American cinema filmed in Lanzarote

Leaving aside the hyper-production of Indian Bollywood and the moments of splendor of the USSR or certain European countries, the great nation of cinema has undoubtedly been the United States, with Hollywood as the global mecca of the seventh art. The successful North American conception of spectacle and business has even reached Lanzarote, where production companies, actresses, directors, screenwriters, writers, and technicians have been linked to memorable films. On this route, we will explore that legacy while also highlighting Lanzarote’s landscapes and its historical ties with the USA.

The initial connection between these two points on either side of the Atlantic dates back to the Spanish imperial period, when the Castilian kings conquered the Canary Islands, using them as a bridge to the New World. At first, Spain focused on Central and South America, but over time it also gained large areas of what is now the United States, competing with England and France for control of North American territories. As a result of this connection, many traces remain—such as the clearly Castilian-origin names of major cities like San Francisco or Los Angeles, the great city of the film industry. In fact, San Antonio, Texas—capital of one of the country’s most significant states in terms of economy and demographics—was founded in the 18th century by a group of settlers from several Canary Islands, mainly from Lanzarote. Today, the city hosts the Canary Islands Descendants Association, a cultural group that promotes meetings and exchanges to celebrate this heritage, working closely with the Sociedad de Promoción Exterior de Lanzarote and the Cabildo de Lanzarote.

We begin the geographical itinerary illustrating the strong cinematic relationship between the United States and Lanzarote in a highly symbolic place: Timanfaya. This national park is one of the great jewels of the island’s tourist offer, marked by the long volcanic eruptions that devastated it between 1730 and 1736, turning nearly 25% of its territory into a true open-air museum of volcanoes.

This area has its own specific film route, but here we want to highlight two major American science fiction films from the 1980s: Krull (1983) and Enemy Mine (1985). The unique geology of Timanfaya served to recreate life on other planets, as in both films, which also showcase key American figures such as Stanford Sherman, screenwriter of films like Any Which Way You Can (1980) starring Clint Eastwood and the Batman TV series (1966–1968), and Dennis Quaid, a top-tier Hollywood actor for several decades. Also filmed in Timanfaya was The Martian Chronicles (1980), a TV miniseries based on an adaptation of the book by American author Ray Bradbury, featuring a very Hollywood lead actor: Rock Hudson.

The second stop is a pioneering one, the village of Tías, which briefly appears in the oldest surviving celluloid images of Lanzarote discovered to date. In August 1925, American cameraman Benjamin Miggins and his team traveled to the Canary Islands to shoot a documentary for the renowned production company 20th Century Fox. The film was titled Canary Islands and premiered in 1926, but no copy has yet been found. However, a few years ago, thirty minutes of outtakes from the film were located at the University of South Carolina, showing footage of several islands and different locations in Lanzarote, including this prominent village in the island’s central area, which had a strong agricultural past before the arrival of tourism. Today, its center is home to several cultural venues.

The third stop on this route is an urban and maritime setting: Arrecife. In the island’s capital, there is a very special tribute to Ernest Hemingway, one of the most important American writers of the 20th century. A sculpture on Arrecife’s seafront promenade recalls his famous novel The Old Man and the Sea, adapted to the screen several times, since the book was inspired by the stories of fishermen told to him by his Cuban boat captain, Gregorio Fuentes—a Lanzarote emigrant who had left for the Caribbean island in his youth.

Arrecife also features prominently in Road to Salina (1969), a film starring Rita Hayworth, an absolute icon of the seventh art who was born in the USA, though of Latin roots (her birth name was Margarita Carmen Cansino). At the time of filming, Rita Hayworth—the great pin-up idol of American soldiers during World War II—was already older, and rumors spread that she struggled to remember her lines due to her drinking habits. Later, however, it was revealed that she was already suffering from the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, Road to Salina served as a source of inspiration for Quentin Tarantino, one of the great contemporary directors of the United States. In fact, many details of the Kill Bill series are inspired by this film. Speaking of Tarantino, Lanzarote also hosted the filming of Iguana (1988), which featured one of his favorite actors: American Michael Madsen. In that same film, he shared the spotlight with Everett McGill, one of the favorite actors of another charismatic American director: David Lynch.

The next stop is another emblematic natural site, the island’s largest beach: Famara. A stretch of sand several kilometers long and of wild beauty, it must be approached with caution, as it is often hit by strong swells and dangerous currents throughout much of the year. This beach, where most of the island’s surf schools are concentrated, was the setting for several scenes of One Million Years B.C., a legendary British film that nevertheless featured two great American figures: Raquel Welch and Ray Harryhausen. The former, an actress born in Chicago, made a worldwide impact with this first leading role. Harryhausen, on the other hand, is recognized as one of the greatest masters of special effects of all time. In Famara, a gigantic flying dinosaur sets Welch down after abducting her from her tribe.

We continue north through Lanzarote to stop near Guatiza, in the Guenia roferos, because several scenes of what is, to date, the only example of a western filmed here were shot in this location: Take a Hard Ride (1974). The quintessential American film genre also featured a very well-known actor: Lee Van Cleef . The movie included various locations, but we want to highlight this one in particular because it is a rofera—an area where volcanic ash, known locally as rofe, is extracted. This material has been used in Lanzarote for agriculture, serving as a highly effective resource to maximize the scarce humidity of the island and improve cultivation. Rofe acts as a natural mulch: thanks to its high porosity, it allows moisture to pass through while keeping the soil cool and preventing evaporation. This technique, which is widely present across the island, began to be used after the Timanfaya eruptions.

We end the route at the northern tip of Lanzarote, at the Mirador del Río, a masterpiece that merges architecture and nature, created by César Manrique, Lanzarote’s most universal artist. From this unique vantage point, visitors can enjoy an astonishing panorama of the Chinijo Archipelago, the small group of islets located north of Lanzarote that make up one of the largest marine reserves in the European Union. This group of islands was the setting for the filming of In the Heart of the Sea (2015), a version directed by Oklahoma-born, multi-award-winning Ron Howard, based on another icon of American literature: Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. And it is not the only Hollywood superproduction filmed in Lanzarote in recent years: the films Clash of the Titans and Eternals, as well as Apple TV’s Foundation series, based on the books by Isaac Asimov, also chose the island as one of their locations.