The Caribbean sea is famous for pirate hideaways, white sand beaches, and excellent scuba diving.
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula hosts the world’s second-longest barrier reef and is a popular Caribbean getaway for diving and snorkeling.
But many divers want to know where the best dive sites are located on this tropical peninsula.
In this article, I’ll answer whether Cancun or Cozumel is a better choice for underwater adventures.
Is Cancun or Cozumel better for scuba diving?
Overall, Cozumel is better, and is most diver’s choice. It’s got better visibility, a wider variety of sites, and more options for advanced divers. Cozumel’s worldwide reputation as a diver’s paradise still holds true.
Cancun or Cozumel?
Both Cancun and Cozumel offer diving on the Mesoamerican reef. The marine life is similar in both places, and divers can expect to see turtles, eels, nurse sharks, and the occasional seahorse.
The water temperature in both places remains warm year-round, between 25-30°C (77-86°F) so any time is a good time to dive.
Both areas offer night diving, where there’s a better chance of spotting octopus, squid, and lobsters out hunting.
You’ll probably find tour prices to be about the same in either location, although the super cheap try-dives that dive shops advertise along the beaches in Cozumel can’t be beaten.
Cancun
Cancun is a developed resort town with a variety of activities to choose from above and below the water.
You can tour the pyramids of Chichen Itza or party at huge nightclubs. Cancun has larger beaches and resorts than Cozumel.
It’s also more easily accessible by a flight to its international airport.
Cancun diving overview
The diving in Cancun is more limited than in Cozumel. There are around 20 popular sites and up to 10 less popular ones.
It’s a fine place for beginners to get started, as most of the dive sites are shallow and there aren’t any walls that drop off to the deep.
Advanced divers looking for something deeper have limited options, which include reefs at 17 meters (55 feet) or wrecks at 27 meters (90 feet).
Due to ocean currents and sediment runoff from the land, the water at Cancun dive sites isn’t as clear as Cozumel sites.
Visibility ranges from about 12-24 meters (40-80 feet). You can still expect to see similar tropical wildlife in Cancun, like eagle rays, barracuda, and colorful parrotfish.
Dive sites in Cancun
Cancun Underwater Museum of Art
The MUSA is an underwater museum made up of hundreds of statues of figures and objects. It’s shallow, so the sunlight makes for great photo ops.
C58 Wreck
The C58 wreck sits at 27 meters (90 feet), making it one of the premier options for advanced divers. Eagle rays are known to migrate past the wreck.
Manchones Reef, Isla Mujeres
Manchones reef is shallow and ideal for beginners, with bright corals and little to no current.
Grampin
Grampin offers drift diving over a colorful reef at about 18 meters (60 feet) of depth with a few swim-throughs.
Ultrafreeze Wreck
The Ultrafreeze wreck is for advanced divers only at 29 meters (95 feet) with strong currents.
Some shops only book this as a private dive, and it doesn’t seem to be advertised much for public trips.
Cozumel
Cozumel is a more quaint location, as it’s an island that takes just a few hours to drive around. Its only town has a few hotels, restaurants, and bars, and it’s a more relaxed location than Cancun.
There are some small Mayan ruins in the center of the island, but the options for activities are more limited than in Cancun.
That’s why Cozumel is more famous for world-class diving than anything else.
In Cozumel, you’ll find more operators that are specialized only for diving, which, as an instructor, I’ve seen makes for a better dive operation.
The reefs hold beautiful tropical species like trumpetfish, rays, and morays. It’s accessible by a short flight from Cancun or a ferry ride from Playa Carmen.
Cozumel diving overview
When it comes to scuba diving, Cozumel has Cancun beat in just about every category.
There are shore dives and shallow reefs for beginners as well as deep walls and tunnels for advanced divers.
There are close to 30 common sites and perhaps over 40 total sites to choose from. The visibility rarely drops below 30 meters (100 feet) and often exceeds that.
There are more dive sites overall to choose from in Cozumel, so there are a greater variety of sites with different features.
You can expect to see coral pillars, caves, tunnels, wrecks, coral heads, and more.
Many divers enjoy the current that sweeps them over the reefs at most sites, making the dives relaxing and low-effort.
Boats generally drop divers off at one end of the dive site and pick them up at the other end.
Dive sites in Cozumel
The Devil’s Throat
The Devil’s Throat is an advanced dive site at the south end of the island where divers can explore an 18-meter (60-foot) long tunnel that starts at 24 meters (80 feet) and ends at 39 meters (130 feet).
C53 Wreck
The C53 wreck rests at 24 meters (80 feet) and has been modified for scuba divers to enter, so it’s a great place to get your wreck specialty.
Palancar Reef
Palancar Reef features a forest of impressive coral pillars, caverns, and fun swim-throughs at 10-37 meters (30-120 feet).
Santa Rosa Wall Dive
The Santa Rosa Wall is a favorite among Cozumel divers for its robust coral formations and the depth of its dropoff.
Open water divers can cruise along the top of the wall while advanced divers can descend and gaze down hundreds of meters below.
Paradise
Paradise is a lovely shallow reef for beginners or divers on their second tank. It features coral heads dotting the white sand.
Tikila Beach
Tikila Beach is an excellent shore dive for beginners, featuring soft white sand and small coral heads. In fact, it’s where I did my very first discover dive and got addicted to scuba!
Conclusion
Basically, I’d recommend exploring the underwater sights of Cozumel if you’re serious about getting some good diving in.
It’s one of the best diving destinations in Mexico, and worldwide.
It’s a charming island with a big focus on diving, and divers around the world recognize the name.
Is there something you would add? Leave a comment below!
Cozumel 100% better than Cancun because Cozumel has very huge coral reefs, a lot of spots for beginers or advanced divers, is one of the most famouse places for scuba diving of the world. Cancun is for another kind of turist, Cozumel is a place for diving 100%
The scuba diving of Cozumel Island is one of the best of the world, Palancar reef is maybe the best reef around the world even better than Australia, also dive in cozumel is very easy cuz the reef are very near, you can depart at 8: am and gettin back at 13:00 pm doing 2 tanks dive.