If you follow me on Instagram, you already know I’m obsessed with Cozumel scuba diving. Diving in Cozumel knocks the socks off other places to dive in the Riviera Maya. Cozumel scuba diving packages are considered some of the best worldwide. In this post, I’m sharing 24 reasons why you need to try the best diving in Cozumel.
By the end of this post, you’ll want to book a vacation for Cozumel diving!
Quick Tip: Book accommodation, tours, and transport ahead of time online to save money and stress.
Best Cozumel Tours: Click here to check out the top Cozumel tours
Best Cozumel Accommodation: Click here to check out the best accommodation in Cozumel
Best Cozumel Transport: Click here to book a bus, ferry, or train in Cozumel
Why Cozumel Diving Packages Are the Best
1. Visibility
Every time I go scuba diving Cozumel, the visibility is terrific. The Caribbean water is the perfect shade of blue, and you can see incredibly far! The average Cozumel diving visibility is 100 feet.
2. Drift Diving
I wasn’t familiar with drift diving before trying it in Cozumel—now, I love it. It’s like being on a conveyor belt! You don’t have to do much work; keep your buoyancy and enjoy the beautiful reef views as you float by.
QUICK TIP: Book your tours, rental cars, and transfers through my local contacts
I’ve been working with Living Dreams Mexico for years and they are who I send all my family and friends to when they visit the Riviera Maya. I really can recommend them enough for private tours and experiences. They have solid 5* reviews on Trip Advisor and Google from almost 4000 reviewers! You can view all their tours here.
If you’re looking for private airport transfers and rental cars then Vanessa and Oliver from Turismo Channel are personal friends of mine and I can 100% recommend them to make an inquiry click here and complete the form. Someone will be in touch within 24 hours.
3. Accessibility
I recommend scuba diving in Cozumel because it’s easy to travel there thanks to the island’s international airport. You can fly directly to Cozumel or into Cancun, where you can take a second flight to Cozumel. You can also take an ADO bus from Cancun to Playa del Carmen and a short ferry ride to Cozumel. Read my complete guide on how to get to Cozumel here.
4. Healthy Coral
Coral reefs worldwide are dying or endangered by environmental threats—not in Cozumel. Cozumel scuba diving packages are fantastic since this area has been protected for years under its National Marine Park Status.
5. ScubaTony
I couldn’t write a blog about diving in Cozumel without mentioning my favorite local scuba operation, ScubaTony. ScubaTony is fantastic—after completing my Advanced Open Water course with them, they are the only company I will go Cozumel diving with. Whether you want to get certified or do fun dives, these are the guys to trust!
6. Mexican Food
This isn’t dive-related, but you’ll be hungry after scuba diving Cozumel! Mexican food is delicious, and I could never tired of guacamole or tacos.
The bonus with Cozumel is it has the freshest fish you’ll ever eat. My favorite restaurant for fresh seafood is Buccanos Restaurant. You must take a taxi there at night if you haven’t rented a car, but it is 100% worth it!
7. ScubaHunt Cozumel
Have you heard about the fun Cozumel diving packages where you embark on an underwater scavenger hunt? This is a must-try!
8. Swim-Throughs
The swim-throughs you’ll encounter while scuba diving in Cozumel are fantastic. I sometimes felt like I was on another planet.
9. Wall Dives
The first time I experienced a wall dive in Cozumel, it blew my mind. The walls are otherworldly, and you can float while enjoying the views thanks to the drift.
Need Accommodations in Cozumel?
Check out my guide to accommodation in Cozumel here. I recommend these three places:
Stingwray Villas Boutique Hotel in Cozumel
The Landmark Resort
Casa del Solar Centro Cozumel
10. Eagle Ray Season
Do you want to swim with eagle rays? Then you need to try Cozumel scuba diving during winter, which is from December to March. Diving with these incredible creatures is mindblowing!
Quick Tip: View my full Scuba Dive Equipment List here. And check out my Scuba Diving Essentials shopping list here.
