About Pared Verde
Pared Verde, or 'Green Wall,' is a signature reef dive in Playa del Carmen, located about 25 minutes by boat from the marina. This site features a prominent wall between 20 and 30 meters deep, with a small ledge punctuating an otherwise flat seafloor at 27-30 meters. The wall is covered with vibrant corals, sponges, and sea fans, creating a rich habitat for marine life. Known for its healthy reef, Pared Verde hosts numerous fish, moray eels, turtles, and stingrays. The 3-meter-high ledge provides refuge for fish against the vast sandy plains. The dive time typically lasts between 40 to 50 minutes, offering ample opportunity to explore the wall's intricacies. The site is suitable for intermediate divers. This dive site provides an excellent example of the diverse ecosystems found in the Riviera Maya, with its abundant coral growth and a variety of Caribbean species. The drift dive allows for a relaxed observation of the underwater scenery.
Highlights
Signature wall diveHealthy coral and sponge growthAbundant reef fishFrequent turtle and stingray sightingsProminent ledge feature
Season calendar
Best months to dive here
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Excellent
Good
Nov – Apr (Peak)
Socorro season open (Nov–May) for giant mantas and hammerheads. Cozumel bull sharks Dec–Mar. Cenotes excellent year-round. Best overall conditions.
May – Oct (Transition & Sea of Cortez)
Socorro closing, Cozumel still good. Whale sharks arrive at Isla Mujeres Jun–Sep. From August, the Sea of Cortez comes alive: Midriff Islands offer massive sea lion colonies and schooling mobulas. September and October bring world-class diving around La Paz and Cabo Pulmo with whale sharks, hammerheads, and bull sharks on the Explore Baja route.
Dive site facts: Pared Verde
- Depth
- 20–30 m
- Current
- Moderate
- Entry
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Level
- Intermediate
- Dive type
- Wall, Drift
- Region / port
- Mexico
- Coordinates
- 20.3205° N, 87.1750° W
Conditions & Currents
Moderate currents can run here, so plan drift entries and stay close to the group. Dive profiles here run between roughly 20 and 30 metres, so plan your gas and no-decompression limits around the deeper part of the site. It is usually briefed as a dive for intermediate divers. It can be dived from a liveaboard or a day boat, depending on where you start the trip. Tide, wind and season all shift the picture from day to day, so the crew's briefing on the boat always overrides any general description.
Why dive Pared Verde from a liveaboard?
Pared Verde is one of Mexico's signature dive sites. A liveaboard sleeps you on the water and puts you in the water for three to four guided dives per day, including dawn and night dives that day-boat operators rarely offer. You skip the daily commute back to port and reach quieter, less-crowded sites in the same region on a single trip.
Below are the liveaboards that include Pared Verde on their Mexico itineraries.
Liveaboards diving Pared Verde
These liveaboards may visit Pared Verde on selected itineraries — the exact dive sites depend on departure, weather and conditions.
Nautilus Explorer
Mexico
25 guests45 m
Valentina
Mexico
20 guests38 m
Rocio del Mar
Mexico
20 guests34 m
Nautilus Under Sea
Mexico
19 guests32 m
Nautilus Belle Amie
Mexico
32 guests45 m
Quino del Mar
Mexico
20 guests36 m
Nautilus Gallant Lady
Mexico
12 guests35 m
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© Esri — Maxar, Earthstar, GIS
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© Esri — Maxar, Earthstar, GIS
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- Liveaboard or dayboat
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