Playa del Carmen Hotels and Riviera Maya Hotels

Although the shimmering Caribbean Sea is reason enough for divers to come to Playa del Carmen, the area offers another impressive natural attraction – the cenotes. Dive shops can equip visitors for both activities. Ocean diving tours are more common, but there are many experienced cavern guides who lead trips to the cenotes as well. In fact, the entire Yucatán Peninsula is dotted with an intricate cave system that is breathtaking to explore. The experience is impossible to describe in words or with photos – it’s just something visitors must do!

The Abyss Dive Center & Training Facility
Address: Avenida Primera entre Calle 10 y 12 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-873-2164

Located in the Hotel Tropical Casablanca, this multi-lingual dive center offers many types of lessons, recreational diving activities and technical services. All boats are equipped with safety equipment and oxygen, and the instructors are trained in CPR.

Akumal Dive Shop
Address: Carretera Chetumal-Cancun Plaza Centro Ukana 1 Km. 104 Akumal, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-875-9032

This PADI-certified center was the first dive shop to open on Mexico’s Caribbean mainland. Sea and cavern scuba diving instruction are offered. There are also a variety of dive tours, family snorkeling trips and fishing charters available.  
 
Bahia Divers
Address: Carretera Federal 307 Km. 265 Xpu-Há, Quintana Roo, México
Phone number: 52-984-116-4921

They specialize in private and group open-water diving and snorkeling excursions, as well as more adventurous experiences such as cenote diving, wreck diving, night diving and whale shark encounters.
 
Blue Caribe
Address: Carretera Federal Chetumal-Puerto Juárez Km. 251 Akumal, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-116-3170

Located on the beach of Akumal Aventuras Bay, this dive shop features diving trips, diving lessons and snorkeling excursions.
 
Cyan-Ha
Address: Ave. 38 Norte, Zona Federal Maritima Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-873-0978

This dive shop is located in the Hotel Shangri-la. In operation since 1983, the staff knows Playa del Carmen and the sites along the Great Maya Reef well. Whether diving in open water or in cenotes, visitors are guaranteed to see the best the area has to offer.
 
Dive Mike
Address: Calle 8 entre 5 Ave. Zona Federal Maritima Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-803-1228

This company provides a variety of dive tours all utilizing superior gear, facilities and boats. Their reef diving, cenote diving and whale shark trips are highly regarded.
 
Dive Aventuras
Address: Omni Beach Resort Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-873-5031

Primary services include reef and cave diving tours. Whale shark snorkeling trips are also offered. Hotel transfers are provided to their facility.
 
Ecodiving Tours
Address: Ave. Constituyentes No. 677 Planta Alta Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-879-4716

This ecological-minded operation specializes in jungle cenote tours. Dives exploring a shipwreck at Puerto Moreles or the coral walls near Cozumel are also available. Visitors who love sea life can swim with bull sharks, turtles and eagle rays or snorkel with whale sharks.
 
Phantom Divers
Address: Ave. Primera Norte esq. Calle 14 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-879-3988

This PADI scuba dive center has a 25-year history of offering top-quality diving, snorkeling and fishing trips.
 
ProTec Dive Center & Advanced Training Facility
Address: Calle 4 entre Avenida 25 y 30 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-803-1168

Located within Mom’s Hotel, this facility is open year-round and features everything from guided tours and gear rental to diver and instructor training.
 
Scuba-Mex Dive Shop
Address: Lot 78, Carretera Cancun-Tulum Km. 85 Paamul, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-875-1066

Located 10 miles south of Playa del Carmen, this company offers great diving experiences near a beach where turtles come to leave their eggs during the summer months.
 
Scuba Playa
Address: Esqina 5th Ave. y 10th Street Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-803-3123

Since individual attention is important, each instructor works with a maximum of four divers. Scuba Playa offers trips to go snorkeling with whale sharks or diving with bull sharks. Night diving, cenote diving and Cozumel excursions are also featured.
 
Tank-Ha Dive Center
Address: Calle 10 entre Ave. 5a y 10a Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-873-0302

Open since 1990, this dive shop arranges snorkel tours, as well as ocean and cenote diving trips. Both SSI and PADI dive instruction are available.
 
Yucatek Divers
Address: Avenida 15 Norte entre Calle 2 y 4 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-803-2836

Located in Hotel Casa Tucan, this dive center is staffed with international guides. Its services include dive training, ocean diving, cenote diving, handicapped scuba diving, kids club activities, snorkeling tours and swimming with whale sharks.

