief mean you can try your hand at paragliding any day of the year, so you will never be short of opportunities. There are no excuses… Are you willing to give it a go?

Enjoying the island’s gastronomy and wines

Fresh fish is the star of El Hierro’s cuisine. It is a real pleasure to try a fish dish after tasting some exquisite artisan cheese, the basis for the delicious quesadilla cakes you will no doubt make room for in your suitcase.

Other typical products are the unrivalled tropical fruits grown in the island’s volcanic soils, not to mention the limpets, rabbit and baby goat. Add to all these the fabulous wines bearing the El Hierro Denomination of Origin and you will enjoy the full array of tastes of the island, which will form part of an unforgettable experience in this tiny part of the Atlantic.

Crafts

Local crafts remain an increasingly popular activity, with age-old traditions very much alive especially in Sabinosa and El Pinar.

www.elhierro.travel

By Saioa Arellano

DON EULOGIO, HARÍA’S BASKET MAKER

Viewed from the road and my car, Haría seemed the nearest thing to an oasis I had ever seen. Nestled among relatively small volcanoes, this small town consists of white houses –as nearly all the houses are in Lanzarote– accompanied by loads of palm trees that make you feel you are in a dream from which you do not want to wake up.

I arrived intending to pay just a brief visit to the town for a coffee as it was not market day. After wandering around the streets for a while and even though not part of my original plan, I decided to visit the house of César Manrique. Along that quiet little road which is typical of the lovely towns in the Canaries, I spotted a man who appeared to be making baskets in the garage in a house.

I decided I would stop there on the way back, hoping he would still be there so I could watch him a little. He was indeed there when I returned, in exactly the same spot without having moved an inch. I went in. A calendar here, numbers written down there, left-over bits of palm tree and a diploma from a crafts fair which was hanging next to a thermometer. Everything merited observation but much more so the man sitting on his stool. I looked on in amazement, not least because of the tremendous skill with which he worked, despite his age. I asked him about himself and he told me his story, which is worth retelling here for all those who do not know it.

Don Eulogio was born in Güímar but moved as a boy to Lanzarote and has lived there ever since. The type of baskets he makes are based on the palm tree most commonly found in Gran Canaria, the leaves of which have to be left to dry so the spikes can be removed before braiding. His labours are clearly visible from the state of his hands, which reflect the passage of time but also the skill and wisdom that come with experience.

He carries on explaining how he cuts the leaf into long strips –« lascas, as we call them here»–which he then starts to braid. It is without doubt a long and laborious job, but a unique one. I chat to him as he explains the differences between the materials used for basket making; he comments that «young people no longer want to do jobs like this» which are very time-consuming, as is only normal; he tells me he makes all sorts of items ranging from baskets to lamps and bags. He adds that there is less appreciation these days for work of this kind; he is happy making all types of products to order because he enjoys

his work. I ask him if he visits handicraft fairs in the Canaries because his work is truly admirable.

Among the many things Eulogio tells me is that there is a preference nowadays for cheaper materials because people are less willing to pay the true value of what they are actually buying. I can but nod in agreement, feeling the same sadness as him. Crafts, particularly basket making in Lanzarote, are directly associated with the island’s former farming and fishing activities. Another reason was the lack of resources. To make up for this lack, full advantage was taken of natural plant fibres such as palm, rye straw and reed.

Don Eulogio is the only remaining basket maker in Lanzarote where, he tells me, he has received many awards which fill him with pride. He has also earned recognition elsewhere in the Canaries but is unable to travel very much to the other islands these days due to his age and circumstances, although he used to visit them regularly to take part in handicraft fairs.

In his studio in Haría –a must-see for the amount of history within its walls– he continues to work with the same loving care as that passed onto him by his father and with the very same enthusiasm, at least that is what he demonstrated during my visit.

I found it hard to decide what to take with me but, perhaps inevitably, I chose one of his baskets, an object that you treasure your entire life as if a relic and with a great story behind it, the story of Eugenio and many others who were part of a tradition reflecting the identity, culture and heritage of our islands. Something we need to look after so it does not become forgotten.

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE CANARY ISLANDS

This spring, the Canary Islands play host to a historic moment for the Paradisus by Meliá resort brand. The luxury brand of Meliá Hotels International, located exclusively in Mexico and the Dominican Republic until now, notches up an important milestone with the opening of two resorts in Europe: Paradisus Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, which opened on 17 March, and Paradisus Salinas Lanzarote, which opens in May.

Paradisus Salinas Lanzarote.

The two new resorts offer a perfect combination of luxury and nature, including the destination itself. Destination Inclusive is a new concept that raises the All-Inclusive bar, creating an immersive in-destination experience. Every guest will savour the local gastronomy, learn about the art and culture of the location and enjoy unique in-destination experiences.

For those seeking a superior adults-only experience, Paradisus by Meliá presents The Reserve, a secret and highly exclusive oasis of tranquility. The most exclusive suites, lounges and private areas, the taste of signature and local cuisine, a sense of belonging among extraordinary surroundings … Attention to detail is of the essence here and materialises in the form of highly personalised service and tailor-made wellbeing and adventure experiences.

Not forgetting all those travelling with the family, Nikté is the brand’s proposal for including everyone in the Paradisus experience. Nikté offers a superior room experience for those wishing to enjoy the highest levels of comfort. It is perfect for families seeking a made-to-measure holiday that motivates every member to reconnect and create unforgettable moments.

