The magic of the largest island in the Caribbean lies in the combination of nature, climate and its people. Beautiful landscapes, as well as marine landscapes, make Cuba the perfect setting for year-round tropical vacations, where nautical adventures and activities are at their best, with the charismatic and hospitable local multicultural population welcoming visitors to the country.

We offer hundreds of different diving locations with a variety of features, whether for wall and cave diving, immersion diving, or recreational diving on coral reefs and the observation of the multitude of marine life. Many areas remain unexplored and there is little evidence of tourism being commercialized. Our diving packages are ideal for both beginner and professional divers.

There is as much beauty under the sea as there is on land, that is why we combine diving, tropical beach resorts and visits to some of Cuba’s most outstanding locations to make your vacation unforgettable…

There are around 200 bays and 289 natural beaches with crystal-clear navigable waters all year round and an average annual temperature of 25ºC, as well as the varied marine flora and fauna that Cuba offers, visitors come to enjoy Cuba’s unique Caribbean appeal that makes this island the ideal destination.

Our goal is to organize for you an adventure-filled, fun and leisurely vacation with a guaranteed and personal service from our team based in Cuba. We can make tailor-made diving packages for you according to your particular needs. Just send us an email and one of our teams will provide you with all the information and prices for your proposed diving vacation.

Select your diving vacation for the locations listed below and email us with your choice of location and specific requirements and we will design a package for you – it’s as easy as that…

Ideal for an easy but interesting diving experience…

Jibacoa, known as Playa Jibacoa, is a fishing village in the Mayabeque province of Cuba, with the backdrop of the Cuban mountains. It is located in the municipality of Santa Cruz del Norte, at the mouth of the Jibacoa River, 60 km east of Havana, a 1 ½ hour journey.

Jibacoa and Esparta are a charming diving site where you can spend more than an hour due to the shallow depth. There is some coral growth embedded in the wreckage, but it is not as prolific.

There is plenty to keep your attention, especially as wrecks are interesting to see. Quite a few barracudas were hanging around on the surface and on the wrecks and there are butterfly fish, grunts, and pufferfish. Under some debris on the Esparta side and under a rock, you can spot some sizable lobsters…

The legendary pirates of the Caribbean diving area – who knows what they will find

This remote enclave is located in western Cuba, on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, located in a Biosphere Reserve. Experts consider the seabed of Maria la Gorda to be among the top ten in Latin America due to its abundant marine life and extraordinary beautiful corals. Divers can enjoy warm and crystal-clear waters. The area is full of pirate legends that are confirmed by anchors, old cannons, and other treasures lying on the seabed near the tranquil Caleta Corrientes. Isolated and serene, Maria La Gorda is famous for its clear seabed, which many consider one of the richest in Cuba in biological terms. Here you can see many coral species, including the largest colony of Black Coral in Cuban waters; gorgonian gardens; sponges; a large wall studded with caves; and Barracudas, snappers, schoolmasters, and other types of fish…

Maria la Gorda is home to some of Cuba’s best divers. The reefs are incredibly healthy, marine life is abundant and varied, and combining this with the tranquil environment above the water, makes the place one of the best places to visit for a complete holiday experience. For a diver visiting Cuba who wants to relax and enjoy the scenery, this is definitely the place to go.

The international diving center has its own accommodation. It is in the province of Pinar del Rio, about 304 kilometers from Havana, the capital of the country. The villa is small and family-friendly with 55 rooms. 20 of them are cabins. This diving center has about 39 high-level diving sites. Some still don’t have a name. They are all less than 1 hour’s cruise from the peninsula, and some are just 5 minutes away. Many are suitable for wall diving, but each has its particular charm. We suggest El Cabezón de Ludo, El Salón de María, El Almirante y Yemaya, and for the second dive of the day, Acuario, El Ancla de François, and El Jardín de la Gorgonia.

Selection of hotels in Maria la Gorda

Maria La Gorda Hotel Before going to Maria la Gorda, a stay in Havana is recommended, as it is one of the largest and most vibrant cities in the Caribbean, and one of the most charming and fascinating in the world. You can also visit Havana at the end of your diving trip.

Upon arriving at the Maria la Gorda resort to begin your diving trips, you will find the solitude of the place surprising, and be amazed at the incredible beauty of the beach, which is a perfect paradise. Maria la Gorda is very small, limited to the diving center, a bar, two restaurants, a shop, a handful of beachfront apartments, and some wooden cabins located in the trees.

El centro de buceo funciona de manera eficiente y los guías dan excelentes instrucciones, esforzándose mucho para asegurar que usted aproveche al máximo sus vacaciones de buceo. Los restaurantes son agradables y los alojamientos son básicos, pero cómodos, pero la única razón real para quedarse en Maria la Gorda durante más de unos días es si está de vacaciones de buceo – más allá de la belleza natural del lugar hay muy poco que hacer aparte de relajarse en la playa o hacer snorkel en las claras aguas azules.

Treasure Island, as described by Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of “buccaneers and buried gold.”

