Forged in the heat of the volcanoes, Lanzarote has always attracted the fit and the sporty from cyclists to walkers and has become the place to be for triathletes but now Playa Blanca is the stage for the ultimate challenge.

Enduroman comes to the southern point of Lanzarote on 4th and 5th February with competitors testing themselves at a combination of swimming, cycling, and running. Wimpen guests at Las Brisas and Las Casitas will be able to enjoy the thrills and excitement as the challenge unwinds around the village, and then return to the relaxation of our pools, sunbeds, and bars.

You might want to pull up a comfy chair just to read what these athletes are taking on, it’s enough to take your breath away.

• Double Enduroman – Saturday 4th Jan at 2pm, Swim 3.8 kms, Cycle 180 kms, Run 84 kms
  Enduroman – Sunday 5th at 8am, Swim 3.8 kms, Cycle 180 kms, Run 42 kms
  Medio Enduroman – Sunday 5th at 10pm, Swim 3.8 kms, Cycle 180 kms, Run 21 kms
  Olimpico Enduroman – Sunday 5th at noon, Swim 3.8 kms, Cycle 180 kms, Run 10 kms

That should be enough to test anyone. Normally the activity in Playa Blanca is sedate and restful consisting of strolling along the front to watch the ferries come in and out or to find the best spot on the beaches.

December AGM Meetings are to be held at :

THE VILLAGE LEISURE HOTEL

Dolomite Avenue, Coventry Business Park, Coventry CV4 9GZ

Sueno Azul – Saturday 3rd December at 10.30am

El Marques – Saturday 3rd December at 1.30pm

Las Casitas – Sunday 4th December at 10.00am

Las Brisas – Sunday 4th December at 1.30pm

As Carnaval season binds its spell on the Canary Islands Lanzarote is gearing up for a whole series of regional events. Where ever you are living or visiting on Lanzarote it’s time to dress up and dance, the really hardy party goers will probably be popping into all the Carnavals.

It all starts in the capital city Arrecife with the longest party from 25 February to 9 March, all under this years theme of Opera. The big parade takes place on Monday 7th March when all ages unite to show off their costumes and to dance the night away. The capital doesn’t get it all its own way, there is a lot of pride at stake as other towns pull out the stops to try and outshine their rivals-

Playa Blanca will be awakening memories of childhood with their theme of Fairytales for their Carnaval from 17 to 20 March. It’s a great chance for our guests at Las Brisas and Las Casitas to enjoy the flavours and colours of this great Lanzarote tradition. The highlight of the celebrations is the big parade on Saturday 19 March from 5pm. Music and fireworks always play a big part and everyone is invited to join in.

Those with the stamina can also dip into the fun and games at Puerto del Carmen from 10 to 12 March and Costa Teguise from 25 to 27 March. The good news is that after all that late night partying the beaches and pools of Lanzarote will always be there to encourage a much needed relaxation under the clear sunny skies.

Please note that the AGM 2010 Minutes are now available in the Owners Log In for El Marques, Las Casitas and Las Brisas.

Owners will be aware that for those with an Escritura it is necessary to obtain an NIE Number for their villa(s) in Tenerife & Lanzarote and since it is a simple procedure to apply direct to a Spanish Consular General Office in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, I thought it would be of interest to relate my experience for the benefit of other owners who may be contemplating applying for an NIE Number.

My villa at Las Rosas is owned jointly with my wife and on 16th October last we visited the Consular General´s office at 20m Draycott Place, London SW3 2RZ, just a few minutes walk from Sloane Square Tube Station, where we met a Consular Officer – a lady, who was very courteous and helpful.

YOU MUST APPEAR IN PERSON AND TAKE WITH YOU:-

A) Form EX-14 IN DUPLICATE – two for each owner, this form may be downloaded from the Spanish Consulate´s website www.conspalon.org or alternatively obtained from WimPen´s Admin Office in Tenerife, and since this form is printed in Spanish and MUST be completed in Spanish online, PDF or on a typewriter, NOT HANDWRITTEN, I decided to contact WimPen whose Admin staff were very helpful and in addition to copies of the Spanish Form will also send you an English version as a guide, which will undoubtedly help facilitate your completion of the form.
Complete the Spanish form in front of the Spanish Consular Officer, who will then stamp the form and hand one copy of the form back to each owner. The retained copy will be forwarded to Madrid and in 1 – 3 months time the NIE Number will be forwarded to WimPen in Tenerife for personal collection in due course.

