Scuba diving in Puerto Rico presents an thrilling adventure worth including in your itinerary.
With its waters providing exceptional clarity and a thriving underwater ecosystem, Puerto Rico presents a extraordinary scuba diving experience suitable for all experience levels. Truly, the high visibility, healthy reefs, and diversity of excursions make scuba diving one of the prime activities to engage in within Puerto Rico.
Like numerous other Puerto Ricans, I’m a local with a passion for the ocean. In this article, I’ll go over the 19 best spots for scuba diving in Puerto Rico.
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19 Best Scuba Diving Spots in Puerto Rico
Escambrón Beach
Spot sea turtles and artificial reefs at one of San Juan’s popular beaches.
📠Google Maps | 👉 Schedule a diving visit at Escambrón Beach
Escambrón Beach allows divers of all types to enjoy easy and shallow diving in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Even though it`s located in the capital city, you can still adventure underwater at this beach.
The beach has artificial reefs and a maximum depth of 30 feet. The site also has caverns where it’s easy to spot marine wildlife like manatees and green turtles.
Desecheo Island
Journey into underwater caverns on an offshore tropical island.
📠The island of Desecheo can be found on an online mapping service.
Desecheo is an uninhabited island located off Puerto Rico’s west coast. It remains closed to visitors, as it contains unexploded military munitions, but the surrounding waters offer a diver`s dream.
Desecheo Island has multiple diving locations with up to 100 feet of visibility. An area called Las Cuevas consists of caves and arches that even beginners can swim through.
Candyland, named after the board game, has colorful coral reef species, gigantic sea fans, and schools of tropical fish. Taino Divers and Aquatica Underwater Adventures offer tours to Desecheo.
The Wall
Submerge yourself in one of the most acclaimed Caribbean diving sites filled with black coral.
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The Wall is considered one of the best dive sites in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean as a whole. It’s part of the 22-mile-long wall on Puerto Rico’s south coast and it plunges well below recreational limits, reaching 1,500 feet underwater.
Also known as the Black Wall, this diving location in La Parguera is popular for its black coral gardens.
The deep vertical cliffside and clear water make spotting diverse marine life effortless. Rays, grouper fish, triggerfish, octopus, sharks, and many additional species inhabit the cliff.
Mosquito Pier
Swim side-by-side with turtles and jellyfish at this artificially created pier.
📠Google Maps
Mosquito Pier is one of the highly popular spots in Vieques.
When starting from Playa Blaydin, diving to the left side of the pier offers a welcoming spot for beginners. Or, if you’re an experienced diver, heading to the end of the pier provides an opportunity. In either case, you’ll gain an appreciation for and experience with marine life.
Marine animals like turtles, jellyfish, and fish swim between the limestone columns brimming with corals. Creole wrasse, angelfish, eagle rays, sting rays, and grunts also inhabit the area.
Mona Island
Explore the underwater world of the marine life rich Gálapagos of the Caribbean.
📠Google Maps
Mona Island is located 41 miles west of Puerto Rico. The Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet in its waters and welcome multiple species throughout the year, such as dolphins and humpback whales. Sharks and turtles are also common.
The strong currents and warm waters combine to generate a mesmerizing ecosystem with large marine mammals, reef fish, and healthy hard and soft corals.
Mona Island also has underwater caves recommended for more experienced divers.
Crash Boat Beach
This popular diving dock in Aguadilla is home to dozens of sea creatures.
📠Google Maps | Entrance: Free, Parking $5 (seasonally) or free on-street parking | 👉 Book Private Discover Scuba Diver Adventure
Crash Boat Beach’s pier qualifies as one of Puerto Rico’s finest spots for newcomer divers to glimpse sea life readily accessible through a shore dive. Sea turtles frequently visit the pier too.
Past the pier and just a few yards from the shoreline, you’ll find the wreckage of an old pier. What remains of the steel pillars now serves as the home of the fish and makes for cool underwater photographs.
The depth is about 30 feet deep and the visibility ranges between 20 and 40 feet at this popular Aguadilla attraction.
The Wit Power
Scuba dive at one of Puerto Rico`s accessible historic ship locations.
