Lanzarote is an island that is part of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, and its capital is Arrecife. It is a tourist destination for lovers of volcanoes and half-lunar landscapes, but something also hides under its waters.
Here you can visit the Atlantic Museum, first underwater museum in Europe. Let's see how we can know him.
Atlantic Museum of Lanzarote
The creator of this museum was Jason fromCaires Taylor, a Briton born in Wales to a Guyanese mother, a sculptor educated between Kent and London who in his free time loved to go scuba diving. Hence his love for the oceans.
Before the Lanzarote museum created the first underwater sculpture park in Grenada and his style is truly unique, it is like it opens the doors to a world of absolute fantasy, almost dreamlike.
And it is not so much because of the character of the sculptures but because of that combination that is achieved by placing them in the sea. Taylor's sculptures often depict scenes from everyday life.a, those that occur on land, but underwater and covered by marine organisms are something otherworldly.
And the best thing, human sculptures usually have real human models, through a procedure called lifecasting, that is, from a mold that later becomes concrete and ends its days as part of a magical sculptural reef.
In the case of the Atlantic Museum of Lanzarote It was a project of the island council, financed in part by the government of the Canary Islands. It was inaugurated in 2017 after three years of works in the workshops located by the sea, in the port.
The sculptures They are located at a depth of between 12 and 14 meters, in clear waters, on the southern coast of the island, a site chosen especially for the characteristics of the soil. All distributed in an area of 2500 square meters, the 300 sculptures.
The museum consists of ten groups of sculptures. There is the Rubicon, group of 35 sculptures walking towards an oddly shaped wall, the Lampedusa raft, which reflects the crisis of migrants trying to reach Europe, the Jolateros, the portal, the figure looking in the mirror, the Deregulated which shows a playground with men dressed in suits, a group of children in boats, and sculptures of photographers or a couple taking a selfie photo and of course, the 200 sculptures in a circle which is so famous.
In addition to the sculptures there is a 100 ton, 30 meter long wall. They surround the sculptures and each one is doing everyday things. If you get closer and see the faces you can see different expressions. And there is no lack of a touch of magic or fantasy in the hybrid sculptures of the so-called Hybrid Garden, the human-cactus.
Beyond the artistic reason, the truth is that Sculptures help increase flora and fauna and give life to a artificial reef that meets the same objective as a natural one.
How to visit the Atlantic Museum of Lanzarote
The trips are organized by the Dive College Lanzarote, diving center that has been in Playa Blanca for more than 20 years. It is a simple, family-friendly diving center that invites anyone to take the plunge and discover the sculptures. And if not, it can always be done snorkel.
The Dive College Lanzarote It is the only diving center in Playa Blanca, directly on the coast, super professional. If you are a first-time visitor to the Museo Atlántico Lanzarote, you can sign up for a program that lasts 5 hours and consists of three parts. It starts at 10 am at the dive center and ends at 3 pm.
First, a test dive takes place on the beach, explaining the basic rules of diving. Then you dive a little with the instructor, without exceeding six meters in depth. From there you go to the pool to continue learning more about diving, and after a rest, a light meal and a last informative talk you get on the boat.
After 10 minutes of travel you arrive at the place where the sculptures are submerged, moment of the second immersion. A private guide accompanies you because you cannot dive deeper than 12 meters and he is in charge of guarding you. The views are great. When everything is over you are taken back to the hotel.
All this has a pricee 149 euros per person, including transfers, museum admission and diving equipment. You can do the online booking with a deposit of 40 euros, paying the rest at the same center.
During the dive the staff takes many difficult photos, 50 in total, so after the excursion you can see them and for 20 euros more they will all be sent to your email address.
Practical information about the Atlantic Museum of Lanzarote
- Location: Calle Lanzarote, 1 35580 Playa Lanzarote. Lanzarote. Canary Islands.
- Telephone: +34 928 518 668
Visit Lanzarote
Lanzarote is known as "The island of volcanoes" and is 140 kilometers from the African coast. Enjoy a subtropical climate with little rain and a stable population of around 160 thousand people.
Of its seven municipalities Reef It is the most populated, in addition to being the capital. To the north there are some uninhabited islets. Its highest point is the peak of the Peñas del Chache, 671 meters high.
All the island It has been a Biosphere Reserve since 1993. and a great destiny is Timanfaya National Park: 50 square kilometers with more than 25 volcanoes, lava fields and volcanic slag all over. The Mountains of Fire They are inside, still active.
El Volcanoes National Park It is around and you will be able to see the striking coast, a product of the moment when the hot lava came into contact with the cold water. The green lagoon of sea water, Green puddle, is near the town of El Golfo.
The truth is that if you are attracted to volcanoes and the half-lunar landscapes that their activity produces, Lanzarote is for you. Don't stop walking through it La Corona volcano, through the sandy terrain of The Jable, For the Famara beach and the vertiginous cliff that falls into the sea, or of course, the Ajaches Massif, 20 million years old, and the Peñas del Chache.