THE 10 BEST Cuba Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
Scuba & Snorkeling in Cuba
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What travelers are saying
- desjardinshdMontreal, Canada1 contributionMy son and I enjoyed two superb days of diving at Coral Beach and Bay of Pigs (4 dives of over an hour each). It was our first real dives after our certification. They pick us up directly at our hotel in a 1953 Chevrelet, really cool! The diving equipment provided is top quality and very safe. Carlos (owner), Raciel et George are really amazing. They take time to explain what we'll do on each dive, answer all our questions and are incredible guides. It was also a great experience to go all the way to the Bay of Pigs. It gives us a chance to discover Cuba from another angle. Memorable souvenirs for the rest of our lives.Written September 23, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- EmilychanCanada11 contributionsReally nice experience! Special thanks for Rey! We had a wonderful snorkeling experience with Rey. The driver and him were arrived on time and drove us to a beautiful snorkel area! We did see a lot of sea animals and beautiful coral reefs there! Saturno cave was also very beautiful too, the water was very cold tho😆Written September 21, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Guido v3 contributionsJavier was very communicative and the dive was quickly arranged. He picked me up at my hotel in his Frankenstein car. Dive site was nice with good new equipment and a lot to see.Written September 29, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- David RBradford West Gwillimbury, Canada131 contributionsCoco Diving Centre has outdone itself again. This was my third trip to dive in Cayo Guillermo with this dive shop, and I'm now up to 45 dives with a team that has become almost family!
I'm a PADI OW instructor, and on this trip I was diving with my brother who is OW certified with only a few dives at the time. This year we did 11 dives and one snorkel adventure.
While it may be crass to start with the price, if you want to do a lot of great diving that doesn't hit the pocketbook too hard, 10 dives for $315 USD is an incredible deal, and if you are able to stay more than a week to pack in more diving, it's only $25 per dive from there on in. Last year I did 22 total!
There are two morning dives a day, approximately at 9 and 11, but you're in Cuba so assume manana timing. Yail will take care of all of your communication and booking needs. She is extremely kind-hearted, and works hard to ensure that you have the smoothest experience possible.
The dive staff are fun-loving and very professional. They keep a very close eye on new divers, providing some extra air to extend their dive (and by extension, everyone else's!), and they know the reefs so well, providing excellent opportunities to see details that might otherwise be missed.
Julio, Noidal, Llevan and Alejandro were regulars on our trips out to the reefs, and they took turns training new divers and doing tours with certified folk. Trainees get to learn in a beautiful protected sandy bay, protected from the waves by a small island. That's where I did my snorkel (I only dive once 24 hours prior to a flight), and I really enjoyed the reef in miniature, with tons of juvenile versions of fish and other wildlife that you see on the main dives. In spite of it being shallow, I still got to see both a yellow and sting ray, and apparently small sea turtles make an appearance at times.
The boat continues out to drop off advanced divers on one of the many deeper reef systems that are around 80-90' (approaching 30m) deep for a multi-level dive. It's there that you very often are treated to sharks (nurse and reef), sting rays, huge groupers, schools of tuna, and large sea turtles.
Depending on the make-up of the clients, the boat will either stay out to do a second shallow dive, or more commonly, it will return to the shore to return newer divers who only can manage a single dive, or to take on clients for the second dive slot. Either way, you get to spend time enjoying a gorgeous view with a great team.
The second dive will be shallower at ~50-60' (up to 20 m) where you can spend a little more time enjoying the smaller life on the reef. On this trip I spent more time learning about sea cucumbers and hermit crabs. I didn't know that crabs get big enough to fill an entire conch shell - the business claw is really impressive!
The number of invasive lionfish has decreased considerably which bodes well for the future health of the reef. Fishing is also prohibited on these inner reefs (with the exception of lionfish) which makes for a healthy and vibrant coral ecosystem.
I bring my own equipment except for weights and tanks. My brother used everything from the center except for mask and fins. He didn't have any equipment problems - his only request was to have a gauge in PSI, which they were able to accommodate. It's not North America, so the assumption is Bar pressure. Their gauge systems tend to be without an integrated compass - not as big a deal in very clear water and very observant guides.
You can leave your gear in their locked storage area to save you carrying it. You can rinse your gear in fresh water in two large pools at the dive center, and the boat has a reservoir to rinse your fancy gear like cameras and lights, plus to clear the salt out of your face and hair. I appreciated the shady below-deck to limit my sun exposure, while others headed up to be with Delfin the captain or at the back of the boat to sunbathe.
I stayed at the Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo which was a 1.6 km (one mile) walk down a stunning tropical beach. Walking it with my brother each day was almost as fun as the diving itself. There is a long pier out into the ocean by the dive centre. I have enjoyed snorkeling there are it is the only place I have seen the prettier tropical fish close to the mainland, plus I've often seen barracuda there as well.
