Reef |
Depth |
Average Current |
Level |
Description |
Barracuda |
60 - 130+ |
Strong |
Expert |
The current here can be very strong, making this dive only for the expert diver. Coral is pristine and healthy and larger marine life can be spotted in the area. Don't miss the boat, next stop Cuba! |
San Juan |
40-60 |
Strong |
Advanced |
This is an absolutely beautiful dive. I like to think of it as drift diving over a Scottish Moor with the very colorful and healthy coral. The current can be strong here as well, so this dive is reserved for advanced divers. |
Villa Blanca Shallows |
15-40 |
Moderate |
Novice |
Villa Blanca shallows can be accessed by beach and makes a great shore dive day or night. Seahorses are an easy find here. |
Villa Blanca Wall |
50 - 130+ |
Moderate to strong |
Intermediate |
Great for a second dive this wall is best between 50 and 70 feet. Angelfish, butterflyfish and schools of jacks are common sightings. |
Paradise "wall" |
15-30 |
Mild |
Novice |
Great shore dive and training dive location. I jokingly refer to this as Paradise “wall” because there is a 10 foot drop off creating a mini wall that is full of marine life. Great spot for snorkeling and night dives from the shore. |
Paradise |
30-45 |
Mild |
Novice |
Abundant marine life makes this a great second dive as well as night dive location and snorkel spot. Splendid toadfish, spotted drums and lobster inhabit this reef. |
Las Palmas |
40 - 130+ |
Moderate |
Intermediate |
Lots of critters to be found here, but this dive is best between 40 to 65 feet where you can see many lobster, toadfish, dog snappers, and even seahorses! . This can be a shallow dive or you can drift along the wall and both are equally great dives. |
Chankanaab |
30-45 |
Mild |
Novice |
This makes a great shallow second dive. Abundant marine life and large lobster can be found here. Makes a great night dive as well. |
Bolones |
50-75 |
Moderate |
Novice |
This site is a series of large coral heads scattered at 50 to 75 feet. Abundant marine life including lobster, barracuda and black tip reef sharks have been reported frequently here. Another common sighting during a dive at Bolones is the Atlantis submarine. Who knows whose vacation photos you’ll end up in! |
Wreck C-53 'Felipe Xicotencatl' |
40-80 |
Moderate to strong |
Intermediate |
This retired navy ship was sunk in June 2000 in a sandy area near Chankanaab. It is 40 feet tall, 184 feet long and 33 feet wide with three decks. Lines, large port holes and ample light zones allow for safe entry and exit for divers. |
Tormentos |
50-70 |
Mild to moderate |
Novice |
The white sandy bottom turns this into an underwater paradise with colorful sponges, schools of wrasse, snapper, and grunts. Also pikeblennies can be found popping out of the sand. One of my favorites for photography. |
Yucab |
35-60 |
Moderate |
Novice |
One of my personal favorites with beautiful sponges, sea fans and a great variety of marine life. Seahorses, splendid toadfish, damsels and lobster are waiting for you here. |
Yucab Wall |
60 - 130+ |
Strong |
Advanced |
Nice wall dive for those who like to fly. The current can be very strong here but you’ll also see big sponges and healthy coral formations. |
Punta Tunich Wall |
35 - 130+ |
Strong |
Advanced |
Another dive for those who like to fly. The current is almost always very strong here, but if you get the chance to slow down, you’ll see eel, lobster, and large marine life off the wall. |
Cardona |
20-35 |
Mild |
Novice |
Great for snorkeling and shallow diving for beginners. Lots of seastars, lobster and sall critters as well as schools of colorful fish. |
San Francisco Wall |
30 - 130+ |
Moderate to strong |
Intermediate |
Best between 30 and 60 feet. Great for a second dive. Large marine life including Eagle rays and grouper can often be seen off the wall here. Other common sightings are eel, splendid toadfish (endemic to Cozumel) and of course many other things. |
Santa Rosa Shallows |
30-50 |
Mild |
Novice |
Finish off your wall dive here or begin a shallow dive here. Scattered coral heads full of marine life in a white sandy bottom make this another paradise. Don’t forget to check out the sand, flounders are abundant in this area. |
Santa Rosa Wall |
30 - 130+ |
