0871 423-5051
Only £25 deposit per booking
- Canary Islands Sub Region Menu
- Canary Islands
- West Canaries
- Tenerife
- Gran Canaria
- Fuerteventura
- Lanzarote
0871 423-5051
Only £25 deposit per booking
The history, art and culture of Lanzarote has been well preserved, and is growing still with fascinating museums emerging on the history of emigration and immigration to the Canary Islands to be found here on Lanzarote. The first of the Canary Islands to fall to the Spanish Conquest, Lanzarote and it's pre-hispanic settlers generically known across the Canary Islands as the Guanches (although in Lanzarote they were called the Majos) had lived blissfully undisturbed. In 1402 Juan de Bethencourt and his lieutenant Gadifer de la Salle and accompanying priests and interpreters that had previously been captured a few years prior. The original settlers called the island Titeroyugatra and it was ruled by a king called Guadarfia. Their arrival on Lanzarote is dated at 500BC. Lanzarote's contemporary name originates from the first European - Lancelotto Malocello - actually a Genoese sailor, who landed on the island in the first half of the 14th Century.
Bethencourt and his entourages' initial approach was friendly, and pacts were established and the Spanish Conquerers planned their next move down to Fuerteventura. Bethancourt soon returned to the Spanish mainland, and during his absence a rebellion broke out, resulting in fierce fighting and eventual conversion of the islanders to Catholocism. Two highly recommended books easily obtained from museums and cultural centres in Lanzarote and elsewhere in the Canaries well worth a look are 'The Guanches, Survivors and their Descendants by Jose Luis Concepcion and 'History of the Canary Islands' by Jose M. Castellano Gil and Francisco J. Marcias Martin. Translated into English, these two books are perfect for digging that bit deeper into the laid bare history of Lanzarote and Canary Islands - both pre-hispanic history right up to the present.
If you're up for visits to various museums and cultural centres across the Canary Islands, with a particularly good choice in Lanzarote, you'll soon discover that the history of the Canary Islands is a fascinating topic - new stories of immigrants and emigrants, pre-hispanic original settlers and prisoner of war workers post the Spanish Revolution of the 1930s are emerging all the time. What emerges is a history often of oppression not just of the original settlers, but also of Canarios farmers and workers post the conquest. Surprises emerge, such as the strong links between the Canary Islands and the Americas - in times of hardship particularly affecting agriculture before the onset of the recent tourist boom, Canary Islanders emigrated not largely to Spain but to Latin America - to Venezuela, Puerto Rico and huge numbers went to Cuba.
The original pre-hispanic settlers - called across the Canary Islands the Guanches, although in reality there were differences between the settlers on the different Canary Islands - differences in language, dress and customs, it is now commonly agreed came from North Africa and were of Cro-Magnon origin with many of their customs and some of their language resembling the Berbers. Jose Luis Concepcion concludes that the Guanches travelled from the North African Barbary area and ancient Libya - but how they reached the Canary Islands is not known, as when the Spanish Colonialists reached the Canary Islands the settlers appeared to have no knowledge of navigation and were not in communication with each other between the islands.
A detailed history of the Guanches and of Canary Island history is revealed in the two wonderfully accessible texts recommended above, and well worth a read! Other factors featuring in Lanzarote and Canary Island history are the many times of hardship, particularly in agriculture. The Canary Islands and their economies have always been affected by outside factors - and the archipelago's history is one of boom and bust, and indeed resultant emigration by islanders. In Lanzarote, as if economic hardships weren't enough, there is a volcanic history here which again brought about mass emigration.
Lanzarote's most recent and drawn out volcanic history. Indeed, Timanfaya national park is the result of two periods of volcanic eruption. One long period of eruption beginning in 1730 which continued until 1736, and a recent one in 1824 - new volcanic cones emerged in the later! Visit the Timanfaya Visitor centres for more information on this volcanic history. The excellent Santa Barbara fort high on the hill above Teguise is now an emigration museum, and explores in-depth the history of emigration from the Canary Islands, including Lanzarote as a result of the declining cochineal (red dye from beatles feeding on cactus) industry in the 19th century and other boom and bust factors related to farming. Read the stories of struggle here and be moved.
Cesar Manrique you may not be very familiar with, as Spanish artists such as Joan Miro, Picasso and others tend to receive most international attention on the contemporary art scene. After a week or two in Lanzarote, however, you'll soon know who he is, and the special place he occupies for most islanders here in Lanzarote. There is no doubt, Manrique has had an influence on Lanzarote's tourist development from the second half of the 20th century and all the better for it for sure! Indeed his influence has spread across the Canary Islands.
