CÉSAR MANRIQUE FOUNDATION / MAISON DU VOLCAN

5 km north of Arrecife in Taro de Tahiche, this "volcano" house is where César Manrique lived for 20 years and has been a museum since his death in 1992. Built in 1968 in a lava flow created by the eruption that took place between 1730 and 1736, it is the first and perhaps the best example of the architecture to which Manrique devoted himself on his return to Lanzarote, but which had already been planned during his stay in New York. For him, it was a symbiosis of art and nature. The interior uses the site's black basalt, contrasting sharply with the walls, which are as white as those of the island's traditional houses, except when adorned with abstract frescoes. Inside, the painter's former studio houses his personal collection, including his own works as well as those of Picasso, Miró, Tápies... The underground level boasts 5 volcanic bubbles in which lounges have been set up. You can also visit the swimming pool, the small dance floor, the oven and the barbecue. All this amidst an abundant vegetation of fruit trees and various plants that contrast with the blackness of the lava. The foundation also features a large hall for temporary exhibitions by painters, sculptors and photographers. The tour moves from the interior to the exterior, ending with a large mural by Manrique overlooking a garden of water basins.