Mapped: 3 Best Places to Dive in Colombia

Diving in Colombia

Colombia hosts one of the world's top dive destinations - Malpelo Island - plus some more areas in the Caribbean worth exploring.

Explore Malpelo Island with a liveaboard, to experience a remote, world-class diving destination known for its large schools of hammerhead sharks, silky sharks, and deep-water pelagics. Get ready for an adventurous, challenging experience for experienced divers in crystal-clear waters and strong currents!
Santa Marta offers colorful coral reefs, sea turtles, rays, and tropical fish, making it a suitable option for divers of all levels.
Fly to San Andrés & Providencia Islands: known for healthy coral reefs and crystal-clear waters, and abundant marine life, for beginner-friendly dives and more advanced sites with larger pelagic species.

Whether you want to go diving on a liveaboard or backpacking along the caribbean coast, Colombia has options suited to your budget and way of traveling.

The 3 Best Places to Dive in Colombia

Malpelo Island

Malpelo Island, located 500 kilometers off Colombia’s Pacific coast, is a world-renowned diving destination, especially for advanced divers seeking thrilling underwater adventures. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the island offers unparalleled experiences, focusing on pelagic species and dramatic underwater landscapes. Malpelo is famous for massive schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks, often seen in groups of hundreds. Besides hammerheads, Malpelo is home to tiger sharks, silkies, and occasionally thresher sharks. Book your Malpelo Liveaboard trip (9 nights starting from ...)!

The Best Dive Sites of Malpelo Island

El Bajo del Monstruo: known for massive schools of hammerhead sharks, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. Other frequent sightings include silky sharks and Galapagos sharks. It is a submerged seamount with steep walls, attracting a variety of pelagic life. Strong currents and depth make it ideal for advanced divers.
La Nevera: this site is famous for its large schools of silky sharks, and sightings of whale sharks during certain seasons. Also a hotspot for manta rays. It features rocky outcrops and drop-offs that are feeding grounds for pelagic species. Occasional sightings of tiger sharks.
La Catedral: a spectacular underwater cavern system with natural light beams creating dramatic effects. Galapagos sharks and marble rays are common. Caverns, arches, and swim-throughs.
Submerged Rock: a pinnacle with beautiful arch you can swim through at around 15 to 20 meters (50 to 70 feet). It is a nursery for white tip sharks and you might see pregnant females.
El Sahara: known for the “wall of sharks,” where divers can encounter hundreds of hammerheads and silkies in the open blue. A wide, open-water expanse adjacent to steep walls. Frequent sightings of schools of jacks and barracuda.

Diving Season

You can dive in Malpelo at any time of year:
- the dry season - January to April, offers calmer seas, excellent visibility, and frequent sightings of hammerhead and silky shark schools, making it ideal for less challenging diving.
- the wet season - June to November brings stronger currents, cooler waters, and heightened pelagic activity, including tiger sharks and whale sharks, perfect for adventurous divers.

Dive Conditions

The dry season (January to April) offers colder water 16° to 18°C (61° to 64°F) at thermocline (20 meters depth). Large schools of hammerheads can be observed close and at shallow depths of 10m or less.
In Wet season (May to December) the water is warmer, 16° to 18°C (61° to 64°F) at thermocline (25 to 30 meters depth). Improved visibility with clearer waters. Large schools of Silky sharks can be observed especially during the early months of the the wet season. Whale sharks, Galapagos sharks and Manta Rays can also be seen during the wet season.

How To Get There

Malpelo liveaboards are often booked one or two years in advance! With only 12 spots on board, and two liveaboards going there, book ahead to get a chance to dive on this exclusive spot: Malpelo Liveaboard trips (9 nights starting from ...)
First, you'll need to fly to Cali (CLO), the capital of Costa Rica at least one day before your cruise departs. Cali is connected internationally with Miami (American Airlines & AVIANCA), New York JFK, Madrid (both AVIANCA) and Panama-Tocumen (Copa Airlines). There are also direct flights to Cali from Quito, Guayaquil and Lima. It is also possible to fly to Cali via Bogota which is connected to various cities in North America (Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York JFK, Orlando, Toronto, Washington) and Europe (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Munich, Paris).
The next day, you'll take a mini bus to Buenaventura, on the Pacific Coast, where your liveaboard will depart from. These transfers are arranged by the dive operator and usually last 3 hours.
Remember that you can only access the dive sites after a 30-hour journey on the sea.
For the way back, plan your departure flight one day after arrival.

