César Manrique and his works in Lanzarote

Until you visit the Canary Island of Lanzarote, the name César Manrique probably doesn’t mean anything to you. But if you ever go to the island, you will hear about him at every turn and fall in love with his work, which you did no know until now. César Manrique breathed the soul of Lanzarote and made it such an unforgettable place as we know it today.

Who was César Manrique?

César Manrique was an artist, architect, sculptor, painter, urban planner, and art restorer. He was born in Lanzarote in the town of Arrecife in 1919. In his early years, he traveled a lot, even living in the USA for several years, but in 1966, he returned definitively and settled back in Lanzarote.

He loved his island, and after his return, he devoted himself mainly to urban planning, tried to limit tourism to the island, and advocated the use of the island’s traditional architecture. The white color of the walls, green doors, and low buildings are sensitively set in the dark lava landscape. He even enforced a ban on the construction of tall buildings and unsightly billboards on Lanzarote.

In addition to buildings and architecture, he was also a sculptor and artist. His graphic designs, logos, and images. Even the logo of the Canarian car rental company Cicar was designed by César Manrique. His kinetic (moving) sculptures spread over the island are also his work.

Anyway, what will impress you most about his works are his literally breathtaking buildings. We wouldn’t even have to mention them because if you come across one, you will definitely recognize his work. But they are often so wonderfully embedded in the landscape that they can be overlooked at first glance. So which ones are they?

Find the best place to stay in Lanzarote >>

El Diablo Restaurant in the middle of the Timanfaya National Park

This circular and panoramic building resembling a flying saucer in the middle of a lifeless volcanic landscape is already stunning from a distance. This building is not an independent work of Cesar Manrique, but he designed it with three other famous architects – Eduardo Cáceres, Jesús Soto & Luis Morales.

The building of the restaurant El Diablo is worthy of its name, in its appearance and location, and in the specific place it stands. Only a short distance below its foundations is still hot ground. There is even a small place in the middle of the restaurant called the Courtyard of Death. In the middle of it, you will find a well or a mixed magma chimney, which serves as a demonstration grill for the restaurant. A local chef grills chickens and steaks in a roughly 10-meter-deep well.

The breathtaking view from the dining area does not need to be mentioned.

El Diablo restaurant can only be accessed by purchasing an entrance ticket to the Timanfaya National Park. It is the only building that stands inside this nature reserve.

Villa LagOmar

When following in the footsteps of César Manrique in Lanzarote, you cannot miss Casa Lagomar. This site was originally designed for a British developer, and the entire project is built on the site of a former quarry. And not just as a house that would be protected by the high walls of the surrounding rocks, but the building is terrace-like and literally embedded in the stone walls.

It is a classically inconspicuous building from the outside, but breathtaking inside. You feel like you are in a fairy tale in a garden full of flowers, several ponds with streams and fountains, countless viewpoints, and terraces. Wandering through the corridors’ labyrinth and finding more romantic corners will transport you somewhere in another reality. A dining room with a panoramic view, a mysterious card room, or even a private (functional) cave bar is just a fraction of what you will see here.

The legend about the famous Hollywood actor Omar Shariff, who once filmed the movie The Mysterious Island on Lanzarote, is also connected with the house. He visited this house once, immediately fell in love with it, and bought it. The original developer, then almost bankrupt, knew Sharif’s passion for card games and took advantage of it. He invited him to a game of bridge. Sharif accepted the challenge and even bet the newly acquired house in the heat of the game. However, he failed to realize that his opponent was a professional player, and unfortunately, the house lost.

Find the best place to stay in Lanzarote >>

Cactus garden

The Cactus Garden is the last work of César Manrique in the territory of Lanzarote and a summary of the aesthetic principles that guided him in his works of public art integrated into the landscape.

The cactus garden project began to take shape in the 1960s, but it was officially opened only in 1990. Two typical conditions in Manrique’s choice of premises are immediately obvious at the site: landscape value and the possibility of rehabilitating a degraded site. The artist chose an old stone quarry in the city of Guatiza that had been turned into an unsightly landfill and rebuilt it into a beautiful place full of cacti and prickly pears in bloom.

Some symbols must hint at the fact that you drive past the Cactus Garden, as is the custom from other Manrique works. And that, in this case, is a small windmill standing on top of a former quarry and a huge forged cactus placed in front of the entrance to the garden. The arrangement of the entrance and the ticket office at the gate prevent even a partial view of the garden’s interior. So when you finally pass through them, the garden will appear in front of you in all its beauty, the so-called “wow effect.”

