Enjoy These Water Sports While Traveling in Mexico

With thousands of miles of shorelines and beaches, Mexico can be a top travel spot for all types of water sports You can categorize these into fishing, non-motorized water sports, motorized water sports and interactions with the wildlife.

An unforgettable close encounter can be with a whale in its natural habitat and whale watching has become a huge business attracting thousands of tourists each year to local Mexican waters to view humpbacks. You will find some on the Caribbean side of the country but most whale viewing is on the Pacific coast. In addition to whale watching, swimming with dolphins and manta rays has become very popular.

Wave runners, water skiing and speedboats are water craft of choice now and they can be rented on many beaches and parasailing is another big beach activity which provides a lift from the water into the sky enabling the individual to get views like no other plus the exhilarating thrill that comes with it.

If its non-motorized water craft you like then Mexico's beaches, rivers and lakes offer Hobie cats, catamarans and kayaks provide uses wind power or paddle power and is more relaxed and allows the participant to explore more at their own pace.

Surfing, boogie boarding and windsurfing are other forms of non-motorized water sports along with popular scuba diving and snorkeling.

With over 6,500 miles of fish-able coastline, Mexico is indeed a fisherman's dream, especially for sports fishing.. Many coastal resorts have marinas with plenty of boats for charter and Mexico's coastline is rumored to have some of the best fishing.

And if you are not on the beach then seek out some of the interior lakes, rivers and streams. Make sure to check fishing regulations before you drop your line in and enjoy the experience. Some 50 miles from Mazatlan is El Salto, a lake noted for its bass fishing.

With ocean waters on both sides – Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea on the east and the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez on the west, there are thousands of sport fishing “hot spots” that attract the regular fisherman as well as pro. Each year there are numerous national and international fishing competitions held.

Top fishing destinations include Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas where fishermen can hook over 300 varieties. Many go after the large sport fish such as Marlin, Swordfish and Yellowfin Tuna.

And a combination of tide patterns, climate and water temperatures create what some term as the richest fishing spot in the world – the Sea of Cortez, sometimes called “The Fish Trap.”

Scuba diving is another popular tourist activity in Mexico and is popular at many of the resorts where beginners can get quick lessons and experienced divers can enjoy the waters, some with underwater sights and fish they many never see anywhere else. Diving tours are also offered at some of the resorts.

You may enjoy a dive with dolphins and sea turtles or see lobsters, sting rays, eels, puffer fishes, parrot fishes, spotted fishes and a host of other types. Viewing coral reefs are another reason seasoned divers enjoy the waters off Mexico.

Two very popular areas for diving are the waters off Manzanillo and Oaxaca.