Puerto Morelos or Akumal, Mexico

[Racer_X]

We just got back last Thursday - trip report upcoming.

Having checked out both Porto Morelos and Akumal, we gave a thumbs up to Akumal. The surf is much quieter than Porto, and there is shore snorkeling as opposed to having to take a boat ride. While there are reefs and the typical reef fish, the rays are what made the difference for me. Kona in 2010 had turtles galore, but the rays were neat to see.

For diving, I'd spend my time in the cenotes. Having done both, the reef dives are "nice." Similar reef dives can be had almost any place on the Caribbean. Cenotes are unique to the area, and far more fascinating than another reef dive.

 

[Mark Derail]

I just got back from Akumal. The reefs we dove on were OK, definitely not Cozumel but better than I was expecting. We only got three dives in due to windy conditions and the small boats they use. We used Akumal Dive shop and everyone I dealt with there was great. I also got to do a couple of dives at Dos Ojos cenote that place is AMAZING. I plan on doing more cenotes next time for sure

Ditto for me, was there Feb 2011.

 

[oceanvideos]

We ended up going to Akumal. We stayed in a small condo complex called Tan Ik which is on Half Moon Bay. It was great...clean, quiet and the staff were very friendly. The highlight was the turtles. Mid July is a good time because you can not only see turtles laying eggs, but can also see babies hatching because the first nests were laid in May. There were over 100 marked nests when we were there. We did some ocean dives with Akumal Dive Adventures. We chose them because they were a short walk from our condo. They are a good operation. Diving in Akumal is nice, but not spectacular. (I have been diving all over the world though, so if you are a new diver, you would probably rate it differently.) There are many turtles to be seen in the water, but we did not see big schools of fish or an abundance of invertebrates. The dives were pleasant and relaxing though. The other highlight was scuba diving in Dos Ojos Cenotes which were only 10 minutes from Akumal. These were beautiful and had stalactites, stalagmites and columns throughout the dives. These dives far exceeded our expectations and I would definitely dive cenotes again if I returned. Our guide was Luis Monsivaiss who was from a shop in Tulum. (Akumal Dive Adventures hooked us up with Luis.) Luis was a great guide. I would highly recommend him to others.

 

[Mark Derail]

Thanks for the review, if you ever go back to that area, look up diving @ Cozumel, the constant current makes for great drift dives and plenty of food, so lots of fish and large-sized ones.

What I liked diving in Mexico - the locals have taken up the trade and fully embraced it.

In Grand Cayman, all the people I saw & dove with were either US/Can/UK that immigrated there when adult, or expats (not immigrated but working under permit). Then again, that's a small island/country, can't judge other places (yet).

So I wonder, how other places compare? It's nice having a local dive guide that's born & raised there. For advice, for fun.

 

[Mike]

We ended up going to Akumal. We stayed in a small condo complex called Tan Ik which is on Half Moon Bay. It was great...clean, quiet and the staff were very friendly. The highlight was the turtles. Mid July is a good time because you can not only see turtles laying eggs, but can also see babies hatching because the first nests were laid in May. There were over 100 marked nests when we were there. We did some ocean dives with Akumal Dive Adventures. We chose them because they were a short walk from our condo. They are a good operation. Diving in Akumal is nice, but not spectacular. (I have been diving all over the world though, so if you are a new diver, you would probably rate it differently.) There are many turtles to be seen in the water, but we did not see big schools of fish or an abundance of invertebrates. The dives were pleasant and relaxing though. The other highlight was scuba diving in Dos Ojos Cenotes which were only 10 minutes from Akumal. These were beautiful and had stalactites, stalagmites and columns throughout the dives. These dives far exceeded our expectations and I would definitely dive cenotes again if I returned. Our guide was Luis Monsivaiss who was from a shop in Tulum. (Akumal Dive Adventures hooked us up with Luis.) Luis was a great guide. I would highly recommend him to others.

Thought I might be losing my mind based on all the super positive dive reviews in regard to the Akumal area. Your update mimics my experience in regard to Akumal diving, nothing to write home about. I really like Akumal for a relaxing vacation, but I'd never never recommend it for diving. It's a great place, great location for basing yourself on the mainland for treks to all the popular ruins, snorkeling or diving the cenotes, hitting Playa Del Carmen and Tulum, snorkeling in the big cenote behind Akumal, and half moon to see the canons. And the Buena Vida bar in Akumal is a great place to hang out. But diving - not so much.