Nature knows how to set out it’s stall, and Valle San Lorenzo, just 7 kms above the Los Cristianos coast, put on a wonderful spread for my Sunday morning trip to the Arona Farmers Market. Usually I am tempted up by a specific event like the chestnut night, but the time was ripe to enjoy the free market coach provided by Arona Council (Ayuntamiento) and to check out the delights of the town.

Bang on time, the 10.20 red coach whisked me from the Escuela Idiomas (language school) just above the Apolo Commercial Centre, and 20 minutes later I was dropped off in the main street near the market. It was already 24 degrees as I passed the statue of the Guanche native at the roundabout, a homage to the goat herds and other people who founded the town. The main street was dominated at the lower end by the craggy peak , and at the other by the modern Terrero, where Canarian Wrestling still thrives.

The Mercado del Agricultor de Arona has been open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 2 pm since its October 2017 inauguration. Flowers, vegetables, cakes, wines, biscuits, cheeses, and seasonal specials fill the stalls. It´s a home to culture too, on past visits I have enjoyed live music and dance, this time there was an exhibition of sculptures by Slovenian artist Jurij Jesovnik. Entrants from a recent painting competition hung outside near the entrance to the free car park, and posters invited entries for upcoming cake, and tortilla competitions.

Back outside, I strolled up the main street to see the impressive rise of the mountains and made a rough note of the Barranco del Chijas, an old ravine route that I intent to re-walk soon. Lower down in town the modern murals showed the pride in the agricultural past of the area. Colourful artistic brush strokes made their own impressions as I took a break for a coffee in one of the many well priced bars and cafes. There are some fine restaurants as well, popular with evening visitors due to their price and quality.

The market is just a weekend attraction but Valle San Lorenzo is worth visiting any time, the journey up and down from the coast offers great views. The green public buses of the TITSA company run frequently through Valle San Lorenzo, look for the 416 and 417. I didn´t have long to wait under the shade of a tree for the free bus back to Los Cristianos, bang on time again.

With impeccable timing, two environmental projects set up camp at each end of Los Cristianos harbour. As a crane was winching in a new ocean cleaning boat to combat the annoying nemesis, microalgas , from the Canary Island seas, the top deck of the harbour wall was getting some new marine murals to update the big painting project of 2013.

Assurances of their harmlessness still left 2017 holiday makers a little wary as the photosynthetic algae discoloured the sea, particularly around Tenerife. The Canary Islands government (Gobierno) are taking no chances this time and have bought two boats from Cadiz based Ocean Cleaner to patrol the 29,000 kms of coast around he eight islands (including La Graciosa just north of Lanzarote). One will be based in Puerto Colon, Tenerife, and the other in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, and they come at a joint price of 1.2 million euros. They are versatile and as well as collecting any microalgas that are generated by extreme temperatures, they can also collect plastic residues.

We do tend to vote with our eyes, the last two makeovers of the harbour wall in Los Cristianos have been big winners but nature has faded, cracked, and flaked some of the upper areas so the experts from the University of La Laguna art department are back for a month to add new vibrancy to the artistic sea scape. Paula Calavera, an art teacher at ULL, and an accomplished artist in her own right, has two helpers with her for a month, working in the mornings before the sun unleashes its full power.
Working from a master plan, they have been drawing on the outlines before spraying and rolling the paint to create the full effect of the sea life that thrives around the local waters. Paula´s work already graces a special place in Santa Cruz, as head of the team that restored a reproduction Cesar Manrique mural. The Plaza San Juan Bautista is home to the flying fish (Pez Volador) that looks down on the fortnightly gathering of the Armada Sur as we lubricate our voices before cheering on CD Tenerife.

Tides may ebb and flow but the importance of the sea to Los Cristianos never fades. Walking the harbour wall is a daily pleasure of mine, so it´s nice to know that thought is being given to the welfare of the wall, and the local pride that surrounds it on dry land and out at sea.

