Diving in Cozumel or Caye Caulker

[Ed W]

Me and my girlfriend are going to Mexico in November and will have around a week in which to get some diving in. We are flying into Cancun and will travel around the Yucatan peninsular, are there any particular places people would recommend to dive? So far we like the look of potentially doing Bull shark dives and maybe a cenote. We are both relatively experienced BSAC sports divers qualified to 35m.

In terms of places we were potentially looking at Cozumel or Caye Caulker. Is either particularly better for diving or are we likely to see dramatically different life at each?

We're up for going to either but i wasn't sure if traveling further to Belize would be worth it?

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks

 

[mmmbelows]

Belize and Cozumel share basically the same marine life with the notable exception of the different famous toad fishes from each place, however you see different things at each place.

Have you considered Turneffe Island instead of Caye Caulker. Turneffe will rival Cozumel, Caye Caulker not so much. The Elbow dive site is at Turneffe, considered the real best dive site in Belize (not the blue hole) google it.

 

[Edward3c]

Hi,

I would always pick Belize over Cozumel. For something different you could look at doing a week with ReefCI out of Plecencia.

You want to avoid Belize City, but if you have to go there always travel by taxi never walk. The rest of Belize is great.

On the Yucatan peninsular there is always Underworld Tulum, a BSAC Premier Dive Centre.

King regards

Edward

 

[lthomas132]

Me and my girlfriend are going to Mexico in November and will have around a week in which to get some diving in. We are flying into Cancun and will travel around the Yucatan peninsular, are there any particular places people would recommend to dive? So far we like the look of potentially doing Bull shark dives and maybe a cenote. We are both relatively experienced BSAC sports divers qualified to 35m.

In terms of places we were potentially looking at Cozumel or Caye Caulker. Is either particularly better for diving or are we likely to see dramatically different life at each?

We're up for going to either but i wasn't sure if traveling further to Belize would be worth it?

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks

By far, the "best" diving, I believe, is at Cozumel. I just returned from diving at Caye Caulker & most of the diving is done off Ambergris Caye not Caye Caulker. The 45 min. boat ride out to Turneffe Atoll is worth it and it rivals Cozumel and t there are not boats & divers everywhere. We never saw another boat while there. Haven't heard how the 2 small dive resorts on Turneffe fared after Hurricane Earl, probably not very well. From Cancun I would stay in Playa del Carmen, do the cenotes, bull shark dive if they are around, then ferry over to Cozumel, stay & dive. Getting to the Belize cayes can either be expensive to fly or a long bus ride to Chetumal, then a bus or plane. Have fun!

 

[Ed W]

Thanks a lot for all the help so far. Most people seem to be saying either Belize - Turneffe or Cozumel as being the best diving and pretty much on a parr.

Is there much difference in price does anyone know?

 

[Edward3c]

I was looking early this year.

Belize I could do from a variety of UK airports, my preference is Glasgow - £650, it was the accommodation and diving costs that killed it.
Cancun was London or Manchester - I didn't price it as Florida was my second choice at £525. However adding car hire and accommodation etc put it outside my budget.

I'm going to the Philippines for less than £2k all in - including a single supplement. I could have gone to Thailand for less.

 

[mmmbelows]

I'm going to the Philippines for less than £2k all in - including a single supplement. I could have gone to Thailand for less.

Unless you're super bored with those places or you're just having a huge desire to see the Caribbean, I'd be going to Philippines or Thailand or anywhere else over there, the diving is going to be a 10 compared to the best diving in the Caribbean which will be a 5. Americans go to the Caribbean to dive because it is cheap for us, and is close for us, the diving is not great in comparison to the better places in the world, it's just what we have available cheap and easy.

 

[mmmbelows]

Is there much difference in price does anyone know?

Are asking price between Turneffe and Cozumel?

Turneffe is pretty much fixed as a higher priced place to stay and dive because of it's remoteness and location and limited places to stay. Cozumel could be as expensive as Turneffe if you chose accommodations on the upper end, it could also be maybe 1/4 the price of Turneffe is you were willing to do the hostel or tiny local city hotel in cozumel instead of the resort experience. There will be about 2 or 3 choices of dive operations for Turneffe, in Cozumel there will be over 100.