Mexico

Palace Reef (★4.6)

Cozumel Palace Hotel is an all inclusive five star hotel, from where you have access to the Palace Reef. Discover the depths of the surrounding waters of Cozumel and stunning marine flora and fauna on this reef.

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

Palancar Bricks (★4.6)

The southernmost section of the famous Palancar Reef, Palancar Bricks is suitable for divers of all experience levels due to multiple swim throughs are various depths, multi-level diving, and macro photography.

A.C.Divers, 77720 Playa del Carmen

Moc Che Deep (★4.4)

This is a deep dive between 26m - 28m. Strong current. The diving here is long and with many coral formations. The dive is only for certified divers. A full neoprene wetsuit is recommended for this dive to avoid scratches when exploring the bottom.

Sandra S. (#3809867)

Playa del Carmen (★4.3)

Turtles site nearby Playa del Carmen, Biosphere protected animal sea area. Plenty of doris, emperors, clownfish, lobster, coral reef, seabass, pufferfish.

SCUBA10, 77710 PLAYA DEL CARMEN

Los Arcos - Playa del Carmen (★4.3)

A place with a lot of current, suitable only for advanced or experienced divers. For this dive site it is ideal to have the NITROX certification to make the most of it. Multiple dives may be required to visit all the corners of this place.

Nancy D. (#2249045)

Cerebros (★4.3)

The coral formations of this site are certainly true to its name (Cerrebros, meaning brains in Spanish). Brains and mountain-style corals decorate your entire dive, and with a quantity and variety of marine ife that you will always want to repeat diving here!

Mares

Cedral Wall (★4.5)

The dive starts at around 13 meters (45 feet) and can reach depths up to 27 meters (90 feet). Divers can explore both the reef and the wall, with the latter featuring steep drops and rich coral gardens.

Mares, Predrag Vuckovic

Cozumel (★4.5)

Cozumel is one of the most popular dive destinations in the world and caters to divers with many diver-specific hotels year-round. Sitting just off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Cozumel boasts crystal clear, warm waters every day of the year and is home to a wide array of marine life.

Aqualung

Tormentos (★4.5)

Tormentos is a very popular second dive among Cozumel dive charters due to its shallow depth (averaging around 65 feet) and little to no current. The reef is very healthy and full of life; a photographer’s dream.

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

San Francisco Wall (★4.4)

One of the most popular dives in Cozumel. You will find a steep dropoff, with potentially strong currents and frequent eagle ray sightings. The water is beautiful with 30m or better visibility. There are big barrel sponges all along the wall. This is a more advanced dive site.

Aqualung

Palancar Caves (★4.7)

Palancar Caves is usually done as a multi-level drift dive, starting out fairly deep, usually hitting the recreational limit, to explore the deeper reef which is full of underwater tunnels and caves to swim through. Then you’ll make your way up the reef to the more shallow area to end your dive.

Scubapro, Stephen Frink

Paradise Reef - Cozumel (★4.5)

One of the most popular dive sites in Cozumel, Paradise Reef is actually three separate patch reefs running parallel to shore and is accessible by both shore and boat. This is one of the few good shore-accessible dive sites on the island. Max depth is 45 feet so this is a good site for beginners and snorkelers.

Get Wet, 77760 Tulum

Akumal Reef (★4.5)

Protected Reef: Part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System—the second-largest reef in the world!Turtle Town: Akumal literally means “Place of the Turtles” in Mayan, and yep, you’re almost guaranteed to see green sea turtles cruising by.Shallow & Clear: Great visibility (up to 30m/100ft)

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

Cardona (★4.6)

A shallow, colorful reef 200 meters from the shore just South of Punta Tunich, this colar site is a short easy dive, usually visited as the second or third dive of the dive. Also a great snorkeling site.

Aqualung

Cedar Pass (★4.5)

Paseo del Cedral is a favorite Cozumel site among photographers due to the landscape that is covered in tight little coves and crevices for schools of fish to hide. This is a shallow dive with a max depth of 60 feet and great for beginning divers.

Mares, Predrag Vuckovic

Mahahual Reef (★4.6)

Mahahual Reef sits on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest reef system in the world and boasts crystal clear water, healthy coral, colorful sponges, and tons of reef life.

CHAD B. (#3319083)

Musa: Under Water Museum (★4.4)

Probably one of the most unique dive sites in the Riviera Maya is the Cancun Underwater Museum of Art, otherwise known as MUSA. This site consists of 500 different sculptures all placed on the bottom of the ocean for divers to explore and appreciate.

