Cinema and wine of Lanzarote

One of Lanzarote’s great singularities is its viticulture, considered by many experts to be unique in the world. Wine has shaped numerous aspects of the island’s landscape, economy, and society since the 18th century, when the devastating volcanic eruptions created Timanfaya National Park and enabled a new form of agriculture, forever changing the history of Lanzarote. On this itinerary, we propose discovering La Geria—the island’s most emblematic area of vineyards and wineries—through the lens of cinema. A different way to enjoy film, landscape, and wine.

You can explore the Protected Landscape of La Geria, designated as such under law, from various geographical viewpoints. But before setting out, one thing is essential: understanding the origin of this wine. Between 1730 and 1736, more than twenty volcanoes buried almost 25% of the island’s surface during one of the longest eruptive processes in recent centuries.

Initially, those six years of craters and fire devastated the island’s fragile economy. Rivers of incandescent lava buried nearly twenty villages, farmland, and architectural heritage including churches, granaries, and ports, in addition to hundreds of homes. It was a social catastrophe of enormous proportions. However, the paradox is that the island’s farmers learned to use the volcanic ash to their advantage, triggering a beneficial economic shift. Within decades, Lanzarote went from fears of depopulation to seeing its population double, driven by vine cultivation.

The thousands of tons of volcanic sands—known as lapilli or rofe—proved to be an excellent resource: they allowed moisture to pass into the soil while protecting against drought and erosion. Farmers developed an agricultural technique called enarenado (mulching), which made it possible to grow vines. This mulching effect keeps the soil fresh under a thick layer of lapilli. This is why Lanzarote’s fields are dominated by black earth. Lanzarote was recently recognized by UNESCO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS).

In La Geria, vines are cultivated in hand-dug pits surrounded by small stone walls to protect them from the wind. The result is a striking landscape, though yields are low and all work is manual. Wineries are usually small, and harvests depend heavily on yearly conditions. Today, La Geria looks like a tourist treasure in the form of a vast garden.

We recommend beginning at the Casa Museo del Campesino, one of Lanzarote’s Centers of Art, Culture, and Tourism, conceived by César Manrique. It is also close to two important wineries: Los Bermejos and La Florida.

On the cinematic side, many scenes of Mararía (1998) were filmed in La Geria. The movie, based on the novel of the same name, is considered one of the great works about the island. Mararía also launched the career of Goya Toledo, an actress from Lanzarote. She played a prominent role in Amores Perros, a film nominated for an Academy Award and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Another example is Alberto Vázquez Figueroa, who filmed Oro Rojo (1978) in La Geria. One of Spain’s best-selling authors of the 20th century, his film career was less successful, though he worked on many projects. He also lived in Lanzarote for decades.

Continuing west/southwest, you can visit El Grifo, the oldest winery in the Canary Islands (founded in 1775), with its Wine Museum. In Masdache, you’ll find small wineries and the Finca Testeina, home to Vega de Yuco. Directors such as Pedro Almodóvar (Broken Embraces, 2009) and Werner Herzog (Even Dwarfs Started Small, 1969; Fata Morgana, 1970) filmed here, drawn by the volcanic landscape near Timanfaya National Park. Nearby is the El Cuervo volcano, the first of the eruptions of 1730–1736. It was also used in Eternals, a Hollywood production featuring Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek.

In the heart of La Geria are wineries like Rubicón, La Geria, and Stratvs. At Stratvs, scenes of Road to Salina(1970) were filmed. This French movie, somewhat experimental, was one of the last films of Rita Hayworth, the legendary Gilda. It has since been admired by Quentin Tarantino, who paid homage to it in his own work.

German productions filmed in La Geria include Sonnenplätze (2024), El apellido (2022), and the TV movie A Summer in Lanzarote (2016).

We recommend choosing a winery, restaurant, or tavern to enjoy a meal and taste the local wine. The volcanic Malvasía, a dry or semi-dry white, is Lanzarote’s signature. Wineries have expanded their ranges and won international awards. Also worth visiting is Uga, with its camel museum, dedicated to an animal essential to Lanzarote’s agriculture.

For those who want to go further, there is the cinema and volcanology route of Timanfaya. More wineries can be found in Tinajo, La Vegueta, and Tías, as well as in the north, where there is another smaller wine-growing region.