Best Cozumel Dive Hotels for Scuba Fanatics

Cozumel Mexico is a wonderful destination for many reasons, but scuba diving tops the list.  And if you’re coming here for the first time and primarily for the island’s famous scuba diving, you’re going to want to know about these popular dive-friendly hotels and all-inclusive resorts in Cozumel.

They have lots of local diving history and legions of loyal clients that come back again and again.  

The most popular dive resorts in Cozumel, Mexico are known for quality in-house dive operators, convenient boat pickup piers, clean rinse tanks, and camaraderie among scuba diving guests. The rooms and suites are comfortable and clean, and set up to allow divers to stow and hang their gear, recharge lights and cameras, and get set for each day of Cozumel diving. 

You could really stay at any hotel, guest house, or luxury resort on the island and still enjoy diving every day. 

But the well-known dive resorts in Cozumel that make this roundup list are specifically geared toward our large numbers of fairly hard-core scuba divers, and – importantly – loyal repeat customers. 

The summaries and pros/cons of each one of these cool dive-friendly Cozumel resorts and hotels should help you choose the one that’s perfect for you and your dive buddies. 

7 Favorite Cozumel Dive Resorts and Hotels (in alphabetical order) 

Below I’ll introduce you to the best Cozumel dive resorts and hotels that have amenities specifically for divers, and provide the accommodations and services that help Cozumel SCUBA divers and snorkelers get the most out of the island’s best natural resources: the coral reefs and the island community. 

Blue Angel Dive Hotel in Cozumel Mexico

The fact that ALL of the guest rooms at the Blue Angel Resort in Cozumel have ocean views and personal balconies should tell you right away how much they value their prized beachfront location, and how much they know their audience: Cozumel scuba diving addicts. 

It’s a very nice hotel for anyone, but if you’re a diver, you’ll appreciate the convenience of the on-site dive services at Blue Angel resort, their large rinse tanks and drying areas for scuba gear, a convenient dock where you can catch your boat each dive day, and a waterfront pool to refresh some skills, or just relax after you’re back from the boat. 

Also, the Blue Angel has easy shore diving right there, steps from your hotel room door. 

Sneaking in an extra shore dive couldn’t be easier, and those twilight and night dives from shore will be fun – and much easier to manage. 

The Blue Angel resort is a pretty property with a popular restaurant, frequent live musical entertainment, and situated close to downtown Cozumel, though there are also a handful of new bars and restaurants within walking distance from the hotel.  

Be sure to try two favorite outdoor bar/restaurants nearby: the hip Sereno rooftop restaurant, and the Sunset waterfront bar a bit further south for great…well, sunsets!  (and a little birdy told me they have the best mojitos, around.) 

Blue Angel Cozumel dive hotel reviews summary: 

Average reader rating on TripAdvisor: 4.5/5 “Excellent” 

Average reader rating on Hotels.com: 9.2/10 “Superb” 

The main reason to book here is the set of amenities this hotel has for scuba diving and snorkeling, including the large rinse tanks, easy access to shore diving, and a nice waterfront pool mentioned above.

The Blue Angel dive resort’s simple but charming decor comes at a slightly lower price tag than some large, modern resorts.

Its convenient location is just about a mile from downtown, a highly rated restaurant that has lionfish on the menu! (for you divers, you know what that means), and years of Cozumel dive culture and history, make Blue Angel one of the island’s most trusted and iconic hotels for scuba divers, time and time again.

CHECK AVAILABILITY at Blue Angel Resort in Cozumel, right here.

Casa del Mar Dive Hotel and Dive Resort in Cozumel

Serving a long list of happy and loyal repeat customers for decades, the Casa del Mar Dive Hotel and all-inclusive Dive Resort in Cozumel Mexico has a treat-you-like-family staff that will make you feel right at home in one of their clean and cute guest rooms, cabanas, or suites. 

In fact, the Casa del Mar won Scuba Diving magazine’s 2021 readers’ choice awards for both quality of staff and value of hotel, among the many over the years.

