Best sites for dive AND snorkel near Akumal/PDC/Riviera Maya

[freedc]

I am going to Akumal next month with my pregnant wife and 7 year old son. I want to do both reef and cenote dives, but don't want to abandon my family. I'm looking for some guilt-free diving here, so where are the best places to go where they can snorkel and I can dive in the same place?

The snorkeling has to be easy because my son is a bit timid and my wife will be nearly 7 months along.

 

[TSandM]

I'm pretty sure you can both dive and snorkel at Grand Cenote, and Cenote Eden (Ponderosa) has a beautiful open water basin with a lot of pretty fish and sometimes eels. A lot of it is very, very shallow.

As far as reef diving goes, it's all, to my knowledge, done off boats. I have snorkeled in the bay at Puerto Aventuras, and the snorkeling is surprisingly good there, but the water is very shallow (I mean stand up shallow) so it's not a place to dive.

 

[freedc]

Thanks TSandM, stand-up shallow is good for us. I'll just snorkel with them. I'm looking for experiences that will be memorable for my family, not just something to keep them busy while I dive.

I'll check out Cenote Eden's snorkeling appeal too. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Grover48]

When I visit Akumal. I dive with Akumal Dive Center. Their shop is right on the beach next to the LolHa restaurant. The boats leave from the beach. The wife and child can snorkel while you are out for a dive. You can join them on your return. The beach is shaded there so they can wait on the shade if they don't want to snorkel without you.

PM me if you want more info on Akumal.

 

[TSandM]

If you stay in PA and snorkel in the bay, head to the left, toward the breakwater -- the coral is thicker there, and we found a LOT of really cool fish in there. (More than I saw diving off Akumal )

 

[driftwood]

Cenotes, try Cancun Attractions - Playa del Carmen Activities - Hidden Worlds More expensive than snorkeling on your own but they can watch your wife and kid while you dive.

Akumal Bay has some good snorkeling that you may want to do with your son. Not standup depth but a very good chance of seeing turtles. We have not been impressed with the reefs off Akumal and found the snorkeling to be better.