Tips and recommendations for my Puerto Adventuras trip

[uncfnp]

I am making final plans for my up coming trip to the Riviera Maya in October. Eric decided to come along so I have rented a condo on the water at Puerto Adventuras. I will be diving with Under the Jungle and Eric will head out for some ocean dives, planning on with Dive Adventuras based on numerous SB recommendations. But I still have several questions and need some advice.

1) I can not decide whether or not to rent a car. Initially I had not planned to but now with Eric along I am rethinking this. Alternative to a rental is a round trip taxi from the airport (looking at Carm tours and transfers) and doing taxi/tours as needed. Maybe a day or two car rental in Puerto Adventuras if that is an option.

2) Next question is should Eric stick with one op and dive solely out of Puerto Adventuras or move around a bit? I have seen some recommendations for Puerto Morales.

3) Do the boats care for the gear similar to Cozumel or at least provide storage options or will Eric have to transport gear back and forth to the condo? Will he need to bring a gear bag?

4) Any advice for my Cenote diving? Do I need to worry about leaving stuff in the vehicle like Bonaire. Any other advice on the logistics or things you wished you had known in advance?

5) Typical weather for this time of year, excluding hurricanes. Trying to decide what clothes to pack.

6) And of course food recommendations. We love the local foods in Cozumel but this is our first extended trip to the mainland. I know PA is not known for local cuisine but hope that there may still be good alternatives within walking distance (if not this alone may dictate the need for a rental car) and if not where we can find good local food options. Don't need anything fancy. Fresh fish meals options would also be appreciated.

And again, anything/bits of wisdom you wished you had known before traveling to the Riviera Maya.

Thanks guys.

 

[jonhall]

2) Next question is should Eric stick with one op and dive solely out of Puerto Adventuras or move around a bit? I have seen some recommendations for Puerto Morales.

Puerto Morelos has a protected marine area and good diving, but it would be about a 50 minute drive/ride from where you are staying. Can't say anything about the diving near Puerto Adventuras, but I'm not a fan of diving along the Playa del Carmen.

4) Any advice for my Cenote diving? Do I need to worry about leaving stuff in the vehicle like Bonaire. Any other advice on the logistics or things you wished you had known in advance?

Dove the cenote, Tach Majal, behind Under the Jungles dive shop, but with another dive op. Water temp was 77 degrees. Felt the 7mm wetsuits were to much and that a 5mm would have been perfect. As different groups of divers arrive and leave at different times, I personally would limit valuables I took and left in a vehicle although the dive ops didn't have problems leaving extra tanks and spare gear in the back of their trucks while diving.

3) Do the boats care for the gear similar to Cozumel or at least provide storage options or will Eric have to transport gear back and forth to the condo? Will he need to bring a gear bag?

Some of the resort dive ops will keep your gear. Toted my gear back and forth when I took a taxi to Puerto Morelos, so a gear bag was a necessity.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Have you asked Under the Jungle questions, 4, 5 and 6? I would think question 4 might depend on which cenotes you dive. My cenote experience is closer to Tulum, and we didn't take any special precautions about leaving things in the truck, as there were always people around. I suppose the cenotes around PA are less busy, though.

 

[uncfnp]

Have you asked Under the Jungle questions, 4, 5 and 6? I would think question 4 might depend on which cenotes you dive. My cenote experience is closer to Tulum, and we didn't take any special precautions about leaving things in the truck, as there were always people around. I suppose the cenotes around PA are less busy, though.

4) Yes but sometimes the people that dive areas routinely may not think of the little things that can make a difference to the traveling diver. My dives are part of an informal course so the sites are undertermined at present.

5) Not yet

6) That question I will ask them when I arrive.

Getting the info and gear requirements set for the course has taken priority in my conversations with Natalie. I did ask her for local dive options for Eric and none were recommended. Probably a quirk on my part but I have avoided bombarding her with the incidentals. Hence SB research then the thread.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I figured you hadn't overlooked the obvious--local knowledge. And I agree that bombarding one's dive op with questions that could just as well be asked on SB is best avoided.

I'm watching this thread for future reference.

 

[ibj40]

I am making final plans for my up coming trip to the Riviera Maya in October. Eric decided to come along so I have rented a condo on the water at Puerto Adventuras. I will be diving with Under the Jungle and Eric will head out for some ocean dives, planning on with Dive Adventuras based on numerous SB recommendations. But I still have several questions and need some advice.

1) I can not decide whether or not to rent a car. Initially I had not planned to but now with Eric along I am rethinking this. Alternative to a rental is a round trip taxi from the airport (looking at Carm tours and transfers) and doing taxi/tours as needed. Maybe a day or two car rental in Puerto Adventuras if that is an option.

