Cancun/Yucatan
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Aquaworld
Marina
Aquatech/VillasDeRosa
Costa
De Cocos
Diversity
Diving
Wet
Set de Mexico
Xibalba
Dive Center SA de Cv
SYP
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Just over 30 years old, Cancun is
one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations. Situated
at the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, the area is equally
famous for both the modern and the ancient. All of the
tourist related areas on the beaches are brand new.
The Yucatan, however, has been known for many years
as the site for ancient Mayan ruins.
Shaped in the form of the number seven, the area’s Hotel
Zone, is lined with deluxe hotels, restuarants and nightclubs,
and the downtown area, offers shopping, a theater and
convention center. Cancun is a haven for the aquatically
inclined, as boating, fishing, diving and swimming opportunities
abound at some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.
Diving from the mainland of the Yucatan penninsula offers
an array of choices. From the shallow and colorful reefs
off Cancun and Playa Del Carman to the miles of cenotes
that have made the Yucatan one of the top cave diver
destinations. Farther south is the newest destination,
the Chinchorro Banks, part of the second largest barrier
reef in the world.
Offshore, visibility is an average of 100 ft., inshore
expect a little less. The cenotes offer crystal clear
visibility at all times.
Climate 75 - 90F 24 - 32C Water Temp 75 - 85F 24 - 29C
Visibility 60 - 100 ft 18 - 30 m
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Dive
Services & Accommodations
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Aquaworld Marina
Km 15.2 Boulevard Kukulcan
Cancun. Q. Roo
Tel. 001 52 998 8488326 Freephone 1-877-730-4054
Aquaworld Marina in Cancun is both an SDI and
PADI diveshop. If you would like to try diving
for the first time we offer a short course for
beginners which will allow you to take a shallow
reef dive amongst the crystal clear waters of
the surrounding area. Alternatively we offer
services for experienced divers such as the
amazing Caverns, Wrecks and of course diving
in Cozumel.
Number of Dive Boats: 3
Maximum
Number of Divers: 24
Number
of Tanks per Day: Each dive offers 2 tanks.
1 tank dives also available
Gear
Provided: Yes
Rental
Gear Available: Yes
Total
Dive Sites: 10
Minimum
time to divesites/mins: 30
Maximum
time to dive site/mins: 40
Training
Agency: PADI and SDI
Courses
Offered: PADI - Discover Scuba to Divemaster
SDI - Discover Scuba to IDC
jennye@aquaworld.com.mx
http://www.aquaworld.com.mx
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Aquatech/VillasDeRosa
Location: Akumal, Q. Roo, Mexico
USA Office: 1957 E. Falcon Way
Sandy Utah 84093 USA
Tel. 801-619-9050 / 866-619-9050
Dive@cenotes.com
http://www.cenotes.com
Aquatech/VillasDeRosa is a small family owned
resort. The Aquatech Dive Center is headquarters
for cave, cavern and open water divers in Mexico
- offering the best variety of fresh and salt
water diving. |
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Costa De Cocos
Mailing Address:
A.P.D.O. 44
Chetumal Q. Roo
Mexico 77000
Tel. 52 983 83 98537 707 7366240
Enter our Underwater Wonderland. The second
longest reef in the world, is our front yard.
The reef diving is exceptional. Less than 5
to 20 minute boat rides takes you to the many
dive sites we have. you will experience Walls,
Canyons, Chimneys, "Blue Holes", incredible
views of coral, fans, sponges, turtles, eels,
rays, and a variety of tropical fish. There
is something to see at every depth, whether
beginner or expert, all levels will enjoy. Take
your diving experience to another level with
our on-site instruction, from a first scuba
experience, add specialty courses, or up to
Dive Master's level.
» Number of Dive Boats: 2 - 33' with twin
honda 115 hp and 25' panga with a single 60
hp yamaha
» Maximum Number of Divers per Boat: 8
to 10 in the 33 foot boat and 4 in the 25
» Gear Provided: Tanks and weights
» Rental Gear Available: BCD's regs, wetsuits
mask fins and snorkels
» Nitrox Available: No
» Type of Diving Available: Reef
» Total Dive Sites: 18+ common dive sites
plus alot of unexplored areas, 18 miles of coastline
covered from here
» Minimum Time to Dive Sites: 5
» Maximum Time to Dive Sites: 25
» Certification Agencies: PADI
» Courses Offered: Discover scuba to divemaster
and most PADI specialties
cdcdavidrandall@aol.com
http://www.costadecocos.com
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Diversity Diving
Calle 24 entre 5ta y 10 avenida
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo - Mexico
Tel. (0052) 984 803 10 42
info@diversitydiving.com
http://www.diversitydiving.com
Enjoy the colorfull local reefs, cozumel and the
mystic waters of the ancient mayan cenotes. "You
come as a guest, you leave as a friend" |
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Wet
Set de Mexico
APDO 1935
CP 77501
Cancun, Q. Roo
Mexico
Tel.: 2816686111
Fax.: 52 998 2069049
E-Mail: paul@wetset.com
Web: http://www.wetset.com
We
are the oldest PADI dive shop in Puerto Morelos,
Mayan Riviera and own our boats. Our crews have
been with us for years. We found and charted most
of our 32 dive sites. Equipment loaner program..
