Our star visitor, Eric Wilson, gives us 7 keys to his love for Lanzarote
On his latest stay on the island this summer, which was his 90th, Eric Wilson was once again honoured by the tourism sector and, in fact, by the whole of Lanzarote. After 35 uninterrupted years of visits, we asked our dear British friend to explain why he loves The Different Island so much.
“I fell in love with the island one autumn”
Eric Wilson has travelled all over the world, visiting 61 countries, so his is an authoritative voice when he says that he fell in love with Lanzarote’s climate, sun, wind and sea on his very first visit here, in November 1989. Although he says “it’s always wonderful“, he highlights the conditions of Lanzarote’s Indian summer in these autumn months, which makes a visit to the island especially relaxing and attractive.
We can’t resist encouraging you to follow in his footsteps and get to know Lanzarote in this season, when the Atlantic breeze calms and the island’s beaches become a paradise of relaxation. Check out the healing power of barefoot walks along beaches of fine white sand, yellow jable or black volcanic sand that colour the island’s coastline.
“I can really relax, talking to Lanzaroteños and Lanzaroteñas“
One of the qualities that Eric Wilson highlights about the island is the friendliness of its people and the safe social values, which allow for easy spontaneous encounters and conversations that are not found in other destinations.
The fact is that in Lanzarote we like to share our culture and way of life with those who want to get to know us, and September is the best month for this. If you’re on the island this month, don’t miss the pilgrimage to the Ermita de los Dolores, the popular folk event par excellence, which this year is held on the 14th of September as part of the patron saint’s festivities. Believe us when we say that you’ll never forget this celebration that recalls the miracle that stopped the rivers of lava that were burying villages and crops for years.
Make the most of your stay in Mancha Blanca to visit the handicrafts fair, where the delicate work of Canary Island artisans is on display. And if you are interested in folklore, let yourself be carried away by isas, folías and malagueñas, played on the chácaras, drums and guitars at the Encuentro Folclórico Nanino Díaz Cutillas.
“I’ve met great characters here”
During his visits, Eric has met some of his country’s most famous people who have taken up residence on the island, such as TV star Gary Michael Hollywood, winner of a Bafta award for his role in Mrs. Brown’s Boys.
And Hollywood is not the only famous person to move to the island. Intellectuals such as the Nobel Prize winner José Saramago, the best-selling author Alberto Vázquez Figueroa and the international model Jon Kortajarena have also chosen Lanzarote as their place of residence. Others, such as Pedro Almodóvar, spend long periods of time here. The director from La Mancha filmed Los abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces) in landscapes such as Charco de los Clicos, La Geria or Famara beach.
“Tourism professionals are my friends”
In Mr. Wilson’s opinion, what really makes life worth living is meeting interesting people over the years. And in Lanzarote, it is possible to mix with the professionals in the tourism industry, most of whom already treat him like an old friend. Eric always stays in room 164 at the Dreams Lanzarote hotel, but he says he feels at home anywhere. The island has one of the most modern and sustainable ranges of accommodation facilities on the planet.
The warmth shown by Lanzarote’s tourism sector professionals is one of the reasons for our destination’s impeccable reputation, which has recently earned it important recognition. Lanzarote’s promotional body has been awarded the Canary Islands Award for its extensive experience and work in the construction of a sustainable destination that prioritises quality employment and the welfare of residents, among others.
“You’ll never get to know this island completely”
Lanzarote’s mere 800 square kilometres are a lot to take in. “My advice is to plan more than one trip and visit every corner of this incredible place,” says Mr. Wilson, with his extensive experience. If Lanzarote’s best-known wonders are the inevitable first ports of call, on subsequent visits the island invites a more leisurely and exploratory experience.Hidden coves, inland corners, hiking trails… The magic of Lanzarote and La Graciosa is inexhaustible.
“The love and respect for César Manrique are still intact”
Eric Wilson was in Lanzarote on 24 September 1992, when the island-born artist César Manrique died. “I was able to see the immense love and respect the islanders had for him, which these are still intact,” says this lover of Manrique’s philosophy, the hallmark of the whole of The Different Island.
For Manrique, “being born in this scorched geography in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean would condition any moderately sensitive being” and with this premise he created a network of public centres that combine art and culture and showcase the work of this visionary genius.
September is a good month to remember the master who ensured that the island of his birth would be known all over the world for its environmental awareness. Every 25th of September in the cemetery of Haría where his remains lie, a simple tribute is carried out by the workers of the Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism, a charming act that shows that the humanist attitude of Manrique is still alive.
“I feel privileged in this paradise”
Wilson doesn’t want to be just another inhabitant of paradise. His good judgement allows him to enjoy an exceptional experience that only a holiday can give: living as a family, but with the services of the tourist sector, a bargain! “I wouldn’t live in Lanzarote because I want to continue to feel its beauty as a privilege, not as an everyday thing“, says Eric Wilson, for whom the island is a real escape.
Over the years, Eric Wilson has proved to be a true ambassador for our Island. Thank you very much, dear friend, for your very requited love.