With regard to the two hotels in the Canary Islands, Paradisus Gran Canaria is an impressive new resort located opposite Playa de San Agustín. Its distinguished service, combined with exquisite architecture and interior design, make for a unique luxury experience imbued with the essence of the destination and local culture. The new facilities include wonderful suites with a sea view, seven restaurants and beach clubs, and a marvellous spa & beauty center where you can leave the stress of daily life behind.

For its part, the flagship Paradisus Salinas Lanzarote hotel is situated in a building designed by Spanish architect Fernando Higueras and which is part of Lanzarote’s artistic and cultural heritage. This adults-only luxury resort will enable guests to discover the Island’s culture, explore its natural beauty and immerse themselves in a holistic experience.

Paradisus Gran Canaria.

Cactus garden.

By Aarón Rodríguez González

Photos by José Chiyah Álvarez

VALLE GRAN REY

Of all the magnificent features that water, that artisan of rocks, has patiently carved on the age-old skin of La Gomera, Valle Gran Rey is arguably one of the most awe-inspiring. The colossal cliff walls that surround the town and isolate it from the rest of the island are a magnificent spectacle worthy of contemplation in their own right. This wonderful sight is enhanced further by the myriad of beautiful Canary pine trees, the white houses dotted along the valley bottom, the farming terraces that line both sides of the valley, and the shimmer of the sea, which acts as a border but also a gateway to the world for this small piece of paradise.

Walks. La Gomera. Valle Gran Rey

This is the setting for our walk this month, which is a route of just over ten kilometres that starts in Raso de la Bruma, situated at over one thousand metres, and ends at the little Santos Reyes chapel, less than two hundred metres above sea level. We follow the red and white signs for the GR-131 Cumbres de La Gomera trail, which takes us through the lush green forest of the western part of Garajonay National Park and also through Las Creces and the Jollada de Piedra Molino. -

Las Hayas emerged from former forest land that was cleared to create farmland

After around two kilometres, we suddenly emerge from the forest to be greeted by the little hamlet of Las Hayas (The Beech Trees), one of the areas in La Gomera that, as the name suggests, emerged from former forest land that was cleared to create farmland. Our trail next takes us to the head of the Los Reyes ra-

vine via Las Crucitas; here we can get an idea, for the first time, of the sheer size of the abyss we are about to make our way down. On reaching the cluster of houses at El Cercado, we leave the GR-131 and join Route 12 of the island’s network of walks, which links La Calera beach in Valle Gran Rey with Laguna Grande.

At this point we commence the dizzy descent towards Guadá, along a spectacular 3-km cornice path that winds its way down the hillside like a stone snake, carving out endless bends that, at every step, remind us of the massive challenges the self-sacrificing population of La Gomera has had to endure. Once we reach the hamlet, at the bottom of the valley, we carry on along Calle San Antonio, a road that runs parallel to the ravine. After about a kilometre we come to a very tight bend and we leave the road to take Calle Chelé, which soon merges into the Camino de Los Reyes, a lovely pathway through traditional houses with stunning views and leading to one of the oldest buildings in the valley, the small Santos Reyes chapel, where our walk ends.

Raso de la Bruma

Ermita de Los Reyes

Las Creces

Las Hayas Las Crucitas

El Cercado

Guadá

THE DANGEROUS GOLDEN FLY

The fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, wears a beautiful suit of gold, but we should not be fooled by its beauty. It is capable of causing losses worth millions to crops of mango, guava, custard apple, papaya, banana, melon, watermelon, pumpkin, avocado, star fruit, quince, apple, peach, tomato, coffee, citrus fruits, etc., by “stinging” the skin of the fruit in order to lay its eggs. Not only does it leave a small scar, like a spot, but the larvae that come out of the eggs eat the flesh of the fruit, making it rot and inedible.

Originally from Asia, it has spread around Africa, from where there is a high risk of reaching our islands (Madeira, Azores and Canaries) which, at the moment, are free of it.

Its best transport method is infected fruit; therefore, we need to avoid bringing fruit on our trips.

Help us to ensure that our islands remain free from Bactrocera dorsalis. Do not bring fruit from outside.

www.cuarentagri.com

THE IBERIAN ZOOLOGICAL COMMUNITY CLAIMS ITS ROLE IN THE CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY

The annual congress of the Iberian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AIZA), organised by Poema del Mar, brought together more than 100 experts from zoos and aquariums in Spain and Portugal.

Under the slogan “ Impulsing conservation”, the event included presentations, round tables and talks to make visible the impulse that zoos and aquariums give to the cycle of biodiversity conservation, proposed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

“In the current circumstances, modern zoos and aquariums are vital institutions in the fight to protect biodiversity and preserve the diversity of endangered species in the face of the sixth

extinction”, remarks Javier Almunia, president of AIZA and director of Loro Parque Fundación.

The AIZA congress focuses on the current objectives of modern zoos: conservation, education, research and awareness-raising. It also stresses the idea of the modern zoo as a promoter of species protection projects, which promote animal welfare and coexistence with humans.

This has been done, for example, by the animal embassy Loro Parque or the Poema del Mar aquarium, which have adopted breeding and reproduction programmes to help strengthen endangered populations in their natural habitats.

EL CABRÓN, A BEACH WITH A PIRATE EYE-PATCH

Pedro Hernández Cabrón sailed the seas without being aware of the unreachable limits of the world. He battled the waves at the helm of his ship and, of the four cardinal points, came across Gran Canaria. A section of golden sand glistened before his eyes: half-way along the southeast coast of the island, he sighted a spot sheltered from the currents, one ideal for him to land on. He gave his own name to the beach, calling it El Cabrón.

