Yaiza gives its tourism prize to the people who have been cleaning the seabed for eight years

The tourism prize, in a municipality that lives off tourism, usually goes to a hotel. This year in Yaiza it goes to a dive centre — and not for its turnover.

The Yaiza Tourism Prize 2026 goes to Viva Blue Diving, the Playa Blanca centre known until recently as Pura Vida Diving Lanzarote. It is handed over tonight, Thursday 8 October, at 20:30 in the Plaza del Carmen, and everyone is welcome.

Why them

More than ten years in business and high standards of safety and teaching are the baseline. The real reason is different: for eight years they have run regular clean-ups of Yaiza's beaches and seabed, with volunteers and the backing of the environment department led by Águeda Cedrés.

Eight years of pulling plastic off the bottom, done by a private company in time it could have spent selling dives. That is what the council has chosen to reward.

The tourism councillor, Daniel Medina, sums it up: «Viva Blue Diving represents what a quality tourism service is», adding that the award lands just as the centre takes on a new international identity.

Who is playing

After the ceremony, Aduén Amaya performs — a singer-songwriter from Gran Canaria who blends Latin rhythms, Cuban son, salsa and tropical music. This is a municipal gala, not a ticketed concert: you turn up, sit down and stay in the square.

Where and when

Thursday 8 October, 20:30 — Plaza del Carmen, Playa Blanca (Yaiza).
Free entry.

If you are nearby, it is the cheapest way to spend an evening: a square, live music, and a prize given to the people who clean the sea rather than the ones who sell it.