Quintana Roo dive sites
Mexico · Browse dive locations by depth, type and conditions.
Best Season
March to June, Year-round, November to April, November-May, June-September, November-April, November-March, March-June
Skill Levels
advanced, intermediate, beginner, all-levels
Nearby Cities
Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Mahahual, Playa del Carmen, San Miguel de Cozumel, Tulum
All dive sites
Banco Chinchorro Atoll
Mahahual · Quintana Roo · Mexico
The largest coral atoll in the Northern Hemisphere, a remote UNESCO Biosphere Reserve 30 kilometres offshore with pristine walls, historic shipwrecks, and untouched Caribbean reefs visited by very few divers.
Cenote Angelita
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Deep cenote famous for its surreal 'underwater river' — a thick hydrogen sulfide layer at 30m resembling a flowing river beneath the water.
Cenote Angelita Deep Profile
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
The deep technical profile of Cenote Angelita where a halocline at 30 metres creates a surreal underwater cloud of hydrogen sulfide separating fresh and salt water, with submerged trees rising through the mist layer in an otherworldly landscape.
Cenote Calavera
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
A skull-shaped cenote just outside Tulum with three circular openings that create dramatic light beams, perfect for cavern divers and photographers seeking the iconic Yucatan cenote experience.
Cenote Chac Mool
Playa del Carmen · Quintana Roo · Mexico
A stunning cavern cenote near Playa del Carmen famous for its dramatic halocline effects, cathedral-like light beams, and the iconic Kukulkan light curtain that pierces the cavern darkness.
Cenote Dos Ojos
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Twin-eye cenote connected by underwater passages. Crystal-clear freshwater with light beams and stalactites.
Cenote Dreamgate
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
A shallow cenote near Tulum draped in ancient stalactites and stalagmites, where halocline effects create a dreamlike underwater landscape.
Cenote El Pit
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
The deepest cenote in the Riviera Maya with an eerie hydrogen sulfide cloud at 30m creating an otherworldly diving experience.
Cenote Sac Actun
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Part of the world's longest known underwater cave system, this cenote near Tulum offers cavern diving through cathedral-sized chambers adorned with ancient stalactites, haloclines, and ethereal light beams piercing jungle openings.
Cenote Taj Mahal
Playa del Carmen · Quintana Roo · Mexico
A cavern cenote south of Playa del Carmen renowned for its spectacular curtain stalactites and ethereal light effects, where sunbeams pierce shallow crystal-clear water to illuminate ancient limestone formations.
Cenote Tajma Ha
Playa del Carmen · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Enchanting cavern cenote with extraordinary light effects — sunbeams streaming through openings create a cathedral-like atmosphere.
Gran Cenote
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Crystal-clear cavern with stunning light beams, stalactites, and freshwater turtles. Tulum's most popular cenote.
Isla Holbox Whale Sharks
Cancun · Quintana Roo · Mexico
The convergence of Caribbean and Gulf waters off Isla Holbox creates the Western Hemisphere's largest seasonal whale shark aggregation, with hundreds of filter-feeding giants gathering to feast on tuna spawn.
MUSA Underwater Museum
Isla Mujeres · Quintana Roo · Mexico
An underwater sculpture museum with over 500 life-size human figures submerged in Caribbean waters between Cancun and Isla Mujeres, designed to create artificial reef habitat while providing a thought-provoking dive experience.
Playa del Carmen Bull Shark Dive
Playa del Carmen · Quintana Roo · Mexico
A seasonal open-water dive off Playa del Carmen's coast where female bull sharks aggregate between November and March, offering close encounters with one of the ocean's most powerful predators on a sandy bottom in clear Caribbean water.
Punta Sur
San Miguel de Cozumel · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Cozumel's deepest and most thrilling wall dive features dramatic coral overhangs, the famous Devil's Throat swim-through, and spectacular drop-offs.
The Canyon San Cristobal
San Miguel de Cozumel · Quintana Roo · Mexico
A dramatic coral canyon on Cozumel's leeward coast where swim-throughs and overhangs shelter nurse sharks, turtles, and enormous sponges.
Dive centers in Quintana Roo
Cozumel Divers
Cozumel · Quintana Roo · Mexico
PADI/SSI center on Cozumel island specializing in drift diving along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Palancar, Santa Rosa Wall, and Columbia Deep.
ProTec Dive Centers
Playa del Carmen · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Cave and technical diving center in Playa del Carmen. Cenote cavern tours, full cave training, and Caribbean reef diving with bull sharks (seasonal).
Koox Diving
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Cenote diving specialist in Tulum. Guided cavern tours and full cave diving training in the Yucatan's freshwater cave systems.
Pro Dive Mexico
Playa del Carmen · Quintana Roo · Mexico
PADI 5-Star IDC center in Playa del Carmen offering cenote diving, bull shark encounters, and Cozumel reef trips.
Scuba Libre Mexico
Tulum · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Tulum-based PADI center specializing in cenote cave diving with access to Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote, and Angelita.