This peculiar placename, which can trigger smiles due to its rude connotations, bears witness to the events narrated in the chronicles of the Canarian historian and physician Tomás Arias Martín de Cubas regarding the pirate’s landing in the Canary Islands. The three hundred metres of shoreline, part of the municipality of Agüimes, harbour echoes of the battles fought during the conquest of Gran Canaria by the Crown of Castile in the mid-15th century. Of the noise, exploration, and perhaps even the battle in which the intrepid Andalusian was badly

wounded, only silence remains today. Now there are just a few self-built homes, no lookout points except a lifeguard station, nor shops or any bustle of note. The beach is reached via a road that begins in the town of Arinaga and takes you past some abandoned buildings before becoming a dirt track. The location can prove surprising due to its serenity.

To the right as you arrive, Arinaga lighthouse stands out on account of its red and white strips and offers a restaurant with sea views.

Text by Carla Rivero Photos by Carlos Novella

A little nearer, on the slopes of the old gun emplacement, lies the Arinaga school residence with its yellow façade and circular structure designed by architect Manuel de la Peña. To the left, if you get there bright and early, you will see Pepe Vega Alemán, who buries his feet and casts his fishing line. He walks down from Telde every morning since he discovered this spot thanks to a barbecue with friends. He hopes fortune will smile on him in the shape of a parrot fish or a serpa, anything that bites his hook, but it looks as if he is destined to leave empty-handed today.

This local man is in the Arinaga Marina Reserve, which has been designated a Special Conservation Zone (SCZ) and contains island groupers and other types of grouper, bicudas and amberjacks, fish species that have made the crystal-clear waters their home and make for a wonderful sight for snorkellers. Germans, French, mainland Spaniards and locals know this part like the back of their hand and highlight the diving in Arco Chico, Los Roncadores and, further along the coast, Punta de Sal. People are out walking on the shore at a leisurely pace, appreciating the pale light of winter. Shortly, however, this gives way to a summer filled with the shouts of swimmers and the beach towels of families in the open spaces.

The currents are relatively gentle although care is needed when swimming further from the shore, beyond the yellow buoys that float on the surface twenty metres out. Pepe, who will return soon, looks to the reef where the waves break and fears that word spreading on Internet is giving too much publicity to what he calls the «best beach, where kids can jump into the water totally safe». High season will bring the lifeguards and beachgoers will look to the projecting rocks for shelter from the wind. Little

nooks and crannies characterised by the ochre tones of the sedimentation and the build-up of stones at the end of this small and unique beach.

Along the path, almost leaping his way down, comes a hiker who has spent nearly an hour walking through the Gran Canaria landscape. Originally from Australia, he has been visiting the island for ten years and has made friends in Maspalomas. He loves the mountain peaks as well as the city, appreciating the fact that El Cabrón is much less crowded and he can enjoy his getaways with walking boots and backpack, which includes a bottle of suncream. He walks following the outline of the bay and, if he keeps his spirits up, he will get to Punta de la Sal, around fifteen minutes away. This headland, which can be reached by car also, is full of little hills where you can still see the old lime kilns, typical 20th century constructions which now have their own museum in this coastal district.

Arinaga mountain carries the smell of seaweed. The volcano ceased spewing lava long ago and fell asleep to the soothing sound of the sea, just like anyone who spends time beside the waters of El Cabrón.

Location: in the municipality of Agüimes, southwest Gran Canaria. Roads: GC-1 and GC-100.

Lifeguards: yes, in summer.

Surfing beach: no.

Restaurants: yes, at Arinaga lighthouse.

Toilets: no.

Showers: no.

Sunbeds and umbrellas: no.

Adapted for the disabled : no.

Parking: yes, unsurfaced parking area.

Public transport : no, but buses 22 and 25 (Global) reach Arinaga.

Dogs: no.

SEASIDE COLLECTION …

¿POR QUÉ CONFORMARSE CON MENOS?

La mejor gastronomía y servicio, cada uno con identidad propia, todos a solo unos pasos de la playa. Descuentos especiales para residentes canarios.

Playa

PALM BEACH Maspalomas, Gran Canaria

GRAND HOTEL RESIDENCIA Maspalomas, Gran Canaria

SEASIDE LOS JAMEOS Playa de los Pocillos Lanzarote

SEASIDE SANDY BEACH

del Inglés Gran Canaria

SANTA CRUZ DEALT WITH NEARLY 90,000 ENQUIRIES AT ITS TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES IN 2022

Santa Cruz’s Tourist Information Offices dealt with enquiries from 87,882 people in 2022, according to Alfonso Cabello, the city’s councillor for the Development Society. The councillor reported that the statistics include enquiries at the Tourist Information Office at the Plaza de España in the city centre, which received 63,014 visits, and the Cruise Ship Tour-

ist Information Office, which received 24,868 visits. According to Cabello, «the number of tourists is almost double that recorded in 2019 prior to the pandemic. We dealt with 92.9 % more enquiries in 2022 than in 2019». He added that the figure is the second highest recorded since statistics began in 2003, bettered only in 2008 when 99,728 visits were received.

LA VACA AZUL

El Cotillo in Fuerteventura is an ideal spot for campers and should be underlined in red in any decent travel notebook if the aim is to spend a few hours trying wonderful sea food. Of the wide range of places available to eat, one stands out by tradition for its quality ingredients and friendly service.