They really cast their nets wide in Las Galletas. The fishing village on the other side of Guaza mountain from Los Cristianos played host to tradition and technology, spectacle and sport, and music and monsters as they welcomed the annual Arona En Colores fiesta to the south of Tenerife.

Stages were popping up where the narrow street corners met, and by the large, modern, urban park, and all ages were catered for. Break dancing was the focal point of La Rambla, just behind the pebble beach promenade, just one part of youth expression that also included judo, art, and electronic sports in other streets. Tradition was looked after with a photo exhibition of the fishing history of the area, 21 bronze plaques embedded in the floor of Paseo de los Pescadores ensure the leading families of the trade are forever honoured.

For a rather uncomfortable view of the world there was a 180 degree tumble in a car, great to encourage traffic safety awareness and in car safety features, but best not tried after generous portions of tapas and beer. Live theatre stirred the emotions in a different way as The Lion King roared onto the biggest stage in town. Young children, and young at heart parents, were entranced by the familiar songs, but the nippers could have done with a slightly lower stage surround to see the action without a lift up from the adults. There was more musical influenced muscle stretching in the sports hall for a roller dancing competition. My last venture into the Pabellon Deportes was for a roller hockey match, this was more serene and attracted full tiered seating down the whole of one side of the hall.

Back in the criss cross hub of the pedestrian shopping area, my eye was caught by Lilies Garden Tearoom. There was an Alice In Wonderland theme going on, the famous book was written by an Oxford academic, and it took my mind back to my childhood. There was no need to gaze Through The Looking Glass to get the full effect of the scaley monster towering over me around the next corner. As the street wide inflatable bar football pitch, and bouncy castles pressed against the walls of another side turn, bigger boys were admiring rows of powerful motor bikes from classic names like Porsche, BMW, Harley, and many more.

Even seated outside the Marazul for a meal, there was plenty to watch. A magician, and a strong man couldn’t erase the smiles from their female partners, even when perpetrating dastardly deeds on them. And size really didn’t matter for a stunning performance. A petite young lady placed a pink rose at the edge of a coffee table sized stage she was stood on and then doubled up backwards to pick up the flower in her mouth. Puppets, and wheels of fortune were also enticing people to stop and interact with street performers.

As darkness crept in, music wafted through the air from all corners. The crowds were getting bigger as the night time crowd poured in to swell the walkways and the tills. No Tenerife fiesta would be complete without a carnaval troup of dancers, the white clad ladies obliged, sweeping through all the streets with an eager following of disciples. It was another big winner, and a great sampler for those who had not made the short trip to this vibrant and diverse area.

Goodbye, and in some cases good riddance were the sentiments as CD Tenerife ended their troubled season with a 1-0 home win over Real Zaragoza. A few players heard their names chanted by the 11,652 crowd, recognition of their efforts for the cause but others will feel the recriminations as they are cut loose as change rips through the club. The night was all about praising two departing defensive heroes, Raul Camara got a rare start, 35 years old and 174 Tenerife games down the line, his contract is not being renewed, the little tiger dug deep to sign off with his customary energy and hard tackling. Jorge Saenz oozed class as the local born 22 year old showed why Valencia were so eager to sign him for next season.

Big changes are needed, coach Sampedro in the last of his four game deal, gave league debuts to 24 year old goalie Angel Galvan, and 20 year old B team holding midfielder Javi Alonso from Adeje. Loaned out to lower league teams and then rooted to the bench as back up to Dani Hernandez, the keeper impressed with a triple save in the opening minutes. A deflection needed an agile push away, another touch repelled the returning ball, and a decisive high take was needed when Gual tried a shot through a crowd of players. Pombo tested Angel again with a blast that he held firmly. Zaragoza were also free of any lingering relegation worries so the tempo of the game wasn´t full on but it was still competitive.

