Museo Atlántico is an underwater museum of sculptures on the seabed of a bay off Playa Blanca, in the municipality of Yaiza on Lanzarote's south coast. The works are by the British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and include groups of human figures and a boat crowded with refugees. The sculptures stand on sand, and the only way to see them is on a dive tour.
Museo Atlantico
Underwater museum of sculpted human figures and a refugee boat on a sandy seabed off Playa Blanca, seen on a dive.
- Entrance
- Visited only on a guided dive tour.
- Accessibility
- Seen only on a scuba dive, so it is out of reach for anyone who cannot dive.
- Parking
- Car parks about 455 m from the site in a straight line.
- Difficulty
- A guided scuba dive from a boat, going almost straight down and finishing with a stop before surfacing; uncertified visitors train and complete a shore dive first.
- Transport
- Bus stops San Marcial I and San Marcial II, about 760 m from the site in a straight line.
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday 9:00–18:00; closed on Sunday.
- Address
- Centro Comercial La Mulata, Calle Lanzarote, 1 Dive College Lanzarote, 35580 Playa Blanca, Las Palmas, Spain
What makes it special
You drop almost straight down from the boat, and human figures come into view on the sandy floor below. Some stand in groups. One work is a boat crowded with refugees, known as The Raft of Lampedusa. Finding people at the bottom of the sea is a surreal sight, and the sculptures make strong underwater photographs.
Fish are fewer here than on the reefs along this coast; the reason to come is the sculpture. The site also suits beginners: the bay is sheltered from northerly winds, the bottom is sand, and people with no diving experience reach it after a training session.
Good to know
- No certification? You train first and complete a shore dive to show you can manage before the museum dive.
- Sea life is thinner here than on the nearby reefs. If fish matter to you, add a reef shore dive.
- Bring an underwater camera if you have one: the sculptures photograph well.
- No drinking water near the site. Bring your own.
Getting there
The last stretch is by water. The sculptures lie on the seabed of the bay off Playa Blanca, and dive groups head out by boat and go down from there.
On land, the nearest car parks are about 455 m from the site in a straight line, and the San Marcial bus stops about 760 m.
Best time to visit
Best: a calm, bright day, Monday to Saturday.
Avoid: Sunday, when the museum is closed.
A high sun puts the most light on the sandy bottom, and the bay's shelter from northerly winds keeps it calm when the wind blows from the north.
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Museo Atlantico on the map
This is open-water scuba: the dive drops almost straight down to the sculptures. Stay with your guide and make the stop on the way back up before you surface.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a certified diver to visit Museo Atlántico?
No. Without a certificate, you do a training session and a shore dive first to show you can manage, and then go on to the museum dive.What is there to see?
Sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor standing on a sandy bottom: human figures and a boat crowded with refugees, The Raft of Lampedusa.Is there much marine life?
There is some, but it is less abundant and less varied than on the reefs nearby. For fish, a reef shore dive is the better choice.What is the dive like?
It goes almost straight down to the sculptures and includes a stop on the way back up before you surface.