Need some advice on first Mexico dive trip

[TechnoMage]

My wife and I have dove Roatan, Honduras and Hawaii in addition to cold water diving up in Washington. Now we're thinking about a quick trip to Mexico.

What we're looking for is "bang for the buck" locations but we also require internet access in our room plus TV. Not having either drives me absolutely batty after a couple of days.

I've never been to Mexico so I don't really know much about the locations there. I've been reading up on the forums but I'm still trying to digest it all. One bonus, my wife speaks pretty very good Spanish which should help with the locals.

Also wondering if there were times of the year to avoid. Logistic wise, Jan-May probably works best.

Thanks in advance for advice.

 

[scubajcf]

My wife and I have dove Roatan, Honduras and Hawaii in addition to cold water diving up in Washington. Now we're thinking about a quick trip to Mexico.

What we're looking for is "bang for the buck" locations but we also require internet access in our room plus TV. Not having either drives me absolutely batty after a couple of days.

I've never been to Mexico so I don't really know much about the locations there. I've been reading up on the forums but I'm still trying to digest it all. One bonus, my wife speaks pretty very good Spanish which should help with the locals.

Also wondering if there were times of the year to avoid. Logistic wise, Jan-May probably works best.

Thanks in advance for advice.

Mexico is a big country and there are lots of opportunities to dive. Sea of Cortez is beautiful in the summer. Diving is good, but doesn't necessarily compare to the Caribbean side of Mexico. Cabo San Lucas, Cabo Pulmo, Soccoro Islands, La Paz and Loreto are great places to visit. On the Sonoran Side you have San Carlos down to Puerto Vallarta. In the winter, most of these places are cold water through May.

On the Caribbean side, you have Cozumel, which is arguably the capital of Mexican Scuba Diving. Great reefs and drift diving. However, the Riviera Maya, down to Belize, is fantastic as well. And, I think this is the place for the most bang for your buck. Tulum south is great, off the beaten path accommodations and diving. I like Playa del Carmen. Great restaurants, lots of hotels and resorts, probably the best nightlif. Great drift diving. Love the Mama Vina Wreck. And, the Cenotes are great. I would spend at least two days diving the Cenotes. If you want, you can take the Ferry over to Cozumel and dive for a day or two over there. It's about a 45 minute ride.

Best bang for the buck, I would suggest Playa del Carmen.

Good luck and safe diving!

JcF

 

[driftin' by]

scubajcf gave you a lot of good information but I wouldn't necessarily say that Playa del Carmen gives you a bigger bang over Cozumel. The only limitation with Coz would be the lack of direct flights into Coz over Cun which may drive up the price depending where you're coming from. PDC does have nice diving, but I don't think you can compare the two. Also, many of the resorts in PDC are very nice and usually cost prohibitive. The only reason I'd consider stying in PDC again would be if I needed a really nice beach because the beaches are in Coz aren't all that or I was doing a significant amount of Cenote diving. If you do decide on Coz, you can find a ton of good info in the Cozumel sub-forum, so come and see us in there.

 

[oldmaninthesea]

I just came back from Playa Del Carmen. The cenotes are exciting. Truly another world. I dove with Gerrado at Geofish and highly recommend him. Compared to Roatan the reef I saw was a disappointment, dead coral and badly damaged by recent hurricanes. If you are looking for budget hotels etc PDC has everything from $10 a night hostels to reasonable rooms for $50 to 5 star resorts. Rate vary with the season. March break and the 2 weeks around Easter would be crowded. You pay a premium for beachfront hotels. There are many on 10'th ave that are good and much less expensive and just a 3 minute walk to the beach. PM me if you want more detail.

 

[Geofish Dive in Playa]

I have PM'd you with some information. Just in case you didn't check it before you read this. Playa Del Carmen is an unbelievable place to dive, have a great time, and enjoy paradise. If this will be your first dive trip to Mexico I would highly recommend Playa. As far as hotels go there are the all inclusives which are very nice and accommodating and then there are the hotels that are in town that are also very welcoming and nice. I would recommend Playa Maya | Your beachfront home | Home, Alhambra Hotel, or Alhambra Hotel. And if you are looking for mor bang for your buck there is Magic Blue located on 10th ave and 12th st. Boutique Hotel Magic Blue, Adults only hotel Playa del Carmen. Good luck and I hope to see you down in paradise soon. Take care.