Moderate to strong |
Intermediate |
Absolutely one of my favorite wall dives. Dramatic coral formations with beautiful swim throughs, best between 40 and 80 feet. Blackcap Basslets can always be found in the recesses of the coral and in the caverns. Larger marine life can be seen off the wall including Eagle Rays, Grouper, and sharks. |
Paso del Cedral |
35-60 |
Moderate to strong |
Intermediate |
Nice cavern swim throughs on this dive. This site is full of groupers and barracudas as well as frequent nurse shark and turtle sightings. This dive is not to be missed and is one of my favorite second dives. |
Cedral Wall |
45 - 130+ |
Strong |
Intermediate |
Strong currents make this an advanced dive. If you want to relax and fly, this is a good place for it! |
La Francesa |
40-60 |
Moderate |
Novice |
A great photo dive with colorful sponges, gorgonians, and quenn angels as well as colorful schools of grunts, wrasse, and snapper. Nurse sharks are frequent here too. Great second dive! |
Dalila |
40-60 |
Moderate |
Novice |
Ocean triggers, Queen triggers Angels and snapper fill this reef. Crustaceans such as king crab and lobster are also abundant here. Another great dive for photos. |
Palancar Gardens |
20 - 130+ |
Moderate |
Novice |
This is one of the most popular dives in Cozumel and is best between 30 and 90 feet. Nice swim throughs and majestic coral heads are the key features of this dive. Excellent video and photo opportunities at the end of this dive. |
Palancar Horseshoe |
25 - 130+ |
Moderate |
Intermediate |
This dive is best between 25 and 90 feet. Giant coral formations, gorgonians, grouper and sea turtles are the highlights of this dive. This site gets its name from a swim through shaped like a horseshoe. |
Palancar Caves |
20 -100+ |
Moderate |
Intermediate |
If video is your thing, this is a dive for you! Dramatic coral formations like a mountain range under the sea make this a breathtaking dive. Some incredible cavern swim throughs are also highlights of this dive. Watch for sea turtles too! |
Palancar Bricks |
50-85 |
Moderate |
Novice |
You can often see 2 or 3 sea turtles during a dive here and giant coral formations with a white sandy bottom that slopes downward into the abyss. |
Columbia Shallows |
20-40 |
Mild |
Novice |
This site is great for snorkeling or a shallow second dive. LOTS of fish such as grunts, snappers, wrasse and barracuda and nurse sharks. Spotted morays, sea turtles and grouper are also common here. |
Columbia Deep |
60 -130+ |
Moderate to strong |
Advanced |
A breathtaking dive with mountainous coral formations and a sloping white sandy bottom make you feel lke you are in the rocky mountains, but floating through the water. Another dive full of video and photo opportunities that you've only seen in magazines! Larger marine life such as eagle rays, sea turtles, grouper and sharks can be seen in the blue waters. |
Punta Sur |
80 130+ |
Moderate to strong |
Advanced |
Home of the famous “Devil’s Throat” and the “Cross” in the “Cathedral.” Majestic coral formations and a giant cathedral-like cavern give the nickname "Cathedral" to this site. This is a deep and advanced dive. Computers, good air consumption and buoyancy control are important on this dive. But don’t be alarmed, it’s not as scary as it sounds! |
Chun Chacab |
50-80 |
Moderate |
Intermediate |
One of the healthiest fields of seafans and sponges in the Cozumel reef system. Large marine life can often be seen here as well. |
Maracaibo Shallows |
70-90 |
Moderate to strong |
Advanced |
Giant green morays and sea turtles are the highlights here. I like to spend a few minutes here after diving the wall before ascending for a long safety stop. |
Maracaibo |
90 - 130+ |
Moderate to strong |
Expert |
One of my favorites, but only for the expert diver. This incredibly healthy wall is deep, beginning at 90' with a swift current due to the directional split of the ocean here. Hammerheads, reef sharks, turtles, large grouper and eagle rays are often seen on this dive. |
Islote |
60-90 |
Strong |
Expert |
I have actually never dove this reef, so I don’t have a fair opinion, but I have heard it is only for the expert diver due to the currents. It is an all day trip to get there, dive it and back, so it is rarely dove. |
