Lanzarote wine gets a modern taste

Traditional wine making is very strong in Lanzarote and across the island you will soon be familiar with the sight of rows of small hollows in the ground with a low stone wall in front of them. These are gerias and are to protect the vines from the strong wind that sometimes blows across exposed areas.

La Geria is the stronghold of wine making and the new 18 million euro Stratus bodega has just opened, using modern methods to produce a fine old brew. Computerised controls make sure that temperature and humidity are spot on and monitored at all times, putting the bodega at the forefront of european wine making.

The new bodega was opened at the start of May in a blaze of celebration with music, clowns and acrobats at the opening night. Princess Alexia of Greece was the guest of honour and she was given a full tour of the wine making process and the conference and exhibition areas. I’m sure we will all raise a glass of finest Lanzarote wine to their future success.

“Indy” and the Lanzarote Adventure

 It wasn’t Mr Jones that arrived in Lanzarote on Monday, but another big adventurer, Independence Of The Seas, one of the biggest cruise liners in the world and the biggest with a european home port. The giant 18 storey ship slipped in majestically to Puerto de los Marmoles in the capital, Arrecife to a colourful and typically warm Lanzarote welcome. People in traditional Canarian dress welcomed the near 4,000 passengers and crew onshore at 9am, to cram in a taste of Lanzarote before their 3pm departure.

The Royal Caribbean International liner is on its maiden voyage after leaving Southampton on May 6, stopping off at Funchal, before Tenerife on Saturday and Gran Canaria on Sunday, it will then call at Lisbon and Vigo before returning to Southampton.

This really is a mammoth ship, weighing in at 158,000 tons, and measuring 339 metres long by 56 metres wide. There are 1,815 cabins, 844 with a balcony and 120 suites. If you want entertainment, there is everything from a running track, golf course, and surf area, all on deck, and countless bars, restaurants, shops, an ice rink and a casino below decks.

It’s a shame the passengers didn’t have longer to explore Lanzarote, but the ship is set to be a regular caller. There must have been a few waiters in Arrecife working overtime to serve nearly 4,000 coffees all at once, and even a glimpse of Lanzarote will have hopefully have made some impression.

Costa Teguise pitches in for coastal clean up

Visitors to Costa Teguise are always impressed at the close knit feel of the community, that’s why Sands Beach Resort hotel is so popular for family holidays. There is a strong sense of pride locally and they are very aware of the need to protect their beachfront and ensure it looks at its best.

There was a stampede of volunteers when a beachfront clean up day was organised for June 7th, and now it involves the local council, Clean Ocean Project, the local leisure business association and several of the local diving schools. The ambitious project will see the volunteers sweep their way through Famara and Costa Teguise, removing any rubbish, no matter what size, from the beaches of Las Cucharas, Los Charcos, Playa Jablillo and Playa Bastian.

The sea will get plenty of attention to from the diving schools, Aquatis Diving Centre, Calipso Diving and Native Diving, between them will provide 108 divers to scour the sea bed near the shore. Calipso Diving are no strangers to guests of Sands Beach Resort hotel, as they hold free trial scuba diving sessions at the Mai Tai pool every Saturday at 3.30 pm.

All the beachfront cleaners on June 7th are volunteers, and they will look very striking in their commemorative blue t shirts which feature a turtle, just one of the wildlife species they are hoping to protect. Everyone is welcome to join in, they are a friendly bunch and it’s a great way to learn more about the environment of Costa Teguise.

Irish eyes smile on Lanzarote

The Irish know a good time when they see it, maybe that’s why they just love coming to Lanzarote. Everything they want for a family holiday is here, miles of beaches, plenty of bars and restaurants, nightlife for the younger ones, or a great setting to just relax in the sun.

The latest tourism figures for 2007, show that 45 per cent of all Irish visitors to the 7 Canary Islands, chose Lanzarote. Aer Lingus has been flying them in from Cork and Dublin, and Irish visitors are among the wide range of nationalities welcomed  by Sands Beach Resort hotel.

Now the sun seeking people of Northern Ireland can also join the rush to visit Lanzarote. As from September 30th, Aer Lingus will be making 8 flights a week from Belfast to Arrecife airport, just 30 minutes drive from Costa Teguise and Sands Beach Resort hotel. They can be sure of a warm welcome from Lanzarote and it’s people, and hopefully it will become as popular in the north as it already is in the south of Ireland.