Here at Sands Beach Resort we’re all walking on air at the moment…not because the wind is taking us up like balloons, although it comes close at times, but because we’re so proud of Nico

Our good friend and sponsored athlete Nico Ward Muñoz notched up his first triathlon victory of 2012 on Sunday when he battled wind, waves and tough conditions to come home in a total time of 1:49:18 in the Enduroman Olympic Triathlon.

Nick has lived on Lanzarote since his family moved here when he was just a boy. Recently moved to Denmark, Nico has been back at Sands Beach Resort training hard for his forthcoming season and his efforts have been rewarded with this victory.

The wind wasn’t doing any of the athletes any favours as it gusted and blustered its way around the course. In the water the swimmers had to battle the waves and choppy seas and on the bikes they were fighting the wind at times and riding it at others. Nico put in a magnificent bike ride to place him ahead overall of José Miguel Peréz Martínez who was just a second behind him.

Despite the breezy conditions, the sun shone and spectators turned out in their droves to support the athletes, making it another hugely successful Lanzarote sporting event. Here’s to Enduroman 2013…

Find out what’s happening in Costa Teguise in February

On the 12th February 2012, in Lanzarote’s Playa Blanca, the third Vuelta Playa Blanca handbike race will take place.

One of the most important sporting events of this type in the world, the event will feature more than 70 contestants from around the world to compete at the highest levels of the sport. Amongst them will be Sands Beach Resort sponsored athlete and very good friend, Rafa Botello.

Sands Beach Resort proudly sponsors Rafa, founder of the Push With Me slogan which, through its branded sports wear, supports organizations such as TriWWW who are working with athletes with disabilities. With the aim of helping everyone to achieve their own personal potential, Rafa uses his own popularity, his branded sportswear, his hard work and his influence to help others to look and feel good so that they perform well in their chosen sport. A highly accomplished athlete himself, Rafa will be amongst the 70 contestants at the Vuelta Playa Blanca, and Sands Beach Resort will be there to cheer him, and all the athletes, on to the finish.

On Saturday 11th February, the day before the Vuelta Playa Blanca, the resort will host the First Concentración Cyclista de Lanzarote (Lanzarote Cyclists Group) bike ride from the Hotel H10 Timanfaya Palace to Puerto Marina Rubicón in which cycles of all types will be welcome to join the hand bikers. The event is free but organisers are encouraging everyone to purchase a €3 raffle ticket, the proceeds of which will go to TriWWW.

So whatever your age, ability or bike, head along to Playa Blanca over the weekend of 11th and 12th February and join in the fun, challenges and rewards of helping to create a level playing field for athletes of every ability level.

We hope to see you there

This week Madrid hosts one of the biggest tourism fairs in Europe, Fitur. The event, held at the Feria de Madrid, lasts from the 18th to 22nd January and is a meeting place for professionals from the world of tourism including hoteliers, tour operators, tourist boards and the travel press. It is also open to members of the public on 21st and 22nd January.

Fitur represents an important date in the tourism calender as it is the place for making contacts with others in tourism and learning and sharing new and successful initiatives to help keep the travel moving forward in its quest to continue meet the demands of ever more sophisticated travellers.

It is essential for those serious about staying at the forefront of developments in the travel industry to attend events like Fitur, which is why Sands Beach Resort is represented by General Manager, Juan Carlos Albuixech at the event.

To keep up to date with Juan Carlos at Fitur follow him on his Twitter account @JCALBUIXECH and to stay genned up on the latest news from Fitur, you can follow what’s happening on the fair’s Twitter account @Fitur_ or via their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/FeriaFitur

On Christmas Eve, while children all over the world squeeze their eyes closed and try to force sleep to win out over excitement, children in Spanish and Latin American countries will sleep soundly… until the night of January 5th.

Emulating events of the Old Testament, Spanish and Latin American countries give their gifts on the day that the Three Wise Men (Los Tres Magos or Tres Reyes) gave their gifts to the baby Jesus – on the Twelfth Night after his birth, having travelled many miles to worship him. Every year children write letters to The Three Kings (Tres Reyes), Balthazar, Melchior and Gaspar, telling them what gifts they would like and the Kings travel their journey anew, arriving in cities, towns and villages all over Spain and Latin America on the night of the 5th January to bestow gifts on the children.

It’s a beautiful tradition that sees colourful parades of elaborate floats depicting scenes from the Bible and Disney in equal measure, accompanied by the Three Kings or Tres Reyes in their Royal finery. Sometimes the Kings ride atop floats, sometimes in open top cars and often they ride camels.

