Confirming its appeal to people of all countries, Lanzarote has been voted Best Sun Destination by the Irish Travel Trade, the leading magazine for the travel industry in Ireland. It’s a pretty impressive accolade when you consider that Lanzarote beat off hot spots from all over the globe, the award was voted for by travel agency staff who deal with eager holiday makers every day, and they are very demanding when it comes to value for money.

The award is no surprise to Sands Beach Hotel Resort in Costa Teguise, they attract many families from Ireland who make repeat visits to enjoy the beachfront setting and the wonderful weather. Air links to Ireland have never been better with major airlines like Aer Lingus and Ryanair battling it out to offer the best possible deals.

The award was made to Carmen Gonzalez of Lanzarote tourism by John Barry of the Irish Travel Trade . The spring and summer seasons promise to be busy for Lanzarote but their beaches are geared up and ready to welcome a wave of visitors from a vast range of countries.

Prepare to see cycling as you have never seen it before over two days of fun and action in the Vuelta Playa Blanca on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February. Handcycling is a novel way of riding and this event is very much a family spectacle in the popular resort of Playa Blanca at the southern tip of Lanzarote.

On Saturday there is a recreation and promotional ride starting at 11 am (gather at 10.30) from the Hotel H10 Timanfaya Palace to Puerto Marina Rubicon where refreshments will be ready to greet everyone. All ages are welcome on this first ride but under 13′s should be accompanied by an adult, and 13 to 16 year olds are welcome on their own but must have parental consent. Then on Sunday the main event takes place over a longer route.

The Sunday build up will start at 11.15am from Hotel H10 Timanfaya Palace, arriving in the city centre for 11.30, then at noon the Vuelta Playa Blanca gets under way, finishing at 1.10 pm. Local police will ensure the route is cleared and safe and a support van will also follow to make sure there are no unexpected problems. After the last riders arrive, there’s a chance to grab some food and drink before the prize giving at 1.45 pm.

Registration for the big race is free but competitors are encouraged to pay three euros to the charitable association TriWWW . In return for this donation there is entry into a draw with prizes of T shirts, safety clothing and meals at a la carte restaurant. The draw will be made at 1.30 pm after the race. It’s going to be a great weekend so make sure you add it to your diary.

There’s something for everyone at the 22 nd  annual Lanzarote International Marathon on Sunday 4 th December. The Costa Teguise route hugs the beachfront of this beautiful stretch of coast to provide inspiration to the runners in four categories that cater for all ages and levels of ability. A new website has been launched to give runners and spectators all the facts at their fingertips so they can enjoy the busy weekend of fun.

The childrens marathon starts the sporting action on Saturday 3 rd December with 4 to 13 year olds covering one km then on Sunday it’s the turn of the Quarter Marathon (10,550 km), Half Marathon (21,100 km), and full Marathon ( 41,195 km). The course begins in Avenida Islas Canarias, outside Sands Beach Resort and continues along the avenida to Avenida del Jabillo where it turns left towards the marina and joins the Costa Teguise promenade of Avenida de Los Cocideros. Running along the picturesque sea front, passing Playas Jabillo, Bastián and Ancla and the Spanish royal family’s holiday residence of La Mareta, the course continues until it reaches La Caleta where it loops back on itself and returns to Sands Beach. One lap of the course covers a distance of 10.550km and constitutes the quarter marathon distance. Two laps of the course completes the half marathon distance of 21.100km and four laps is the full marathon distance of 41.195km.

Interest is always high in this showpiece event so Sands Beach Resort and Club La Santa have put together some very reasonable accommodation packages which can be accessed via the website. The races are the main events but there’s a full programme of activities for families starting on Friday with a Race fair at Pueblo Marinero that runs over all three days. The Marathon website links to the official Facebook and Twitter pages so you can make contact with other runners and fans in the lead up to the race and the Flickr site will show some of the photo highlights from previous races and give you a chance to add your own memories.

Visually stunning, Lanzarote enchants the eye and delights visitors but the well known landmarks and beaches are just a start. Sands Beach Resort would like to invite you to look a little deeper and discover an island vibrant with art and culture. Lifestyle Lanzarote brings together all aspects including music and food, they are also celebrated as a way to keep past traditions alive as well as adding new modern outlooks on this wonderful place to live.

Cesar Manrique set the standard with his buildings and artistic works, still bringing pleasure to thousands, but a new generation of artists and artisans are ensuring that Lanzarote keeps on re-inventing itself. All the best events are brought together on our new website from music and beer at the Oktoberfest to Teguise timple concerts. The seasons bring their own regional fiestas, we can let you know how and where to catch the main events and give you an insight into the meanings and significance of each celebration.

So if you think you know Lanzarote let us surprise you, and if your a new convert allow us to share  the history and tradition of the island through modern eyes.

