World-class diving on the Mayan Riviera

The reefs off Xcalak village in the far south of the Riviera Maya are far less-visited than in the busy north, which means better coral and fewer boats. Alejandro’s is an easy horseshoe-shaped reef with great coral and abundant morays – which are hard to see in the north.

Good for snorkelling or diving (without specialist cave-diving certification), Angelita has an eerie gas cloud in its depths – looking like mist in the water, with a web of submerged trees and stalactites jutting-out, and the occasional crocodile.

This is one of the few cenotes with stalactite-filled caverns you can scuba dive without specialist certification; and it’s easy to reach, just 20-minutes south of Playa del Carmen. There’s plenty of light, spots to surface to air and two huge submerged rooms.

A stunning cenote with spectacular cave formations and glassy water, passing through caverns encrusted with stalactites. Mind-bogglingly beautiful for both snorkellers and PADI divers.

Usually dived in conjunction with the adjacent Punta Sur, the Colombia Deep is an intermediate to advanced coral wall dropping to over 30 metres. It’s great for pictures. The coral is some of the Riviera Maya’s healthiest, with black coral, beautiful deepwater fans and huge barrel sponges. Turtles are common, sharks occasional.

An adrenaline-pumping close encounter with this top-of-the-food-chain predator, in glassy-clear water. A unique & unforgettable experience.

Plunging coral walls dropping into inky deep, reefs cut with caves and swim-throughs, coral gardens encrusted with huge barrel sponges – Cozumel Islands Palancar reefs have been a top dive site since Cousteau came here in the 1960s. Most dives are drift dives in strong currents, with average depths at 7m dropping to a maximum 38m.

With huge caverns, long tunnel swim-throughs, and a good chance of seeing turtles and eagle rays, Punta Sur is one of Cozumel’s most vaunted dive sites. But strong currents and depths over 30 metres means it’s for advanced divers only.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snorkel or dive with these harmless, 12-metre long, filter-feeding fish. Humbling and unforgettable.

With plenty of sites for beginners and intermediates, Tormentos is one of Cozumel’s most popular sites. It’s a drift dive, in a strong current, past a spectacular reef wall. Nurse sharks, groupers, turtles, and barracudas are common plus big schools of snappers.

Swim (cage-free) with American crocodiles in glassy-clear water in a pristine biosphere reserve on these 3-day adventures. Crocs aside, this wreck-scattered atoll teems with sea life – so superb diving and snorkelling too.