A guide to scuba diving the Riviera Maya from Tulum, Mexico

You are on a quest to find out whether scuba diving the Riviera Maya is any good and what you need to know before going on holiday there. In short, you’ll love it!! Allow us to elaborate.

Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula is home to some of the most unique diving in the world. But what is so unique about it?

It is on the Riviera Maya where you will find the world’s largest underwater cave system as well as the second largest barrier reef. Stunning cave and cavern diving as well as ocean diving in a marine protected are, all in one trip. Can dive holidays get any getter? Oh yeah, the beaches and the food are amazing too!

In this article, our guest author, Taz shares everything you need to know about exploring the darkest caverns around Tulum as well as diving the vivid Mesoamerican reef.

Photos by Nicolas Cesaroni

 

How I discovered the surreal diving in the Riviera Maya

After I started my first job as a dive professional working in Vancouver Island, Canada, never would I have imagined my career as a scuba instructor bringing me to dive into the underground scene of Tulum – literally and figuratively.

After meeting some highly trained – and badass – technical divers whilst on a liveaboard in Truk Lagoon a few years ago (which is basically a wreck divers paradise) and hearing their stories of the endless possibilities of diving in the Yucatan, home to the Riviera Maya, I had to find out for myself what the hype was all about. I took a trip down south less than a month after Truk. I wanted to further my technical diving skills and get cave certified. My mind was blown!

A few years pass the next thing I know, I am diving in the dark in Tulum, Mexico for a living. And convincing people to come with me!

Since then I learned a lot about the range of scuba diving in the Riviera Maya and the Yucantan peninsula. Here I want to share with you the endless possibilities.

My name is Taryn, but you can call me Taz! I am an independent scuba instructor and cenote guide here in Tulum where I operate my business Taz Diving. I have been living in Tulum for almost 2 years. And let me tell you the scuba scene here is big to say the least. It offers a massive amount of diversity in skill level, type of diving, and what you can see.

What to expect? The worlds largest underwater cave system & the second largest barrier reef

To start, one massive draw to scuba diving in the Riviera Maya and in particular the state of Mexico Quintana Roo, isn’t just the stunning turquoise Caribbean sea, it’s actually under the jungle’s floor. The worlds largest flooded cave system is right here below our feet. It spans amidst thousands of square kilometers of porous limestone rock. The limestone makes up the foundation of the Yucatan peninsula.

You can see a range of wildlife and unique aquatic environments from cenotes to reefs in the Yucatan. Having such a wide range of dive experiences from one and other makes the Rivera Maya one of my ultimate favorite places to live and dive in.

Photo by Nicolas Cesaroni

Second to the cenotes – which are essentially entrances to the worlds largest underwater cave system here – lies the Mesoamerican reef which is the second largest reef system in the world. You can find incredibly nutrient rich water here abundant in corals and diverse marine life.

Wait, what is a cenote?

Cenotes are basically the collapses in the ground. Those create entrances to a flooded cave system that we have in Mexico. The word Cenote translates to ‘sacred well’ in Mayan language, and for good reason. When you see one, it looks just like that. They have crystal clear blue water that resembles a natural pool. Thus revealing a massive underwater river system we have underground here. There are thousands of cenotes spanning over the limestone foundation making up the state of Quintana Roo. And though they all are similar in characteristics, no two cenotes are the same as another.

So without corals, fish, and life to witness… why are diving in the cenotes some of the most sought after dives on the bucket list?

Cavern diving is also known as Cenote diving

Simply put – they are breathtaking. And they are caves! Claustrophobic? Afraid of the dark? Honestly, you’d be surprised how different it feels diving in the caverns. There is something calming and tranquil about diving in a place that is nearly lifeless. The visibility is so crystal clear, that it will surpass your torches’ light beam. And even though it’s very dark the contouring walls surrounding you get rid of that ‘whats behind me’ feeling as you cruise through tunnels and formations light up by dive lights. It brings a new feeling to scuba diving – focusing on the physical act of diving. Just breathing and floating weightless through the clearest water imaginable makes it seem like you are floating through a museum of the ancient walls of the earth.

