Water adventures

If you have never been scuba diving, you don't know what you're missing. It is a fantastic otherworldly experience. There are plenty of dive shops that offer dive instruction. Reliable, quality dive shops include Playa del Carmen's Cyan Ha.

Underground and underwater

Already know how to dive? Take it to the next level and learn to cave or cavern dive. Cave diving is popular in the Yucatan because the caves are relatively shallow and there are so many of them. You can learn to cave dive with Mayatech Cave and Technical Divingor Zero Gravity.

If you aren't quite experienced enough for cave diving, most area dive shops offer cavern dives in cenotes. The dive goes around the cave entrance, keeping in site of natural daylight. To do a cavern dive, you must be a certified diver and go out with a fully certified cave diver as your divemaster.

If you are not a certified diver, you can still get a big thrill out of cenote cavern snorkeling. Cyan Ha runs a snorkeling trip through a gorgeous cenote cavern. This is a one of a kind adventure only found in this part of Mexico. Believe us, you will remember it forever.

Adventure tours

Get two adventures for the price of one with Aerosaab. Fly in a Cessna 4 seater to Isla Holbox on the north edge of the Yucatan peninsula. The planes fly low so you can sightsee all the way there. On the island, you go on a fishing boat to see flamingos and other exotic birds.

Right next to Playacar and Playa del Carmen, you can ride motorized ATVs through the jungle and see Mayan ruins and one of the most beautiful cenotes around. ATV Explorer is Playa del Carmen's original jungle tour, and still the best.

Learn something on vacation by taking one of Alltournative Expeditions' eco tours. The best experience is their tour to Coba. After walk through the jungle to see these ruins and climb the highest pyramid in the Yucatan, the trip takes you to Pac Chen. This tiny Mayan village has only been accessible by road for a year. A hike through the jungle to repel into a deep clear cenote is followed by a ride on a zip line across a lake. The most interesting part of the tour is meeting villagers, who speak Mayan and some Spanish.

You can fly to Cuba from Cancun in under an hour. Cubanasol can give you more information about what to do when you get there. For a big thrill locally , sky dive over the Caribbean with the sky diving outfit in the mall by the Cozumel ferry dock in Playa del Carmen.

Caribbean Coast Travel can set you up with tours and transportation to all the popular Mayan Riviera destinations.

Adventure Guide to the Yucatan, Cancun and Cozumel Out of the way towns and ruins, and eco traveler recommendations.


Sacred Monkey River: A Canoe Trip with the Gods A canoeist's travels on the Usamacinta River, the cradle of ancient Mayan civilization

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling For Dummies