Amanda – England

”Amanda was helping me a lot in the beginning stages of Gran Canaria REGIONAL, with design and other daily tasks. She is a great photographer and also graphic designer.  We are using also some of her wonderful pictures here on this website. And some of her articles are quite popular, like the Mojo Rojo for example” – Judith

Amanda says:

Hi My name is Amanda Belmonte and I am a web/graphic designer and photographer. I have lived in the Canary Islands for almost 15 years. Although I have lived in Lanzarote for most of that time, Gran Canaria has always been my dream Island to live on, yet it has taken me 13 years to get here.

Holidaying most years or sometimes twice in one year to Gran Canaria had already given me a good insight to what was available and what there is to see and do on the Island.

When I moved here October 2013 with my husband we already had a good idea of where most things were situated and also what we wanted to see and visit next.

Gran Canaria is a truly beautiful island and until you start exploring all 4 corners, and not forgetting the centre it is unbelievable what you can find on this mini continent.

And of course there are the famous Carnivals…

How I ended up living in the Canary Islands

So how did it all start? Well in May 2001 I moved to Lanzarote with my sister, it was a drunken decision we had made on a previous holiday!

We put our UK lives in order and arrived six months later with merely one suitcase each, accommodation booked for six weeks and enough money to see us through until we either found work or a flight home.

It is now almost fifteen years later, my sister returned to the UK after five years and it was about this time I met my husband who is a Spaniard from Valencia. We married in December 2008 in Banff, Alberta in the Canadian Rockies. With the coldest weather on record that year in Alberta we experienced very low temperatures of -42ºc and needless to say a cancellation of our outdoor ceremony was a must!!

My Career change

In 2005 I decided to study Graphic/web design and Advertising through a London based University. I have been a fully qualified Chef now for over 15 years but I wanted a change in direction. It was during my studies that I took more of an interest in photography and decided I wanted to pursue a career in that direction incorporating photography and design. Here is one of mine…

As well as helping Judith building these web pages I have now built my own websites, one offering website and graphic design and the other two focusing on photography with my latest venture being a party photo booth service. With all three I hope to be able to make business here in Gran Canaria. I enjoy visiting different places on the island and taking lots of pictures, I also like trying out different techniques in photo editing programs.

What I enjoy outside of work

When I am not sat in front of the computer I do like doing a few more energetic activities!! My husband and I have two small dogs so we enjoy walking them daily and going for longer days out with them both at the weekend. We also have a little cat too.

I also enjoy some sports, I try to go swimming most week days at my local indoor swimming pool or at the beach. I like playing tennis, although it is not something I do particularly well but I enjoy it all the same.

When it is not too windy our [my husband and I] favorite sport is cycling either on the road or on the tracks, nothing extreme though it is just for fun.

I also play the Drums, Guitar and Saxophone and I enjoy painting and drawing, however I do not have so much time lately to enjoy these things at the moment.

For the moment I just want to continue working my way around this beautiful island and capture everything it has to offer and share it with anyone who wants to know.