Sometimes the beach is not enough to relax and what you need is a dip in the deepest blue to be enveloped in silence and the creatures of the underwater world. There are plenty of places to dive , but we've picked the 10 best corners of the ocean to snorkel in.
The beautiful beach of Tobacco Caye, Belize ©Duarte Dellarole/Shutterstock
1. Belize: Ambergris Caye, Tobacco Caye
On the small atoll of Lighthouse Reef, off the coast of Belize, lies Blue Hole, one of the best dive sites in the world. Seen from above, it resembles a dark blue pupil over 300 metres wide surrounded by an aquamarine iris.You can descend to a depth of 40 metres, where the water is the colour of ink. Swimming in cavities lined with huge stalactites and along the limestone walls of the sinkhole is really exciting. Although the dives usually last less than 10 minutes, it is an experience not to be missed.
Atlas of Adventures
San Andres y Providencia, Colombia's Caribbean coast ©DC_Colombia/Getty Images
2. Colombia: San Andres
It is no surprise that Colombia, with more than 3000 kilometres of coastline - Pacific and Caribbean - offers magnificent diving. In the Caribbean are the most beautiful sites, among which are the islands of Providencia and San Andrés, 700 kilometres from the Colombian coast, but just over 200 kilometres from that of Nicaragua.
Providencia sits atop one of the world's largest coral reefs, while San Andrés, 90 kilometres to the south, boasts another 15 kilometres of reef. In the more informal Providencia, popular dive sites include Manta's Place, where American stingrays swim, and Tete's Place, where marine life teems in crevices and caves. At Felipe's Place, at a depth of 40 metres, there is a statue of Christ. In San Andrés, La Piramide is a perfect dive to observe fish, octopus, moray eels and rays, while off the coast of the island are two wrecks, the Blue Diamond and the Nicaraguan. For aspiring divers, the city of Taganga, on the Caribbean coast, is one of the cheapest places in the world to learn.
Colombia
View of the natural park of Apo island, Philippines ©mihtiander/Getty Images
Sign up for our newsletter! For you weekly travel tips, special offers, stories from around the world and 30% discount on your first order.
3. Philippines
Diving and snorkelling in the Philippines is sensational. The clear, calm waters surrounding the country are home to coral reefs, atolls, sheer cliffs and an impressive collection of wrecks dating back to World War II. Apo Island is known for its extensive coral gardens and rich marine life. The wrecks of the Morazán Maru in Coron Bay and the New York in Subic Bay are very famous, as is snorkelling with whale sharks off Cebu.
A deserted beach in Sulawesi, Indonesia ©Kate Higgs/Shutterstock
4. Indonesia: Bali
At the centre of the so-called 'Coral Triangle', Indonesia is often mentioned for the biodiversity of its seas, which is unmatched anywhere else on the planet. With coral reefs, wrecks, volcanic seabeds and some 3000 species of fish, it is a paradise for divers. Sulawesi and Bali offer fantastic diving, off Komodo one encounters large pelagics, and around Raja Ampat one can observe corals of all shapes and colours. But for more experienced divers, a multi-day cruise is the best option - most boats offering this service set sail from Komodo Island.
Diving along the Silfra Fissure, Iceland ©nudiblue/Shutterstock
5. Iceland: Thingvellir
Armed with scuba diving (or snorkelling) equipment and a dry suit, you can explore the Silfra Fissure in Thingvellir National Park. What looks like a narrow rocky channel is actually the fissure separating two continental plates, so you can touch North America with one hand and Europe with the other while admiring the incredible transparency of the water (over 100 metres of visibility) and the green algae known as 'troll hair'.
A school of fish in the lagoon of Aitutaki, Cook Islands ©Dirk Freder/Getty Images
6. Cook Islands: Rarotonga
The Cook Islands are the visible part of submerged volcanic islands. A few hundred metres beyond the coral reef, the ocean floor sinks four kilometres beneath your feet. When you go out on a boat in the open sea for a dive - Rarotonga is the only island that offers this possibility - the incredible vertical walls with great visibility are enough to make divers dizzy.