Manrique was born in Lanzarote just outside the capital Arrecife in April 1919, although his family roots are Fuerteventura. Of middle class origins, he recalled his childhood as a happy time, spending summer days on Famara beach. The coming of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s saw Manrique volunteer on the Franco/Fascist side - little is known of this period of his life as the only information he would give was that the experience was atrocious. The end of the Civil War saw him back in Arrecife on Lanzarote (where he promptly burnt his military uniform).
What followed was a dabbling in Technical Architecture at La Laguna University on Tenerife which he dropped, then went off to Madrid on a scholarship at the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, where he graduated as an Art Professor and Painter. A real period of growth for this artist was no doubt his stay in New York in the mid-1960s where he mingled with the likes of Waldo Diaz-Balard a Cuban painter, but even in New York he had Lanzarote and the Canary Islands on his mind. He returned to Lanzarote just as the tourist boom was about to take off, and his return was well timed.
The result of his influence can be seen across Lanzarote, from the lack of high builds (they sneaked the Grand Hotel/the only tall building on Lanzarote on Arrecife's waterfront in when he wasn't looking before he pushed through the ban on buildings over a certain height) to his public art in the form of sculptures, his own designed cactus garden, his once home - built largely in caves at the Manrique Foundation near Costa Teguise and the famous caves of Jameos del Agua. He developed a few Miradors (lookout points) too - on Lanzarote the Mirador del Rio is unmissible. The Manrique Foundation continues his work, he died tragically on Lanzarote near the Foundation in a car crash in 1992. Disciplined, resolute and reserved, Manrique didn't smoke or drink and often rose early to start work, his unmistakable mark has certainly been left on Lanzarote - most agree for the better.
Of all the Canary Islands, the choice of interesting museums and cultural artistic centres is particularly good - Manrique has certainly played a part here! First port of call is the Cesar Manrique Foundation. Internationally recognised for it's superb collection, there's some treats in here including extensive work by Manrique himself, plus also work by Picasso, Miro, Klee and others. The foundation building was once the home of Manrique situated at Taro de Tahiche. He built it in 1968, not just anywhere mind - but over a lava river formed by the eruption period of 1730 to 1736. Rooms occupy volcanic tubes or bubbles left by this activity - an ingenius design indeed, and the building itself is as captivating as the high profile artwork displayed here!
The upper area of the house is more traditional Canarian style, and the swimming pool is as close to swimming pool paradise you'll get - Manrique was particularly clever on designing pools in harmony with the natural landscape here in Lanzarote. (note also his big one on the Puerto de la Cruz coast in Tenerife!).
As well as artwork and captivating cave rooms, there are a number of Manrique murals here at the foundation, which is non profit making and channels all it's funds back into other projects on the island. Other features include terrraces, gardens, various outside sculpture work by Manrique and there's a nice cafeteria and bar. Also on-site is an excellent bookshop and ample parking is provided.
Opening hours in Winter from November 1st to June 30th are Monday through Saturday (including holidays) from 10am to 6pm, and Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Summer opening hours are from July 1 to October 31st, and the centre is open every day (including holidays) from 10am to 7pm. Cesar Manrique Foundation, Taro de Tahiche 35509 Teguise, Lanzarote. Tel: 34 928 84 31 38. The website appears currently to be under construction. Keep checking back for details.
Manrique certainly made use of his native volcanic landscape in Lanzarote - no more so than at the Jameos del Agua volcanic galleries and caverns to the north east of Arrieta. A popular visitor attraction, Jameos Del Agua has been constructed within a series of volcanic tubes created when lava solidified. Here at Jameos the roofs of some of the volcanic tubes have caved in, and Manrique incorporates this into the design, with open air space combined with an cave lagoon which is covered - Jameos is indeed a calming and soothing place. People do tend to stop talking when they enter it - not much noise here apart from the spiritual music whirring away.
The subterranean lake at Jameos is actually influenced by the tides. Exotic and native Canary Island vegetation blends with quirky design furniture, mobiles and sculptures, plus another swimming pool and a fine cafŽ with great coffee and fresh orange juice. There's an excellent art shop here as well, plus a little museum on the volcanic history of Lanzarote and the Canary Islands - the Casa de los Volcanes.
Live music is on the menu at Jameos in it's very own auditorium - essentially a huge volcanic cave making for a haunting sound. The Visual Music Festival held annually in October sees a number of performances here in the auditorium.
Jameos del Agua, Carretera de Orzola, Tel: 928 84 80 20. Visiting hours are from 10.00am to 18.30. The centre is also oopen later on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 19.00 to 2.00am. The Restaurant on-site (renowned on the island) is open from 19.30 to 23.30 on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and the bar is open every day from 10.00 am to 18.30pm. Go on, treat yourself.
