I'm very knowledgeable about the Canary Islands as a holiday and travel destination, with particular reference to Lanzarote which I have visited many times. I know the island well and made many guest appearances on UKAway, Lanz's English radio station when it was broadcasting. I've written about life, leisure, work and property within the Canaries and Spain offering tips and advice for magazines and as university papers. Included are;
From Leeds To Lanzarote With Bike cover-featured article (2,300 words) issue 5, Cycling World magazine. Article follows below:
Lanzarote is the most easterly of the Canary Islands and just 70 miles off the coast of Africa,
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Lanzarote is the most easterly of the Canary Islands and just 70 miles off the coast of Africa,
The island has many small fishing villages with greatCanarian restaurants, tapas bars and
bodegas. Cliff tops with breath-taking sea views on one side and winding roads leading
to picturesque inland valleys on the other provide a magnificent visual backdrop
for Lanzarote's many cyclists-resident or visitor.
Richard Tandy, originally a postman and
then a manager, and his postie wife
Jill had worked for the Royal Mail in Leeds; "We'd done 40 years
between us
and thought it was time for a change. We
were stressed out with work. I suffered
badly with my health. I'd be off with
stress and depression. It got to the stage
Many bike enthusiasts use foreign holidays
to explore different cycling terrains
and conditions. Handyman Richard Tandy,
from Leeds, went one step further; he
emigrated to the holiday island of Lanzarote to
pursue his passion.
Setting off from his three bedroom house in
Tias, a small residential town close
to Lanzarote's only airport at Arrecife one
of Richard's favourites rides takes
him up the northern fishing village of Arrieta-a
perfect place for a lunch time
snack or something more substantial with
great views of the Atlantic Ocean.
He'll then head inland going up a steep and
precarious incline in the process.
Says Richard, "From Arrieta I go up to
Tabayesco village. By this point I'll have
done about 50kms. I'll then climb another
10 kms up to Haria hill which has five
hairpin bends so not many cars go up. They
tend to go on the main road from
Arrieta."
Lanzarote's most popular tourist attraction
is the Timanfaya National Park with
its' ashen, scarred landscape, dormant
volcanoes and spent cones. Timanfaya is
barren and eerie and so similar to the moon
that NASA showed the Apollo 13
astronauts detailed images of it to prepare
them for their lunar landing. The
extreme scenery is the backdrop for another
of Richard's favourite rides; "I'll
ride through Timanfaya and then come back
through La Geria, the wine district
which is very nice. The roads through the
park have all been tarmacked so
they're lovely to cycle on."
The Lanzarote terrain can be quite hilly
with the entire centre of the island
being on a raised plain. It's a challenge
Richard enjoys; "I think it adds to it. No
matter where you go in Lanzarote you're
going to have to go up hills sometime.
I like going up the hills and
mountains. You can ride faster in
Lanzarote than in
the UK
because you're not worried about the roads. Last time I rode in the UK it
rained so you couldn't see the potholes.
You had to be so careful.
"Lanzarote is quite windy. On the flat
I can average about 30 kms an hour.
Coming downhill if you've got the wind
behind you it could be 80 or 90 kms an
hour".
The most easterly of the Canary Islands and just 70
miles off the coast of Africa,
Lanzarote has a warm, temperate climate
with less than 20 days of rain a year.
More than a million tourists visit the
island annually and there are substantial
British and Irish communities. Lanzarote is
only 40 miles long by 20 miles wide,
with good modern roads perfect for cycling.
The island has a wide variety of on
and off road biking routes that are
complemented by stunning views of the
dramatic volcanic landscape, seas of
solidified lava and the occasional palm
tree.
Besides Arrieta Lanzarote has many other
small fishing villages with great
Canarian restaurants, tapas bars and
bodegas. Cliff tops with breath-taking sea
views on one side and winding roads leading
to picturesque inland valleys on the
other provide a magnificent visual backdrop
for Lanzarote's many cyclists-
resident or visitor.
Richard Tandy, originally a postman and
then a manager, and his postie wife
Jill had worked for the Royal Mail in Leeds; "We'd done 40 years
between us
and thought it was time for a change. We
were stressed out with work. I suffered
badly with my health. I'd be off with
stress and depression. It got to the stage
where I was going to take all my tablets at
one point I was so bad with it."
Deciding to emigrate, the Tandys explored
several different options before
settling on Lanzarote, as Richard explains;
"We came on holiday to Lanzarote to
visit a friend and she said there'd be
loads of work for a good handyman and
why not come here?"
Richard and Jill left their jobs working
for the GPO in 2004. Jill started cleaning
holiday villas and Richard established
himself as ‘Handy Tandy’, turning his UK
DIY sideline into a full-time job, working
mainly for Lanzarote's large ex-pat
community.
