A depth of over 30 metres off the southern coast of Tenerife, a submerged Virgin, a sculpture of the Virgin del Carmen, silently guards the seabed between Los Cristianos and Palm-Mar. This remarkable work, little known beyond diving circles, has become a spiritual and tourist landmark on the coast of Arona.
The figure of the submerged Virgin, created in 2005 by sculptor Juan Carlos Martín Díaz, weighs between 700 and 800 kilos and is a replica of the revered image in the parish of Los Cristianos. Installing it on the seabed required a complex operation involving local divers and support vessels. Since then, it has stood upright on the sand, where a memorial cross and a dolphin sculpture dedicated to oceanographer Jacques Cousteau can also be found.
The chosen location was not by chance. The submerged Virgin is situated near the entrance to the renowned Cueva de los Camarones, a site frequently visited by diving centres on the island. Surrounding it are groupers, morays, and schools of fish, making the visit an amalgamation of religious experience and the biological richness of Tenerife’s underwater environment.
Every summer, during the patron saint festivities, diving clubs in Arona organise a submarine floral offering in honour of the Virgin del Carmen, protector of fishermen. Dozens of divers participate in this communal dive, keeping alive the maritime tradition of Los Cristianos and connecting popular devotion with sports practice.
How to Visit the Submerged Virgin
The submerged Virgin is not accessible to the general public, as it is located at a depth requiring experience and certification in advanced diving. Typically, divers book their immersion with one of the many diving centres in Los Cristianos, Las Galletas, or Playa de Las Américas, which offer scheduled trips to the Cueva del Palm-Mar.
The dive usually starts from the port of Los Cristianos and takes about 20 minutes by boat. The underwater journey allows observers to first view the cave’s entrance, teeming with marine life, before descending to the platform where the Virgin stands.
Instructors recommend that divers have a deep diving specialty and good air control, as the submerged Virgin is positioned at around 33 metres. For those not engaging in scuba diving, the only way to see it is through photos and videos shared by diving centres and on social media.
A Symbol Between Faith and the Sea
Having become a symbol of the southern coastline, the submerged Virgin has integrated into the collective imagination of the area. For the faithful, it represents a gesture of protection for fishermen and sailors; for sea lovers, it is a unique image where faith and nature converge beneath the waters of the Atlantic.
A Submarine Floral Offering Pays Tribute to the Virgin
Coinciding with the festivities of Los Cristianos, the Association Mundo del Silencio, dedicated to the protection of the marine environment, has conducted its traditional submarine floral offering to the Virgin del Carmen, protector of the sea and fishermen.
The day began with a small ceremony on land, where the parish priest of Los Cristianos blessed the floral arrangements as a display of respect and continuity of customs. After the blessing, divers, local authorities, Don José our parish priest, and friends from the Association were transported by boat from the ports of Las Galletas and Los Cristianos to the vicinity of the Cueva de los Camarones (also known as “Cueva de Juanito”), a natural site located opposite the cliff of Montaña de Guaza.
The Association Mundo del Silencio is a non-profit organisation that actively works on the conservation, education, and protection of the underwater environment, promoting activities that connect the public with the sea from a responsible perspective, and is one of the main contributors to this curious tribute to the submerged Virgin.
This submarine offering, now established within the local festival calendar, not only highlights the environmental commitment of the entity but also seeks to strengthen the historical ties between coastal communities and the sea, in an environment where the Virgin del Carmen has traditionally been venerated as the protector of sailors and fishermen.
