Region

Diving in the Caribbean

71 curated dive destinations across 33 countries including Anguilla and Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean. Conditions peak around Jan, Feb, Mar and Apr.

Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) · photo Subhashish Panigrahi

Destinations: 71
Countries: 33
Peak season: Jan–Apr

Common encountersSea turtlesBarracudaEagle raysReef sharksGroupers

Diving by country

Bahamas11
Mexico6
Cuba4
Caribbean Netherlands3
Cayman Islands3
Jamaica3
Puerto Rico3
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines3
U.S. Virgin Islands3
Belize2
British Virgin Islands2
Colombia2
Dominican Republic2
Honduras2
Panama2
Saint Kitts and Nevis2
Trinidad and Tobago2
Anguilla1
Antigua and Barbuda1
Aruba1
Barbados1
Curaçao1
Dominica1
Grenada1
Guadeloupe1
Martinique1
Montserrat1
Nicaragua1
Saint Barthélemy1
Sint Maarten1
St. Lucia1
Turks & Caicos Islands1
Venezuela1

What is diving in the Caribbean like?

The Caribbean is warm-water reef diving, and much of it starts from the shore. On Bonaire divers drive up to the reef and walk in with no boat required, and Curaçao, St. Croix and Roatán work the same way, with a coral wall or garden a short swim from the beach. Where a boat is needed the runs are short: Cozumel drifts along sponge-covered walls on its sheltered leeward coast, and the wall at Little Cayman starts at 6 m.

The big-animal diving is concentrated in the Bahamas and off Mexico. Tiger sharks cruise past kneeling divers on the open sand of Tiger Beach, great hammerheads patrol the shallows off Bimini each winter, and Cat Island is one of the few reliable places to dive with oceanic whitetips. Hundreds of whale sharks feed in open water off Isla Mujeres, and pregnant bull sharks gather off Playa del Carmen each winter. Inland, the Riviera Maya cenotes and the Bahamian blue holes add freshwater cavern and cave diving.

Best diving in the Caribbean for wrecks, big animals, beginners, macro and liveaboards

One destination per theme, picked from the species, dive types, access and site records on each destination page.

Wrecks
Martinique
Its dive sites take in 7 wrecks, including Amélie and Biscaye.
Big animals
Bimini
Bahamas
Hammerheads, bull sharks and dolphins are all on its species list, the most of any destination here.
Beginners
Bay of Pigs
Cuba
Rated for beginners, with mild current and shore diving. Best Nov–Apr.
Macro
Dominica
Muck and macro diving is one of its main dive types, with frogfish, nudibranchs and macro critters on the species list.
Liveaboards
Silver Bank
Dominican Republic
Dived only from liveaboards, best Jan–Mar; whales are on its species list.

When is the best time to dive the Caribbean?

The busiest stretch is January–April: in March, 46 of the 71 destinations here are in peak season.

October is the leanest month, when Bocas del Toro, Montserrat and Portobelo are still at their best.

Aruba, Bonaire, Mahahual (Costa Maya) and 1 more rate good or better in every month.

Destinations in prime seasonRated good

Destinations in Caribbean in prime and good season, by month
Month	Prime	Good
Jan	37	24
Feb	41	22
Mar	46	21
Apr	42	25
May	14	45
Jun	7	39
Jul	5	24
Aug	6	11
Sep	5	9
Oct	3	12
Nov	6	31
Dec	26	33

Compare every destination in the Caribbean

Tap a column heading to sort.

Dive destinations in Caribbean: best months, water temperature, level, signature animal and access

Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) Belize	Dec–Apr	26–29°C	Beginner	Reef sharks	Day boat
Andros Bahamas	Dec–May	23–30°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Day boat
Anguilla	Jan–Apr	25–30°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Day boat
Antigua — English Harbour & Falmouth Antigua and Barbuda	Dec–Apr	26–31°C	Beginner	Eagle rays	Day boat
Aruba	Year-round	25–31°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Barbados	Jan–May	26–30°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat
Bay of Pigs Cuba	Nov–Apr	22–31°C	Beginner	Barracuda	Shore
Bayahibe Dominican Republic	Jan–Apr	25–30°C	Beginner	Barracuda	Shore, Day boat
Belize Barrier Reef Belize	Mar–May	26–29°C	Intermediate	Whale sharks	Day boat, Liveaboard
Bequia — Admiralty Bay & the Stratmann Wreck Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Dec–Jun	25–30°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Day boat
Bimini Bahamas	Jan–Mar	24–30°C	Intermediate	Hammerheads	Day boat, Liveaboard
Bocas del Toro Panama	Feb–Mar	27–29°C	Beginner	Dolphins	Shore, Day boat
Bonaire Caribbean Netherlands	Year-round	26–29°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Cat Island Bahamas	Apr–Jun	24–29°C	Advanced	Oceanic whitetips	Day boat, Liveaboard
Cayman Brac Cayman Islands	Dec–May	26–30°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Cozumel Mexico	Jan–Apr	25–29°C	Intermediate	Eagle rays	Shore, Day boat
Culebra Puerto Rico	Dec–Mar	27–29°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat
Curaçao	Mar–Sep	26–29°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Dominica	Dec–May	26–29°C	Intermediate	Whales	Shore, Day boat
Eleuthera — Cape Eleuthera & Rock Sound Bahamas	Nov–Apr	24–29°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Day boat
Eleuthera — Harbour Island & Spanish Wells Bahamas	Nov–Apr	24–29°C	Beginner	Reef sharks	Day boat
Exuma Cays Bahamas	Jan–Mar	24–28°C	Beginner	Reef sharks	Day boat, Liveaboard
Grand Cayman Cayman Islands	Dec–Apr	26–30°C	Beginner	Stingrays	Shore, Day boat
Grenada	Dec–Apr	26–29°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Day boat
Guadeloupe — Cousteau Reserve Guadeloupe	Dec–Apr	26–29°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat
Isla de la Juventud & Punta Francés Cuba	Nov–Apr	23–29°C	Intermediate	Barracuda	Day boat
Isla Mujeres Mexico	Jun–Aug	25–29°C	Beginner	Whale sharks	Day boat
Jardines de la Reina Cuba	Dec–Apr	26–29°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Liveaboard
La Parguera & Guánica Puerto Rico	Dec–May	26–30°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Day boat
Little Cayman Cayman Islands	Dec–Apr	26–29°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Shore, Day boat
Little Corn Island & the Corn Islands Nicaragua	Apr–May	26–30°C	Beginner	Reef sharks	Day boat
Long Island, Bahamas Bahamas	Mar–Apr	25–30°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Los Roques Venezuela	Jan–Apr	25–29°C	Advanced	Sea turtles	Day boat
Mahahual (Costa Maya) Mexico	Jun–Aug	27–30°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Day boat
María la Gorda Cuba	Nov–Apr	25–29°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Martinique — Saint-Pierre Wrecks & Rocher du Diamant Martinique	Feb–Apr	26–31°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Montserrat	Jun–Nov	26–29°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Nassau & New Providence Bahamas	Nov–May	23–29°C	Beginner	Reef sharks	Day boat
Negril & Bloody Bay Jamaica	Dec–Apr	26–30°C	Beginner	Reef sharks	Shore, Day boat
Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis	Dec–May	27–29°C	Intermediate	Barracuda	Shore, Day boat
Ocho Rios Jamaica	Dec–Apr	26–30°C	Intermediate	Stingrays	Day boat
Playa del Carmen Mexico	Feb–Apr	26–29°C	Intermediate	Bull sharks	Day boat
Port Antonio Jamaica	Feb–Apr	27–30°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Day boat
Portobelo Panama	Aug–Oct	27–29°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat
Providencia & San Andrés Colombia	Dec–Apr	26–29°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat
Riviera Maya Cenotes Mexico	Year-round	24–26°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Shore
RMS Rhone & Salt Island British Virgin Islands	Dec–Apr	26–29°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Day boat
Roatán Honduras	Mar–Aug	25–30°C	Beginner	Whale sharks	Shore, Day boat
Saba Caribbean Netherlands	Jan–Apr	25–28°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Day boat
Saint Barthélemy — Gustavia & Les Anses Saint Barthélemy	Nov–May	26–29°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat
San Salvador Bahamas	Dec–Feb	23–29°C	Intermediate	Hammerheads	Day boat
Santa Marta & Tayrona Colombia	Jun–Sep	20–29°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Silver Bank Dominican Republic	Jan–Mar	22–26°C	Intermediate	Whales	Liveaboard
Sint Maarten	Dec–May	25–29°C	Beginner	Reef sharks	Shore, Day boat
South Abaco Blue Holes Bahamas	Jan–Apr	24–24°C	Advanced	—	Shore
St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands	Dec–May	25–30°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
St. Eustatius Caribbean Netherlands	Dec–Apr	26–29°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Day boat
St. John U.S. Virgin Islands	Mar–Apr	25–30°C	Beginner	Eagle rays	Day boat
St. Kitts Saint Kitts and Nevis	Dec–May	26–29°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Day boat, Liveaboard
St. Lucia	Dec–Apr	26–30°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands	Jun	25–30°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat
St. Vincent — Young Island & Anchor Reef Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Dec–Apr	27–30°C	Intermediate	Frogfish	Day boat
Tiger Beach Bahamas	Jan–Mar	24–30°C	Intermediate	Tiger sharks	Day boat, Liveaboard
Tobago — Crown Point & Mount Irvine Trinidad and Tobago	Dec–Jun	26–27°C	Intermediate	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Tobago — Speyside & the Sisters Rocks Trinidad and Tobago	Dec–May	24–28°C	Intermediate	Hammerheads	Day boat
Turks & Caicos Turks & Caicos Islands	Jan–Apr	26–29°C	Intermediate	Whales	Day boat, Liveaboard
Union Island & the Tobago Cays Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Dec–Apr	27–30°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat
Utila Honduras	Mar–May	26–29°C	Beginner	Whale sharks	Shore, Day boat, Liveaboard
Vieques Puerto Rico	Dec–May	24–29°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Shore, Day boat
Virgin Gorda & the Dog Islands British Virgin Islands	Dec–Apr	26–29°C	Beginner	Stingrays	Day boat
Xcalak & Banco Chinchorro Mexico	Jun–Aug	21–27°C	Beginner	Groupers	Day boat