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

San Clemente (★4.5)

San Clemente is a shallow barrier reef located 500 m (0.3 mi) from the shore at the Sunscape/Secrets resort. The dive site is only 30-40 ft deep in at spans a llenght of over 900 m (0.6 mi). With mild currents, this is a perfect dive site for the last dive of the day or a night dive.

A.C.Divers, 77720 Playa del Carmen

Pargo Cave (★4.5)

A perfect coral reef for beginners, students of underwater photography and great place for the second shallower dive after a deep one. It has a sculpture, the “Virgen del Carmen“ of a conch shell, more than 2m high underwater to take a keepsake photo of the memory of diving in Playa Del Carmen.

Scuba XOC Dive Center, 77675 Cozumel

Palancar Horseshoe (★4.5)

Horseshoe is one of the four awesome sections that make up the famous Palancar Reef in Cozumel, Mexico. This section of the reef is a horseshoe-shaped notch in the wall of Palancar full of beautiful and large coral heads and giant barrel sponges.

Get Wet, 77760 Tulum

Tankah II (★4.6)

Tankah Bay, located just north of Tulum, Mexico offers excellent scuba diving opportunities for both beginners and experienced divers. The bay is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef system, the second-largest coral reef in the world, providing diverse marine life and vibrant coral formations.

DIVEMEX, 77710 Playa del Carmen

Jardines (★4.4)

A great site for beginning divers and snorkelers as this reef is shallow, clear, and has little to no current. One of the most beautiful dives in Playa del Carmen, Jardines reef offers many small caves and shelters for schools of fish to hide. Lots of reef life here to see.

Mares

Chankanaab (★4.4)

Chankanaab is a marine park accessible from shore at the Chankanaab Beach Adventure Park where you can lounge on the beach, swim with dolphins, have lunch at the restaurant, hike around the Mayan ruins, or snorkel and dive the Chankanaab reef right from shore.

Access Scuba, 84770 St. George

Santa Rosa Wall (★4.5)

The Santa Rosa Wall is one of the most famous wall dives in the world. This dive is for advanced divers as the wall drops away to hundreds of feet deep. it is easy to get pretty deep pretty fast so watch your gauges. This dive is also a drift dive but there are also lots of fun swim-throughs to explore as well.

Aqualung

Yucab Reef (★4.5)

Being a shallower reef, Yucab is a very popular second dive for many of the Cozumel dive charters. The reef is very colorful and healthy with lots of hard coral species and huge barrel sponges. There is usually a strong current here so this is always done as a drift dive.

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

Casa Blanca (★4.4)

Slightly south of the entry point for Cedral Wall, this site is frequently overlooked by local dive operators despite the opportunity for shark & turtle sightings.

Scubapro

Paraiso Reef (★4.6)

This is the first reef when entering the Marine Park. It is a popular second dive and also a popular night dive. The current typically runs from South to North. The dive usually starts across from the entrance of the local marina and drifts north. There are a few coral ridges that parallel the shore line.

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

Punta Dalila (★4.5)

This is one of the more popular shallow diving sites in Cozumel and is a popular second dive among dive charters. With the reef sitting in about 40-60 feet of water this is a great site for snorkeling and beginning divers. This is a great spot to see nurse sharks and turtles.

Mares

San Juan Reef (★4.6)

Located in the North, this site is usually done as a second dive after Barracuda or Cantrel. This area is dominated by huge finger corals, lettuce coral sand sponges.

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

Punta Tunich (★4.5)

This dive site is often done as a second dive. The northern end of this reef is the most interesting, but it is best to approach it when there is a south-to-north current running.

Get Wet, 77760 Tulum

Dreams Reef (★4.5)

Tulum is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest coral reef system in the world. Dive sites like Cuevitas and Dreams are a short boat ride from Tulum’s coast.

A.C.Divers, 77720 Playa del Carmen

Shangri La - Playa del Carmen (★4.5)

Shangri-La dive site is only a short 5-minute boat ride from central Playa del Carmen. The site is easy to navigate as the reef runs parallel to the shore and you can dive it north to south or vice versa depending on what the current is doing that day.

Mares

Colombia Reef (★4.5)

Colombia Reef is well known for its shallow, colorful reef and deeper drop-off. The current is moderate and this site is usually done as a drift dive. There are lots of fun swim-throughs and overhangs to explore.

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

Villablanca Wall (★4.4)

This is a wall dive which slopes steeply. It can be done from shore, though this is not advised. The swim out from shore takes approximately 15 minutes which makes it a short dive overall.

