Jameos del Agua and the volcanic tube of Lanzarote
Published on 08/22/2026 at 20:15 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Jameos del Agua in Lanzarote is a section of the volcanic tube of La Corona, opened up as a cultural site by César Manrique in 1966. The place is shaped by rock, water and light, with a lagoon, a gardened cavity and an auditorium in the same lava formation.
The lava tube beneath La Corona
The site lies inside the volcanic tube of La Corona, a long lava conduit on Lanzarote’s northern side. The tube extends towards the coast, and Jameos del Agua occupies a collapsed section near its seaward end.
That setting gives the place its strongest character: the walls are basalt, the ceiling is partly open, and the route moves between enclosed passages and broader chambers. The blind crab lagoon sits in the darker section, where the water reflects the rock above it.
César Manrique’s intervention in the cave
César Manrique gave Jameos del Agua its public form, and the site is closely tied to his work on Lanzarote. The place combines a cave, planted terraces and visitor spaces, while keeping the volcanic shell visible throughout.
The interior includes the Jameo Chico, the lagoon with Munidopsis polymorpha, and the Jameo Grande, where the cave opens into a planted area with a pool and seating. The auditorium is another clear part of the composition, cut into the rock rather than separated from it.
The second life of a volcanic chamber
Jameos del Agua works as a cultural site as well as a geological one, and that change of function is part of its appeal. The volcanic cavity is not hidden by the intervention; it remains the main surface of the place.
The result is a sequence of distinct spaces inside one natural formation. The lagoon, the open garden and the auditorium each show a different relation between the same lava tube and the architecture added within it.
Visiting Jameos del Agua: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The site is in northern Lanzarote, on the road between Arrieta and Órzola. Car access is direct from that coastal route, and the centre belongs to Lanzarote’s network of visitor sites.
- The terrain includes steps, uneven volcanic rock and a partly enclosed cave route. The visit moves through a lava tube, so the ground surface changes between interior and exterior spaces.
- The lagoon contains the blind white crab Munidopsis polymorpha. The species is endemic to this habitat and is one of the site’s defining natural features.
- The official language is Spanish 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.
Searching for Jameos del Agua on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Jameos del Agua
Where is Jameos del Agua?
It is on Lanzarote, in the north of the island, along the road between Arrieta and Órzola.
What does a visit involve?
The route passes through a lava tube with steps, open rock chambers and planted areas. The lagoon, the cave interior and the auditorium form the main sequence.
What makes it distinctive?
The place combines a volcanic cave with César Manrique’s intervention and an endemic blind crab lagoon. The result is a cultural site built directly into lava rock.
