Scuba diving in

Cozumel and Playa del Carmen

Cozumel is one of Mexico's largest islands, home to a population of over 70,000. Most of the island's residents and tourists can be found on the western coast, either in the town of San Miguel or further north in the official hotel zone. Much of the rest of the island remains an uninhabited nature preserve, boasting vast mangrove forests, ancient ruins, and windswept beaches. The island's wild northern and southern points are perfect for snorkelling and beachcombing, with fewer tourists and a stunning unspoilt backdrop of swaying palms, sparkling white sand, and turquoise sea that feels miles from the major resorts.

Just across the channel on the mainland, Playa del Carmen is known for its boisterous nightlife and entertainment, including dining, drinking, and shopping. The town's famous Fifth Avenue is a hive of activity, home to tourist attractions, services, and tour companies of all kinds, and easy access to public transportation with multiple transit hubs. While Playa del Carmen does have plenty of beautiful beaches to choose from, they are less than ideal for snorkelling. Instead, most of Playa's diving takes place offshore via day trips or at the nearby cenotes.

Diving, snorkelling, and coastal tours are the main attractions around Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. But, both destinations offer plenty of attractions on land as well. Mayan ruins, museums, shopping, and other outdoor activities like golf will keep non-divers busy for days on end.

Nearly every dive trip to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula begins at the Cancun International Airport, the region's central transit hub and Latin America's third busiest airport. It is well connected with daily direct flights to Europe, the US and Canada, Central and South America, and beyond.

If you're staying in Playa del Carmen, you can expect an easy hour-long commute heading south, with shuttle service, taxis, rental cars, and public busses all departing directly from the airport. And, most resorts and dive centres are also happy to help you arrange transfers. Once in town, navigation is easy, with taxi ranks in front of every resort and shopping plaza, plus pedicabs, bicycles, and scooters for rent. While there are plenty of public parking for rental cars within hotels and resorts, the same can't be said for the tourist district around Playa's famous Fifth Avenue. Here, parking can be scarce and expensive, so it's best to leave your car behind.

If you're heading out to Cozumel, you'll need to take the ferry across. Departures are every hour, and it takes just 30 minutes to reach the island. Cozumel is small enough that walking or riding a bike can easily get you where you want to go. But, scooter rentals are popular for travellers who aren't used to the island's warm tropical climate and powerful sun.

Despite their proximity, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen offer distinctly different travel vibes. Divers will find a wide variety of accommodations in either destination, regardless of budget and personal travel style.

Cozumel is a classic Mexican seaside resort, boasting high-rise hotels, sprawling all-inclusive resorts, and plenty of budget and mid-range accommodations. The island boasts a distinctly slower pace than much of the mainland, with less nightlife than nearby destinations like Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Instead, the focus is on the island's natural beauty, with stunning white sand beaches, mangrove forests, and massive groves of swaying palm trees.

Playa del Carmen is home to the Yucatan Peninsula's hottest party scene, in addition to serving as the gateway to fantastic scuba diving and other adventures. Pulsing nightclubs, ‘foodie’ dining options, and massive outdoor shopping plazas are all part of the town's allure. You'll find resorts and hotels in all shapes and sizes here, plus plenty of budget-friendly options including quiet guesthouses and diving-focused hostels. But, this destination feels much more like a city than Cozumel and doesn't offer the same access to unspoilt nature.

Playa del Carmen and Cozumel enjoy a year-round warm tropical climate. No matter when you visit, plan for hot sunny afternoons topping out at around 32C, and balmy, humid evenings. That said, Cozumel's island breeze does help cool things down after dark, especially during January and February. During the rainy season from May to November, daily heavy downpours are the norm, but a little bit of rainfall is normal even during the dry months between December and April . Water temperatures in the sea fluctuate between 26 - 30C, though many of the cenotes run cooler all year round, thanks to their spring fed sources. These underground waterways also enjoy incredible visibility all year round, making them an excellent option if you’re visiting during the sometimes turbulent storm season.

Like the rest of Mexico's Yucatan, the storm season runs from May through November, with tropical depressions and hurricanes most commonly occurring between August and November. The shoulder months of the rainy season can bring wind and fast-moving weather patterns, sometimes impacting diving conditions with waves and surge. This is especially true of Cozumel's wild windward side.

From December through April is considered the busy season here, with two main peaks to avoid - the Christmas and New Year holidays, and "Semana Santa", the Mexican vacation period associated with Easter. So, when is the best time to go to Cozumel for diving? Most guests with experience in the region plan their trips during summer months like May and June or just before the holiday rush in November - for a chance to dive with Playa del Carmen's famous bull sharks.

In 1996, Mexico launched a programme to slowly transform much of the Yucatan Peninsula and its surrounding reef system into protected marine areas. Today, much of Cozumel has been incorporated, with two separate marine parks making up the UNESCO protected Isla Cozumel Biosphere Reserve. These nature preserves protect a wide variety of land and sea animals as well as migratory birds. While several areas around Playa del Carmen, including Xcaret and Xel-Há, may bill themselves as eco-parks, they are not protected marine areas but instead themed private nature reserves.

If you're hoping to get hands-on with conservation during your time in Cozumel or Playa del Carmen, you're nearly guaranteed to find a volunteer opportunity. The region is home to numerous environmental organisations focused on reef restoration and sea turtle protection and rehabilitation.