Mexico

Cabo Pulmo is rustic, with jaw-rattling washboard roads leading through the vast Baja Sur desert to an epic point that overlooks the oldest of the only three reef systems on the Pacific side of North America. The town itself is little more than a collection of dive centers and a couple of restaurant...

Baja is one glorious gorgeous empty beach after another and some of the more geophysically remarkable can be experienced if you have a 4WD vehicle (though the best they say are only accessible by kayak). The Agua Verde isthmus is right next to the tiny fishing village of Puerto Agua Verde but is not...

The cenote is large with one main open swimming area, and several smaller more hidden areas. It is a favorite amongst local families, and tends to generally have a small crowd, although it is also spacious enough that it doesn't feel cramped. With clear emerald blue water, it's a great spot for brin...

A cenote is a natural sinkhole that appears when bedrock collapses and exposes groundwater beneath. The exposed water can be above ground, or in a series of underground caves and rivers. The Yucatan Peninsula is somewhat known for cenotes, and a trip to the area isn't complete without a swim in one....

Reaching Cenote Xcanahaltun requires driving several kilometers down quiet one-lane roads, followed by the final kilometer up a gravel road. However, two-wheel-drive passenger cars should be fine as long as they’re not making the trip following very wet weather. Once at the cenote, a small restauran...

Caleta Almeja is why explorers and adventurers go to Baja. And then go back again and again. The little bay is absolutely teaming with sea life and the setting is absolutely breathtaking. Getting there is the hardest part. It is *at least* a two day drive from the US-Mexico border and about 2 hours ...

Cenote Multun-Ha, along with Cenote Choo-Ha and Cenote Tamcach-Ha , is in the jungle less than a 10-minute drive from Coba Archaeological Site . Without a natural opening, it gets very humid and warm inside the cenote. Fans keep air circulating, but the jump into the water feels even nicer given the...

Cenote Palomitas, along with Cenote Agua Dulce, is one of two breathtakingly beautiful cenotes operated out of the same property reached by traveling several kilometers down dirt roads on the outskirts of the Valladolid area. Once descending the stairs into the cave, wide platform walkways descend t...

The water is cool and beautifully clear in blue tones and remains around 20˚C, and the cave system supports fish and freshwater turtles which lucky swimmers may get have the opportunity to see. This is one cenote where it is worth bringing or renting a snorkel and mask for, as the caves create an am...

If you want to enjoy a great beach and experience some excellent snorkeling, head a few miles down the dirt road south from Cabo Pulmo to Playa Arbolitos. A small entrance fee allows you to use their rustic bathroom and showers. They rent kayaks and snorkeling gear if you need it. It's also possible...

Cenote Car Wash, known locally as Cenote Aktun-Ha, received its name for a time when area cab drivers would park adjacent to the pool to wash their cars. Those times are past, and the cenote today remains under the ownership of a friendly family. Cenote Car Wash is probably the most reasonably-price...

With the shallow depth and the clarity of the water, this cenote is popular for snorkeling and is a location for easy dives, with the depth extending to about 8 meters. There is a jumping platform at the edge of the limestone shelf, along with benches and chairs set out on the terraces that surround...

The cenote is part of the Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman complex, a center that as of now is still relatively small but clearly aiming for growth in the near future, with bars, a pool lounge area, and campground all present and active construction going on. However, until the tour busses come flooding i...

Upon entering the Punta Laguna Reserve, which lies 20 kilometers north of the Coba traffic roundabout, visitors are given two options. Simple admission grants access to swimming in the large lagoon, walking the trails, and visiting the small museum that explains the species of plants and animals tha...

Charts display the numerous species of fish which may be seen in the lagoon, and the area's rocky underwater canyonlike terrain mixed with mangrove roots providing shelter for the fish offer an interesting landscape to snorkel through. There are two businesses that provide access to Yal Ku Lagoon - ...

Playa Ligüí south of Loreto is effectively the last public beach on Highway 1 before it heads west over the Sierra de la Gigantes mountains, and while not the pristine white sand beach of other nearby beaches it is still absolutely dramatic with fantastic views of the Sea of Cortez, Danzante Island,...