This week we’re slightly ahead of the season and are full of the joys of spring at Sands Beach Resort. Fresh from the heady victory of our sponsored athlete Nico Ward in the Enduroman Olympic Triathlon competition on Sunday, we’re now giving away a week in our tropical paradise FREE.

Working in partnership with our good friends at Tenerife Magazine, Sands Beach Resort are offering one week’s, half board holiday absolutely free to the winner of the Tenerife Magazine holiday competition. All you have to do to participate is to answer a simple question and submit your entry form for your name to go into the draw at the end of March 2012. If your name is pulled out of the hat you could soon be enjoying a sun filled holiday on a half board basis as our guests.

Sands Beach Resort is the perfect getaway location whatever type of holiday you choose to enjoy. Whether you want to spend your days idly catching the sun’s rays and enjoying the landscapes, wines and Lanzarote lifestyle or taking advantage of the island’s incredible sporting facilities to flex your muscles and raise your fitness levels, or combining sport and leisure to mix and match the perfect vacation – look no further.

For leisure lovers Sands Beach Resort offers beautiful, spacious rooms and villas placed around pretty, swimming pool plazas and beach front villas where you can enjoy complete privacy. Stroll into Costa Teguise for a little shopping, lie by the pool soaking up the sun’s rays or take to the water to fill your days with self indulgent pleasure. Floating on an island in the lagoon is the popular Mai Tai bar and swimming pool where you can enjoy top notch pizzas, tasty barbecue snacks, home made ice creams and a dizzying choice of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails and drinks. The on-site Hacienda Restaurant offers a full buffet of hot and cold choices for breakfast and dinner and can meet any special or sports dietary requirements by arrangement.

For sports enthusiasts the traditionally designed resort incorporates its own tennis courts, cycle hire, a well equipped gym and its own physiotherapist for relaxation or sports massages and treatments. In easy reach of windsurfing, kite boarding and diving facilities as well as excellent hiking and cycling trails, you can pick and mix your activities to your heart’s content.

Does any of this sound like it might be right up your holiday street? Then what are you waiting for? You have to be in it to win it – as they say. Good Luck!

Images courtesy of James Mitchell

Find out what’s happening in Costa Teguise in February

The last stall at the International tourism fair, Fitur 2012 has hardly been taken down and already there’s good news for Lanzarote’s tourist industry coming out of the prestigious event in Madrid.

Lanzarote and Sands Beach Resort might have more of a French flair from February with the island’s tourism minister, Astríd Pérez announcing a direct flight from Paris beginning on 19th of February. She told press that French tour operators Thalasso No1 also were interested in introducing another route during summer months, this time linking Nantes/Lyon with Lanzarote.

As well as the French connection, flying to Lanzarote will get even easier for Scottish holidaymakers when British tour operators Jet2 introduce direct flights from Glasgow from 29th of March. The company already operate flights to Lanzarote from Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and the East Midlands.

Thanks to demand from people wanting to visit Lanzarote, Jet2 will be increasing seats of flights by 29% over the summer months bringing an estimated 112,300 visitors to soak up some of Lanzarote’s generous sun and hospitality.

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

Sands Beach Active recently caught up with World Kite Boarding Wave Champion Guilly Brandao to talk to him about his 5th World Title Crown and what his plans are for 2011. Here’s what he had to say:

SB Active: First off, congrats on your 5th World Champ Title. How does this year’s title compare with previous years?

GB: This year was really special for me, the final stop of the tour was in Australia and I lived there for 3 years back in 2000, when I still wasn’t quite sure what to do about life…and soon after that I found kitesurfing and became a pro. So to go back there after 10 years to be crowned the world champ was kind of coming full circle.

SB Active: And what are you up to these days?

GB: Right now I’m in Hawaii for the winter season, awesome waves and good winds..!

SB Active: Tell me about this KSP Dream Tour I’ve been hearing about?

GB: The KSP will be a Waveriding tour with the aim to make the stops on the best locations as possible, with the best media coverage and the best riders.

SB Active: So I guess we’re going to be seeing you again real soon at Sands Beach for the clinic you are hosting. What do you look forward to most about getting back to the Canaries?

GB: Yeah I love the Canary Islands….every time I go there its super fun, lots of wind all the time, really beautiful scenery wherever you look and a lot of nice people to be around…and of course Sands Beach!

SB Active: Well thanks for your time and the best of luck on the upcoming season and hopefully your 6th World Champ title in as many years. See you in Lanzarote!

Guilly will be arriving in Lanzarote just in time for the PKRA Lanzarote World Tour Pro, which is being hosted by Sands Beach Active and La Santa Surf from the 6th -10th of April 2011. Make sure and come on down to take in the action and see some of the world’s best kite surfers from around the globe compete for the top prize of 15.000€.

If you haven’t been to carnival in the Canary Islands, you’re about to experience one of the most enjoyable and colourful times to really let loose and have some fun in the Lanzarote sun.

Visitors to Sands Beach Resort at the end of March are in for an absolute treat. Not only do you get to wallow in some warm winter sun, you’ll be in a prime position to see one of the highlights of the Costa Teguise carnival, the Gran Coso. This collection of decorated floats, dance groups, carnival queens and dames and hordes of revellers in fancy dress that make up carnival’s most flamboyant parade starts its exuberant journey through the Costa Teguise streets from Sands Beach. So our guests are in the perfect location for getting up close and personal with the imaginative characters in the parade. It’s a wonderful opportunity to capture some unforgettable images on the camera’s memory stick.

For those wanting a full on carnival experience, Sands Beach Resort also has its own float in the parade and we’d love it if guests would join us. All we ask of anyone wishing to join the party is that you embrace the carnival spirit by wearing fancy dress. There’s an animal theme for the float this year so that provides lots of scope for some fun costumes.