Lots of deck loungers around a clear blue pool and a swim-up bar area make this dive hotel feel like a larger resort while maintaining a close-knit and personal vibe. 

They have optional all-inclusive meal plan packages that can include adult beverages (at a very reasonable price), which makes for a great deal if you like to partake in sunset cocktails from their pool deck and footbridge – a great vantage point for photos. 

That same footbridge brings you right to the dive shop at Cozumel Marine World, another top-rated dive operation on the island, that shares a long roster of dedicated repeat clients (including this author).  

Staying at Casa del Mar dive hotel and diving with the superb Cozumel Marine World, or any dive shop of your choice who can come and pick you up at Casa del Mar’s pier, couldn’t be easier. 

You can also arrange shore dives right from the Casa del Mar pier and follow the impressive house reef to see lots of well-known Cozumel marine life, including juvenile species, various eels, squid, octopus (especially at night), stingrays, spotted eagle rays, and occasionally one of Cozumel’s resident sea turtles. 

*To learn more about our three resident types of turtles, and where you can see them, check out this full guide to Cozumel sea turtles, next.

Shore diving from Casa del Mar is also the ideal entry point to find the iconic underwater statues of both Jacques Cousteau and Sylvia Earle, along with several artificial reef project structures, just north of the hotel pier. 

After diving, there are two rinse tanks at the dive shop, as well as an outdoor rinse-off area adjacent the Casa del Mar hotel pool, allowing you to give yourself and your gear a quick fresh-water rinse and lay it out on the sunny deck for a few hours in preparation for the next day’s dives. 

The hotel’s pool-side wait staff really hustles, and the hotel bartenders are fun and friendly, mixing up your favorites from buckets of ice-cold beer to tropical daiquiris, margaritas, chunky monkeys (chocolate and banana flavored), or whatever else you’re thirsty for that day.  

Casa del Mar Dive Resort in Cozumel reviews summary: 

Average reader rating on TripAdvisor: 4.0 “Very Good” 

Average reader rating on Hotels.com: 8.8 “Fabulous”

The main reason to book here is the number of heartfelt word-of-mouth reviews!

Repeat guests love the excellent staff, the superb service and cleanliness, the friendly and fun après dive pool and restaurant scene, and the close proximity to the excellent shore diving, and top-rated Cozumel Marine World dive shop literally right across the street. 

You might want to consider other hotels if you really want to be right downtown in the heart of it, though most guests find it easy and inexpensive to get short cab rides into town a few times during a week.

It can also be a decent but pleasant walk along the waterfront for approximately 1.5 miles into town, if you like getting some steps in while on vacation. 

CHECK AVAILABILITY at Casa del Mar Dive Resort in Cozumel, right here.

Coral Princess Hotel and Dive Resort

The Coral Princess Hotel and Dive Resort is a Cozumel all-inclusive resort with a larger, full-service feel on the North end of the island. 

With a great on-site dive shop and pier access to board your dive boat each day (these details sometimes change here and there – be sure to review up-to-date diving specifics when you book, just to be on the safe side), the Coral Princess hotel in Cozumel is ideal for scuba divers and a really nice resort with a few more amenities, like bicycle rentals and a larger fitness room. 

Its northern hotel zone location makes it a longer boat ride to the start of the Cozumel marine park dive sites, and you’ll need a rental car or cab rides to head into downtown Cozumel for sightseeing, shopping, and incredible bar and restaurant hopping.  

As with the others, though, taxi cabs on the island are safe and plentiful, so that is really a small price to pay if you like the style of this large ocean-front resort that still knows how to cater to divers. 

Coral Princess Cozumel reviews summary: 

Average reader rating on TripAdvisor: 4.0/5 “Very Good” 

Average reader rating on Hotels.com: 8.4/10 “Very Good”

The main reason to book a stay Cozumel’s Coral Princess Dive Resort is for the North-end feel, slightly more swanky rooms, and a terrific terrace and infinity pool perfect for Cozumel sunsets. 

