Mexico

The Caribbean side of Mexico offers a diver three completely different kinds of water in the same region. The walls of Cozumel Island are dived as a drift in the current: at sites such as Palancar and Santa Rosa visibility goes beyond thirty metres, tunnels and arches are toured among the coral pinnacles, and the water is between 26 and 29 degrees. Move inland on the peninsula and the cenotes begin — freshwater caves formed by the collapse of limestone; the clarity is almost that of air, the temperature holds steady at 24-25 degrees all year, and the shafts of light are the signature of this dive.

The calendar changes with the animal. Bull sharks gather off Playa del Carmen between November and March; whale sharks feed around Isla Mujeres and Holbox between June and September. Hurricane season runs from June to November and is at its most intense in September and October — tour planning takes that window into account.

Once you are out of the water the Maya landscape takes over: Chichén Itzá, Valladolid and Tulum all fit on the same route. Our programme in this region combines diving days on Cozumel with culture days on the mainland.