no rentals, no hauling heavy gear, no wash down...we
do it all for you. |
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Xibalba Dive Center
SA de Cv
AP 52, Calle Andromeda Mza 7 Lt 6/7 entre Geminis
y Libra Sur, Tulum, Centro, Municipio 77780
Quintana Roo, Mexico
Tel: --52 984 871 2953
Fax: --52 984 871 2953
With over 10 years of experience your specialist
in cavern and cave diving & training &
exploring, dive & hospitality packages,
air & nitrox fills, equipment rental &
sales.
» Number of Dive Boats: 2
» Maximum Number of Divers per Boat: 8
» Gear Provided: mask, fins, snorkel,
wetsuit, weight belt and weights, regulators,
BCD, tanks, lights
» Rental Gear Available: mask, fins, snorkel,
wetsuit, weight belt and weights, regulators,
BCD, tanks, also all cave gear provided, rebreather
tanks, double tanks, stages
» Nitrox Available: Yes
» Type of Diving Available: Reef, cavern
and cave
» Total Dive Sites: 50+
» Minimum Time to Dive Sites: 5 minutes
» Maximum Time to Dive Sites: 50 minutes
» Certification Agencies: PADI; NACD IANTD
» Courses Offered: All levels of open
wáter training, technical diving courses,
nitrox, cave and cavern, scooter, sidemount
Email: info@xibalbadivecenter.com
Web: http://www.xibalbadivecenter.com
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Travel
To Cancun
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Cancun's
airport is located about three miles inland from the southern
end of the Hotel Zone. A departure tax of US$12, also
payable in pesos, is collected for all international flights.
Airlines Serving Cancun:
AEROCARIBE/AEROCOZUMEL
AEROMEXICO
AMERICAN AIRLINES
AVIACSA
AVIATECA
CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
IBERIA
LACSA
MARTINAIR HOLLAND
MEXICANA
NORTHWEST
Note:
No brief account of the complex Mexican Passport/Visa
regulations is likely to be fully successful and visitors
are advised to use the following for general guidance.
Non-compliance with visa regulations will result in
fines and transportation (at the carrier's expense)
to the visitor's country of origin.
PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least 1 year after
date of entry is required.
Tourist
cards: Available only to people entering Mexico on
vacation, for reasons of health, or to engage in scientific,
artistic or sporting activities which are neither
remunerative nor lucrative. Valid for the holder only.
Other persons (including minors) travelling on the
same passport must have their own card. The card is
a single-entry document and is issued free of charge.
The Consular office retains the right to request further
evidence of the applicant's intention to visit Mexico
as a tourist whenever such intention has not been
established to the Consul's satisfaction. The same
right applies with regard to evidence of the applicant's
financial means to sustain him/herself while in Mexico.
Note: (a) Visitors eligible for Tourist Cards (see
below) can be issued with Tourist Cards by any Mexican
Consulate, on board the plane or at the point of entry
in Mexico. (b) Tourist Cards must be kept by the visitor
during the entire length of stay as they will have
to be presented and stamped on leaving.
Nationals of the following countries are eligible
for a Tourist card: (a) 1. EU countries for stays
of up to 180 days (except nationals of Austria, France,
Greece and Luxembourg who can stay for up to 90 days);
(b) 2. Australia, Canada, Japan and the USA for stays
of up to 180 days;
(c) Andorra, Argentina, Bermuda, Chile, Costa Rica,
Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway,
San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Switzerland and Uruguay
for stays of up to 180 days;
(d) Czech Republic, Israel, Monaco and Poland for
up to 90 days;
(e) Korea (Rep. of) for up to 60 days;
(f) Brazil and Venezuela for up to 30 days.
For requirements and regulations relevant to other
nationalities, contact the Mexican Embassy.
VISAS: Required by all except holders of a Tourist
Card or visa-replacing document. Nationals of the
following countries require a special authorisation
from the Ministry of the Interior in Mexico: Afghanistan,
Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia,
China (PR), Croatia, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, India, Jordan,
Korea (DPR), Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Turkey (unless permanent
residents of UK), Vietnam and Western Sahara region.
Authorisation takes approximately 3 to 4 weeks.
