With a shoreline that stretches for over 9,000 km and a number of islands, it ought to come as no shock that there’s some superior diving in Mexico. We’ll take a more in-depth take a look at scuba diving in Mexico in this detailed information.
On the west coast, you may dive in the Sea of Cortez and attain wonderful locations just like the Socorro Islands. That is the place the entire liveaboards in Mexico are situated, permitting you to swim with large manta rays or go cage diving with nice white sharks.
In the meantime, over on the opposite coast, you’ll discover the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. Right here, you may take pleasure in world-class diving locations reminiscent of Isla Mujeres and Cozumel. Among the greatest diving in Mexico will be discovered in this space, together with the wonderful Banco Chincorro.
There are lots of of various dive websites in Mexico. Your choices for exploring them vary from customary half-day enjoyable dives to epic liveaboard journeys — expertise cage diving, an underwater museum, night time diving, the listing goes on and on.
One factor distinctive about scuba diving in Mexico is which you can discover the nation’s fascinating cenotes. These pure, freshwater sinkholes will be discovered all around the Yucatan Peninsula and they’re much more unimaginable for those who go diving in them.
The chances for marine life-spotting are almost infinite. On dive excursions in Mexico, you can spot nice white sharks, humpback whales, manta rays, sea lions, dolphins, and rather more. To not point out, the coral is wholesome and vibrant.
You could find loads of glorious dive outlets in Mexico the place you may get licensed to begin exploring the opposite 70% of the planet. Scuba diving may be very fashionable in Mexico, particularly in coastal cities and on the islands. Better of all, you may go diving year-round!
For those who’re planning a visit to Mexico and hoping to do some scuba diving, that is the information for you. Learn on for sensible data and recommendations on one of the best time to go diving, common prices, a number of the greatest dive websites, and extra.
Right here it goes! The most effective diving in Mexico…
When to Go Diving in Mexico
The excellent news is which you can go diving in Mexico year-round. It doesn’t matter what time of 12 months you journey to Mexico, you’ll find a spot with best situations for diving.
That being stated, situations range from coast to coast and month to month. Deciding when to go is determined by what sort of diving you need to do and what marine life you hope to see.
Typically talking, one of the best time to go diving in Mexico is between November and March. After all, this additionally coincides with the nation’s peak tourism season. You’ll positively need to e book in advance, particularly for liveaboard journeys which have restricted area.
Plankton blooms happen between April-Could and once more in September-October, which impacts visibility. The summer season and fall months additionally imply excessive temperatures, frequent rain, and the prospect of hurricanes.
On the plus facet, it’s the off-season which suggests higher offers and smaller crowds! The summer season months are additionally one of the best time for cenote diving as you’ll get one of the best gentle, plus it’s whale shark season. Summer season is definitely a incredible time for some Mexico diving.
I’ll go into extra element about one of the best time to go diving in Mexico for every particular location so you may plan your journey at a perfect time.
☞ SEE ALSO: Scuba Diving With Sharks and Eels on The Belize Barrier Reef
Value of Diving in Mexico
For those who’re new to the world of scuba diving, then Mexico is a superb place to start. Newbies can do a Uncover Scuba Diving course for round $50 simply to check out respiration underwater in a pool. Up that to $125 and you may add two ocean dives as properly.
For extra in-depth coaching, you may take a 2-day scuba diver course for round $250. This certification will can help you dive as much as 40 toes (12 meters). It is a good possibility if you wish to rapidly get a fundamental certification and do some easy dives to strive it out.
Maybe the preferred possibility is simply going for the PADI Open Water course. That is the world’s most acknowledged diving license and permits you to dive as much as 60 toes (18 meters). These programs take 3-Four days and value anyplace from $400-480.
When you’ve acquired your certification, you may join “enjoyable dives” and put your new expertise to work. Some outlets supply 1-tank dives for $65-70. Usually, 2-tank dives that embrace tools value $80-85 per individual if booked in advance.
Most outlets embrace rental tools, though some cost further for gear (BCD, wetsuit, fins, masks, and so forth.)