Nano continued his poor form by missing a golden chance when Naranjo set him up, the shot went outside the post when it looked easier to score. Alonso looked comfortable just in front of the back four, it allowed Tenerife to build some good creative moves. Montañes was another home player eager to avoid the squad cut, he had a strong first half including a neat set up for Naranjo that was snuffed out by the goalie after a weak shot. Jorge could have crowned his farewell with a headed goal from a corner but the goalie reacted well. Tenerife had a penalty shout after Eguaras brought down Naranjo, at least the refusal was consistent with other visiting refs. Carlos Ruiz replaced Alberto after the break, an outstanding May earned the veteran another years contract. Tenerife desperately wanted to end the season with a win, Nano made it come true with a well headed goal from a Luis Milla cross before Zaragoza had settled for the second half. It was only the strikers third goal of the season, Malbasic and Naranjo had six each, big clues to he teams struggle this season.

The mature home defenders rolled back the years, Carlos Ruiz won a hard tackle and got in a half shot, Raul Camara did a great clear up and then went down after winning a crunching tackle. Although he got back up, the defender gave way to Luis Perez a few minutes later, his departure brought a crescendo of applause. Zaragoza went close to levelling as they pinged a shot off the post, it was soon followed by another diving save from Angel. Could Naranjo offer some argument to keep him for a second season, his sliced shot over the visitors bar gave a resounding no. As for Nano, he was subbed for Tyronne, both forwards look ripe for unloading. The game was winding down, Jorge got a big cheer when he blocked Gual, the player of the season gets better all the time, and many expect him to make the step up to the senior Spain squad in the next few seasons.

A Malbasic miss and Angel save, and the game was over. Raul and Jorge posed for photos with their team mates in front of the stand before running to the home stronghold behind the goal to receive the adoration and thanks of the fans. The special bond that exists between players that honour the shirt, and the fans, is strong. Luis Milla is the biggest remaining star at Tenerife, fighting off his many admirers this summer will be tough. Constant chants for the resignation of President Concepcion rained down during the match, but he shows no sign of stepping aside. The next coach has a big rebuilding job to do, the club have already moved quickly to add a 20 year old midfielder, Alex Bermejo, from Espanyol B team. The line up for next seasons opening game will be very different but the fans will be back with renewed passion and hope.

As the world took a long run up the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Tenerife stole the spotlight by providing an early qualifier with Austrian heptathlete Verena Preiner recording the third best score of 2019 with 6,472 points, shaving 52 points off the entrance mark. Verena´s last event 800 metre victory was a fitting finale to the  Arona Combined Events weekend in Playa de Las Americas. With full recognition by athletics governing body,the IAAF, and meeting points counted to competitors rankings, it’s become a magnet for potential champions. For the latestedition it was even streamed world wide on You Tube.

Eleven countries were represented in the 10 event mens decathlon, and seven event womens heptathlon, with Brazil, Estonia, and for the first time the United States. The setting of the Estadio Antonio Dominguez showed Tenerife in its best light, and as always a large team of local volunteers backed up athletics coaches and administrators from Arona, to ensure all ran smoothly. I dipped into the Saturday and Sunday morning sessions, arriving as the mens long jump, and ladies high jump competed for attention, although the giant screen relayed all the action. In between warm ups, warm downs, and frantic bursts of on track action, I caught up with the USA trio, Curtis Beach, Dan Golubovic, and Teddi Maslowski. Curtis explained how they came to make their first visit to Tenerife.

“ We don’t get any meetings solely focussed on combined events back home, so as our coach from Duke University in North Carolina was away for June, it seemed a perfect time to try a different competition. I flew over via London, and Dan via Madrid, the organisers, especially Victor and Javier have been very welcoming and helpful so it’s made it easy for us to settle in. I arrived a few days ahead of the event and managed to see Mount Teide and some of the beaches. I’m from New Mexico so I felt quite at home in the dry heat. There was a little head wind for the 100 metres on the first day that slowed the times a little but we’ve been able to push ourselves ready for the USA Championships in July.”

