The Caribbean is a must-visit destination for those with an adventurous spirit! From scuba diving at the Great Blue Hole to kayaking around pristine islands, there’s something for everyone.
Explore Turneffe Atoll for visible and varied marine life, or visit Bimini to spot hammerhead sharks on a feeding aggregation! The Caribbean’s diving season runs year-round, though hurricane season is a factor from June 1 to November 30.
Grand Cayman
The Cayman Islands are a stunning archipelago in the Caribbean Sea, famed for their pristine beaches, vibrant coral reefs, and luxurious resorts. Dive into adventure on Grand Cayman, the largest island, where crystal-clear waters beckon snorkelers and scuba divers while lush rainforests and hidden caves offer unforgettable exploration. Plan your dream escape with experts such as VisitCaymanIslands.com.
The largest of the three Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman offers a wealth of attractions for adventurers, including snorkeling with stingrays on Seven Mile Beach and climbing natural limestone bluffs to reach tranquil beaches. The island also boasts iconic shipwrecks and spectacular diving.
The West Wall of Grand Cayman is a top diving area with calm conditions and excellent visibility. The pristine reef features fascinating sponges, sharks, chutes, swim-throughs, caverns, and several shipwreck dives.
Ghost Mountain is a must for advanced divers. Thirty meters below the waterline, this underwater oasis is a magical place to discover red finger sponges and starlet coral.
Intermediate divers love Snapper Hole. Its maze of tunnels and chutes – with tarpon in residence – makes for a thrilling dive. Stingray City is another must for all levels. Here, you’ll see giant barrel sponges, a friendly population of stingrays, and various macro critters.
Little Cayman
Year after year, Little Cayman’s reputation as the Caribbean’s diving Mecca continues to grow. The north side of the island offers a collection of incredible dive sites in the Bloody Bay Marine Park, including the famed Jackson’s Wall and Randy’s Gazebo.
Both sites feature dramatic walls with deep drop-offs where divers enjoy thriving reefs and various marine life. Look for elkhorn, brains, staghorn coral, and reef fish like gray and French angelfish, queen angelfish, drum, and Nassau groupers. Check out the many crevices and coral fingers for tiny blennies and gobies, and watch out for the occasional shark or ray.
Little Cayman is less developed than Grand Cayman, with fewer than 200 full-time residents and iguanas that outnumber humans 20 to 1. Relax and enjoy the Caribbean’s renowned slow-paced lifestyle on a visit here. Snorkel, scuba dive, and explore shallow reefs and wrecks like the 330-foot (110 m) Russian warship MV Keith Tibbetts, one of only two sunken Soviet battleships worldwide.
Cayman Brac
While Cayman Brac may have fewer wrecks than its sister islands, this southwestern outpost has awe-inspiring dive sites. Upwards of 65 sites mix reefs, walls, and swim-throughs with various marine life. The island’s north side offers classic Caribbean wall diving with Donna’s Delight featuring ginormous barrel sponges and arching sea fans. At the same time, a mushroom-like pinnacle emerges from the blue at Ghost Mountain, often awash in nutrient-rich water attracting black groupers and horse-eyed jacks.
On the island’s east side, Silver Bank draws scuba enthusiasts searching for aquatic marine life, such as humpback whales, during the annual breeding and calving season between January and April. Other highlights include the Bloody Bay Marine Park, whose dazzling reef walls showcase invertebrate and vertebrate marine life. At the nearby Devil’s Grotto, crevices and swim-throughs are teeming with invertebrate life.
Roatan
Like its sister island, Utila, Roatan is famous for diving enthusiasts. The second largest barrier reef in the world is located here and provides an array of marine life to discover. Snorkelers can enjoy encounters with dolphins and explore underwater topography inaccessible by day boats.
For a thrilling underwater experience, head to the Dolphin’s Den site, where you can touch and kiss these friendly sea creatures. Then, dive into an underwater maze to find silversides and eels hiding in tunnels.
This area is also known for drift diving, where currents attract larger fish such as jacks and barracudas. It’s an excellent place to see giant barrel sponges and pillar corals the size of divers. There are plenty of opportunities for macro fans to spot flamingo tongues, Banded coral shrimp, and purple Pederson cleaner shrimp performing dental visits on groupers.
Curacao
Curacao is one of the best Caribbean destinations to mix topside activities with underwater exploration. Its stunning beaches, vibrant blend of European and Caribbean culture, luxurious resorts, and natural attractions, including Mount Christoffel National Park and Shete Boka National Park, offer something for everyone.
Coral reefs burst with colorful reef fish, creating a kaleidoscopic underwater spectacle. Visitors often encounter hawksbill and green sea turtles gliding through the crystal clear waters. Moray eels and stingrays are also common sightings.
The top diving spots on Curacao include Watamula, Superior Producer, and Paradise. These three dive sites are a must-visit for divers of all levels. Watamula is excellent for beginner divers, allowing shore diving without requiring long surface swims. Superior Producer is a shipwreck dive site that is popular with experienced divers. Paradise has a local feel with wooden fishing boats and an easy entry and exit and offers huge finger coral colonies and a lot of wildlife to see.
Grenada
Grenada feels honest, unpretentious, and untouched by the claws of consumerism – think Bali before Instagram. This tiny island has 60 dive sites and stunning beaches. It’s a nature lover’s paradise with mountain hikes, botanical gardens and waterfalls.
Plenty of snorkeling and scuba diving tours are available, so it’s worth booking in advance. You can opt for a relaxing sunset sail with drinks and snacks or an all-inclusive snorkeling trip that visits several must-see bays.
Saba is a dream destination for divers, thanks to its dramatic topography – Diamond Rock has caves and tunnels, and Man O’ War Shoals offers an unforgettable swim-through between two high-rise pinnacles. You can see frogfish, batfish, crustaceans, and octopuses, and lucky divers might even spot whales during certain times of the year. The island of Carriacou is another scuba- and snorkeling gem. Its coral reefs are home to spotted eagle rays, barracuda, and giant moray eels.