The dive center, located on a 6-kilometer coastline between Punta Pedestales and Punta Frances, is surrounded by a unique maritime environment and is poised as the ideal place for lovers of water activities, with daytime and nighttime dives, underwater photography, harbor facilities for up to 15 boats, and services for potable water, electricity, fuel, and food supply. The area is protected by the northeast and southeast winds, and its crystal-clear waters have a visibility of 25 to 30 meters and an average temperature ranging between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius.

There are 56 dive sites. The most important dive sites have been named by experts as: “The Black Coral Wall,” “The Tunnel of Love,” “The Blue Cave,” “The Hidden Passage,” “The Tarpon’s Cave” … (The Tarpon’s Cave), “The Coral Stone,” “The Jump” (The Fall), “The Pirate’s Anchor,” “The Levisa’s Paradise,” and “The Little Kingdom.”

Other interesting sites include “The Sunken Ships,” with the remains of sunken ships scattered in a very extensive area between 6 and 9 feet deep; “The Indians,” known for its vertical walls and large coral mounds with sand beds, and “Off Limits,” a unique place where the coral reef grows from the coast and drops to 15 meters deep.

The beaches are also amazing, as well as the dense wild forest with its rocky areas, lush palms, and sulfuric water springs, which are very popular among visitors. The safety of the divers is not only guaranteed by internationally certified instructors but also by hyperbaric medicine specialists who are available at all times to provide preventive services and treat diving illnesses. A multiblock hyperbaric chamber is also available.

There are domestic flights from Havana to Nueva Gerona, on the north coast of the island. There is also a new and fast motorized catamaran service from the south of the peninsula (2 hours and 45 minutes to Nueva Gerona). The overland transfer from Havana takes around 1 hour to the Batabanó marina. Hotel El Colony is 40 minutes away from Nueva Gerona.

Before going to the Isle of Youth, a stay in Havana is recommended since it is one of the largest and most vibrant cities in the Caribbean, and one of the most charming and fascinating in the world. You can also visit Havana at the end of your diving trip.

Selection of hotels on the Isle of Youth
The hotel offers transfers to the dive center. There is a dive shop at the dive center with all the diving equipment. The dive boats are fully crewed and have diving instructors on board. To reach the numerous diving locations, the sailing time is about 40 minutes. Boats leave in the morning and return in the afternoon, giving you the opportunity to make at least two different dives.
The island’s hotel that serves the diving area is Hotel Colony, located to the west of the island and near the marina from which the diving boats depart. Hotel Colony was built in 1958. It has 81 air-conditioned rooms, including some new bungalows with private bathroom and TV. The hotel also features a restaurant, snack bar, marine bar, nightclub, pool, among other facilities. We rate the hotel as a 3-star mainly because it is located on a beach and has a pool, and the bungalows are better than the standard rooms. There are no other dining options outside the hotel besides the hotel’s restaurant, so your reservation will be based on full board. The hotel staff is very friendly and helpful.

Havana and Trinidad are World Heritage sites – where galleons from the past sailed into their ports.

Your diving experience is in Trinidad, a Spanish colonial city that was declared a National Heritage site by UNESCO in 1998. It is characterized by its cobbled streets, stately churches, and great architecture. There are three diving areas here: Cayo Blanco, Ensenada de Casilda, and Peninsula de Ancon. Cayo Blanco is over an hour’s boat ride from the diving center, but the other two regions are much closer.

We have included Havana, not for diving, but as one of the most charming and fascinating cities in the world. Steeped in history, Spanish colonial architecture, romantic squares and street cafes, its vibrant nightlife, the iconic and legendary Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, playground prior to the revolution during the American prohibition period with famous visitors such as Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, and the infamous mafia gaming casinos…

The Peninsula de Ancon is a few kilometers from the city of Trinidad. It is a narrow strip of land bordered by a sandy seabed that contains patches of coral, crests, tunnels, channels, and other features, with concentrations of coral, a wide range of sponges, sea fans (Gorgonia spp.), and tropical fish. The waters surrounding the Cuban archipelago are characterized by their smoothness – gentle tides and absence of strong currents, warmth above 24°C all year round, pristine conditions, absence of pollution and well-preserved bottoms, diversity of its underwater flora and fauna, and the total absence of aggressive animals.

The diving area has three notable underwater structures. The first is in an area where the platform is narrow with terraces defined by spider webs, where there are sandy bottoms with low coral patches and ridges that reach up to 5 meters (16 feet) high, entering the drop-off to 25-30 meters (82-98 feet) deep, where the wall begins. The second is located in an area where the platform descends by steps, and the third is located near Cayo Blanco, characterized by a bottom of large ridges and wide channels that in some places close at the top forming true tunnels. The sessile fauna is very typical, with large sponges of really varied colors and shapes, more than 40 species of corals, including walls with true forests of valuable black coral (Antipathes Salix). Deep waters, gorgonians with branches and feathers, and sea fans give a special attraction to each diving session.

