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.
Explore Palancar Reef
Palancar Reef is made up of shallow (7km) to deep (up to 40km) dive sites due to its variety of underwater landscapes, such as crevasses, ravines, caves, and swim-through tunnels. This unique landscape thus makes for many distinct dive sites that can be enjoyed. Aside from underwater features, the marine flora and fauna is spectacular. This rich ecosystem is even home to some endemic species, such as the Splendid Toadfish. In general, diving around Cozumel Island is known for its spectacular visibility, with an average of more than 40m.
Upcoming Events
MoreDive Sites Show on map
Diving in Palancar Reef
Dive sites at Palancar Reef are versatile in that they offer something for divers ranging in experience from freshly certified to seasoned with thousands of logged dives. The dive sites geared towards novice divers consist of mostly reef dives, with countless stunning sponges and corals to see, as well as the multitude of colorful tropical fish that call them home. That being said, Palancar Reef is best known for its wall- and drift-diving, which is generally geared towards a more advanced crowd.
Cozumel Island and nearby Playa del Carmen have a large number of dive shops and dive resorts that send boats out to dive sites on Palancar Reef daily and sometimes twice-daily. These shops also offer certification courses for people hoping to learn how to scuba dive on their vacation, or for those looking to complete the open water portion of their certification.
The best Months to dive in Palancar Reef
The best time of year to dive Palancar Reef is December through April. This is when the water is cooler and visibility is best. During this window, the average water temperature is 25-28°C (78-82°F). If you prefer to avoid the crowds and dive in warmer waters, May through November is the time to visit. Keep in mind, however, that this overlaps with hurricane season, which has cut short many trips to this region.
Statistics
Dive Activity
Top Wildlife Sightings
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
10k Sightings
J
828
F
777
M
1.1k
A
823
M
856
J
1k
J
1k
A
744
S
526
O
734
N
825
D
922
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
8.2k Sightings
J
844
F
727
M
794
A
602
M
685
J
708
J
768
A
569
S
390
O
626
N
749
D
776
iStock/Juliosanjuan
Eagle Ray
7.2k Sightings
J
1.3k
F
1.2k
M
1.2k
A
524
M
226
J
176
J
254
A
186
S
161
O
190
N
660
D
1.2k
Shutterstock-Ed Jenkins
Hawksbill Turtle
5.1k Sightings
J
389
F
405
M
566
A
423
M
419
J
459
J
535
A
423
S
248
O
409
N
451
D
368
iStock-ShaneGross
Loggerhead Turtle
4.3k Sightings
J
333
F
263
M
472
A
410
M
484
J
473
J
456
A
307
S
191
O
263
N
339
D
288
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
3.9k Sightings
J
347
F
301
M
446
A
297
M
342
J
351
J
365
A
256
S
177
O
307
N
324
D
370
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
1.9k Sightings
J
136
F
119
M
253
A
123
M
131
J
207
J
145
A
213
S
65
O
144
N
187
D
186
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
1.6k Sightings
J
188
F
121
M
216
A
113
M
133
J
106
J
166
A
117
S
71
O
144
N
149
D
117
iStock/Extreme-Photographer
Stingrays
13k Sightings
J
1.1k
F
1.1k
M
1.3k
A
900
M
944
J
1.1k
J
1.3k
A
1k
S
687
O
854
N
1.1k
D
1.2k
Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish
12k Sightings
J
886
F
907
M
1.3k
A
898
M
849
J
1.1k
J
1k
A
1k
S
661
O
834
N
959
D
1.1k