So what do you need before diving in the caverns of the Riviera Maya?

Diving in an overhead environment such as cenotes, requires you to be taken by a certified guide. They need to be full cave trained and a divemaster at minimum.

You also have to be a certified diver to dive in the cenotes. You need at least your open water diver certification to dive in any overhead environment. However, there are a couple cenotes you can dive in for your first time. There you do not necessarily need to be certified yet and you can do a discovery or intro dive in (with a guide and instructor). This is only because these few cenotes are an ‘open environment’. This means they are non cavernous or don’t have any over head sections. They more resemble a natural, fresh water pool and are perfect for first timers.

Equipment

For cavern diving your equipment will be normal recreational dive gear in each circumstance including a wetsuit of 5mm, with the addition of having a dive light. However this doesn’t mean your guide will wear the same thing. In fact they will be dressed up in their cave diving equipment carrying 2 tanks and back ups of everything to ensure safety. This is the top priority!

You will also need to have good buoyancy! This is important in diving caverns/cenotes as they are super fragile environments that have been forming for millions of years, creating beautiful rock and mineral formations called stalactites and stalagmites. If your buoyancy is out of control you have the potential to break these delicate formations. And that’s not cool!

How it works

Logistically, diving in cenotes is fun and easy. We drive by private truck from the dive shop in Tulum, down dirt jungle roads and right up to the centoes. We gear up at the truck and walk right into the fresh water. Diving in fresh water is a treat! With less salt its nicer on your equipment and – your hair. After the dives we throw the tanks in the back of the truck along with the gear and drive back to town.

But I love the ocean and want to see fish! Where else can I go diving in the Riviera Maya?

Like I said, there is so much diversity here in the Rivera Maya, it’s like the scuba divers playground. From cenotes to ocean diving there is something for every skill level.

Ocean diving from Tulum

The Tulum reef is very accessible. There are boats departing from a beach that is a 10 minute drive north of Tulum . Then it is a ten minute boat ride to the dive sites. The dive sites are typically gradual sloping bottoms featuring long coral and sand pathways. One of the best dive sites open to all levels is a place called Cuevitas which translates to “little caves”. There are beautiful coral cave swim throughs, home to hundreds of tropical reef fish, lobsters, barracudas, pufferfish, crabs, boulder & fan corals and much more.

Photo by Nicolas Cesaroni

 

Bull shark diving from Playa del Carmen

Diving in Playa del Carmen can be similar to the Tulum reef as far as species of corals and fish go. But in my experience the current can be a bit stronger at times. Especially, if you’re going to see the bull sharks which are a huge attraction in their season from November to March. They are located at a dive site called Shark Point where the nutrient rich water flows heavily in some occasions, making the grab line a very convenient feature in this underwater observatory. The bull shark diving is pretty thrilling to experience and safe to do so if you follow the local guidelines. You should not wear a bright-coloured or a florescent wetsuit and, of course, you need to remain calm, cool, and collected and obviously not aggravate or excite the sharks.

You may also spot eagle rays, turtles, eels, lobsters, octopus, groupers and hundreds more of tropical reef fish during your second dive on the reef.

Drift diving at Cozumel island

Cozumel has been voted world class reef and drift diving, and you don’t need to stay there overnight to get your dives in. From Tulum, Cozumel can be done as a day trip, leaving Tulum at 6am and returning around 12pm. It sounds like it is a long day, but it’s totally worth it!

Pick up and all transportation is included. Leaving at 6am, we drive 45 minutes north to Playa del Carmen, where we catch the ferry to Cozumel. Once on Cozumel, getting to the marina is just another 15 minute ride away. We aboard a spacious dive boat and begin to travel south of the island to some of the best dive sites in Cozumel. The views along the ride are stunning, from the surface of the turquoise ocean to the views of the beaches on the island. Get ready to gear up and giant stride into the water, where you will enjoy 2 drift dives from 9 meters to 30 meters depending on your skill level along this stunning reef.

