Mahahual and The Chinchorro Banks
March 21 – 28, 2026
Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve is Mexico’s dive secret-the last, most pristine, dive location remaining on the Caribbean Coast. It is the largest coral atoll in the Western Hemisphere, located about 21 miles offshore of Mahahaul. It is not a place one stumbles upon, it is consicious destination. Banco Chinchorro is known for its overwhelming biodiversity, not because it is curated for tourism, but because it has been left to flourish undisturbed. Its remoteness allows it to remain wild, where you will encounter reef fish, coral, turtles, sharks, and possibly mantees.
Banco Chinchorro is also a maritime graveyard with over 200 historic shipwrecks dating from as far back as the 1500s. It is a destination for seekers-those who crave intimacy with the ocean and are willing to make the effort to find it. It’s a living tapestry of coral, salt, legends, and time. A place where the modern world feels far, and the essence of the wild still whispers through the waves.
The Dive Shop’s master instructor and professional archeaologist, Dr. Chistopher Dore, has curated this exclusive diving adventure for those who want to visit dive sites unseen by most. Our group will have the expertise of Mexico’s first National Geographic Explorer, archaeologist Dr. Guillermo de Anda, who has special government permission to take us to historic shipwrecks not open to the public!
Our adventure starts by arriving in Cancun or transfering from our trip to Cozumel and staying at the Hotel HM in Playa del Carmen. We’ll then proceed to Mahahual, a small remote coastal town in the southern Yucatan. We’ll spend 5 nights at the Matan Kaan Hotel. We are scheduled for four days of three tank diving with Pepe Dive Mahahual and divers must hold an Advanced Open Water Certification. If weather conditions prevent making the passage to Banco Chinchorro, then we will do dives around Mahahual.
After 4 days of fantastic diving we’ll leave Mahahual and on our journey back we’ll stop at the ancient Maya ruins of Muyil and take a guided tour of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. The tour will be led by INAH archeologist Miguel Covarrubias Reyna, who has conducted archaeological projects in Sian Ka’an and across the peninsula, and will include a drift swim down one of the ancient Maya canals. Afterwards we will transfer back to Cancun and stay at the Hilton Garden Inn at the Cancun airport before flying home the next morning.
Extend You Stay and Combine with our trip to Cozumel March 14-21, 2026!
Why travel and only dive for 1 week? Combine this trip with our trip to Cozumel for 5 days of 2 tank dives drift diving the reefs of Palancar.
https://www.azdiveshop.com/exotic-trips/cozumel_fiesta-americana/
Package Includes:
- Accommodations: 1 night at the HM Hotel in Playa del Carmen, 5 nights at Matan Kaan Hotel in Mahahual, and 1 night at the Hilton Garden Inn Cancun Airport.
- All transportation
- 4 days of 3 tank boat dives (air only)
- lunch will be provided on the boat on diving days.
- All hotel taxes.
