This museum, which had to relocate in 2014 after being devastated by a storm at sea, houses the best collection of cephalopods in Asturias. Forget the kraken of sailors’ nightmares. The monster really does exist—and in the Asturian fishing town of Luarca, you can come face-to-face with one.
Far from being a ship-swallowing beast, the giant squid is a mysterious inhabitant of the ocean depths whose strange anatomy has inspired legends for centuries. Known scientifically as _Architeuthis_, the giant squid can reach around 20 meters in length and weigh up to a ton. It has three hearts, enormous eyes adapted to the darkness of the abyss, eight arms, two feeding tentacles, and a formidable parrot-like beak.
Although found worldwide, these elusive creatures appear with unusual frequency off the Asturian coast, particularly around the deep Carrandi fishing grounds and the Avilés Canyon. The Giant Squid Museum in Luarca, Asturias has survived a watery encounter worthy of its exhibits. Its original home on Luarca’s harbor was devastated by a severe sea storm on February 2, 2014, when enormous waves flooded and destroyed its lower floors.
After remaining closed for eight years, the museum reopened in a new, more sheltered location. Today, six giant squid are displayed alongside other deep-sea specimens, while atmospheric lighting, underwater sounds, interactive exhibits, and an anatomy laboratory recreate the eerie world they inhabit. Among the highlights is a 176-kilogram female accidentally caught in 2015.
Here, the legendary kraken becomes something even stranger: a real animal that still has plenty of secrets left to reveal. Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter. Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
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