Jameos del Agua, where Lanzarote’s lava meets architecture

Jameos del Agua on Lanzarote turns a volcanic lava tube into an art, culture and geology landmark shaped by César Manrique’s vision beneath the Corona volcano.

Jameos del Agua on Lanzarote is a volcanic cave complex turned into an art, culture and tourism centre, where César Manrique’s architecture sits directly within the lava tube of the Volcán de la Corona.

Lava, light and water inside a volcanic tube

Jameos del Agua occupies a section of the long volcanic tunnel created by an eruption of the Volcán de la Corona in the northern part of Lanzarote, in the municipality of Haría in Spain’s Canary Islands.volcanic tunnel The word “jameo” refers to points where the roof of such a tunnel has collapsed, opening the subterranean space to the sky and creating hollows where rock, water and vegetation meet.

Within this section of the Corona tube, seawater has filtered inland to form a subterranean salt lake, and around it Manrique organised paths, terraces and a restaurant among the lava formations.subterranean salt lake The lake has become known for the presence of a small blind albino crab species, Munidopsis polymorpha, which is endemic to Lanzarote and lives among the rocks under the water’s surface.blind albino crab

César Manrique’s first centre of art, culture and tourism

Jameos del Agua was the first Centre of Art, Culture and Tourism created by the Lanzarote-born artist and architect César Manrique, who began work on the site in the 1960s.first Centre of Art, Culture and Tourism Early interventions focused on the area known as Jameo Chico between 1964 and 1966, with later works extending to larger hollows and, in the 1980s, to an auditorium and an upper-level volcano museum.early interventions

The complex today includes a subterranean lake, a sequence of gardens, an emerald-coloured pool under the open sky, a restaurant set among lava walls and an auditorium embedded in the volcanic tube.gardens and auditorium Above part of the site stands the Casa de los Volcanes, a centre dedicated to vulcanology that presents Lanzarote’s geology through exhibitions and instruments, occupying the upper level of the same lava structure.Casa de los Volcanes

Experiencing the different jameos and their spaces

Visitors enter the complex near the section known as Jameo Chico, where the path descends between rough lava formations toward the salt lake and its delicate crab habitat.Jameo Chico Farther along the volcanic tube lie other hollows such as a larger jameo and an area used as an auditorium, where seating faces a stage set into the cave and the lava walls define the enclosure.

Outside, a contrasting space appears as the path reaches the open-air pool and surrounding terraces, where white surfaces, stonework and integrated planting sit within the dark volcanic landscape.open-air pool The overall route combines covered cave sections, open jameos and built elements, and remains framed by the wider Corona volcanic system, which extends for several kilometres from the volcano’s crater toward the Atlantic.

Visiting Jameos del Agua: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Jameos del Agua lies in northern Lanzarote in the municipality of Haría, on the road between Arrieta and Órzola on the island’s north-east coast, reached most directly by road transport.
• The route through the complex includes descents on stairways, passages through uneven lava rock and movement between subterranean and open-air areas, so visitors cross steps and sloping paths within the volcanic terrain.
• Jameos del Agua forms part of the volcanic tube system of the Volcán de la Corona, and the Casa de los Volcanes geological centre stands above part of the site within the same structure.
• Spanish is the official language and the currency is the euro.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Jameos del Agua

Where is Jameos del Agua located?

Jameos del Agua is in northern Lanzarote in the municipality of Haría, within the volcanic tube of the Volcán de la Corona near the island’s north-east coast.

What can visitors expect during a visit?

A visit includes stairways and paths through lava caves, views over a subterranean salt lake with blind albino crabs, gardens, an open-air pool and an auditorium set in the volcanic tube.

What makes Jameos del Agua distinctive among Lanzarote’s sites?

Jameos del Agua is distinctive because it combines a natural Corona lava tunnel, a rare subterranean ecosystem and César Manrique’s architectural work in a single integrated art and geology complex.