**Underwater photography credit to Julio - our main guide on this trip. Remove if not allowed.**
To my Cayo Coco dive family - I can't wait to see you again.
DaveWritten September 2, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - K CToronto, Canada5 contributionsEvery night has been amazing!!
the days are filled with lots of activities and dancing. if you’re looking for a place to have a few drinks and dance until 1am with staff and the few other drunk visitors, do to the lobby and you will get that! this place has been amazing and i wish i could’ve stayed another week to continue to experience the culture and create stronger friendships with the people i’ve met here!Written October 17, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Astrid D2 contributionsThe instructor and the driver arrived on time :)
We had the opportunity to see beautiful fish during the snorkeling !
I highly recommend this activity (especially Victor, very nice and concerned about people during the activity)Written August 27, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - JensHKGBremen, Germany77 contributionsMy son (14yrs) and I booked 18 dives with the diving school. The equipment and our dive guide are great and well experienced.
We even completed several SSI specialty dive courses. Had great fun with Trainer Lazaro, especially regarding his tattoo 'King of the Ocean!.Written July 27, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Alaina K15 contributionsWe had a wonderful experience with Yailin. The car was straight out of a movie. We had a wonderful drive down and stopped for fresh piña colada. She spoke great English and had a lot of information to tell us along the way. I would definitely recommend this tour. She was very helpful in the city of Havana and showed us all the history.Written October 2, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Anne-marie SWales, UK316 contributionsDid 4 dives with Barracuda.. 1st two from a boat in the north and 2nd in the south at Bay of Pigs. Sea is rough in the north this time of year. Boat trip took us to a wreck & a reef. Dive instructor was Alexandro who was great at giving instructions in different languages. Great wreck & then reef .. but rough sea (Atlantic). Bay of pigs recommended for two days later. 2 hr bus drive from varadero via dive centre but was so worth it. Totally calm
Sea (carribean) with group and this time with Andy the Instructor. Great to have this option when the water is rough in the north. If it’s offered, definitely go to the restaurant on the way back…, it was the best meal we’d had in Cuba!!!!! Some reviews said this company was disorganised. If you are used to other dive companies in different countries, you just need to relax and chill when you get there. There are different groups doing different things (qualified divers, new divers , snorkellers) - you just need to wait until you are told to check in, get your kit, get on the bus/boat etc. Cuba is more chilled so be prepared and what may seem disorganisation, is just different activities getting sorted at the same time to then get on the bus or boat. Instructors are brilliant, kit was fine: not brand new but not outdated, & all the team are all keen to ensure you had a good time diving.Written October 29, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Scenic03041608238Winnipeg, Canada3 contributionsHad a great day snorkeling at Coral Beach and visiting Saturno Cave. We got off to a late start, Carlos and Lazaro were both very accommodating and didn't rush us or anything. Two people in our group were scuba diving so we had to go back and wait for them after the cave, which gave us time to enjoy a pina colada on the beach. And the underwater videos are a nice touch, definitely worth the extra $5Written February 13, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Ronny HMiami, FL2 contributionsVery nice treatment, excellent experience. Totally recommended. I warranty you'll enjoy and never regretWritten November 17, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- mbcrook49Chattanooga, TN11 contributionsThis was a fantastic scuba diving trip to Cuba! Rene’ arranged all of our travel from the moment that we got off of the airplane. We stayed at an apartment nearby ran by Malia. It was $30 a night and included a living room, dining room, kitchen, patio, bedroom with AC, and also had a safe to lock our valuables. There was a washroom where we could clean all of our scuba gear each night and a clothesline to hang our wet clothes. Malia provided us breakfast every morning for five dollars a day, very reasonable!
Ansel was our dive master and took us out for two dives every morning. I felt safe and cared for the entire trip. We saw some amazing scenes and got some great pictures. Rene’s wife, Cecilia, had us back for lunch on our last day, which happened to be my husband‘s birthday. She provided lunch and a cake. They made us feel welcome the entire trip. We also went to a dive site two hours south near the bay of pigs and had lunch at a little town on the way back. It was an awesome day!
One thing that was a little difficult was finding a place to buy food supplies and water. Also, the electric electricity routinely goes out 2 to 3 times a day. This is to be expected in this area. One suggestion would be to bring your own snacks if possible. I highly recommend using Rene’‘s service if you plan to dive in Cuba!Written September 19, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Casa los CoralesPlaya Santa Lucia, Cuba28 contributionsReally good underwater ambience for photography!!! the marine live is very healthy, nice variety of sponges very colourful!!!
Also very good for macro pics because no big fish...I recommend to anyone come here and discover the best dive in Cuba from the sea shore!!!Written December 2, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - xlittlemissyxSlough, UK152 contributionsVery different experience but I had a great time. Definitely recommend. Fun for everyone and a brilliant day out. Thank you!Written March 2, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