Application requirements: Tourist Visa: (a) Passport
with minimum of 6 months' validity. (b) Application
form. (c) 1 passport-size photo. (d) Original return
ticket. (e) Fee (payable in cash only). (f) Proof
of sufficient funds (US$50 per day) to cover length
of stay. (g) Postal applications must be accompanied
by a covering letter specifying the purpose of the
trip and the dates of entry and departure. Applications
should be made in a stamped, self-addressed envelope
with recorded or registered delivery.
Business Visitors Card: (a)-(b) and, (c) 2 passport-size
photos. (d) Letter from applicant's employer accepting
financial responsibility to cover the applicant's
stay, which also states the nature of business to
be undertaken and the name and address of the business
contact(s) in Mexico. For visits of more than 30 days,
a multiple-entry card is needed, as well as a letter
from the local Chamber of Commerce (or Department
of Trade and Industry) confirming the sponsoring company
is a member of either body. (e) Fee (payable in cash,
postal order or company cheque). (f) Postal applications
must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope
with recorded delivery.
Note: 3. If intending to undertake business or work
of a technical or scientific nature, normal visa regulations
do not apply, and it is necessary to obtain a Visitors
Card. It is vital to contact the local Mexican consular
representative well in advance of the intended date
of departure in order to secure the necessary authorisation
(see address section). Non-British Nationals seeking
to visit Mexico on business are advised to check with
the Consulate regarding visa requirements and fees.
Visitor
Information
Getting
Around
Tourist information is available at most of the resort
hotels. You'll also find the tourism office in Cancun
City on the east side of Avenida Tulum between Avenidas
Coba and Uxmal. It's open daily 9 am-9 pm.
You
can explore the Hotel Zone on your own by taking a
public bus or taxi along Paseo Kukulkan, the main
thoroughfare (and almost the only street). The distances
between resort hotels can be long, however, so walking
may not be practical. You'll definitely need transportation
to get from the Hotel Zone to Cancun City.
Both the Hotel Zone and Cancun City are considered
safe to walk around,
While it isn't necessary to rent a car while in the
Cancun Downtown / Hotel Zone area, you may decide
to venture further south to the Mayan Riviera, Playa
Del Carmen, Chichén Itzá, etc. Rental
cars, primarily standard-shift sub compacts and four-wheel-drive
vehicles, are available at the airport and throughout
Cancun. The standard rate is about $50 USD per day
for the car, tax, and insurance. You can also rent
an automatic car with air-conditioning at a much higher
price. You can also hire a big, late-model car with
air-conditioning and an English- speaking chauffeur
at many hotel travel desks. You must have a license
and be at least 21 years old. Driving in the Yucatan
is on the right. Streets and roads outside Cancun
are not always up to the standards you may be used
to. If you drive on the mainland, keep your tank filled-gas
stations are scarce.
- Rental Car and Driving Tips
- Look over the rental car and have the rental agent
write down anything that is wrong with it, no matter
how small. When you return the car you may be charged
for even the most minor scratches (even on the bumper)
if they aren't noted on the paperwork. Also, make
sure the lights and wipers work. You can't be too
careful with this process - they will get you for
anything not written down.
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Buy the Mexican insurance. Yes, sometimes rental car
insurance comes with your credit card, but this doesn't
work the same way in Mexico. Although your own insurance
says it covers you in Mexico, they generally mean
they will reimburse you for damages. If there are
problems and you do not have the Mexican insurance
you may be required to pay the damages before you
are allowed to leave the country, and can be held
in jail until the money arrives. Even with Mexican
insurance, there is often a $1000 deductible you have
to pay if the car is damaged.
- Pass with caution. Passing is a major cause of car
accidents around here. Other drivers are probably
going much faster than you realize - so don't pass
unless you have more than enough room. Oncoming traffic
will sometimes pass when they are heading straight
at you - and they are expecting YOU to move onto the
shoulder to give them room to pass! If you pass without
enough room, the driver in your lane and the one coming
the other direction will not make it easy for you
to pull back in.
- Avoid driving at night whenever possible. Things
appear in the road without warning (cattle, people,
etc.); some highways are poorly lit; some drivers
don't even turn their lights on.
- Remember... Distance and speed limits are posted
in kilometers instead of miles. To convert kilometers
to miles, multiply kilometers by .62. (Something 100
kilometers away is 62 miles away; 100 kilometers per
hour is 62 miles per hour, etc...)
Military Check Points. There are military check points
at all state borders and sometimes just South of the
Cancun airport and in Tulum, often looking for illegal
drugs. The soldiers working there are generally very
polite. They ask where you are coming from and going
and what you did there. Tell the truth. If you are
at a state border, they will also ask about agricultural
products like fruit or chickens.
