Cesar Manrique Foundation

This incredible house, built by Cesar Manrique into five volcanic bubbles, never fails to blow visitors away.

This ingenious feat of arhictecture was one of Manrique´s first creations on Lanzarote and was designed to illustrate just what could be achieved to other sceptical islanders. 

Many thought Manrique was crazy for believing that Lanzarote could be transformed into a tourist paradise.

But by the end of 1968, when this creation was complete, they were forced to think again, as the building picked up numerous international architectural  awards, and started to attract the rich and famous in droves – curious to find out more about this suddenly fashionable new destination.

One celebrity visitor – the actor Omar Sharif – was so impressed that he immedaitely commissioned Cesar to build him a similar style of holiday home.

Manrique found the perfect site just up the road in Nazaret, and transformed an old quarry into the most incredible private residence.

But Sharif soon after lost the property in a high stakes game of bridge and left the island in a fit of pique never to return.

Written by Nick Ball, editor of the Lanzarote tourist information guide Lanzarote Guidebook.