We spend a lot of time and effort making Sands Beach Hotel the most relaxing place possible to spend a holiday but there’s something about the rugged, raw call of nature in Lanzarote that brings out the adventurer in people of all ages. That’s why we are pleased to support Active Lanzarote, a website that opens the door to excitement and says come in if you dare.

Sports holidays are growing in popularity and Lanzarote is the top choice for many keen enthusiasts as well as professional teams. The annual Ironman triathlon event has become one of the big attractions of the year with the professional circuit coming to town and many others joining in to push themselves to the limit. The Windsurf World Tour calls in each year to Costa Teguise and many of the build up and presentation events are hosted at Sands Beach Hotel.

Beginners can also get active with expert tuition on hand for hang gliding, scuba diving, kite boarding, and wind surfing. The Lanzarote government is very supportive of the islands reputation as a sporting magnet, they have invested in hiking trails, cycle paths and walks that take you up into the volcanic hills where the views will inspire you. Active Lanzarote is a comprehensive guide to all activities and major events for your diary so you can arrange your holiday to take in as much as possible.

In the popular tourist destination of Lanzarote, Sands Beach Resort in Costa Teguise is gearing up in order to receive additional guests whose holiday plans have been affected by the situation in Egypt and Tunisia. Foreign embassies have issued advice against all but essential travel to both Tunisia and Egypt, creating havoc in the tourism industry of both countries and holiday misery for thousands.

Lying just 500 miles off the coast of Morocco, the beautiful island of Lanzarote enjoys the same warm, sunshine filled days as Egypt and Tunisia throughout the winter but with higher daily sunshine hours and without the rapid drop in nightly temperature. The arid, flat landscape and uniformly white, low rise buildings are reminiscent of its north African neighbours while its crystal clear waters with their annual average temperature of around 20ºC are a scuba diver’s dream.

With predictions of around 300,000 holidaymakers looking to book alternative holidays to the Canary Islands, hotels across the islands are likely to see a rapid increase in the demand for rooms at what is already one of their busiest seasons. Sands Beach Resort are currently running their Spring into Action offer of 25% discount on holiday bookings made before the 15th February 2011. Those affected by the crises in Egypt and Tunisia would do well to make early arrangements to book an alternative holiday and take advantage of the savings before places fill up.

Home to the gruelling Ironman Triathlon competition, the island of Lanzarote is now recognised as one of Europe’s major year-round destinations for sports training and competition, a fact which has been recognised by leading holiday resort Sands Beach.

Taking full advantage of its unique position on a seawater lagoon and alongside the famous Las Cucharas Beach which hosted the PWA World Cup Windsurfing Freestyle Championship in 2010, Sands Beach Resort has launched a new ‘Active’ website to promote Lanzarote as a sports holiday destination.

Detailing the terrain, conditions and facilities on offer for land and water sports, Sands Beach Active has negotiated partnership agreements with local and island-wide companies. As a result they are offering guests and athletes discounted rates in the hotel and extra benefits such as additional cycle hire days from Papagayo Bike and free subscription into the beginner’s category for Lavatrail 2011 – a series of testing runs over tough terrain courses ranging from 18km to a daunting 79 km in 17 hours.

Sands Beach Resort subscribes to the philosophy that regular exercise promotes healthy growth and development in children and drastically reduces the risk of ill health in adults; plus – it’s fun! For that reason their goal in 2011 is to give holidaymakers everything they need to enjoy a healthy and fun holiday on Lanzarote

Guilly Brandao

 

 

If you love Kite Boarding, then Lanzote is the place to be this August if you want to learn from the best! The World Champion Kite Boarder  Guilly Brandao  from Brazil, is holding two Kite Boarding sessions at the  luxury resort of Sands Beach Resort, in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote.

Sessions are designed for intermediate to advanced Kite Boarding enthusiasts with the first session being held during 14 – 16 August and the second taking place during the period 21 – 23 August 2009. Spaces are limited to a maximum of 10 people and as you would expect, going fast!  For more information about this great event, including prices, availability and accommodation at Sands Beach Resort in Lanzarote, contact them at the following:

Reservations & Enquiries:
UK Freephone : 0800 3897491

Telephone :      +34 928 826 095    

   
Fax : +34 928 590 065

Email : reservations@sandsbeach.eu

Canary Islands Marine located in the South of Tenerife offer Boat Sales, Charters, Boat Servicing and Maintenance.  The team, headed by Jamie Bottomley, provide a whole host of other services including tuition, berthing, cleaning and insurance with an assuring next day back up service if required in the Canary Islands.  Follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.

Wimpen Leisure Management have just relaunched their new  website, wimpen.com, offering Resort Management to communities as well as Holiday Rentals and Timeshare Resales in Tenerife, Lanzarote and the Costa del Sol.  Their blog, wimpen.info, is well written and highlights some excellent topics for clients and prospective purchasers.