The landscapes in the Canary Islands are full of places that often exceed the realms of imagination: idyllic beaches, spectacular volcanoes, sand dunes, leafy forests and a spectacular sky –always clear blue– which will make you feel you're in a world of fiction. So it's hardly surprising that many film directors and writers have chosen the archipelago as a source of inspiration or as a backdrop for their work.
Gregory Peck, Orson Wells or figures like Agatha Christie –among others– have all experienced adventures in the Canary Islands. And maybe on your visit you too will feel like the main character in a novel or a science fiction film.
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Islands worthy
of a film
Tenerife’s landscape became a mythological backdrop for the filming of Wrath of the Titans
The warm and transparent waters of the Canary Islands are the natural habitat of thousands of cetaceans, which explains why John Huston chose this as the location for “Moby Dick” (1956), the legendary 1950s film based on the novel by Melville. The volcanic landscapes of Tenerife and Lanzarote have also served as the prehistoric backdrop for“One Million Years B.C.” (1966), starring Raquel Welch, which has gone down in history as having one of the most memorable scenes in the cinema.
Other films featuring the islands include “Wrath of the titans”, shot in Tenerife, “REC 4”, in Gran Canaria, “Exodus: Gods and Kings”, in Fuerteventura, and Heart of the Sea, in La Gomera, with renowned actors like Liam Neeson and Christian Bale in the leading roles and directors like Ron Howard.
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Stories in the light of
the Canary Islands
But beyond serving as a location for numerous films, the landscapes of the Canary Islands have also inspired directors like Pedro Almodóvar, who set part of the plot of “Broken Embraces” in Lanzarote, and on whose beaches you can see Penélope Cruz.
The producers of “Fast & Furious 6”, cast Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in the role of retired high-stakes thieves on the island of Tenerife. Both films were seen on cinema screens halfway round the world, and another viewing would be a great way of preparing your trip to the islands.
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Source of
literary inspiration
“
...indeed it is hard to imagine a more attractive sight”
- Jules Verne
Throughout history, many authors have retired to the Canary Islands to write their novels. Some of the most important include José Saramago, the Nobel Prize for Literature, who settled in Lanzarote and even dedicated two books to the island; and the British crime writer Agatha Christie, who found on the island the inspiration she needed to finish writing “The mystery of the blue train”. A little later she set one of the short stories featuring Miss Jane Marple on the islands, when she referred to their “mild and sunny climate, excellent beaches and lively harbour”.
Another famous writer who also found inspiration in the islands was Jules Verne, who in his novel “The Thompson Travel Agenc” used the archipelago as the setting for his imaginative adventures, and about which he wrote “...indeed it is hard to imagine a more attractive sight”.
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Cradle of
writers
The Canary Islands has also nurtured great writers who have appeared on the shelves of all the leading libraries throughout history. Authors such as Benito Pérez Galdós, Alberto Vázquez Figueroa and Rafael Arozarena have imprinted the mark of the Canary Islands' rich cultural landscape on world literature.
Works like “Marianela”, “Cienfuegos” and “Mararía”, are excellent options for lounging on a beach in the sunshine, or relaxing surrounded by nature while you immerse yourself totally in the essence of the Canary Islands.