 

[beth_castroll]

We just got back from Cancun. Haven't had time to do a trip report yet. Don't go to Cancun expecting Roatan. If you want something truely amazing try Cenote Dives. We did Chac Mool. Although we really liked downtown Cancun we would most likely head south to Playa del Carmen or Akumal next trip back.

 

[TSandM]

On my first Mexico trip, I went to Cozumel. We had a group of five, and stayed at the Villa Aldora. The Villa has TV and high speed internet access, and is very pleasant -- far enough from town to be quiet, but close enough to walk in for shopping or dining. We dove with Aldora divers and had a ball, but the best part of the trip -- by FAR the best part of the trip -- was three days when we went to the mainland and dove in the cenotes.

You can absolutely go to the area and stay on the mainland (and I can give you some excellent contacts for where to stay and who to talk to to arrange lodging) but the diving off the mainland shores doesn't have the dramatic structure or the fabulous visibility of the Cozumel reefs (although it may, in fact, have more sea life). But it does give better access to the caverns.

 

[driftwood]

I might as well join the crowd and push for the Carib side. 'Bang for the Buck', right now I can fly to Puerto Vallarto for $150rt with taxes, Cancun for $200rt. Cheap flights add a lot of bang.

We like either Playa del Carmen or Akumal. If my wife decides, we stay in Akumal, better condos and beaches, but we need to rent a car. I prefer PDC, more nightlife and less driving.

Here are four sites that may help you, Playa del Carmen, Mexico's Virtual Guide Book : Playa.Info, Cabo San Lucas - Los Cabos, Mexico, Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts, Rentals: Mexican Caribbean Vacation and Can-Do Travel Guides. If you decide on the Carib side, the maps are worth their weight in gold.

Forgot one thing, since you need internet and TV, Akumal is not a good fit. It is a very laid back area.

 

[scubajcf]

Last time I was in PDC, we stayed at one of the Nice Riu resorts. I compared to most of the hotels on Cozumel and, honestly, the price in PDC was much cheaper. I also went by the Hotel Cielo (they have a great mexican restaurant). It is under new management since the last time I was there (and it was the Santa Barbara Hotel). Nice, clean and about $60 a night. Right in the heart of 5th Ave.

Last time I was there, I dove with GeoFish. These guys were great. Organized all our diving for us and their service was like having your own "dive concierge". We did dive Cozumel one day. It was an easy ferry ride. However, the conditions in PDC were great and ended up diving three days locally and a couple days in the Cenotes.

Good luck ahd have fun.


http://www.geofishdive.com
http://www.riu.com



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[Chel]

My wife and I have dove Roatan, Honduras and Hawaii in addition to cold water diving up in Washington. Now we're thinking about a quick trip to Mexico.

What we're looking for is "bang for the buck" locations but we also require internet access in our room plus TV. Not having either drives me absolutely batty after a couple of days.

I've never been to Mexico so I don't really know much about the locations there. I've been reading up on the forums but I'm still trying to digest it all. One bonus, my wife speaks pretty very good Spanish which should help with the locals.

Also wondering if there were times of the year to avoid. Logistic wise, Jan-May probably works best.

Thanks in advance for advice.

Hi Technomage - I would agree with PDC or up and down that coastline if beaches and cenotes are your preference, otherwise for reef diving I would say go to Cozumel.

Many different types of hotels and pricing are available on the island, and depending on the dates and departure city, I have been finding the airfare very close to either destination. Flying to Cancun used to be much cheaper, but that isnt always the case anymore - it just takes some "shopping".

You can find some great deals in January after about the 3rd or 4th, otherwise if thats too soon, focus on end of April/beginning of May. Depending on the hotel this is when the prices really drop again and the specials kick back in.

If you need some help, please PM me and I will be glad to send you some recommendations and pricing that suit what you are looking for. Good luck!