It turned out to be a particularly good meeting for Dan who finished in fourth place after the two days, ending with a flourish after topping his group in the javelin on the Sunday evening. Teddi, from Pittsburgh, made light of a niggling injury to have a solid two days including a 5th place in the long jump.
“ We’ve come without a coach so are pushing each other, it gives us a different approach to usual but makes for a more relaxed attitude. I came over with a little fracture in my leg from a long jump in the States two weeks ago but I’m working though that, I even managed to tackle a camel ride during some exploring when I got here. It’s our first time here so it’s been good to see the beauty of the island, I visited a few places around the coast, like Los Gigantes.”
All competitors get three nights in the Zentral Hotel, just along from the stadium, but many have chosen to stay on for extra days elsewhere around the island to relax with family supporters.

Every year brings a good sized contingent from Great Britain and Ireland, this year there were seven, including Andrew Murphy from East Kilbride who took seventh place overall, the long jump gave him a big opening push on the Saturday morning. Scott Connal, a 19 year old from Edinburgh also made a big opening leap to propel him to third place in the Under 20 Decathlon. Other notable achievements from back home came in the long jump with a 6th place for GBs Jenna Blundell in her group, and top spot for Holly McArthur and 3rd for Anna McCauley in their javelin as well as long jump group. Hot weather training and competition works well for athletes but some take the reverse route, 19 year old Marissa Vaz of Portugal has been living and training in Sheffield.

The Arona Pruebas Combinado doesn’t just bring publicity to Tenerife, it also has a practical influence on local athletes. Between the main competiton events, clubs from Arona run their own youth events, giving the next generation a taste of bigger competitions and a chance to learn by seeing experienced performers in action. There’s a lot more than raw power to being a winner, technique counts for a lot, the javelin, and shot putt were good examples of that. As for the pole vault, the splattering of coloured markers to guide the leapers to their launch spots took almost slide rule precision. The sight of Manuel Dias clearing the bar with Roque del Conde in the background was a combination of strength and grace.

There was plenty of inspiration over the weekend, Norway’s Martin Roe was solid in all the disciplines to take the Mens Senior Decathlon, he also picked up a 250 euro bonus for his 8,037 points, ahead of Kristen Rosenberg of Estonia a good gap away in second with 7879 points. The Senior Heptathlon battle between Verena Preiner and Noor Vidts of Belgium, brought out the best in both of them and 3rd placed Vanessa Chefer of Brazil. Jorge Dani Lopez took the Decathlon Under 20 title, the Heptathlon Under 20 was a Spanish clean sweep for Nuria Menendez Sanchez, with Ivet Rovira Figueras in second, and Alba Ramirez Martin in third.

Looking forward to 2020, it’s not just the Olympic year, but also the 10th year of the Arona Combined Events. With the commitment shown by Arona Council, and the athletics community, it will be another weekend to look forward with relish.

Sighs of relief replaced the hoped for roars of victory as CD Tenerife shared a passive 0-0 draw at Lugo. After 70 minutes it looked grim as survival rivals Rayo Mahadahonda led 1-3 at Real Oviedo. That would have condemned shot shy Tenerife to a nerve shredding final game at home to Real Zaragoza with a win their only chance of staying in the Segunda Division. All the drama came at the other game as Oviedo fought back to win 4-3, mobiles and hand signals kept the anxious players in the loop at Lugo and confirmed their Houdini act.

