What´s On In July

There´s a whole host of exciting events taking place on Lanzarote during July.  Providing visitors to Sands Beach with a wide range of things to do.

 

Just up the road from Costa Teguise lies Lanzarote´s historic former capital – Teguise.  Which is currently playing host to a riotous festival of street theatre.  Featuring Riki Lopez – the renowned Spanish comedian and songwriter. All of the action is taking place in the Plaza De La Mareta – from 17.30 onwards daily.

 

Arrieta – a delightful seaside village just fifteen minutes along the coast from Costa Teguise – is playing host to this years Surfing Rock Festival, on July 19^th.  Which features an eclectic mix of board based action and live music from the likes of local favourites such as La Gallina Verde (or Green Chicken to you and me).

 

Whilst just fifteen minutes away in the opposite direction is the islands main resort of Puerto del Carmen.  Where this years Break Park Festival is being staged this weekend on the large beach at Los Pocillos, just outside the resort.

 

Break Park features loads of beach based sporting activity such as volleyball and football during the day.  Whilst come nightfall the focus switches over to live music – with a line up this year that includes Madrid based electronica favourites Wagon Cookin´ and Basque indie rockers Delorean.

 

Back in Costa Teguise itself – shopaholics can head for the resorts twice weekly market, which is held in the Pueblo Marinero every Thursday from 10.00 to 15.00 and every Friday evening from 18.00 to 24.00.  

 

Thursday’s market focuses on local artisan products, such as island wines and cheeses.  Whilst Friday nights market is bigger and brasher – with more souvenir style wares on sale.  The Pueblo Marinero is just five to ten minutes walk from Sands Beach.

 

It´s also worth noting that the summer sales are underway on the island at the moment  – so head into Arrecife for a spot of serious shopping.  The main shopping street in the island capital is Calle Leon Y Castillo and Arrecife is just ten minutes away by bus or taxi.

 

Culturally, there´s also plenty going on in and around Costa Teguise this month. With the new Jan Hendricks exhibition Badlands taking place at the Cesar Manrique Foundation in Tahcihe – running through until September 21^st.  And a festival of Opera shceduled for mid-July in the El Charco area of Arrecife.

 

To find out more about events and what´s on in Lanzarote visit the Lanzarote Guidebook website.

 

 

 

Holiday diving for all the family in Lanzarote

When you take your family holiday at Sands Beach Resort hotel, we like you to see everything that Lanzarote has to offer, on land and even underneath it in the volcanic caves, and also on and under the sea.

When it comes to snorkelling and scuba diving, Lanzarote is hard to beat, and we can put you in the hands of real experts, Calipso Diving, who are based in Costa Teguise. If you are new to diving, come along to the Mai Tai pool any Saturday at 3.30 pm for a free scuba try out. Calipso have fully qualified instructors, can kit you out in all the latest and safest equipment, and know all the best dive sites around the island. If photography is your hobby, they can even help you to capture some of the underwater memories on camera.

Instructors speak several languages and Calipso is a BSAC centre of excellence and a PADI resort centre. Whatever your experience level, they can help you from novice to instructor course level. Bookings can be made through Sands Beach Resort reception, for a half days snorkelling or scuba diving. Of course what you really want to know is what can you expect to see in the Atlantic as it laps at the shores of Lanzarote. There are 500 species of fish, including Angel Shark, Barracuda, and Giant Tuna, and all in visibility that ranges from 30 metres in summer to 50 metres in winter. The lava formations and caves that dominate the surface of Lanzarote, are even more stunning under the sea, and there is even an underwater conservation park, complete with 7 wrecks to explore.

Diving has never been so much fun, and it will give you a unique insight into the wildlife of this special island.

Family thrills in the Lanzarote Grand Prix

Do you fancy yourself as a budding Alonso or Hamilton? If you feel the need for speed, Lanzarote has just the thing for you, one of the biggest karting race tracks in Europe. Just inland from Puerto del Carmen is Gran Karting Club a 2,346 metre race circuit that caters for all skill levels and all ages.

All revved up and ready to go

The track has all the safety facillities you will need and authentic pit areas and electronic readout boards so you can check your race laps and speed. Off the track, they have food and drink areas so even if you are not racing, you can relax and watch the show.

