Known for its glorious white sandy beaches, shallow reefs and dazzling color, Cancun is the vacation spot of choice for those who love water sports. From snorkeling to scuba diving to swimming with the dolphins, the water activities are endless. Many beachside hotels offer watersport concessions that rent rubber rafts, kayaks, and snorkeling equipment. The calm Nichupté lagoon has outlets for renting sailboats, jet skis, windsurfers, and water skis. Prices vary and are often negotiable.

Here is an overview of what Cancun has to offer:

Scuba Diving and Snorkelling:

• Locations
• Great Mesoamerican Reef (Gran Arrecife Maya). This is the largest reef in the Western Hemisphere and one of the largest in the world.  Discover all the sea life along the reef system; several sunken boats add a variety of dive options. This reef offers some of the best snorkeling opportunities because it hugs the coastline for 9 miles and occupies calm, shallow waters. Strict guidelines are in place to keep the reef unspoiled.
• El Garrafon and the Cave of the Sleeping Sharks.  For more experienced divers, these are popular dive locations that bring divers to a series of caverns and other fascinating areas.
• Isla Contoy. For nature lovers and for those who enjoying snorkeling, travel agencies offer all-day excursions to this wildlife habitat. Only two boats depart from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the price per trip is $70 which includes drinks and snorkeling.
• Lessons – a variety of hotels teach the basics of diving, enough to make shallow dives simple. Basic scuba trips run around $64 for two-tank dives at nearby reefs, and $100 and up for locations farther out.
• Scuba Cancun (998) 849-7508). This establishment offers a four-hour resort course for $64 but full certification takes four to five days and costs around $350. Open daily from 9am to 6pm.
• Aquaworld (998) 848-8300). As the largest scuba diving operator, it offers resort courses and diving from a man-made anchored dive platform, Paradise Island.
• Cancun Mermaid (998) 843-6517). This family run ecotour company, known for its highly personalized service, is one of the few select companies allowed to offer snorkel trips  in the Great Mesoamerican Reef. The tour takes snorkelers to two separate sections of the reef, spending an hour in each area. When conditions are appropriate, the boat drops off snorkelers and then follows them along the current, in an activity known as drift snorkeling. The trip generally costs $50 for adults, $39 for children and this includes the boat, snorkeling gear, life jackets, food and water, along with round-trip transportation to and from Puerto Morelos from Cancun hotels. A minimum of four snorkelers are required per trip, and reservations are required.

Beaches:

• All are open to the public. Mexico’s beaches are all public property, so you can use the beach of any hotel by walking through the lobby directly on the sand. Be careful on beaches in front of the open Caribbean because the undertow can be very strong. The waters of Mujeres Bay (Bahia de Mujeres), at the north end of the island are usually calm and ideal for swimming.
• Know Cancun’s water-safety pennant system. Be sure to check the color of the flag at any beach or hotel before entering the water to ensure safety. White means excellent conditions, green means normal or safe conditions, yellow means changeable, uncertain or use caution, and black or red means unsafe conditions and to use the swimming pool instead.
• Playa Tortuga (Turtle Beach), Playa Langosta (Lobster Beach), Playa Linda (Pretty Beach), and Playa Perlas (Beach of the Pearls) are some of the public beaches. At most of these beaches you can rent a sailboard and take lessons, ride a parasail, and do a wide variety of watersports.

Dolphin Swims:

• Dolphin Discovery (998) 849-4757). On Isla Mujeres, you can swim with the dolphins in one-hour sessions with an educational introduction followed by 30 minutes of swim time, costing around $140.
• Parque Nizuc (998) 881-3030). This marine park offers guests a chance to swim with the dolphins and view them in their dolphin aquarium, Atlantida. The price of the dolphin swim is $135, which includes admission to the park. Admission alone is $33 for adults and $25 for children 3 to 11. It can be an exciting place for a family to spend the day, with its numerous pools, waterslides, and rides. Visitors can snorkel with manta rays, tropical fish and tame sharks.
• Interactive Aquarium (998) 883-0413). This establishment is located at La Isla Shopping Center, Bulevar Kukulkan. Get the opportunity to swim with dolphins and the chance to feed a shark. Encounters start at $110.

Golfing:

• Pok-Ta-Pok Club, or Club de Golf Cancun (998) 883-0871).  This club is open daily with green fees running around $120 per 18 holes and clubs can be rented for $26 and shoes for $15.
• Hilton Cancun Golf & Beach Resort (998) 881-8016). This championship 18-hole, par -72 course, has green fees for the public at $100 for 9 holes and $139 for 18 holes. Hilton Cancun guests pay $66 and $88 dollars. Golf Clubs and shoes are available for rent. The club is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Melia Cancun (998) 881-1100), ext 193. This is an 18-hole executive course, opened daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the fee is only $35.
• Moon Palace Golf Resort. This is the first Jack Nicklaus (PGA) Signature Golf Course located in Cancun along the Riviera Maya.

Source: Travel MSN.