Throwing sweets from huge sacks into the crowds of excited children who line the route, the Three Kings make their way to the appointed place where the baby Jesus awaits them to re-enact the Nativity scene. Trailing at the back of the procession will usually be seen a float or a cart loaded with coal – the dreaded ‘gift’ which every child is threatened with getting if they don’t behave over the course of the year.  When they awake on the morning of January 6th, a public holiday in Spain and Latin America, the children will find the gifts they wrote and asked for, unless of course they haven’t been good, in which case… Unsurprisingly, every child is always well behaved enough to avoid the lump of coal on Twelfth Night

Traditionally ending in a fireworks display, the Tres Reyes parade is one of the most loved across the Canary Islands and makes for a very special family night out. If you’re on holiday at Sands Beach Resort or anywhere else on Lanzarote around the 5th January, pop along to the route of your nearest Tres Reyes parade and join in the fun. And if you’ll take our advice, it’s worth getting some catching practice in before you go to ensure you bag some of the flying goodies that will come your way.

Tres Reyes parades on Lanzarote will take place on January 5th at the following venues:

• Arrecife, 18.00 – Three Kings Parade beginning at Avenida Vargas before heading down La Marina and Mancomunidad and ending up at Playa del Reducto.
• Costa Teguise, 18.00 – Three Kings Parade.
• Haría, 16.30 – Children’s reception at the harbour. Three Kings Parade through the streets from 20.30, theme is ‘The House of Herod’.
• Puerto del Carmen (Varadero), 17.00 – The Three Kings arrive at the harbour.
• San Bartolomé, 19.00 – Three Kings Parade departs from the High School and ends in Parque Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente with a performance from the group Gimnasia de Aída Santana.
• Teguise, 18.00 -  Children’s musical ‘Christmas in Disney’ followed by the Three Kings Parade, which is themed ‘A Thousand and One Nights’, through the streets of the old town of Teguise ending with hot chocolate in the Museo de Timple.
• Tinajo, 17.00 – Three Kings will be in residence at San Roque prior to their parade at 17.00.

Think of Christmas in Costa Teguise and no doubt the image that pops into your head will be of gently swaying palm trees, blues skies, even bluer seas and a big golden sun ready to wrap visitors from Northern Europe in its warm embrace.

This is the seductive scene that awaits those who have opted to spend Christmas on Lanzarote. The only problem is that it might not sound very Christmassy. And, bah humbugs aside, most of us like to taste that magical festive spirit that comes with Christmas.

However, the reality of Christmas in Costa Teguise is that visitors can still enjoy a festive atmosphere with their sunshine. There’s a packed programme of fun events in the resort to celebrate Navidad (Christmas)…and you even get Santa Claus into the bargain.

Between the 15th December and the 5th of January, there are Christmas concerts, local folk groups, choir singers, parades, exhibitions and all sorts of seasonal goodies to add a festive glow to the sun tan, many within an easy stroll of Sands Beach Resort.

Visitors to Costa Teguise should enjoy the Teguise 40 en Navidad pop/rock concert in the car park at Playa de los Charcos on Saturday 17th December. The concert includes a load of bands and DJs and lasts from 8pm till 3am. Entrance is free.

Younger visitors will be thrilled to see Santa Claus has joined them in the sun at the Father Christmas in the Pueblo Marinero event in the centre of the resort on Thursday the 22nd of December. With concerts, dancing and games & fun for the children from 5.15pm, there’s something to keep the parents and children amused until 8pm when Santa Claus (or Papa Nóel as he’s known in Spain) arrives.

With those sort of ingredients combined with Lanzarote’s fabulous winter weather, Christmas at Sands Beach Resort and Costa Teguise promises somewhat of an irresistible package.

This year you have literally to step outside the front door of Sand’s Beach Resort to find yourself on the starting line of the 2011 Lanzarote International Marathon.

Proud sponsors of the event, Sands Beach Resort are offering some irresistible marathon holiday packages to competitors and their families so you can combine a winter sun getaway with some winter marathon training and a whole lot of fun.

Races and associated events are being held over the weekend of 2nd, 3rd and 4th December 2011 and will include full, half and quarter marathon races; a child’s marathon which is free to enter and a race fair taking place along the Costa Teguise promenade around Pueblo Marinero.

Book a three or four night marathon break around the Lanzarote International Marathon weekend and Sands Beach Resort will provide accommodation on a half board basis, your marathon entry fee, a special race day energy breakfast and 15% discount on sports massage and other treatments for just €45 per person, per day. Book between five and seven nights and the rate drops to just €40 per person per day.

Luxury apartments and villas set around swimming pool plazas where you can enjoy complete privacy and relaxation, combined with all the facilities of a gym and the services of a sports physiotherapist combine to make Sands Beach Resort the ideal base for sports enthusiasts and their families. Located on its own lagoon at the eastern edge of Costa Teguise, Sands Beach resort is ideally placed to take advantage of Lanzarote’s unique landscape and climate which lends itself so perfectly to an active holiday of cycling, running or water based sports.

It’s also a great base for anyone who enjoys walking; from promenade strolling to volcano hiking, Lanzarote has the terrain to suit. And with endless golden beaches, year round sunshine, fine wines and notable gastronomy the opportunity to combine quality leisure time with your fitness regime is just too good to miss.