La Vaca Azul is one of the top restaurants not just in Fuerteventura but also in the entire Canary Islands. Set in a stunning location looking out over the Atlantic and the old harbour at El Cotillo, here you will enjoy excellent fresh fish and seafood dishes, along with an extensive selection of soups, salads, meats, rice dishes and home-made desserts.

Requena, 9. El Cotillo - Fuerteventura. T. 928 538 685.

¿Le apetece un planazo? Ready for a great plan?

GETTING TO KNOW TIJARAFE STEP BY STEP

Tijarafe’s nearly 54 square kilometres are connected by a network of paths from sea to summit. You can discover Tijarafe on foot thanks to the work carried out to restore and preserve traditional trails, to

which resources are devoted year-round.

Tradition, culture, enigmas, legends… Every corner of Tijarafe conceals stories that you will only discover if you put your walking boots on.

WHERE TENERIFE BEGINS CANARIES BEST EUROPEAN STAND

The Canary Islands lifted the award for best European stand at ITB Berlin, which was held in March. The accolade acknowledges the innovative design, the significant effort to reduce carbon emissions, the representation of the Islands’ gastronomy and the excellent business environment they offer. The CBS International Business School has presented the Best Exhibitor Award (BEA) at ITB Berlin since 2000.

Let’s begin the journey right here. A journey through our traditions and the most exciting nature. Through geology. To enjoy a safe destination. To experience inclusive tourism. Our commitment is to you and those who visit us to discover every corner of the starting point of Tenerife. Because we are Buenavista del Norte, where Tenerife begins.

By Cristina Torres Luzón Illustrated by Ilustre Mario

SPRINKLE YOUR TIME WITH HEALTH

We all have 1440 minutes at our disposal every day although how we spend that time varies according to our responsibilities, possibilities and likes. One of our daily priorities should be to learn to appreciate the small pleasures that convert our time into quality of life. Carry on reading and think about which ones are yours. If we carried out a survey of the most eagerly-awaited times of the year, most people would surely say the holidays, Bank Holiday weekends and normal weekends. We look forward to these days to do something or even to do nothing, given that we rarely know how to achieve the right balance.

Many associate such moments with travel. According to a 2017 study by Gisele Araújo and her team, motivations for travelling include the desire for self-knowledge and personal growth, as well as to break routines and get to know other realities through other cultures. Travel can be one of life’s great pleasures but it requires time and money.

However, there are other ways of experiencing such motivations without the need to spend so much time or money. Living each day with a different perspective helps us rediscover the world in a more satisfactory way. Changing our normal route, taking the stairs instead of the lift or taking time to look out the window rather than at a phone screen all give us the chance to see new things that catch our interest or simply make us smile.

How can we start to do this? One good way is to discover the benefits of enjoying our time through small pleasures, given that they release our so-called happy hormones such as oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine and endorphins.

For example, endorphins are released when we socialise, laugh or do physical exercise and sport, among other actions. This hormone produces wellbeing, euphoria and analgesia naturally. Who does not feel full of joy and positivity after a short hike or a good comedy film?

Often, a chat over a meal with friends or a chance meeting with someone we admire can turn our day around and make it special. This is because another small pleasure we can experience as healthy leisure is to share our time with vitamin people. According to psychiatrist Marian Rojas, these are people who support, inspire and encourage us to bring out the best in ourselves. Interacting with our vitamin people makes us secrete oxytocin, which is the hormone of love and the best medicine to combat stress and the inflammatory process it triggers in our body.

We might mistakenly consider small pleasures as something expensive or which require the participation of others. However, you don’t need to go on holiday or wait for the weekend to achieve

a state of peace and wellbeing. Reconnecting with yourself through meditation, a hobby, pausing and feeling grateful for your life, or just enjoying listening to your favourite music allows the body to flood the nervous system with dopamine and serotonin.

Do you want to know some other ways to generate wellbeing in our body without the need to spend money on it? Immerse yourself in nature. Grounding (walking barefoot on the ground) is a powerful antioxidant that neutralises the free radicals given off in our bodies. Moreover, the microbiome present in natural spaces has a healthy impact on us. Several recent studies have shown that it improves the immune system in children within just one month if they spend part of their day engaging in activities such as playing using vegetation or planting and looking after a vegetable garden.

Lastly, there is nothing better than to realise the value of hugs, those little pleasures that we can indulge in with trees, our pets, loved ones and even just ourselves. An 8-second hug allows our body to release oxytocin and lower cortisol.

You now have some tips to fill your free time with healthy leisure, so don’t forget to apply them. There is no need to wait until the holidays to treat yourself to these spaces of wellbeing every day.

-

Often a chat over a meal with friends or a chance meeting with someone we admire can turn our day around and make it special

RECONSTRUCTIVE AND ONCOLOGICAL MICROPIGMENTATION

This technique is available at the Cosmetic Dermatology and Skin Laser Unit at the Hospiten Rambla University Hospital, where it is used to implant pigment in the skin to correct or recuperate its tone or original form.

The results provide harmony and naturalness, explains Unit head Dr Lucía Pimentel. «A specialist assesses each case individually for a precise, safe diagnosis to secure optimal results».

The procedure has multiple applications such as the reconstruction of nipple areolas. It can be used in oncological patients, recreating areolas with 3D effect, simulating the natural relief of the nipple and correcting other imperfections caused by scars or hypopigmented radiotherapy burns.

