New European Cruise Routes Announced Including Canary Islands

The Canary Islands and Norway are to benefit from new routes announced by Fred Olsen Cruises for 2010. The new cruises will take passengers to the Cosmopolitan cities of Europe across diverse sea and landscapes in relaxed style. Gran Canaria, is included in the ‘Canaries Collection’ starting from the 5th of October 2010, leaving from Dover to Madeira, La Palma, Tenerife, Las Palmas Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Portugal, and returning to Dover. As an autumn adventure the cruise takes advantage of the sub-tropical temperatures the Canary Islands are famous for this time of year. If last October is anything to go by passengers should be in for a real treat as temperatures then were more akin to the summer months. In fact many of the islands visitors and second home property owners prefer to spend the winter months in Gran Canaria. The ship called ‘Braemar’ has been refitted and lengthened and was voted ‘The Best Refurbished Ship’ in Cruise Critic’s Editor Pick Awards 2009.

Further cruises travel to Norway and the Iberian Peninsular during the summer months taking advantage of the more traditional summer weather in Northern Europe. The ‘Norweigen Celebration’ starts on 15th of May, ‘Secrets of Spain’ begins 30th of July and the ‘Viking Voyager’ cruise starts 8th of August.

It is anticipated the additional exposure to the Canaries will bring new awarenes to Gran Canaria and boost its tourism industry which has recently also been aided by new flights. For more information on the Island, transportation, accommodation and properties for sale visit www.goldacre-estates.com or call (0034)928 565613.

Norweigen interest in Gran Canaria growing

Norweigen interest in Gran Canaria is always highest during the 'winter season'when the tropical valleys of the South of the island offer warm protected santuary against the Scandinavian cold. Traditionally the better known areas of Arguinguin, Playa del Ingles and Puerto Rico are first for visitors as property and accommodation availability are more widespread. As visitors become better aquainted with the island and venture further South or inland they discover smaller, more private places to stay such as Playa de Mogan, home to Goldacre Estates situated in the lawned gardens of the Cordial Hotel. Alongside other Northern European visitors, the Norweigen market has also started to settle in with visitors now converting to property owners, taking advantage of the high rental yields available in such exclusive areas. For those looking to be in the centre of Mogan within the Marina area known locally as 'Little Venice'this one bedroom ground floor apartment is a stones throw from the Marina with its varied bars, restaurants and shops. Regular ferry boats run from the Marina to Puerto Rico and Arguinguin along with the local airconditioned buses so even having a car is not essential. For further information about this contact www.goldacreestatesgrancanaria.com or call (0034)928565613.

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Gran Canaria Top Destination in Spain

Canary Islands are still one of the top destinations in Spain according to a poll of European tourists despite a general prediction that tourism flows will slow across the board. The Islands performance bucks the trend of other destinations that have been more susceptible especially as the winter season is now here.

Cold weather in Europe has been a major factor for visitors to target the Canaries where shorts and T shirts are the fashion all year.
The same poll highlights Gran Canarias largest Municipality San Bartolome de Tirajana in which the Parque Natural de Pilancones is a special eco-reserve, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. The importance of this park along with the varied terrain found in Gran Canaria has earned this island the designation of World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Local businesses are well aware the Islands unique qualities give it a strong advantage over other more Northerly European destinations, however improvements are always being made such as the motorway extension into Mogan Valley as well as maintaining and cleaning beaches and public areas. The quality and friendliness of local businesses is often mentioned – all good reasons for 2009 to be a strong year.

For best winter sun and essential value for money when Buying or Holidaying, visit the Canary Islands!

