Home › Diver Destinations › Central America and Caribbean
Scuba Diving in Central America
The stunning underwater topography in the Central American Region provides a range of habitats for some of the richest marine biodiversity found anywhere in the world.
This section contains all the essential details that divers need to know about the top diving locations in the Central American Countries and Caribbean Islands.
Where's the Best Diving in Middle America?
According to geographical data, the 7 Central American countries are:
- Belize (a Caribbean nation on the north-eastern coast)
- Costa Rica (famous for wildlife, surfing, and sandy beaches)
- El Salvador (renowned earthquakes and volcanic activity)
- Guatemala (shares borders with Mexico in the north and west)
- Honduras (Caribbean coastlines in the north and Pacific in the south)
- Nicaragua (the largest country in Central America by land mass)
- Panama (famous for birding, whitewater rafting, and snorkeling tours)
In general, Central America diving and snorkeling trips tend to be year-round activities. Some of the best-known dive sites in the seven Central American countries are the Belize Barrier Reef, Cocos Island in Costa Rica, and the small island of Utila.
Even so, the Honduras Bay Islands are one of the cheapest places to get scuba certified. New divers will find the colourful coral gardens in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef simply breathtaking.
Here's the thing:
The Pacific side is the place for big pelagics, especially sharks. But, the currents are strong and it is better suited for divers with advanced scuba certifications.
Yet, head over to the Caribbean side of the Central American Isthmus and you'll find calmer conditions and colorful reefs - one of the best diving destinations for beginners.
Pro Tip: We have a section dedicated to sea wildlife with detailed information about the characteristics, habitats, and behavioural traits of marine vertebrates and aquatic invertebrates.
Best Months for Diving in Central American Region
Even though the diving conditions vary, especially the water movement, underwater visibility, and the sea life (e.g. animal migrations), it's generally considered as being an uninterrupted activity.
Diving in the Caribbean Side
If you're looking for dry weather and calm seas, a visit to the Caribbean coastline is better for scuba divers from November through to the end of May.
The protected marine reserves, known locally as the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve (GSSCMR) is the place to dive with mighty whale sharks (between April and June).
Diving in the Pacific Side
As a general rule of thumb, the driest time of year to dive in Costa Rica (especially the Cocos and Catalina Islands) is from December to May.
The clearer visibility and presence of large pelagics, such as hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae) and graceful manta rays (genus Mobula), draws travelling divers to this region time after time.
Diving in Belize
Besides being a UNESCO site, the Belize Barrier Reef is actually the second largest in the world (the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the biggest).
It's fair to say the Blue Hole is the most famous of all dive sites in Belize, even though the sinkhole is in short supply of marine life (excluding bull sharks).
Nonetheless, other great locations for scuba diving and snorkeling include:
Ambergris Caye
Caye Caulker
Placencia
Stann Creek
Turneffe Atoll
Diving in Costa Rica
No matter whether you go diving at the Pacific side or the Caribbean coast, all of the Costa Rica dive sites deliver an exhilarating experience.
For example, not all the best diving spots in the world can offer legendary liveaboard destinations that are teeming with schooling hammerheads, bull sharks, majestic mantas, and colossal whale sharks.
Bat Islands
Cahuita y Puerto Viejo
Catalina Islands
Cocos Island
Diving in El Salvador
Atonal Reef
Lake Ilopango
Los Cobanos
Diving in Guatemala
Cabo Tres Puntas
Lake Atitlán
Puerto Barrios
Diving in Honduras
Bay Islands (Roatan, Utila)
Guanaja
Mesoamerican Barrier Reef
Diving in Nicaragua
Altamira
Corn Islands
Laguna Apoyo
Diving in Panama
Caribbean Side:
Bocas del Toro
San Blas Islands
Pacific Side:
Coiba National Park
Diving in The Caribbean Islands
In many ways, the warm water and stunning coral reefs at the Caribbean islands render them quite similar to Central America's Caribbean coast.
However, some of the significant differences include the underwater topography of Central America dive sites (which are mostly fringing reefs and offshore atolls) and strong water currents (tend to be more powerful in the Caribbean Sea).
In a nutshell, many of the Caribbean Island dive sites contain deep walls, shelving terrain, and volcanic drop-offs.
Despite this, or because of it, the region also has an abundance of deep wreck dives (e.g. sunken WWII naval ships).
Also, the effects of scuba diving tourism on the Caribbean Islands means most of the developed hotspots for divers and snorkelers are logistically easier.
Bahamas
Bermuda
Bonaire
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Montserrat
Turks and Caicos Islands
Related Information and Help Guides
- Awesome Destinations for Scuba Diving around the World
- Everything Beginners Should Know about Snorkeling
- List of Scuba Certification Levels and Popular Dive Courses
- Types of Sea Life and Species Information with Pictures
- Where are the Premier Dive Sites in Asia for New Divers?
Note: Would you like to help us develop this section? Can you share interesting and practical details about how, when, and why you went scuba diving in Central America or the Caribbean Islands?
If so, we would like to feature personalised dive descriptions and comments. Articles written by divers who regularly dive the site, or local experts on the topography and marine life, will have preference for inclusions in this section.
Please use the contact form to send us any useful comments or information and "Scuba Steve" will reply personally by email.