Lanzarote on the big screen
Lanzarote has been the backdrop for numerous film and television shoots. Its lava fields, craters, and black beaches look like they are from another planet, which is why they have attracted directors from around the world.
Films that have made history
- A Million Years Ago (1966): the famous prehistoric adventure film starring Raquel Welch filmed some of its most memorable scenes in Lanzarote, amidst volcanic landscapes.
- Enemy Mine (1985): the science fiction film by Wolfgang Petersen used the island’s lava landscapes to recreate a hostile planet.
- Doctor Who: the legendary British series filmed in Lanzarote in 1984 and returned in 2014, alongside the lava fields of Timanfaya.
- Broken Embraces (2009): Pedro Almodóvar filmed in La Geria, El Golfo, the Cactus Garden, and Timanfaya. The story, according to the director himself, was born from a photo of a couple embracing on the beach of El Golfo.
- Dark Christmas (2026): Almodóvar returned to the island to shoot his latest film, with scenes in La Geria, El Golfo, and a villa in La Asomada.
Film tourism
Today, touring the filming locations is a different way to discover Lanzarote. Timanfaya National Park, El Golfo, La Geria, or the coast of Famara are movie-like settings… and also some of the most impressive landscapes in the Canary Islands. You can read more about them in our article on the lunar landscape of Lanzarote.
Before your visit, take a live look at the island with our webcams of Lanzarote.