For those who’ll be doing quite a lot of diving, it’s value investing in a few of your individual gear. I extremely suggest buying your individual masks and snorkel. Diving is a lot extra fulfilling if you all the time have a masks and snorkel that matches and works correctly — there’s nothing worse than a leaking masks. Even when a dive store has dozens to select from, chances are you’ll not discover one which works for you.
Specialty journeys like diving at night time or in the cenotes clearly value a bit extra. Evening dives often run about $95 for one tank, whereas cenote diving is determined by the placement, however in common, they value round $120-180.
Most dive outlets in Mexico will supply a reduction for those who e book a number of dive journeys with them, and it’s all the time value it to ask.
In Mexico, there are additionally loads of resorts with an onsite dive store. These locations sometimes have bundle offers that embrace lodging and diving.
☞ SEE ALSO: Information to Scuba Diving in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Top Three Dive Sites in Mexico
There are such a lot of wonderful dive websites to select from in Mexico that it’s fairly laborious to slender the listing down to 3. It actually is determined by your talent degree and what sort of expertise you need to have.
That being stated, listed below are three of the highest dive websites in Mexico that showcase the unimaginable variety on supply right here:
Socorro Island
Situated 240 miles off the coast of the Baja Peninsula are the Revillagigedo Islands. Of those small, distant islands, probably the most well-known is Socorro.
The island takes quite a lot of effort to get to and subsequently, is simply reachable by liveaboard. Right here you may take pleasure in a number of the greatest diving in Mexico, recognizing humpback whales, hammerhead sharks, manta rays, and extra. Notice: The standard of liveaboards varies, ensure you do your analysis and select a secure and respected firm.
Cenote Dos Ojos
Seeing as Mexico is the one place the place you may go diving in a cenote, you realize we needed to embrace one in the Top 3! Whereas there are literally thousands of cenotes in the Yucatan, the one best-known as a dive web site is Dos Ojos (Two Eyes).
The identify comes from the truth that these two close by cenotes resemble a pair of turquoise eyes from above. They’re linked by an extended passageway, which makes this one of many largest underwater cave programs in the world. The water right here is crystal clear, don’t miss it.
Banco Chinchorro
That is the most important coral atoll in the Northern Hemisphere and probably the greatest dive websites in Mexico. It’s residence to quite a few shipwrecks, extremely colourful reefs, and enjoyable drift dives. Though, the 9 shallow wrecks are literally higher on snorkel.
I ought to notice that Banco Chinchorro is kind of troublesome to succeed in from hubs like Cancun or Playa del Carmen. You’ll want to go to both Xcalak or Majahual and join with a dive store in a type of cities. It’s quite a lot of effort however properly value it!
Greatest Diving On The Caribbean Coast
- When to Go: Diving attainable year-round, Could-September for cenote diving, June-September for whale sharks
- Should-See Marine Life: whale sharks, bull sharks, sea turtles, manatees, eagle rays, sea turtles, moray eels
- Common Value/Dive: 2-tank dives for $80-85
Cozumel
This small island is without doubt one of the most accessible areas for glorious diving in Mexico. It’s residence to a world airport and cruise ship port and is well reached by ferry or pace boat from Playa del Carmen. Diving is without doubt one of the high issues to do in Cozumel for good purpose.
Since Cozumel is surrounded by a protected a part of the Mesoamerican reef system, it’s probably the greatest locations to go to in Mexico for divers. Teeming with marine life reminiscent of turtles, rays, nurse sharks, and the endemic splendid toadfish, it is a lovely place to go diving.
Playa del Carmen
Talking of Playa del Carmen, it’s additionally a superb base for divers. From Playa, you may expertise colourful reefs, shipwreck diving, and swimming with majestic bull sharks.
These hoping to dive some cenotes ought to contemplate basing in Playa as a substitute of Cozumel, as you’ll spend much less time and cash in transit. The dive websites of Cozumel are nonetheless simply reached and most outlets run every day journeys to them. Plus you’ve gotten extra choices for lodging, buying, eating, and nightlife right here. Take a look at our full information to Playa del Carmen for extra.