The Gran Coso parade takes place on Saturday 26th March, leaving Sands Beach Resort at 6.30pm. From there it sings and dances its way through Costa Teguise to the Poblado Marinero where the fun continues with the hilarious Drag Queen Gala followed by a lively carnival ball to the sultry Latino sounds of the Maquinaria Band at 11.30pm.

At Sands Beach we’ve also got a full carnival programme of partying and surprises in the hotel planned for the big carnival weekend. As always carnival promises to fun, fun, fun and we’re really looking forward to you joining us.

The year 2011 is barely six weeks old and already it has seen monumental events that have changed the faces of Tunisia and Egypt.

While images of protester clashes with authorities have filled our newspapers and TV screens, foreign embassies have issued advice against all but essential travel to both Tunisia and Egypt, creating havoc in the tourism industry of both countries and holiday misery for thousands.
The full implications of the changes in world political terms have yet to unfold but in the short term, those who have had their holiday travel plans cancelled are likely to look to the Canary Islands as an alternative destination.

Lying just 500 miles off the coast of Morocco, the beautiful island of Lanzarote enjoys the same warm, sunshine filled days as Egypt and Tunisia throughout the winter but with higher daily sunshine hours and without the rapid drop in nightly temperature. The arid, flat landscape and uniformly white, low rise buildings are reminiscent of its north African neighbours while its crystal clear waters with their annual average temperature of around 20ºC are a scuba diver’s dream.

In the popular tourist destination of Costa Teguise, Sands Beach Resort is gearing up in order to receive additional guests whose holiday plans have been affected by the situation in Egypt and Tunisia. From its privileged position alongside the lovely salt water lagoon of Los Charcos Beach, Sands Beach Resort offers the highest standard of accommodation in luxury villas and apartments which line the lagoon beach front or surround  palm lined plazas and swimming pools.

Working in partnership with local companies, Sands Beach Resort offers excellent facilities and a host of activities including tennis, cycling, surfing, windsurfing, kite boarding and not least, scuba diving to allow its guests to capitalise on Lanzarote’s deserved reputation as an active holiday destination.

With predictions of around 300,000 holidaymakers looking to book alternative holidays to the Canary Islands, hotels across the islands are likely to see a rapid increase in the demand for rooms at what is already one of their busiest seasons. Sands Beach Resort are currently running their Spring into Action offer of 25% discount on holiday bookings made before the 15th February 2011. Those affected by the crises in Egypt and Tunisia would do well to make early arrangements to book an alternative holiday and take advantage of the savings before places fill up.

There are a number of ways to get up close and personal with Lanzarote’s dramatic volcanic landscape. The easy option is to take a coach excursion and maybe even bump your way up a trail through the lava fields on the back of a camel. However, the ultimate way for local or visiting professional and amateur athletes to experience Lanzarote’s out of this world scenery is by taking part in Lavatrail Lanzarote 2011 which takes place on 19th February.

A real adventure and test of endurance levels, the most demanding Lavatrail route crosses a challenging 82 kilometres of volcanic landscape, coastal roads and rugged mountainous trails. And just to spice things up a little the route has to be completed within 17 hours over the course of one day. This is extreme sightseeing, Lanzarote style.

There are various Lavatrail options for individuals and groups with the shortest route being 18km and the greatest test of stamina being the 82km extreme challenge.
Registration fees range from €20 to €70 depending on Lavatrail routes chosen and inscriptions should be made online at lanzarotedeportes.com before 11th February.

For anyone staying at Sands Beach Resort who is tempted by the challenge of pitting themselves against the island’s rugged terrain, there’s one thing you can be certain of. Whatever route you choose, by the time you complete the course your bed at Sands Beach is going to feel like even more of an oasis of comfort than usual.

Whilst we’re all enjoying the winter sunshine, Sands Beach Resort Directors have been braving the British November chills to help promote Sands Beach and Lanzarote at the World Travel Market in London.

As the most prestigious and important event in the travel industry calendar, it is the essential place to be to find out the latest developments in the world of tourism.  More importantly, with all of the biggest names in the travel business attending, it also presents the perfect opportunity to promote Lanzarote.

Apart from the business negotiations taking place at the World Travel Market, there’s also a lot of fun stuff, with super sexy cars on display, wine tasting, Moulin Rouge dancers at the French stand, falcons at the Abu Dhabi stand, massages at the Thai stand and even a waxwork of James Bond’s Daniel Craig at one of the UK stands.

But what about the important business of attracting more visitors? Well there’s already great news this week for Sands Beach and Lanzarote as Monarch Airlines announced that they would be making an additional 6,000 seats available over the Christmas and New Year period to the Canary Islands and Cyprus with a good proportion of these being allocated to the Gatwick to Lanzarote route.

Sounds like a Merry Christmas is going to be had by a lot more people on Lanzarote this year.

Costa Teguise is one of the most popular destinations in Lanzarote and with a wide choice of established hotels it takes a lot to win international recognition. Sands Beach Resort Hotel has shone through though to be voted the best hotel in Costa Teguise for the second year running by Zoover, Europes biggest holiday review website.

Zoover uses feedback from customers and guests, the people that experience the holidays. They have all been impressed by the beachfront location of the family friendly hotel with its unique sea water lagoon and easy access to the beaches and the friendly town of Costa Teguise. Sports are well catered for at Sands Beach Resort Hotel with everything from tennis  to wind surfing as well as a fully equipped gym.

But overall it’s probably the relaxed feel of staying at Sands Beach Resort Hotel, friendly helpful staff, lots of entertainment for the children and a wide choice of food and drink options on site. Whilst they wont rest on their achievements so far, you wouldn’t bet against Sands Beach Resort Hotel making it a hat trick of victories next year.