Irish lead the charge for Lanzarote tourism

The lure of Lanzarote just goes from strength to strength, new figures from the Lanzarote government show that the last 20 years has seen a whopping 43 % increase in tourism to the island of fire. That’s quite a staggering success rate, and few have taken Lanzarote to their hearts with as much passion as the Irish. In 2007 45 % of all Irish visitors, looking for the perfect family holiday in the Canary Islands, chose Lanzarote.

Sands Beach Resort Hotel in Costa Teguise have certainly noticed the increase in Irish visitors, among their wide range of regular holiday makers. The beachfront hotel has everything that is needed to make a family holiday a memorable one, and its convenient location, just over 30 minutes from Arrecife airport, and within easy reach of the main excursion attractions, ensures that visitors have the chance to absorb as much of Lanzarote life as possible.

The new long term government figures, show that there are 3 clear leaders in the places people most want to visit. Cueva de los Verdes, combines natures volcanic handiwork with the creative flair of Cesar Manrique, the architect and sculptor who has helped to shape modern Lanzarote. Jameos del Agua, again highlights that combination, and adds in some solid background knowledge of the islands volcanic legacy. Head and shoulders above them are Montañas del Fuego, the fire mountains where the volcanic flame still burns just below the surface and is demonstrated with a series of close up experiments, before a tour of the visually stunning lava fields. Sands Beach Resort Hotel offer an easy booking service for these and all the other must see sights around Lanzarote.

Irish visitors are well served by Aer Lingus, who fly in from Cork and Dublin, and their love affair with Lanzarote shows no signs of cooling off as their numbers increased by 3.9 % in the first 2 months of 2008. Northern Ireland will soon be joining the party, as from September 30, Aer Lingus will be making 8 flights a week from Belfast to Arrecife, Lanzarote.

Royals flock to Lanzarote

It was the social event of the year, and Lanzarote was the venue. On Saturday, 6 month old Amelia Morales, 4th daughter of Princess Alexia of Greece and Carlos Morales, was christened at the church of Nuestra Senora de Los Remedios in Yaiza. Royals from across europe converged on Lanzarote to celebrate the happy event, and it might be easier to say who wasn’t there.

Queen Sofia of Spain, born Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, and sister to King Constantine 2nd of Greece, flew in with Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia, in a Spanish armed forces plane. Also on the guest list were Princes Nicolas and Filipo of Greece, Alexia’s brothers, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

The service took place at 11 am on Saturday, conducted by the Bishop of the orthodox church of Spain and Portugal. once the formalities were over, it was all down to the restaurant Amura in Puerto Calero, just along the coast from Arrecife, the Lanzarote capital.

Don’t worry, even if you are not a royal, there will always be a regal welcome for you at Sands Beach Resort hotel in Costa Teguise. It would be a good idea to bring your camera with you on your family holiday, if you’re not bumping into a party of royals, you could just as easily be rubbing shoulders with Penelope Cruz as she makes her new movie around the island. Lanzarote is an island for everyone, and there are plenty of fantastic beachfront views and special restaurants to make everyone feel like holiday royalty.

World press looks to Lanzarote

 

It’s lights, camera, action, as the filming gets underway on the new Penelope Cruz movie, Las Abrozas Rotos (The Broken Embraces) in Lanzarote. World media attention has already turned the spotlight on this family holiday island. Guests at Sands Beach Resort hotel, may catch a glimpse of the star, as part of the filming is taking place in Costa Teguise, near to the beachfront resort. Some exclusive pictures of location shooting have already appeared in Hello magazine.

The celebrated Spañish director, Pedro Almodovar, has already spoken in glowing terms about the beauty of Lanzarote, and over the last few weeks, preparations for filming have been steadily going on, in Costa Teguise, El Golfo, and the island capital, Arrecife. A helicopter was used for early shooting at the Cactus Gardens, created by Cesar Manrique, the artistic founding father of modern Lanzarote. A roundabout, near the monument to Cesar Manrique, at Tahiche, was decorated with red flowers for some scenes, at the direct request of Almodovar.

The film is a thriller, and said to be the longest and most expensive to date from the award winning director. Penelope Cruz may be able to avoid some of the eager locals, hoping to catch a glimpse, as she wears a blond wig in the film.