Visiting seaside bars like Tamboo Bar is one of Rincón’s best attractions. The Tamboo Bar ideally captures Rincón’s laidback coastal atmosphere.
The Wit Power Tugboat reef is one of the premier scuba diving destinations amongst Culebra`s many underwater sites.
This tugboat sank in 1984 and currently contains corals and marine life. Turtles and many fish swim around the vessel.
The dive is around 50 feet deep and is one of the most accessible shipwrecks in Puerto Rico.
The Hollywood sign is the most famous thing in California. Many visitors hike to the sign from Griffith Park to capture an iconic photo of the sign.
Angel Reef
This shallow dive amazes you with one of the best preserved corals on the island.
Vieques beaches include some of the top Puerto Rico scuba dive locations �such as Angel Reef.
Although it’s relatively shallow with a maximum depth of 60 feet, Angel Reef has healthy colorful coral reefs teeming with marine life. Spot gray angelfish, yellow wrasse, and butterfly fish during your immersion.
The site welcomes beginners, but a tour operator is advised to visit. Once in the water, request your dive instructor to show you the historic Spanish anchors located in the area.
Cayo Lobito
Nicknamed “the clinic� these small island’s reef areas are home to many nurse sharks.
📠Google Maps
Cayo Lobito is a small island belonging to the town of Culebra. Though modest in size, the waters surrounding the cay make for good sightings of nurse sharks and barracudas.
The site is 75 feet deep and is suitable for intermediate divers with some experience. Due to its distance from the main island of Puerto Rico, Cayo Lobito has healthy coral reefs that make the boat trip worthwhile from Culebra.
Cayo Ratón
Dive at this small island to be surrounded by sizeable fish aggregations.
📠View on Google Maps
Cayo Ratón is a cay off the coast of Culebra with a semicircular reef. Although it starts shallow, depths extend to sixty feet underwater beneath the surface, which is why more experienced divers are recommended for exploring. This dive spot has coral reefs home to great biodiversity and large schools of fish.
Queen angelfish, butterflyfish, and parrotfish swim in these waters. The visibility can reach up to 100 feet, so it’s simple to stay oriented and appreciate marine life from afar.
Palomino Wall
Visit colorful corals at this diving site a short distance from Fajardo.
📠Google Maps | 👉 Book a Fajardo Diving Tour
Palomino Wall is a semi-wall located near Palomino, one of islands off the coast of Puerto Rico.
The site is ideal for beginning divers as currents are mild. Hard and soft corals populate the area. The depth ranges from 15 to 80 feet at this location, also known as the Sand Slide.
Hawksbill turtles, small reef fish, and eagle rays can be seen swimming at Palomino Wall on diving excursions from Fajardo. The area is also home to a coral nursery run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
Fallen Rock
This distinctive spire-like rock formation off Guánica’s coast presents a challenging diving experience.
📠Google Maps
Located along Puerto Rico’s southern coastline, Fallen Rock is a notch in The Wall formed by a boulder that fell. This dive site is considered one of the best in Puerto Rico for advanced divers.
The depth ranges from 65 to beyond 100 feet. The formations and the corals serve as home to hundreds of species.
Fish like mackerel, barracudas, spotted eagle rays, and many more reef species populate the dive location. Visiting this place is one of the best activities to engage in around Guánica.
Carlos Rosario Beach
Take a wall plunge from one of the best Culebra beaches.
📠Google Maps
Carlos Rosario Beach in Culebra is famous for its reefs and marine life, easy to spot even from the shore.
The Carlos Rosario wall runs parallel to the beach and drops up to 40 feet. Soft corals along the wall are home to yellow snapper, creole wrasse, and other tropical fish. Sea turtles, stingrays, and sharks are also easy to spot.
This dive is most suitable for intermediate divers as the mild currents make it not too challenging. Please remember that the area is protected nature reserve and fishing is prohibited at this beach.
Shack’s Blue Hole
Explore the underwater caverns and tunnels accessible at this beach on the island of Isabela.
📠Google Maps
Shacks Beach is one of the most popular places for visits in Isabela. Besides being a great spot for watching the sunset, Shack’s Beach has reefs and caves that make a dive at the site magical.
