Diving areas and sites in Lanzarote

Blue Hole

It is one of the most famous dives in Puerto del Carmen. The Blue Hole is a tunnel that communicates the sandy bottom with the rock wall, at different heights. It is named The Blue Hole because of the bright blue color that is seen from inside the tunnel. In this diving area we can see several hidden seahorses, if you know how to find it.

La Catedral

One of the most popular dives on the island is La Catedral (The Cathedral), a huge cave where we can enter, similar to the vault of a church, flanked by high rock walls where all kinds of creatures live, like giant groupers. Formerly it was the home of Lanzarote’s largest grouper, Felix, which unfortunately left us some time ago.

Cueva de las gambas (Shrimp Cave)

Another of the best known dives of Playa Chica beach (main diving area in Puerto del Carmen) is La Cueva de las Gambas o the Shrimp Cave. There, we can find a lot of swarms of narwhal shrimp (popularly called shrimp). There are laso large groupers waiting for the light of our torches to begin the feast. It is a dive for experienced divers because it is over 40 meters deep.

Quíquere wrecks

In Puerto del Carmen we find several wrecks. The Quíquere ones are probably the best known. These are three sunken fishing boats made of wood. The disposition in which they sank makes the diving site a unique place. Large schools of fish and the largest schools of barracuda in the area are usually  located here.

Tiñosa wrecks

The other most interesting wrecks in Puerto del Carmen are the Tiñosa ones. Here you can see the rest of to six sunk ships at different depths in a single dive. Those that are closer to the surface are better preserved. In fact one is visible from the pier, something not common. It is a fantastic place to do the Wreck Specialty as well as the Quíquere wrecks.

Richies Place

We love Lanzarote and its underwater landscapes. One of the most spectacular is found in Richies Place. In this site we find huge walls that goes into the abyss, rocks of impossible shapes, caves, arches … all this framed in white sand bottoms and surrounded by hundreds of fish and marine fauna. It has several routes to follow. We can find orange coral and a cave with narwhal shrimp.

Waikiki

This is a very peculiar dive. Waikiki’s exotic name already transports us to tropical areas. The white sand bottom reflects sunlight, creating that characteristic effect of the Caribbean or Southeast Asia. From the begginig of the dive we find large populations of fish, but still is worth continuing to descend through the veril. We could enjoy the aquarium again at the security stop.

El ojo (The eye)

It is a unique dive site. A hole in the rock wall that allows us to see through it. Although the eye is the main attraction of the site, the entire area deserves to be explored and enjoyed. Plenty of life and different species.

Playa Chica wall

This is the main diving area of Puerto del Carmen and the entire island. From a single spot, Playa Chica, you can do a wide variety of dives for a wide range of levels, from 18 meters to over 60. In Playa Chica we find caves, underwater cliffs, volcanic tubes, deep coral, sharks and even whales (being really lucky). Of course we almost always see groupers, rays (sting ray or chucho, eagle ray ratón and butterfly ray), barracudas, trumpet fish, fire worms, octopuses, nudibranchs, etc.

Fariones wall

Puerto del Carmen diving area is characterized by its walls and cliffs, but not all are the same. The Fariones one is an underwater cliff with very deep walls. These become an aquarium for thousands of fish, ideal for making safety stops while enjoying the Canarian marine fauna.

El Muellito and the beach

El Muellito, in Puerto del Carmen, and the two piers of Playa Chica, are the place for most of the dives in Lanzarote. It offers many different dives and we find many of the species that inhabit the Atlantic of the Canary Islands: groupers, rays (eagle ray, stingray, butterfly ray), tuna, barracuda, moray, octopus, cuttlefish, nudibranchs, spider crabs, fire worms, giant anemones, sardines, salemas, damselfish, seabream, etc.

The wall

This dive takes place along a rock wall where we can find a wide variety of marine flora: hanging gerardias or encrusting anemone, a branch of orange coral, leopard sea slug … In addition to giants groupers, trumpet fish, morray and others.

Los arcos (The Arches)

After crossing a sandy area, which looks like an underwater desert, we arrive at some volcanic rock formations in Puerto del Carmen. Despite looking like a desert, life abounds in it: gardener eels, spider fish, lizard fish, wide-eyed flounder, crabs, angel sharks and schools of fish such as golden grey mullet, striped seabream or salemas.

El balcón de los atunes (Tunas´ balcony)

From the underwater wall we can see some pelagic migratory species that appear fleetingly from the blue heading towards other waters. This dive is called the balcony of the tunas because t is possible to see these oceanic giants, as well as medregal or wahoo. In addition to the Atlantic species present throughout the Canary coast of Lanzarote.

Charco del palo I

Charco del Palo is a town in the northwest of Lanzarote. From there it is possible to make two different tours of the same diving area, depending on whether we move north or south. It seems unbeliable that these rocky landscapes are submerged. Mala has a great variety of Canarian ecosystems in a relatively small area: colorful carpet of seaweed that covers the rocks in the shallowest area, slopes which fall in the abyss of snow-white sand, cliffs and endless caves.

Charco del palo II

El ascensor (the lift)

This dive is unique in the island. Nature once again creates impossible forms, a volcanic tube in which we can dive as if it were an elevator. “The lift” is a cave in which the light creates magical effects thanks to the multitude of skylights that cross it. In addition to this tube, the surroundings also deserve to be explored for its volcanic landscape with holes, tunnels and large arches.

El cañón (the canyon)

Once again, Mala surprises us with its underwater landscapes. In this case, gigantic walls flank this canyon, like a corridor that we will cross surrounded by rocks with impossible shapes, caves, arches, white sandbanks, etc. The usual good visibility and the way in which light is reflected, make El Cañon, in Mala, a unique dive in Lanzarote.

La Burrera

This dive site is one of the most famous on the island, even one of the best in the Canary Islands. Its rocky landscape forms mazes where we find many of the species that inhabit the Canarian Atlantic. The bottom is covered by a seaweed forest that makes this view very particular.

La Roncadera

Another of the best known dive sites of the Chinijo Archipielago and La Graciosa is La Roncadera.  Here, the rock forms an amphitheater sourronded,wich looks like a roman circus. The steps of the amphitheater are covered with red and yellow sea fans. We can find a huge school of bastard grunts that give the dive site its name.

Veril de las anclas (anchors´wall)

This is a rocky wall of about 1km long, located over a sandbank, in the strip of water (known as El Río, for its width of just 3km) that separates north Lanzarote from La Graciosa. This wall is the Veril de las Agujas, whose northern end is known as the Veril de las Anclas.

Veril de las langostas (lobsters´wall)

The lobsters´wall corresponds to the end of the Veril de las Agujas of the Chinijo Archipelago. This dive is special because of the impossible shapes of the rocks and the abundance of marine life. The sharp rocks create a unique landscape, different from the rest of Lanzarote. In the holes we can find dozens of Canary lobsters, that give the dive site its name.

Las cañas

Once again, the Canarian seabed forms a maze carved in volcanic rock. This maze is made up of passageways, caves and columns that create hidden spaces and arches through which the light passes through. Everywhere is covered by a colorful layer of seaweed. Schools of anchovies, bogue and bastard grunts reign the place.

Montaña amarilla

Its name comes from the yellow color of the rock that covers this mountain. The magma of a volcanic eruption acquired this color when it touched the sea water. The landscape that we will find diving is an extension of what we see on the surface.

El bajón de las gerardias (encrusting anemone)

On La Graciosa island we find the largest concentration of encrusting anemone in the world, which makes this dive a unique place for scuba diving. It is only accessible to expert divers because they are quite deep. It is really worthy seeing this exclusive underwater garden.