Otherwise known as the green caves, but not because they're green, but because one of the families hiding in these volcanic caves from invading pirates was called Verdes - hence the name. This spectacular volcanic tubes are well worth a visit alongside Jameos del Agua. Formed by the eruptions of the Corona Volcano about 3000 to 45000 years ago. They've been skillfully worked on by artist Jesus Soto during the 1960s.
You can walk about 2 km into the caves, winding through narrow passages and interesting volcanic rock formations to reach the highlight - the auditorium and then on to higher placed galleries.
There's a Station of Geophysics here at the Green Caves too, as Cueva de los Verdes is of prime worldwide geological interest. The Green Caves are indeed a spectacular network of underground tubes, typical on Lanzarote, but particularly dramatic here. Lanzarote's volcanic history is everywhere in the landscape.
Cueva de los Verdes are located quite near to Jameos del Agua on the north east coast of Lanzarote within the district of Haria. Opening times are from 10am to 18.00pm, last visit is 17.00. Parking is adjacent, and the venue can be booked for things like weddings, conferences and events. Tel: 928 848484, or the Sales Department for events on Tel: 928 80 1500.
Our history books chronicle detailed accounts of the most intimate events in the lives of our royals, the most asinine utterances of our politicians and the most trifling skirmishes of our armed conflicts. Yet, in general, they forget the 'Little' people, whose trials and tribulations have sustained these same politicians and royals and in whose wars they have fought and died. The history of these 'Little' people has not been told, but if we hope to understand the truth about our past, then they must be afforded a place in our history books ...."" Juan Perez de la Riva, Para la historia de la gente sin historia"".
High up above pretty and historic Teguise is the less well known museum on Lanzarote - the Santa Barbara Museum of Emigration - which takes an in-depth look at emigration not just from Lanzarote but across the Canary Islands and certainly goes far in highlighting the 'little' people of the Canary Islands. It's a gem of a museum this one, looking at the stories of Canary Island residents - their struggles and their emigration to countries like Cuba and Venezuala, and Puerto Rico particularly. Canaries links with Latin America are strong and stretch back through the 19th and 20th century, indeed they often seem stronger than links with mainland Spain.
The Santa Barbara Museum is based within a 16th century fort watchtower and was built by D. Sancho de Herrera. It's certainly seen some scuffles in it's history, serving as a retreat base from invading pirates in final standoffs, usually after Berber pirates had totally ransacked nearby Teguise. British pirates, Sir Francis Drake being a renowned one, also invaded the Lanzarote coast a few times! Seven thoughtful show rooms exhibit belongings, stories and photographs of emigrants who have left the Canary Islands through the 19th and 20th century. Translated English plaques run alongside Spanish and German. The history of the fort is also explored in one of the rooms. Parking is available at the top of the hill. This museum is a must visit - it's one of the best explorations and collections of documents on emigration across all the archepelago. Don't miss it.
The Canarian was, by far, the most humble of emigrants. He did not set out for Cuba with oppression or exploitation on his mind. He came to work and fight alongside us. He helped forge the country with his proverbial hard work, he suffered with us, he fought, he crated families and he remained noble to the last, together with the people ... Our peasants inherited their seriousness, their decency, their sense of honour and also their rebelliousness from the Canarians ..."". Fidel Castro. Castillo Santa Barbara, Museo del Emigrante Canario (MEC), Volcan de Guanapay (35530), Teguise, Lanzarote. Tel: 928 845 001. The museum sits a-top an old volcano - Guanapay.
Just north of Arrecife along the coast road towards Costa Teguise is another little gem - but this time the focus is contemporary art. Again the exhibition space is in an old fortress dating from the 18th century. This fort was built later than San Gabriel in Arrecife and Santa Barbara in Teguise - in a century that must have been dire for the inhabitants of Lanzarote. The list of mishaps is endless during the 18th century, including the eruptions of Timanfaya, numerous drought periods and the development of the Spanish feudal system which practically bled local farmers dry. There was both starvation and emigration. Contruction of San Jose between 1774-79 was undertaken by many residents and was known locally as 'The Fortress of Hunger'.
Enter Cesar Manrique in the 1970s, and mass restoration work began on San Jose to establish an International Museum of Contemporary Art (MIAC) on Lanzarote. Here you can expect to see some prolific artwork by the likes of Manrique himself, and other Canarian artists such as Oscar Dominguez, Manolo Millares, Pancho Lasso and Cristino de Vera. Alongside these are works by Rivera, Guerrero and Sempere.
The collection is linked by abstraction, and clear trends can be picked out from the collection - for some of the best contemporary art on show in the Canaries head to San Jose!
Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporaneo, Carretera de Puerto Naos, 35500 Arrecife, Lanzarote. Tel: 928 81 23 21.
Top