In a review of European luxury wellness retreats, The Independent newspaper commented:

The Life Change Retreat, Lanzarote

Stuart Forster and Lynn Oliver have been running holistic holidays at Villa Isis on Lanzarote for the past decade. Guests can enjoy pampering spa treatments, tailor-made yoga and breathing classes, lounge by the pool – or re-evaluate their lives. Course leaders help guests assess what they want from life and how to achieve their aims.

The Life Change Retreat  lifechangeretreat.com

The Times in the UK ran an article recently about taking holidays in Lanzarote away from the traditionally popular holiday areas.

They say:

The sight of Penelope Cruz, in Broken Embraces, locked in a loving clinch on windswept El Golfo beach is enough to make many people rethink their idea of Lanzarote, a Spanish island more often associated with time-share touts and package tourism. While the small pockets of development around its main resorts, Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise, attract the bulk of British holidaymakers and many of the 6,000 expats from the UK who live on the island, you need drive for only a few minutes to reach a world of whitewashed houses and volcanic expanses that prompted Pedro Almodovar, the film’s director, to enthuse about the island’s “sombre, monochrome beauty”.

To read the full article click here

For more details about Lanzarote including a Lanzarote weather forecast visit http://www.yourlanzarote.net

It’s not just holidays in Lanzarote that have suffered this year as the Euro gains strength against the pound, and the recession has persuaded some not to take an overseas holiday this year.

A recent article at Google illustrated well how the Spanish mainland has suffered too.

Here’s an extract -to read the full article click here

“This is the worst I have ever seen it. There is no one on the beach,” said Pedro Hervas who has sold freshly squeezed orange juice from a stand in the shape of a large orange installed on the boardwalk for the past two decades.

“If you came here last year at this time you would not be able to get around, there would be so many cars and people,” the 57-year-old added as he pointed to the road and beach in front of his stand.

During the first half of the year Spain received 23.6 million foreign visitors, an 11.4 percent drop over the same time last year, according to ministry of tourism figures.

The number of British tourists fell 16.3 percent during the period to 6.1 million.

The government predicts the number of foreign visitors to the country during the summer, which it defines as July, August and September, will drop by 10 percent.

The tourists who are coming are spending less than in other years, adding to the financial pain of shop and hotel owners.

Robert Downey, a 57-year-old former Glasgow taxi driver who runs a pub with a seafaring theme that serves fish and chips in Torremolinos with his wife, said his business is down between 30 and 40 percent this year.

“People used to come in at 9 o’oclock at night and have four or five drinks. Now they are coming in at 10 o’clock and having just two or three drinks. Many people are worried,” he said as he stood behind the counter of his empty bar.

Foreign visitors to Spain spent 20.9 billion euros (30.2 billion dollars) during the first six months of the year, a 7.6 percent drop over the same time in 2008, according to the tourism ministry.

Spain’s tourist sector accounts for around 11 percent of all jobs and the decline in the number of foreign visitors comes as the country is in its steepest recession in decades following the collapse of its property market.

Last year the country lost its spot as the second-most visited destination in the world to the United States, according to the Madrid-based United Nations World Tourism Organization. France has long been the number one destination.

Lanzarote and mainland Spain will be hoping for better news for 2010 holidays - for more Lanzarote information visit http://www.yourlanzarote.net

A big drop in the number of people staying in Lanzarote hotels has been reported by canaryislandnews.com
To see how much the drop in guests staying in hotels in Lanzarote is click here

An interesting article about Lanzarote appeared in the The Northern Echo  recently - here’s an extract:

The promise of guaranteed sunshine is enough to lift the blues for most people. Graeme Hetherington found a trip to Lanzarote was also the perfect cure for the financial gloom.

THE Canary Islands have long been a favourite destination for Brits looking to top up their tans and it appears the lure has not diminished over the years.

But the volcanic rocky outcrop in the Atlantic has more to offer the tourist than simply warm weather.

The island is a mix of old and new Spain, with a hint of North African influence.

Visitors interested in a beach break with the comforts of home are well catered for, but there is still plenty for people who want to escape from the full English breakfast and Irish bars.

The Sands Beach Resort in Costa Teguise, near the island’s capital Arrecife, was my base, and was perfectly placed to explore the entire island.

The apartments at the restort are ideal for families or singles. They are spacious and offer self-catering facilities to give residents the best choice of planning their day.

The resort has seven swimming pools and, with a lovely sandy beach and Costa Teguise, with its feel of a typical Spanish tourist destination, on its doorstep, there is almost no need to venture any further.

To read more click here

For today’s weather in Lanzarote see yourlanzarote.net

Not that long ago tradition dictated that a couple would date for an appropriate period of time, become engaged and finally get married. Often the wedding would be held at the local church or in another nearby location. The wedding details could be planned during the engagement.

But as times have changed, so have weddings and all to do with them. The practice of meeting someone and becoming intimate shortly thereafter has become the norm rather than the exception. Additionally, most people now accept that living together prior to marriage can strengthen the bond and make a wedding more meaningful when it does transpire.

However, there are mixed reactions to this new trend. Traditionalists still believe that living together should be saved for wedded couples. Nonetheless this trend is becoming increasingly more common and thus has gained the approval of many.