As a game, the goal less draw exposed all the flaws that have haunted Tenerife all season, silly errors, no cohesion, and poor finishing. The passion of injured Captain Suso was sorely missed, the calming influence of Jorge was also absent due to suspension, and the undoubted midfield talent of Racic was left on the bench after a night club appearance on social media when he was out injured. Carlos Ruiz kept his place in the centre of defence and made a well timed clearance from a Viera raid in the opening minutes. Alberto showed his defensive qualities when he blocked his former Tenerife team mate Iriome

Isma Lopez was back in midfield, he added width on the Tenerife left and forced a save from the home goalie. Right back Luis Perez tried a lob shot from midfield but it fizzled out when it reached the keeper. Left back Hector Hernandez also had attacking thoughts and tested the goalie with a hanging cross. Lugo, also fighting relegation, came more into the game, after Alberto lost the ball, Herrera tried to tuck a shot inside Dani Hernandez but found him at his best. The away goalie was sharp again to deny a crisp shot from Lazo. The best Tenerife move of the game came from Malbasic, he easily beat Luis Ruiz in midfield and threaded his way past two defenders before unleashing a fierce shot that the home goalie tipped over the bar. Nano also had a half chance but slipped as he shaped up for a shot that went high of the target.

Lugo turned up the pressure, Luis Ruiz flashed a shot just wide of the Tenerife post. Naranjo tripped over his own feet just before the break, another reminder of his paltry six goal haul this season. The second half saw more tense moments as Carlos Ruiz tidied up another Lugo raid. Lazo conjured a home chance out of nothing but his cross cum shot went begging as team mates were too slow to add a touch into the net. Every minute that passed was another turn of the screw for both sides. Nano hit a soft shot at the home goalie before being subbed. It was a crucial moment, Mahadahonda’s had just taken a 1-3 lead and Tenerife needed to attack and go for a win. Coach Sampedro made the wrong switch, striker Coniglio has been even less inspiring than Nano and a midfielder or defender should have been going off. Coniglio is at least consistent, a good cross from the right picked him out but he didn´t even get near to putting it in the goal.

Milla wasted a short corner as the deficit was reduced at Oviedo. Montañes replaced Lopez, and Dani missed an easy high cross to make the nerves jangle a bit more. It´s difficult to criticise Dani, a few glaring errors have crept into the Venezuelan international number ones game but he has saved Tenerife so many times. A probing Lugo cross in the 84th minute was expertly cut out by Dani just before Racic took over from his fellow Serbian, Malbasic. Crowd excitement alerted the players to the equalising goal at Oviedo as both games went into injury time. Tenerife heard the final whistle first and agonising seconds later the last gasp Mahadahonda winner and full time seeped through. Even Hitchcock or Spielberg would have struggled to come up with anything so dramatic. The Tenerife players joy may be short lived, many seem to expect cosmetic summer tinkering to the squad, but a ruthless cull is needed, and there is no shortage of candidates for the exit door.

With a combined age just short of 70, Suso and Carlos Ruiz inspired their younger team mates as their determination and pride led the way in a 2-1 home victory over Real Oviedo. There´s still the small matter of the final two games to overcome but CD Tenerife can feel more confident of keeping their place in the Segunda Division.

New coach Louis Cesar Sampedro showed he had learnt from his crushing 3-0 debut defeat at Elche, he shuffled the pack, Carlos Ruiz became the dependable rock in the centre of defence, allowing Alberto to return to a deep midfield role. Camille gave way to Hector Hernandez at left back and the gaping holes of the previous week were closed down. Tenerife soon warmed to their task, Nano rushed an early chance past the post, and visiting goalie Champagne tipped another home effort aside. The stadium was buzzing with hope and expectation as a 16,488 crowd basked in the heat of a rare Sunday afternoon game.

Carlos Ruiz showed his worth when Barceñas made some space before sending a dangerous cross into the box, a sprightly jump and a strong header from the veteran defender cleared the danger. Suso was fired up for battle and even an elbow in the face from Moussa wasn´t going to put him off. The gallant home skipper played on with a cheek fracture that would divert him to hospital after the game. Hector was keen to force Tenerife to rethink their intention of releasing him in the summer, he made a couple of well timed interventions when Oviedo threatened. Luis Perez was not quite so pumped up in the right back slot, his half clearance found Barceñas who whacked the ball over the bar. Dani Hernandez stood firm when Folch got a clean shot at him, Oviedo still had a slim chance of making the promotion play offs and clearly weren´t along just for a day out.

