Playa del Carmen?

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Splatterific

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Ok, it's that time of year again. Time to leave the snow and go do some warm water therapy. Thinking Mexico. Have already dove Cozumel and cabo San Lucas. Both awesome. How's about playa del carmen. Would love o dive a cenotes. Any one got any insight on this part of Mexico. Any words of wisdom welcomed. Thanks
 
Definitely Playa del Carmen. We have great ocean diving, cenotes and all kinds of things to do once you're done with your diving for the day
 
The Riviera Maya is a gorgeous area, with some of the most beautiful beaches I've seen anywhere. Playa is a city, and heavily oriented to tourism, but there is definitely a local population there, and there are a lot of shops and restaurants. Down the coast are a number of resorts, some all-inclusive and some not, and small communities like Puerto Aventuras and Akumal, ending up in Tulum. I like Tulum better than Playa -- it's smaller and somehow more intimate and friendly, and still has a lot of restaurant options. Tulum is also a better place to base yourself, if what you want to do is cenote diving. It's at least a 20 minute drive south from Playa to where the cenote tour sites start.

Cenote tours are big business down there. Do be careful in booking your diving -- make sure you are booking with someone who is APSA certified, or at least following the APSA rules. Those include a thorough pre-dive briefing, no more than four divers to a guide, everyone with lights, always with a guideline, and guide to be Full Cave and at least an OW DM, if not instructor, and to dive in cave gear. In addition, do NOT allow a guide to take you past the "Peligro" sign (or "Danger", if it's an NACD sign) under any circumstances. Guides have been known to do that, and there was a triple fatality down there this year as a result.

If you want recommendations for tour guides, do a quick search on "cenote" here -- there are many, many threads listing recommended guides.

I hope you do choose to come to this area. I really, really love it, and I never want to come home when my trips are over!
 
Playa del Carmen has a great advantage that is the heart of the Riviera Maya, you could give it a try and diving with some bull sharks from November to March in the Playa reefs, also the cenotes are really close to the area and would be a unique and awesome experience, specially if you have never done it before I recommend it 100%.


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Buceo en Playa del Carmen - Phantom Divers
info@phantomdivers.com
 
I'm going to playa feb3. Can't wait. It's in the 20's here and I had enough. Cenotes, Cozumel, tequila etc. any must sees out side of diving. Any areas to stay away from. I hear 5ave. Is nice. Is it safe to walk from the resorts.
 
I'll be in Playa March 1, mostly diving in the cenotes. Anyone else going to be there around then?
 
Ok, it's that time of year again. Time to leave the snow and go do some warm water therapy. Thinking Mexico. Have already dove Cozumel and cabo San Lucas. Both awesome. How's about playa del carmen. Would love o dive a cenotes. Any one got any insight on this part of Mexico. Any words of wisdom welcomed. Thanks

Late here, but have you considered Puerto Aventuras? We go there at least once, if not twice, per year. It's not the cosmopolitan scene like PDC, but it is very accessible to both good ocean diving and in the heart of the cenote region.
 
I moved here ten years ago and started a little dive op. And of course one of the most popular questions I get asked is what all is there to do around Playa. So I comprised a small video to show our future visitors some of what they can expect. I am an amateur and from the South, so please don't laugh to much at my accent. Haha But as you can see we have alot of fun and adventures both above and below the water line. Send me a message or email if you have any questions about the diving we do as well as any of the other trips we run. Hope you like the video! :D

 
I'll be in Playa March 1, mostly diving in the cenotes. Anyone else going to be there around then?

I will be in Akumal from 2/26-3/9. Stayed in Puerto Aventuras last year at the Brisa Caribe villa. Going slightly further and have a nice beachfront villa there. Planning on doing as much diving as i can while there.
 
I will be in Akumal from 2/26-3/9. Stayed in Puerto Aventuras last year at the Brisa Caribe villa. Going slightly further and have a nice beachfront villa there. Planning on doing as much diving as i can while there.

want to meet up for a dive?

I usually dive with Akumal Dive Center. I have a class earlier in the week, but will be free 3/6
 

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