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Scuba Diving in Maria la Gorda
A dive resort on the far western tip of Cuba, inside the Guanahacabibes biosphere reserve. Coral walls and black-coral valleys start a short boat ride from a single quiet beach, with easy access year-round.
Why here
Maria la Gorda is Cuba's most accessible world-class wall diving. The reef drops away close to shore in the sheltered Bay of Corrientes, so most of the fifty-odd sites are a five to fifteen minute boat ride out. Divers come for the Valle de Coral Negro, a hundred-metre wall of black coral, and the Salon de Maria cavern, plus big stands of gorgonians, schooling snapper and tarpon, turtles and the odd whale shark on the drop-offs. It sits inside the Guanahacabibes reserve at the empty western end of the island, so topside is birdlife and beach rather than resort strip.
Best months
Diving is year-round, with the best visibility and calmest water from roughly November to May. The bay is protected and the sites run from shallow reef to mid-depth walls, which makes this a good place to build experience. Warm water, typically 26 to 29 Celsius.
Getting there & around
Maria la Gorda is a long haul, about four hours west of Havana with the last stretch slow, so most divers stay several nights at the on-site Gaviota resort, the only accommodation. The dive centre runs daily boat departures and offers CMAS, SSI and PADI training. Bring what you need; the nearest town is far.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (1)
Maria la Gorda International Diving Center
OutfitterThe international dive centre at Maria la Gorda, run by Gaviota on Cuba's westernmost tip in the Guanahacabibes biosphere reserve, sits on the beach above a coral wall that drops away just offshore. It runs boat dives to dozens of sites known for black coral, sponges and easy wall diving, and offers simple rooms for divers who want to stay out in the remote reserve.