- Speed Traps. Around Cancun there are several speed
traps where local police wait for rental cars to come
speeding by so they can stop them and try for a bribe.
Here is your best defense - do not speed in and around
Cancun, particularly in the hotel zone and between
Cancun and the airport.
If you run out of gas or break down, don't leave the
vehicle; Mexico's "Green Angels," part of
the Tourism Department, patrol the main roads and
will lend you assistance.
- Gasoline is sold in liters (3.78 liter=l gallon).
Nova (blue pump) is leaded; Magna Sin (green pump)
is unleaded. Only cash is accepted. Most stations
close by 10 PM. There is no self-service, and it is
customary to tip your attendant with a few coins.
Scooters and mopeds can be rented for about US$25-$30
a day anywhere in the Hotel Zone. But be aware that
speeding traffic, particularly
along Avenida Kukulkan, makes this a dangerous way
to travel. Helmets are required by Mexican law.
Taxis are available at all of the resorts. Expect
to pay US$4-$6 for a ride along Paseo Kukulkan. Be
prepared to bargain, and settle on the fare before
entering the vehicle.
Public buses run along Paseo Kukulkan in the Hotel
Zone and stop at paradas (bus stops), which are marked
with kilometer posts. Buses also connect to the commercial
area along Avenida Tulum in Cancun City. You can take
the bus anywhere along Kukulkan for less than US$1
Banks
Banks are open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 3 pm,
some until 5 pm. A few open on Saturdays from 10 am
to 1:30 pm, and there are banks and ATMs in the Riviera
Maya.
Shopping
Duty
free shops can be found at the forum by the Sea Plaza,
La Isla Plaza, Cancun International Airport and Puerta
Maya.
If you want bargains, head to the mainland to Cancun
City's outdoor markets lining the east side of Avenida
Tulum-but note that while prices may be lower there,
the quality can be, too. Market vendors may not accept
credit cards; even if they do, you can often get a
better price if you offer cash instead of credit cards.
Almost all stores take U.S. dollars as well as pesos-often
you'll find prices marked in both currencies-or even
just U.S. dollars! Bargaining is expected in the markets
in Cancun City, but plan to pay the marked price in
shops in the Hotel Zone. Almost all the shops in the
Hotel Zone take major credit cards. Shopping is a
popular pastime in the Hotel Zone, but don't expect
many bargains in the shopping malls. In fact, you
can expect prices to be higher than in other parts
of Mexico. The shopping malls contain everything from
souvenir shops to internationally known boutiques-resort
wear and handicrafts are among the best buys. Handicrafts
include handwoven fabrics, blown glass and jewelry.
The largest shopping malls are Plaza Caracol, Plaza
Kukulkan (midway along Paseo Kukulkan) and Plaza Flamingo.

Nightlife
During the day Cancun is pretty laid back. That changes
at night when both the Hotel Zone and downtown start
rocking with music. Its all here: salsa, meringue,
flamenco, reggae, jazz, classical, disco, rock and
roll, hip-hop and techno. Many restaurants do double
duty as party centers with all you can drink
specials and waiters who dont hesitate to get
up on stage and dance in between serving drinks. Cancun
Discos and dance bars usually have taped music accompanied
to high tech laser light shows with the occasional
live band thrown in for good measure. The Cancun nightclubs,
especially the Latin Clubs, all have live music and
import some of the hottest bands from Latin America.
Barhopping during happy hour (4 PM 7 PM) is
a great way to check out the different hotels and
evening cruises have a high-energy, party atmosphere.
For a taste of how the locals like to party head to
one of the Salsa clubs or check out the clubs in the
downtown area. There is usually a free evening concert
in the downtown Parque de las Palapas and close by
are some excellent jazz clubs featuring local musicians.
Just choose your spot and you can dance until the
wee hours of the morning.
Electricity
110 volts, same as in the U.S.
Water
Most hotels and restaurants use purified water, but
you should be safe and drink bottled water whenever
possible - don't let yourself get dehydrated because
you're afraid to drink the water.
Dress
Dress in Cancun is very casual with the accent on
comfort. Remember to pack comfortable walking shoes.
The activities at the hotels and the area dictate
sporting clothes. In the evenings, you may want to
dress up, but not too much. Rubber soled shoes are
recommended for tours to archeological sites. Boots,
long sleeve light cotton shirts and long trousers
are best for those interested in jungle treks. A light
jacket, shawl or sweater is advisable for the evenings
of November, December and January.
Tipping
Tips in Mexico are generally 15%, tipping cab drivers
is not expected, and tipping the maid in the hotel
a couple of dollars a day (per room) is greatly appreciated.
Time Zone
Equal to U.S. Central Time
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