Those tourists with disabilities who visit Tenerife are invited to present themselves at authorised issuing centres and after paying a €15 refundable deposit pick up a Eurokey which will give them access to adapted and protected facilities.

This is part of the greater Eurokey scheme which was launched in Germany with a view to providing guaranteed and secure toilets, emergency telephones and lifts to those mobility or visual disabilities. Eurokey support is now also available in Switzerland, Austria and Spain.

Though there is no mention of emergency telephones according to the Arona ayuntamiento Barriers Free Tourism Guide Book the Eurokey guarantees access to toilets at the following places:

Los Cristianos

Las Americas

Safari and Americas Plaza shopping centres
Las Americas beach Tourist Information Centre (EK required)
Public WC between Playa de Las Vstas and Playa del Camison

Las Galletas
Las Galletas Cultural Centre
Las Galletas beach

The Eurokey scheme seems like an excellent initiative which would guarantee clean and safe facilities to those with mobility or visual impairment. Unfortunately of those listed in the Barrier Free Tourism book by the Arona council only three are marked as requiring the EK and the only facilities that are included are toilets. The other toilets being public access cannot be considered part of the EK scheme and may or may not be safe,  clean and working depending on who was in there before you.

As the council is happy to boast in the book that the area’s 7 km coastal stretch is ‘Europe’s largest Barrier Free Pedestrian Sea Promenade’, and together with SINPROMI have made Playa de Las Vistas completely accessible you would think they would be willing to throw a little more effort into providing Eurokey secured facilities than three measly toilets, would’nt you?

Still, it may well be that more EK facilites have been added since that book went to print. If this is something that may be of interest to you, I think you might be best to contact the Tourist Information Offices for more details about the Eurokey on the email for accessible tourism which is turismoaccesible@arona.travel

Chicago rock band Wilco are no wall flowers when it comes to embracing new technology. After an illegal release of their latest album ripped through the torrent sites this week – months before official release – they have decided to stream their whole album nattily named Wilco (The Album) through their website.

Brilliant ploy especially as they are now on a concert tour. Given that movie makers and music moguls are squealing the game’s a bogey over their inability to keep the latest releases off the internet at least long enough for a profitable number of mugs to actually buy the damn thing will Wilco’s generosity actually impact positively or negatively on the sales of their record or concert seats? I’m betting positive – it’s one thing to be able to click on and listen to a streaming album on the ‘net but its an even better thing to have the physical product in your own collection.

Anyway, see Wilco in all their living glory at the Tenerife Auditorium on 23rd May or just keep coming back here to replay this little video clip. I don’t mind. It’s not like your disturbing me or anything… The song is Impossible Germany from the Sky Blue Sky (2007) album.