Diving in Akumal

With 18 dive sites, Akumal in Mexico’s Riviera Maya is known for its location at the top of the Belize Barrier Reef. These dive sites offer a huge variety of environments from coral reefs. The water is warm and visibility is generally excellent, the areas being protected from heavy current.

Present as well in the Akumal area are huge underground river and cave systems called cenotes that are accessible to all certified divers. The ancient Mayan people considered these to be sacred, having a special “peace and serenity” around them which you will feel as you begin your dive. The many Cenotes are all within easy reach by a short 10-30 minute car ride. All certified divers have the chance to do these incredible dives as many are both shallow and all allow access to the surface within 60m/200ft. Natural light comes through openings on the surface and gives a spectacular visual effect as it hits the clear waters.

Although just across from Palancar Reef in Cozumel, Akumal is unique for its uncrowded, non-commercial diving. The area’s incredibly clear waters make it a paradise for snorkeling, scuba diving & underwater photography. The coral reef, longest in the Western Hemisphere, abounds in colorful, tropical fish and exotic coral formations.

Entry level scuba diving courses

The entry level of scuba diving is the Open Water Course, this is a proper scuba diving certification that covers all the skills and necessary training for someone to become a diver, being able to dive with another certified diver to no more than 18m/60 ft. Good news is, it takes around three and a half days. And technology has made it way easier, as now eLearning courses are showing to be really useful to fulfill the theoretical parts of the course completely online, and then a PADI Dive Instructor will finish the practical skills and dives. So, after some shallow water lessons and 4 Open Water dives you can get your brand new PADI Open Water Certification. After that, many other courses and specialty courses are available, you can always find something new to learn.

All along the Riviera Maya there exist many natural underground river and cave systems filled with crystal-clear water named hundreds of years ago by Mayans as cenotes. Most of them can be found deep in the jungle, and were  considered by the Mayans to be a “window into the underworld”; a place of great calm, relaxing experience that changes the perspective of traditional scuba diving in the ocean.

Each cenote has distinct characteristics, offering a new and unique diving experience. Some are shallow, some deep, some freshwater, some a mixture of fresh and salt. Some even have hydrogen sulfide layers, some have very little natural light, others have many holes in the roof where shafts of light breakthrough. Underwater photographers from all over the world descend into these cool crystal clear  waters seeking fossils and secret rooms lit by the sun’s rays. For more details about the different cenotes for diving along the Riviera Maya, check out our article about the best cenotes to dive.

For a small town of under 2000 inhabitants, Akumal offers plenty of activities to keep visitors happy and has enough local and delicious restaurants to satisfy any palate. Aside from snorkeling and swimming with sea turtles, other popular activities include deep sea/reef diving, sailing, visiting cenotes, bike rides, or just laying down to relax on the beach.

A wide stretch of Akumal’s gorgeous beaches encompasses “Las Bahias de Akumal” – a series of four bays starting to the south of Yal-Ku Lagoon with North Akumal Beach and ending at Aventuras Akumal to the south. All the bays are great for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and diving. For nature-loving adventurers, visitors can indulge in several different activities amidst the jungle such as snorkeling, ziplining, caving, and forest hikes in the Aktun Chen Park.