Lanzarote & Museo Atlántico · Spain · Reef
Cuesta del Faro
Lava formations stepping from 12 m to a 45 m bottom
Area photo: Julien Renoult · CC BY 4.0
On the west side of the Playa Blanca coast the volcanic formations start getting deeper, and Cuesta del Faro is where that ground is dived: a lava reef that begins at a 12 metre anchoring point and steps down progressively to 30 metres, with 45 metres below that. Stingrays, lobster, angel sharks, schools of barracuda and bream, tuna and octopus are recorded on it.
Where it is and how deep
28.8548° N, 13.8681° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is the deep end of the Playa Blanca diving. The anchoring point is shallow, about 12 metres, and from there the volcanic formations step away progressively, which is what lets the same site be run as a straightforward dive at 15 to 18 metres or as a deeper one. Recreational profiles stop at 30 metres; the ground itself goes to 45.
The formations carry a lot of life. Schools of barracuda and bream, tuna, octopus, lobster, stingrays and angel sharks are all recorded here, and below 40 metres the rock carries orange and black coral, which sits deeper than a recreational profile reaches and is why the site has a technical reputation.
Above that level there is plenty of shallower lava to work on the way back, so the ascent has structure to follow and the last of the dive is spent over the same formations at a depth where colour returns. Groups that stay shallow still get the schooling fish; the deeper rock is the reward for whoever planned the deeper leg.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Barracuda
- Tuna
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Lanzarote & Museo Atlántico: Divable all year in 18–24°C water; Jun–Oct is warmest and calmest, and angel sharks are most reliably seen Nov–Mar.
Know before you go
- The ground steps deeper the further out you follow it, and the coral that makes the site distinctive sits below 40 metres, which pulls divers past a planned depth.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Cuesta del Faro?+
The anchoring point is at about 12 metres and the reef steps down from there. Recreational dives run to a maximum of 30 metres, and the site's maximum depth is 45 metres, with orange and black coral below 40.
Sources
- Cuesta del Faro dive site — Scubago
- Punto de buceo Cuesta del Faro — Rubicon Diving
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