Explore Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo is one of Mexico’s 31 states and is located on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, adjacent to the Caribbean Sea. It contains many cities that are tourist hotspots as well as scuba diving destinations: Cancún, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Akumal, Tulum, and the islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres. These coastal destinations are popular among tourists from all over the world due to their year-round warm weather, beautiful sandy beaches, alluring ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization, and terrestrial and marine biodiversity.

Quintana Roo arguably has some of the most diverse diving of anywhere in the world. It is a great place to visit to take advantage of the abundant cave-, wreck-, shark-, and reef-diving opportunities, not to mention diving through an underwater sculpture museum. These dives are never more than a short drive or boat ride away, and are best enjoyed and appreciated by diving with Quintana Roo’s many local dive shops and/or resorts. Because of the proximity and accessibility of these dive sites to the coast, liveaboard dive boats are not common in this region.

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second largest barrier reef in the world, runs parallel to the coastline of the Yucatán Peninsula. Its splendor is especially well-known near the island of Cozumel, which is located 10km offshore from Playa del Carmen. The Arrecifes de Cozumel (Cozumel Reefs) National Marine Park is home to protected species such as the Cozumel splendid toadfish, green, hawksbill, and loggerhead sea turtles, the queen conch, and black coral. Divers can also expect to see lobsters, octopus, angelfish, parrotfish, snapper, eagle rays, moray eels, and seahorses. In the summer, whale shark sightings are common near the island of Isla Mujeres, and during the winter months, bull sharks can be spotted near Playa del Carmen.

Quintana Roo also hosts a complex system of about 10,000 cenotes! Cenotes are exposed, collapsed underwater caves that are part of an underground interconnected cave system. Cenotes boast great visibility and stunning geological features.

Places to Explore

Cozumel

43 Divesites 29 Centers

Enjoy a comfortable stay in Cozumel and experience some of the best diving in Mexico.

Isla Mujeres

4 Divesites 2 Centers

Isla Mujeres is a unique dive destination that offers interactions with pelagic species as well as reef-dwelling macrofauna through access to shallow and deep dive sites. Like all of the popular dive destinations that dot the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, the dive sites surrounding Isla Mujeres are on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the second largest reef system in the world. The highlight of Isla Mujeres, however, is that whale sharks terminate their migratory path just off the northeast coast, which makes for a spectacular sight for those in the water.

Xcalak

2 Divesites

Xcalak (pronounced “ish-ka-lak”) is a small village on the east coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula that is about 50km south of Mahahual in the state of Quintana Roo. It is only 10km north from the border with neighboring country Belize. A section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is located just offshore from Xcalak and is protected by its designation as a Mexican National Marine Reef Park – Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Xcalak.

Chetumal

Chetumal, located in the southern part of Mexico, offers a unique and vibrant diving experience that captivates both beginners and experienced divers. The region is blessed with a diverse marine ecosystem that includes colorful coral reefs teeming with life, making it a paradise for underwater photographers and marine enthusiasts. Divers can explore intricate reef structures, which are home to an array of species such as angelfish, parrotfish, and even the occasional sea turtle. The calm, warm waters of the Caribbean Sea ensure excellent visibility, enhancing the overall diving experience.

Tulum

8 Centers

Tulum is the name of an ancient Mayan city located on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea on the east coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. It is about 130km south along the coast from Cancún, and about 60km south of Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo. Tulum was one of the last cities built by the Mayan civilization, and now its ruins are considered one of the best-preserved of coastal Mayan sites.

Puerto Aventuras

8 Divesites

Puerto Aventuras is slightly off the beaten path of Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Akumal, and Tulum as far as diving goes. As a result, the dive operators in Puerto Aventuras are much smaller and more accustomed to taking out smaller groups of divers for trips. These trips normally go out to sections of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which runs along the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula and is the second largest barrier reef system in the world. These sections of the reef system can be reached in just 5-10 minutes by boat, and consist of diverse landscapes such as deep canyons, crevasses, and tunnels. The mild current just offshore from Puerto Aventuras is suitable for beginner divers, though areas with heavier current can be easily accessed by boat as well. The dive shops and resorts in this area offer certification courses as well for those who are eager to learn how to breathe underwater during their vacation.

Puerto Murelos

11 Divesites 7 Centers

The section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef near Puerto Morelos is the closest to land compared to any of the other sections, which means that it is easily accessible from shore and by boat. Due to its status as a marine park, this part of the reef is teeming with life. There is plenty to see as a novice diver, since a lot of the reef is shallow. Visibility is great as well, ranging from 20-40m year round.

Playa del Carmen

14 Divesites 14 Centers

Playa del Carmen is a popular tourist destination located on the east coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea, just 60km south of Cancún in the state of Quintana Roo. Playa del Carmen arguably has some of the most diverse diving of anywhere in the world. It is a great place to visit to take advantage of the abundant cave-, wreck-, shark-, and reef-diving opportunities, and the spectacular diving at Cozumel Island is just a 40-minute ferry ride away (or just 20 minutes, if you take the luxury ferry!). Not only does Playa del Carmen offer shallow reefs, it is also home to a complex system of cenotes—around 10,000 of them! Cenotes are exposed pools of water that are part of an underground network of interconnected bodies of groundwater. Cenotes form when limestone bedrock collapses, leaving natural sinkholes behind. Cenotes have great visibility because the water comes from filtered rainwater and thus has very few suspended particles. This feature makes cenotes a great diving environment, not to mention the underground cave systems and features that can be explored as well.

Mahahual

4 Divesites 5 Centers

Mahahual is a village on the east coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula that is about 300km south of Caucún in the state of Quintana Roo. It is located near the main cruise ship port of the tourist region of Costa Maya, and is therefore subject to a large influx of tourists year-round.

Cancun

3 Centers

Cancún is the tourist mecca of Mexico’s state of Quintana Roo and is located on the northeast tip of the Yucatán Peninsula. Cancún is popular among tourists from all over the world due to its warm weather all-year-round, sandy beaches, ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization, and stunning terrestrial and marine wildlife.

Akumal

2 Divesites 1 Center

With about a dozen dive sites, Akumal in Mexico’ Riviera Maya region is known for its proximity to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. These dive sites have something to offer for all experience levels, from shallow reef dives to deeper dives with swim-throughs and caverns. Surface water temperatures are balmy year-round, and visibility is generally superb. Most of the dive sites are protected from the heavy current of the open ocean, making this an ideal spot for novice or rusty divers. The deeper sites keep things interesting for more advanced divers, however. There are many reputable dive shops in Akumal and in the surrounding area of Riviera Maya, who schedule daily and in some cases twice-daily boat trips out to Akumal’s top dive sites. Since these sites are easily reached via speedboat, liveaboard dive boats are not common in this region.