2008 could be the biggest year ever for Tenerife

Still reeling from the realism that Elton John and his band really did play a live concert at Adeje Golf Course early this year, the residents and visitors to Tenerife wait with bated breath for the opening of the Siam Park, which will become Europe's biggest stwater theme park, on May 1 2008. This momentous occasion marks yet another trend-bucking phenomenon for this beautiful Canary Island, part of Spain but located off the North-West coast of Africa.

Conceived and built by the owners of the fabulous Loro Park which is located in the North of Tenerife, Siam Park is located in San Eugenio, on the opposite side of the TF1 motorway from Playa de las Americas in the sun-kissed South, and will be undoubtedly be a major event in the ongoing renaissance that's happening in Tenerife, and will reflect the commitment to providing quality amenities for quality tourists to enjoy during the day, while providing superb night-life for al fresco dining with high class wine bars and night clubs in adjacent Costa Adeje where every hotel seemsto sport five stars.

Even in a market which elsewhere seems depressed, property values in Tenerife still stride forward, largely driven by Brits, sick and tired of Britain's weather, Britain's politics, and the generally dreary atmosphere which seems to prevail in Britain today. Compare that with life in the South of Tenerife where daytime temperatures rarely fall below 23°C in winter or exceed 28°C in summer and when darkness is falling at 3 o'clock in a British winter afternoon, it is never dark before 6 o'clock in Tenerife. Little wonderthat a recent survey showed 57% of people living in Britain want to move overseas, and many of them are coming To Tenerife.

In particular, Costa Adeje, a previously unheard of area a mile or so from the Playa de las Americas area, and encompassing Adeje Town, Costa Adeje Golf, La Caleta, Fañabé, Torviscas, San Eugenio and Playa del Duque, has led the way with new and great facilities like the recently opened Grand Sur multi screen cinema complex and indoor shopping mall in El Madroñal de Fañabé, and the beautiful circular shopping mall of Plaza del Duque, where top name shops like Cartier nestle amongst designer boutiques and a smattering of quality restaurants and wine bars.

Nearby, there is an abundance of 5 star hotels one can choose from, and adjacent to the biggest and best, the Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque, is situated the golden sands of Del Duque beach, maintained by the hotel staff, but open (as with all beaches in Tenerife) to the public at large. Walk along the promenade, after 15 minutes, one reaches the delightful La Caleta with it's lovely natural harbour and inland one kilometer is the famous Costa Adeje Golf course, one of 5 Championship Golf Courses in the South of Tenerife.

And if that wasn't enough, it's only the beginning, because Tenerife is a island of contrasts, with it's chic capital Santa Cruz now a magnet for cruise ships, bringing 10's of thousands of visitors to this mixture of ultra modern, with contemporary Spanish style, both in its shops, restaurants, and bars, and its architecture and buildings. A recent addition was the new auditorium built in the style of Sydney Opera House. Further North, past the university town of La Laguna, the older resort of Puerto de la Cruz still offers attractions for many holidaymakers, including visitors to the aforementioned Loro Park and it's famous Botanical gardens.

The rest of the island also has a multitude of attractions, in particular the magnificence of Mount Teide, whose summit is often seen covered in snow in winter by sunbathers on the pleasantly warm beaches in the South, and is Spain's highest peak at 3718 metres (over 12,000 feet), nearly 3 times the height of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak. And further west, one finds the until recently inaccessible by road village of Masca, and the verdant mountains with their magnificent Canarian Pine forests. For those more interested in sumptuous luxury and fantastic sports facilities, including another fabulous golf course, the brand new Abama Hotel and Resort, run by the Ritz-Carlton Group, is found near to Playa San Juan, situated between Costa Adeje and the famous cliffs of Los Gigantes.

But it's the South of Tenerife, with its large number of high quality hotels, properties, and amenities that is keeping the sun seekers flying the 4 hours from Britain to Tenerife and the Siam Park will become the best of numerous existing attractions which include an Aqua park, an Eagle Park, Go-karting tracks, Camel Park, Jeep Safari's and every kind of water sport imaginable. Sea tours guarantee sightings of whales and dolphins, and if a change is as good as a rest, you can visit the nearby island of La Gomera, or any one of the other 5 islands which make up the Canarian Archipelago.

So whether you have an interest in visiting an island, that almost guarantees sun on your back no matter what time of year you come, or you are looking to buy property in a stable, growing healthy economy, look no further than Tenerife, set to take it's rightful place as one of the best places to be, anywhere in the world, and striding forward while others falter by the wayside.