Advice on what to dive in Playa area

[Ed Hatfield]

I see that you are flying in from Denmark. If you are Danish then you might want to stop and say hello to Michael at DiveMike. He is Danish and runs a small scuba shop and the bar next door. He is an avid and enthusiastic diver. He is located on Calle 8 between 5th and the beach. www.divemike.com I have been out a couple of times with him over the years.
I also will be in PDC in July from the 18th to the 25th with some scuba buddies. We are doing the whale shark trip but out of Cancun (Puerto Juarez actually). I did it last year with a different buddy bunch for $150.00US p/p with EcoColors Tours. I will probably use them again this year. The trip to the location was about an hour but the boat was fast. There were approximately 40 to 60 whale sharks and we got to swim several times. Most of the group were non-divers and found the snorkelling difficult with rental gear. We four had our own stuff and were happy to go again and again.
We are planning two days in the cenotes. The three other divers are new to the area so I will likely take them for 2 tanks to Dos Ojos and a 3rd at The Pit. The 2nd cenote day I want to get to Angelita and 2 tanks at Taj Mahal or maybe Carwash.
If you are planning to dive a couple days from PDC then make sure you get to the north as well as the south. To the north is Los Arcos. It is deep but it is the only reef that compares formation wise to Cozumel. To the south I like Punta Venado and Sabalos. Last year on Sabalos I saw a sailfish and 4 marlin on the safety stop. The week before the DM saw a hammerhead.
As the trip gets closer I will post that our group will be at one of the local bars and invite any SBers to join us. Last year we met at Bad Boys Beach Bar to listen to the house band 'The Nasty Bastards' and down some cold ones. Captain Dave has passed away but the bar is still running as far as I know. Not sure where we will go this year.

 

[DandyDon]

Good to know about CI time...I assumed they started coming in at 10am'ish , We will spend one night nearby, to allow an early start before the crowds come rolling, before moving on the Holbox.

There are 3 hotels right at the park, and Sidestep.com offers the best rates. Free parking, walk in the back gate - the way we're doing it.

You guessed my next question regarding insurance etc., which seems to be almost the bigger portion of renting the car , but also quite usefull. Being european I am used to driving with a stick though, so no problem there...however either will do.

I'm experienced at driving all sorts of floor shift vehicles, i.e. a double clutch Ford pickup we once had, split shift dump trucks, up to a 25 ton multifuel in the Marines, but I never could make that Pointer happy! Small engine and it made a loud noise every time I needed to shift up or down, no out guessing it - and both happened at every bump, several to each of the many villages. The auto trans Nissan is only $2/day more.

CDW has a deductible, but the Supplement for Extra Protection Coverage covers that. Yes, it's almost as much as the car rental cost, but saves haggling over how much you have to pay in damages before you are allowed to leave Mexico.

Holbox is a quaint little village to visit if you want to go that way, but chasing the Dominoes out of Cancun would be easier probly.

 

[ecodiving tours]

Hey I think the shipwreck with the eagle rays your talking about is at Puerto Morelos. The ship wreck is called Juan Escutia C56. Check out this video Dive Puerto Morelos Reefs-Ecodivingtours the eagle rays are amazing. This is one of our most popular dives. We run from Playa del Carmen or could pick up at Puerto Morelos.

Hope this helps and have an amazing time.

 

[annlaur]

Since you have 2 weeks, you might consider spending a night or two on Cozumel. It's a beautiful island with amazing diving. The waterfront is very touristy because of the cruise ships but once you walk a couple of blocks intown, you're in Mexico. Great food, wonderful people and, if on a budget, you can find accommodations for as low as USD30 a night for a double ensuite room in town.

You can easily go to Chichen Itza by bus from Playa and other places as well. Here's a link that will give you an idea of the schedules. Ticket Bus - Red de Boletaje y Reservaciones Be aware that it's only actualized about a month ahead of time, so don't worry if you can't find any bus on your actual dates right now. Just fill in, let's say, a monday two weeks from now to have an idea of how many buses a day and the cost.

I would recommand Punta Allen. It's a small village south of Tulum in the Sian Kan biosphere. Not easy to get to (one combi leaves Tulum at 2 or 3 pm, returning early in the morning the next day ; or you need to rend a 4 wheel drive, the road is so bumby that it takes almost 3 hours to cover less than 50 miles), basic accommodations (no 24 hour electricity), but nice beach and trips on the laguna and sea with local fishermen (all run by a cooperative). No diving there, but some amazing snorkeling is included in the 3 hour-tour (about USD120 for up to 6 people, if I recall well). As you arrive in the village, you are greeted by someone from the cooperative who will explain everything to you and will make all the arrangements so you don't have to worry about finding people to share a boat or looking for a room. Bring cash, nearest ATM is in Tulum town.

The beach of Tulum is gorgeous, white sand and all, but somehow I didn't care much for it. Not my vibe, but you might want to stop by (it's really close to Playa) and decide for yourselves. Very expensive too.

