MUSA Museo Subacuático

If you have a hard time convincing your kids that sculptures and museums are cool, you might change their mind when they find out that Cancun’s most famous sculptures are in a very unique museum: one that’s underwater. The idea for the museum was born during a conversation between British artist Jason DeCaires Taylor and local park and nautical association directors. Concerned about reef destruction, the trio decided an interesting artificial reef could be constructed; DeCaires Taylor’s sculptures—about 450 of them—were thus sunk and now help protect marine life and attract curious visitors. How can you see them? By going on a diving tour with museum “docents.” If you don’t know how to SCUBA, the museum offers introductory lessons.

More Recommendations

See a sculpture museum...underwater

If you have a hard time convincing your kids that sculptures and museums are cool, you might change their mind when they find out that Cancun’s most famous sculptures are in a very unique museum: one that’s underwater. The idea for the museum was born during a conversation between British artist Jason DeCaires Taylor and local park and nautical association directors. Concerned about reef destruction, the trio decided an interesting artificial reef could be constructed; DeCaires Taylor’s sculptures—about 450 of them—were thus sunk and now help protect marine life and attract curious visitors. How can you see them? By going on a diving tour with museum “docents.” If you don’t know how to SCUBA, the museum offers introductory lessons.

A Different View of Cancún

Leave the pub crawl in Britain - do yourself a favor and spend your Cancún holiday beyond the bars! The most incredible thing I did in Cancún was visit the MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte) aka: underwater sculpture garden. The underwater sculpture garden was created in 2009 to highlight the beauty and simplicity of the interaction between art and the environment. Combining the best of art, sport and nature, this is seriously the tourism triple-threat. This impressive collection of more than 450 permanent life-size sculptures is something I’ll go back and see time and time again. I’m dying to see what the sculptures will look like 10, 20, even 50 years from now. They are an entombed time-capsule that one day may appear as strange to humanity as the Moai on Rapa Nui. What are you still doing reading this? Get snorkeling!

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com.

Nearby highlights
Sign up for our newsletter
Join more than a million of the world’s best travelers. Subscribe to the Daily Wander newsletter.
More From AFAR