Some of the Yucatán Peninsula’s best sport fishing is available in Playa del Carmen. This surprises many visitors because the area is so well known for its diving. One of the reasons the fishing is so good is that the channel between Playa del Carmen’s coast and Cozumel generates something a “fish superhighway.” Thus, big fish often come closer to the shore than they normally would – and anglers can start prepping their bait as soon as they leave the marina. Sailfish are one of the main targets for fishermen. They are abundant from March to July. There are also plenty of marlin in the waters surrounding Playa del Carmen.

Captain Rick’s
Address: Carretera Chetumal Km. 269.5 Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Phone number: 52-984-873-5195

Shared and private charters for deep sea fishing are available – plus, visitors have 16 boats to choose from. Other featured activities include trolling, drift fishing, fly fishing, snorkeling and swimming.

Go Fish!
Address: Zona Federal entre Ave. 12 y 14 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Phone number: 52-984-143-3392

A variety of half- and full-day sport fishing and fishing/snorkel combo trips are offered, along with guided reef snorkeling tours and Caribbean sunset romance cruises.

Beautifully designed dolphinariums are common along the Yucatán Peninsula. They offer interactive programs for all ages, allowing visitors to come in close contact with gentle dolphins and other Caribbean marine life, like sea lions and manatees.

Delphinus Xel-Há
Address: Carretera Federal Chetuma-Cancun Km. 248 Xel-Há, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 1-800-335-3461

This dolphinarium is located inside Xel-Há Park, a natural aquarium and water attraction. Two special swimming programs – Interax and Primax – allow visitors to interact with dolphins in unique ways. Activities include jumping, hugging, swirling and the “foot push,” which is when a dolphin propels participants through the water. In addition, during the programs trainers provide information about behavior, diet, growth and care. There are other dolphin-related programs featured at Delphinus Xel-Há including Delphinius Trek, Trainer for a Day, Dolphin Ride and The One.

Xcaret
Address: Carretera Chetumal-Puerto Juárez Km. 282 Solidaridad, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-998-883-0470 or 01-800-292-2738

This once was an important Mayan port located about six miles south of Playa del Carmen. Today, Xcaret is a gigantic leisure center boasting a wealth of water attractions. The 200-acre ecopark features Mayan ruins, beautiful grottoes and cenotes. From theme park and animal reserve to beach resort, Xcaret has something for everyone. Visitors can soak up the sun in a lagoon, float down a subterranean river, explore a coral reef or swim with dolphins. There’s a snorkeling and snuba inlet that’s perfect for children. Inner tubes and life jackets are included in the admission cost, and other water sports equipment can be rented. At night, guests can enjoy the “Mexico Spectacular” show, which celebrates the area’s past.

Xel-Há
Address: Riviera Maya: Highway Chetumal-Pto. Juárez, Km. 240
Phone number: 52-998-884-7165

This private lagoon park features landscaped grounds, caves, nature paths, restaurants and a lagoon, which is home to many tropical fish. The open-sea aquarium offers plenty of land and water activities. The park also includes abundant flora and wildlife. Guests can also take the Jungle Train, which takes passengers to the Xel-Há River and back, or a quiet nature walk through the Path of Consciousness.

There’s nothing like a day on the water when in Playa del Carmen. This is because there are so many activities and excursions to enjoy. Since the sea is almost always calm, visitors can indulge in everything from sailing on catamarans and kayaking to renting wave runners or going on a sightseeing cruise. Experiences like these are what make trips to Playa del Carmen so unforgettable.

Aventuras Mayas
Address: Carretera Federal Playa del Carmen-Tulum Km. 2.5 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Phone number: 52-984-803-2551

Among this tour company’s adventure packages is the Mayan Adventure Snorkeling Tour, which includes exploration of reefs in the Caribbean Sea and of cenotes in the jungle.

Fat Cat
Address: Puerto Aventuras Marina Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo 
Phone number: 52-984-116-3040

Visitors can go on sailing trips aboard either a 45-foot catamaran or a speedboat. Both make for a memorable day on the Caribbean Sea. Charter packages include soft drinks, tropical fruit platters, snorkeling equipment, life jackets, lunch, beer and a glass of their famous “Fat Cat Punch.”

Paradise Catamarans
Address: Puerto Aventuras Marina Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo 
Phone number: 52-984-873-5683

This tour company offers half-day snorkeling trips and sunset cruises on luxury catamarans. They specialize in weddings, family reunions and other group events. Single and tandem parasailing adventures are also available. Takeoffs and landings are conducted from the speedboats instead of on the beach. Visitors can soar to heights of up to 250 feet during the 12-minute rides.