**TIP: Click here next if you need a primer on Cozumel’s three main hotel zones and their respective vibes.

It also may have more activities and on-property things to do for non-divers if you’re coming in a mixed group, though it’s farther from town and generally less walkable than the dive hotels closer to San Miguel, proper. 

CHECK AVAILABILITY at the Coral Princess Hotel & Dive Resort in Cozumel, right here.

Hotel Cozumel and Resort by Wyndham

Making the switch to a Wyndham property in 2020 doesn’t seem to have changed the dive-friendly nature of the very popular Hotel Cozumel Resort by Wyndham, a classic diver-friendly all-inclusive Cozumel hotel property just south of downtown San Miguel.

The main thing that’s changed is its signature orange color!  It’s now white. 

But don’t worry fans, the iconic dolphin sculptures are still there, out front.

The Hotel Cozumel and Resort by Wyndham is a large complex with close to 200 guest rooms, a kids club, and amenities like multiple restaurants and a hair salon. 

It’s also known to have the largest swimming pool in Cozumel, albeit not directly on the waterfront side. 

People tend to give this dive hotel high marks for value and fun, as well as its location convenient to downtown (it’s very close to the Blue Angel and Scuba Club Cozumel), and fair-to-pretty-good marks on food. 

Hotel Cozumel Wyndham reviews summary: 

Average reader rating on TripAdvisor: 4.0/5 “Very Good” 

Average reader rating on Hotels.com: 8.2/10 “Very Good”

CHECK AVAILABILITY at Cozumel Hotel & Resort Wyndham, right here.

Iberostar All-Inclusive Cozumel Resort for Divers

The Iberostar Cozumel AI Resort is not what I think of when I think of old-school Cozumel diving, but it has become a very popular, full-on all-inclusive resort option for scuba divers that really like the experience of a big all-inclusive resort in Cozumel. 

Situated much farther south, the Iberostar Cozumel is several miles away from downtown San Miguel, but has several restaurants, evening entertainment, and amenities on-site, including a busy dive operation.

People who love the Iberostar Cozumel all inclusive resort for diving vacations frequently mention that they love the proximity to the southernmost dive sites in the national marine park, and therefore shorter boat trips and the ease of returning to shore in between dives, or after the dive day is over.  

There are some on social media who report that the dive boats here are large and can sometimes be overcrowded. Several commenters pointed out that divers are sometimes kept to a specific bottom-time, rather than being allowed to dive their tank.  

To be clear, for me, that’s strictly hearsay at this point, as I’ve never had the pleasure to dive from Iberostar Cozumel. 

Just be sure to review your diving expectations (i.e. boats, group sizes, the experience level of the dive guides, etc.) with the hotel’s dive-sales staff when you’re making your decision. 

Also, note that other dive operations on the island can come and pick you up at the Iberostar pier if you already have a Cozumel scuba dive shop that you know and love. (And if you’re still searching, check out this helpful article on how to choose the best Cozumel dive shop for you, right HERE.)

The southern all-inclusive resorts in Cozumel sometimes implement small service fees to allow other dive ops to use their docks in this way, but the daily fees are typically small, so it’s usually well worth it if you want to make plans with your own favorite dive masters that you already know and love. 

Iberostar Cozumel reviews summary: 

Average reader rating on TripAdvisor: 4.0/5 “Very Good” 

Average reader rating on Hotels.com: 8.6/10 “Fabulous”

Main reason to book at the Iberostar resort in Cozumel if you’re coming primarily to dive is that it is so close to the most popular Cozumel dive sites in our nationally protected marine park. 

It’s also a good choice if you love the large, all-inclusive resort vacation.  

If you like getting out of the hotel and trying local taco joints, people watching, poking around downtown for cool authentic souvenirs, great coffee shops, and a wider variety of awesome local bars and a diverse roster of cool restaurants, then I’d opt for a nice hotel that’s closer to town and more “walkable,” in general. 

CHECK AVAILABILITY at the Iberostar All-Inclusive Resort in Cozumel, right here.

