Custom dive trips to the places you think you have been.

Cozumel

Cozumel is probably one of the best known dive sites in North America. Famous for its stunning walls and gentle drift diving, it is visited regularly by thousands of divers each year. But the reef is large and by diving with a local company, you will only get to experience a few of the typical sites. Rolando has years of experience as a dive master in Cozumel and knows secret places that are not often revealed to the average vacationing diver.   Cozumel is also an excellent place to complete your check out dives or even experience some non-diving activities such as a 4-wheel drive tour through the jungles, or the small ruin site of San Gervasio, or the amazing beaches of "the other side".  You might even want to consider spending an afternoon taking some surf lessons with a local. 

Coming and going: Easy - Cozumel has an international airport with direct flights from the US.  It can also be reached by ferry (45 min) from Playa del Carmen.  Ferries leave every hour. 

Possible Excursions: diving, night diving, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, 4-wheel drive tours, ATV tours, bicycle tours, surf lessons,  parasailing, windsurfing, fine dining, shopping, eco-park, beaches. More about excursions.

Accommodation options: all levels; multiple options for each type.  More about accommodations.

More photos of Cozumel.

Majahual/Sian Kaan Nature Reserve

This small town near the Belize border is not a quick drive from the major airports, but it is well worth the trek. Majahual is a very small community which is just beginning to see an influx of tourism. The surrounding area, the Sian Kaan Nature Reserve is home to amazing jungle life, best experienced by bicycle so as to not frighten toucans, jaguars, and other amazing animals (though 4wheel drive vehicles are always an option).  The town is also just a few hours boat ride from the Chinchorro Banks, the sight of numerous wreck dives.  Chinchorro Banks is an advanced diving site which requires at least a 4 day commitment in this one area.

Coming and going: Not so easy - Several hours drive from the nearest airports (Cancun or Chetumal), can also be reached by boat from Chetumal

Possible Excursions: diving, snorkeling, beaches, deep-sea fishing, 4-wheel drive, bicycle tours, bird watching.  More about excursions.

Accommodations: budget, low-range, mid-range, specialty; a few different options for each type. More about accommodations.

More photos of Majahual

Isla Holbox

Isla Holbox is a small secluded island paradise with some very large visitors. For two months of every year, Isla Holbox is the perfect launching point to dive with whale sharks. The experience of swimming next to these enormous gentle beasts is not to be missed, because they are right at the surface, participants only need to be comfortable snorkelling. And to add to the charm of the experience, this tiny island has no paved roads and can only be accessed by boat. A bird watching trip is a must while in Isla Holbox. It is home to a very unique tourist cooperative which provides the opportunity to get up close with thousands of nesting birds, including flamingos, cormorants, and pelicans.

Coming and going: Not so easy - nearest airport (Cancun) is approximately 100 miles away. Requires a bit of coordination to arrive.

Excursions: snorkeling with whale sharks, bird watching, boat tours, deep-sea fishing, beaches  More about excursions

Accommodations: budget, low-range, mid-range, specialty.  More about accommodations

Isla Mujeres

This small island to the northeast of Cancun has activities for a variety of interests including snorkeling, diving, white sand beaches, and artesian shopping.  Quaint and quiet, it is an excellent place to just relax and take things slowly.  

Coming and going: Easy - nearest airport (Cancun) is just a ferry and taxi ride away

Excursions: diving, snorkeling, beaches, artesian shopping.  More about excursions

Accommodations: all levels; multiple options.  More about accommodations.

Cenotes

The Yucatan Peninsula is famous for its extensive cave system. This cave system is accessible through numerous sink-holes, or cenotes, which dot the land. Cenote diving is an amazing experience which requires no special certifications beyond the basic open water, because an exit is always within site. All that is needed is  the knowledge of a highly certified guide, a dive light, and good buoyancy. These caverns are not a place to view amazing sea life, but the massive caverns filled with stalactite and stalagmite formations are an impressive sight for any diver.

Coming and going: Fairly easy - the most popular cenotes for diving are located within 2 hours of the Cancun airport and are close to the towns of Tulum, Akumal and Playa del Carmen.

Excursions: Cenote diving   More about excursions

Accommodations: all levels; multiple options of each.  More about accommodations

More photos of cenote diving.

Tulum

This ancient Mayan ruin site is probably the most picturesque in the region. Set on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean ocean, this site affords visitors a turquoise sea and stunning archeological remains.  Sitting on the edge of a small ancient building looking out at the ocean gives you an understanding for why a culture would stay in one place for so long.  Near the ruin site is the small city of Tulum, where hotels and restaurants abound and provide for an excellent base from which to experience ocean or cenote diving, 4-wheel drive tours, additional Mayan ruin sites such as Coba, and stretches of white sand beaches. 

Coming and going: easy - just two hours from the Cancun airport

Excursions: diving, snorkeling, Mayan ruin sites, cenote diving  More about excursions

Accommodations: budget, low-range, mid-range, specialty in/near town; high-class resorts within 30 minutes. 

