One of the top activities that people love to do when they take a vacation to Cancun is diving and snorkeling. There is no comparing the experience of diving in warm tropical waters where visibility is so good that you can see fish and marine life as though in HD. Cancun and Riviera Maya is packed with dive schools that can take you on guided tours, lend equipment and even certify you for diving. Get a taster of what great diving in Cancun really means below:

Great Diving in Cancun

Great Mesoamerican Reef

You can choose from a range of great reefs in Cancun for stunning diving experiences. Aristos Reef, which can be found off Punta Cancun is part of the Great Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Here you can witness a host of incredible marine-life. It is best to take a guided tour here if you are not an expert diver as the currents can be strong. Manchones Reef is another alternative for great diving in Cancun for divers of all levels.

MUSA (Cancun’s Subaquatic Museum)

One of the features that makes diving in Cancun so great is the Subaquatic Art Museum. MUSA is a unique project that has inspired similar ventures in other destinations. The museum is in fact a variety of dive sites off the shores of Cancun where British artist Jason deCaires Taylor located a number of life-size sculptures to form unique man-made reefs, providing habitat for a range of marine-life. Since its opening, Jason deCaires Taylor has invited other artists to donate sculptures in an ecological effort to unite art and nature.

Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks make incredible and sometimes eerie dive sites. Cancun has a number of shipwrecks for divers to explore, some of which have historical significance. You can explore a sunken WWII vessel or the El Frio cargo ship, both of which have formed artificial reefs for Cancun divers to enjoy.

Caves

Cave diving in Cancun is a great adventure for expert divers. The Bat Cave in Cancun is an incredible dive site to visit with its stalactites and intricate formations underwater. Alternatively, the coral formation that makes the Cave of the Sleeping Sharks off the coast of Isla Mujeres is also very unique. Here you may catch sight of a variety of relatively “harmless” sharks such as gray reef sharks, bull sharks and black tip sharks.

Cenotes

Any list of great diving in Cancun must include a mention of Cenotes. Cenotes are freshwater sinkholes that can be found near Cancun and throughout the Riviera Maya area. There are multiple cenotes to explore if you are a certified diver, although it is always safer to go with a guide as the currents in the cenotes can catch you off guard. Cenote diving is a once in a lifetime experience for both expert and novice divers.