Come and join us on the Lanzarote International Marathon weekend and see for yourself.

Start jogging along the coastal paths of Costa Teguise, line up some muscle treatment with physiotherapist Juan Montero at the Sands Beach Resort Wellness Centre and mark the date of Sunday 4th December 2011 on the calendar because the Lanzarote International Marathon is one event you won’t want to miss.

This year the all-important, all-inclusive marathon is being sponsored by Sands Beach Resort and Club La Santa and the course begins in Avenida Islas Canarias, right outside Sands Beach. From there, the course continues to Avenida del Jabillo where it heads towards the marina before joining the promenade all the way to Las Caletas, passing La Mareta, the Spanish royal family’s holiday residence en route.

Iron men and women will slog out four laps of the course for a 41.195km total marathon distance where they’ll be competing alongside top athletes. The event also welcomes wheelchair participants and we are looking forward to seeing some of our good friends and athletes participating on the day.

Less experienced athletes and those still wearing their marathon L plates may prefer the half marathon distance of 21.100km which is two laps of the course, while beginners and those who just want a good running workout can opt for the quarter distance of a single lap and 10.550km.

Trainee marathon runners, also known as children between the ages of 4yrs and 13yrs, will enjoy toning their muscles and showing off their potential in the 1km kid’s marathon to be held on Saturday 3rd December. Entrance is free and it should prove to be a fun family day out with the guarantee of tired children at the end of it.

With the ambient December temperatures creating the perfect climate, and the beauty of Costa Teguise as the setting, the Lanazarote International Marathon is bound to attract a big crowd so keep an eye on the official marathon website for registration opening.

Las Cucharas Beach in Costa Teguise is all set for the beginning of the 2011 PWA Windsurf World Tour on Thursday 30th June when the men’s Freestyle Tour comes to Lanzarote.
After watching three days of  jumps, jibes and aerials, you’ll be ready to get onto the dance floor for a few moves of your own, and who better to get your groove on to than the ‘organic dance music’ of Fuel Fandango at the Sands Beach PWA Tour close-out party.

A sexy, stylish duo comprising Producer and DJ Ale Acosta, formerley of Mojo Project, who was nominated for Producer of the Year in the Latin Grammy Awards of 2008 and charismatic vocalist and flamenco singer, Nita. Joined for live sets by drummer Carlos Sosa, the trio perform a high energy set, taking elements of funk, rock, pop and synthesizer, overlaying Nita’s ‘Amy Winehouse meets flamenco‘ vocals and Ale’s soulful electric guitar. Having no respect for the exclusivity of genres, Fuel Fandango have a unique and addictive sound which promises to raise the temperature and fill the dance floor.

Getting the night under way with their inimitable style, will be our very own Chocolate Sexy lz. Anyone who was at the Sands Beach Resort barbecue for Tri WWW will already know that their feet are in for a good workout and we can expect cover versions from U2, Coldplay, REM and Oasis to get the night off to a rocking start.

PWA Sands Beach Party
11pm, Saturday 2nd July at the Terrazza Biosfera de Arrecife, Avenida Fred Olsen, Arrecife; tickets €15 on sale at La Santa Surf shop, cafeteria  Biosfera de Arrecife and at Sands Beach Resort.

Going to the races may not exactly be the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of things to see and do on holiday in Lanzarote. But the island has the capacity to amaze visitors over and over again. Horse racing is just another example of the diverse range of activities that this wonderful island has to offer those who chose it as a holiday destination.

Lanzarote might not be famous for its horse racing, in fact even some people who live on the island don’t know that it takes place, but Lanzarote actually does have a horse racing season that runs (at a gallop) from March to November.

The races are great fun, featuring horses from France, England and Ireland and are nearly as exciting as a day at Newmarket…even if the outfits worn by spectators couldn’t be more different. Lanzarote’s hot climate means that T-shirts and shorts are more appropriate and comfortable.
The track is located at  the Hipódrome which is situated in the Complejo Agroindustrial just outside the lovely town of Teguise. For anyone staying at Sands Beach Resort it’s only a relatively short trot away.

Race meets don’t last long; usually not much more than an hour, with three races taking place during that time. That means there is plenty of time for lunch and a walk around Teguise afterwards.

The season, known as the Carrera de Caballos, got off to a start on 13th March but the second meet due on 17th April was postponed until 1st May. The dates after that are 29th May, 24th July, 21st August, 11th September, 2nd October and finally 12th November.

The first race usually starts at about 11.30 but it’s worth getting there a bit earlier. That’s not to ensure you get a good view (there’s usually no more than 1000 spectators) it’s more because Spanish times are not always precise, so races might start a little bit earlier…or a little bit later.

So how much is a day at the races going to cost you on Lanzarote? The answer to that is whatever it costs to travel to the course as entry to all the races is free.