Good to Know

Language: Spanish

Currency: Mexican peso

Signature Dish: Chilaquiles are corn tortillas cut into quarters and fried, then simmered in either red or green sauce. Typically, cheese and scrambled eggs or chicken are added on top.

Signature Topside Activity: Visit the Mayan ruins at Ek Balam, a two-hour drive west of Cancun.

Main Airport: Cancun, CUN, if you’re going to Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras or, for those willing to take a ferry, Cozumel. You can also fly direct to Cozumel International Airport, CZM. For the Socorros, fly into Cabo San Lucas International Airport, CSL.

Water Temp/Visibility: For Mexico’s Gulf destinations, water temperatures are between 79 and 82 degrees, with 75 feet of viz. Water inside the cenotes is typically 75 degrees, with viz of 100 feet. On the Pacific side, water temps vary between 78 and 86 degrees, with viz between 40 and 100 feet.

Travel Tip: Call your phone carrier before you depart, and ask for the best data plan for Mexico.

No matter what dream dive is on your bucket list, Mexico can make it happen. Want to swim with whale sharks? In this country it’s a sure bet — on both coasts. Want to dive with sharks? Mexico’s got you covered, from the Revillagigedo Islands to Playa del Carmen. Not to mention the caves. With its vast network of submerged passageways, the Riviera Maya ranked first in that category in the Readers Choice Awards. The country earned many accolades, but none more prestigious than its No. 1 ranking for Best Overall Dive Destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic region. In every underwater way imaginable, Mexico delivers.

Big Animals

Bicoastal Action

Our neighbor to the south won third place in the Readers Choice Awards for big animals for a host of reasons. Found 240 miles off the western Pacific Coast, the Revillagigedo Islands, also referred to by the name of the largest island, Socorro, deliver a bounty of big, including humpback whales, manta rays, dolphins and seven species of shark: hammerhead, silky, oceanic whitetip, silvertip, Galapagos, tiger and whale shark. Mexico’s west coast is also the jumping-off point to reach Guadalupe Island, known as the best place in the world for cage diving with great whites. Choose Mexico’s Gulf side for whale sharks off Isla Contoy and bull sharks off Playa del Carmen.

“Bull sharks aren’t dangerous, although they do keep your adrenaline high,” says Dorota Golian, manager of Pro Dive International. “Watch them and you’ll see — they’re very beautiful animals that you can’t help but admire.”

Sure Thing

Few places on the planet are as reliable for whale shark sightings as the waters off Isla Contoy, located off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. Anyone traveling to Cancun or any other destination in Riviera Maya during June, July or August should devote at least a day, if not two, to these all-day safaris. On most days, it’s not a question of if snorkelers will see a whale shark but how many. Sightings of giant mantas are also likely.

Nest Egg

Six of seven turtle species nest in Mexico, both along the Yucatan Peninsula and Baja Peninsula. Out in Baja, the 30-mile-long Magdalena Bay, four hours’ drive north of Cabo San Lucas, is known as a hot spot for swimming with whales, including gray whales, and it’s also a prime spot to snorkel with green sea turtles and witness egg laying.

In the Riviera Maya, ­loggerhead turtles lay eggs June through August. During the summer, make a nighttime walk on the beaches of the town of Akumal — the name translates to “turtle nest” — and odds are good of seeing the event.

Even if divers don’t witness females laying eggs, they’ll still enjoy the fruits of Mexico’s turtle protection efforts. Most of the country’s dive destinations, including Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, have thriving populations of green and loggerhead turtles — divers will encounter at least one on most dives.

Read more on the Best Scuba Diving in the World.

Caves, Caverns and Grottoes

Explore the Underworld

Just 930 miles of the estimated 4,970 miles — less than one-fifth — of submerged caves in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula have been explored. So it’s no wonder that this area attracts adventurous types eager to push their limits and discover new passageways.

But you don’t need to be the first in a new cave, or section of cave, to get that high of swimming through the underworld. The Riviera Maya is unusual in that its caves and caverns suit just-certified ­divers — and even snorkelers — as well as cave divers on trimix. That’s exactly what 4,970 miles of cave gets you: diversity enough to match all abilities.

Best Value

Taco ’Bout a Deal

Food is one of the ways divers save big when traveling to Mexico. If you can forgo the sit-down dining experience, you can easily spend $5 for an authentic dinner, be it tacos, grilled meats, rice and beans, or so much more. Look for beachside stands, taco trucks or any spot packed with locals.

On Cozumel, look for mom-and-pop restaurants dishing up barbecue chicken plus rice and beans; a group of four can be fed for $20.

Keep in mind: White plastic chairs as guest seating usually mean good deals, as do menus not in English. Luckily, you don’t need to know Spanish to get fed. And you will find options everywhere you stay.

Art Scene

Living Art

Cancun was chosen as a site for underwater sculptures created by artist Jason deCaires Taylor, installed in 2009 — and it remains one of the largest such projects, with more than 500 permanent works of art, spread among two parks: Salon Manchones, which allows divers, and Punta Nizuc, which is snorkel-only.

2019 Readers Choice Awards

• 1st Place: Best Overall Dive Destination; Cavern, Cave and Grotto (Riviera Maya); Best Value
• 2nd Place: Advanced Diving (Cozumel and Riviera Maya); Cavern, Cave and Grotto (Cozumel)
• 3rd Place: Big Animals (Isla Mujeres); Advanced Diving (Socorros)
• 4th Place: Big Animals (Socorros)
• Top 10, Best Wall Dives: Palancar Deep; Santa Rosa Wall; Colombia Deep; Devil’s Throat/Punta Sur (Cozumel)
• Top 10, Best Dive Sites: Dos Ojos, Riviera Maya; Roca Partida, Socorros
• Top 10, Best Wreck Dive: C-53, Cozumel
• Top 10, Most Unusual Dive Sites: Devil’s Throat/Punta Sur, Cozumel; El Gran Cenote, Riviera Maya; Chac Mool, Riviera Maya; Angelita Cenote, Riviera Maya
• Top 10, Best Night Dive: Palancar Reef, Cozumel
• Top 10, Best Animal Encounters: Whale sharks, Isla Contoy; bull sharks, Playa del Carmen; eagle rays, Cozumel; great white sharks, Guadalupe Island; sea lions, Los Islotes; hammerhead sharks, Roca Partida, Socorros
• Top 10, Best Beach: Tulum; Akumal
• Top 10, Best Cultural Experiences: Chichen Itza Maya ruins, Yucatan; San Gervasio Maya ruins, Cozumel; Carnaval, Cozumel