Caribbean Sea

Tobago

Laid-back island on the edge of the Caribbean.

Tobago offers a restful and relaxed atmosphere. The island is made up of hundreds of “secret” inlets. If you love drift diving then you have found your paradise.

Playa Giron

Beautiful beach resort with great shore diving

In 1961, an army of Cuban exiles based, in the US, invaded Cuba, upon the shores of this beach, in order to overthrow Castro’s revolutionary government. They were defeated in less than 72 hours. Today this beach is a favourite for snorkellers and scuba divers.

Guardalavaca

Hot tourist destination yet charmingly low-key

Arguably the best resort area in the eastern half of Cuba, Guardalavaca, which means “watch the cow”, encompasses the small town and beach which bear its name, as well as, the series of beaches north of Holguin.

Cayo Largo del Sur

Peace, tranquillity and great diving

An island paradise, perfect for lovers of beach holidays and water sports. Discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World.

Curaçao

Dive into the water or nightlife

Curaçao is the all-round diving paradise of the Antilles. All types of dives can be made, by both beginner and expert-divers. On land the possibilities are equally divers.

Cancún

Touristic party city with white beaches

Cancún has 550,000 inhabitants and is a well-known tourist town where people mainly party. But… don't rule out diving!

Playa del Carmen

All-inclusive resorts at wide beaches

Playa del Carmen is a seaside resort with 100,000 inhabitants about 45 miles south of Cancún, by the river Maya. The resort offers an alternative for the crowded Cancun.

Bonaire

Large protected diving paradise

Bonaire has made one of the most beautiful underwater area’s into a large ecological reservation and is therefore very popular amongst divers.

Aruba

The most American island of the Antilles

On Aruba you can combine a lovely, luxurious beach holiday with diving. The Antillean island is all tourism and much americanised.

Los Jardines de la Reina

Uninhabited diving paradise where it abounds with life

Americans call this archipelago 'Lost Paradise Keys'. Diving is magnificent in Cuba and Los Jardines de la Reina is the “jewel in the crown”. The reserve is uninhabited and only accessible by live-aboard.

Varadero

Cuba’s tourist resort full of hotels

Varadero is a tourist destination on the coast much as you will find all over the world. Nothing special or particularly Cuban: just hotels, sand and a lot of tourists.

Maria la Gorda

Hidden and a largely undiscovered diving paradise

Maria la Gorda lies out-of-the-way in the most western point of Cuba. The region is well-known for its rich flora and fauna, underwater as well as on land.

Puerto Viejo

Reggae, spicy aromas and paradise-like beaches

Puerto Viejo stands for sun, sea, sand and parties. Diving tourism is not very big here but that doesn’t make the diving any less attractive.

Cozumel

Small Island with Outstanding Dive Spots

Cozumel, small yet colourful, is the largest island in Mexico. It is a highly popular tourist destination and port for cruise ships. Cozumel offers the best diving experience in and around the Yucatan peninsula.

Random

Sharm el-Sheikh

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Bustling and touristy town close to famous dive spots

Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the most popular and busiest dive destinations in the world. The underwater park, Ras Mohammed, is literally a stone’s throw from the shore.

About Sharm el-Sheikh
Tourism has flourished in Sharm el-Sheikh for decades. This town at the mouth of the Gulf of Akaba is one of the most developed and accessible holiday destinations in the Red Sea. It has everything, including shopping malls and casinos. With regards to nightlife there are international restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs. Accommodation varies from small, simple hotels close to the harbour to all-inclusive resorts and luxury 5-star hotels. Souvenir hawkers abound, which can become quite irritating at times. Sharm el-Sheikh has an airport to which many charters fly directly.

Diving Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh provides access to an abundance of beautiful and famous dives spots. Many divers regard the underwater park, Ras Mohammed, and the shipwreck, Thistlegorm, as “must sees”. Their popularity is justified and has led to overcrowding. You can ask your dive school to take you to lesser known sites but if you want to see the “highlights” then you run the risk of “traffic jams”. Given that, we are hearing more often that the crowds are not as bad as you might expect. It could be that with the growth of other dive destinations, such as Dahab, some of the pressure has been taken off Sharm el-Sheikh.

Suffocated Reefs
The tempestuous development of Sharm el-Sheikh has created problems. Corals which grew close to the shoreline have been suffocated by the sand and cement which have polluted the sea from nearby building sites. The sewage outlets which opened into the sea have not made life below the surface any more attractive. Lately, interventions to prevent further damage have been applied but much of the damage is irreparable. Some of the easy dive spots for beginners have been lost. The best dive spots lie just out from the coast which is why most diving in Sharm el-Sheikh occurs from dive boats.

Sharm el-Sheikh Summary
Tourist town with every convenience imaginable. Top dive spots: Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed

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