Keep an eye on your depth gauge, because it often feels as if you are descending more slowly than you actually are. Beyond the reef, hard corals and large pelagics, such as rays, white tip reef sharks, turtles and, in winter, humpback whales, await you. In the lagoons, snorkelling, accessible to anyone as you enter the water from the beach, is exceptional.
Diving in Quintana Roo, Mexico ©tubuceo/Shutterstock
7. Mexico: Quintana Roo, isla Holbox
If Mexico were the tail of a scorpion, Isla Holbox ('Black Hole' in Mayan) would be the tip of the sting. Located at the south-eastern tip of Yucatán, it lies just off the small town of Chiquilá, from which it is separated by a shallow lagoon. It is a sleepy place, with few cars, golf carts and scooters, but from June to September its warm waters teem with whale sharks, the world's largest fish. Diving with these 12-metre giants is prohibited - Holbox is part of the Yum Balam Biosphere Reserve - but snorkelling is possible and the experience is unforgettable. Whale sharks do not attack people because they feed on plankton, so it is possible to swim alongside these huge, slow-moving sharks. As there is no reef, there are few colourful fish, but the lagoon is home to sea turtles, manta rays and dolphins.
Another characteristic of the Yucatán are the numerous flooded caves called cenotes. In many you can dive or snorkel, particularly along the Riviera Maya, but choose a reliable tour operator.
TheArchipiélago de Revillagigedo is a chain of uninhabited volcanic islands located about 400 kilometres south-west of Cabo San Lucas. Sometimes called 'the Galapagos of Mexico', this World Heritage site is home to many endemic species. The main attraction, however, is the marine life, and divers swim with large fish such as manta rays, sharks, dolphins and, between January and May, humpback whales. The islands are a Mexican biosphere reserve, and the only way to visit them is to hire a luxury boat.
Jellyfish Lake in Palau, Micronesia ©Ethan Daniels/Shutterstock
Micronesia
The diving in Palau is the best in Micronesia. Scorpion fish hang around the tree-grown corals of the Chuyo Maru, the wreck of a merchant ship that sank in the northern Rock Islands after being bombed in April 1944. The Blue Holes in the southern Rock Islands - also called Chelbacheb - are another enchanting dive site. A World Heritage Site, the Southern Rock Islands comprise more than 300 coral islets that are home to everything from manta rays to dolphins and sharks. Be sure to snorkel Palau's Jellyfish Lake, a landlocked lagoon home to millions of stingless jellyfish.
The seabed of Zanzibar, Tanzania ©Alsu940/Shutterstock
9. Tanzania: Zanzibar
If you don't want to limit yourself to adventures on land, dive into the waters of the Zanzibar Archipelago to find yourself surrounded by manta rays, sharks and barracudas, and watched by hawksbill and green turtles scurrying among the multi-coloured corals that cover the ocean floor. To the north of Zanzibar, near the island of Pemba, diving along the underwater walls is fascinating. Inland, on the other hand, offers the opportunity to dive in the fresh waters of Lake Tanganyika, the world's longest (660 km) and second deepest (1436 m), home to an extraordinary number of endemic fish, including more than 200 species of brightly coloured cichlids.
A sea turtle swims in the waters of Pigeon Island National Park, Sri Lanka ©Jonathon Stokes/Lonely Planet
10. Sri Lanka
The choice of dive sites is influenced by the passage of the monsoon. October-May is the right time on the west and south-west coasts, while May-October is perfect on the north-east. The best sites include Bar Reef, off Kalpitiya, and Pigeon Island, just north of Trincomalee. There are dive centres all along the coast, particularly in the south, but in many locations - such as Hikkaduwa - an equally good way to enjoy Sri Lanka's turquoise water and fantastic kaleidoscope of tropical fish and sea turtles is to snorkel.