Get Ready For The Lanzarote International Marathon on December 12th!

 

 Lanzarote undoubtedly has an amazing climate, with sunny warm weather almost every single day of the year. Combined with the beautiful beaches, scenic coastline, and unique volcanic landscape of the island, it is understandable as to why this is such a popular destination for tourists. Millions of visitors arrive at Lanzarote International Airport every year looking for a relaxing getaway where they can escape from the stresses of normal life. Lanzarote is the perfect place to get away from it all, as life here is generally of a slower, less stressful pace. 

"Evening Swim" in Costa Teguise (Photo Credit Simon Turkas)

 This is the Lanzarote that most people know about, but what might surprise many though is that Lanzarote is fast becoming a top sporting destination! A lot of this is also thanks to the famous year-round sunny climate. This makes it an ideal location for training as you will rarely be disrupted by bad weather conditions. Along all the popular coastlines such as at Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca, you will find people running or cycling. The rise in popularity of these sports is growing rapidly. There are also free to use exercise machines in all medium to large size towns, and even some of the small villages, and sports clubs and gyms opening up across the island. It seems like all of a sudden everyone wants to get fit! 

 Alongside this growth in training and sporting activity, Lanzarote is also host to some major sporting events. The most prestigious and well know is the IRONMAN Lanzarote event which is one of the toughest triathlon events in the world. Every summer thousands of competitors arrive in Lanzarote to compete in this extremely tough swimming, running and cycling event. It is not called IRONMAN for nothing (although of course women also compete)!

The second most prestigious event is the Lanzarote International Marathon which happens every year in December and is now in its 25th year on the island! Thousands of runners from all over the world arrive in Lanzarote to compete in this event which continues to grow ever more popular. The great thing about Lanzarote is that although the marathon takes place in the middle of winter, the conditions are still generally perfect. The average temperature at this time of year in Lanzarote is 19 degrees Celsius and sunny.

The Lanzarote International Marathon is also unlike most other marathons in the world. Many other major marathons take place within cities where you will of course be surrounded by urban architecture and general city noise and chaos. As mentioned earlier, Lanzarote has stunning beaches and a unique volcanic landscape. These provide an amazing backdrop to the route that the competitors run along. The scenery that you will see if you are competing is really amazing as you will be running right along the coastline. On one side there are beaches and the beautiful blue Atlantic ocean, and on the other side the picturesque towns of Puerto Del Carmen, Arrecife and Costa Teguise, and volcanic hills. All of this under a (generally) bright blue sky!

If you are not ready to compete in a full marathon, there are also the options of a half marathon, 10km or 5km runs. The Lanzarote International Marathon also aims to be very inclusive for all ages and abilities. There is a separate marathon day for kids with four separate distance categories, and also wheel chair competitors can take part in the main marathon. 

If you would like more information about the event or to book a place in the marathon, then head over to the website here: http://www.lanzaroteinternationalmarathon.com/home-en/ 

The full marathon is fully booked already but there are still places available in the other distances, but you will have to move fast as they are going quickly!

You can also follow the marathon social media channels to keep up to date with all the news:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram 

If you are planning to compete, good luck! 

Amazing Local Initiative Helping to Keep Lanzarote's Beaches Clean!

Lanzarote has some of the best beaches in Europe, and most of them are extremely well maintained and clean. Combined with what many call "the best climate in the world", and the incredible, unique volcanic landscape of the island which provides a stunning backdrop at many, they are the perfect place to spend the day. You can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, surfing, scuba diving, beach tennis, beach volleyball and a host of other activities. Alternatively they are an amazing place just to relax reading a book, sunbathing or enjoying some lunch. 

 

There are many tourist hot spot beaches such as in the main resorts of Puerto Del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise, and the beach of Arrecife. Due to the large number of tourists and locals who make use of these beaches on a daily basis these beaches are cleaned everyday by the local authorities. Due to this they more or less always look immaculate. Unfortunately the case cannot be said for some of the more remote and less touristic beaches. 

Playa Famara in the north of the island is a popular beach due to its stunning cliff backdrop, and also the waves and wind. The conditions there are often ideal for surfing and kite-surfing. There are many surf schools located in Famara, and if you are on the beach there you will often see groups learning to surf. Due to the windy conditions it is not always the most popular place to sunbathe, although many people have constructed rock barriers to get around this problem. 