11. Warm Water Year Round
If you don’t enjoy diving in a 5mm wetsuit or a drysuit, you must explore the diving packages Cozumel offers. Even in the winter, you can dive in a shortie—some dive with only rash vest and shorts! The water temperature rarely drops below 78 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. In summer, expect the water to feel closer to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
12. Easy to Advanced Dive Locations
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver, there is something for you. Some of the best diving in Cozumel is suitable for beginners. It is the perfect place to bring a friend or partner who wants to learn to dive.
13. Turtles, Turtles, Turtles!
No matter how often I dive with turtles (almost every Riviera Maya dive I’ve done), I will never stop admiring them. I’m like a kid every time I see one—most of my Cozumel scuba diving photos and videos are of turtles!
14. Nurse Sharks
Many Cozumel scuba diving packages offer experiences with nurse sharks. Playa del Carmen is famous for its Bull Shark season, but you can see nurse sharks year-round in Cozumel. I’ll never forget the first time I saw one at the end of a dive!
Quick Tip: I highly recommend booking all of your Mexico transportation with GottoGo. You can search for buses, shuttles, ferries, and Flights on their website. What I love most about them is their customer service. I know these guys personally from living in Guatemala, and they look after their customers.
If anything happens and you get delayed and miss your bus, you can just call them, and they are always there to help. If you book through them, you will pay a little more than booking in person at the bus station. But it’s worth it for the ease and security. Click here to search for transportation in Mexico.
15. Green Moray Eels
These guys are creepy but also amazing and HUGE. I swear the divemasters at ScubaTony have an eel radar—almost every site I’ve visited with them has had one lurking in the reef.
16. Night Dives With Octopus and Bioluminescence
Every night dive I’ve done in Cozumel was like an octopus party, and I had no idea they were so colorful. We also saw many sleeping turtles, giant crabs, and lobsters! Plus, if you cover your light, you can experience bioluminescence. It’s like a dream world after dark, so book a night dive.
17. Black Coral
Cozumel scuba diving offers the rare chance to see Black Coral. While it’s widely sold as jewelry in the shops around Cozumel, please avoid buying it. Black coral harvesting is now regulated in Cozumel, but we prefer to see it where it should be, under the sea.
18. Splendid Toadfish
The splendid toadfish is native to Mexico, so keep your eyes peeled while scuba diving in Cozumel!
19. El Cielo
This is more of a snorkeling hotspot, but you don’t want to miss it. El Cielo is a sandbank off the coast of Cozumel that’s only accessible by boat. Cielo means sky in Spanish—it gets its name from all the starfish you see there. Plus, the color of the water is heavenly, and I’ve never seen anything like it!
Do NOT touch the starfish! Snap your pictures from afar.
20. Boat Dives Close to Shore
I love diving from a boat, but I’m also prone to seasickness. Cozumel’s easily accessible boat diving spots off the coast are a win! If you do morning and afternoon dives, you can ask to be dropped off at The Money Bar Beach Club during your surface time.
21. Palancar Reef
Of course, I must highlight where you can find the best diving in Cozumel. Palancar Reef is the star attraction of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Palancar became famous in 1961 when Jacques Cousteau, a renowned underwater explorer, declared it “paradise.” Regardless of how many times I dive throughout Palancar, there’s always something new to see. The other great thing about this site is that much of the reef can be snorkeled.
22. Devil’s Throat
I don’t think I’ll be trying this bad boy anytime soon. If you are an advanced diver, this is probably already on your radar as it is considered a “bucket list” dive. Devil’s Throat is located in Punta Sur and is regarded as an advanced dive because of its depth, strong currents, and long swim-throughs. The actual Devil’s Throat section is a narrow, 60-foot-long tunnel.
Unless you have your Advanced Open Water Certification and are an experienced diver, it isn’t wise to attempt Devil’s Throat. You can always skip the tunnel in favor of swimming above the reef.
