Organized jointly by Lanzarote Biosphere Reserve and AENA airport authority, the 1 mile stretch of walkway that borders the airport perimeter fencing from Playa del Carmen to Puerto Honda contains the story of the evolution of the earth.

At a rate of 1 million years per foot, 39 posters explain how the Universe we occupy today was formed, beginning with the formation of the solar system from stardust. Taking us on a geological, biological and historical journey through time, the progress of the constantly changing and evolving planet is put into perspective against the length of a human life. One foot is the time it usually takes for continents and earthquake faults to slip 20 miles; 0.1 inch represents the time that has passed since the last Ice Age and a mere 0.001 inch is an average human life span.

The exhibition is in both Spanish and English. Start at Playa Honda and walk in the direction of Playa del Carmen for the English version. The return direction will illuminate the universe in Spanish.

Running until the 15th January, the exhibition is a fascinating and innovative journey to take and it certainly puts an eye-opening perspective onto the ‘bigger picture’.

Photographs from Cabildo de Lanzarote

Whether you’ve got your Christmas gifts all wrapped up and are rewarding yourself with a few days of sun-soaked respite, or you’re hoping to go home with the shopping list complete, here are our top spots for where to shop.

Artisans in Arrecife
Tourist & Craft Market; Saturdays 10.00-14.00
A popular and busy market held in the streets alongside Iglesia de San Ginés in which you’ll find a wide range of artisan goods, from handmade jewellery, ceramics and leather ware to clothing and embroidered tablecloths. You can also sample a delicious range of locally produced goods including mojo sauces, honey, cheeses and wines. If you’re staying at Sands Beach Resort, it’s also the perfect place to pick up fruit and vegetables so fresh you can still smell the soil.

The added bonus of this market is the lure of a donkey ride which ensures that shopping can be fun for all ages.

La Recova Market; Monday to Friday 09.00-14.00
Head for the back of the Town Hall in the La Recova district of Arrecife to find this hidden little market which has a small but delightful selection of craft shops alongside organic produce and a pretty little square in which to enjoy a post-shop coffee.

Handicrafts in Haria
Haría Artesanal; Saturdays 10.00-14.30
A contender for the title of Sweetest Market on Lanzarote, were such a title to exist, Haría’s heritage of craft working is in view and on sale in its Saturday market where you’ll find original and witty design in jewellery, ornaments and soft toys. Alongside, are home made breads just like Granny used to bake; scrumptious cakes, biscuits and jams and fresh fruit and vegetables from the area. And it’s all accompanied by live music and stallholders in traditional dress.

The Haría bonus ball is that if you get there on the first Sunday of the month from 10.00-14.00, your teenage offspring can lose themselves in the Rastro Joven flea market which is geared to their tastes and includes video games corner.

Crafts in Costa Teguise
Pueblo Marinero Craft Market; Wednesdays 18.00-22.00
What could be nicer than a seaside, sunset stroll to browse the artisan jewellery, leather shoes, ceramics and lava ornaments of the characterful Pueblo Marinero followed by dinner at one of its many excellent eateries? Very little, is the answer, so get along there and enjoy.

Tradition in Teguise
Teguise Market; Sundays 09.00-14.00
The largest of Lanzarote’s craft markets, every Sunday tourists arrive by the coach and car load to browse, haggle and buy at the hundreds of stalls that fill the huge plaza behind the picturesque centre of lovely Teguise. Temporarily turning this tranquil corner of history into a bustling centre, stall holders display every type of craft imaginable from toys to tablecloths and hats to handbags.

The background music is provided by pan pipes with the occasional traditional dancing troupe thrown in for good measure and food stalls straddle the distance between the UK and Lanzarote offering everything from a full English to traditional tapas.

When you’re all shopped out, head into the charismatic cobbled streets of the town for lunch and enjoy some of the restored calm as the stallholders pack up for another week.

Images from James Mitchell

Organized by Sands Beach Resort and Club La Santa, the weekend will see the promenade along by Pueblo Marinero turned into a colourful and buzzing race track with a race fair on Friday afternoon (December 2nd) and all day Saturday and a carbohydrates festival on Saturday afternoon.

The main events over the weekend will consist of four individual races which means that everyone can have a shot at completing their favoured distance, and with cash prizes, medals, T shirts and diplomas up for grabs, you’ll have some wonderful souvenirs as well as memories.

The full marathon will cover a distance of 42.195km, there will be a half marathon at 21.100km, a quarter marathon of 10.550km all of which will be run on Sunday 4th December and a children’s marathon of 1km which will take place on Saturday 3rd December. Entry fees for the races are €25, €20 and €15 for the full, half and quarter marathons respectively and the children’s marathon is free to enter.