«It is also used in sex change patients who have lost a nipple or who want to improve its tone or appearance. It is the best option for peri-areola scarring arising from breast enlargement or reduction operations», adds the doctor.

«Similarly, it can be used to restore eyebrow density and shape where the face loses some of its expressiveness as a result of illness, accident or gradual hair loss. In the case of lips, it helps recover their natural tone, masking scarring or tone loss. Occasionally, where upper and/or lower eyelids have become lost, we can achieve a filler feeling».

The technique is also applicable in patients who have had a capillary graft and require greater density, as well as in cases of diffuse or extensive hair loss where a transplant is not possible.

Dr. Lucía Pimentel.

THEATRE, MUSIC AND ACTIVITIES

GRAN CANARIA JOAQUÍN SABINA

TENERIFE JORGE DREXLER

LA PALMA

3RD RYPO LOS CANCAJOS DUATHLON

Tenerife Auditorium

13 May

Singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler presents his new album, Tinta y tiempo, following a five-year silence in terms of record releases. His fourteenth studio album coincides with the thirtieth anniversary of his debut album. Three decades of songs that continue to enhance the reputation of the Uruguayan. The audience will enjoy not just his new repertoire of songs but also ones from earlier albums.

FUNKY FRESCO

Gran Canaria Arena

20 April

Against the inexorable wind of passing years, the choppy tides of troubled times, and against all predictions, 74-year-old Joaquín Sabina - back again and cured of all tribulations due to being around for so long - announces his return to the stage for his own as much as his audiences’ enjoyment. An unmissable date with a survivor who will never tire of using his songs to celebrate the irreverent and passionately beautiful view of life drawn from a perfidious nocturnal life, feverish love and unmitigated lovelessnes.

Aguere Cultural Centre

22 April

Nearly three years ago, rappers Akapellah and Lil Supa came together to record Funky fresco, an album of ten songs that is considered one of the most important productions in Spanish rap. It marks the first Spanish tour together by Lou Fresco and Akapellah.

Los Cancajos Beach

29 April

Sport takes pride of place in La Palma at the end of April with a 27.5 km duathlon organised by the Canarian Triathlon Federation. The deadline for registration for both licensed and non-licensed duathletes is 26 April, three days before the event, which will be held on the Los Cancajos Beach in Breña Baja.

A CORUÑA MANUEL CARRASCO

Coliseum

10 June

Huelva-born singer Manuel Carrasco includes Galicia on his tour to present his new record, Corazón y flecha. The concert takes place in the Coliseum in A Coruña on 10 June The new album went straight to number one in the Spanish charts and earned a gold disc. Carrasco has received the Golden Music Award for his music career.

IBIZA DAVID GUETTA

Hombres G are one of the Spain’s legendary groups of the 1980s. The Madrid band have notched up forty years on the music scene and plan to celebrate in style with their new tour, Gira 40 años y seguimos empezando. To date, Hombres G boast a total of twelve studio albums and countless participations in pop music festivals in Spain and beyond.

VENICE

LAURA PAUSINI

LILLE SUM 41

Space Bar Ibiza

2-3 June

French songwriter and producer David Guetta appears at the Space Bar club in Ibiza, doing what he used to do in his early days: produce live music in clubs. At the age of just seventeen, Guetta began mixing music in various clubs in Paris, including Les Halles in the very heart of the French capital. His musical compositions are house style and he later puts these together and turns them into studio albums.

GRANADA HOMBRES G

St Mark’s Square

30 June

14 June

Sum 41 are a rock band who have sold over ten million albums worldwide. They have been nominated seven times for a Juno award, winning twice (group of the year in 2002 and rock album of the year for Chuck in 2005). Sum 41 were nominated for a Grammy Award in the hard rock/metal performance category for the song Blood in My Eyes

MADEIRA CHERRY FESTIVAL

Câmara de Lobos

From 27 to 30 June

Bull Ring, Granada

1 July

Laura Pausini is Italy’s most famous and most successful artist of all time. Winner of five Grammys, she is well known for her ballads and love songs, although she has also sung about topics such as poverty, war and racism, and other social issues. An ambassador for Italian culture worldwide, Laura has sung in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French and is the only Italian to win a Grammy Award. Pausini has sold over 45 million records throughout the world and has won hundreds of international awards.

The sweet ruby-coloured fruit of the cherry tree is guest of honour at the festivities held every year in Câmara de Lobos. Countless varieties of cherry are harvested during the early part of summer, including the Norberto which has adapted to Madeira’s climate and soils. The celebration includes parades and the town streets are filled with stalls, music and entertainment. Don’t miss this chance to try and glass of ginjinha, a delicious liqueur made from Morello cherries.

Zénith Arena, Lille

EXHIBITIONS AND FAIRS LANZAROTE

WORDS WE STILL DO NOT HAVE

WOMEN FROM BACK THEN

Until May

The works forming part of this 11th Lanzarote Art Biennial project belong to very different times and perspectives, ranging from near historical works to highly contemporary ones. In common, however, they offer enunciation, the ability to speak and to make visible the silences which have condemned the lives of women for decades.