With five minutes to half time, Tenerife had Oviedo pinned down and a clumsy tackle by Carlos Hernandez on Jorge Saenz was a clear penalty. Captain Suso left Champagne flat as he stroked the ball into the back of the net. The thermometer must have leapt a few more degrees as the fans bounced up and down as they sensed possible salvation. Tenerife hadn´t solved all their problems, the strikers were blunt again, Nano dug out a loose ball well and crossed to Malbasic but his poor control saw it squirm away. Nano fared no better when he tried to convert from a Malbasic lay off, it was Nano´s last touch as sub Montañes swapped places with him and had a foot in earning a corner. The set piece ball found Luis Milla out wide and he delivered one of his finest flighted crosses, Carlos Ruiz underlined his mastery in the air by meeting it with a glancing header that eluded the goalie to make it 2-0.

Nothing has been easy this season and it wasn´t about to change. An Oviedo cross from the right wing was brushed by the raised hand of Alberto, it ended up safe in Dani´s hands but the ref had signalled a penalty. Joselu converted the spot kick to crank up the tension for the final 14 minutes. Coach Sampedro brought on Isma Lopez to close down the midfield as Malbasic retired to the bench. Suso´s run on goal was blocked by a defender, his last brave contribution before giving way to striker Coniglio. Naranjo´s dithering on the ball may not have given him a clear chance at goal but it kept the ball at the right end as Tenerife fought to hold their lead. Montañes and Lopez both did sterling midfield work to stop any Oviedo breakaways, and an agonising four minutes of injury time slipped by with the vital win intact.

Relegation rivals may slip up and ease Tenerife across the safety line but they can´t afford to think like that. A difficult away game at direct rivals Lugo and a last clash at home to Zaragoza await, both without captain Suso. Two points would seal it but it would be nice to banish those nerves as soon as possible.

Luck triumphed over a lack of publicity when the nostalgic guitar sound of The Kinks classic “You Really Got Me” grabbed my ears as I wandered back from my Los Cristianos beach swim. A quick word with the lead singer gave me the joyous news that The Pows were warming up for a Friday night free performance on the steps of Los Cristianos church later in the evening.

I’ve been a long time fan of Pornosurf, who started out doing covers of The Ramones, and was keen to see The Pows who have evolved from the El Medano based rockers. Originally not a poster or banner could be seen to promote the evening gig but some publicity had appeared an hour later when I returned. It turned out to be a promotional night for the new Movimiento Del Pueblo party, ahead of the local council elections a week later. They were also raising awareness of the political crisis that is ripping Venezuela apart, strong ties exist between the Canaries and the South American country and it is often referred to as the 8th island due to decades of movement between the two continents. Pressing local needs were also being addressed through food collections for the El Fraile food bank, La Buena Estrella, and Caritas, the catholic charity that does so much good work. More advance publicity would have helped all those causes and attracted more than the small gathering of curious passers by as the first band Meneses kicked off the evening.

Meneses started with some quite obscure old rock in Spanish, good stuff though, and they mixed in some classics like Queen and The Police covers. The event was aimed at a mix of nationalities, the MDP leaflets were in Spanish and English, they are actively targeting the ex pat voters. A friend enlightened me, the Meneses singer,Arturo, performs at The Moonlight Bar in Fañabe on Wednesday afternoons, and has been known to play a double bass. There´s always at least one “extrovert” at outdoor free events, one chap seemed to have had a few rock and roll Woodbines and was knelt down singing to the speakers. The bars around the plaza were doing a brisk trade and young children were dancing with their parents.