If you're in for partying, Isla Mujeres is a fun destination. Small island with a good vibe, live music and lots of interaction with the locals and expats that live there. Beautiful beach as well.
Only a 20 minute boat ride from Cancun (Puerto Juarez). Combis will take you to the new ferry from the bus station or you can take a cab for about USD4. Rooms for all budget and many many bars and restaurants.

Have a great trip, Mexico is a beautiful country.

 

[warmwaterturner]

You might take a look at the Geofish website. They have a nice interactive dive site map. Riviera Maya Reef and Cave Dive Map

 

[caz777]

@Ed Hatfield

Thanks for the dive info, and also we might swing by and say hi to our fellow dane

@ecodiving tours
That is indeed the wreck...somehow got isla mujeres and Puerto Morelos mixed up in my original post. Great vid btw.

How resident are the school of eagle rays on C-56? I know that there is no guarantees really in diving, but are they "always" there or is it just occasionally?

Are there any other particularly interested dives in Puerto Morelos?

@Annlaur

thanks for the ideas, will keep staying overnight in Coz in mind. And we definitely are going to do Tulum (and perhaps Muyil as well down there).


@warmwaterturner
Thanks, very nice interactive map.

 

[ecodiving tours]

Hey caz777

Like you said there are no guarantees in diving but everytime but one iv seen them and it is generally when the current is stronger that they are there. Even if they are not it is still a great dive that i would recomend the ship itself has the cannon and is encrusted with coral and there is a resident southern stingray that lives there that you might of seen on the video. I seen the biggest smooth trunkfish i have ever seen there which was cool.

The diving around Puerto Morelos is good to lots of coral and fish as it is in a protected area. It did take a big hit from a hurricane where a lot of damage was caused but in my opinon it seems to be recovering well.

Oh and as a lover of the big stuff you might be intersted in the huge schools of tarpon that visit during the summer. I seen them on saturday some were like 5ft. If diving in Playa ask for Sabalos or Tortugas dive sites. Sabalos translates to tarpon in spanish. I have a cool video that will be ready in a day or two.

All the best Ecodiving

 

[caz777]

So with only 3 weeks left until our trip to yucatan the plans are finally coming together.

As it looks now this is what we will do:

We stay in Playa for the first 10 days, in which we will do:
3x2 PDC dives
1x2 Cozumel dives
1x2 Cenote dives
1x2 Puerto Morelos dives
A day trip to Tulum (maybe also Muyil)
Have a few more days there which will maybe be used for additional diving and/or a trip to Aktun Chen. Still considering Xcaret or Xel-Ha, but it seems quite pricey and theme-park-like.

We then rent a car and leave early in the morning going to Coba and afterwards perhaps Punta Laguna, before probably having a swim in the cenote Dzitnup. We will spend the night either in Valladolid or Pisté.

Next morning we aim at being at Chichen Itza the second they open to avoid the hordes of tourists. After this we might take a swim in the nearby Ik Kil cenote, before driving to Ek Balam. After Ek Balam our maya ruin quota is probably spent .

We drive to Chiquila to catch one of the later ferries to Isla de Holbox, where we will spend 3 nights, and have two day trips to swim with dominoes. After this we drive to Cancun, and jump aboard a plane back home....


Anyone have any experience with Punta Laguna Spider Monkey park? and the same with the Aktun Chen cave system/zoo?

I'm still undecided whether we should spend the nigth in Valladolid or Pisté. My guess is that we will be quite busted after Coba/punta Laguna/Dzitnup, so we might not get to tour valladolid in the evening anyway...any suggestions?

I think we opt for the solution of leaving the car in safe parking areas in Chiquila (anyone have any experience with that?) instead og driving to cancun to deliver it and then transfer to isla de Holbox (since it is not worth it time or money-wise).

 

[DandyDon]

Sounds like a good plan except Tulum is not a day trip from PDC. You can do it in one morning easily, before the buses arrive there, then go swimming in a nearby Cenote if you want. Eh, many do hang out on the beach at the Tulum ruins tho, so you may opt for that simplicity. Great photo ops if you like bikinis.

I think we opt for the solution of leaving the car in safe parking areas in Chiquila (anyone have any experience with that?) instead og driving to cancun to deliver it and then transfer to isla de Holbox (since it is not worth it time or money-wise).

OMG yes keep the car. They have a big public lot there but we used a private one close to the dock at Chiquila. Fill up at the gas station there on arrival as it may not be open when you return and it was a long, worrisome ways to the first one open when we were there in 2008 leaving with 1/4 tank. If you talk to the private boats shortly before the ferry is going to leave, you can dicker the price down and still enjoy the speed and comfort of a private boat.

This thread may help with directions some http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/me...playa-del-carmen-holbox.html?highlight=holbox See helpful comments from others.

 

[caz777]

Thanks for your reply DandyDon.

You are rigth that Tulum is not a full daytrip. We might spend a little time on the beach, and/or go to something else nearby.

It is probably before we rent a car, so we will most likely catch a bus or something like that, so we dont have complete freedom of driving.

Regarding bikinis...I dont care that much about those...what they conceal however is a completely different matter not sure the missus would be entirely happy with me running around shooting with the cam though

Thanks for the thread on getting to Holbox, wiil read it carefully