Destination guides

71 guides

Best Dec–Apr
Ambergris Caye (San Pedro)
Belize
Spur-and-groove canyons and nurse sharks minutes from San Pedro's piers
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Best Dec–May
Andros
Bahamas
A 200 km barrier reef with a wall that drops into the Tongue of the Ocean
23–30°C · 73–86°Fintermediate
Best Jan–Apr
Anguilla
Anguilla
Seven wrecks sunk as artificial reefs, with turtles asleep on the Oosterdiep at night
25–30°C · 77–86°Fintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
Antigua — English Harbour & Falmouth
Antigua and Barbuda
Short boat rides from Falmouth Harbour to reefs, reef sharks and tarpon
26–31°C · 79–88°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Year-round
Aruba
Aruba
A 1940 German freighter in up to 18 m of water, among a string of other wrecks
25–31°C · 77–88°Fbeginner
Best Jan–May
Barbados
Barbados
Six wrecks in one protected bay, plus the deep Stavronikita
26–30°C · 79–86°Fvis 10 m · 33 ftbeginner
Best Nov–Apr
Bay of Pigs
Cuba
A wall dived from the beach, and Cuba's deepest cenote across the road
22–31°C · 72–88°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftbeginner
Best Jan–Apr
Bayahibe
Dominican Republic
A 73 m freighter offshore and Taíno cave dives in the forest behind
25–30°C · 77–86°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Best Mar–May
Belize Barrier Reef
Belize
Atoll walls at Lighthouse Reef and Turneffe, and the Great Blue Hole
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Jun
Bequia — Admiralty Bay & the Stratmann Wreck
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Healthy fringing reef, boulder swim-throughs and a tug wreck minutes from the beach
25–30°C · 77–86°Fvis 50 m · 164 ftintermediate
Best Jan–Mar
Bimini
Bahamas
Great hammerhead sharks patrol sandy shallows within sight of shore each winter
24–30°C · 75–86°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftintermediate
Best Feb–Mar
Bocas del Toro
Panama
Panama's cheapest place to learn to dive, with a national marine park just offshore
27–29°C · 81–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Year-round
Bonaire
Caribbean Netherlands
Self-guided shore diving along a calm, protected west coast
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 50 m · 164 ftintermediate
Best Apr–Jun
Cat Island
Bahamas
One of the few reliable places on earth to dive with oceanic whitetips
24–29°C · 75–84°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftadvanced
Best Dec–May
Cayman Brac
Cayman Islands
A Soviet frigate lies broken in two between 15 and 30 m
26–30°C · 79–86°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftintermediate
Best Jan–Apr
Cozumel
Mexico
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
Best Dec–Mar
Culebra
Puerto Rico
About 50 reef, wall and wreck sites, most under 20 minutes by boat
27–29°C · 81–84°Fbeginner
Best Mar–Sep
Curaçao
Curaçao
Shore and boat reefs, plus wrecks from a shallow tug to a harbour-mouth hull
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Dec–May
Dominica
Dominica
Volcanic walls and geothermal bubble streams
26–29°C · 79–84°Fintermediate
Best Nov–Apr
Eleuthera — Cape Eleuthera & Rock Sound
Bahamas
Deep wall drifts and a shark-feeding site off Cape Eleuthera
24–29°C · 75–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Nov–Apr
Eleuthera — Harbour Island & Spanish Wells
Bahamas
Shallow shipwrecks layered along the reef that wrecked them
24–29°C · 75–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Best Jan–Mar
Exuma Cays
Bahamas
Descend into Angelfish Blue Hole, a vertical shaft opening onto a coral-rimmed cavern
24–28°C · 75–82°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands
Hand-feed wild stingrays in chest-deep water, then drop over a sheer wall the same day
26–30°C · 79–86°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
Grenada
Grenada
The Caribbean's largest wreck, plus a sculpture park in the shallows
26–29°C · 79–84°Fintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
Guadeloupe — Cousteau Reserve
Guadeloupe