The course will begin right outside Sands Beach Resort and there are some very special  offers which include a whole package of goodies like reduced accommodation costs, race entry fees, a special race day breakfast and discount at the Wellness Centre for that well deserved massage after you’ve set a new personal best time.

The whole event promises to have a carnival atmosphere with snack and ice cream vendors, invited athletes, lots of spectators lining the promenade between Sands Beach Resort and La Caleta and of course professional and amateur runners honing their fitness levels or running for charity.

Whether you join in, watch from the sandy comfort of Playa Jabillo or Bastián or lend your support along the route, Costa Teguise will be alive and kicking for the 22nd International Lanzarote Marathon. Make a date to be part of it.

You’ll find full details of the weekend on the official Teguise Marathon website.

It’s 281 years, almost to the day, since the earth opened up between Yaiza and Tinjaro and a great mountain of fire arose spewing forth torrents of lava which engulfed over 50km² of land and created what is today known as Timanfaya with its Montañas de Fuego ( Fire Mountains). Today, the fire still burns to an incredible 600 degrees centigrade just 15 metres below the feet of the 485,000 plus people who annually visit the Timanfaya National Park.

Lanzarote is the oldest of the Canary Islands, formed by volcanic eruptions rising from the sea 18 million years ago. Despite the almost three centuries that have passed since the 1st September 1730 when the Timanfaya eruptions began and two centuries since the last eruption on Lanzarote in 1824, pour a bucket of water into a drill hole and seconds later the volcano will send you a steam rocket to remind you just how much power still lies below the surface. Drop a dry bush into the hole and flames will consume it long before it’s out of view.

Selling your soul for a steak.
When you order your medium rare steak in El Diablo restaurant in Timanfaya National Park, you’re effectively asking the Devil to cook a steak for you on his volcano stove. When that steak arrives, succulent and tender with a smoky, volcano-barbecued flavour and melts on your tongue, you have to worry just a little what exactly it is that you’ve done…

Taking advantage of the free cooking heat and the surreal landscape is the restaurant El Diablo (the Devil) who’s ovens consist of a covered well drilled into the earth and whose windows provide widescreen images of one of the most extraordinary landscapes on the planet. Presenting a menu of traditional Canarian dishes including chicken, chops and marinated steaks cooked over the volcano, the restaurant has been named in Hola (Spain’s Hello magazine) as one of the most unique restaurants in Spain, a list that includes a restaurant in mid air, one under water and one where diners are blindfolded.

Personally, I’d rather take my chances with the Machiavellian experience of El Diablo.

Restaurant El Diablo, Timanfaya National Park; (0034) 928 840 057; open daily 12 noon to 3.30pm
Timanfaya National Park; open daily 9am to 5.45pm; entrance €8 adults, €4 children (7-12 years)

Photos from Lanzarote Tourism

September 15th is a very important day in Lanzarote‘s calendar, particularly in the little town of Tinajo in the central west of the island where they have every reason to remember one particular day in their history.

According to the written testimony of Andrés Lorenzo Curbelo, Vicar of the Parish of Yaiza, on the 1st September 1730, between 7pm and 9pm, a gaping hole opened up in the earth close to Timanfaya and two leagues from Yaiza. From the hole, a great mountain arose from which, torrents of lava spewed for between nine and ten days. A few days later a new abyss opened up and torrents of lava began to flow towards Rodeos and Mancha Blanca.

Fearing for their lives and livelihood, many of Tinajo’s residents fled the area and the steady flow of lava that threatened to engulf them. The eruptions and lava continued to 1736 when, at the beginning of April the townsfolk organised a procession to meet the volcanic threat at Mancha Blanca, carrying with them a framed picture of Our Lady of Sorrows.

The story goes that the congregation prayed to the Virgin to save them from the fiery river of lava, promising to build her a shrine if she listened to their prayers. One courageous parishioner, braving the advancing lava, stepped forward and drove a cross into the ground at the edge of the lava flow and suddenly the lava stopped, right at the base of the cross.

Proclaiming a miracle, the people of Tinajo became fervent worshippers of Our Lady of Sorrows who became known thereafter as Our Lady of the Volcanoes. However, it took many years for the people to remember their promise to the Virgin and it wasn’t until Our Lady of Sorrows appeared to a young shepherdess on no less than three occasions to remind them of the debt they owed that the villagers finally constructed the church at Mancha Blanca.

