Museum · Snorkling

MUSAN

Ayia Napa, Kypros 34.9832° N, 33.9836° E

Et museum uten vegger og uten tak, omtrent 200 meter utenfor Ayia Napa: 93 skulpturer av Jason deCaires Taylor, senket i 2021 og sakte overtatt av havet. Veien ut er lengre enn ved de fleste av stedene våre og begynner med en steinete inngang.

Artist: Jason deCaires Taylor

Veien ut

Inngang
Stranden er bare stein og mørk vulkansk bergart og er grunn de første omtrent 100 meterne, så begynn å svømme så tidlig som mulig.
Rev
Følg revet ut til de oransje bøyene; underveis er det små flåter der du kan hvile.
Sypresspaviljongen
På omtrent 8,5 meters dybde står to portvakter, så barn som filmer de voksne, og kameraer på høye stolper.
Den svevende skogen
Ranker som holdes oppe av flytere, over barn som sover i sanden, på omtrent 9 meters dybde.
Kråkebolleskogen
Trær som er halvt eik og halvt kråkebolle, på omtrent 9,6 meters dybde. Bak dem ligger fjærstjerneskogen på 10 meter.

Tekstversjon

Hi from Underwater Journeys! Today we're taking you somewhere a little different... MUSAN, the underwater museum of Ayia Napa. Grab your mask, and let's go take a look.

It's a strange kind of museum. No walls, no roof... just a stone path, leading straight into the sea. Two children stand guard at the water's edge. They've promised to look after the sea... and soon, we'll see why. A quick tip before you get in. The shore here is all stones and dark volcanic rock, and it stays shallow for a good hundred metres. So don't try to walk it... start swimming as soon as you can.

It's a longer swim than most of our spots. Follow the reef out towards the orange buoys... and if you need a breather, there are little rafts along the way.

And look closely... those dark shapes on the sand aren't rocks.

Under the water, the first stretch is just rock and swell. So we take our time... and enjoy the quiet.

In the shallows, the rocks are soft with algae... and if you slow down, you'll spot little fish picking at it.

Then the rock gives way to sand... and someone is waiting for us.

A man... slowly being taken over by nature. He's one of the gatekeepers. And behind him... a crowd of children and grown-ups, and cameras on tall posts.

Everything here is the work of British artist Jason deCaires Taylor. He's sunk sculpture museums from Mexico to Lanzarote... but this one is a forest, and every figure tells a little story. Here, the children are filming the grown-ups. The men are the ones making the decisions... and the children are holding them to account.

And this one's counting. They're playing hide and seek... all across the museum. But the children aren't the only ones watching. Those cameras are everywhere... and the sea has already started to claim them.

Further on, vines rise towards the light, held up by floats. Beneath them, children lie sleeping on the sand... like seeds, waiting to grow. The vines are shaped like umbilical cords... a reminder that we're still connected to nature. And this... is the Urchin Forest. Trees that are half oak... half sea urchin. Perfect for hiding behind.

When the museum opened in 2021, all of this was bare sand. Now algae and sponges cover the sculptures, and the fish are moving in. The artist wanted nature to finish his work... so no two visits here are ever the same. Just remember: look, don't touch... and leave the rest to the sea.

MUSAN is waiting for you. Book your next underwater journey with us... and see you underwater!