This April 2026, IES Faro de Maspalomas has solidified its international presence in the heart of France. In a move that reinforces excellence in education in southern Gran Canaria, culinary arts teachers Alejandro San Fiel and Braulio Sánchez are immersed in the kitchens of the prestigious La Closerie hospitality school in Saint-Quay-Portrieux, from April 7th to 10th, 2026. This educational expedition is not an isolated event, but rather a technical response to the visit that French teachers made to the Gran Canaria municipality last February, establishing a network for knowledge exchange between two of Europe's most prominent tourist regions.
The Canary Islands' mission in Breton has a dual objective: to promote the archipelago's culinary identity and to foster bilingualism. Accompanied by Jérôme Choquet, a teacher at the host school, the teachers from IES Faro took charge of the kitchens to present Canarian specialties to first-year students of the Culinary Arts and Services Vocational Baccalaureate. According to Marylène Brûlé, training director at La Closerie, this exchange is fundamental to stimulating Spanish learning among French students, using cooking as a common language and a driving force for professional motivation.
Beyond the classroom, the agenda in Brittany includes technical visits to local hotels and restaurants, as well as specialized sessions in pastry and baking. This type of Erasmus agreement allows teachers in San Bartolomé de Tirajana to absorb techniques from the French school and then apply them to the training of future service sector professionals in Maspalomas. The initiative comes at a time of great challenge for the municipality, which in February 2026 recorded a record low unemployment rate of 10,75%, forcing educational institutions to redouble their efforts in specializing their workforce.
This educational partnership between IES Faro and La Closerie raises the standard of vocational training in the south of the island, transforming the traditional teaching model into a platform for global mobility. While in Gran Canaria the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for Canarian Tomatoes is being safeguarded to protect the local product, its teaching ambassadors in France are ensuring that the knowledge and techniques of the primary sector and the hospitality industry of Maspalomas will have a prominent place on the map of European intellectual property and culinary excellence.