"In some ways we were nervous about
making the break," Richard admits.
"Working for the Post Office you've
got a regular wage and your holidays paid
for. But you've got no social life because
you start work at 5 am! Here we've got
a social life and are pretty well
established with work."
A veteran cyclist Richard brought his Trek
Madone 5200 road bike to Lanzarote
with him. He's since updated to a Cervelo
Soloist that he bought from Pro Bike
in La Santa village on Lanzarote's west
coast. The village is sustained by Club
La Santa, an internationally renowned
sports centre that offers an extensive
programme of cycling events, holidays and
equipment for sale or rent.
Pro Bike is an independent shop run by
Steve Naylor (originally from Barnsley!)
and Maria Kalashnikoff. Says Richard;
"Steve does all my repairs and is, I would
say, the best bike mechanic on the island.
He carries most parts but because
Lanzarote is an island everything has to be
flown in or shipped over".
Lanzarote's
three main resorts-Puerto Del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa
Blanca and the island's capital of
Arrecife-also all have well equipped
shops
where road and mountain bikes can be hired
or bought along with parts and
equipment.
In addition to riding in the UK and
Lanzarote, Richard has also cycled in France
(up Alp D'Huz) and Austin Texas where he
rode 100 miles in the Lance
Armstrong Ride For The Roses to raise money
for his charity.
In Lanzarote Richard normally rides every
Saturday and Sunday, covering about
100 kms per ride. During the summer months
he also goes out a couple of nights
a week, doing another 60 kms each time. He
says;"When I was in the UK
cycling
for me was a release from work. Now it's
exercise and seeing the scenery. It also
gives me time to think."
Despite having started on a mountain bike
before progressing onto a road bike
and the rugged landscape, trails and tracks
that are an integral part of the
Lanzarote environment, Richard doesn't
bother with mountain biking; "It just
doesn't appeal to me," he admits.
"I prefer the road and getting the miles in
rather than going over rough terrain".
Sometimes on a Sunday. Richard and Jill
will cycle to Arrecife and back from
nearby Matagorda. Says Richard; "The
path on the seafront takes you under the
flight path of the planes landing at the
airport and there's talk of extending the
cycle path along the sea front to Costa
Teguise. When we get home I have
something to eat and then, as Jill says, go
out on my road bike for a proper
ride!"
A recently completed 205 km cycle track
covers the entire island divided into six
sections. As a seasoned cyclist who has ridden
virtually every road on Lanzarote
many times, Richard tends to devise his own
rides rather than follow recognised
routes. "I go on different routes.
Sometimes I'll just set off and decide as I'm
riding. Sometimes I plan it beforehand in
my mind."
Strong tides have made the fishing village of Famara in the north west of
Lanzarote popular with surfers. Famara's
horseshoe-shaped bay is circled by the
awe-inspiring Risco de Famara range of
cliffs and Richard likes to make the 75
km ride across from Tias as he explains;
"When I do that one I'd normally go
round La Santa village first then down to
Famara. Famara is very windy and you
get a lot of sand on the road. You've got
to be careful of that. The road back up
has all been tarmacked and good to ride.
Then it's about 10km to the roundabout
at the bottom of the hill up to Teguise
village."
Surprisingly, despite Lanzarote being a
cyclists paradise there aren't any real
cycling competitions, as Richard points
out; "It's all Triathalons. Apart from
Ironman, the other week there was a small
one at La Santa which was 1.6 km
swimming, 40 km on the bike and 10 km
running. Then there's the Ocean Lava
which goes round El Golfo and Femes and the
Arrecife marathon which is
normally held in December. But actual cycle
racing on its' own isn't in any of
that".
Lanzarote has more than its' fair share of
well known people coming out to
cycle, as Richard relates; "Jensen
Button is a regular. This year we had Alonso
and Massa from the
Ferarri team. And a lot of cycling teams come for their
winter training."
Something every cyclist who visits
Lanzarote has to be aware of is the heat. In
addition to the legally compulsory
helmet, suncream and sun glasses also
need
to be packed. Says Richard;
"The teams are professional so they're
used to the heat as the temperatures they
have to race in while competing in the
Giro, Tour and Vuelta are similar to
what we get here. They come for winter
training as we have good year round
temperatures and not a lot of rain".
Anyone planning a biking holiday should
come in September or October rather
than July or August, Richard suggests.
After eight years he's accustomed to the
extreme heat of the Lanzarote summer but
still finds it heavy going. "It
saps
your strength when it's warm. It is
hard."
