Scuba Diving in Panama

This site, best suited to experienced divers, features a mix of high rocks and a wide area of scree. Skirting the rocks from west to east, you'll see a range of colorful garden corals, ending in the deep north side, where you might spot barracudas and rooster fish.

A drift dive suited to advanced divers, this begins at the south of Tres Marías, skirting the rocks and with chances of spotting whitetips and eagle rays.

Look out for parrot fish, barracudas and lobsters on this fun dive on the west side of the Roca Canales, one of the closest dives to the resort.

Close to Islas Secas, this dive includes fascinating rock formations and caverns, as well as a sandy area often hosting longtail stingrays. Look out for submerged logs, too, which attract plenty of fish.

Starting in a sandy area, this easy dive has a variety of depths, passing between a series of rocks and along a wall and offering a wide range of marine life, from starfish and stingrays to turtles, jacks and butterflies.

During low tide, you can spot this rock, surrounded by sand, from surface. The dive navigates clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the current.

Resort spot

This advanced dive is one of the most productive sites within the Islas Secas archipelago, attracting an extraodinary variety of sealife, from octopus to humpback whales. The seamount can be spotted at low tide, with a deep point of 35 meters and different levels of volcanic rock to explore.

This one's for advanced and technical divers, navigating around a rock and sandy area at a depth of 37 meters.

Part drift-dive, this site descends to 15 meters, where you'll find a rock that drops down further. If there is a current, you'll then drift to the north or north-west.

This spectacular pinnacle has a big drop off, with strong currents that can make descent challenging. Look out for the lighthouse at Barracuda Island.

This site is perfect for night dives, offering exciting views of nocturnal marine life. With rocks, sandy areas, a wall and a variety of coral, there is enough variety to entice you back in daylight hours, too.

Beginners to intermediates will enjoy this varied site, with a large volcanic rock to navigate around, plus steep drops, plenty of coral and sandy areas to explore.

This technical dive features a large rock surrounded by sand. Currents can be strong and temperatures may drop, but you'll be rewarded with sights of green morays, snappers and giant sting- and eagle rays.

There are two dive sites off Barracuda Island, both shallow and close to shore, with a wreck to explore on the north side, as well as coral beds sheltering a variety of juveniles.

This dive is great for beginners, with a rock to circumnavigate, as well as scree and sandy areas, and some hard corals to discover. Above water, you'll see a colony of blue-footed boobies that live here.

With beautiful corals and seafans decorating the rockface, this circular dive is perfect for beginners and intermediates.

Another Mono Rock site, here divers will navigate counterclockwise toward the west, discovering scree, a sandy patch and a cleaning station.

Home to a magnificent frigate bird colony, Cocos Island offers two diving options, as well as a good area for snorkeling, with a mix of rocks, boulders and sandy areas that attract longtail stingrays.

Another good choice for both snorkelers and divers, there are two options here, offering rocks and corals home to a variety of reef fish as well as octopus and whitetips.