The almost circular structure of the garden is reminiscent of ancient theaters. Cacti are planted on the terraces at great heights. Hundreds of plant species offer visitors an endless variety of shapes and colors. They are planted on terraces and around rock walls, lakes, or waterfalls. In addition to the plants and the already mentioned mill, here you will also find a souvenir shop and another of Manrique’s imaginative restaurants.

Cave of Jameos del Agua

The site was the first center of art, culture, and tourism that César Manrique established on the island. And also one of the examples of harmony between nature and art. The artist used part of the volcanic tunnel to create a natural auditorium of extraordinary beauty. Next to it, a garden of palm trees with an artificial lake and the “Casa de los Volcanes” museum (one of the most important research centers in the world) is built.

The spectacular geological site of Jameos del Agua was well-known but abandoned and dilapidated before Manrique took it on. Now this space is a surreal place hidden inconspicuously in the ground. Here, you will find a concert hall, a lake with endemic species of blind crabs, a large swimming pool with a massive spiral staircase leading to the restaurant, and the House of Volcanoes. An abundance of green plants complements a blinding white color on the background of the volcanic mass.

A small town with the Casa del Campesino museum

Casa del Campesino is located practically in the island’s geographical center, between the towns of Mozaga and San Bartolomé, and is surrounded by different types of agricultural land. The place is so sensitively embedded in the landscape that you can easily miss it if you don’t know about it. You will be guided by a roundabout with an extraordinary white sculpture created by César Manrique in the middle. The construction of the complex actually began with this large statue of “Fecundity,” although this work is deliberately isolated from the rest of the complex.

The man-made town of Casa del Campesino is an example of typical folk housing in Lanzarote, which Manrique was so interested in, shining white buildings with green accessories against the background of a dark lava landscape. The entire center is also designed as a museum dedicated to agricultural life in Lanzarote. You will find exhibition spaces and workshops for ceramics, embroidery, carpentry, agricultural tools, and household items here. In addition to the museum, there are shops and restaurants, one of which is located literally in the ground.

This is one of the few places created by César Manrique that you can visit for free.

Find the best place to stay in Lanzarote >>

Mirador del Rio viewpoint

The site was one of the projects created to attract tourists to the island, but César Manrique did not work alone but in a team with Eduardo Cáceres and Jesús Sota. Mirador del Río is located on the edge of the cliffs of the northern part of the Famara massif. The building has a covered observation deck, a restaurant, and a cafe.

The Mirador del Rio lookout is a semi-circular structure embedded in the mountain that rises several levels and has the texture of stone as the most prominent color note. The proposed building faces the view of the nearby Corona volcano. From these places, you can also get a panoramic view of the slopes of Risco de Famara and the Chinijo archipelago, which consists of the islands of La Graciosa, Montaña Clara, Alegranza, and Roque del Este.

César Manrique Foundation

The architect built this house in 1968 and lived there until 1988. This building is like a miracle, a breathtaking spectacle, immerse yourself in the atmosphere. The unique house uses a natural formation of five volcanic bubbles on a lava field; each room has its own specificity; you will also see original paintings by the artist here. The house includes a large cactus garden and a pond; all the material was provided by nature, especially the black volcanic stone contrasting with the white walls.

The site now serves as the foundation’s headquarters and is open to the public for tours.

Find the best place to stay in Lanzarote >>

The Last House of César Manrique (Palm House)

The last house that César Manrique built and lived in is in a beautiful palm grove in the picturesque village of Haria. It is a renovated dilapidated farmhouse on farmland that César bought in the 1970s. He then lived in this house until he died in 1992.

2013 the house was opened to the public as a home and museum. Visitors can see the rooms and studio where the painter worked and lived in the last years of his life. The lush plant life inside and outside creates a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere here, all complemented by handmade art objects, as we are used to at César Manrique.

The artist’s studio is then in a separate building. Here, Manrique painted daily, surrounded by oils, tables laden with drawings, easels, and unfinished paintings. The place was preserved as he left it when he died.

Other places outside of Lanzarote designed by César Manrique

Although César loved Lanzarote and his influence can be felt here at every step, he did not begrudge the other Canary Islands either. So if you’re excited about Manrique’s artistic activity, you don’t need to head to Lanzarote immediately. On Tenerife, try, for example, Lago Martianez – a swimming pool with several pools, waterfalls, caves, and other ingenious features in Puerto de la Cruz. Or you can visit one of the viewpoints designed by Manrique on the other islands – Mirador de Morro Velosa on Fuerteventura, El Palmarejo on La Gomera, and Mirador de La Peña on the island of El Hierro.

Find the best place to stay in Lanzarote >>

ArtCanary IslandsEuropeLanzaroteSpain