More about accommodations

More photos of Tulum

Merida

Old world charm and a modern economy converge in this large city.  Merida is the best place to experience the cosmopolitan culture of Mexico, without feeling overwhelmed by a city.  Wander through the traditional marketplace, enjoy a regional food from the Yucatan, tour historical buildings, explore the museums, shop in unique boutiques, or just sip coffee in a corner café.  On Sunday nights, the downtown streets close down to cars while vendors and musicians congregate on the center plaza to sell their wares and entertain the crowds.  Merida is also host to a variety of artisans, so if you are searching for unique art, rustic furniture or the perfect ceramics, Merida is the place to find it.  Close to Merida is a group of Mayan ruin sites all built during a specific time frame, known as the Ruta Puuc, these sites differ from others in the Yucatan both architecturally and culturally.  The most popular of these is Uxmal.

Coming and going: easy, Merida has an airport and is just a few hours drive from the Cancun airport

Excursions: cultural activities, Mayan ruin sites, artesian shopping, fine dining, nightlife 

More about excursions

Accommodations: budget, low-range, mid-range  More about accommodation

Valladolid

This small town, less than an hour from Chichen Itza, is a charming place to enjoy a meal or a night.  The classic plaza and striking cathedral create an atmosphere of both old and new. Quiet by any standards, Valladolid dishes out helpings of authentic local cuisine and some of the best hammocks made in the region.  Most local women wear the traditional Mayan huipil (a simple white dress with embroidery around the next and hem) and many sell their handiwork in the main plaza.  Valladolid is an excellent spot to spend some time enjoying the quiet rhythms of a small town surrounded by Mayan culture and excellent food. The famous ruins of Chichen Itza and the caves of dztinup are nearby.

Coming and going: fairly easy - just a few hours from the Cancun airport by car

Excursions: cultural activities, Mayan ruin sites, caves, artesian shopping  More about excursions

Accommodations: budget, low-range, mid-range, specialty  More about accommodation

Rio Lagartos

Located at the north end of the Yucatan Peninsula, Rio Lagartos National Park is a remote region well worth the trek – especially during flamingo roosting season.  As one of the last existing pink flamingo roosting areas in North America , this gigantic lagoon fills up with hundreds of thousands of pink-feathered birds each summer.  From July – early September, a boat ride through the waterways will take you up close to these spectacular birds.  The nearest large town, Tizimin, provides a quiet glimpse into life in the Yucatan.

Coming and going: Not so easy - the nearest airport is Cancun, but getting there is a bit complicated - well worth it though!

Excursions: Bird watching, boat trips, deep sea fishing 

More about excursions

Accommodations: Low-range and Mid-range

Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world.  Popular with Europeans as well as Americans and Canadians, Playa del Carmen has so much to offer that it is easy to see why it is so well-liked.  White-sand beaches, calm blue waters, and a city center that caters to tourism with pedestrian-only streets and a huge variety of shops and restaurants, Playa del Carmen is a fabulous place to spend some time.  The town has a great deal of European influence in its cuisine, night life and clothing boutiques, but is still very much a small Mexican fishing village at heart.  The location is ideal for a multitude of activities and has accommodations which vary from palapas to 5-star resorts. 

Coming and going: Easy, the Cancun airport is just an hour away

Excursions: Deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, beaches, dining, shopping, parasailing, bicycle tours, jeep tours, jungle tours, windsurfing, sea kayaking, jet skiing and more  More about excursions

Accommodations: all levels; multiple options for each type.  More about accommodations.

Akumal

Akumal – ‘place of the turtles’ in the Mayan languge, is a small community about 65 miles south of Cancun .  Set on a series of protected bays, the snorkeling is excellent and the beaches are beautiful.  Akumal is both quiet and relaxing, an excellent place to base yourself for a few days of adventure in the surrounding jungles, oceans and cenotes.  Akumal is centrally located between Tulum and Playa del Carmen.

Coming and going: Easy, the Cancun airport is just an 1 1/2 hours away

Excursions: Deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, beaches, dining, shopping, parasailing, bicycle tours, jeep tours, jungle tours and more  More about excursions

Accommodations: budget, low-range, mid-range, specialty  More about accommodation

Mayan Riviera

The Mayan Riviera is a general name for the area of coastline that runs from Cancun to Tulum.  These beautiful shores have been developed by a range of high-class resorts, private residences, cultural water parks (such as Xcaret and Tres Rios), and a couple of towns.  Playa del Carmen is the largest and liveliest of the towns that lie south of Cancun , but others include Puerto Moralos, Akumal, and Puerto Adventurous.  Because of the popularity of this area, you can find just about any activity along the Mayan Riviera.

Coming and going: Easy, the Cancun airport is just an hour away

Excursions: Deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, beaches, dining, shopping, parasailing, bicycle tours, jeep tours, jungle tours, windsurfing, sea kayaking, jet skiing and more  More about excursions

Accommodations: all levels; multiple options for each type.  More about accommodations.