World's Best Scuba Diving Destinations for 2025
Indonesia’s Readers Choice award wins include first place in Best Overall.
Readers who took our survey rated destinations they’ve visited in the past two years on the best types of diving they have to offer. Read on for a list of destinations rated excellent by survey respondents (in order based on number of votes and overall rating score).
Best Overall
Caribbean and Atlantic
Mexico
Cayman Islands
St. Eustatius
Bonaire
Grenada
Bay Islands
St. Lucia
Curaçao
Bahamas
Panama
Belize
Azores
U.S. Virgin Islands
Antigua and Barbuda
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Indonesia
Philippines
Galapagos Islands
Malaysia
Hawaii
South Africa
French Polynesia
Palau
Fiji
Thailand
Mexico
Japan
Colombia
United States and Canada
British Columbia
Florida Keys
Florida
California
North Carolina
Washington
Ontario
Alaska
South Carolina
Great Lakes
Virginia
Massachusetts
New York/New Jersey
Maine
Oregon
Big Animals
Caribbean and Atlantic
Bahamas
Azores
Belize
Cuba
Turks and Caicos
St. Eustatius
Saba
Mexico
Cayman Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Panama
Bay Islands
Costa Rica
Antigua and Barbuda
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Galapagos Islands
Maldives
Palau
South Africa
French Polynesia
Hawaii
Indonesia
Fiji
Australia
Mexico
Papua New Guinea
Malaysia
Costa Rica
United States and Canada
North Carolina
Florida
Florida Keys
Alaska
California
British Columbia
South Carolina
Washington
Georgia
Texas
Virginia
Oregon
Louisiana
Maine
Above The Surface
If you have people in your group who are not divers or you have a day you’re not diving, there’s so much to do on the Big Island of Hawaii—a manta snorkeling tour; ziplining; visiting a vanilla, chocolate or co ee farm; waterfall hiking; birdwatching; playing golf on a worldclass course; driving up Mauna Kea volcano and so much more. —TERI LEICHER, CO-OWNER OF JACK’S DIVING LOCKER, HAWAII
Related Reading: 11 Captivating Images From Scuba Diving Magazine's 2024 Photo Contest
Bimini’s shark dives helped lead the Bahamas to a firstplace win for Big Animals.
Macro Life
Caribbean and Atlantic
St. Eustatius
Bonaire
Bay Islands
Dominica
Cayman Islands
St. Lucia
Saba
Mexico
Curaçao
Belize
U.S. Virgin Islands
Grenada
Bahamas
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Indonesia
Philippines
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Malaysia
Fiji
Palau
Guam
Australia
South Africa
Japan
United States and Canada
British Columbia
Alaska
Washington
California
Florida Keys
Florida
North Carolina
South Carolina
Massachusetts
Texas
Oregon
Maine
Louisiana
Rhode Island
Wreck Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
St. Eustatius
Grenada
British Virgin Islands
Barbados
Bay Islands
Bahamas
Aruba
Cayman Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Maarten
St. Lucia
Curaçao
Bermuda
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Chuuk (Truk)
Malta
Egypt
Solomon Islands
Guam
Malaysia
Palau
Turkey
Papua New Guinea
Italy
Cyprus
South Africa
United States and Canada
North Carolina
Great Lakes
Ontario
Florida Keys
Florida
New York/New Jersey
South Carolina
Virginia
Massachusetts
California
Alaska
Rhode Island
The Cayman Islands earned first place in the Wall Diving category.
Cave, Cavern and Grotto
Caribbean and Atlantic
Mexico
Cayman Islands
Azores
Bahamas
Bay Islands
Belize
Costa Rica
Cuba
Grenada
St. Eustatius
Bermuda
Panama
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Malta
Palau
Turkey
Malaysia
Hawaii
Greece
Italy
Mexico
Solomon Islands
Japan
New Zealand
United States and Canada
Florida
Missouri
Utah
Ontario
Florida Keys
California
Pennsylvania
Georgia
Virginia
British Columbia
Washington
Alaska
Oregon
Shore Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
Bonaire
Bay Islands
Curaçao
U.S. Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
St. Lucia
Mexico
Puerto Rico
Barbados
British Virgin Islands
St. Eustatius
Aruba
Panama
Antigua and Barbuda
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Malta
Malaysia
Hawaii
Guam
Philippines
Indonesia
Papua New Guinea
Egypt
Japan
Cyprus
United States and Canada
Washington
British Columbia
California
Massachusetts
Ontario
Missouri
Florida
Alaska
Rhode Island
Great Lakes
Virginia
Pennsylvania
Maine
Oregon
Signature Site
We start The Drop in a sandy area 40 feet deep. You could do the whole dive there if you wanted. Then comes the sharp drop—thus the name. It’s a wall full of vibrant corals and sponges. It ends 100 feet down, leading to huge islands of coral. Then you go a bit farther and you get part of a barge. With such a mix of terrain, it’s a very fulfilling dive. —ERIC BILLIPS, OWNER OF ISLAMORADA DIVE CENTER AND SCUBA TOWN, FLORIDA KEYS
Wall Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
Cayman Islands
Bay Islands
Mexico
Saba
Dominica
Belize
Turks and Caicos
Bahamas
Bonaire
St. Eustatius
St. Lucia
Curaçao
U.S. Virgin Islands
Azores
Grenada
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Indonesia
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Philippines
Fiji
Egypt
Malaysia
Maldives
Galapagos Islands
French Polynesia
Guam
Australia
Mexico
United States and Canada
British Columbia
Washington
Ontario
Alaska
California
Florida
Florida Keys
Virginia
South Carolina
North Carolina
Oregon
Missouri
Rhode Island
Bonaire’s legendary shore diving sites, such as Salt Pier, earned it first place in the category.
