Cueva de los Cerebros, South-West Tenerife

Why We Love Cueva de los Cerebros

This is widely considered the best cave diving in Tenerife, and for good reason: the scale of the volcanic tunnel system and the strangeness of the brain coral formations make it unlike anywhere else we dive.

It's also a site we approach with real discipline: this dive is only run in ideal conditions, with divers who have the buoyancy control and cave-diving background it demands, and always with respect for its protected status.

Cueva de los Cerebros sits near the Abama area on Tenerife's south-west coast, a short boat ride from Playa San Juan. It's one of the largest underwater cave systems on the island, formed from volcanic lava tubes with tunnels reaching up to 70 metres.

The cave takes its name from coral formations inside that resemble brains, a genuinely distinctive sight found nowhere else in our usual dive sites. The site is a designated Special Area of Conservation, protecting an ecosystem that is as fragile as it is rare.

The cave is formed from volcanic lava tubes, with tunnels extending up to 70 metres from an entrance at around 14 metres. The scale and structure make it one of the most significant cave systems in Tenerife.

Inside, coral formations resembling brains give the site its name, a genuinely unusual sight that sets this dive apart from the reef and wreck sites we dive more regularly.

Marine life you might see

Frequently asked questions