The 9 Best Scuba Diving Trips on the Riviera Maya

1.Scuba Diving in Cenote Dos Ojos from Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 453 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) Our pick

Meet at 8am in Playa del Carmen for a small-group scuba trip to Cenote Dos Ojos. With guides such as Pepe, Don, Alexis, and Ana, you’ll complete two routes, often Bat Cave and Barbie Line, with gear, snacks, refreshments, lunch, and transport included. Open Water certification is required.

“What an amazing, otherworldly experience 🤩 I expected a great dive and this one exceeded every expectation. It is my new favorite, and I can’t wait to come back for more. Pepe was fantastic with safety and explanations. The site was spectacular. Nothing was rushed, and I felt very comfortable and confident the entire time. You will not regret booking this dive!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Scuba Diving in Cenote Kukulkan from Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 370 reviews · 7 hours (approx.)

Meet at 8 am in Playa del Carmen for a small-group cenote outing led by a professional guide, possibly Remi. You’ll make two descents on different lines at Cenote Kukulkan, use provided gear, learn about Maya culture, and finish with lunch before returning around 3 pm.

“The entire dive from beginning to end was absolutely amazing! There were only 4 divers so the group was smaller and more intimate. Our guide was out of this world! He was full of information not just about the dive but the history of the Cenote’s and explained the scientific history of what we were seeing. He made sure to make all the right stops along the way pausing at places so we could simply take in the beauty of the light refractions. Cannot say enough good things!!! When I come back to Mexico I will for sure being coming back to dive them again!!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Discover Scuba Diving & Beach Club with Transportation In Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · 45 minutes (approx.) · from $150

At Maroma Beach, instructors such as Carlos, Alex, Juan, Ivan, and Ursula guide you through a short scuba lesson, shallow-water practice, and a recreational underwater session. The 45-minute activity suits beginners age 10 and up, includes equipment and insurance, and offers shared hotel transport.

“The dive masters were so great at explaining everything you need to know and making you feel so comfortable, especially if you’ve never done it before. They are extremely attentive and truly try their best to ensure you enjoy your day!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.2 cenote divings (including one deep diving) for advanced divers in Tulum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 186 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $215

Meet La Calypso Dive Center at 8:00 am, collect your gear, then head to the Pit and Dos Ojos cenotes. You’ll make an advanced descent to the Pit’s sulfur cloud at 25 meters, then explore limestone formations, light beams, and a bat cave at Dos Ojos with guides such as Martino or Alex.

“Both caves were different in their own way the 2nd cave was more popular as you got to swim around further which was Dos Ojos. My instructor was amazing and was great talking to. Definitely knowledgeable and easy to follow, friendly and nice as well. I would definitely recommend going here to dive with him on future dives”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Discover Scuba Diving in Tulum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 111 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $140

Learn basic scuba skills, practice in calm water, then explore Casa Cenote near Tulum with an instructor beside you. English instruction, equipment, snacks, and a small group of up to five are included. Guides such as Alan, Alex, Adiel, and Liz have led sessions here.

“Thank you so much for this amazing experience!! Alan was our tour guide and he was super helpful. Me and my husband thought the cenote dive was beautiful and Alan was very thorough with his directions on how to dive (since it was my first time). If you are looking for an experienced or intermediate beautiful dive in the Tulum cenotes this is the place!!! Thank you again Alan!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Discovery Scuba Diving

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 82 reviews · 5 hours (approx.)

Spend about five hours learning scuba basics, practicing in a pool, then making a supervised open-water descent at Casa Cenote. Infinity 2 Diving assigns a PADI instructor, with guides such as Julieta, Alejandro, Maya, and Mariana praised for patience and careful support. Gear, lunch, snacks, water, and transport from the shop are included.

“This was our favorite excursion of the whole trip. Jess was fantastic and super knowledgeable about the diving precautions and very experienced in general. Mia and Nickolia were so so nice with making sure they stayed behind to be sure I was comfortable before I was ready to actually dive down. It was my first time diving so I was incredibly grateful for their patience. We had a terrible wreck that locked us in a one-way road for over two hours the instructors instead of just leaving us in a car and waiting took us to a restaurant. Had a few drinks with us. Enjoyed a nice meal on the…”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.2 tanks Cenote Diving Adventure in Tulum for Certified Divers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $200

Meet La Calypso Dive Center at 8:30 am for two guided scuba sessions: an open-water swim at Casa Cenote and a 40-minute cavern route at Dos Ojos. Groups are limited to four, with instructors such as Alex, Bebe, or Martino helping newer certified divers feel at ease.

“Martino was great! So helpful in making us all feel comfortable and safe during our trip. The whole company seemed very professional. Would highly recommend doing this experience at least once in your lifetime!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.PADI Discover Scuba Diving Program in the Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $126Best value

Start with a short PADI theory lesson and pool practice, then take one guided boat outing to a Riviera Maya reef. You receive fitted equipment and close instruction from a small team. Pickup is available for some Playa del Carmen and Riviera Maya hotels, with extra fees and exceptions.

“We were supposed to get picked up at our hotel but a day before we were supposed to go I go to viator website to ask what time we were getting picked up only to see a message about us getting a taxi to another hotel..I tried calling it the number didn’t work so we called viator customer service..then we get a message saying they don’t come to our hotel because we were in Cancun..we weren’t we were at the Bahia principe Akumal…I asked for hotel pick up and. Didn’t even get an option of paying the extra $20 which we would have paid…needless to say we didn’t get help…”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.PADI Discover Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 61 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $135

Meet at Hotel Riu Yucatan for a short PADI lesson, shallow pool practice, and one guided ocean session near Playa del Carmen. ScubaCaribe provides equipment, water, and an English or Spanish instructor. Ask about Javier, who has earned praise for clear instruction.

“Terrible experience. The training is for less than an hour and is very rushed. The practice "tank" is actually a 3ft resort pool in which we were taught to breathing and hand signs for about 20 minutes. There was no pool lesson on equalizing pressure etc. We spent more time waiting for the boat to arrive than on the lessons itself. I felt very uncomfortable after the lesson and chose not to go into the ocean. My husband went and within 10ft in the ocean felt ear pain and couldn't complete it. This would've been identified if the practice tank was deeper. We spent a lot of money for nothing...…”

Check availability →Read our full review