❤️ Why Is LagOmar Worth Visiting?
It's hard to compare LagOmar with any other attraction on Lanzarote. It doesn't impress with its size or cutting-edge design. Instead, it captivates visitors with something far more difficult to describe—the unique atmosphere of a place where architecture and nature exist as one.
This is a house that tells many stories. The story of the extraordinary collaboration between César Manrique and Jesús Soto. The story of a Hollywood star who couldn't resist its charm. And the story of a place that, despite the passing of time, continues to surprise everyone who steps inside.
You may come for the architecture, the history, or simply out of curiosity. But there's a good chance you'll leave convinced that you've just discovered one of the most extraordinary places on Lanzarote.
🚗 Visiting LagOmar
LagOmar is located in the village of Nazaret, just a few minutes' drive from Teguise. The visit is self-guided, allowing you to explore a fascinating labyrinth of terraces, stairways, tunnels, and rooms carved into the volcanic rock at your own pace. There's also a restaurant and café on-site, so it's well worth setting aside a little extra time to fully enjoy this extraordinary place.
📖 In the guidebook "Lanzarote with César Manrique," you'll find everything you need before your visit:
📍 detailed directions and GPS coordinates,
🅿️ parking information,
🎟️ up-to-date ticket prices and opening hours,
💙 practical tips to help you get the most out of your visit,
🗺️ a suggested itinerary combining LagOmar with other nearby attractions, so you can make the most of your day on Lanzarote.
🎬 When Omar Sharif Fell in Love with It
It's easy to understand why. Just a few minutes spent at LagOmar are enough to see why the place made such a powerful impression on Omar Sharif.
In 1973, while on Lanzarote filming The Mysterious Island, the actor discovered this extraordinary home hidden among the volcanic rocks. Captivated by what he saw, he decided to buy it almost immediately.
It wasn't just the architecture that won him over. LagOmar was unlike any residence he had ever known. Instead of grand walls and lavish interiors, he found a home where volcanic rock, natural light, lush vegetation, and architecture blended into a single harmonious whole. It was a place of tranquility, hidden passageways, and ever-changing perspectives.
Standing in LagOmar today, it's easy to understand why he made that decision.
What is much harder to believe is that the most extraordinary part of the story was still to come...
🃏 The Most Expensive Game of Bridge?
Legend has it that Omar Sharif fell in love with LagOmar at first sight. During his stay on Lanzarote, he purchased the extraordinary home carved into the volcanic rock, seemingly fulfilling one of his dreams.
Not long afterward, he is said to have sat down for a game of bridge with British businessman Sam Benady. Sharif was passionate about the game and rarely turned down a challenge. According to the story, however, he had no idea that his opponent was the European Bridge Champion.
The most popular version of the tale claims that the newly purchased LagOmar became the stake in the game. Benady won the match, and Omar Sharif is said to have lost the house just a few days after buying it.
Another part of the legend says that the actor was so disappointed by what had happened that he never returned to Lanzarote.
Today, this remarkable story is commemorated by a painting displayed in one of LagOmar's rooms. Many visitors see it as little more than an interesting decoration, unaware that it refers to one of the island's most famous legends.
📜 What Do We Know for Certain?
Not every part of this story can be confirmed with complete certainty. Over the years, it has been retold countless times, eventually becoming one of Lanzarote's best-known local legends.
What is well established, however, is that:
✔️ Omar Sharif owned LagOmar.
♠️ The actor was a passionate bridge player.
🏡 The house changed ownership very soon after he bought it.
📖 The story has become an inseparable part of LagOmar's history and is still shared with visitors today.
Was the house really lost over a game of bridge? Or have the facts become a little more colorful over the years? We will probably never know for certain.
One thing, however, is beyond doubt—this remarkable story gave LagOmar a reputation that extends far beyond the shores of Lanzarote.
🎨 The Legacy of César Manrique
Although LagOmar is not as famous as Jameos del Agua or Mirador del Río, it perfectly reflects César Manrique's design philosophy. More than anywhere else, it demonstrates his belief that architecture should never dominate the landscape but instead become a natural part of it.
The striking white walls contrasting with the dark volcanic lava, the soft, rounded shapes, the carefully selected vegetation, and the use of natural lava chambers make it difficult to distinguish where nature ends and human design begins. This seamless integration became the hallmark of Manrique's work.
After visiting LagOmar, it's easy to understand why César Manrique's creations are still considered among the most extraordinary attractions on Lanzarote. They impress not through grandeur, but through their harmony with the island's unique volcanic landscape.
If you'd like to discover the origins of this remarkable design philosophy, be sure to explore the story of César Manrique—the visionary who transformed Lanzarote forever.