The on track action is what makes this really special, and the 10 metre wide track is perfect for safe overtaking and real racing. There are different categories for different ages, with power and speed restricted accordingly. Infant karts are for between 5 and 10 years old, junior are for 10-16 and above that are seniors with engines that can reach 80 km per hour.

All thrills and no spills

Full safety gear is worn at all times and experts will make sure that drivers have all the thrills without the spills. For groups of six people or more, free transport will come and pick you up from Sands Beach Resort hotel, but otherwise, pick up a leaflet from reception and it will give you directions to the track. 

A wild time for families in Lanzarote

Adventure and animals, a perfect combination to thrill the family, and on a Lanzarote holiday, Rancho Texas Park, can offer both of those and much more. Just a few yards down the road from Sands Beach Resort hotel, a free bus will pick you up to take you the short distance to Puerto del Carmen and the biggest theme park on the island.

Based on the wild west, the park has an Indian village and a goldmine, a lagoon, a cave and a farm. Add to that regular shows featuring birds of prey, parrots and sealions, and you can see that there is plenty to please the whole family. Water rides will offer another alternative and there’s a strong element of art and history to learn from while having fun.

At night the park stages wild west thenme nights, complete with cowboy action and barbecue food and drink. In the day the sunshine of Lanzarote helps to show off the animals and shows in their full glory at this busy park. Open every day from 9.30am to 5.30pm, it’s very much a family favourite. 

El Golfo, a beachfront vision in Lanzarote

If it’s contrast you want, then Lanzarote can provide a spectacular choice. Across the island from Sands Beach Resort hotel, on the south west coast is El Golfo, where a volcanic crater meets the open sea.

The side of the crater exposed to the sea has been eroded into bizarre shapes and stacks and forms a natural amphitheatre as a backdrop to the ocean. The colours are amazing, the reds and browns of the rocks, the black sand of the beach and the deep blue of the rolling sea. Inside the crater is a small lake, La Laguna de Ciclos which is a distinctive bright green due to the algae in the water.

All this is close to a small fishing village with great fish restaurants and small souvenir shops. There are a couple of car parking areas so you can go off and explore on foot and most half or full day tours include El Golfo on their itinery. It’s a world away from the luxury of Sands Beach Resort hotel, but one you will be glad you stepped into.

Family holiday wonders - below Lanzarote

Sitting around one of the many swimming pools at Sands Beach Resort hotel, enjoying modern holiday luxury, it’s difficult to imagine the honeycomb of lava tunnels under Lanzarote. The best way to find out more is to visit the biggest of them all, the 7 km tunnel from Volcan de la Corona, and give your senses a treat at La Cueva de los Verdes, the Green Caves.

The caves are in the northern tip of Lanzarote and were once a hiding place from invading pirates and slave traders. These days they welcome visitors to see the amazing shapes and patterns carved by the flow of the hot lava some 4,500 years ago. As if natures wonders were not spectacular enough, artist Jesus Soto added his own touch with eerie lighting. That first touch of art has been built on by the Lanzarote government and now music is also added to give a complete sensory display.

The lava formations are equally fascinating to geologists, artists and tourists and arouse different responses from each visitor. Your camera and mind will be working overtime appreciating this insight into Lanzarote’s unique past.  

A walking holiday in Lanzarote

 

No one could blame you for just wanting to laze by any of the six pools or the beachfront lagoon at Sands Beach Resort hotel, but if you want to step out and explore Lanzarote by foot, you will find plenty of great walks.

The island government has just pledged 250,000 euros to improving 24 routes to make them easily accessable and well sign posted but there is already enough choice to make the island a walkers delight. In the north you will find Haria, an unspoilt and hilly landscape, walk through the valley of 1000 palm trees and smell the wild flowers that bloom there. In the south Yaiza is a gateway to the Timanfaya national park with it’s walkways through the lava landscape will lead you to hidden gems like El Golfo, the volcanic bowl by the coast.

How about a beachfront walk? 

