XTC Dive Center - 77940 Xcalak

I had a real blast diving with XTC! I got awesome crocodile close ups, super friendly nurse sharks and amazing corals at Banco Chinchorro, and almost mystical encounters with manatees, huge schools of tarpons and beautiful swim throughs at Xcalak. Dive guides Ernesto and Auden were totally awesome and at the very top of their game! The guest house at Xcalak was comfortable and clean, and restaurant had really yummy food (although some patience may be required!). The dive centre also came with a trio of extremely well behaved dogs, who all enjoyed being fussed over. Banco Chinchorro was a lot more basic at a fisherman's hut, but it was what we were told to expect, and the crew made sure we had a lot of fun! Definitely the best ocean diving in the Yucatan peninsula!

Xcalak is a tiny fishing village at the southern tip of Mexico, right before you run into Belize. XTC is the oasis you'll want to visit there. I did some dive training here and was really impressed by their professionalism. This is not a PDC/Cozumel cattle herding outfit. They want you to learn safely, but they really want you to have fun in the process. I can't say enough good things about Ernesto, Auden and their instruction program. If you want to get certified, you should make the drive here (about 3.5 hours from PDC and a little over 4 from Cancun). XTC does a lot of professional training for dive masters, so you’ll most likely be diving with several younger trainees who are learning to become dive instructors. They’re a fun group and there’s nothing better than doing your check out dives surrounded by a bunch of pros. I never felt the least bit rushed or unsafe, and every time I looked around, there was a dive master close by to help if I needed it (and I did a couple of times!). XTC also has a nice little restaurant/bar that serves up some good food and has a decent selection of beer. Plenty of liquor too, should you want a fruity drink or something served neat with your cigar. Great ocean views from the bar/balcony/2nd floor, especially for sunset (and sunrise, if you want breakfast). You’ll make a lot of new friends here, as people from all over the globe seem to be constantly dropping by. I plan to return soon for my rescue diver certification and will probably stay in one of their hotel rooms, which are next door to the dive shop and look pretty comfortable. There’s also a nice little pool behind the hotel, a great place to cool off in the afternoon. Be sure to bring some insect repellant with DEET, as the mosquitos can get annoying when the breeze off the ocean dies down. Other than that, all you really need is your wallet. XTC and the little stores in town (Gallo’s is the closest and has the best selection) can provide pretty much anything else you might require. Oh, bring some dog treats if you can. XTC is very pet friendly and there's usually 3-4 happy (and hungry) dogs running around here at any given time. Make some new dog friends for life!

Completely overpriced and inflexible. We wanted to rent kayaks for 2 hours but were told we had to pay for 4 hours - at USD40/person! In addition, it was completely impossible to pay half the price for half the time. There were three of us, so instead of taking the opportunity to potentially earn USD 60 as per our suggestion, they chose to earn USD 0, as we then walked away. In Xcalak town we then found kayak rental for 50 pesos an hour! Seems XTC are treating tourists like cash cows.

Fun and organized staff! Uriel, Eline, and Fran thank you for the amazing dives!!!!

Unfortunately, I can only give this place 3 stars after comparing the positives with the negatives. Positives: The staff were all nice and helpful. The restaurant was cozy and had ok food. The real 5 star experience was the diving! Great dives with manatees, tarpons, loads of stingrays etc. Negatives: Overpriced (also the restaurant and Xcalak in general). They try to be organized, but the dive master trainees mixed up mine and my partners equipment at one time, and packed down the wrong fins for my partner when we had made our last dive. We didn't stay at the resort, so I can't say anything about that. From a safety aspect, I was pleased until we went to Banco Chinchorro. The sea was rough and choppy, but they made the desicion to bring us (7 divers and 1 guide - too big group) on the 2 h boat ride anyway. Directives from management..? Afterwards, we heard that other dive shops in the area had cancelled diving that day due to the sea conditions. On the way back, the boat motor broke. The captain and co-captain did a good job in keeping the motor running anyway by pumping and fixing stuff. But the trip back took almost 3 h.

We made good experiences with dive centers and tour operators all over the world, but this one stood out. We got all the detailed, specific informations we wished for and were able to set up the trip with two mails, one day prior to our visit and without a working mobile. Highly professional and service oriented, thx Holly! Our guides Nic and Angel were great in every way (communication, knowledge, customer orientation, entertaining but not annoying) and made sure we had unique manatees encounter. The place itself is probably the most inviting in town, clean and well organized.

What a great place! Friendly staff, great communication via WhatsApp. Got to see a manatee and there's tons of fish too. The dive routes and what to expect to see were very well briefed beforehand. The town is very small and quiet. An excellent place to hang out free from any kind of noticeable tourism. Highly recommended even if you only drop by for a day like we did.

I really enjoyed my dives with XTC! I got to see manatees, nurse sharks, mantas, and all manner of lovely fish. My only reason for docking a star is the weather in April was testy for diving and I would recommend to any considering Xcalak to travel outside of this month. The food at the cantina was simple and slightly overpriced, but the diving was very good and professional.