The Three Levels of Playa Del Carmen's Reef System

The first level is mainly around the area South of Playa Del Carmen which is mostly craggy limestone rock mixed with sandy patches and the shallows are well populated with coral.  A couple of hundred meters off shore is a nice combination wall slope with a maximum depth of about 50ft (15m) where there are swim-thrus and caves formed when the sea level was lower.  This is also a great area for spotting turtles and tarpon at 50-60ft (15-18m) and a just a little deeper.

As you descend below about 75ft (23m) the underwater landscape changes and a drop-off is encountered in many areas.  This change in contour takes on a very nice wall form just North of the main beach.  Currents are difficult to predict but are often quite strong around these walls at this particular depth, but as they run parallel to the wall this provides a great drift dive, with some caves and arches along the way as well.  When the water is cooler in the winter months sharks often can be found in this area.  South of the main beach this drop-off is more rounded in most areas and has some of the most beautiful diving in Playa.

Lastly, as you move even further away from shore the bottom gradually slopes down until reaching "El Cantil" (the cliff) and as its name implies this is the edge of the shelf, or at least the first edge of the shelf.  Depending on location the entrance to the depths can take the form of a steadily dropping curved bottom or a steeply inclined vertical wall with cut-backs and overhangs.  The depth of the diving here varies but normally lies beyond the realm of recreational diving, however there is a nice area just a couple minutes North of town where the wall lies within recreational diving limits.