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.

There’s no doubt that you all deserve a treat, so to avoid another tantalising choice, why not enjoy the best of both nightlife choices. The Soleil bar, with its open sided terrace, is a good place to start, there is always something going on, live sport, maybe a quiz, you could even try a cocktail as you watch a top singer. From 8pm you can pop down to the Cabaret Club to catch the kids showtime and then round things off with a top notch show. It’s all singing and dancing here, on any night you may catch Chicago or Starlight Express, all with a vibrant professional line up, what a way to round of an exciting day.

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.

Our new Mini Club is located directly in the Beachfront of the Resort. All children between the ages of 4 and 12 years can join any of the activities. Opening hours will be from 10:30am - 12:30pm and from 14:30pm - 16:30pm, with the exception of every Thurday when it will be closed due to the Entertainment Team not working during the day, although the Night Entertainment will still be on ( for more information please look under Night Entertainment).

All activities will be guided throughout by two of our entertainers to include things such as Handycraft, from Postcards to Paperflowers, and of course play several games such as bowling, football or sack race. In the late afternoon children will have some form of water activity either in our private Lagune or in our Pool in the Mai Tai Bar. Games such as Waterpolo, Waterbasket and Waterbingo will definitely keep them busy and happy!

The freestyle competition was hard fought but Sarah in particular was outstanding, just a few days short of her 17th birthday. Small islands are nothing new to Sarah, who comes from Aruba, a 33 km long island in the Lesser Antilles area of the South Caribbean, but even she must have been impressed at the beachfront on the popular family holiday island of Lanzarote.

It was very appropriate that Sands Beach Resort Hotel should play such a key role in this prestigious competition in the windsurf calender, as Sands encourages guests to try out windsurfing on their unique sea water lagoon. The Oceanside Windsurf School offer experienced tuition at Sands Beach Resort Hotel, but it is just one of many attractions at the beachfront resort, where the six palm lined plazas entice bathers from the luxury of the fully equipped villas.

The beachfront waters surrounding Lanzarote are not only a magnet for a family holiday, they are also perfect for water sports. Windsurfing is popular in all the Canary Islands, but when the PWA, Professional Windsurf Association, had to choose a venue for the 2008 World Cup, they chose Costa Teguise. The waters are perfect and they knew they could rely on Sands Beach Resort hotel to offer top accomodation to competitors.

With its relaxed, convenient setting and great service, Sands Beach Resort hotel was also the natural choice for the press conference to officially launch the event that runs from June 21 to 28. The action takes place on Las Cucharas beach, but the whole of Costa Teguise will be buzzing with excitement as support teams and the World press immerse themselves in the welcoming community that many holiday makers like to experience year after year.

There was a fair sprinkling of dignitaries at the press launch, from left to right in the picture below, Juan Carlos Albuixech (new General Manager of Sands Beach), Victor Barreto (Teguise councillor for sport), Jose Dimas Martin (Mayor of Teguise), Yolando Perdomo ( Director of Promotur), Daida Ruano (World Champion), and Lorenzo Suarez (Event manager of The Santa Surf). Daida Ruano is a familiar sporting face in the Canary Islands as with her twin sister Iballa, the Gran Canarian ladies have dominated the sport, winning 17 World titles between them.

If all this World class action inspires you, Sands Beach Resort hotel is the perfect place to be, as they offer lessons in the safety of their unique beachfront sea water lagoon. The Oceanside Windsurf School has experienced instructors who speak several languages and can provide equipment. Monday and Tuesday are the lesson days, and you can chose from a single lesson of 90 minutes for 25 euros, or have a double lesson for 45 euros. Once you get to a good level of confidence and ability, it is possible to go outside beyond the headlands and experience the thrills of the open seas. You have to start somewhere, and World Champions will tell you that Costa Teguise is one of the best of all places to start.

Written by island residents and published quarterly Lanzarote Guidebook contains accurate and up to date information about the island and it´s many attractions.  Providing visitors with in-depth detail about  upcoming events, an introduction to the work of the island born artist and architect Cesar Manrique, resort guides, cultural attractions, sightseeing information, museums, excursions, beaches, markets, restaurants, nightlife and much more besides.  Plus great quality visuals and maps.

As well as a handy Essentials section which features lots of practical information from bank opening times and ferry timetables through to emergency phone numbers and tips on driving locally Sands Beach Hotel guests can download their free copy by visiting the Lanzarote Guidebook website.

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.

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.

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.