Lanzarote's yearly Ironman Triathalon
attracts entrants from all over the world,
Consisting of a 180 km cycle section, a 42
km run and a 3.8 km swim the event
dates back to 1992 when 148 athletes
participated. This year around 1500 male
and female competitors took part with the
average time being between 12-13
hours and the winner coming in at 8 hours
and 45 minutes.
Richard has thought about entering but is
too busy with work to do the training
he feels essential for such a tough test of
strength and endurance, as he
explains;"It's considered the hardest
in the world with the bike course having a
2,500 metre climb. This year the police
manned the junctions and roundabouts
and did a great job organising the traffic
and keeping riders safe. Then you're
running in the heat of the midday
sun."
The Lanzarote Ironman is always held on the
second to last Saturday in May and
begins at 7 am at Puerto del
Carmen's Grande Beach with the competitors
dressed in wet suits to insulate them from
the surprisingly chilly Atlantic Ocean.
Swim completed the entrants get on their
bikes and cycle round the island. They
first head up north, then cross east to
west, going through El Golfo, Timanfaya,
La Santa, Famara, La Geria, Teguise
village, Haria, Mirador del Rio, Arrieta,
Tahiche, San Bartoleme and Tias before
arriving back in Puerto del Carmen.
With the watching crowds cheering them on,
the cyclists dismount and put on
their running shoes for the concluding
section of the triathalon, the 42 km run
They run three circuits, the first 18km to
Playa Honda and back and then two
smaller ones of about 12km each.
The final stretch along Puerto del Carmen
seafront is thronged with well
wishers, parents, children and friends all
wanting to congratulate the athletes on
their almost super-human achievement.
"I think the hardest part of Ironman
is the training" says Richard. "You might do
45kms running. The next day you might go
out and do 135 kms on the bike. The
next day you might do the swimming. But
till you put them all together, one after
another, on the actual day I don't think
you realise how it is until you've actually
done it!"
Richard's friend Maria Kalashnikoff from
Pro Bike competed in Ironman in
2011 and experienced first hand how
demanding it is. Says Richard, "She's a
really good cyclist but told me that she
daren't push it on the bike because she
then had a 42 km run to do. You've got to
be a high standard at all three."
In October of last year Richard had his
first very bad cycling accident and was
kept off work for eleven weeks, as he
relates; "I was on my way home from a
ride. I had the wind behind me and was
doing about 40kph on a road that had
recently been tarmacked. Two hunting dogs jumped
out of a field, ran straight
onto the road and took my front wheel from
underneath me.
"I went down. I was dazed, got up but
was staggering about. A motorist friend of
one of my neighbours stopped and phoned an
ambulance for me. He also took
my bike and my neighbour picked it up
later. My neighbour is in the local police
and did some investigating but couldn't
trace the dogs' owner.
"Steve at Pro Bike stripped my bike
down, checked for damage and re-built it
The only damage was a bent handlebar and
some scratches on the brake hood."
The ambulance took Richard to Lanzarote's
only hospital just outside of
Arrecife where he was quickly was seen by a
doctor and X-rayed. "I was told I
had a broken collarbone and three broken
ribs. A surgeon said he might have to
operate the next day because he thought
that otherwise my lung might get
punctured by the broken ribs.
"The surgeon saw me the following day
and said he thought I would be OK
without an operation. I was in hospital for
four days. Everyone was fantastic!"
When he was recuperating at home Richard
kept his fitness up with a Turbo
Trainer. But he did wonder whether he'd
have the confidence to go back on the
road. "The first couple of times I
went out every time I heard a dog bark I was a
bit nervous! I'm back up and running now
and have done 5,500 kms since the
accident."
The Tandys have no regrets about leaving Britain.
They've got a wide circle of
friends and quality leisure time. Richard
has the perfect cycling environment
and Jill is part of a walking group.
"It's a great way of life", says Richard. "The
Lanzarote roads and climate are so good.
Cycling is very big here and car
drivers have more time for cyclists. When
they overtake they beep their horns to
let you know that they're there-not because
they're annoyed that you're on the
road!"
"I can't see us ever going back to the
UK."
Ian
Ravendale.
thether
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| Cyclists taking part in the internationally renowned Lanzarote Ironman triathalon |
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Living Spain magazine used an article of mine called 15 Ways To Boost Your Holiday Rental Income. (1500 words) about maximising returns on holiday lettings and the pitfalls to avoid. The article has also been reprinted on the Owners Direct lettings site.
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In addition to journalism I've also worked extensively in education and training, as a 'Music Industry Consultant' for the New Deal For Musicians programme and a Higher Education and university lecturer. The following is from a paper I wrote for the University Of Sunderland. The full document has been posted on the 'Academic Research' section of this site.
