Caleta de Fuste, Canary Islands, Spain

Catedral de Fuerteventura

La Catedral de Fuerteventura is a large lava chamber along the basaltic coast off Caleta de Fuste on the eastern shoulder of the island. Carved by ancient lava flows that hardened around the older basement rock, the chamber is around 25 metres long and tall enough to be called cathedral, with two natural skylights at 12 metres allowing shafts of sunlight to pierce the dim interior. The cavern entrance is at 22 metres on the seaward face and the vault rises to 28 metres at the back. The interior is decorated with golden cup coral on the ceiling, sponges and dense cardinalfish curtains. Outside, the wall continues to a sand and rubble bottom at 30 metres and hosts the typical Fuerteventura fauna: large dusky groupers, barred hogfish, octopus, moray eels and frequent passes of bull rays and amberjack on the sand approach. Currents are normally weak and visibility around 25 metres.