If the beachfront is more your thing, how about a 9km (5.5miles) walk from Puerto del Carmen to Arrecife. This will take you along the edge of the wide sandy beaches and the rocky coves, passing through Playa Honda and several small exclusive beaches like La Concha. This walk is suited for all the family, and as the main bus route runs parallel to the shore, you can always drop out at any stage and take the easy way home.

For detailed guides to the wonderful walks of Lanzarote, try any of the tourist information centres, there is one in Costa Tequise, a short walk from Sands Beach Hotel. Have fun and don’t forget your camera.

Bag a bargain at Tequise Sunday market

Haggling at a traditional Canarian market is a great way to spend Sunday morning, and Lanzarote’s former capital city, Tequise, hosts the biggest market on the island every Sunday morning from 9am to 2pm.

For door to stall comfort, Sands Beach Resort hotel runs 2 coach trips, one leaving at 9.30 and returning at 1pm and the other, from 10.30 to 2pm, it’s just 12 euros for adults and 7 euros for children. The market fills the streets and offers everything you can think of and a bit more. Locally produced food and clothes, jewellery, crafts and those special holiday presents to take home, you will find them all here at the market.

For your enjoyment, there will be music and dancing, and the local bars and regular shops are open too. If you want to make your own way inland to Tequise, a taxi will cost around 16 euros one way, or if you have a hire car, you will find plenty of cheap parking. The advantages of the Sands Beach Resort coach are the storage room to bring back your haul and a drink of sangria or wine at the Mai Tai pool bar and restaurant, on your return.

Tequise will give you a glimpse of the past with the Castle Santa Barbara perched on top of the old Guanpay volcano. The 16th century stronghold is open to the public from 10am till 4pm and you will find it’s history and views fascinating.

Lava living in Lanzarote

There are always those special memories from a holiday that make it stand out from other destinations. In Lanzarote the volcanic landscape will imprint itself on your memory for many years to come.

Jameos del Aqua is a feast for the eyes and the cameras, a volcanic wonderland just to the north of Sands Beach Resort. A large volcanic cave and an extended lava tunnel combine to show off nature at it’s best. Designed by Cesar Manrique, whose hand sculpted much of the island, it takes you on a journey down into a lagoon within the volcanic cave, where exotic plants and rare albino crabs flourish. As you struggle to take in all of the wonders, you will find new ones as you rise up to the surface and the ornate swimming pool inset into the lava walls.

Lanzarote has fascinated many scientists and artists and a large museum at ground level will explain the workings of the volcanoes and the history of their eruptions, not only in Lanzarote, but also at hot spots around the world.

For music lovers, an auditorioum and restaurant built into the lava caves, provides an unusual night time attraction for shows and meals, as you experience the unique acoustics of the caves. Dipping into Jameos del Aqua is like dipping into the history of Lanzarote and it’s something that will leave all the family spellbound.

Arrecife, a capital of contrasts

As the capital city, Arrecife gives a good insight into the diverse charms of Lanzarote, and as it’s just a 5km trip from the Sands Beach Resort hotel, it’s well worth the effort. If you get a taxi, ask for the Playa del Reducto beach or the marina, the Puerto del Carmen bus will drop you there as well a few stops after the main bus station.

Don’t forget your camera - what a view 

Stroll along the front and take in the history of the city. The main beachfront, Playa del Reducto, is great for swimming and taking the sun and a walk to the left will lead onto the newly modernised marina area. If you want a birds eye view, look no further than the 17 storey Arrecife Gran Hotel, a rare high rise on this island where building height is strictly limited. On the top floor there is the Altamar restaurant, a little pricey, but the views are worth it, or try the Pub Stars City bar for a much cheaper drink. The glass sided bar gives stunning views over Arrecife, don’t let the 5 star luxury of the hotel deter you, they welcome visitors.

The boardwalk of the marina gives way to the old fort , Castillo de San Gabriel a little way out to sea, linked to the land by the Puente de las Bolas, an imposing stone bridge. This fort repelled many invaders in the past but now beckons tourists to explore it’s canons and battlements. To the left you can see the industrial developments of the Disa oil redinery and the port but back on the promenade, the cafes and bars can quench your thirst and hunger.

Arrecife is also home to the island government, major music concerts and the islands football team, UD Lanzarote as well as offering a good selection of shops. Enjoy.

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