Many first time visitors to Lanzarote may well not be aware that there is a film star in their midst. But close to Playa Blanca lies the famous Green Lagoon of El Golfo, also known locally as El Charco de los Clicos, which has provided the backdrop for a number of big screen productions over the last 60 years.
The Green Lagoon is probably the closest of Lanzarote’s many tourist attractions to the resort of Playa Blanca in the south of the island and like so many other parts of this volcanic sunshine destination is a real natural wonder. The lagoon is situated within a crater located on a volcanic black sand beach and its distinctive emerald hue is created by an interaction between mineral deposits and the ocean.
This surreal sight has caught the interest of many photographers and film makers over the years and most notably the makers of One Million Years BC and Broken Embraces chose to shoot key scenes here, paying testament to one of Lanzarote’s most telegenic terrains.
One Million Years BC was directed by Don Chaffey and released to great acclaim in 1966. It tells the story of a caveman called Tumak who is banished from his tribe. On the upside however he does get to meet Raquel Welch however, who famously emerges from the sea at El Golfo clad in an animal skin bikini!
Broken Embraces is of course a much more recent production, directed by Pedro Almodovar, it tells the tale of a blind screenwriter called Harry Cane, who was once a film director who fell for Lena, the mistress of a wealthy businessman, memorably played by Penelope Cruz.
As well as shooting key scenes at El Golfo Almodovar also used other key locations on Lanzarote for his backdrops, such as the beach at Famara and the wind toy located close to Cesar Manrique’s house in Tahiche.
These two big screen blockbusters are just two of the many movies which have been shot on Lanzarote, with others including Moby Dick from 1956, Journey to the Centre of the Earth in 1976 and Enemy Mine in 1986.
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