Once the 2 weeks filming is over, there will be another huge flood of interest in Lanzarote, once the film is released, early next year. You don’t have to wait until then, Sands Beach Resort hotel, are glad to welcome guests at any time of the year, and they give everyone the star treatment.

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.

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.

Penelope Cruz heads for Lanzarote

 Lanzarote has been hit by film fever as top director Pedro Almodovar prepares to roll the cameras on his latest movie, Las Abrozas Rotos (The Broken Embraces) in May. The award winning director will be bringing his star discovery Penelope Cruz to the island for the Spanish language film, despite her Hollywood fame, Ms Cruz still likes to support the Spanish film industry. Locations in Lanzarote will include, Famara in Teguise, El Golfo, the volcanic bowl in Yaiza, and Arrecife hospital. There was a frenzy of activity in Costa Teguise last weekend as a local hotel staged auditions for extras to appear in the film. Lanzarote is a popular choice for filming, as it has such stunning and diverse scenery. You don’t have to be a Hollywood A list star to enjoy it all, and in Costa Teguise, Sands Beach Resort hotel can offer you one of the best locations of all, a beachfront hotel with a warm welcome for family holidays. If you do fancy yourself as a budding film maker, you can always enter the Sands Beach Resort competition to win a free holiday. Just use your camcorder or mobile to record those special holiday memories and upload them to YouTube, check out the details on the website.

Arrecife beachfront protector houses eco artists

During a family holiday at Sands Beach Resort hotel, you may like to check out history and art at the same time in the capital city of Arrecife. This city was at the forefront of repelling pirates that tried to plunder the island, and has several battlements for protection.

The Castillo de San Jose, at Puerto Naos, was one such stronghold, but now it has a new purpose, attracting tourists each day from 11am until 9pm, to see the history and relax in it’s restaurant and it is also the home of the MIAC, the International Museum of Contemporary Art. This years big art competition has taken on a green theme with discarded items being used to create renewable art.

From March 31 to May 26, the day of the judging, the 20 finalists will work on their entries in the hope of catching the international judges eyes and winning a prize. The winner will pocket 4,000 euros, second will get 2,500 euros and the third 1,000 euros.

The MIAC was set up in 1974 by Cesar Manrique, the artist, sculptor and designer who  guided the development of modern Lanzarote and after his death in 1992, his foundation carried on his good work, ensuring that the island grows in a sensitive and sustainable manner.

Elite Travel Group picks Lanzarote for conference

If you want to know where to choose for a family holiday, have a look at where the travel agents go. Elite Travel Group, a consortium of nearly 150 small independent UK travel firms, is to hold their 2008 conference in Costa Teguise.

Visitors to Sands Beach Resort hotel will already be aware of the charms and community feel of this family friendly village, less then half an hour from Arrecife airport. The annual get together will run from October 16th to 20th, and is a major boost to the ever growing pulling power of Lanzarote. In 2007, there were 814,000 UK visitors, and Lanzarote looks well on course to push that figure even higher in 2008.

The delegates will be spoiled for choice as they check out the many excursions across the island, from rural villages and vineyards to Timanfaya National Park and it’s volcanic landscape, and of course the many secluded and welcoming beaches.

Taste the winning wines of Lanzarote

You will find plenty of fine wines on the menu in the restaurants and bars of Sands Beach Resort hotel, many of them produced locally. Many assume that the dark volcanic soil is not good for growing vines but it contains rich elements that help to create the award winning flavour.

Award winning wine

The latest award has gone to the Bodega los Bermejos in the La Geria district, just inland from Costa Teguise. Canarian newspaper Diario de Avisos, in their 2007 Gastonomy Aawrds picked out the bodega as the best example in the Canary Islands of a working vineyard.

Bodegas are a distinctive sight across Lanzarote as the vines are grown in a small hollow in the soil surrounded by a low stone wall, called a Geria, that protects them from the North East Alisio wind. There are many bodegas that welcome visitors around the island, you can see the wine making process, learn a little about the history and of course, taste the wine and take a few bottles home. Ask at Sands Beach Resort reception and they will give you details of excursions that include a bodega visit, and when you order your wine in the Soleil bar or La Hacienda restaurant, try a local bottle, Lanzarote really does taste as good as it looks.

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