After a break for political speeches, The Pows took to the stage area and launched into “Born To Be Wild” , that set the tone for some cracking tunes from across the decades.The five piece band were a bit squeezed into a corner to the side of the church and had minimal lighting, but the sound system was up to scratch and they knew how to bang out some infectious favourites. The two male guitarists and singer, were joined by a female drummer, and female percussionist as they dipped into the back catalogue of The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and even some Jimi Hendrix. One of my stand out tracks was a rousing version of The Beach Boys oldie, Barbara Ann.

As the music sped along, more people began to stop off in the plaza, and the more mature fans showed a clean pair of heels to many of the younger dancers. There was no messing around or show boating from The Pows, they lived up to their name. One guitar chord would just be making its exit as they launched into another up beat delivery. The Pows held court for over an hour and had the new converts bopping to their every tune. A large percentage of those in the plaza were holiday makers, as a recruiting exercise for the MDP it must have had quiet a limited effect but it was another welcome use for the church plaza to go with the classical organ nights wafting out of the building, and the frequent skateboard competitions in the plaza.

The Pows are a very busy band, you should be able to catch them in the south of Tenerife , their Facebook page will point you in the right direction, and many of their gigs are free. It’s always great to see live music, and The Pows were real crowd pleasers.

Improving or spoiling, it’s a very fine line when it comes to dealing with nature. The latest Tenerife coastal walk to get a makeover is the stretch linking Alcala to El Varadero in the west coast municipality of Guia de Isora. On my last visit, work was in progress but I returned on a scorching May day to see the finished project, and was delighted by the respectful balance that had been achieved.

There’s a lot going on up west, my Titsa bus journey reflected that, the 477 direct service from Los Cristianos veered up onto the modern by the ring road at Armeñime before heading back down at the new Fonsalia roundabout to back track to the edge of Playa San Juan and then taking the old coast road to my Los Gigantes destination. One of the longest drawn out updates for the island has been to build a new ferry port at the little hamlet of Fonsalia, the closest point between Tenerife and La Gomera. The new 477 route would help to take pressure off the coast road, if the port ever becomes a reality.

So it was with some trepidation, I later found myself at the El Varadero entrance to the coastal walk. First impressions were good, the sensitive two colour tone, and meandering progress of the new surface meant it didn´t intrude like Dorothy´s path to Oz. Little touches like the split level upright wooden slats, and hopefully vandal proof concrete rubbish bunkers, played their part. One of the eternal problems has been the arrival of vast numbers of illegal camper vans and their abandoned rubbish on big holiday weekends. Green chain fencing, and large irregular sized boulders should help to deter those intent on trying to park on the shingle shore.

The Punta Brava coast alongside the trail is notorious for its wild, unpredictable currents and waves that have claimed several lives over the years. This has made it attractive to surfers, a few bobbed up and down in the waves, a slight calima made the horizon a little hazy, normally you can see pleasure boats in the distance. It was noticeable that more people were using the walk, taking time out to enjoy the views, jog, or even cycle on the smooth surface.The new look makes it more accessible, there was always an uncertainty as to whether it was possible to get out of the El Varadero end. I was particularly pleased to see the partially collapsed walls of the old banana plantations left in their semi decayed state. They are an important reminder of the historic and economic past of Guia de Isora.

Ancient and modern interlock nicely just after the halfway point (about 30 minutes) when rounding a headland, the new La Jaquita beaches take over. They start with a series of natural rock lagoon which has metal ladders and small break waters to make it inviting to bathe in. There are also three pocket sized black sand beaches separated by rock breakers which give them a secluded feel. Although only open for a few years, the La Jaquita stretch has earned its Blue Flag for quality, and it flies proudly near the lifeguards look out towers. Add in disabled bathing and changing facilities and a couple of relaxed cafe bars, and it´s a very welcoming place to take a dip.