Brand new research from the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals that vitamin D is critical in offering us protection against all sorts of serious illnesses and conditions such as strokes and heart failure, and that vitamin D also plays a vital role in supporting bone strength.
The findings of the research, which took five years to complete, have been published along with evidence that only around 10% of us ever has high enough levels of vitamin D in our bodies because we lack exposure to the one source guaranteed to top us up, namely the sun.
And how well timed is the publication of these findings? After all, in January we are more likely to be suffering from winter blues and post- Christmas depression than basking in sunshine and soaking up our daily dosage of essential vitamin D...which is where the topic of winter sun holidays certainly comes in!
In a recent article in the Guardian newspaper, a reporter cites ABTA, (the Association of British Travel Agents), as saying that because summer 2007 in the UK was such a washout, the 2007/08 winter sun season is going to be busier than ever with record numbers of Brits having booked to go abroad in search of the warm rays of the sun.
If you're one of the estimated 3.5 million Britons heading off in search of winter sunshine this season, which are the destinations that you should be focused on for guaranteed vitamin D levels, excellent affordability, ease of accessibility and a great holiday to boot?
Well, according to the Telegraph, ABTA and the Times newspaper, the number one location you should be considering in 2008 is the Canary Islands.
The Canary Islands an archipelago that make up part of the Kingdom of Spain. They are a dramatically beautiful group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean that enjoy year round temperate conditions making them ideal for winter sun, and also summer sunshine holidays.
Accessible from the UK in around 3.5 hours and serviced year round by a host of cheap flight operators such as Jet2fly, EasyJet and Ryan Air which has flights currently starting at only one penny and averaging GBP 49.99, the Canary Islands are a favorite with sun seekers and a favorite with travel correspondents from leading British newspapers this season it seems.
Interestingly enough, 2007 was a poor year for the Canary Islands – in terms of tourism arrivals.
Tourism arrivals declined to 7 million between January and October 2007 with predictions at the start of the year estimating arrivals during this period at around 7.25 million
According to Martin Dell, the managing director of the Spanish property portal Kyero.com, the Canary Islands now offer so much more in the way of value for money for would-be Spanish home seekers. For average property prices still remain 15% below the national average in Spain.”
The news about the tourism decline in 2007 caused something of a knee jerk reaction or perhaps an awakening in Spain, and in Particular within the Canary Island government and main Toursuim office and now a huge investment and a concerted drive has been made to once again promote the attraction of the Canary Islands which is why so many British journalists are now once again revisiting the delights of the archipelago and passing on their positive findings to their readership.
The islands derive almost a third of their entire GDP from the tourism industry and a further 20% from construction – so you can see how essential their travel and property markets are. Good news for the consumer going in to 2008 then – because the government and private sector are both behind a significant push to once again promote the delights of the islands.
What this means for the likes of you and me is that if we're looking for cut price holidays and reduced price Spanish property in 2008, along with our winter sunshine and our vitamin D fixes, the Canary Islands are the destination of choice. And offering a one stop shop for tourism and long term rental property as well as property for sale in the Canary Islands is the the well known wdsites of GoldAcre Estates.com and www.goldacreestatesgrancanaria.com for rentals visit www.buyinfuerteventura.com, www.buyingrancanaria.com and www.roomtobreathesl.com making it much easier for you to find a vacation home for a property inspection trip and a healthy dose of vitamin D, locate properties you might like to buy and arrange for a longer term rental home for you to move into whilst you wait for the completion of your property purchase to go through!
In terms of which Canary Island to choose from, well, you can select from Fuertaventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera or Lanzarote for example - each island is popular and each is also distinctly different from the next and offers an entirely different travel experience.
For example – Fuerteventura is the least well known and also the second largest of the islands. It has the best beaches in the whole of the Canary Islands with some 167km of Golden sands that stretch as far as the eye can see the airport is in the centre of the island making all destination accessable it has one of the best climate and is underdeveloped with an excellent array of amenities and facilities to keep the entire family happy on holiday. This island is very best for holiday home buyers too, and as prices are so far below the national average you can snap up your own Spanish property bargain.
For nature lovers and those who holiday in search of tranquillity, you might be recommended to try La Gomera, and if you're interested in discovering a miniature continent, try Gran Canaria – home to more landscape and climate varieties than all the other islands put together.
As you can see, the Canary Islands offer more than mere winter sun appeal and essential vitamin D doses – they offer a diversity of geography and climate, a short haul, affordable and accessible year round sunshine destination, and a location which now offers would-be buyers better value for money.
2008 is likely to be a very good year for the Canary Islands
Source European Homes