Santa Marta

Santa Marta, Colombia, is a popular destination for diving, offering a mix of vibrant marine life, diverse underwater landscapes, and warm waters. Located on the Caribbean coast, this area is particularly appealing for beginner divers.

The Best Dive Sites of Santa Marta

Taganga Bay: a popular spot for its accessibility and affordable diving schools. Great for beginners with calm waters and shallow reefs.
Tayrona National Park: Features crystal-clear waters, vibrant coral reefs, and abundant marine life. Sites like Granate and Bahía Concha offer unique underwater experiences.
Isla Aguja and Punta Betín: Known for their dramatic rock formations, coral gardens, and a variety of fish species.
Ciudad Perdida Underwater (Lost City): Offers a mix of coral-covered ruins and rocky underwater landscapes.

Diving Season

It's best to dive in Santa Marta in the dry season:
- The best diving season is during the dry season (December to April), offering calm seas, good visibility, and warm waters, ideal for all levels of divers.
- The rainy season (May to November) still offers good diving opportunities, though visibility can be reduced due to rainfall, with slightly stronger currents and cooler waters.

Dive Conditions

The dry season (December to April) features warm waters 25° to 28°C (77° to 82°F) , mild currents, and good visibility, ranging from 15 to 30 meters.
The rainy season (May to November) brings slightly cooler waters, reduced visibility, and occasional stronger currents, but marine life remains abundant.

How To Get There

Santa Marta is well-connected to other parts of Colombia, and most dive sites are reachable by short boat rides.
The most popular and economical way to get from Cartagena to Santa Marta is by bus, taking about 4 to 5 hours, while renting a car or taking a private transfer offers more flexibility and comfort.
Santa Marta and Taganga are known for affordable diving courses, including PADI certifications. Many schools offer multilingual instruction and packages for all levels.

San Andrés and Providencia Islands

San Andrés and Providencia, located off the Caribbean coast of Colombia, offer some of the best diving in the region, with vibrant coral reefs, diverse marine life, and crystal-clear waters.

The San Andrés island is known for its accessible dive sites, where divers can explore healthy coral gardens, encounter tropical fish, rays, and sea turtles, and enjoy shallow wreck dives.

On Providencia, the diving is more remote and pristine, featuring the Old Providence McBean Lagoon, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with vibrant coral walls, large schools of fish, and the chance to see species like nurse sharks, eagle rays, and occasional manta rays.

The Best Dive Sites of San Andrés and Providencia Islands

Cayo Acuario (San Andrés): features shallow coral gardens, abundant tropical fish, rays, and turtles, making it perfect for relaxed, beginner-friendly dives.
West View (San Andrés): offers vibrant coral reefs with plenty of fish and sea turtles, along with occasional nurse shark sightings, ideal for divers of all levels.
Old Providence McBean Lagoon (Providencia): is a pristine, protected marine area with coral walls and diverse marine life, including nurse sharks, rays, and schools of fish.
The Peak (Providencia): is known for its dramatic underwater pinnacles, large pelagic species like manta rays, and colorful corals, offering more advanced diving experiences.

Diving Season

It's best to dive San Andrés and Providencia Islands in the dry season:
- The dry season (December to April) sees more predictable and consistent sightings of typical reef species like rays, turtles, and smaller sharks.
- The rainy season (May to November) brings increased pelagic activity, including larger schools of fish and the occasional whale shark. However, visibility may be reduced, so these species are more challenging to spot compared to the dry season.

Dive Conditions

During the dry season (December to April), diving conditions in San Andrés and Providencia are ideal, with calm seas, warm waters 27° to 29°C (81° to 84°F) , and excellent visibility (15 to 30 meters).
In the rainy season (May to November), the waters are slightly cooler (26°C to 28°C), visibility can decrease due to rainfall runoff, and occasional storms may make diving more challenging, but marine life remains abundant.

Colombia Entry Requirements

You must have a valid passport to enter Colombia, and a return ticket
Most citizens do not require a visa to stay in Colombia for up to 90 days
Ensure your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond the period you intend to stay
Please check current visa policies that apply for your country on Colombia Tourism Office
Please make sure that you have a valid ESTA number for flights via the USA.
You must be vaccinated against Yellow Fever to gain entry to Malpelo National Park. Remember that this vaccine must be administered at least 10 days prior to traveling to the destination.