Beginner Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
Bonaire
Bay Islands
Cayman Islands
Bahamas
St. Eustatius
Curaçao
Dominica
St. Lucia
Grenada
British Virgin Islands
Mexico
Belize
U.S. Virgin Islands
Bermuda
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Malaysia
Philippines
Hawaii
Guam
Turkey
Thailand
Egypt
Australia
Indonesia
Greece
Cyprus
Mauritius
United States and Canada
Florida Keys
Florida
Virginia
Pennsylvania
Ontario
Utah
Missouri
California
Washington
British Columbia
South Carolina
Massachusetts
Great Lakes
Texas
Maine
A weedy scorpionfish makes for a stunning photo subject in Anilao, Philippines.
Advanced Diving
Caribbean and Atlantic
Cayman Islands
Mexico
Bonaire
Bay Islands
St. Eustatius
Saba
Azores
Bahamas
Grenada
Belize
Curaçao
Turks and Caicos
St. Lucia
Bermuda
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Indonesia
Palau
Galapagos Islands
Chuuk (Truk)
Philippines
Papua New Guinea
Maldives
Fiji
Malta
Egypt
French Polynesia
South Africa
Solomon Islands
Malaysia
Hawaii
United States and Canada
British Columbia
North Carolina
Florida Keys
Great Lakes
Washington
Florida
California
Ontario
Alaska
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Massachusetts
Maine
Oregon
Photography
Caribbean and Atlantic
Bonaire
St. Eustatius
Bay Islands
Cayman Islands
Mexico
Bahamas
Saba
Belize
Curaçao
St. Lucia
Dominica
Grenada
Bermuda
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Indonesia
Philippines
Chuuk (Truk)
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Galapagos Islands
Solomon Islands
Fiji
Egypt
Maldives
French Polynesia
Malaysia
South Africa
Hawaii
United States and Canada
British Columbia
Florida Keys
Florida
North Carolina
Alaska
California
Washington
Great Lakes
Ontario
South Carolina
Massachusetts
Texas
Oregon
Maine
Snorkeling
Caribbean and Atlantic
Bonaire
Bay Islands
St. Lucia
Bahamas
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
U.S. Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands
Panama
Mexico
Belize
Grenada
Antigua and Barbuda
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Hawaii
Malaysia
Indonesia
French Polynesia
Guam
Egypt
Philippines
Australia
Fiji
Maldives
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Japan
United States and Canada
Florida Keys
Florida
California
Ontario
Alaska
Massachusetts
Virginia
South Carolina
British Columbia
Georgia
Great Lakes
Pennsylvania
Maine
Rhode Island
Health of Marine Environment
Caribbean and Atlantic
St. Eustatius
Azores
Saba
Dominica
St. Lucia
Mexico
Grenada
Bonaire
Belize
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Cuba
Bermuda
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Galapagos Islands
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Indonesia
Philippines
Solomon Islands
Fiji
French Polynesia
South Africa
Chuuk (Truk)
Guam
Maldives
New Zealand
Japan
United States and Canada
British Columbia
Alaska
Washington
California
North Carolina
Virginia
Florida Keys
Florida
Great Lakes
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Ontario
Oregon
Maine
Signature Site
The C-53 wreck Felipe Xicotencatl is a unique experience [in Cozumel]. The current requires your total concentration so you can descend directly. Once down, the sunken ship protects you from the current while providing habitat for fascinating marine life. You can enter and exit numerous entrances as if in a labyrinth, but you’re never far from an easy way back out. —MICHAEL PENWARDEN, OWNER OF DIVE PARADISE, MEXICO
Related Reading: Best Destinations to Dive With Big Animals
Two snorkelers observe the healthy sea turtle population firsthand in Maui, Hawaii.
Best Value
Caribbean and Atlantic
Mexico
Bay Islands
St. Eustatius
Colombia
Azores
Bonaire
Panama
Bahamas
Belize
Dominican Republic
Dominica
Curaçao
Cuba
U.S. Virgin Islands
Pacific, Indian and Mediterranean
Malaysia
Egypt
Philippines
Thailand
Turkey
South Africa
Indonesia
Mexico
Malta
Papua New Guinea
Fiji
Colombia
Cyprus
Japan
United States and Canada
Great Lakes
Virginia
British Columbia
North Carolina
Ontario
Florida
Washington
Pennsylvania
Missouri
South Carolina
Florida Keys
Texas
Maine
Oregon
Rhode Island
