In 2008, Crusoe Treasure did something no one had done before: storing wine on the seabed of the Cantábrico, inside the world’s first artificial reef winery, and leaving it to mature there. With no energy consumption, no temperature control, constant movement and at the mercy of changing pressure, in an extraordinary environment. Only the ocean, pressure, darkness and time doing their work eighteen metres below the surface, inside the reef, in submerged cages off the coast of Plentzia and Getxo, in Bizkaia.
What then seemed like madness now has a name of its own in the world of wine. Crusoe Treasure is the world’s first artificial reef winery, a pioneering project that has already aged thousands of bottles beneath the Cantábrico and received international recognition for creating enological treasures in a unique way, creating a genuine artificial reef—something no one had dared to do before.
For years, experiencing this story up close required boarding a boat. Not anymore.
Crusoe Treasure has opened its space at the Getxo Marina, on the Muelle de Marqués de Arriluce, Bizkaia. A distinctive building with a permanent exhibition on the history of the winery, a wine bar, shop, showroom, immersive experience room and capacity to host private events for up to 150 people.
A building that is already a statement of intent
Before you even enter, the building is already telling you something. On its façades, a giant octopus embraces one of the bottles of Crusoe Treasure. A large-scale mural that cannot be missed and has become one of the most photographed features of the Getxo Marina. This is not decoration for decoration’s sake: the octopus has been one of the regular inhabitants of our pioneering artificial reef winery, where the wines mature, for years—a real symbol of what happens underwater and of this winery’s relationship with the sea.
That is the tone of the place: extraordinary from the outside, even more extraordinary within.
The exhibition: the story of an unprecedented winery
One of the central features of the new space is its permanent exhibition, where visitors can explore the complete history of Crusoe Treasure from its origins.
How the idea of submerging wine in the Cantábrico came about. How the first underwater structures were designed. What happens to the wine during the ageing process beneath the wild Cantábrico: constantly changing pressure, changing temperature, the absence of light, the constant movement of the water. Why the bottles of wine that emerge from the sea are different from those that went in. The awards and international recognition the project has accumulated over more than fifteen years of activity.
It is the kind of story that, once you know it in full, makes you understand why Crusoe Treasure is unique.
The exhibition can be visited as part of a guided tour or independently, and is designed so that anyone, with or without prior knowledge of wine, leaves having learned something they did not know before.
What else the space offers
Shop. The full range of wines from Crusoe Treasure available to purchase directly. If you have been meaning to get your hands on a bottle, you have no excuse here.
Wine bar. Wines by the glass in the setting of the marina. For those who want to sit down, look out to sea and taste with no protocol beyond enjoying the experience.
360° immersive room. A projection that takes you to the depths of the Cantábrico without getting you wet. The underwater world of Crusoe Treasure fills the room, all around you. An especially powerful experience for groups and private visits.
Tasting area. Guided sessions explaining the underwater winemaking and ageing process, with pairings and private presentations. Adapted to the group, the time available and the attendees’ level of knowledge.
Event venue in Getxo and Bilbao: up to 150 people
The space is equipped to host private events for up to 150 people in a setting unlike any other venue in the Bilbao metropolitan area.
The combination of the historical exhibition of this pioneering underwater winery, the immersive room, the wine bar and its location at the Getxo Marina—300 metres from the cruise terminal and ten minutes from Bilbao city centre—makes it a distinctive option for:
- Corporate presentations and product launches
- Private dinners and corporate cocktails
- Team-building experiences with underwater wine tastings
- Cultural, gastronomic or brand events
- Celebrations seeking a setting with genuine character
It is not a branded event hall. It is a space with a fifteen-year history behind it, an octopus mural on the façade and wine aged on the seabed in your glass.
Where is it?
Getxo Marina
In the heart of the Getxo Marina, overlooking the Cantábrico. Easy access from Bilbao by metro (line 1, Algorta station), with parking in the marina area.
Visits, tastings and bookings
Guided visits to the space combine the historical exhibition, the immersive room and a wine tasting. Available for private groups and as public sessions on scheduled dates.
To book a visit, organise an event or simply ask a question, contact the Crusoe Treasure team directly.