Right at the top of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula is the island of Cozumel. This is an extremely popular diving destination especially for American scuba divers as it's just a few hours away from the southern United States. Despite the near proximity, it remains a fairly Mexican sort of place. Most tourism targets the western coast and as fresh water is at a premium, development isn't been as extensive as it is across on the Yucatán Peninsula.

The limestone shores are mostly craggy with shallow coral formations that consist of a double row of parallel reefs characterised by interesting swim-throughs, tunnels and caverns. However, outside this protective barrier, all the reefs are subject to some spiky currents and drift diving is the order of the day. Marine life is typically Caribbean with plenty of fish life and a mix of small and large creatures.