Havana (Northwest Coast) The capital of Cuba since 1607, Havana (La Habana) is one of the largest and most vibrant cities in the Caribbean, and one of the most charming and fascinating cities in the world. With a population of over two million inhabitants, it has gone through great upheavals since its foundation in 1519, with revolutions and uprisings that have led to a large number of its beautiful buildings deteriorating over the years. Now many of these buildings are being restored and the city is alive with music, dance, and good museums. Old Havana, the historic center of the city, preserves a great wealth of Spanish colonial architecture and has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

American novelist Ernest Hemingway, who lived there for the last 22 years of his life, said that in terms of beauty, only Venice and Paris surpassed the charm of Havana. During the prohibition era of the 1920s, Havana became a very popular vacation center for Americans with nightclubs and unrestrained gambling until 1959 and the revolution.

Tourism officials like to say that Trinidad is a museum in itself. Visitors to the 500-year-old city will find Spanish colonial architecture, highlighting the colonial ambiance that marks the small town as one of the country’s top attractions. With just a few square blocks, historic Trinidad is famous for its charming cobblestone streets, pastel-colored homes with elaborate wrought-iron grilles, as well as its majestic palaces and plazas. The city can be toured in a few hours, either on foot or by horse-drawn carriage.

The city is located near the Escambray Mountains and the Caribbean beach. One of the area’s attractions is the Valley of the Sugar Mills, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The valley has around 70 old sugar mills that are a reminder of the importance of sugar in the Cuban economy throughout the centuries. It has the Iznaga Tower, a 45-meter tower built by Alejo Iznaga Borrell in 1816. 20 km from the city is Topes de Collantes, one of Cuba’s main ecotourism centers.

Another attraction is the Bay of Casilda, which attracts both divers and snorkelers. A nearby islet has pristine beaches. Playa Ancón is a white sand beach that has several 3/4-star beach hotels. Ancón was one of the first new tourist centers developed in Cuba after the 1959 revolution. Along the Ancón Peninsula, there are three hotels: Hotel Costa Sur, Hotel Ancón, and Brisas Trinidad del Mar (opened in 2002). The newest hotel in the city center, the Iberostar Trinidad Grand, has a 5* rating.

Tropical paradise islands with a cornucopia of flora and fauna.

This diving vacation spot is located near the Old Bahamas Channel. At the bottom of the Bay of Dogs, located on the south coast of Cayo Coco in an area exposed during low tide, many seabirds live that can be clearly seen from the La Silla viewpoint.

The road along the causeway to Cayo Coco is about 18 miles from where its coral reef extends for over 13 miles, with white and fine sands and clear waters. Tourists visiting Cayo Coco will be catered to in an area known for the softness of its golden sands, the stunning beauty of its seabed and its landscapes of glorious vegetation, where deer, pigs, and other wild animals roam freely. The region contains many outstanding rocky points, glorious coastal platforms, and winding natural trails that make it one of the most aesthetically pleasing sites in Cuba. Among the 158 bird species living in these cays are the mockingbird, the vireo, and the pelicans…

Cayo Guillermo is 8 miles long, with five beaches. They are very similar to the beaches of Cayo Coco, ensuring a similar experience outside the waters. Half a mile away, there is a fascinating coral reef where various types of coral can be seen, including brain coral. The best beaches are El Paso Beach, which is 3 miles long, Middle Beach, and Long Beach, all with glorious white sands and warm, clear blue waters. Whatever one’s interest, vacations in Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo are always charming and captivating.

When diving in Cayo Coco, you will find many varieties of corals and sponges, caves, crevices, walls, and tunnels. The special attraction for tourists who practice diving in this area is the great variety and quantity of fish, due to its proximity to the Bahamas Trench. The sites are filled with tarpon, snappers, groupers, pompanos, Atlantic swordfish, and sergeant majors.

What our prices include: Local scuba diving instructors and/or dive masters will accompany divers. Boats, scuba diving instructors (for 5-6 divers), tanks, weights, and weight belts are included. In case divers do not bring their own personal scuba diving equipment, scuba diving gear can be obtained at the Dive Centers (each Dive Center has a different policy regarding whether they include scuba diving equipment or rent scuba diving equipment that is not tanks, weights, and weight belts). Reception and assistance upon arrival at airports, transfers, hotel accommodations, car rentals, excursions, domestic flights, etc. depend on the package we quote you. 24-hour service and assistance from our office in Havana.

Our prices do not include the following: International flights, tourist visa card (which can be obtained at the Cuban Consulate in your country, your travel agency or your airline), medical and travel insurance (medical insurance is mandatory to enter Cuba), airport departure tax in Cuba (25 CUC per person, payable after check-in), any food and beverage, scuba diving equipment (that is not tanks, weights, and weight belts), scuba diving courses or extra dives when not mentioned as included in the packages we quote you, personal expenses, gratuities to staff.

Scuba diving certifications, courses, and equipment: Certified divers must have a minimum of ‘Try To Dive’ (PADI & NAUI) ‘Open Water’ (PADI, NAUI, ACUC, CMAS,SSI, SNSI) certificate that has to be produced at the Dive Centers. Non-certified beginner divers need to have a short introduction course that includes one dive and is available at a cost of 60.00 CUC payable at the Dive Centers (this course is not valid internationally). A basic 4-day internationally recognized Open Water Diver certification course with 4 dives is available at a cost of CUC360.00 payable to Cuba Select Travel. Other specialized advanced courses are available upon request.