A bronze Cousteau sits at 12 m in the reserve he made famous
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Best Nov–Apr
Isla de la Juventud & Punta Francés
Cuba
A park wall with black coral at 30 m and a graveyard of more than 70 wrecks
23–29°C · 73–84°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftintermediate
Best Jun–Aug
Isla Mujeres
Mexico
Hundreds of whale sharks feed shoulder to shoulder in open blue water
25–29°C · 77–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
Jardines de la Reina
Cuba
Snorkel with American crocodiles, then dive reefs thick with unwary reef sharks
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftintermediate
Best Dec–May
La Parguera & Guánica
Puerto Rico
A 34 km shelf-edge wall a short boat ride from two south-coast towns
26–30°C · 79–86°Fintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
Little Cayman
Cayman Islands
A wall that starts at 5.5 m and vanishes into blue, minutes from an undeveloped shore
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftintermediate
Best Apr–May
Little Corn Island & the Corn Islands
Nicaragua
Reef sharks and schooling barracuda at Blowing Rock, 26 km (16 miles) offshore
26–30°C · 79–86°Fbeginner
Best Mar–Apr
Long Island, Bahamas
Bahamas
Dean's Blue Hole, the world's freediving capital and third-deepest blue hole
25–30°C · 77–86°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Jan–Apr
Los Roques
Venezuela
A 350-cay national park atoll with walls and almost no other divers
25–29°C · 77–84°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftadvanced
Best Jun–Aug
Mahahual (Costa Maya)
Mexico
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
Best Nov–Apr
María la Gorda
Cuba
Forests of black coral in a bay that is flat calm nearly every day
25–29°C · 77–84°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftbeginner
Best Feb–Apr
Martinique — Saint-Pierre Wrecks & Rocher du Diamant
Martinique
Ships sunk by Mount Pelée's 1902 eruption lie in Saint-Pierre bay
26–31°C · 79–88°Fintermediate
Best Jun–Nov
Montserrat
Montserrat
Uncrowded boats, and hawksbill turtles and southern stingrays at Rendezvous Bay
26–29°C · 79–84°Fbeginner
Best Nov–May
Nassau & New Providence
Bahamas
Two dozen reef sharks circle a baited arena in 12 m of water
23–29°C · 73–84°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
Negril & Bloody Bay
Jamaica
A beginner cavern and reef arches on Jamaica's calm west coast
26–30°C · 79–86°Fbeginner
Best Dec–May
Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Swimming through the warm bubbles of a sulfur vent at Champagne Garden
27–29°C · 81–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
Ocho Rios
Jamaica
A WWII minesweeper and a set of caverns on one site, a short ride offshore
26–30°C · 79–86°Fintermediate
Best Feb–Apr
Playa del Carmen
Mexico
Pregnant bull sharks gather on open sand minutes off the beach each winter
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftintermediate
Best Feb–Apr
Port Antonio
Jamaica
Walls, a coral pinnacle and a Coast Guard wreck on an uncrowded coast
27–30°C · 81–86°Fintermediate
Best Aug–Oct
Portobelo
Panama
Caribbean reefs and a plane wreck a day trip from Panama City
27–29°C · 81–84°Fbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
Providencia & San Andrés
Colombia
The western hemisphere's third-largest barrier reef, 700 km from anywhere
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftbeginner
Year-round
Riviera Maya Cenotes
Mexico
Flooded limestone caverns with haloclines, open to Open Water divers
24–26°C · 75–79°Fintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
RMS Rhone & Salt Island
British Virgin Islands
An 1867 mail steamer split between 9 m and 27 m off Salt Island
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Mar–Aug
Roatán
Honduras
Walk in from a beach resort and be on a coral wall within a five-minute swim
25–30°C · 77–86°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Best Jan–Apr
Saba
Caribbean Netherlands
Pinnacles rising from deep water, current-fed and thick with black coral and sponges