Development at this end has been spurred by the presence of the Palicio de Isora five star hotel resort, close to the fishing village of Alcala, which has no beach of its own. The expansive decking and sports courts outside the hotel and facing the sea are well used and popular with the younger locals from the village, and they lead you on nicely around the quayside and into the Alcala plaza. It´s a great place to relax and watch the world go by at a sedate pace. I enjoyed my dinner at El Veril, there´s a nice selection of food and drink stops around the plaza. There was even a balcony crammed with home made art animals to make me smile. Normally I would have then pushed on along the coast to Playa San Juan via Fonsalia, but had already packed plenty in for the day. The two ends of the coastal walk are served by regular Titsa buses, so whichever direction you stroll in, it´s easy to get back to Los Gigantes or in my case, back to Los Cristianos.

From sub to starter, CD Marino´s young striker Jony was thrust into a vitally important penultimate game of the regular season after Ahmed picked up a pre game knock. Slipping of late, the Playa de Las Americas hosts needed points to avoid being late arrivals at the relegation gate. Union Viera, from Gran Canaria, needed points to to rubber stamp a promotion play off spot. The stage was set and Jony shone like a star.

Viera won their way back into the Tercera Division a year ago and have had a great season but their early efforts were weak. Dani Herrera was easily seen off by blue shirted defender Brayan, Ramon was low on power and home keeper Brandon mopped up his shot, Choco did no better with a hopeful lob. Mendoza and Xiraxi also had chances in the first 10 minutes but found the Marino defence in good form.

Marino´s opener on the 11th minute showed that sharp finishing is better than a barrage of near misses, it was a triumph for their youth programme as Samuel crossed from the left and Jony jumped well to head the ball past the goalie to take the lead. That got Marino flowing, Prince was making things happen in midfield and forced a nervous second take from Alejandro in the visitors net. The keeper got in a right mess when he came out to defuse a Marino attack, he half saved and raced out to chase the ball and ended facing his own goal as Jony slipped his strike past a defender to bulge the net on the half hour. Marino looked the hungrier and more committed side against their strangely subdued rivals.

Viera were in tatters, Samuel fancied his chances and blasted the ball towards the target, Kevin Perez felt the sting as it struck his face, stopping a certain goal was at least a painful consulation, and both teams appreciated the water break it heralded. Refreshed, Viera tried to get back in the game, a quick break ended with the ball clearing the bar. Back came Marino, carving through the Viera ranks with Javi finishing the move with a tap in as the defence froze. Strangely, Viera didn´t make any changes for the second half opening, Mendoza got a sight of goal but Favarel was calm as he won the ball and played it out of danger. Elvis did a back clearance to Alejandro, the Viera keeper sliced the ball and was lucky that it landed just out of reach of Javi.

Finally 10 minutes after the restart, Viera brought on the nippy Segio and it sparked a reaction, it came from Choco who cut in from the right to pull a goal back. The respite didn´t last long, a wave of Marino players surged forward, the ball came to Prince and he evaded the goalie for a neat finish to make it 4-1. The visitors briefly recognised the importance of their task and showed some fight, Herrera hit a powerful shot that brought a decisive diving clearance from Brandon. Prince was having a right royal game, he won the ball and played it into the path of sub Djavan but it ran on a little too quickly. Sesma came on for Prince shortly after and set up Djavan with a smart pass, the young forward stumbled and Viera were able to recover in time.

Moussa was the final home sub, he added some extra strength to the attack as Marino pressed for a big finish. Everyone wanted to help Jony complete a hat trick but it wasn´t quite working. The two goal hero didn ´t let his personal target detract from the team, he continued to create openings down the right and laid the ball off to Sesma for a goal attempt. Jony then rounded Mario with a turn of speed but was frustrated when the goalie grabbed the ball. The fifth goal was a cool finish from Guti who took his time to curl the ball past Alejandro from outside the box. Marino wee good value for their big win and will hope the young players, and more consistency, will see the blues pushing for honours next season.