cenotes or reefs?

[Carlos Danger]

The Cenotes are an amazing bucket-list experience, so definitely well worth the effort if you have the opportunity. Cozumel is going to be the premiere destination in the region for reef diving, with a lot of variety for every skill level; generally a slow to full drift depending on the time of year, conditions, and location, etc. Probably have a better possibility of seeing pelagics in the PDC area, but the reefs are generally nothing special like you would see in Coz. In terms of sea life; as someone else eluded, you may be disappointed compared to the Philippines; just not that level of biodiversity. Personally, I would do the Cenotes and Cozumel at least once and go from there.

Belize is a different situation, as there are some logistics to consider due to the distances. Depending on where you are based out of, there may be additional internal flights necessary. The Blue Hole is a pricier dive from the mainland (about a 5hr round-trip by boat from San Pedro), plus actually getting to go can be dependent to conditions and headcount. The dive itself is ok, but for the price and time investment I think there are probably better options unless you are actually staying on one of the Atolls.

 

[ibj40]

My first open water dives were in Cozumel, back in the mid-80's. Dove there almost exclusively for close to a decade before branching out to other Caribbean and global destinations.

"Found" the Yucatan mainland a little over a decade ago, and try to get back there at least once a year, in order to dive the cenotes.

It is a truly unique experience, and should not be missed if the opportunity arises .

 

[romancoat]

Belize has good ocean diving, but you need to get out on the outer reefs. And again, no matter how nice Belize diving may be for us North Americans, you have nicer diving in the Phils.

I've only ever dived in the Philippines -- these comments make me realize that I probably take for granted the quality of diving here.

I keep getting tempted to add more places to dive/visit just because, "oh I'm in the area anyway" but should start looking more closely at logistics and reminding myself that it's better value to stay longer in one place than spending too much time in transit

Just remember that water is colder than in the ocean, just about 72 F, and bring your flashlights. The ocean diving we did further south (Akumal) and it was excellent, by the Caribbean standards. If you are into turtles, this is the place to go.

Ooof. The coldest the water gets here is 77F, and i wear a 3mm then. I hope they have a 5mm I can rent or maybe i should pack a neoprene vest. Was mainly planning on renting most gear -- I didn't want to lug everything with me since it's not primarily a dive trip.

Might you be flexible enough to try one cenote dive and see if you love it... Make the week's plan afterwards?

I tend towards overplanning. Heh. Maybe this is a good reason to do the cavern cert beforehand -- to figure out if I like diving without colorful marine life around me.

Totally unrelated to diving, but Mexico City is amazing!

I'm a fan of ruins so definitely had Teotihuacan (and Chichen Itza) on my list! Any resto recos, or should I just go with street food? I keep getting tempted to add more cities/countries to visit but... budget and time constraints! Someday I'm going to take half a year off and just travel and dive.

 

[tarponchik]

Yes, 77 F. My bad, sorry.

 

[sea_otter]

I'm a fan of ruins so definitely had Teotihuacan (and Chichen Itza) on my list! Any resto recos, or should I just go with street food? I keep getting tempted to add more cities/countries to visit but... budget and time constraints! Someday I'm going to take half a year off and just travel and dive.

I think almost every meal I had there was exceptional. If you're looking for somewhere fancy, Dulce Patria is incredible. We went for lunch (reservations for dinner were not possible). Prices very reasonable for a Michelin star quality prix fixe menu (cheap by US standards).

On the more casual side, I really enjoyed Corazon de Mague in Coyoacan. Unique small farm mezcals and local dishes. And a very cool atmosphere.

Cenote water temperature is always about 75-76F, year round. It gets a bit warmer (80-82F) below the halocline where it is salt water from the ocean. A 5mm wetsuit and hood is a good idea for a cavern dive. I can't speak for all shops but my personal favorite is Under the Jungle, and she will rent 5mm wetsuits, hooded vests, and more tech-oriented gear (backplate and wing) for cavern tours.

Oh, and on the subject of restaurant reviews... my favorite place for tacos in the Riviera Maya is El Arbolito in Puerto Aventuras. They are across the highway from the dive shop Zero Gravity and open for breakfast and lunch. Their Relleno negro is amazing.

Is this a dive trip or an eating trip?

 

[hilljo88]

Coz reef/drift diving better than reefs on West side. But cenotes are unique. Consider doing reef dives in morning, cenotes in afternoon. Above the halocline, the cenotes are fresh water and will thoroughly rinse your gear!

 

[romancoat]

Is this a dive trip or an eating trip?

Both! I'm excellent at multitasking!

Thanks for the recos, I'm noting them in my itinerary file. I'll probably start seriously planning this trip in June -- I just got back from 5 days at El Nido (family vacation so I only managed to sneak in one dive day), and will be on a liveaboard in Tubbataha the last week of May so I know I won't be able to really think of anything else until after.