25–28°C · 77–82°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftintermediate
Best Nov–May
Saint Barthélemy — Gustavia & Les Anses
Saint Barthélemy
Short boat rides from Gustavia to walls, pinnacles and rock arches
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Feb
San Salvador
Bahamas
Sheer lee-side walls with hammerheads passing in the cooler winter months
23–29°C · 73–84°Fintermediate
Best Jun–Sep
Santa Marta & Tayrona
Colombia
Cold upwelling makes Colombia's Caribbean coast unexpectedly productive
20–29°C · 68–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Best Jan–Mar
Silver Bank
Dominican Republic
Permit-only snorkel encounters with breeding humpback whales on an offshore bank
22–26°C · 72–79°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Dec–May
Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten
An 1801 frigate wreck and a run of sunk hulls minutes from Philipsburg
25–29°C · 77–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Best Jan–Apr
South Abaco Blue Holes
Bahamas
Full-cave-only diving through ice-age passages hiding extinct-crocodile fossils
24–24°C · 75–75°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftadvanced
Best Dec–May
St. Croix
U.S. Virgin Islands
Swim off a beach onto a wall that drops past 900 metres
25–30°C · 77–86°Fvis 35 m · 115 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
St. Eustatius
Caribbean Netherlands
Lava flows, old wreck sites and night turtles in a marine park
26–29°C · 79–84°Fintermediate
Best Mar–Apr
St. John
U.S. Virgin Islands
Tarpon schools at Carval Rock and coral cays a short boat ride out
25–30°C · 77–86°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Best Dec–May
St. Kitts
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Easy wrecks and coral-head reefs in calm, gentle water
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
St. Lucia
St. Lucia
Soft-coral walls beneath the Pitons, with a beach entry straight onto the reef
26–30°C · 79–86°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Best Jun
St. Thomas
U.S. Virgin Islands
Swim-through rocks, a multi-level reef wall and two big wrecks
25–30°C · 77–86°Fbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
St. Vincent — Young Island & Anchor Reef
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Seahorses and frogfish on shallow sand beside leeward walls and a cave
27–30°C · 81–86°Fintermediate
Best Jan–Mar
Tiger Beach
Bahamas
Kneel on open sand in 6 meters of water while tiger sharks cruise past at arm's length
24–30°C · 75–86°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Jun
Tobago — Crown Point & Mount Irvine
Trinidad and Tobago
A critter wall on the calm Caribbean side and drift dives at the Atlantic south end
26–27°C · 79–81°Fvis 27 m · 90 ftintermediate
Best Dec–May
Tobago — Speyside & the Sisters Rocks
Trinidad and Tobago
Giant brain corals on current-fed reefs, and schooling hammerheads at the Sisters
24–28°C · 75–82°Fintermediate
Best Jan–Apr
Turks & Caicos
Turks & Caicos Islands
A wall off Grand Turk where migrating humpback whales pass within earshot each winter
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
Union Island & the Tobago Cays
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Green turtles and a horseshoe barrier reef in the Tobago Cays Marine Park
27–30°C · 81–86°Fbeginner
Best Mar–May
Utila
Honduras
Whale sharks off the north side and easy macro reefs for new divers
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner
Best Dec–May
Vieques
Puerto Rico
Easy shore diving at Mosquito Pier, a former military pier, to 12 m
24–29°C · 75–84°Fbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
Virgin Gorda & the Dog Islands
British Virgin Islands
Arches, canyons and swim-throughs among the Dog Islands, a short boat ride out
26–29°C · 79–84°Fbeginner
Best Jun–Aug
Xcalak & Banco Chinchorro
Mexico
A quiet marine park reef, with day trips to the Banco Chinchorro atoll
21–27°C · 70–81°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftbeginner