Punta Cana Scuba Diving Excursions

 

With great water transparency, Punta Cana is an excellent place for Scuba Diving with its majestic coral reefs and plenty of shipwrecks from the pirate era to explore. 

Ever wanted to try Scuba Diving while on vacation but you're unsure if you are ready to commit to a certification course? Check out PADI Discover Scuba Diving for a simple introduction to the sport. Dive in a resort pool or in the open water under the direction of a PADI instructor. Minimum age is 10 years old. This tour lasts 2 hours and is offered daily with start times from 9 am to 3 pm. 

If you are ready to start your certification process and want to do it on vacation check out PADI Open Water Diver in Punta Cana. This is a multi-day tour to get your first level of accreditation. After studying the basic safety rules, participants will complete their first dive in a confined area such as a swimming pool. Afterwards accomplish four dives to a maximum of 18 meters. Minimum age is 10. 

Discover the underwater world off the East coast of the Dominican Republic on a single tank dive or a two tank dive. Exact dive location is based on previous diving experience. Must be a certified diver. This single tank dive is offered daily and lasts one hour with departure times at 9 am and 11:30 am. The two tank dive is also offered daily, lasts 3 hours with departure times at 9 am and 10 am. 

Experience Catalina Island, a beautiful inhabited island known as one if the best sites for snorkeling and scuba diving. It is home to not only one of the most diverse eco-systems in the Caribbean Sea, but also the ship wreck of 17th-century pirate Captain William Kidd. This tour lasts 9 hours with a departure time of 8 am and is offered daily except Wednesdays and Sundays. 

For a twist on Scuba Diving, how about Snuba? Using a scuba scooter navigate around a coral reef and see tropical fish, sea turtles and rays. The scooter allows for easy access to diving, with 180 degree panoramic views while free flowing air in the hull creates a water free environment for your head and shoulders. No previous experience or certification is required. 

El Dorado Royale All Inclusive Resort Tour | COVID Travel Vlog

 

El Dorado Royale is an adults only all inclusive resort near Puerto Morales, Mexico. El Dorado Royale is a larger resort with eight restaurants. Four of them were serving a la carte dinner during our stay. Some things that set El Dorado Royale apart from other all inclusive resorts: lush landscaping, some swim up suites connect to the swim up bar, evening nightlife, and good dining. El Dorado Royale is a great choices for groups of friends or extended families. Take a look: 

Best Beaches in Cancun, Mexico

 

All beaches are not created equal on the east coast of Mexico. The Puerto Morales area is not protected by Cozumel or the reef so you'll find eroded beaches. Maroma beach is considered one of the best in Mexico, but the sand is gold, Playa Mujeres, Tulum, Akumal, and the Cancun Hotel Zone all have white sand. 

Take a listen as I answer common questions about the beaches in Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Playa Mujeres, Mexico. 

What beaches have white Sand like a Corona beer commercial?  Playa Mujeres, Cancun Hotel Zone, Akumal, Tulum 

Where I can find waves? Cancun Hotel Zone has many red flag days due to the stronger current. This current creates some good waves. This means it's not the best choice if you want to kayak or paddle board every day. 

Can I snorkel from shore? You can always pop on a snorkeling mask and see what you can see. Remember, that good snorkeling requires coral  and/ or sea grass so that means the beach may be rockier or the water may not be pristine blue. For instance, Akumal has a lot of sea grass so it attracts turtles. 

How Busy is the Beach? All beaches are public, but Playacar and Playa del Carmen beaches are easier to reach. The all inclusive resorts in Playa del Carman and Playacar tend to have more vendors since the beach is easier to access. 

How Natural is the beach? Cancun Hotel Zone is very groomed. Not a lot of palm trees or shrubs on the beach. Other areas of Riviera Maya kept more of the natural vegetation. For instance, the Playa Mujeres beaches kept the natural mangroves so you'll walk over a board walk to get the beach. 

How close the beach is to the resort? Playa Mujeres the rooms are further from the beach because of the natural mangroves. In Puerto Morales, places like Now Sapphire, the oceanfront rooms are right on the beach. 

Punta Cana Excursions for Groups

 

Groups headed to Punta Cana should check out these exciting excursions. Great for Bachelor/ Bachelorette getaways, Guys/ Girls trips or any adult group looking to add some more fun to their vacation to the Dominican Republic.

Cancun Excursions for Families

Warm weather year round, all-inclusive resorts, pools, beaches and plenty to do makes the Cancun, Mexico area a great place for a family vacation! Here are some awesome family-friendly excursions to enhance your getaway.

Located in the Hotel Zone is Aquabounce, an inflatable obstacle course located on the water. Guests navigate through slippery stairs, wobbly platforms, giant slides, trampolines and moving platforms. Minimum height is 3’2”, life jackets are obligatory. 

Cancun Excursions for Groups, Bachelor or Bachelorette Parties or Couples Trips

 

Cancun is a great vacation spot for groups of all types and sizes, whether its Bachelor / Bachelorette groups, Girls / Guys Trips or Couples trips there is plenty to see and do together day and night. Check out these great options for your group trip to the Cancun area!

 

Daytime Experiences

 

Pair sightseeing and shopping with this great combo tour. Visit Cancun highlights including the Tequila Museum with tasting, Hotel Zone, and Artisanal Market. Transportation is included. This tour is offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and lasts 5 to 6 hours.

 

Explore the jungle trails on an ATV inside Native’s Park in Playa Del Carmen. The park doubles as a nature reserve, discover ancient Maya ruins, swim in a cenote and explore a cave with beautiful rock formations during your adventure. Participate in a Maya ceremony and learn about the first settlers in the area. Afterwards explore La Quinta Avenida and the nearby beaches. This tour lasts 4 hours and is offered daily with departure times at 11 am and 3 pm. 

 

Cancun All Inclusive Resorts: Top 3 All Inclusive Resorts for Adults

 I share what I consider to be the Top 3 Adults Only Cancun All Inclusive Resorts in the Hotel Zone:

Hyatt Zilara Cancun All Inclusive Resort because:

• Swim Up Bar is in the infinity pool
• Great beach bali beds assigned to your suite. 
• Mexican restaurant is fantastic. 

Live Aqua Cancun All Inclusive Resort because:

• Several different pools
• Great dining especially Italian restaurant 
• Terraced Bali Beds 

Le Blanc Cancun All Inclusive Resort because:

• Excellent dining and service 
• Two pools so you can get sun all day long 
• Great hydrotherapy area that's included. 

Cancun Excursions for Scuba Divers

 

Not only is it home to the second largest barrier reef in the world, but the shallow waters make the waters in and around the Cancun area a great place for both beginners and professional divers alike. If Scuba Diving is on your vacation bucket list check out these great options!

These excursions are perfect for those that are interested in trying Scuba Diving but are not sure they are ready to go through a certification course. Discover Scuba Diving located in the Cancun Hotel Zone takes place in a pool, off a beach or from a dive boat. This is a quick and easy introduction to see what it takes to explore the world underwater. This excursion is offered at 11 am  Monday through Saturday. Minimum age is 10. A similar option is also offered daily in the Tulum area. Same age restriction applies.

If you would like to get certified in Scuba Diving while on your Cancun vacation these excursions are for you. Open Water Diving Certification (PADI) at Cancun and PADI Open Water Certification at Tulum. These are multi-day excursions, minimum age is 10. 

For Scuba Divers looking to dive a shipwreck here are two excellent options, Playa Del Carmen Wreck & Reef Diving and Wreck and Reef Dive Cancun -2 tanks. In Playa Del Carmen explore the shipwreck of Mama Viña and the species of marine life that reside around this artificial reef. This is an all day tour offered 7 days a week with a start time of 8 am. In Cancun explore the General Anaya, a C-58 minesweeper which broke in half during Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and now lays 85 feet below the surface. In the winter months the area is crowded with eagle rays, year round divers will see plenty of tropical fish, turtles, and other marine creatures. This tour lasts 5 hours and is offered on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Divers looking to get close to some sharks should check out these two dives, Bull Shark Diving and Mako Shark Diving. Bull Sharks can swim in fresh water as well as salt water and they are drawn to the coast by the freshwater pumped into the sea by the freshwater cenotes. The best time to see them is November to March. This full day tour is offered daily in the winter months. Did you know that the Mako Shark is the fastest shark in the ocean? This dive takes place in a cage constructed of aluminum pipe and solid bar stock floated on the surface or submerged just a few feet. This tour lasts 9 hours.

Cenotes, unique to the Yucatan Peninsula, are a massive system of underwater caverns and caves. Explore this underground world through a Cenote Scuba Diving Experience with an experienced cave diver. This all day tour is offered daily at 8 am.

This two-tank dive tour option starts with the Underwater Museum, explore a collection of art underwater and an artificial reef that was created to help natural reefs recover. The museum started with just three statues and today the collection has over 470 life-sized sculptures. The second dive is at a natural coral reef teeming with fish and turtles. This five hour tour is offered every day except on Wednesdays and Fridays.