What are you doing on the 22nd May 2010?

If you'd like to be a volunteer for this year's Ironman Lanzarote 2010 event, please complete this registration form.

The Ironman Lanzarote website today has a count down of 71 days to the start of the island’s biggest sporting event of the year.  The Lanzarote Ironman is renowned as one of the toughest of the Ironman courses, now in its 19th year the 2010 entries were limited to a maximum of 1500 athletes and sold out within a couple of months after registration opened. These athletes have spent the last year dedicating hours of training every day improving their technique and building their stamina to a level where they can undertake this gruelling distance of: 

3.8km swim

180km bike

42.2km run

The start is at 7am as dawn is breaking, the first of the professional athletes will cross the finish line in just under 9 hours and the event closes at midnight where any athletes still running the course will be encouraged to stop at this point.

We are looking for volunteers to join with us and support these incredible athletes on the day:

The International day of the Woman is celebrated around the world on the 8th March. MARARÍA is the Asociación Social y Cultural para la mujer, based in Arrecife and offering help and support to women on the island.

MARARÍA have planned a programme of events for the month of March starting with the inauguration of a collection of work from artists Itziar Álvarez, Ani Ruíz Benal and Cristina Temprano at the Sala de Exposiciones at Charco de San Ginés in Arrecife.

It may surprise you to know that there is a thriving classic car scene on the island – with some great examples of cars from decades past making regular appearances.

There was a recent rally in Tias, and Oliver Pérez shot some fabulous film of it, which you can see below:

Cars include a 70’s Mercedes S Class, and lovely bewinged 60’s 230 S, a Fiat 500, a couple of Minis and even a Citroen Traction Avant.

More than 40 Ducati motorcycles will be cruising the roads of Lanzarote from the 25th February through to the 4th March 2010. Ducati selected Lanzarote as the venue to road test their new 2010 Multistrada 1200 and move than 120 motor industry press journalists have been invited to the island to review the motorbike. The launch was welcomed by the Lanzarote Tourist Board, Ducati are a great Italian brand and ambassador to help promote the island of Lanzarote in Italy.

The press launch was organised in colaboration with the Patronato de Turismo y la Sociedad de Promoción de Lanzarote, the venue was selected as the Tourist Centre at Timanfaya and will bring International press from around the world.

The schedule for the week is:

Thursday 25th February: Italian & Japanese

Friday 26th February : English & French

Saturday 27th February: Northern Europe

Tuesday 2nd March: USA, Brazil, Switzerland, Greece, India, Malaysia, Taiwan and Portugal

Wednesday 3rd March: Spanish, Canary Islands & Lanzarote

Thursday 4th March: Australia, Czech Republic, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Korea & Thailand

When we booked a holiday in France, little did we know how difficult it was going to be to get there from Lanzarote! We ended up flying to the UK, taking a train to the coast and then a ferry over to France, the flight was delayed by one hour, the boat left without us and we were left stranded at the docks wondering what to do the night before Christmas!

Good news! There is now a weekly direct flight service with a Boeing 737/800 with 189 seats from Lanzarote to Paris Orly with airline Transavia. The flights are scheduled each Friday and looking at the monthly overview the cheapest connection is €76.40 but generally under €100. The outgoing flight makes a stop in Gran Canaria but the returning flight is direct from Paris Orly South.

Additionally airline Excel will operate from Paris to Lanzarote during the months of July and August with twice weekly flights. Luis Arraez the Councillor for Tourism said that the Tourist Board of Lanzarote had been looking to consolidate air travel between France and the island and the agreement was part of their Marketing Plan for 2010.

Flights to and from Lanzarote

Car hire in Lanzarote

The landscapes of Lanzarote are featured in the March 2010 edition of the fashion magazine Vogue Paris.

Photographer Cédric Buchet captured model Eniko Mihalik posing in allied forces themed clothing and a jeep in various locations on the island.

The shoot “Mission Lanzarote” was styled by Anastasia Barbieri. Thanks to Elsa Sky Walker in Rouen for scanning the article!

Mission Lanzarote - Casual coalition des vacances. Forces Alliées du bien-être, les bruns et kaki explorent toutes les formes de la détente la plus estivale.

Binter the Canary Islands island hopper airline have a cute campaign for San Valentín, they want you to send them your kiss!

Photos of the kisses can be seen on their Facebook page and the most voted kissers will win a pair of flight tickets around the Canary Islands. To take part you need to upload your photo and start accumulating your votes, the deadline for voting is 23:59 on Sunday 14th February 2010.

We were shocked when news emerged earlier today both in local Spanish press here and daily newspapers in the UK regarding the incident that took place on Saturday 6th February 2010 at the restaurant La Vaca Loca in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote.

The news published said that a group of six men who are reputed to be Welsh Guards and on the island for a training excercise had been arrested on suspicion of violence and criminal damage. The men named as Christopher Faulkner, Darren Meek, Thomas Lawrence, Steven Parry, Carl Tyers and Craig Jones have been remanded in custody at the Tahiche prison pending further investigation.