Scuba Club Cozumel

Last but definitely not least among the larger dive hotels on this list, the Scuba Club Cozumel is the elder statesman of dive resorts of this group.  

This all-oceanfront hotel is truly a diver’s hotel, with everything in place to make your Cozumel scuba trip easy and fun.  

From a convenient dive locker area, rinse tanks, drying areas, and a private dock to board one of seven in-house dive boats, everything at Scuba Club Cozumel is set up with hardcore Cozumel diving in mind. 

Started in 1976 and continually catering directly to the scuba diving culture and tourism market that put Cozumel on the map, the Scuba Club Cozumel has an old school feel that still makes serious divers right at home. 

Some reviewers indicate that this history also has a downside, as the un-fussy guest rooms now show some signs of age. 

Scuba Club also has a restaurant, but at the time of this writing it was only serving breakfast and lunch – which is fine, and a great excuse to try out Cozumel’s many many fun and high-quality restaurants in town.  Just be prepared and know what to expect. 

This iconic Cozumel dive hotel has easily accessible shore diving, and it’s an easy walk or cab ride into town for all the cool cocktails, local artisan shopping, and live music for which downtown Cozumel is famous.

Scuba Club Cozumel reviews summary: 

Average reader rating on TripAdvisor: 4.5 “Excellent” 

Main reason to book here: Diving, diving, talking about diving, and diving. 

CHECK AVAILABILITY at the Scuba Club Cozumel website: Click HERE

Tamarindo Guest House a Good Choice for Cozumel Divers

I’ve had my eye on this gorgeous guest house for a couple of years and would recommend it to someone who likes the jewel-box feel of a young and stylish (and recently fully renovated!) B&B vibe. 

When I saw on their excellent Instagram feed that they’ve added a deeper-than-average scuba diving pool on-premises, I figured it must be a great place for scuba divers, and beginner scuba divers who are interested in coming to Cozumel to get scuba certified. 

With several pretty rooms to choose from, a lovely garden and pool area, a community kitchen, yoga and massage rooms, and close proximity to all that downtown Cozumel has to offer, Tamarindo Guest House is definitely one to check out if this sounds like your kind of vacation. 

Tamarindo Guest House in Cozumel reviews summary: 

Average reader rating on TripAdvisor: 4.5 “Excellent” 

The main reason to book at Tamarindo is probably for its hospitality, chic Mexican design sensibilities, and numerous guest-focused, welcoming details.  

Being so close to lots of good coffee shops, bars, restaurants, shopping, and much more doesn’t hurt! 

If you’re a diver or would like to take some classes to try it out, the deep pool area is a unique benefit.  

CHECK AVAILABILITY on the Tamarindo website: Click HERE

Cozumel is Full of Great Accomodations for Scuba Divers

If you’re new to the island and need a more wide-angle view of Cozumel all inclusive resorts, independent hotels, private homes, hostels, villas and guesthouses there are to choose from, start here with: How to choose a hotel in Cozumel.

If you’re a young or budget-minded diver in Cozumel, please check out my post on Cozumel’s best travel hostels, which includes a few that are definitely targeted towards the huge numbers of Cozumel divers and dive-master trainees that come to the island every year.  

Looking for more unique accommodations? Read through this list of some of Cozumel’s most popular boutique hotels HERE

And if you’re not a diver, we have lots of info on what Cozumel is known for and suggestions on eco-friendly things to do on the island that might also help you narrow down where you might want to stay. 

Welcome, and have a great trip! 

Cozumel Travel Insurance

No matter where you decide to stay, consider protecting your investment with a good travel insurance policy.

Divers should of course have DAN Alert Divers membership and insurance, and if you don’t have that yet, make that priority number one. DAN is a critical piece of safety gear for any SCUBA diver in Cozumel, or anywhere else. Read more about that here.

And for general accident, medical, baggage, and trip-related insurance, consider a travel policy from Travelex. With a very high rating by Consumer Affairs, Travelex policies are easy to purchase, and can give you peace of mind – and help if you need it.