Curious Fact of the Week: Food, Drinks, and Albino Crabs in an Underwater Volcanic Tunnel

The Tunnel of Atlantis in the Canary Islands stretches 5,000 feet underwater, and contains a whole entertainment complex, as well as albino crabs. The lava tube was created 20,000 years ago during a volcanic eruption, leaving behind caverns formed from the molten lava.

(photograph by macnolete/Flickr user)

In the 1960s, artist and architect César Manrique turned a portion of the tunnel into Los Jameos del Agua, a complex with a pool, restaurant, bar, a 600-seat concert hall, and cafe. It’s all accessed from a staircase that descends into the jameos, geological features that occur when part of a lava tube collapses and opens to the sky. 

(photograph by emivel2003/Flickr user)

Down in the caverns are stunning stalactites, stalagmites, and water systems, as well as a unique species of blind albino crabs that lives in the ponds. Guests can watch them skitter around while on their way to a volcanic-set drink or lava tube swim. 

(photograph by Ramón Durán)

LOS JAMEOS DEL AGUA, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Curious Facts of the Week: Helping you build your cocktail party conversation repertoire with a new strange fact every week, and an amazing place to explore its story. See all the Curious Facts here>