We use Cancun Valet from the airport to the condo in PA and back to the airport. Never been late, always just Diane and I in a van to ourselves.

When we want to take local tours (for example to either Playa del Carmen or Tulum - and within that perimeter), we usually take a cab, which are easily accessible inside the PA compound.

If you are planning to take a day off and go inland, for example, to Coba, either ask your property manager or, I think you can get one through the Omni.

2) Next question is should Eric stick with one op and dive solely out of Puerto Adventuras or move around a bit? I have seen some recommendations for Puerto Morales.

We have been diving with Dive Aventuras for over a dozen years. Depending on how many days you are going to be diving, there are plenty of good ocean sites to not have to worry about going anywhere else.

3) Do the boats care for the gear similar to Cozumel or at least provide storage options or will Eric have to transport gear back and forth to the condo? Will he need to bring a gear bag?

Dive Aventuras will store gear and have it ready every morning for the next set of dives. Gear is stored in large plastic bins, wetsuits are on hangers. They also have on-site equipment repair.

4) Any advice for my Cenote diving? Do I need to worry about leaving stuff in the vehicle like Bonaire. Any other advice on the logistics or things you wished you had known in advance?

Curious why you are not also using Dive Aventuras for your cenote dives. The Dive Aventuras staff includes cave instructors, as well as highly qualified and experienced cave diving guides. Plus, as noted above, they will handle all your gear, regardless of ocean or cenotes (and we dive a mix of each every time we are there).

5) Typical weather for this time of year, excluding hurricanes. Trying to decide what clothes to pack.

Notwithstanding your hurricane exclusion, October gets you down there earlier than the Norte season, and also at a time when evening air temps are starting to moderate.

6) And of course food recommendations. We love the local foods in Cozumel but this is our first extended trip to the mainland. I know PA is not known for local cuisine but hope that there may still be good alternatives within walking distance (if not this alone may dictate the need for a rental car) and if not where we can find good local food options. Don't need anything fancy. Fresh fish meals options would also be appreciated.

Dining has been one of the shortcomings of PA, which is why we rent a condo and do a lot of our own cooking. Having a Chedraui right across the highway from the main gate has been a Godsend, plus there is a farmer's market on Wednesday and Saturday (and it appears that a new produce-oriented store has also opened).

Plus new restaurants come and go like mushrooms after a rain. There was a new Mexican place, Papasito (next to Massimo's) last time we were there that had some very authentic Yucatan items. We like Paparazzi pizza, as well. The Pub has a pretty broad menu, and caters to a number of tastes. Can't help you with fish-based, although, again, you might check with your property manager for recommendations.

And again, anything/bits of wisdom you wished you had known before traveling to the Riviera Maya.

If you are both taking a day off, we enjoy the Xcaret theme park (about half way between PA and PDC. We take a cab up and back.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

Thanks guys.

See my response imbedded inside your original post.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @uncfnp

Several years ago, my wife and I had some good, not great, dives in Puerto Morelos with Dive in Puerto Morelos Welcome to Dive in Puerto Morelos. We went down early to dive as we had a wedding to attend in Playa del Carmen. Puerto Morelos was considerably less built up at the time and still had "quaint" areas and some good restaurants. The operator was very dependable and groups small, at times, just the two of us. The best dive was the wreck of the C56/Juan Escutia, schools of Eagle Rays, some good size groupers... The reef dives were very easy, pretty good sea life, does not compare to Cozumel.

For what it's worth, have a great trip,

Craig

 

[Lorenzoid]

Curious why you are not also using Dive Aventuras for your cenote dives. The Dive Aventuras staff includes cave instructors, as well as highly qualified and experienced cave diving guides.

I will wager the answer to this is that Natalie Gibb is the OP's carefully chosen instructor.

 

[uncfnp]

@ibj40. Thanks for the info. The original plan was a solo trip to work with Natalie on "Mexican sidemount" and refresh my near nonexistent cave skills with plans to finish full cave in the future. I choose Natalie because of her excellent reputation on SB and because she is a petite female. My hope is that she will help me deal with a few of the physical challenges I experienced with SM cave in Florida. I managed but it was not pretty.

I was going to "go native" and experience some of the local culture. But plans changed when Eric decided he would come too but he doesn't do cave so it turned into an ocean front condo in PA and ocean dives for him.

I only have 3 or 4 days planned with Natalie so the rest of the days will be, hopefully, soaking up some of the local culture and sites. This is the main reason I even considered a rental car.

 

[uncfnp]

I will wager the answer to this is that Natalie Gibb is the OP's carefully chosen instructor.