Every year, on the Saint’s Feast Day of September 15th, thousands of devotees from across Lanzarote set out at dawn to make the pilgrimage to Tinajo and Mancha Blanca on foot. Travelling in family groups and wearing traditional costumes, the pilgrims arrive at the Church of San Roque in Tinajo around midday and at 4pm they set off for Mancha Blanca. Spectators line the route to watch the procession which includes carts pulled by donkeys and camels, folklore groups and dancers and they disperse food and drinks to onlookers. When the procession reaches its destination at around 9pm, devotions, music, dancing and partying until dawn ensue.

The Festividad de Los Dolores is one of the biggest on Lanzarote and is not too far from Teguise . If you’re planning a holiday to Sands Beach Resort over September 15th, this is one event that’s well worth adding to your agenda to share in a celebration that is so close to Lanzarote hearts.

Photos from Tinajo Ayuntamiento and from Lanzarote Tourist Board

The mini bus pulls up on a small hill above the beautiful beach of Famara whose empty golden body stretches around the bay. It’s still early and the morning cloud is slow to disperse today, allowing windsurfers and sunbathers a later start to their day. But for us, a morning’s walk lies ahead and, stuffing the tuna bocadillo, apple and chocolate bar which Carmen is handing me, into my rucksack, I follow Francesca as she sets off on the winding, uphill path.

It’s not long before we’re joined by a friendly dog with a wagging tail and a nose that seems drawn to Francesca’s pockets.
“We always make up an extra roll for any friends who may join us along the way,” says Francesca, unwrapping a tuna roll and giving it to the dog.
Having been paid, our unofficial guide trots happily along the path ahead of us, stopping frequently to ensure we’re all keeping up.

Francesca points out the vegetation that we’re passing on the slopes of Peñas del Chache – wild lavender, spurge – and explains that the volcano we’re climbing represents Lanzarote‘s highest peak at 671 metres above sea level. At one point, we curve inexplicably off, making a small detour and rejoining the path a little further along. Francesca explains that there was a spider web across the way which she didn’t want us to destroy. I’m impressed by her dedication to minimising the impact of our presence on the environment but I have to suppress a giggle when I look back at the dog who took no such detour and whose face is now decorated with spider webs.

The way becomes more tricky to navigate and the incline remains resolutely steep. I’m  glad of the cloud cover that is still hanging around in the valley and imagine that this hike must be murderously hot in the full glare of sun. Finally we arrive at a sandstone ledge just a few feet below the summit and, with views back across the valley to Famara and along the ridge to the little chapel of Our Lady of the Snows, we tuck into our packed lunch.

With the climb behind us, we reach the summit and the highest point on Lanzarote to enjoy  spectacular views over the Famara Cliffs to the outlying islands of Alegranza, Montaña Clara and La Graciosa. As we descend into Haría, the Valley of a Thousand Palms, the sun breaks free from the cloud and bathes the valley in warmth. Our faithful companion bids us farewell and begins his return journey while we meet Carmen and the mini bus for our return to Costa Teguise and Sands Beach Resort where I reward myself with a cold beer and a pizza at the Mai Tai bar.

The Peñas Del Chache guided walk is organised by Lanzarote Active Club and can be arranged through reception at Sands Beach Resort. You’ll need a sturdy pair of hiking boots, sun screen, a hat and a good, general level of fitness to enjoy the walk. Taking a biscuit along for the dog is entirely optional.

You´d think that after carnival on Lanzarote things would calm down a bit whilst we all recovered from the overdose of fun…not so.

With the last fancy dress costume barely packed away for another year, the streets of Lanzarote’s capital, Arrecife are once again about to be filled with colour, music and surreal sights as Malpaís 2011 hits town.

Malpaís 2011 is a performing arts festival that transforms the streets of Arrecife into an open air wonderland of music, dance and modern circus acts. It’s one of those great events that has something for every member of the family. The festival kicked off this weekend with performances by the Las Palmas Symphony Orchestra and will pick up pace over the next couple of weeks until it ends on 16th April. Here are some festival highlights to look out for.

For music lovers there’s good old-fashioned swing with the Gran Canaria Big Band & Laura Simó at 9pm in Parque Ramírez Cerdon on 2nd April. The following week sees a mix of music, theatre and circus with Wonderbrass at 8pm in C/Real on the 9th April.

For a bit of fun, the big kid, Niño Costrini adds his unique brand of absurd clowning to various streets on the 5th, 6th,7th and 8th whilst another clown, El Gary, turns La Plazuela into a musical kitchen at 1pm on the 9th.

For thrills and spills don’t miss the acrobatic Circo Perezoff at 7pm in Charco de San Ginés on the 9th April and then a couple of hours later at 9pm on the same night, the energetic Los 2 Play are all set to wow the audience with some breathtaking displays of unbelievable gymnastics.

And for the plain delightfully silly, keep an eye out for the wonderfully surreal Giraffes whose long, spotty legs will be wandering along C/Real at various times of the day on 8th and 9th April.