GRAN CANARIA

THE LITTLE PRINCE

Pérez Galdós

Until 31 May

Museum-House

Public State Library, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

April

The Canary Islands join in the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the first edition of The Little Prince with an itinerant exhibition that visits several of the islands and includes concerts, street events and public lectures that highlight the importance and humanist influence of the writer and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The centrepiece of this literary celebration is an exhibition on the author which takes place in the Public State Library in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (San Telmo Park) throughout April before moving to Santa Cruz de Tenerife (May-June). The exhibition reviews the life and work of the writer and offers a first chance to see the biggest collection of copies of The Little Prince in the Canaries.

The exhibition entitled Mujeres de aquella época: el retrato femenino en colecciones privadas - Women from back then: female portraits in private collections (1888-1932), hosted by the Pérez Galdós Museum-House seeks to reflect the revolution ushered in by the turn of the century. Curated by Daniel Montesdeoca, historian and director of the Néstor Muesum in Las Palmas, which is collaborating with the project, the exhibition brings together many styles of the last quarter of the 19th century and first three decades of the 20th, with a special focus on modernist movements, the belle époque and art déco. It comprises seventeen paintings and a bust. 75 % of the pieces have not been seen before as they are in private hands. The exhibition is open to the public until 31 May and is aimed at showing how female portraits were structured between the late 19th century and just after the first quarter of the 20th century.

El Almacén

FACES IN INK: LITERARY LIVES

A CORUÑA PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION: STEVEN MEISEL 1993

Central Municipal Library

Until 14 May

Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s Central Library places the focus on biographies, selecting twenty male and female writers from all periods from the 14th to the 20 th centuries. The collection brings together a series of biographies of people who made literature their life and makes some recommendations in terms of which works to read.

SAN SEBASTIÁN

ATLAS OF AN EMPIRE OF PAPER

Muelle de Batería, A Coruña

Until May 2023

San Telmo Museum

Until 28 July

Entitled Atlas of an Empire of Paper, this exhibition centres on a tool that creates a journey through the map holdings of the San Telmo Museum. A robotic arm moves a camera along each document, taking hundreds of close-ups. The results can be seen in this installation housed in the museum’s church. The resolution of the images is so impressive that you can even see tiny details such as the paper fibres, a lithographer fingerprint and little holes caused by a moth.

Steven Meisel 1993, a year in photographs features the work of this maestro of photography during 1993, a decisive year in a career marked by his close collaboration with Vogue that saw him earn twenty-eight front covers and over a hundred editorials for the magazine. This whole exhibition consists of more than one hundred classical portraits of men and women from the worlds of fashion and cinema, including Linda Evangelista, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Hamish Bowles and Kyle MacLachlan.

By Francisco Belín Illustrated by Ilustre Mario

CANARIAN ONIONS: SIMPLICITY TRANSFORMED INTO GASTRONOMIC SPLENDOUR

If you loved me / I would get married, /and gofio and onions / would never be lacking for us. The chorus of this piece, quite tongue in cheek, sets out the intentions of the suitor, who highlights the abundance of two iconic elements for courting. However, in the case of the vegetable, particularly those grown in Canarian soils, the quality of the varieties overshadows the amounts of this ever-present element in traditional recipe books from the islands.

«When used for cooking, it retains its crunchiness and does not dye the stews, and therefore does not change the colour of the food or make it darker ». I have retrieved from our good countryfolk this reference to a type of onion from the district of Los Carrizales (Alto y Bajo) in Buenavista del Norte (Tenerife). Along with its counterpart from Masca, it symbolises the excellence of a humble yet stellar ingredient present in so many Canarian recipes.

The reference also gives me the opportunity to pay tribute to the indispensable bulb and its variants from locations such as Guayonge (Tacoronte), Gáldar (Gran Canaria) and Lanzarote. Its degrees of spiciness or sweetness, textures and colours are a culinary incentive that is ideal both for salads and an encebollado dish cooked with onions, including the delicious moray eel stew from El Hierro. Equally, onion stuffed with meat or tuna is a real treat in Tegueste.

It is impressive how growers from Los Carrizales get together to prepare strings of onions in braids of up to eight kilos to facilitate transportation from farms and optimise conservation from July to December. Traditionally-grown and very local onions not found anywhere else include the Guayonge variety, which is almost a seal of nobility in the food world, its very name sufficing to highlight its exclusive nature.

Grown in soils at heights between 200-400 metres above sea level, this variety from Tacoronte is considered to be one of the sweetest and best-strength onions and is ideal for enhancing stews and even for jam making. It is deep red-purple in colour, has three of four centres in its interior, and comes in a flattened or rounded shape.

When accompanying gofio (toasted maize), the iconic ingredient mentioned at the beginning of this piece, a master touch is to use a fleshy onion as a topping on a piping hot escaldón paste, with the contrast and unique appeal of the roasted texture and characteristic strength of the onion.

Since we are talking about very pleasant and evocative taste sensations, let us travel over to Puertito de Jandía in Fuerteventura. Near the lighthouse from

where you can gauge the sheer enormity of the Atlantic, we will find strategic places where onions are used as a spoon for the escaldón made from the stock of grouper fish casserole; evidently, this particular speciality is less thick and the onion is sliced deliberately to use it as (edible) cutlery and enhance the combined effect of the two elements.

We now head over to Gran Canaria. Back in 1915, English businessman David Leacock revived the so-called Gáldar onion, «a slightly sweet variety»; the cochineal crisis in the 19th century prompted the decision to plant onions for export, with the port of Sardina playing a key role for several decades as an outlet for farm produce from the north of the island.

