The Lanzarote of Fantasy

Lanzarote’s landscape is the real deal. On what is a relatively small island you can enjoy many unique and breathtaking views taking in a landscape that is so idiosyncratic that is has served as the backdrop to many works of fantasy cinema. The panoramic sea views over the Atlantic Ocean, the island’s large caves, the peculiar local agricultural traditions and, above all, the vast volcanic environments have set fire to the imaginations of filmmakers, leading them to recreate plots that take place on other planets, film epic adventures full of imagination or shoot science fiction stories in these unusual natural settings. Lanzarote has been and continues to be a favourite set for the fantasy genre of the so-called seventh art.

This route offers a journey that covers about half the island, from the north to the centre, allowing you to get to know the locations of great works of fantasy film, and offers two possibilities: a route lasting a few hours or a longer one. In both cases, the recommendation is to start in the northernmost part of the island, at a very special spot: the Mirador del Río. This is an architectural work by César Manrique – an essential artist to discover if you want to get to know Lanzarote. From this point, you can look out over one of the largest marine reserves in Europe, seeing it in all its splendour. The Chinijo Archipelago is a group of five islets that includes La Graciosa – the highlight and the only populated island. It is a delight for the eye: golden beaches, paradisiacal seabeds, tall cliffs and ancient volcanoes eroded by the sea in an area that is home to one of the highest concentrations of endemic species per square kilometre in the whole of the European Union.

This northern part of Lanzarote is one of the least developed parts of the island because it receives the full force of the wind and sea. These conditions have led to several films being shot on these islets, from big Hollywood productions such as In the Heart of the Sea (2015), to European cult fantasy films such as the German Operation Ganymed (1977), which includes quite a few scenes shot on La Graciosa. This film was the first to bring a post-apocalyptic survival story to the screen, a variant of fantasy cinema that has located numerous examples on our island, including Beyond the End of the World (1978), Rational Animals (1983) and The Possibility of an Island (2008), among others.

The Mirador del Río itself also has history with the audiovisual sector, as scenes were filmed here for Doctor Who. The celebrated English science fiction TV series has used locations in Lanzarote in both in its classic and more recent stages. In addition to films, the island has an excellent legacy of TV productions related to the world of fantasy. In fact, just a few minutes’ drive away is Caletón Blanco, a coastal location perfect for a swim if the sea is calm and which was recently the setting for another sci-fi series, in this case the Netflix series Welcome to Eden.

From Caletón Blanco we head south for an 8- to 10-minute drive to reach two of Lanzarote’s most spectacular tourist attractions: the Cueva de Los Verdes and the Jameos del Agua. These two impressive natural spaces are both formed in the same volcanic tube (one of the longest in the world), and were artistically landscaped in the 1960s, offering such striking images that more than ten films have been shot in them. The fantasy genre includes such well-known examples as The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo (1972), with Omar Sharif interpreting the famous novel by Jules Verne, to more experimental pieces such as Fata Morgana (1970), by the acclaimed German director Werner Herzog and Aida (1987), a very special Swedish production, unique since it was the first musical recorded on the island, bringing to the big screen no less than the famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi (Aida), although using the island to set the plot in ancient Egypt – a Lanzarote of pharaohs. If you want to visit the Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua, it is advisable to book a ticket in advance on the official website of the Centres for Art, Culture and Tourism.

Passing the coastal villages of Arrieta and Punta Mujeres, it takes about 10 or 15 minutes by car to leave the village of Guatiza behind and then take the turn off in the direction of Teguise, until you reach a location known as the “Roferos de Guenia” or the Ravine of Las Piletas. In Lanzarote, a rofero is the name given to a type of quarry or mining area used to extract “rofe”, which are small pyroclasts, the black volcanic ash traditionally used for agriculture. Over the decades, the extraction has given rise to quarries with very suggestive, almost surreal geological shapes. The Rofero de Guenia is easy to find because it is very close to the village of Teseguite, right next to the road; in fact, it is common to come across cars parked by tourists or locals who are curious about a place where The Fabulous Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1977) was filmed. It is worth stopping for a few minutes to stroll around this area, exploring the monoliths, caves and nooks and crannies with a variety of black, grey and ochre tones that give the spot a very exotic aesthetic.

Following the road in the same direction, you will reach Teguise in a few minutes. The former capital of the island is one of the most important historical sites in the Canary Islands with great examples of architecture from the 16th to 19th centuries. The town has been the setting for several period and fantasy films, such as Red Gold (1978), an adventure film directed by Alberto Vázquez Figueroa, a famous Spanish writer and author of several bestsellers in the second half of the 20th century, who also lived on the island for many years. In addition to history and architecture, Teguise also boasts a very good range of museums, cultural venues and restaurants.

 

Leaving Teguise, head towards Caleta de Famara, a village about 15 minutes away by car. This coastal town has become one of the island’s meccas for surfing and water sports thanks to Famara beach, the longest beach on the island and one of the most photogenic because of the great Risco de Famara, a long cliff that dominates the horizon. It was on these sands and in these waters that Raquel Welch frolicked in a prehistoric bikini in the film that brought her to the world’s attention and turned her into an icon of the 1960s: One Million Years B.C. (1965). If you enjoy the Atlantic Ocean in its splendour, Famara is a perfect place to visit, whether on the few calm days, or the more usual days of huge waves and strong winds. On those days it is always better to be wary of the sea and as an alternative you can also go to the village for a drink in one of the many bars and taverns.

 

Finally, the area par excellence for fantasy cinema on the island is the Timanfaya National Park and its surrounding area. The area most affected by the lava and volcanic ash from the eruptions of the 18th century is Lanzarote’s greatest film set. It takes about 20/25 minutes by car to travel from Caleta de Famara to the beginning of the volcanic area, in the wine-growing area of La Geria.

Many of the films and television series mentioned so far have also shot numerous scenes in this area, where there are paradigmatic locations such as La Geria, the Charco de Los Clicos in El Golfo, the salt flats of Janubio, Montaña Bermeja, the volcano of El Cuervo and the islet of Hilario. These are very special natural enclaves, with landscapes that often remind visitors of other planets due to their legendary geology and unique beauty.

 

There are so many productions related to Timanfaya that we have created a specific route just for this area that you can also consult on this website, so that each visitor can choose what to see and thus adjust the total itinerary to their needs. Just to whet your appetite: one of the most ground-breaking fantasy series of the last decade, Black Mirror, filmed an episode here and two classics of science fiction cinema set on other planets were also filmed in Timanfaya; Krull (1983), with Liam Neeson in one of his first roles, and Enemy Mine (1985), where Dennis Quaid survives in a hostile world recreated in our national park, which appeared snowy thanks to the special effects. Cinema has also been a great dream factory in Lanzarote. As many as 31 films have been shot in this area of the island. Find out more by checking out the route “Timanfaya: a Volcano of Film”.