Scuba diving in Canary Islands: top dive spots

The Canary Islands are celebrated as Europe’s premier scuba diving destination. As an oceanic volcanic archipelago bathed by the Canary Current and completely free from river sediment run-off, the islands deliver gin-clear waters with underwater visibility routinely exceeding twenty to thirty metres.

Water temperatures range from 18 °C in winter to 24 °C in late summer, enabling comfortable year-round diving with standard 5mm or 7mm wetsuits. Beneath the waves lies a dramatic volcanic seascape of lava tubes, submarine drop-offs, basalt arches and historic shipwrecks hosting a vibrant crossroads of Atlantic, Mediterranean and tropical marine species.

Lanzarote: Museo Atlántico and Puerto del Carmen

Off Playa Blanca in southern Lanzarote sits the Museo Atlántico, Europe’s only underwater contemporary sculpture museum. Created by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor at 12–14 metres depth, it features over 300 life-sized human figures sculpted from pH-neutral eco-cement that now form an artificial reef teeming with marine life.

In Puerto del Carmen, legendary dives include La Catedral and the *Blue Hole*, a cavernous volcanic drop-off where a famous friendly dusky grouper named Félix frequently greets divers.

Gran Canaria: El Cabrón Marine Reserve

Located near Arinaga in south-east Gran Canaria, El Cabrón Reserve is a European Site of Community Importance. Its volcanic drop-off hosts staggering biodiversity: massive schools of grunt fish, barracudas, giant round stingrays with two-metre wingspans, butterfly rays and seahorses.

Guided dives and beginner courses

Discovery dive at Museo Atlántico

A ~9-hour try-dive at Lanzarote’s Atlantic Museum. Age 10+, no certification needed.

9 hours From €215

Try-dive: training and sea dive

Discover Scuba Diving (~3 hours): training plus a sea dive with Blue Water. Age 10+.

3 hours From €90

Signature marine life: angel shark haven

The Canary Islands are the world's last stronghold for the critically endangered angel shark (*Squatina squatina*), a bottom-dwelling flat shark nearly extinct in the rest of Europe. From November through April, they congregate in sheltered sandy bays to breed, providing divers with unforgettable, entirely harmless encounters.