In recent times it seems that weddings have taken centre stage in the scheme of expenses that a couple shells out. As many people wait longer to marry the idea of the parents of the bride paying for the wedding is not as common as it used to be. In fact, many couples bear the expense themselves.

The economy may have something to do with this change as many people are struggling to make ends meet. This has resulted in many engaged couples feeling that the responsibility of the wedding costs should be theirs. Another factor to consider is that many people will be married at least twice in their life rather than once.

Weddings are sometimes very simple and sometimes extravagant. But some things remain constant in practically every wedding; things like having photos taken and beautiful flowers displayed. Food is almost always a consideration for the reception that follows the wedding.

This means that the bride and groom must choose a talented photographer to capture photos of that memorable day. After all, this is a day to remember. They will also need to find a reliable florist that can deliver the beautiful floral arrangements in a timely fashion. Additionally the couple will need to decide on the food that will be offered during the reception.

Those are only the essentials. In modern weddings things can get very complex. It is no wonder that wedding planning is an art all of its own! There are what seems to be hundreds of minute details that must be planned in advance for each extravagant wedding.

It is becoming commonplace for couples to wed at places outside of their home community. For example, some travel to unique locations or even vacation spots for the wedding. This happens for various reasons; some couples simply want to wed in beautiful surroundings that cannot be found near where they live. Others plan weddings in locations that are known for perfect weather conditions. Many British couples are now travelling to warm, sunny locations in order to decrease the risk of dealing with less than desirable weather.

Spain is a major beneficary of not just British newlyweds honeymoons, but often the wedding day itself, with some islands like Lanzarote having hotels that can cater for weddings and guests staying for an extended Lanzarote holiday. New technology means a couple can see how other couples have done it as some couples have made a Lanzarote blog with good advice.

Modern times seem to come with fewer rules and expectations related to relationships. In fact, couples can relax in knowing that almost anything they decide to do in regards to the development of the relationship will be widely accepted. From big weddings to small or even no wedding at all, it seems anything goes!

With all the stresses and strains of the Christmas and New Year holiday period not far away, why not consider spending a little time and money on yourself for 2009 with a villa holiday in Lanzarote?

With a year round average temperature of 21 degrees Celsius - 70 degrees farenheit - it beckons those who want to leave the cold behind during the winter for a week or two. Here, trade winds from the Azores combine with warm airflow blowing in from the Sahara desert.

Lanzarote is full of culture and charm from its Romance language (Spanish), to its natural beauty. Part of Spain, the island is 20 kilometers at its widest section and is 60 kilometers long. There’s a lot to see and do in a relatively small geographical area.

A Lanzarote villa holiday offers luxury and privacy at an affordable price. Villas are available from many specialist villa holiday companies with two to five bedrooms, which can sleep up to 10 guests. You can choose from country style to ultra-modern, whatever suits your tastes.

The Villas Kamezi in Playa Blanca is one example. They offer a luxury environment with a seafront view, a private garden and a private swimming pool. The Country House Tabayesco is rural luxury close to the beach and sits in a valley on Lanzarote. The Casita 6 Villas del Mar in Puerto del Carmen is of the bungalow style. Furnished, they provide great views of the southern coastline.

This is just an example of what a Lanzarote villa holiday can be like. The opportunities for sightseeing and activities that go along with a villa holiday abound in Lanzarote. You can go Canary trekking on the island. These walks let you discover the natural protected areas of Lanzarote and feature professional guides to accompany you. The Olita treks provide for country walks year round for you to explore lava fields.

What’s an island without beaches? A villa holiday in Lanzarote gives you pristine natural beauty you will savor â�� and a desire to return. Choose from quiet Playa del Jablillo in the resort area of Costa Teguise or Playa de Famara, which is popular with surfers and features majestic cliffs. Playa Flamingo, a family beach with blue water and white sand is another option. Again, these are just examples of the numerous beaches available to you during your Lanzarote holiday.

Lanzarote is a good place for the sports enthusiast looking at villa holidays. The wonderful climate throughout the year is conducive to a variety of sports activities. Take your pick of golf, diving, horseback riding, tennis and windsurfing.

Surrounded by water, this island offers an assortment of other water sports for your enjoyment. If you want pure downtime, lounge in your villa pool with one of those exotic beverages and a good novel. That’s what rest and relaxation is all about on Lanzarote.

Do you have an inclination for culture? A villa holiday in Lanzarote is incomplete without a visit to the island’s cultural destinations. Check out the National Park of Timanfaya, a volcanic geographical area with a myriad plant species. Stroll through El Jardín de Cactus (The Cactus Garden), old quarry that is now a cactus plantation with approximately 10,000 cactus types.

Also of interest is the Casa Museo Monumento al Campesino. This is the Peasan’s Monument and the Casa Museum. It celebrates the endeavors of the Lanzarote rural community. Children will love the Canary Cetacean Museum, an ocean environment dedicated to the study of the Canary Islands’ whale and dolphin community.

Villa holidays in Lanzarote are perfect for enjoying the privacy of your own holiday by the sea. They offer this privacy as well as full access to all entertainment and activities the island has to offer.

This island is a perfect winter getaway destination. A Lanzarote villa holiday will help you replace ice, slush and snow with icy drinks, surf and sun. And with the way the economy is at the moment there could be some good bargains out there for those who can still afford a holiday. Swap your home weather for the weather in Lanzarote this winter!