Scuba Diving Vacation in Cozumel

Let’s just start by saying that Cozumel is one of the top scuba diving destinations in the Americas. Cozumel’s reef system is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, also popularly known as the Great Mayan Reef, which is the second largest coral reef system in the world. A huge section of this area (120 km2) is protected within the confines of the Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park. This means that all marine life is protected, making the whole area a paradise for divers and snorkelers alike!

This wasn’t our first trip to Cozumel, but in the past, we had gotten only a taste of what the island has to offer.  We had the chance to dive Cozumel’s pristine and colorful reefs before so booking a scuba diving vacation was the next logical step. We opted to stay at the Iberostar, an all-inclusive resort with a dive operator on site. We booked a week which included a 10-dive package where we spent 5 days diving along Cozumel’s west coast.

Scuba diving in Cozumel is a thrilling experience to say the least. Current is swift and we found ourselves drifting over the reef, quickly covering a lot of ground during our dives. Once, at the end of our dive we popped up miles down the coast and saw the cruise ships in port.

Drift diving is exciting, but it requires more experience. It’s difficult to stop and look for small critters hidden in the reef or to take pictures. That being said we saw lots of sea life along the way on every dive. Colorful reef fish, sharks, turtles, rays and even some smaller creatures like nudibranchs, shrimps, crabs and even the endemic splendid toadfish.

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Also, some creatures were much larger than the ones we regularly encounter in Florida. We saw huge parrotfish, filefish, porcupinefish and lobsters. Here’s a photo of my husband with a huge parrotfish and a couple of queen angelfish.

At the time of our visit there was a contamination of Stony Coral Tissue Loss affecting some reefs and the authorities had limited access to let them recover. SCTL disease is a bacterial infection that quickly spreads and kills many species of hard coral.

Even though some dive sites, including all the Palancar and Punta Sur dive sites, were closed to diving during our visit, we still dove on stunning reefs thriving with sea life. We saw dramatic walls ornamented with colorful coral formations, sponges and anemones.

We also swam through swim-throughs to get a closer look. We dove the Santa Rosa and San Francisco walls, as well as the Paseo del Cedral, Yucab, Dalila and Punta Francesa dive sites. All were spectacular!

Drying out in Cozumel

Well, all good things must come to an end, but it doesn’t mean that the fun has to stop. So, here are a few things to do in Cozumel when out of the water: Visiting the San Gervasio Mayan ruins, exploring the Punta Sur Eco Beach Park and spotting for wildlife in the marshland. Of course, there’s always relaxing on the beach or by the pool. See our post: Fun Things to Do in Cozumel

Resort overview

Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Iberostar Cozumel. We had a pool view room (and we could also see the ocean!) located not too far from the dive center but far enough not to hear the clanking of scuba tanks in the early hours of the day. In our room there was a safe, coffee machine, stocked mini fridge, bottled water and bathroom amenities (shampoo, conditioner and shower gel) and plenty of towels.

We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of food offered at the buffet. And even after a week, we didn’t feel like we were always eating the same things, unlike what we have experienced at other all-inclusive resorts. We tried the Asian restaurant and the grill. The food was delicious at the Asian restaurant, but we didn’t enjoy our meal at the steakhouse. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try the Mexican restaurant since we were limited to only two nights at the à la carte restaurants during our one week stay.

Dive center overview

Let’s start by mentioning that all our dive guides, divemasters and boat crew were great and that we enjoyed diving with them. But (I wish I didn’t have to say this), the dive center itself, Dressel Divers, was badly organized. Most of the time the boat had to return to the dock because some divers were missing tanks. Sometimes we even had to wait for tanks to be filled resulting in a delayed departure. Perhaps, the dive center should invest in additional tanks!

Also, it wouldn’t hurt if the dive center reception staff was a little friendlier. We later found out that there were many groups during the time we were there and that they were just overloaded. Perhaps the fault is with management taking on too many divers and stressing out the team.

Conclusion

In retrospect we had an excellent scuba diving vacation and we would certainly dive Cozumel‘s pristine and colorful reefs again in the future. Taking underwater photos was more challenging because the ripping current made taking pictures more difficult. Maybe going to Playa del Carmen or Isla Mujeres during whale shark season will be next, or perhaps some other exotic place.

All our dives were drift dives and if you’re not comfortable with that, then perhaps a scuba diving vacation in Cozumel isn’t for you. Grand Cayman, the US Virgin Islands, or Roatan might be a better choice. Bonaire and Curaçao are great for macro and the Bahamas for sharks.

Scuba diving in Cozumel is all about reef and wall diving. If you’re looking to dive on wrecks, well South Florida is a great choice (see our list) as is Grenada where you can even dive on a sunken cruise ship. I’m sure there are many other great dive destinations, but these are the ones we’ve experienced in the Caribbean.

One final thought, if you are traveling with non-diver family members or friends, staying at an all-inclusive resort is a good idea. This type of resort has a lot to offer. Here’s an article to help you choose the right resort for you: 22 Tips for Choosing the Right Resort