B) YOUR VALID PASSPORT and a photocopy of the page in your passport containing your personal details, but make sure you also copy the blank page opposite your personal details which will also be stamped and retained by the Consular Officer.

I am pleased to say that this service was provided completely free of charge. No passport size photographs were required, I did take my Escritura with me.

We arrived at the office at 10.50am and left at 11.00am – an excellent and efficient service, and we will collect the NIE certificates from WimPen when we next visit Las Rosas in August.

As indicated, the procedure is very simple and if any Las Rosas owner(s) would like to discuss the matter my email address is nallen772@btinternet.com

Nevilla Allen – Villa 50 – Weeks 35 & 36.

Now the dust has settled a little , we have been pleased to hear from many of you and thought we´d share some of the emails received:

“After travelling for 3 days – arrived home exhausted! Met some terrific helpful people on the journey, Saw a lot of Spanish & French countryside.
Thanks to everyone in the office, particularly those that helped with the “bodywork repair” to our hire car with a sink plunger!!
See you next year.”
Mr & Mrs Cox – Owner Las Rosas

“Josi at WimPen Sueno Azul was marvelous, she tried and succeeded in helping everyone. I thought the price charged for the additional week was fair, no attempt was made on your part to profit from the situation – took all the stress away for me and my grandchildren. Thankyou”
Mr & Mrs Barrett – Owner El Marques

“Thank you for all you help at a difficult time. This experience has not put us off our visits to Las Rosas we will be back” – Many thanks to all the staff
Mr & Mrs Howe – Owner Las Rosas

“We cannot express our gratitude enough as to how helpful & kind everyone was in such difficult circumstances. I would recommend Las Brisas to everyone as at no point was anyone trying to make a “fast buck”, like many others around the world.”
Sara Denton – Las Brisas

No matter how comfortable and enjoyable your resort is, you will always feel the pull of the beach. Tenerife and Lanzarote both have a fine selection to choose from, and another clutch of European Union blue flags has just been awarded for cleanliness and quality on many of your favourite bathing places.

In Lanzarote, Playa Blanca has been rewarded, very handy for guests at Las Brasas and Las Casitas resorts. In Tenerife, there is also good news, with Las Vistas beach in Los Cristianos adding to its annual collection of blue flags, very tempting to those staying at Los Claveles. Playa la Arena on the west coast is another beach that is no stranger to these awards, and is just a short stroll from Las Rosas and El Marques.

In total, the Canary Islands have been awarded 38 blue flags this year, a fitting reward for the efforts put in by the local councils. Of course if sea and sand don’t appeal to you, all of our resorts have excellent swimming pools with full services close to hand.

We have now released new rental prices for all of our resorts in Tenerife, Lanzarote and Spain for 2009/2010, including new discounts for owners.  Contact Wimpen Management for more information.

Book your Rental for 2009/2010

From tip to toe, Lanzarote is an island of beauty and wonder, re-born with a new volcanic covering, it has been carefully nurtured to blend new developments with the history, culture and scenic heart of the island. Las Brisas and Las Casitas are two of Wimpen Leisure Managements most popular resorts, featuring low level villas that make the most of the landscape around them.

Playa Blanca is at the southern most tip of Lanzarote, and combines a  busy port with fine sandy beaches, and a modern marina. The sand dunes of Fuerteventura are clearly visible, just a 12 minute ferry ride away, just past the tiny island of  Los Lobos.

The old town stretches out along the sea front, and the promenade and narrow streets behind are both filled with a mix of captivating small shops and tasty restaurants. A brisk 20 minute walk along the front, and you are at the stylish new Marina Rubicon, where wooden bridges, plazas, and walkways come together to link the designer shops and wide range of restaurants and bars.

Playa Blanca is a very special corner of Lanzarote and a popular place to make a home.