🏡 Interiors That Surprise at Every Turn
The best way to experience LagOmar is to take your time. This isn't a place you simply walk through from entrance to exit. Every turn, staircase, and passageway leads to another room, a small courtyard, or a terrace hidden among the volcanic rocks.
It is inside the house that the brilliance of the design becomes most apparent. Natural lava chambers blend seamlessly with bright interiors, stone staircases, and terraces, creating a space that feels both open and full of hidden corners waiting to be discovered.
One of the most fascinating features is the network of windows, openings, and glass panels positioned throughout the different levels of the house. They allow you to see LagOmar from constantly changing perspectives—looking into a neighboring lava chamber, down onto a courtyard, or across to a terrace you were standing on only moments before. As a result, the house reveals itself gradually, with every new space offering another unexpected view.
No two rooms are alike. Each has its own atmosphere, unique lighting, and a different relationship with the surrounding volcanic rock. That's why so many visitors remember LagOmar not as a museum or a former residence, but as a place to experience rather than simply admire.
❤️ From Zwiedzo-Maniacy
We've visited many extraordinary places on Lanzarote, but the interiors of LagOmar impressed us more than anything else. Not because of luxurious furnishings, but because of the remarkable way the architecture blends with the natural volcanic rock. Take your time, and every now and then, stop and look behind you—quite often, the most memorable view isn't in front of you, but right behind your back.
👀 First Impression? It Doesn't Look Like a House
It's hard to tell where LagOmar actually begins. Is it at the entrance? Or only when you descend the first staircase carved between the volcanic rocks? Within just a few steps, one thing becomes clear—this is no ordinary house. It's a labyrinth of terraces, passageways, courtyards, and natural lava chambers that blend seamlessly with the architecture.
As you wander through LagOmar, you often feel as though you've reached the end. But around the next corner, you'll discover another patio, a hidden cave, a flight of stone steps, or a terrace offering a completely new perspective. Every turn reveals something unexpected, inviting you to explore even further.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature is that the architecture never tries to steal the spotlight. The walls seem to rise naturally from the rock, the rooms merge with volcanic caves, and the lush vegetation looks as if it has always belonged here. At times, it's almost impossible to tell where nature ends and human design begins.
That's why many visitors leave LagOmar talking not about a beautiful house, but about an unforgettable experience. This is a place to be discovered rather than simply visited.
And this is only the beginning. Behind one of those doors lies the story that made LagOmar famous around the world.
LagOmar – Lanzarote's Most Extraordinary Home
Some places captivate with their breathtaking views. Others impress with their history. And then there's LagOmar—a remarkable home carved into volcanic rock that enchanted a Hollywood star, was famously lost in a game of bridge, and today amazes thousands of visitors from around the world.
📖 Find Out More…
In the guidebook "Lanzarote with César Manrique," César Manrique himself will take you on a tour of LagOmar. He'll reveal the story behind this extraordinary home that captivated Omar Sharif, explain its unique architecture, and point out details that most visitors never even notice.
🌋 Two Men, One Extraordinary Vision
Looking at LagOmar, it's hard to believe that someone actually designed it. The house seems as though it has always been part of the volcanic hillside. Terraces, stairways, and rooms flow seamlessly into the natural rock, making the boundary between architecture and nature almost disappear.
Behind this extraordinary project stood two men whose talents perfectly complemented one another.
César Manrique brought the vision. He dreamed of creating a place that would not dominate the landscape but become a natural part of it. His goal was for visitors to feel that the house had grown out of the rock rather than been built upon it.
The person responsible for turning that vision into reality was architect Jesús Soto, Manrique's longtime friend and collaborator. Soto transformed the artistic concept into a functional design, incorporating natural lava chambers, uneven terrain, and solidified volcanic rock as integral parts of the building itself. As a result, LagOmar feels as if it was created together with the surrounding landscape.
When work on LagOmar began, César Manrique and Jesús Soto were already far from newcomers. They had completed several projects that would permanently shape the identity of Lanzarote. Visitors could already explore Cueva de los Verdes, admire Manrique's home in Tahíche, and dine at El Diablo restaurant in Timanfaya National Park. Each of these projects demonstrated that architecture could exist in harmony with nature. LagOmar, however, was intended to take that idea one step further.
Unlike their earlier works, which were primarily designed as public spaces for visitors, LagOmar was conceived as a private residence. This gave Manrique and Soto the freedom to pursue even bolder ideas. They did not want to build a house on the rock—they wanted to create a home that appeared to have grown naturally from the volcanic landscape.
LagOmar is proof that truly exceptional places are born from the combination of imagination and expertise. Manrique showed how architecture could live in harmony with nature, while Soto found a way to bring that vision to life. Together, they created a place that continues to captivate visitors from around the world.