Mexico’s Caribbean Is Making a Bigger Push for Scuba Divers, From Cozumel to the Costa Maya
More than 587,000 visitors went diving in the Mexican Caribbean last year. Now Quintana Roo is promoting seven dive destinations together.
On Cozumel, you can drift past the coral formations at Palancar Reef or dive along Santa Rosa Wall. On the mainland near Tulum, the water is fresh and the scenery is limestone. Both experiences are part of the same tourism push as Quintana Roo looks to draw more scuba divers to Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
Quintana Roo brought representatives from all seven of its dive destinations to the DEMA Show in New Orleans for the first time this November. The group included Isla Mujeres, Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum and the Grand Costa Maya. The state delegation met with PADI, Scuba Schools International and Scuba Diving International to explore ways to reach more divers, instructors and dive operators.
From Reef Dives to Freshwater Caverns
Cozumel’s dive sites include Palancar Reef, Columbia Reef and Santa Rosa Wall. On the mainland, Puerto Morelos has reef diving off a quieter stretch of coast between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Farther south, the freshwater cenotes around Tulum give divers another reason to spend time on the mainland.
The state brought two guides to the show, one covering the seven destinations and another devoted to caves and caverns. The publications encourage divers to book with established operators and promote practices that help protect the ecosystems they visit.
More Than Half a Million Visitors Went Diving
More than 587,000 visitors went diving in the Mexican Caribbean in 2025, according to the state tourism department. That represented 2.9 percent of all visitors. The state also reported that adventure travel accounted for 19.4 percent of visitors’ reasons for traveling in 2025, up from 16.7 percent in 2024.
The meetings in New Orleans also touched on a practical issue for divers who travel with their own gear. The delegation followed up on industry concerns about Mexican customs procedures for dive equipment and underwater camera and video gear. The tourism department said it shared updates and heard from industry representatives. It announced no change to those procedures.
Caitlin Sullivan began her career with Caribbean Journal as Arts and Culture editor before shifting to travel full time. She writes frequently on the Caribbean cruise industry, flight networks and broader travel news. Her most frequent Caribbean destination? Nassau.