Scuba Caribe Cancún
Cancún · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Large-scale dive operator in Cancún offering MUSA underwater museum, reef diving, and cenote excursions.
Scubascoolmexico Diving | Scuba diving Playa del Carmen
Centro · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Playa del Carmen Diving Scuba Playa
Centro · Quintana Roo · Mexico
SCUBA10
Centro · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Koox Diving Playa del Carmen
Gonzalo Guerrero · Quintana Roo · Mexico
SCUBA ALUX PLAYA DEL CARMEN
Ejidal · Quintana Roo · Mexico
GOOD VIBES DIVING
Centro · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Phantom Divers
1 Avenida Nte. Manzana 27 Lote 5 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Republica Diving: Jungle and Caribbean Seafaris
77710 Playa del Carmen · Quintana Roo · Mexico
BUCEO-DIVING CENOTES PLAYA DEL CARMEN & MORE
Calle 26 Nte Manzana 77 Lote 2 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Jaguar Divers - Dive Shop in Playa del Carmen
and Avenida 60 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Triton Diving
con esquina · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Dive Mike
Centro · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Barefoot Dive Center Cozumel
Centro · Quintana Roo · Mexico
ScubaTony
Fonatur · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Scuba Life Cozumel
Carr. Costera Sur km 6 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Scuba XOC Dive Center
Carr. Costera Sur Km 6.5 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Maple Leaf Scuba
Centro · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Cozumel Dive Center
Zona Hotelera Sur · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Cha Cha Cha Dive Shop
Zona Hotelera Sur · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Dressel Divers Cozumel/ Dive Shop - Dive Center
Carr. Costera Sur km. 17-785 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Blue Magic Scuba
Centro · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Sand Dollar Sports Dive Center
Carr. Costera Sur · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Island Divers Cozumel Scuba Dive center
Zona Hotelera Nte · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Buceo en Cozumel
Centro · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Cancun Scuba Center
Punta Cancun · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Scuba Diving Cancun
Kukulcan Boulevard · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Manta Dive & Snorkel Cancun
Zona Hotelera · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Squalo Divers
77500 Cancún · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Scuba Total
2 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Coconut Divers
Blvd. Kukulcan Km 4.0 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Sea Star Scuba
capilla ecumenica · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Go Diving Cancun
Pescador Lote Inside · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Blue Dive Cancun
km 16.261 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
A' HA' Scuba Diving
Blvd. Kukulcan km 4 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Cthulhu Divers
Zona Hotelera · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Dive Shop Buceo
Av. Cobá # 51 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Vision Oceanos – SSI Dive Center Cancun
Blvd. Kukulcan Km 3.5 · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Seatizen Divers Cancun
Kukulcan Boulevard · Quintana Roo · Mexico
Diving in Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo offers reef, cave, cenote, cavern, open-water, wall dive sites across 6 locations. Browse dive locations by depth, type and conditions before planning your dive.
FAQ
How do I get to Banco Chinchorro and can I do a day trip?
Banco Chinchorro lies approximately 30 kilometres offshore from the small coastal town of Mahahual in southern Quintana Roo. Day trips are possible but involve a boat ride of roughly 90 minutes each way, limiting you to two or three dives. Multi-day liveaboard trips or overnight camping on the fishermen's palafitos offer more time to explore. Very few operators are licensed to visit the atoll due to its UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, so booking in advance is essential. The town of Mahahual is reachable by car from Cancun in about four and a half hours.
Is it really possible to dive with crocodiles at Banco Chinchorro?
Yes, Banco Chinchorro is one of the very few places on Earth where guided snorkelling encounters with wild American crocodiles are offered. The crocodiles inhabit the mangrove-fringed shallows inside the atoll lagoon, where they have become habituated to the presence of local fishermen. Encounters are conducted in shallow water under strict supervision by specialised guides. This activity is not available year-round and depends on weather, water clarity, and the crocodiles' behaviour. It is exclusively a snorkelling activity, not a scuba dive, and participants must follow all safety instructions precisely.
What marine life can I expect at Banco Chinchorro?
The atoll's remoteness and protected status have preserved reef ecosystems that rival anything in the wider Caribbean. Expect to see large populations of Nassau and goliath groupers, species that have been severely depleted elsewhere. Caribbean reef sharks patrol the walls, nurse sharks rest under coral heads, and spotted eagle rays cruise the drop-offs. Loggerhead and green turtles are common, and the coral coverage is exceptional, with pristine stands of elkhorn and staghorn coral that have all but disappeared from more accessible reefs. Pelagic species including wahoo and king mackerel frequent the outer walls.
What is the underwater river?
It is a thick layer of hydrogen sulfide that sits at around 30 meters, so dense and defined that it looks like a flowing river complete with banks and islands of dead vegetation.
How deep do I need to go?
The 'river' effect begins at about 30 meters. While the cenote goes to 60m+, the most impressive part is between 28-35 meters. Deep/Advanced certification is required.