Museo Atlantico: Europe’s First Underwater Museum
When picturing the Canary Islands, first things come to mind are: the sun, a tropical beach and the ocean breeze. But, apparently, there is much more to see off the shoreline as well: a whole underwater museum, to be exact.
Located off the coast of Lanzarote, Museo Atlantico is Europe’s first underwater museum, at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
It was created by the British artist Jason deCaires Taylor in 2017. It took him a year to complete his sculptures and one more year to submerge them onto the seabed.
The figures are set at a depth of 50 feet, so they can be observed not only by scuba diving and
snorkeling, but also by tourists who ride on boats with a glass bottom. According to the artist, all sculptures are made of dense concrete, which does not have harmful effects on the marine ecosystem.
In total, the museum exhibits 300 life sized sculptures. They are united in an art installations and each of them illustrates variety of issues such as: global warming, immigration and social media addiction.
The biggest installation is the “Circle of People”. In it, about 200 sculptures are arranged in a circle, which meant to symbolize the origin of life in the water and its dependence on the ocean.
The installation “Crossing the Rubicon” is a concrete wall, with a single passage in the center, to which 40 figures “walk”.
“The Raft of Lampedusa” is a boat full of desperate people, resembling the recent immigrant wave to Europe.
The installations are fun and sad to see, at the same time. They are thought provoking and emotional. So, do not pass on this unique experience and visit the museum.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Museo Atlántico underwater museum area, off Playa de las Coloradas, Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, Spain
- Coordinates
- 28.85347, -13.80167
- Access
- The Museo Atlántico is a submerged sculpture site about 12 metres deep off Playa Blanca; it has no shore entrance. Arrange a boat dive through a Lanzarote dive centre. Spain’s tourism authority lists diving certification for the 15-metre depth. Safari Diving offers a supervised beginner program from age 10 for people without a licence and requires a medical-fitness form; its one-day course runs 10:00–15:00. Other operators may set different certification, age and safety requirements.
- Admission
- There is no standalone museum ticket. Safari Diving lists a €7 Museo supplement on regular dives; its own beginner option combines a €75 try dive and €79 museum follow-up (€154 total), or a five-hour one-day program. These are one operator’s prices, not a universal museum fee; equipment and inclusions may vary. Confirm current price and availability with the chosen dive centre.
- Time needed
- Safari Diving estimates about four hours for the museum dive including transport. Its beginner one-day program runs five hours, 10:00–15:00. These are operator-specific schedules; the submerged visit itself has no separate fixed public duration.
- Best season
- No museum-specific best season is published. Visits depend on dive-centre schedules, sea conditions and suitable weather; check the operator’s forecast and booking availability for your date.
- Opening hours
- The underwater museum has no published public opening hours; dives are scheduled by operators. Safari Diving lists the beginner museum program Monday–Saturday and its dive centre Monday–Saturday 09:30–17:30; Sunday centre hours are seasonal (July 1–October 31). These are Safari Diving hours, not general site hours; check the live calendar.
- Location checked
- 2026-09-25
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-23
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