Tortugas

Tortugas is the most popular reef in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, a wide, flat carpet reef at about 22 m (70 ft), with the deeper edge listed at 30 m (100 ft). It is known for its large turtle population, and hawksbill, green and loggerhead turtles can all be seen on a single dive.

The reef also has massive barrel sponges, moray eels, nurse sharks, rays and the Caribbean species orange filefish, batfish and blue-spotted cornetfish. From June to September you can dive with huge schools of tarpon, and in the cooler months eagle rays and, with luck, bull sharks appear. The current is moderate to firm, so go with it rather than fight it.