Photos by Nicolas Cesaroni

 

An underwater seascape like no other

The coral structures in this marine protected area are breathtaking, to say the least. The sea between the island and the mainland is actually a very deep ridge maxing out around 500 meters. This allows nutrient rich water to flow through which helps feed the reefs in Cozumel. There are 27 dive sites ranging in depths from 5m to 50+m.

The Palancar Gardens is an amazing dive site to experience as it is abundant with mesmerizing swim-throughs amongst massive coral structures. Nonetheless, the underwater topography in Cozumel can be as basic as shallow sandy patches for training, to sloping walls starting from 9 meters going down past 100 meters. The best dive sites feature stunning coral swim-throughs thriving with hundreds of coral species and reef fish. The island is full of scuba shops, stores, and good vibes, as the main tourism in Cozumel is the reef, beaches, and diving.

Where to stay in Tulum?

Staying in Tulum town is actually quite different from staying on the beach road. There are a few different sections of the town varying in price and esthetic. Even though Tulum is small, sometimes it can take you a long time to get around.

The beach road (or hotel zone) is full of cute boutique hotels loaded with beautiful architecture and art installations. It is often related to the style and vibe of Bali. It has a tenancy to be very pricey and and full of bad traffic jams if you’re coming during the high season months (Jan-Mar).

Staying in town is defiantly more accessible, and cheaper – but then you’re farther from the beach. The variety of places to stay is endless and you will end up paying for convenience in one way or another. Whether that is how close you want to be to certain areas or how nice of a place you want to be in.

Either way Tulum has something for you. Transportation for diving trips is always taken care of by your instructor or guide, after you meet up in Tulum town. It’s rare to get a pick-up and drop-off in the hotel zone as the taxis don’t allow it.

How to get to Tulum?

Getting to Tulum is relatively easy and can be inexpensive. From the Cancun International Airport (CUN) the travel time to Tulum is around 2 hours. This can be arranged by bus, a Cancun to Tulum shuttle, private taxi or renting a car.

The ADO is a relatively safe way of transportation and is very cheap, around $15! It is a big coach bus often with wifi on board, air conditioning, reclining seats and a lot of space to store your bags and gear below the bus.

If it’s in your budget, renting a car is a good option to have as you could end up saving a lot of money in the event you taking taxis around town or to the beach during your stay in Tulum. There is a car rental place conveniently right beside the airport.

Another option is to take a private shuttle or taxi, which is fast and convenient but could run you around $80usd each way. I usually recommend taking the ADO as it also makes frequent trips all day and its cheap.

Getting around

From Tulum, Playa del Carmen is 45 minutes north, and Cozumel is an additional 35 minute ferry ride from there. The cenotes can be as close as a 10 minute drive or a 40 minute drive from Tulum, and involve a fun jungle ride to get to them!

Join me for some otherworldly diving in the Riviera Maya

Here are just a couple of the incredible options that are available for diving the Rivera Maya. From beginners to advanced, or cenotes to ocean, there is 100% a dive to be checked off your bucket list in this area. The possibilities are endless and the diving is one of a kind!

If you’re planning your next vacation to Tulum in the Rivera Maya, and want to explore some of the best diving locations in the area, I’ve got you covered.

One of the reasons I love living and working here so much is getting to share these unique dive sites with my guests. We often surface from a dive and the first thing I hear is “that was amazing!” or “Omg how beautiful was that dive!?” and it brings a huge smile to my face! I want to give you a personalized and special diving experience where you can dive in a range of dive sites from cenotes to world-class reef all within a short distance from each other, with someone you can feel safe and comfortable with. From booking to diving made easy, get in touch or book with me through my website Taz Diving.