Alexa T. (#4292545)

The Wall (★4.8)

A site of singular beauty, located between two reef crests, with large formations of stony corals, gorgonians, and sea fans, its main interest is the sighting of green turtles.

Get Wet, 77760 Tulum

Cuevitas (★4.5)

Cuevitas, meaning “Little Caves“ in Spanish, is a popular reef dive site located off the coast of Tulum. Situated approximately a 10-minute boat ride from Casa Cenote, it offers divers an opportunity to explore a series of small arches and vibrant coral formations.

Mares

Colombia Deep (★4.6)

Columbia Deep is renowned for its dramatic underwater topography, featuring towering coral pinnacles, expansive sand chutes, and intricate swim-throughs. The reef begins around 50 feet and plunges into the abyss, offering a sense of vastness and exploration

A.C.Divers, 77720 Playa del Carmen

Chun Zumbul (★4.5)

This is a shallow reef with a great variety of marine life that is easy to dive. Excellent for beginners and experts, this site is fairly close to the coast, making it a short boat trip; ideal for those who get seasick on longer boat rides.

Scubapro, Stephen Frink

C-50 Rivapalacios (Wreck) (★4.5)

The C-50 Rivapalacios is a decommissioned Naval ship from WWII sitting off the coast of Isla Verde and was sunk in 2000 as an artificial reef. Today the 180-foot wreck sits upright in about 90 feet of water and is recommended for advanced divers only.

A.C.Divers, 77720 Playa del Carmen

Barracuda - Playa del Carmen (★4.4)

A shallow reef with a strong current and many different coral formations. Like most of the reefs in Playa, it is a long wall, for which you need to be careful with descending, have good buoyance and be comfortable in the water to be able to dive calmly.

A.C.Divers, 77720 Playa del Carmen

Tortugas Reef (★4.3)

Tortugas is one of Playa del Carmen’s most popular reefs, great for both diving and snorkeling due to its shallow depth and clear visibility. This is a great site to see lots of turtles, hence its name.

Get Wet Dive Shop, 77760 Tulum

Xcalak (★4.4)

Located at the southern tip of Mexico’s Caribbean coast, Xcalak is one of the last truly untouched diving destinations in the region. Part of the Xcalak Reefs National Park and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, this remote area offers pristine coral formations, healthy marine life, and a peaceful environment!

Mares

Bahia Príncipe (★4.4)

This dive site is near Tulum, Mexico and is a great site for beginners. The water is shallow, warm, and easy to access. It can be done as a shore dive. There are your typical Caribbean reef corals and sponges mixed with a sandy bottom.

DIVEMEX, 77710 Playa del Carmen

Mama Viña (Wreck) (★4.6)

This is a wreck of a ferry-style sunken ship Mama Viña. The wreck itself is not very big and at a depth of 28m; giving us the perfect bottom time for a complete tour.

Scubapro

Palancar Gardens (★4.6)

One of the most popular dive sites on the island of Cozumel, Palancar Gardens starts over a shallow reef at 33 feet and then drops off as a mini wall to over 130 feet. There are many fun caverns and swim-throughs to explore. The reef is very healthy, the vis is spectacular, and marine life is abundant.

Scubapro

Cabo Pulmo (★4.6)

Cabo Pulmo National Park offers a wide variety of diving adventures from shallow, easy reef diving to more challenging, deeper drift diving. An amazingly biodiverse and successful marine park with over 6,000 different marine species.

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

Puerto de Abrigo (★4.5)

Right at the entrance of the Puerto de Abrigo marina, a wall drop off starts at 45 ft/15m of depth. The wall extends over one kilometer North to Cantarel, past the Coral Princess hotel. Frequent strong currents take divers flying over the reef, sometimes finishing the dive in another site.

Get Wet, 77760 Tulum

Chun Zumbul Deep (★4.6)

A deep dive of an average of 26m, with three different plateaus of reefs that are separated by intervals of sand banks in the form of dunes. Strong current.

Dive with Purpose Cozumel, 77675 Cozumel

Las Palmas Reef (★4.4)

As the shelf of Dzul Ha drops off, a gently sloping wall with sandy patches and scattered coral balls offers great night dives and plenty of marine life. This dive starts at the Money bar and can end 700 meters further North at the Presidente Intercontinental hotel.

Scubapro, Stephen Frink

Punta Sur - Isla Mujeres (★4.3)

15 minutes from north of the island. Located right at the southern tip. Great drift dive. The only drift dive of the island where you can see big turtles in May through July.

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