The 15 Best Scuba Diving Trips in Playa del Carmen

1.Scuba Diving in Cenote Dos Ojos from Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 453 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) Our pick

Meet your guide at 8am in Playa del Carmen for a small-group scuba outing at Cenote Dos Ojos. Guides such as Pepe, Don, Alexis, and Ana explain the routes, check your equipment, and lead two sessions on different lines, often the Bat Cave and Barbie Line. Gear, snacks, transport, and lunch are included, but the MX$400 cenote fee is extra.

“What an amazing, otherworldly experience 🤩 I expected a great dive and this one exceeded every expectation. It is my new favorite, and I can’t wait to come back for more. Pepe was fantastic with safety and explanations. The site was spectacular. Nothing was rushed, and I felt very comfortable and confident the entire time. You will not regret booking this dive!”

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2.Scuba Diving in Cenote Kukulkan from Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 370 reviews · 7 hours (approx.)

Meet at 8 am in Playa del Carmen for a seven-hour cenote outing with a maximum of four people. Guide Remi may lead you through two routes at Cenote Kukulkan and a second cenote, with gear, snacks, transfers, and lunch included. Certification and recent scuba experience are required.

“The entire dive from beginning to end was absolutely amazing! There were only 4 divers so the group was smaller and more intimate. Our guide was out of this world! He was full of information not just about the dive but the history of the Cenote’s and explained the scientific history of what we were seeing. He made sure to make all the right stops along the way pausing at places so we could simply take in the beauty of the light refractions. Cannot say enough good things!!! When I come back to Mexico I will for sure being coming back to dive them again!!!!”

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3.Discover Scuba Diving & Beach Club with Transportation In Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · 45 minutes (approx.) · from $150

At Maroma Beach near Playa del Carmen, you get a short scuba introduction, shallow-water practice, and a recreational underwater session with bilingual guides such as Carlos, Alex, Juan, Ivan, and Ursula. Gear, insurance, beach access, bottled water, and shared hotel transport are included. You do not need open-water certification.

“My fiance and I booked the diving tour with them after reading so many great reviews about the people. And those reviews were right! I was VERY fearful about diving - everything from rolling backward into the water from the boat to not panicking under water to completing the training had me petrified. But the team (Alex, Ivan, and Ursula) helped me stay calm and made me feel safe. Once I figured out how to not panic and breathe too deeply (I found closing my eyes made a difference to help slow down my breathing), I really enjoyed the dive. I'll say the reef itself wasn't the most colorful or…”

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4.Two reef discovery dives with professional instructor (no experience necessary)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 103 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $150

Spend about eight hours with Tank-Ha Dive Center learning scuba skills in a pool before making two reef descents to 12 meters. Your instructor stays close throughout, with guides such as Coral, Alma, Julian, and Paul praised for calm, careful teaching. Gear, pool fees, e-learning, water, boat travel, and reef visits are included.

“It was a fantastic activity. Being only 2 people the instructor (Boris) was able to dedicate all the necessary time in the pool to be able to develop the activity in the best possible way and to enjoy it to the maximum. Once in the sea, we made two dives in which we could see a lot of specimens of the area, such as parrotfish, blankets,... She was always attentive to us, our needs and giving us tips to enjoy to the fullest. Thanks to this experience we have encouraged ourselves to get the certificate and next year we will repeat with this company without hesitation.Auto-translated”

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5.PADI Discover Scuba Diving Program in the Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $126

Start at Pro Dive Mexico with a short scuba lesson and pool practice, then board a boat for one guided reef outing. Instructors such as Alex, Nicole, Anna, Jordan, and Toby have led beginner sessions, with groups limited to four. Gear is supplied, but marine park fees and some pickups cost extra.

“Great Riviera experience. We took our four kids, ages 10-14 for their first dive. They were not certified. Our dive guides, Anna and Jordan, were great with the kids. The pool skills training was well done and the kids got comfortable with their gear. The reef dive was great with lots of fish, nice reef features, and good visibility. The guides did a nice job on the descent to make sure everyone was comfortable and safe. Awesome first family SCUBA experience! Thank you for offering this intro to diving package.”

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6.PADI Discover Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 61 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $135

Meet at Hotel Riu Yucatan for a short PADI lesson, basic pool practice, and one boat-based open-water session off Playa del Carmen. An instructor stays with you throughout. You may see tropical fish, turtles, octopi, and sea anemones. The group is limited to eight, with equipment, water, and English or Spanish instruction included.

“Terrible experience. The training is for less than an hour and is very rushed. The practice "tank" is actually a 3ft resort pool in which we were taught to breathing and hand signs for about 20 minutes. There was no pool lesson on equalizing pressure etc. We spent more time waiting for the boat to arrive than on the lessons itself. I felt very uncomfortable after the lesson and chose not to go into the ocean. My husband went and within 10ft in the ocean felt ear pain and couldn't complete it. This would've been identified if the practice tank was deeper. We spent a lot of money for nothing...…”

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7.Cozumel Dive Package – Certified Divers from the Riviera Maya (4 dives)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 51 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $378

Spend two days exploring Riviera Maya and Cozumel reefs with Pro Dive Mexico. You get four guided scuba sessions, ferry transport, lunch in Cozumel, and a small group capped at 12 people. Certified open-water divers can expect reef walls, swim-throughs, marine life, and guides such as David, Phil, Ricardo, and Leon.