It is worth paying tribute to the onion growers who have remained loyal to traditional seeds from generation to generation and produce onions with beneficial nutritional properties due to their high magnesium, phosphorous and potassium content, and low fat and calories. In the past these onions were used to cure colds, prepare poultices and make purifying broths.

Onions are vital for the conservation of a range of farming practices both in terms of obtaining the seeds and preserving these. By eating onions, we help preserve agricultural areas, their landscapes and a form of culture at risk of becoming lost.

The degree of spiciness or sweetness, textures and colours are a culinary incentive both for salads and encebollado dishes made with onions

BINTER AND MACAN SIGN AGREEMENT TO PROMOTE TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OF MILITARY PERSONNEL

Binter and the Canary Islands’ Air Command (MACAN) have signed a general protocol to explore measures aimed at promoting the employment, training and labour market integration of Air Force personnel under the jurisdiction of the Air Command. Both parties hope to improve professional and technical training through specific training and skill-acquisition programmes.

The protocol represents an important step in the institutional support offered by the Air Force and Binter to promote the employment, training and labour market integration of miliary personnel in civilian life, after they become reservists with socalled ‘special availability’, thus ensuring the experience and knowledge acquired in their postings during their military career can be harnessed.

Binter brings to MACAN its broad experience in the various facets of aviation sector business, including maintenance, ground handling and logistics management, in the form of courses in aspects such as TMA, check-in and storage. Training provided through programmes

delivered by Aeronautical Training Center Canarias helps prepare top professionals in order to recruit talent for Binter’s own companies and also supply the labour market with qualified professionals.

Taking part in the signing ceremony were Lt Gen. Juan Pablo Sánchez de Lara, head of the Canary Islands’ Air Command (GJMACAN); Gen. Fernando Torres San José, chief of staff; Lt Col. Jesús Ramos Muñoz, head of HR and secretary of the MACAN Board for Physical Education and Sport; Lt Col. Andrés Sanzo Gil, head of Material, Wing 46; and GJMACAN adjutant, Lt Col. Juan Carlos González Fernández.

The airline was represented by its president, Rodolfo Núñez, general coordinator, Santiago Guerra, and David Manzanas, general manager of one of Binter’s air operators. They highlighted how the programme is a perfect illustration of the airline’s commitment to society in the fields of sport, health, culture, education and environment, while also emphasising the work carried out to help integrate skilled personnel in the labour market and create specialist job niches.

BINTER COLLABORATES WITH CAJACANARIAS ON RUTA DE LAS ESTRELLAS PROGRAMME

The CajaCanarias Foundation has launched the latest edition of its Ruta de las Estrellas (Route of the Stars) programme for young people between the ages of fourteen and seventeen which aims to raise their awareness of environmental, cultural and community engagement issues. All the information on the programme can be found at www. cajacanarias.com. Binter is collaborating with the programme, which consists of three eliminatory stages and a final test. Students obtaining the highest scores will form part of an expedition to the Ordesa y Monte Perdido and Picos de Europa National Parks, where they will spend time

together in nature and take part in a range of activities designed to generate an active commitment to preserve our natural and cultural heritage.

BINTER LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE THAT SUPPORTS USERS THROUGHOUT TRAVEL PROCESS

Binter has unveiled its new website, which places customers at the very centre and enables them to enjoy the entire travel process from the initial inspiration for and organisation of a trip through to earning and redeeming BinterMás loyalty programme points.

The new virtual space is immediately attractive for its cleaner and up-to-date design, which is adapted for use on desktop devices and tablets. Its improved ease of use offers users a more intuitive experience and faster access to information and services. The new design highlights the various features of the Binter brand, the advantages that set it apart from others, the new fare structure and personalised ancillary services. Content and services have been re-categorised and grouped in accordance with the customer journey, the term for the set of interactions between a consumer and a company during the process of purchasing or acquiring something.

New functionalities

The new Binter website contains new functionalities that improve the user experience and uses the latest website design technologies to improve performance and increase page speed.

The home page is organised around a main directory which customers can use to access the most frequent actions such as Search Flights, My Bookings, Check-In and Flight Status.

SECRETS BAHÍA REAL RESORT & SPA 5* EARN X2 POINTS + EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT

During the month of April, the Secrets Bahía Real & Spa 5* hotel offers you the chance to earn double points, up to 1200 points/night. In addition, holders of BinterMás Gold and BinterMás Silver cards will enjoy the exclusive benefit of free SPA access.

Exclusive benefit

Earn x2

Double room 600 + 600 points/night

Valid: April 2023.

Access to Secrets SPA for BinterMás Gold and Silver cardholders

secretsbahiareal.com

911 229 866

BUENDÍA CORRALEJO NOHOTEL EARN x2 POINTS + DIRECT DISCOUNT

The Buendía Corralejo Nohotel offers you the chance to earn double points in a unique setting in Fuerteventura. Earn more points and obtain a 10% direct discount using the BINTERMAS10 code on the hotel website.

Hotels Earn x2

Buendía Corralejo Nohotel 215 + 215 points/night

Valid: bookings until 30/04/2023. For stays between April and July 2023 only.

Direct discount

10% with BINTERMAS10 code

buendiacorralejo.com

928 943 027

LOPESAN HOTEL GROUP

EARN x2 POINTS

Earn double points and enjoy a unique experience in Gran Canaria when staying in selected Lopesan Hotel Group hotels.

