Welcome to Xcalak, a small village on the Costa Maya, about 6 miles north of Mexico’s border with Belize. This place is a great destination for scuba divers looking for an off-the-beaten-path adventure.
The underwater ecosystem of Xcalak is truly worth exploring. As part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (the second-largest barrier reef in the world), it boasts an abundance of corals, sponges, and a diverse array of marine life, including tarpon, eagle rays, barracuda, turtles, jacks, and even manatees.
Xcalak National Reef Park, which spans about 40 km / 25 mi, protects at-risk species. The park’s existence ensures the preservation of this beautiful underwater world.
Get Ready for Your Scuba Diving Adventure
The best time to visit Xcalak for scuba diving is between May and October, when water temperatures are at their highest and visibility is at its best. However, with its tropical climate, Xcalak has good diving conditions all year round.
When packing for your trip, don’t forget to bring your dive certification card and logbook, and gear like a mask, snorkel, fins, wetsuit*, BCD, regulators, dive computer, and underwater camera. If you prefer to travel light, don’t worry – the two dive centers in Xcalak have gear rental services.
*Water temperatures run about 21-27oC (70-80oF), year-round.
When diving in Xcalak, the visibility is typically good: 30m / 98ft. However, on really windy days there may be suspended particles in the water dulling the clarity, dropping viz to 15m / 49ft.
Explore the Best Dive Sites in Xcalak
Xcalak is the “gateway to the Banco Chinchorro,” but there are also impressive underwater sites closer to the shore.
- Chinchorro Banks: A must-visit site for wreck diving enthusiasts, this biosphere reserve is home to several shipwrecks teeming with marine life. Your journey from Xcalak to Chinchorro will take approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours by boat, across open sea. It is recommended to plan this trip ahead of time with your dive center, as they typically only hold a trip if there are enough people to make it worthwhile.
- La Poza: A quick boat ride from Xcalak is a beginner’s (and up) level dive, La Poza, that features big, awesome schools of tarpon. These silver beauties hang out here pretty dependably. Tarpon are about six feet long yet swim gracefully, like ballerinas; drifting in the middle of an entire school of these huge fish is really amazing.
- La Chimenea: The two focal points of this dive are a sea cavern (The Cathedral) with an open top (that lends a cool underwater sunlight effect), and a vertical corridor (The Chimney), which you follow back to the surface to a coral wall. This particular dive is deep and is recommended for advanced divers.
There are so many other diving spots near Xcalak, and frankly, I don’t want to get into describing them all; someone else has already done it better: XTC Dive Center’s descriptions. (note that XTC closed its doors, and its diving, in 2024)
Dive with the Best in Xcalak
There are two reputable scuba diving centers in Xcalak:
- XTC Dive Center: Note – closed as of 2024. This is where most visitors to Xcalak choose to dive; it’s a very professional, PADI-style 5-star dive center that will see to all your diving needs.
- Costa de Cocos: Coco’s is a more relaxed diving option that appeals to many visitors; it’s also a convenient option if you stay at their accommodation.
Dive Safety
Scuba diving in Xcalak is an incredible experience that should not be missed. However, it’s worth mentioning that the facilities in Xcalak do not include a hyperbaric recompression chamber.
In the event of decompression sickness (aka, the bends), you’d likely have to go to Playa del Carmen. I want to think there’s one in Mahahual or Chetumal, but there may not be, and it’s kind of embarrassing that I don’t know.
Hint: ask XTC; they will know.
Final Thoughts
If you’re an avid scuba diver and adventure seeker, it’s time to add Xcalak to your dive map. And if your travel companions don’t dive, get them into it with an introductory course!
(for non-divers, the area has fantastic snorkeling right from the beach)
We encourage you to take a giant stride (or backroll) in to discover the fascinating underwater world that awaits you in this remote corner of Mexico; happy diving!