“ProDive is one of the top companies in the district, covering Cancun all the way down to Tulum. Instructors are excited to share their passion of scuba diving with their customers. Sales and admin on the other hand are a whole different matter. After equalization issues and bad weather, we decided to rest for the couple days left of vacation that we had, and when we visited the dive shop for a refund, they became argumentative and combative. 30 minutes of argument later, and the worst Customer Service on the planet, they were adamant to no refund policy. BUYER BEEARE! We have dives across the planet and would never use…”

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8.PADI Open Water Diver Course in the Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $602

Learn scuba skills with Pro Dive International in Playa del Carmen through five pool sessions and four guided boat trips. You’ll study at your own pace with a digital manual, then visit coral reefs near Cozumel. Instructors have included Boris, Esteban, Erica, Karim, and others. The small group limit is four people.

“My 11 year old son and I met Alexia and Diana at the Occidental Xcaret. After a trial run with them we wanted to go further and get our certification. What an amazing experience. Karim was very patient with us and helped us learn so much. All the instructors were very friendly and made us feel very welcome. We were lucky enough to see a bull shark on our third dive. My son had a blast and won't stop talking about it. Anytime I'm in playa I will be diving with these folks again. Even if I never dive again, it was worth it. I was scared to even snorkel…”

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9.Scuba Diving in Cenotes

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $190

Travel from Playa del Carmen to Mexico’s cenote route for two guided scuba descents of about 45 minutes each. Be Diving limits groups to four certified divers per guide, with guides such as Jon, Jow, and Carol leading the way. Expect a long surface interval, snacks, bottled water, private transport, and extra entrance fees.

“Diving in the cenotes with Be diving was an amazing experience. My guide was Jon and he did a fantastic job of making me feel comfortable and making the experience enjoyable. Highly recommend anyone looking to dive in this area to choose this operation and I can't wait to be back!”

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10.2-Tank Morning or Afternoon Dives in Playa del Carmen certified Divers Only

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $89Best value

Choose a morning or afternoon boat trip from Scuba Libre in Playa del Carmen for two reef outings with a professional guide. Morning includes a deeper external reef and a shallower site, while afternoon offers two shallow outings. Suni may guide your group. Certified divers only, maximum eight people.

“Such an amazing experience with Suni as our dive master. Saw sea life such as sea turtles, giant crab, several large schools of colourful fish, and even a shark!! The entire experience was easy and fun thanks to the crew at Scuba libre from Niki at the shop to our boat drivers who helped with our gear to Suni who was such a friendly guide!! Thanks for the memories all!”

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11.Discover Scuba Diving Course in Playa del Carmen with Two Coral Reef Dives

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $169

Spend a full day learning scuba basics, practicing in a pool, then exploring two shallow coral reefs near Playa del Carmen. A PADI professional guides each 40-minute session, with equipment and water supplied. Alma, Jack, Geovanni, and Sam have led instruction for past groups, with patient coaching for nervous beginners. Minimum age is 10.

“I had a wonderful time learning scuba and seeing the two reefs.. Alma was so patient as my ears would not regulate and I was getting very frustrated but she was a champ. Once I was shown how to be patient with my ears I enjoyed the whole experience and will definitely try it again!! Thanks Alma for the whole experience..”

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12.Cenotes 2-Tank Dive in Playa del Carmen/for certified divers only

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 13 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $159

You’ll leave Scuba Libre at 8:30 a.m. for a guided two-tank cenote trip through the Mayan jungle. Certified divers visit sites such as Chikin Ha, Dos Ojos, or Jardin del Eden, with tanks, weights, lamps, cenote fees, snacks, and drinks included. Expect a small group of no more than four divers.

“The dive spot was more like a cave than a wide open lagoon. It was a bit scary. My dive instructor seemed annoyed each time I would let him know I was afraid. He wasn't the greatest to be with, which did not make the dive very fun.”

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13.Cancun: MUSA Diving for certified divers morning dive trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 7 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $137

Meet the My Deep Life team for two guided scuba descents in Isla Mujeres National Marine Park, including MUSA statues and nearby reefs. Certified divers reach a maximum of 30 feet, with equipment, water, and Cancun hotel-zone transport included. Small instructor groups, Spanish guidance, and morning departures by request make this a practical half-day choice.

“Excelente mergulho, os locais me surpreenderam de tão deslumbrantes, tanto o Musa como os arrecifes. Atendimento perfeito por parte da empresa, uma ótima condução do capitão da embarcação, o Antônio, e um excelente acompanhamento do mergulhador Alfredo.”

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14.Discover Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen – 2 dives

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $165

Spend about seven hours learning scuba skills in shallow water, then head by boat to Playa del Carmen reefs for two supervised open-water sessions. Instructors speak English, French, and Spanish, and groups are limited to eight. Expect coral, tropical fish, rays, turtles, and a PADI Discover Scuba certificate.

“It was an absolutely fantastic experience! I had my two kids, 13 and 11, with me for the scuba dive. The whole organization from filling out documents in advance, welcome transfers etc. everything was super well organized. We felt safe and in good hands every minute. We saw a lot of fish and also a turtle, an eagle ray, a puffer fish and a thousand other fish... All in all great. The only thing I personally missed was a photo under water...”

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15.Playa del Carmen: Guided Reef Diving for Certified Divers

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7 reviews · from $142

Join Scuba Playa for an eight-hour reef scuba trip from Playa del Carmen, limited to five people. PADI guides match you with sites from 12 to 30 meters, with advanced options including the Mama Viña wreck. Expect gear, water, a safety briefing, and chances to see turtles, rays, sharks, eels, lobsters, crabs, and reef fish.

“Two separate dive sites, two tanks, great visibility and amazing sea life. It was my first dive in many years so I was a little nervous to begin with, but Stefan was a brilliant guide who helped refresh the basics and once we got into the water it was nice and straightforward. Can't recommend this activity enough, great dive centre, friendly staff, and Stefan in particular was super helpful and knowledgeable. Will be recommending to friends and when I return to Playa, I'll be sure to do this activity again!”

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