LANZAROTE LIFELINE-An analysis of the Lanzarote property market ( Extract from the update at the end of the paper)
Another very significant factor in the decline of the Lanzarote property market
that would probably make Lanzarote Lifeline not viable is the current
reluctance of the Spanish banks (all of whom had supported the developers in
the property boom) to give out mortgages on properties other than the ones
they've re-possessed. The official figures released by ISTAC, the Canarian
Institute of Statistics, show that only 1,356 new mortgages were given out across
the Canary Islands in May 2013, a decrease of 31.06% from the 2012 monthly
average. Over the same period gross investment in the Canary islands from
foreign sources went down 66.40%. As a result, properties are taking longer and
longer to sell.
In mainland Spain and the Canaries combined there were only 14,053 new mortgage
approvals in June 2013, a mind-boggling 42% down in a year and the lowest level since statistics were first published in 2003. On his Spanish Property Insight site, property expert
and author of the Sunday Times Spanish Property Doctor column Mark Stucklin reveals; "Only 31% of home purchases in June included a mortgage, according to the notaries' association. The average new mortgage value in June was 97, 495 euros, below the 100,000 euro level for the first time and 9% down in 12 months. Overall new mortgage lending in value terms fell 47% in a year. Mortgage lending has collapsed to the lowest level since the crisis began and it's clear that the credit crunch in Spain is still in full swing."
Stucklin goes on to explain the current consequence of the banks pulling back the availability of mortgages; "House hunters have lower budgets (cash only) so vendors have to drop their prices to find a buyer. Add to that the recent increases in taxes on house purchases, rising unemployment and the imminent liquidation of large portfolios of properties and Spanish house prices can only go one way: South".
Summing up, Mark Stucklin concludes; "On the Spanish coast foreigners with cash are now the main buyers. The lending drought affects the domestic housing market, not so much the international market on the coast." (12)
(The full paper and my plan for a Lanzarote based English television station can be read over on the 'Academic Research' section of this site.)
(ENDS)
Ian Ravendale North East travel journalist ian ravendale Newcastle travel journalist Ian Ravendale Sunderland travel journalist Ian Ravendale Tyne and Wear travel journalist northern travel journalist Ian Ravendale long established music journalist Ian Ravendale Well known music journalist Ian Ravendale veteran travel journalist Ian Ravendale Quick witted travel journalist Ian Ravendale Knowledgeable travel journalist Ian Ravendale freelance travel journalist Ian Ravendale long-established travel journalist Ian Ravendale respected travel journalist Ian Ravendale busy travel journalist Ian Ravendale recognised travel journalist Ian Ravendale experienced travel journalist Ian Ravendale versatile travel journalist Ian Ravendale Lanzarote travel journalist. Lanzarote journalist Ian Ravendale Costa Teguise journalist Ian Ravendale. Lanzarote expert Ian Ravendale. Canary Islands journalist Ian RavendaleKnowledgeable travel journalist Ian Ravendale freelance travel journalist Ian Ravendale long-established travel journalist Ian Ravendale respected travel journalist Ian Ravendale busy travel journalist Ian Ravendale recognised travel journalist Ian Ravendale experienced travel journalist Ian Ravendale versatile travel journalist Ian Ravendale Lanzarote travel journalist. Lanzarote journalist Ian Ravendale Costa Teguise journalist Ian Ravendale. Lanzarote expert Ian Ravendale. Canary Islands journalist Ian Ravendale Ian Ravendale North East travel journalist ian ravendale Newcastle travel journalist Ian Ravendale Sunderland travel journalist Ian Ravendale Tyne and Wear travel journalist northern travel journalist Ian Ravendale long established music journalist Ian Ravendale Well known music journalist Ian Ravendale veteran travel journalist Ian Ravendale Quick witted travel journalist Ian Ravendalean Ravendale North East travel journalist ian ravendale Newcastle travel journalist Ian Ravendale Sunderland travel journalist Ian Ravendale Tyne and Wear travel journalist northern travel journalist Ian Ravendale long established music journalist Ian Ravendale Well known music journalist Ian Ravendale veteran travel journalist Ian Ravendale Quick witted travel journalist Ian Ravendale Knowledgeable travel journalist Ian Ravendale freelance travel journalist Ian Ravendale long-established travel journalist Ian Ravendale respected travel journalist Ian Ravendale busy travel journalist Ian Ravendale recognised travel journalist Ian Ravendale experienced travel journalist Ian Ravendale versatile travel journalist Ian Ravendale Lanzarote travel journalist. Lanzarote journalist Ian Ravendale Costa Teguise journalist Ian Ravendale. Lanzarote expert Ian Ravendale. Canary Islands journalist Ian Ravendale
