pitri:
Hi all,
I'm looking for a dive vacation on september and I've heard that Mexico is one of the best.
Is it true ? (I've been to asia and the red sea so maybe a comparison)
what is there to see underwater ?
Shore dive or liveaboard ?
where is considered the best dives ?
Thanks
I try not to compare one destination to another. I like to treat them all seperately and enjoy what they have to offer. Cozumel is one of the best diving destination in the Caribbean. Even after last year's hurricanes, Cozumel has lots of great diving, mainly in the southern end of the Marine Park. The island itself is also a great experience with wonderful people, a variety of good restaurants, an easy going island and beach atmosphere and accommodations and dive operators to suit pretty much any taste and budget. There is lots of information about Cozumel diving on the Cozumel forum of ScubaBoard
www.scubaboard.com/forumdisplay.php?f=208
The mainland area of Quintana Roo is a world class cavern/cave diving destination. To experience the caverns you do not need any special certification. You can hire a guide (there are many good ones), and they will take you. For cave diving you need to be cave certified. The ocean diving on the mainland is very different then Cozumel. In Cozumel you will have beautiful wall dives, deep reefs, lots of color, interesting coral formations, a good variety and abundance of marine life, etc. On the mainland the diving is mostly mid to shallow reefs (45-80 ft) with some deeper sites but no walls. There is not as much variety in coral and sponges, but there is very impressive elkhorn and gorgonians, lots of fans and barrel sponges. Since it's not a marine park there is not as much variety of fish, but we do always get lots of turtles, sting rays, eagle rays, spotted rays, all the types of angel fish, and the usual Caribbean smaller tropicals.
Also on the mainland you can tour the Mayan Ruins. The easiest to get to are Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza.
I go to both Cozumel and Akumal (on the mainland) at least twice a year. I like both areas but they are very different. Akumal is very quiet, relaxing and laid back. If you like more variety of restaurants, some nightlife and more choices of hotels then Playa del Carmen is a good mainland choice.
For information on the mainland,
www.locogringo.com is a good website.
www.playa.info also has lots of information. For Cozumel, check out
www.travelnotes.cc,
www.cozumelmycozumel.com ,
www.cozumelinsider.com