23. Colombia Deep
This is one of my favorite wall dives, with many amazing swim-throughs. Expect beautiful coral formations, colorful fish, and turtles. You can go deep on this dive, considered intermediate to advanced. You can find the famous black coral here!
24. C53 Wreck Dive
Cozumel isn’t known as a wreck diving site, but the C53, located just off Chankanaab Park, is an incredible experience. It was sunk in 1999, so there is a lot of cool stuff to see in the wreck, including some resident eels.
Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?
The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing
Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.
Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies.
Cozumel Travel Guide Planning
🧳 Any recommendations on what I should pack for Cozumel?
Yes! I have created a whole packing guide to Cozumel which you can read here and you can also check out my packing list for Cozumel on Amazon here.
🚗 Where can I book bus or private transportation while I’m in Cozumel?
I strongly recommend using GottoGo. You can book almost all transport in the major Mexican tourist destinations through them online. They don’t just cover buses they also cover shuttles, ferries, and private drivers.
🎫 Where can I buy tickets for museums, attractions, and tours in Cozumel?
I recommend either Viator or GetYour Guide. They have a lot of options available!
If you are traveling from Playa del Carmen then I recommend booking through my friend Vanessa at Turismo Channel. You can check out their tours by clicking here and using the following discount codes for the best prices clairecaroff (car rental), claire10off (for 10% off group tours), claireprivate (for a discount on private tours). You can also send her a WhatsApp message quoting the above codes to receive the discount.
🤿 What is the best diving operator in Cozumel?
I strongly recommend ScubaTony on the island as they are hands down the best dive operator there!
👩⚕️ What is the best insurance to have while traveling?
I recommend using Heymondo for a great value policy. The app also offers you 24/7 Dr Chat. For Digital Nomads check out SafetyWing digital nomad insurance.
I have also written a blog post covering all my recommended travel insurance here
✈️ Any flight recommendations?
WayAWay offers you cheap flights with cashback. You can use this code CLAIRE22 to get 10% off. Otherwise Skyscanner or Expedia are my go-to flight searching platforms.
📱What do you use for internet connection while traveling?
I’m a big fan of personal WiFi devices and they have saved my ass so many times when traveling. I wrote a full review of the top travel WiFi devices you can read here. I personally use GlocalMe as I can either pop in a physical sim card or use their local carrier.
With regards to my phone connection, I use e-sims while traveling, so rather than having to swap out my regular sim card I can download the app and buy a virtual sim card. I recommend using eitherAirhub or Alosim. Both have great coverage of multiple countries and are very easy to use.
🛏️ What is the best platform to use for booking accommodation?
The 3 best platforms that I normally use are Booking.com, Hotels.com, and Expedia They offer great deals and multiple options. I always check all three to be sure of the best deals.
🛅 Do you have any luggage recommendations for traveling?
I do have a complete list of the best packing and luggage products that I recommend, you can check the list here. I’m currently traveling with this suitcase and this backpack.
Cozumel Scuba Diving Packages: Final Thoughts
Those were my top 24 reasons to try scuba diving in Cozumel! There are many more reasons, but I had to stop somewhere. There are many Cozumel diving packages for all budgets and experience levels. If you’ve ever been curious about scuba diving, Cozumel is the place to try it.
This post was proofread by Grammarly.
Hayato Davis
Thursday 16th of May 2019
Hi Claire! Your blog is really very helpful and informative. I love scuba diving. I personally inspired by this blog to learn scuba diving. Thank you for sharing this wonderful blog with us. Keep posting!
Danielle
Friday 12th of April 2019
I have only been scuba diving once on an intro dive, but this post made me want to learn!
Cozumel diving looks incredible! (And the Mexican food doesn’t sound bad either.) I love that you can see so much wildlife.... I’m obsessed with sea turtles.
Great post!
Kathy@DavesTravelCorner
Thursday 21st of March 2019
I love scuba diving. I feel so relaxed when I'm underwater. Nice shots Claire.