Museo Atlantico, a creative universe under the waters of Lanzarote.

There are many types of trips and travellers out there, but if you’re interested in culture and finding out more about the place you are visiting, we’re sure that museums are on your list. 

If you are this type of traveller, Lanzarote won’t disappoint you; it’s full of tourist and cultural hotspots. What’s more, this Canary Island is home to the first underwater museum in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Would you like to find out more?

Here, we’ll tell you everything you need to know before visiting this underwater gem full of details and surprises that will impress everyone

What is the Museo Atlantico like?

Even though it may look like a simple museum completely focused on the ocean it is named after, there’s much more to this underwater exhibition than you could imagine. 

It was created by the British artist Jason de Caires Taylor with the idea of raising awareness about the fragility of the marine ecosystem and the society in which we live. 

The museum was inaugurated in 2016. De Caires had drawn inspiration from the reality around him at the time, and he made a point of reflecting it in each one of his sculptures. They were made from pH-neutral and environmentally friendly materials. This way, he managed to create an artificial reef, increase marine biomass and facilitate the reproduction of species.  

More than 300 sculptures make up the museum, which stretches over 2500 m² of sandy surface at a depth of about 15 metres. They’re surrounded by seaweed, banks of fish, barracudas, octopuses, sponges and, occasionally, angel sharks.  

One of the main features of this museum is that all the statues were made based on casts of real people, many of whom were Lanzarote residents who volunteered to serve as artist’s models. 

The realistic look of the figures contrasts with the quiet and spacious area around them, giving them an aura of mystery. 

Where is the Museo Atlantico located?

The museum is located at the back of Las Coloradas beach, so you should head towards Playa Blanca in the south of Lanzarote. 

To get here, the best thing is to enter these coordinates into your Google Maps. 

This beach is not among the most visited beaches on the island, so you’ll find a rather quiet area. 

The museum is located about 900 metres from the coast and is 12 to 15 metres deep. It is not easily seen from the surface, from which you can only make out some outlines of the figures, missing out on all the details. 

If you’d like to get a closer look at this unusual exhibition and enjoy the experience to the fullest, just dive into the water. 

How do you get to the Museo Atlantico?

The ideal way to visit this underwater museum is to do it well-equipped for diving and, if possible, arrive in a boat and start diving from the surface. 

If you love to dive, a visit to the Museo Atlantico is a perfect excuse for venturing into Canary Island waters. Going for a dip like this is always a good idea, regardless of whether you are an experienced diver or not. 

Do you dive often? 

If you do, this trip will be easy for you because the area is quite calm. Ideally, you would arrive at the area by boat to avoid having to come from the beach. If you are coming with a school, this service is already included in the diving experience. 

Is this the first time you are diving? 

If it is, you’re lucky, because almost all diving schools on the island offer diving to the museum. All you have to do is ask about it at your chosen school and pay good attention to the instructions provided by the instructor. 

Diving schools for visiting the Museo Atlantico. 

If you are interested in booking a tour with a diving school, we recommend all of these three: 

  • Liquid Planet Diving Centre: Their instructors speak several languages and specialize in technical diving and submarine torpedo diving, offering a high-speed experience. Moreover, they travel to various spots on the island to show you the best sea beds in Lanzarote. 
  • Aquanautic Club: Located at the southern part of the island, they offer diving almost every day of the year. Training is available for all levels. 
  • Scuba legends: With its exclusive diving service, this school offers fully personalised training in small groups. 

Prices:

All these schools offer dives to the Museo Atlantico and their fees range from 60 € to 80 €, including materials, instructor, boat and transport towards Las Coloradas beach. 

You won’t have to purchase a specific entrance ticket for visiting the museum because entry is free for everyone who wishes to visit it. 

What will you see at the Museo Atlantico?

With over 300 figures spaced out over ten installations, this underwater museum harbours a thousand details that raise questions about our use of resources and about the society around us. 

As it was intended to become an artificial reef, seaweed, corals and other molluscs become attached to the concrete and change their shapes. This way, a live exhibition is created that changes depending on the external factors around it. 

The exhibition is divided into various highly differentiated groups, although they are joined via a route that was created so that you won’t miss out on a thing.

These are some of the most interesting:

  • Los Jolateros: sculptures of a group of children in little brass boats, typical of Lanzarote, which recreate a race where they row forward using their hands instead of oars. [insert sculpture photo]
  • Lampedusa Raft: this refers to the migration crisis. In the back, a couple is taking a photo, turning their backs on the reality that surrounds them. [insert sculpture photo]
  • Crossing the Rubicon: a group of 35 sculptures walks towards a wall with a door, a point of no return. All the models used for the figures were residents of Lanzarote. [insert sculpture photo]
  • Hybrid Garden: this symbolises the perfect melding of human and nature. [insert sculpture photo]
  • Portal: a sculpture that looks into a mirror that reflects the surface of the sea. [insert sculpture photo]
  • Deregulated: Men in suits playing in a playground. [insert sculpture photo]
  • Human Circle: the last piece, comprising 200 life-size persons forming a circle. [insert sculpture photo]

 

However, there are still many more figures waiting for your visit, so go right ahead, grab a neoprene wetsuit and jump into the water on your next visit to Lanzarote; you won’t be disappointed. 

This article has been written with all the love we feel for Lanzarote. We hope that you would enjoy your visit to the Museo Atlantico as mush as we have enjoyed writing this article. 

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