Diving and snorkelling in Lanzarote

Whenever you fin down to this sunken art installation, you’re in for a treat. But, there’s something about seeing this underwater museum at night that just amps up those atmospheric and eerie vibes. After all, on most dives, you rarely spot a lifelike woman walking along the seabed checking her phone. Add a touch of dappled moonlight and you’ve got almost ideal photography conditions. At these depths, you’ll need additional lighting to see the sculptures clearly, but do expect them to be joined by more than a few nocturnal hunters – and their prey looking for a safe place to hide. 

This lovely little beach in Costa Teguise combines all the elements beginners and families need for a morning – or afternoon snorkel. Put simply, it’s the breakwaters that seal the deal on this one. Protected from the currents, weaker swimmers, youngsters and anyone new to snorkelling, can concentrate on the fun task of spotting sea life, with few cares. Obviously, sea safety still needs to be observed, but calm waters make life a whole lot easier. It won’t be as jam-packed with creatures as the nooks and crannies of Playa Chica (more on that below) – but a swim or two over the rocks will be well rewarded.  

We’ve already covered Playa Chica for diving in Lanzarote, but we just had to give it a mention for snorkelers too. The beach with the best marine life – and access, on the island can’t go unnoticed.  The list of fish to see off this Puerto del Carmen beach, right from the shallows, is seriously impressive and will get you back in the water, again and again. Sightings start fairly simple, star fish, anemones, sea cucumbers slothfully squidge along the sea bed. Swim out further and they are joined by striped seabream, parrot fish, salema, shrimps, rock fish, wrasse, whitebait and cuttlefish. It pays to know your species here, just a little. Puffer fish do patrol the waters – along with fireworms. To avoid any mishaps it’s always best to keep your distance. 

Let’s be honest, there’s little need to pop on your mask and fins to get a good look at the Telamon Wreck. Sitting loud and proud out of the water near Arrecife harbour, the Telamon has intrigued passersby – and divers, since it was abandoned there in the 1980s. Today, you can fin out from shore and snorkel round the ship. At high tide, both the bow and stern are underwater, with sea hares, cuttlefish, octopus, rays and nudibranchs all living in various parts of the damaged hull. Though the ship does have holes large enough to swim through, the decaying ship and sharp edges make it extremely unsafe. Take a torch to peek into the gloomy innards instead. 

Good news snorkelers – you don’t need a dive license to experience this undersea treasure. 300 sculptures lie on the bottom of the ocean near Playa Blanca. Now, at 12-15m deep, you’re not going to make out too much detail from the surface, but you can still join groups such as Dive College Lanzarote to get you to the site and back. Even better, they’ll put you through the scuba basics to ensure you can dive to the submerged museum, if you want to really get up close to the art. 

If you’re intrigued by life on the sea bed, have a chat with the team at Native Diving in Costa Teguise. Their Sea Trek tech will have you walking on the sea bed in minutes. It’s all down to a pretty nifty helmet system that supplies your air while you take a little stroll among the shoals, shrimps and rays. You don’t even need to be able to swim. Though, admittedly, that might be a step too far if your a little nervous of the water. Children aged 8 and up can join in – and you can see Lanzarote’s underwater world after around 10 minutes of training. Not bad for €60. The best part? It’s also accessible for anyone with mobility issues thanks to their undersea wheelchair.