Green turtles and an offshore oil-platform reef off Peru's north coast
18–23°C · 64–73°Fvis 7 m · 23 ftbeginner
Country
Diving in Peru
3 dive destinations in Peru, up to 1,040 km apart. Water temperature across them runs 14–23 °C. All 3 are in season in October. 6 named dive sites have their own pages.
Máncora & Los Órganos · photo Danielaamunoz Camera location4° 13′ 05.1″ S, 81° 10′ 54.31″ W View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap -4.218
- Destinations
- 3
- Dive sites
- 6
- Water
- 14–23°C
- Most in season
- October
RegionSouth America
Where are the dive destinations in Peru?
- 1Máncora & Los ÓrganosJul–Oct
- 2Palomino IslandsDec–Mar
- 3PucusanaJan–Mar
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 | Máncora & Los Órganos | Jul–Oct | 18–23°C | 4–7 m | 3–20 m | Beginnersites from beginner to advanced | Day boat | 3 |
| 2 | Palomino Islands | Dec–Mar | 14–19°C | 3–12 m | 5–25 m | Advanced | Day boat | 1 |
| 3 | Pucusana | Jan–Mar | 15–20°C | — | 8–25 m | Intermediatesites from beginner to intermediate | Day boat | 2 |
When is the best time to dive Peru?
The most destinations are rated good or prime at the same time in October: 3 of 3. Each row is one destination's own season rating.
| Destination | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Máncora & Los Órganos | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
| 2Palomino Islands | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime |
| 3Pucusana | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Good or prime | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
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.
75 km end to end
In season together: Oct–Apr
All 3 destinations in Peru
Thousands of sea lions crowd bare granite an hour from Lima
14–19°C · 57–66°Fvis 12 m · 40 ftadvanced
South America
Pucusana
Peru
Kelp forest and sea lions an hour's drive south of Lima
15–20°C · 59–68°Fintermediate