Scuba Diving Trips to Cuba

Cuba may be the home of those famous cigars, exciting music and Castro’s beard, but there is much more to this unique island than that. Nature has blessed Cuba with spectacular beauty and the wealth of incredible species and sites which any diving enthusiast longs for. The beaches are the perfect place to relax between dives, or for less adventurous companions to spend their days while you discover some of the best spots under the waves.

A scuba trip to Cuba could bring you to many perfect locations where there are plenty of providers who will loan you equipment and take you out to where you need to be. There are some interesting historical sites which can be visited underwater as well as some unspoiled coral reefs, including Holguin which is so huge that only the only bigger reef is the Great Barrier in Australia. Holguin is also a beautiful dive, with a great range of interesting and colorful species to be found.

There is not a vast amount of accommodation locally, but this does mean that your stay is likely to be quieter than in one of the more tourist focused parts of the island. Another reef where you will find great natural diversity is Cayo Largo, while Cayo Coco is an unspoiled paradise underwater, but unlike Holguin, has some excellent facilities to make your stay comfortable once you get back on land.

If you prefer some human interest in your dive sites, then you should opt for Varadero or the Bay of Pigs. Varadero is fairly close to Cayo Coco, and equals it in beauty, but has the addition of some interesting wrecks of planes and ships that relate to Cuba’s involvement with what was then the USSR. Meanwhile a trip to the Bay of Pigs will combine a great diving experience with a visit to a world-famous site that is linked to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Scuba Diving in Antigua

There is nothing in the world like diving into the elegant water of the Caribbean Seas! In this magical underwater world you will find yourself being enchanted by clownfish, crabs, octopi, whales, and so many more beautiful underwater creatures. You have never experienced scuba diving like what you will find in the wondrous sea off Antigua!

This wonderful place is known as the twin island of Barbuda. This small country is well known for its magnificent beauties and things that were thought to only exist in dreams. Here are just three of the fabulous places that you can scuba dive in Antigua:

Ariadne Shoal

Ariaden Shoal is the right place to be for a real test of your adventurous side! In this area you will find yourself diving amongst the much larger mammals such as turtles, blacktip reef sharks, nurse sharks, grunts and horse eye jacks.

Located seven miles from the western coast of Islansdm, Aridne Shoal is named after a ship wreck. In this area there are six wonderful spots for scuba diving in Antigua:

Zurich Train Station which is 45- 55 feet in depth
Soft Wille which is 45 – 60 feet deep
Little Wille which is 45 – 60 feet deep
Mings Bank which is 40 – 55 feet deep
Grunts which is 45 – 55 feet deep
The Cave which is 55 – 60 feet deep

Sandy Island

Sandy Island is home to many gorgonians as well as sea fans. Also, the island is home for the many colorful reef fish in the area. You will find wonder in the Garden Eels and the sting rays that frequently sway back and forth with the currents. Near by there is also a submerged barge that has become a wonderful hiding place for the Caribbean spiny lobsters, eels, and even nurse sharks.

Located very close to the harbor of Saint John, Sandy Island is a quick 15 minute boat ride from the docks down town. There are four incredible areas for scuba diving in Antigua:

The Barge which is 25 – 45 feet deep
TITV which is 20 – 40 feet deep
The Ledge which is 25 – 60 feet deep
Jewel Box which is 25 – 45 feet deep

Cades Reef

This is a barrier reef that reaches all the way to the southwestern coasts, Cades Reef is only about a fifty minute boat ride from Saint John, which is the capital city. This is a place where you will find huge amounts of soft corals like sea fans grouped together with various amounts of brightly colored underwater life. Cades Reef is a wonder place for experts and is divided into an outer area and a protected inner reef. You will find the larger animals like the barracudas, lobsters, moray eels, nurse sharks and eagle rays that all live and thrive in the outer reef. Cades Reef has seven wonderful areas for scuba diving in Antigua:

Monks Head which is 20- 35 feet deep
Bush Gardens which is 20- 45 feet deep
Oooops which is 45- 60 feet deep
Lobster Ledge which is 45- 80 feet deep
Bluff Cut which is 55- 70 feet deep
Snapper Ledge which is 45- 45 feet deep
Carolines Achor which is 35- 50 feet deep