Cancun/Isla Mujeres
The well-known seaside resort of Cancun isn’t only for Spring Breakers and honeymooners. It’s additionally an superior vacation spot for scuba diving in Mexico! You don’t should go far out of your seaside chair right here to take pleasure in some world-class diving in the crystal clear water of the Caribbean.
Along with the usual reef dives, it’s also possible to try a couple of shipwrecks and an unimaginable underwater museum right here (in truth, that very same artist accomplished underwater sculptures in Grenada as properly). The close by island of Isla Mujeres can be a hotspot for diving, as whale sharks flock right here in the summer season months — there’s truly a whale shark pageant held on the island.
☞ SEE ALSO: Diving in Isla Mujeres with Squalo Adventures
Mahahual/Xcalak
For those who’re actually severe about diving in Mexico, contemplate placing forth the hassle to get right down to both Mahahual or Xcalak. It takes some time to get there from the Cancun Airport, but it surely’s value it to have the ability to go diving at Banco Chinchorro.
This Biosphere Reserve is without doubt one of the greatest locations to go diving in the Northern Hemisphere. Right here you may spot nurse sharks, angelfish, stingrays, loggerhead turtles and a lot extra.
Greatest Diving On The Pacific Coast
- When to Go: November-Could for Socorro, August-October for Guadalupe, August-November for Sea of Cortez
- Should-See Marine Life: nice white sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays, humpback whales, sea lions
- Common Value/Dive: 2-tank dives for $90
Baja California
California’s Mexican cousin simply south of the border is the place to go for those who’re in cage diving with nice white sharks. Sail from Ensenada on a 6-day liveaboard journey to the tiny Guadalupe Island. That is the place to go diving in Mexico if you wish to rise up shut and private with Jaws!
You don’t should get on a liveaboard and come head to head with an incredible white shark to take pleasure in diving in Baja California. The small fishing city of Bahía de los Ángeles is an efficient place to base your self for diving in the Sea of Cortez, the place you may swim with dolphins, sea lions, and even whales.
Baja California Sur
Transferring right down to the southern a part of the peninsula, there’s numerous glorious diving available. The favored resort cities of Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo) each have loads of dive outlets and incredible websites close by. Right here you may go diving with hammerhead sharks on the well-known Gordo Banks dive web site or colleges of manta rays at Santa Maria.
That is additionally the jump-off level for different liveaboards in Mexico to the wonderful Socorro Islands. Swim with large manta rays, ten species of sharks, bottlenose dolphins, and even humpback whales on considered one of these epic journeys. That is positively a number of the greatest scuba diving in Mexico.
Puerto Vallarta
Liveaboard journeys are superior, however they’re positively not for everybody. For those who want to spend your days diving and your evenings on land, then look no additional than Puerto Vallarta. Scuba diving is without doubt one of the greatest issues to do in Puerto Vallarta for the adventurous traveller.
This well-known metropolis in the Banderas Bay is surrounded by some world-class dive websites, reminiscent of Los Arcos and the Marietas Islands. You’ll be able to take pleasure in diving with dolphins and whales by day and hitting a number of the city’s incredible eating places and bars by night time.
Be taught extra in our full information to travelling Puerto Vallarta, and determine the place to remain in town in our lodging and neighbourhood information.
Prepared for Diving in Mexico?
As you may see, the choices are virtually infinite with regards to diving in Mexico! Whether or not it’s your very first time or your 100th, there’s one thing for you.
It’s actually laborious to high scuba diving in Mexico with regards to the vary of experiences you may have. The place else in the world are you able to go cage diving with nice white sharks, discover an underwater museum, swim alongside humpback whales, and go diving in an underground sinkhole? Critically, you are able to do all of those and extra on a Mexico diving journey!
Whereas I’ve listed a number of the greatest locations to base your self for diving and a number of the must-visit websites, I barely scratched the floor. In case you have expertise diving in Mexico, please be happy to drop a remark under and share some suggestions and suggestions.
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