I am very pleased to announce that Yann and Samira are the proud parents of a little baby girl born Sunday 12th August 2018.   Sam has just got in touch to tell me the wonderful news and in her words  "we were working as normal last Sunday when the labour started,  Yann rushed me to hospital and the baby came three hours later"    They have called her Eliya.   Congratulations to you both and we all wish you well.  

This means that the Jardin Tropical will be closed for a few weeks while all three get to know each other a little better.  

For the past week the Centro de la Cochinilla in Mala  has had a very peculiar cactus in the corner of their garden.  It has been well wrapped in plastic but we could see that it was going to be a little bit different from your normal green cactus.   Not sure who designed it, but I think its great.  

Some of you might have stayed at the Gran Hotel Natura which is in Fuerteventura but I just received news that it closed in July for major refurbishment and due to unexpected problems with the building itself it will remain closed.   But the good news is Team Natura are opening a new boutique hotel in Gran Canaria on the 26th August and it is called Petit Hotel Natura it is situated in San Agustin, Playa del Ingles.  I just checked the price for one week in September for two and the cost including unlimited drinks at the pool bar on the roof terrace daily from 09:30 - 17:00hrs is 854€ for the week or if you want breakfast included the price goes up to 924€.    The other piece of good news is, it is adult only,  18yrs and over.   Might be worth a look.  

I was contacted yesterday by a man called Álex Pasquín Ferrer who has a yacht for charter out of Playa Blanca.  The cost is 35€ a hour for up to seven people, minimum trip is two hours which I didn't think was too bad. Obviously the more people on the boat to share the cost the longer you can charter it etc.  Because its a private charter he told me that if clients wanted to be naturist they could be as soon as the boat was out of the port.  The route depends on the wind but he normally sails by the south of lanzarote as the prevalent wind is from the north.   You can bring your own drinks and food onboard as he does not supply this.  The yacht is in the same harbour as the ferrys so easy to find.   I would love to do this trip but I am absolutely hopeless on water.   
Contact him via his facebook page or pop down and have a chat, assuming he's not out sailing.  

Here is his facebook link 

I think most of you already know that Samira and Yann we run the Jardin Tropical Charco del Palo are expecting their first child in August.   When I spoke with her the other day she told me that the due date was around the 20th August.   She plans to work for as long as possible up to the delivery date,  I must say she looks really well when we spoke.  So as of the 4th August the Jardin Tropical is open from 12 till 13hrs and again 17 till late.   Once the baby arrives they will be closed for approximately one month.   Yann said that he would contact me with any news, so I will update this news as and when.