Hotels Earn x2

Lopesan Villa del Conde Resort & Thalasso 420 + 420 points/night

Abora Catarina by Lopesan Hotels 260 + 260 points/night

Abora Buenaventura by Lopesan Hotels 260 + 260 points/night

Valid: bookings until 30/04/2023. For stays between April and May 2023 only.

MELIÁ HOTELS INTERNATIONAL

EARN x2 POINTS

lopesan.com

928 402 418

Switch off and relax in selected Meliá Hotels International hotels and earn double points with this exclusive offer.

Hotels Earn x2

Paradisus Gran Canaria 5* 200+200 points/night

Hacienda del Conde Meliá Collection 5* 200+200 points/night

INNSiDE Fuerteventura 4* 100+100 points/night

Valid: April 2023.

melia.com

912 764 747

Paradisus Gran Canaria 5*

Lopesan Villa del Conde Resort & ThalassoAbora Buenaventura by Lopesan Hotels Abora Catarina by Lopesan Hotels

DISA EARN AND REDEEM POINTS

Don’t forget that you can earn points by showing your BinterMás card in partner DISA and Shell petrol stations. Earn points at the biggest network of stations in the Canaries and obtain free fuel vouchers.

Earn up to 1 point per litre of fuel

Redeem: 10€ vouchers from 1000 points

Valid: 2023.

FLIGHTS

BINTER

(922) o (928) 327 700

bintercanarias.com

Earn: from 50 to 1.800 points

IBERIA

902 400 500

iberia.com

Earn: from 10 to 1.650 points

CAR HIRE

CICAR

928 822 900

cicar.com

Earn: from 40 to 100 points

AVIS

902 135 531

avis.es

Earn: from 50 to 75 points

FLIGHTS + HOTEL

CANARIASVIAJA

(922) o (928) 24 81 61

canariasviaja.com

Earn: 1 point per 1 €

WELLBEING

TALASOTERAPIA

LAS CANTERAS

928 271 170

talasoterapialascanteras.com

Earn: 40 points/circuito

PETROL STATIONS

DISA

900 818 411

disagrupo.es

Earn: up to 75 points

FINANCIAL

BINTERMÁS MASTERCARD

900 108 705

santanderconsumer.es

Earn: 1 point per 2 €

SHOPPING

CANARIENSIS

900 252 423

aldeasa.com

Earn: 120 points per 30 €

GOLF

SALOBRE

GOLF RESORT

928 94 30 04

salobrehotel.com/golf/

Earn: 100 points

SOCIAL

UNICEF

928 269 293

unicef.es

Donation from 300 to 500 points

HOTELS

ARRECIFE

GRAN HOTEL & SPA

928 800 000

aghotelspa.com

Earn: from 240 to 330 points

BARCELÓ

HOTEL GROUP 902 101 001

barcelo.com

Earn: from 150 to 660 points

BUENDÍA

CORRALEJO NOHOTEL

928 943 027

buendiacorralejo.com

Earn: 215 points

CORAL HOTELS

928 327 700

coral-hotels.com

Earn: from 160 to 560 points

HOTEL CORDIAL

MOGÁN PLAYA

928 143 393

becordial.com

Earn: 470 points

DREAMPLACE

HOTELS & RESORTS

902 210 902

dreamplacehotels.com

Earn: from 200 to 600 points

DUNAS HOTELS & RESORTS

902 142 828

hotelesdunas.com

Earn: from 300 to 500 points

GLORIA THALASSO & HOTELS

928 128 505 gloriapalaceth.com

Earn: from 315 to 450 points

GOLD BY MARINA

928 948 555 goldbymarina.com

Earn: 215 points

SECRETS BAHÍA REAL RESORT & SPA

911 229 866 secretsbahiareal.com

Earn: 600 points

H10 HOTELS

900 444 466 h10hotels.com

Earn: from 250 to 420 points

HOTELES ELBA

902 172 182 hoteleselba.com

Earn: from 140 to 800 points

HOTEL PARQUE TROPICAL 928 774 012 hotelparquetropical.com

Earn: 200 points

IBEROSTAR HOTELS & RESORTS

902 995 555 iberostar.com

Earn: from 210 to 300 points

LOPESAN HOTEL GROUP

928 402 418 lopesan.com

Earn: from 260 to 420 points

MARINA GRAN CANARIA

928 153 015

marinagrancanaria.com

Earn: 215 points

MELIÁ HOTELS

INTERNATIONAL 912 764 747 melia.com

Earn: from 100 to 200 points

R2 HOTELS 928 546 054 r2hotels.com

Earn: from 200 to 300 points

SALOBRE HOTEL RESORT 928 943 000 salobrehotel.com

Earn: 340 points

SHERATON

FUERTEVENTURA

BEACH, GOLF & SPA RESORT 928 495 100 sheraton.com/fuerteventura

Earn: 640 points

VILA BALEIRA HOTELS & RESORTS +351 291 980 800 vilabaleira.com

Earn: 165 points

For the full terms and conditions governing the award and use of points, see bintermas.com or call (922) or (928) 327 700.

A WORLD OF ADVANTAGES, WITH OVER 30 PARTNERS...

#FLYINGWITHBINTER

Fancy sharing your Binter experience?

If you love taking in the scenery while flying, share your pictures on social media and tag them using #FlyingwithBinter. The best photos will be published in our magazine and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to use the tag. Enjoy the flight!

@binternt @bintercanarias

Chef Borja Conde

La Arrocería

Nami Sushi Bar Suggestive

Oxean Bar Exquisite

Spa Callao