The reef can be accessed from the shore. Venture past the shallow area to discover the Shack’s Blue Hole, as well as other underwater caves and overhangs.
While visiting, it’s easy to spot turtles, eels, and tropical fish there. The weather conditions and tides impact access to the cave.
Los Tubos Beach
This surf beach is also superb for diving along the northern coast.
📠Google Maps
🌩� Hurricane San Hipólito, 1916, �category 2, the heavy rains and floods caused $1 million in damages.
Go near the boat ramp to access the beach reefs and swim around soft and hard corals. Remain watchful for stingrays, moray eels, lionfish, octopuses, and sea turtles. Occasionally, manatees also visit this area.
The depth ranges between 15 and 33 feet. The area is perfect for obtaining certification, and also fairly safe for novice divers.
Ambar Wreck
Submerge deep into the Caribbean and locate one of the finest shipwrecks in Puerto Rico.
📠Google Maps
The Ambar Wreck is one of the best scuba diving excursions for experienced divers in Puerto Rico. The sunken vessel sits over 80 feet deep off the coast of Aguadilla and is only accessible via boat.
Reaching the sunken ship necessitates extra coaching and recompression tools. While it`s one of the most difficult dive sites to go to on the island, the depth of the Amber Wreck as well as the high transparency assure the presence of marine life.
Barracudas are commonly seen in the area. You may also spot manta rays, nurse sharks, snappers, jacks, and blue tangs.
Tres Palmas Marine Reserve
Appreciate the elkhorn corals at this marine protected zone.
📠Google Maps location information | Phone number: (787) 455 6614 | 👉 Schedule a Rincón diving excursion
Tres Palmas Marine Reserve is one of the best spots for snorkeling in Puerto Rico, but it’s also great for diving.
This marine reserve is home to a sizable and thriving elkhorn coral garden in Puerto Rico, one of the largest in health. It also shelters many kinds of fish such as angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, and spotted eagle rays.
Tres Palmas is a nesting site for hawksbill sea turtles, so you may spot them on the beach during your dive. The dive is of shallow depth and simple to do, but be aware of high tides and strong currents during winter.
Efra’s Wall
Partake in diving excursions off the coast of Guanica at another iconic section of The Wall.
📠Google Maps | 👉 Book a Visiting and Diving Tour at Guánica
Efra’s Wall, another noteworthy Puerto Rico diving site, forms part of the impressive 22-mile long south coast wall.
Efra’s Wall refers to a canyon section located south of Guánica. The coral reefs start at 50 feet deep and descend to 100 feet.
Black corals, whip corals, and rope sponges cloak the wall. The sizable ecosystem is home to slipper lobsters, moray eels, parrotfish, and other fish.
Given its currents and depths, this diving expedition is best suited for intermediate and advanced divers.
Cayo del Diablo
Relax with turtles at this offshore key.
📠Google Maps
Cayo del Diablo is an easternly located island off the coast of Fajardo known for its diving spots. The surrounding waters boast high visibility and pristine coral reefs full of ocean wildlife.
The site has a maximum depth of fifty-five feet and it’s easy to do if you’re a beginner.
In addition to seeing healthy coral reefs and an abundance of fish, this diving spot is excellent for viewing sea turtles.
FAQs About Scuba Diving in Puerto Rico
What are the best Scuba diving locations in Puerto Rico?
What marine life is there in Puerto Rico?
Wildlife inhabiting the waters surrounding Puerto Rico features tropical fish, coral reefs, and large sea mammals like manatees and dolphins. Sea turtles and sharks also dwell in the seas of Puerto Rico.
Can you dive with sharks in Puerto Rico?
Travelers can immerse with sharks in Puerto Rico at Cayo Lobito, known for its nurse shark populace. However, caged shark diving trips aren’t obtainable on the island.
How much does it cost to Scuba dive in Puerto Rico?
Scuba diving costs in Puerto Rico range from $60 to $400. Expenses will vary based on the diving location, duration, experience level, and size of the touring group.
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Those locations provided the highest quality scuba diving experiences in Puerto Rico! If diving deep underwater does not interest you, browse the top Puerto Rico spots for snorkeling instead!