Due to its location in the north away from the main tourist resorts, there are not so many tourists visiting the beach. Because of this you might think that the beach would be cleaner as there would be less people around to drop litter. In fact it is the opposite as it means the beach is not cleaned by the authorities as regularly due to fewer tourists. Playa Famara is an incredible beach but unfortunately if you look closely you will notice quite a substantial amount of litter. This includes bottle caps, crisp packets, cigarette butts, and many other bits of rubbish left by people who come to the beach. 

Visitors to the beach are not the only ones to blame though. Due to the strong currents that arrive on the northern shores of Lanzarote, huge amounts of micro-plastic arrives on the beaches. This micro-plastic will have come from many other parts of the world. It is bits of plastic waste like bottles, containers, and packaging that have been eroded over time into tiny bits that are floating across the world in the oceans. These are terrible for wildlife in the sea, and also make the beaches look ugly!

Micro Plastic (Photo Credit: Carlos Reyes)

Luckily there is a growing public movement to try and counteract this. Most people agree that we should all cut down on the use of plastic, especially for unnecessary things like plastic bags, and instead switch to reusable canvas bags for example. There is also a team that meets at least once a month, or sometimes more regularly called "Famara Limpia" which means Clean Famara. 

This is an organisation dedicated to keeping the beach at Famara clean from rubbish and micro plastic. They generally meet on the first Saturday of every month. This month though they met on the 14th of November. The Lanzarote Business and Residents Association think organisations and initiatives like this are very important, and like to support them in any way we can. As part of the LBRA team I was very happy to go along to this meeting with some friends. 

There were about twenty people at the meet up, each eager to go out and help with the clean up operation. We set out with large bags and it didn't take long to fill them with rubbish. In fact I managed to almost fill two large bags with rubbish and micro-plastic.

Me doing my bit! (Photo Credit: Carlos Reyes)

  I was amazed and dismayed at how much rubbish there was on this beautiful beach. After a couple of hours there was a large pile of bin bags full of the rubbish that the team had collected.

While the amount of rubbish there is terrible, it was great to see the effort of volunteers and suggest that change is happening and it's often lead by the public. This was also a good way to meet new people, and surprisingly fun!

If you would like to get involved and help out with future Famara clean-up operations then take a look at Limpia Famara's Facebook Page for all the details and dates.

Teguise Market Every Sunday has Something for Everyone!

Being a small island with a relatively low population, Lanzarote is not what you describe as a shopper's paradise, and most people that live or visit here are totally fine with that. Of course there are ample shops in some parts of the island such as Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca, Arrecife and Deiland Shopping Centre but the island has much bigger strengths. Some of the big names are starting to arrive on the island such as Mercadona and H&M, and this will surely increase as more people from abroad move here. 

What Lanzarote (currently) lacks in big name brands though, it makes up for with small independent and artisan stores and markets. There are a number of thriving markets around the island such as in Arrecife high street, Playa Blanca, and Puerto del Carmen's old town harbour. These are great to see as these are local people running their own businesses, and often selling locally produced items. The biggest and best market by far though happens every Sunday in Lanzarote's old capital of Teguise.

This market runs from 9am to 2pm each Sunday, and is one of the main tourist attractions on the island. There are literally bus loads of people arriving in Teguise every ten minutes or so on Sunday to see this wonderful event. It is great to see so many people walking around enjoying themselves, and it is great for the local economy. Unlike with big brand name superstores where the profits often leave Lanzarote and head to the company headquarters abroad, the profits from these market stalls stay with the locals that work there every week. 

There are so many different things on offer at the market that you will be spoilt for choice of what to buy. There is hand made jewellery, loads of aloe vera products, art, books, clothes, house hold decorations like candles, handmade soaps and beauty products, and lots of stores specialising in individual products like lovely handmade bookmarks, or handmade hanging wooden flower pot holders. These kind of products are quite unique and not easy to find elsewhere, so they make great gifts.

There is also a special food section with lots of products unique to Lanzarote or the Canary Islands such as Lanzarotian wine, or a stall selling cactus based food such as delicious cactus omelet or cactus jams.

