La Casa de Omar Sharif

Everyone knows it as Omar Sharif’s House, but in reality, today it is the Lagomar museum, an incredible building in a volcanic quarry with winding stairs and a structure which will leave you speechless.

What is Omar Sharif’s House?

Did you know that you can visit Omar Sharif’s House in Lanzarote? There is a very curious backstory, yes the star of Lawrence of Arabia did live here, but he lost it after gambling it away in a game of bridge.

There is a lot of legend around this house’s history, and maybe that is why it has become one of the most intriguing places to visit on the island.

It is said that the Doctor Zhivago actor was filming The Mysterious Island here when he fell in love with the house located among the mounds of black volcanic lava. He bought it on impulse but, at the housewarming party, during a game of cards with friends, he lost it. He lost it in less than 24 hours!

It was his estate agent who beat him in the game, so it is said that something was not quite right because he was also a champion bridge player. With that, the Egyptian actor left and never returned to Lanzarote again.

Nowadays, this house is the Lagomar museum, a creation by the local architect César Manrique. It is unique in part because of the Omar Sharif tale (denied for years by him) and has now become one of the most touristic sites on the island.

It even has a restaurant inside, El Balagué, where concerts and live jazz sessions are held in the evenings.