Kelp, sea lions and an upright tugboat wreck off Isla Todos Santos
11–24°C · 52–75°Fvis 18 m · 60 ftintermediate
Country
Diving in Mexico
16 dive destinations in Mexico, up to 3,260 km apart. Water temperature across them runs 11–30 °C. 13 of 16 are in season in May. 124 named dive sites have their own pages.
Riviera Maya Cenotes · photo diego_cue
- Destinations
- 16
- Dive sites
- 124
- Water
- 11–30°C
- Most in season
- May
RegionsNorth AmericaCaribbean
Where are the dive destinations in Mexico?
- 1Ensenada & Punta BandaJul–Oct
- 2Loreto Bay National ParkMay–Aug
- 3Magdalena BayOct–Nov
- 4Sea of CortezOct–Apr
- 5Cabo PulmoJun–Oct
- 6Los CabosAug–Feb
- 7Isla MujeresJun–Aug
- 8Puerto Vallarta & Banderas BayJun–Nov
- 9Playa del CarmenFeb–Apr
- 10CozumelJan–Apr
- 11Riviera Maya CenotesYear-round
- 12Veracruz Reef SystemMay–Aug
- 13Revillagigedo (Socorro)Jan–Mar
- 14Mahahual (Costa Maya)Jun–Aug
- 15Xcalak & Banco ChinchorroJun–Aug
- 16HuatulcoDec–May
Numbers match the table below. Land outline: Natural Earth (public domain).
How do they compare?
| # | Destination | Best months | Water | Visibility | Depth | Level | Access | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ensenada & Punta Banda | Jul–Oct | 11–24°C | 6–18 m | 5–34 m | Intermediate | Shore, Day boat | 1 |
| 2 | Loreto Bay National Park | May–Aug | 17–30°C | — | 5–30 m | Intermediatesites from intermediate to advanced | Day boat | 7 |
| 3 | Magdalena Bay | Oct–Nov | 20–26°C | 10–30 m | 1–15 m | Advancedsites from intermediate to advanced | Day boat, Liveaboard | 3 |
| 4 | Sea of Cortez — La Paz | Oct–Apr | 19–30°C | — | to 30 m | Intermediatesites from beginner to advanced | Day boat | 9 |
| 5 | Cabo Pulmo | Jun–Oct | 20–30°C | 5–20 m | 3–25 m | Beginnersites from beginner to advanced | Shore, Day boat | 6 |
| 6 | Los Cabos | Aug–Feb | 20–29°C | 9–30 m | 5–40 m | Intermediatesites from beginner to advanced | Day boat | 9 |
| 7 | Isla Mujeres | Jun–Aug | 25–29°C | 10–30 m | 5–25 m | Beginnersites from beginner to advanced | Day boat | 6 |
| 8 | Puerto Vallarta & Banderas Bay | Jun–Nov | 24–30°C | — | 3–27 m | Intermediatesites from intermediate to advanced | Day boat | 7 |
| 9 | Playa del Carmen | Feb–Apr | 26–29°C | 5–35 m | 5–30 m | Intermediate | Day boat | 4 |
| 10 | Cozumel | Jan–Apr | 25–29°C | 15–35 m | 12–40 m | Intermediatesites from beginner to advanced | Day boat, Shore | 25 |
| 11 | Riviera Maya Cenotes | Year-round | 24–26°C | — | 2–15 m | Intermediatesites from beginner to advanced | Shore | 26 |
| 12 | Veracruz Reef System | May–Aug | 22–29°C | 5–20 m | 5–25 m | Beginner | Day boat | 2 |
| 13 | Revillagigedo (Socorro) | Jan–Mar | 21–28°C | 15–30 m | 12–30 m | Advanced | Liveaboard | 2 |
| 14 | Mahahual (Costa Maya) | Jun–Aug | 27–30°C | 15–30 m | 12–30 m | Intermediatesites from beginner to intermediate | Day boat | 7 |
| 15 | Xcalak & Banco Chinchorro | Jun–Aug | 21–27°C | 15–30 m | 5–34 m | Beginnersites from beginner to advanced | Day boat | 5 |
| 16 | Huatulco | Dec–May | 27–30°C | — | 12–21 m | Intermediatesites from beginner to advanced | Day boat | 5 |
When is the best time to dive Mexico?
The most destinations are rated good or prime at the same time in May: 13 of 16. Each row is one destination's own season rating.
| Destination | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ensenada & Punta Banda | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
| 2Loreto Bay National Park | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| 3Magdalena Bay | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Good |
| 4Sea of Cortez | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
| 5Cabo Pulmo | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
| 6Los Cabos | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime |
| 7Isla Mujeres | Good | Prime | Prime | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Good |
| 8Puerto Vallarta & Banderas Bay | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
| 9Playa del Carmen | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Good |
| 10Cozumel | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
| 11Riviera Maya Cenotes | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| 12Veracruz Reef System | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| 13Revillagigedo (Socorro) | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good |
| 14Mahahual (Costa Maya) | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| 15Xcalak & Banco Chinchorro | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
| 16Huatulco | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
| Good or prime | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
Which destinations combine into one trip?
Destinations that fit within 200 km of each other end to end and share at least one month rated good or prime. Distances are straight lines between destinations, not travel routes.
127 km end to end
In season together: May and Dec–Mar
147 km end to end
In season together: May and Sep–Nov
52 km end to end
In season together: Jun–Aug
All 16 destinations in Mexico
North America
Loreto Bay National Park
Mexico
Sea lion colonies and black coral walls around the islands off Loreto.
17–30°C · 63–86°Fintermediate
North America
Magdalena Bay
Mexico
Striped marlin lance through sardine baitballs in open ocean
20–26°C · 68–79°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftadvanced
Sea lions at Los Islotes and whale sharks in La Paz Bay
19–30°C · 66–86°Fintermediate
A recovered coral reef with dense jack schools and seasonal bull sharks.
20–30°C · 68–86°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftbeginner
Sea lions at Land's End and sandfalls in the marine park, minutes from the marina.
20–29°C · 68–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Hundreds of whale sharks feed shoulder to shoulder in open blue water
25–29°C · 77–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
North America
A marine-park reef for every level, and open-sea rocks visited by giant mantas
24–30°C · 75–86°Fintermediate
Pregnant bull sharks gather on open sand minutes off the beach each winter
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftintermediate
Drift along sponge-covered walls with 20–40 m visibility on the sheltered leeward coast
25–29°C · 77–84°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftintermediate
Flooded limestone caverns with haloclines, open to Open Water divers
24–26°C · 75–79°Fintermediate
The Gulf of Mexico's largest reef complex, off a working port
22–29°C · 72–84°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftbeginner
Habituated giant oceanic manta rays circle divers at open-water cleaning stations.
21–28°C · 70–82°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftadvanced
Canyon reefs five minutes from the fishermen's dock and a stepped outer wall beyond
27–30°C · 81–86°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
A quiet marine park reef, with day trips to the Banco Chinchorro atoll
21–27°C · 70–81°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Spotted eagle rays over rocky reefs in warm national-park bays.
27–30°C · 81–86°Fintermediate