Tips for a trip to the Riviera Maya area in October/November (4 days)

[MrTW]

Hi there,

I have a United Airline certificate to use up and thought about a quick trip in October/November time frame to the Cancun area (quick and cheap non-stop from LAX).

Would be great if anyone familiar with diving in the area can share some recommendation.

My goals of the trip are the following:

• Fun and relaxation (highest priority )
• Good visibility reef and/or wreck diving (no technical diving)
• Somewhat easy access to Cancun airport (lets say within 4 hour transport)
• If at all possible not the extreme tourist spots (so, i think Cancun itself is probably out)
• Whale sharks are definitely welcome but not a necessity (i think Oct/Nov is out of season

I am looking at Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres primarily.

Are the month of October/November ok with regards to diving condition? It seems it just at the end of hurricane season.

Thank you for any recommendation.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

If you have not been to Cozumel, it's worth a trip. Getting there from Cun is easy. A $10ish bus ride, and a $10ish ferry ride and you are in the heart of downtown Cozumel. The island has a different feel than the mainland and if you stay downtown, almost everything is within walking distance. There are the obvious tourist traps, but a little research on the Cozumel forum on this site will help you avoid those.

The diving is incredible and about as cheap as you will find. We are going Oct 27 to Nov 2 so we will be there for Halloween, All Saints, and Day of the Dead. We ended up there at the same time by chance last year and I hope to not miss it ever again. Big party, family oriented, and when Coz throws a party the entire island come out. Lots of food, music, and dancing.

There are all inclusive resorts on the south end of the island with nice beaches. We stay downtown so everything we enjoy is within walking distance. Cabs are usually less than $4 unless you are at the far south end. Lots of great food from very cheap to what ever you want to spend. We will be staying at Aldora Villa north of town because of the free stay special if you dive with them. It will be a first for us but we usually stay at Casa Mexicana. Nice rooms, awesome breakfast buffet, and close to everything we enjoy. Aldora also offers free tanks for shore diving for guests.

The only downside to downtown is no sand beaches. There are several beach clubs available on the island for day trips though.

There is more information on the Cozumel forum than you could read in a week. There is also a blog with pictures of the "Bag Drag" from Cancun to Coz in the net somewhere. It may be on Cozumel My Cozumel. A Google search will find it.

As far as weather goes, it will probably rain some. We did not miss any dives though. As we were walking back to the ferry to leave we were hit with a monsoon level rain so we were a bit (soaked) soggy for the trip back. I believe our dive op has a hurricane policy for free dives if they have to cancel....but I'm not positive about that. Trip insurance might not be a bad idea but the Hurricane season should be winding down.

Good luck, have fun, safe travels,
Jay

 

[ibj40]

I would also suggest you look into Puerto Aventuras, and specifically Dive Aventuras as a dive shop. We have been going there for over ten years, using Dive Aventuras exclusively.

PA is centrally located between and among the various attractions of the Riviera Maya (about half way between the ruins at Tulum and the Cancun airport, and easily accessible to the Xcaret theme park) for a little non-diving diversion. Accommodations in PA range from all-inclusive hotels to condo units around the marina, and while there are several great eating establishments, you will not be overwhelmed with crowds of tourists, especially in the evenings.

If you like to cook, and decide on a condo, there is a Chedraui grocery store right outside the main gate to PA, and a cab is about $5 USD each way. There is also a farmer's market a couple of days each week for fresh, local produce.

There is a dolphin discovery inside the compound, adjacent to the marina, as a disclaimer if you are averse to such facilities. It is pretty benign, and doesn't interfere with diving or enjoying the tranquil environment.

Dive Aventuras has a very professional staff, an on-site equipment repair shop, and can take you to both the close-by reefs and the cenotes.

The dive shop can give you more information, or if you prefer, feel free to PM me if I can help.

 

[MrTW]

@Jayfarmlaw, thank you very much for the detailed information!

I am reading more into Cozumel and it seems that this is a great, if not the best, spot as home base for diving.

The Halloween time frame sounds like great fun too.

Thanks again for taking your time to provide the information!

 

[MrTW]

@ibj40, this is great info! Thank you for that!

I will need to do a bit more research and also look into Puerto Aventuras. Looks like there some nice hidden places along the more touristy towns and input such as yours is really appreciated.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Riko Lopez]

Hi there,

I have a United Airline certificate to use up and thought about a quick trip in October/November time frame to the Cancun area (quick and cheap non-stop from LAX).

Would be great if anyone familiar with diving in the area can share some recommendation.

My goals of the trip are the following:

• Fun and relaxation (highest priority )
• Good visibility reef and/or wreck diving (no technical diving)
• Somewhat easy access to Cancun airport (lets say within 4 hour transport)
• If at all possible not the extreme tourist spots (so, i think Cancun itself is probably out)
• Whale sharks are definitely welcome but not a necessity (i think Oct/Nov is out of season

I am looking at Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres primarily.

Are the month of October/November ok with regards to diving condition? It seems it just at the end of hurricane season.

Thank you for any recommendation.

Hi I will recommend you diving with Risas diving located on the beach in the hart of Playa del Carmen.
Benefits
* Private Dives (private boat), relaxing dives, time to enjoy!
* Gear in perfect Conditions
* You will be guided to the best spots (guides are IDC staff Instructors, Full cave Divers) with more than 10 years of experience.
* from Playa, you may dive Cozumel and Puerto Morelos (C56 nicest wreck in Mexico)
check
* Good Prices!
* check hotels in playa:
Luna Sol
Barrio Latino
Tucan Hotel


Risas Diving | Facebook
or
www.risasdivingshop.com

 

[halocline]

By far the best reef diving in the area is Cozumel, it's not even close. So if that's your primary goal, it's an easy decision. The bus to playa from the cancun airport is about 45 minutes, then the ferry is about a half hour. Between waiting for the bus and ferry, you can be on the island a couple of hours after clearing customs, and it's about $20-25 each way.

You can get all sorts of advice and opinions about places to stay and dive ops by reading the Cozumel sub forum. There are lots of choices.

 

[northernone]

I'll add my voice to cozumel.

Plenty of low tourist areas if you walk back a couple streets, plenty of world class dive operations and plenty of reef which is spectacular still.

Enjoy,
Cameron

 

[MrTW]

@halocline, thank you for the feedback. I am reading into the Cozumel topics for further info.

Made my decision and going to Cozumel instead of Playa.

Thanks for taking your time to post

 

[MrTW]

@northernone, thank you. I booked a hotel in the downtown area of Cozumel. No direct beach access but close to stores and restaurants and a dive operator with good reviews just around the corner (Tres Pelicanos).

Really looking forward to diving there and probably a dive in the cenotes.

Thanks again.