Museo Atlantico in Lanzarote

Playa Blanca has a unique new dive site: the Museo Atlántico. Here divers can visit the only underwater museum in Europe. Artist Jason deCaires Taylor is known for his underwater creations.

On the 1st March 2016 the Museo Atlantico was opened. This is a new unique dive site to Lanzarote. Artist Jason deCaires Taylor has created an underwater sculpture museum, located off the bay of Los Colorados, Playa Blanca. The art draws attention to issues such as climate change, migration and conservation. The sculptures are made from ph neutral concrete aiming to create an artificial reef to encourage marine life growth.

The Museo Atlantico is being built in several phases. The first phase is complete and has 6 different parts. The Rubicon is a group of human figures who are all walking in the same direction, some have their eyes closed, some are engrossed in their phones. Jason says this work is about climate change and how mankind seems to be heading blindly towards a point of no return. The models used for these sculptures are Lanzarote residents.

Sculptures of the Museo Atlántico

The Museo Atlántico - designed to generate an artificial reef on a large scale - is now complete and consists of 10 different groups of sculptures. There is the Rubicon, a group of 35 human figures walking towards a wall. The models used for these sculptures are Lanzarote residents. You can also see the famous Raft of Lampedusa, a reference to the current refugee crisis. Another component is a group of children in little brass boats, called Los Jolateros. Also there are several hybrid sculptures (half human, half cactus) depicting the merging of nature and humanity, existing together in harmony. The sculptures of a couple taking a selfie and some photographers refer to the use of new technology in our modern society. In the Portal a sculpture looks at a mirror that reflects the surface of the ocean. Deregulated is a playground in which business men in suits play on a swing and two rockers. The last piece is a human gyre which consists of 200 life-size sculptures.

The collection of statues is situated in a sheltered area near Coloradas, Playa Blanca at a depth of 12 to 15 metres. A visit to the Museo Atlántico is a magical experience which will hopefully lead to a better understanding of the need to value and protect our marine environment.

For divers and snorkelers

Several times per week Dive College Lanzarote takes divers with our boat to the underwater museum; Museo Atlántico. Also snorkelers get a chance to visit the Museo on a special snorkeling trip

For non divers

For people who do not have a dive license there is a special program to visit the Museo Atlántico. This program consists of one try dive, a pool session to learn a few dive skills and a boat dive to Museo Atlántico. For the first dive, you will do a dive from the shore together with an instructor. After the pool session you will dive the Museo together with a private guide.