If you are staying in Lanzarote for a week or more then we definitely recommend a trip to the Sunday market in Teguise. You will get a real flavour of Lanzarote and Canarian culture, with a real vibrancy and good vibe. In addition Teguise has centuries of tradition and history with some really interesting and beautiful features such as the impressive church, and square with an attractive fountain. As well as the food from the market stalls there are a huge number of different bars, cafes and restaurants where you can sit and put your feet up after exploring the market. These are perfect to sit at and people watch, with delicious local and international flavours and often live music to enjoy!

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See Incredible Sunsets in Lanzarote

Anyone who has been lucky enough to visit Lanzarote, or better still live here, will know that the sunsets are incredible! There is rarely a dull, completely cloudy day on the island. Instead you generally have clear beautiful blue skies during the daytime. This is all part of the often talked about "best climate in the world" of the Canary Islands. It might sound like a cliché, but the climate here in Lanzarote really is amazing!

Incredible light in Arrecife

These clear skies contribute to some absolutely stunning sunsets that sometimes seem almost unreal in their beauty. The colours that are created by the sun as it makes its descent below the horizon are mesmerising. Another contributing factor to the beauty of Lanzarote's sunsets has got to be the relatively small number of obstructions like big buildings, and artificial lights. Due to the small size of the island it is easy to reach the horizon and see the sun dropping down beneath the ocean. 

Stunning sunset at Los Hervideros

 Unlike other places, like the UK, where the climate and therefore the sunsets (and sunrises) are very much dependent on the time of year, you more or less have a great year-round climate here in Lanzarote. That means that at most times of the year here you are able to see beautiful sunsets, some of which are simply breathtaking.

Let us know in the comments below where in Lanzarote you have seen the best sunset and if you have any photos or videos we would love to see them. If you liked this blog post then please share on social media!

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Photo and video credit:
Simon Turkas

Welcome to the Lanzarote Business and Residents Association Blog

Lanzarote is a fascinating, beautiful and incredible island to both visit as a tourist and also to live on. In fact many people who come for a holiday decide to make this their home either straight away, or later on when they decide to retire. Although the Canary Islands are a Spanish territory, and the official language is Spanish, the number of foreign residents is high and continues to grow.

Of course a large part of the island's success at attracting new residents is down to the fantastic climate, with year round warm weather and blue, sunny skies. It is hot but not too extreme in the summer, and never gets cold in the winter. In fact the climate almost has a year-round spring like state.

Apart from the amazing climate which has been described by many as "the best climate in the world," the island has so much more to offer for both residents and businesses. With the amazing weather, the island is almost guaranteed tourists. This is absolutely ideal for businesses related to that sector, with around 90% of the islands working inhabitants employed within the tourism sector. Millions of people visit Lanzarote every year because of the climate, stunning scenery, beautiful beaches, variety of activities and things to see, and the high level of safety.

While Lanzarote is a amazing place to live, work, and visit on holiday, there are certain difficulties that may be experienced by both residents and tourists. One of the main barriers is language. Of course, non-Spanish speakers will face some difficulties if they don´t speak the language and need access to the local government, public services, or the legal system for example. While there have been improvements made over the years to accommodate the growing number of foreign residents, this is still a difficulty for foreigners on the island. This in turn is linked to setting up businesses, the local tax system, and dealing with the local council on any kinds of issues like planning permission.

Lanzarote Business and Residents Association was set up in 2009 to help its members to deal with these kind of problems, and also to work towards the common goal of improving tourism to Lanzarote and future investment in the island. This is achieved by the proactive involvement of the Association in public life of the island by meeting with local businesses, administrative bodies and other associations.

To help the Association to grow and to improve awareness of the benefits it can provide to its members, their friends and families, and the wider community within Lanzarote we have decided to set up this blog. Here we will share posts about upcoming events, members of the LBA, and the amazing island of Lanzarote that so many of us are lucky enough to call home!

We welcome any comments or suggestions below our posts, or alternatively you can contact us via our website or social media channels. Thanks for reading and make sure to subscribe to the blog.

If you would like more information about the LBA then you can contact us via email: info@lanzarotebusinessassociation.com

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  Photo credits Simon Turkas Photography