Diving the Americas: Best dives in the Caribbean and South, Central & North America

destinations » diving the Americas

The best dive sites? Well, there's the Galapagos of course - a group of 13 major islands and 100 islets some 1000 km west of mainland Ecuador.

If sharks, rays, whales and dolphins are your thing then go to the Revillagigedo islands of Mexico. Like The Galapagos, the islands are at the meeting of cool and warm currents. This creates upwellings of nutrient-rich water which supports the excess of marine life.

The Cenotes of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula feature fresh water above salt water: a fresh and salt-water dive in one. The cenotes (or sinkholes) along the Caribbean coast connect with flooded cave systems like Sistema dos Ojos. The visibility can be fabulous with the sunlight shining down through the water.

Cuba is another great diving destination. Some of the best diving here is at the Jardines de la Reina archipelago, which you reach by liveaboard.

Photo credit:Avalon Cuban Diving Centers

In Central America Belize's Great Blue Hole is regularly voted one of the top dives of the world.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cocos Islands are 300 miles off the mainland of Costa Rica. This amazing diving destination is a great place to see pelagic species like marlin, sailfish and sharks

What about the best dive operators and liveaboards? Browse the countries below for divers' recommendations and reviews.

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