The fun and frivolity of the Malpaís 2011 festival comes to an unmissable and explosive climax at 11pm on the 16th April with a superb firework and musical extravaganza by the famous Fam de Foc theatre company.

Most of the events are free and as Maplaís is in Arrecife, it’s really easy to get from Costa Teguise and Sands Beach Resort to the heart of the action.

Costa Teguise is packed to its sun soaked shoreline with delights to temporarily tempt you away from the beach and the poolside and a stroll through the resort’s centre will uncover a veritable treasure trove of shops, cafes, restaurants, bars and amusement arcades to keep everyone in the family happy.

But there’s one place that will have you licking the sugar off your fingertips while vowing to return the very next day and that’s the French patisserie of Tentacion on Avenida Islas Canarias.

A small, sunny terrace with tables and chairs sits outside the bakery and mid morning, you’ll be hard pressed to get a seat as locals head for their daily fix of decadently delicious French cakes and coffee.  Step inside and you enter a sweet world of pastries flavoured by the irresistible aroma of freshly baked confectionery and it takes steel willpower not to order half the shop.

Oscar Wilde once famously said “I can resist everything but temptation” – he wouldn’t have stood a chance at Tentacion.

If you can drag yourself away from the elegant plaza swimming pools and picturesque beach front of Sands Beach Resort, Costa Teguise has some beautiful beaches on which to while away the morning with the factor 20 and a good book.
Beyond the golden sand of Playa de Los Charcos, the rows of sunbeds and the surfers of Playa de Las Cucharas and the idyllic bay of Playa Del Jablillo, lies the unspoilt beauty of Playa Bastián.

Less busy than its neighbours, beyond the lookout tower after which the beach is named, lies a crescent of fine sand that curves gently with a small row of sunbeds along the shoreline and a wide barbecue area at the back of the beach with stone coves providing shelter from the prevailing breeze. Palm trees provide natural shade beneath which you can doze, lulled by the sound of the waves, until the aromas of lunch drift down to stir thoughts of a nice little restaurant in which to try some local tapas. When that happens, you just happen to be in the perfect location for La Aulaga Casa Félix where you’ll find excellent tapas.

The sunny terrace of La Aulaga lies amongst a small row of shops behind the wide promenade that backs Playa Bastián. You’ll be greeted by the warm smile and welcome of Félix, the eponymous owner of the restaurant who makes his guests feel like friends of the family.

Inside the shady interior, polished natural wood, half panelled walls and terracotta tiles give a chic, rustic Spanish look to the dining area beyond which the gleaming open kitchen produces tapas of the very highest quality. Choose from the extensive menu or let Félix present you with a selection of dishes such as the light, crispy batter of churros de pescado (fish goujons) with their moist, firm cod centres, or the sweet, tangy batatas frito (fried sweet potatoes) or addictive queso empanadas (breaded and fried goat’s cheese slices) with their sweet sauce. With the traditional papas arrugadas and mojo (wrinkled potatoes with spicy sauces), fresh crusty bread and wide selection of wines from the island, one thing’s for certain – you’ll be making a return trip to Playa Bastián and the tapas treats of La Aulaga Casa Félix.

They say beauty is fleeting, but in the case of Lanzarote, there are forces at work to ensure that the island’s natural beauty will be there for future generations to enjoy, thanks in no small part to one man – César Manrique.

Born in the capital city of Arrecife in 1919, the world renowned artist and architect so loved the diverse beauty of his homeland that he made it his canvas. His philosophy of art as life was founded upon the principle that art worked best in harmony with nature and that above all else, the natural environment was to be protected and preserved.

Working alongside the Lanzarote government, Manrique created a portfolio of iconic artistry including the Jameos Del Agua, Mirador Del Río, Jardínes de Cactus and his own, uniquely surreal home which is now the César Manrique Foundation. His work led directly to an application to UNESCO in 1992 for Lanzarote to be designated as a Biosphere Reserve and in 1993 the island was honoured with only the second such recognition in the Canary Islands.

Lanzarote received its UNESCO award under the MAB (Man and the Biosphere) Programme which is awarded to those areas which demonstrate man working in harmony with nature to protect and preserve the natural environment.

In this, the 40th anniversary year of the MAB Programme, Lanzarote is turning the spotlight onto the importance of recycling to ensure the future of the environment and will be spreading the message through schools and colleges that recycling is part of the cycle of life without which, the planet cannot flourish.

For its part, Sands Beach Resort is certificated by the Responsible Tourism Institute for its sustainable tourism management which it strives to continuously improve through measures such as switching from gas to biomass fuel which is an easily renewable and sustainable fuel source.