For our 2022 survey, we asked readers to evaluate the destinations they’ve visited in the past two years based on several categories. Averaging those totals with the results from the 2021 and 2020 Readers Choice awards resulted in our Best of Readers Choice awards list. For each category, we listed the top destinations that received an excellent score (in order based on number of votes and percentile of score).

Jump to the best places for...

• Big Animals Encounters
• Macro Life
• Wreck Diving
• Cave, Cavern and Grotto Diving
• Shore Diving
• Wall Diving
• Beginner Diving
• Advanced Diving
• Photography
• Snorkeling
• Health of Marine Environment
• Value

Best Overall

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bonaire
2. Mexico
3. Bay Islands
4. Belize
5. Cayman Islands
6. Bahamas
7. British Virgin Islands
8. St. Lucia
9. Cuba
10. Puerto Rico

Pacific and Indian

1. Hawaii
2. Palau
3. Galapagos
4. Japan
5. Indonesia
6. Fiji
7. Australia
8. Thailand
9. Philippines
10. Mexico

United States and Canada

1. Florida Keys
2. Florida
3. California
4. British Columbia
5. North Carolina
6. Washington
7. Great Lakes

Big Animals

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bahamas
2. Belize
3. Cuba
4. Costa Rica
5. Turks and Caicos
6. Mexico
7. Bonaire
8. Cayman Islands
9. Bay Islands
10. U.S. Virgin Islands

Pacific and Indian

1. Hawaii
2. Galapagos
3. Palau
4. Mexico
5. Fiji
6. Indonesia
7. Australia
8. Philippines
9. French Polynesia
10. Costa Rica

United States and Canada

1. Florida Keys
2. Florida
3. North Carolina
4. California

Macro Life

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bonaire
2. Bay Islands
3. Cayman Islands
4. Belize
5. Mexico
6. Bahamas
7. Curaçao
8. U.S. Virgin Islands
9. St. Lucia
10. Cuba

Pacific and Indian

1. Indonesia
2. Philippines
3. Hawaii
4. Palau
5. Fiji
6. Thailand
7. Red Sea
8. Australia
9. Maldives
10. Mexico

United States and Canada

1. Florida Keys
2. California
3. Washington
4. British Columbia
5. Florida

Wreck Diving

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Cayman Islands
2. Bahamas
3. Bay Islands
4. Bonaire
5. Mexico
6. British Virgin Islands
7. Aruba
8. U.S. Virgin Islands
9. St. Lucia
10. Curaçao

Pacific and Indian

1. Red Sea
2. Hawaii
3. Palau
4. Australia
5. Fiji
6. Philippines
7. Indonesia
8. Truk Lagoon
9. Japan
10. Thailand

United States and Canada

1. North Carolina
2. Great Lakes
3. Ontario
4. British Columbia
5. New York/New Jersey
6. Florida Keys
7. Florida

Cave, Cavern and Grotto

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Mexico
2. Bahamas
3. Bay Islands
4. Cayman Islands
5. Cuba
6. British Virgin Islands
7. Belize
8. U.S. Virgin Islands
9. Turks and Caicos
10. Curaçao

Pacific and Indian

1. Palau
2. Hawaii
3. Japan
4. Guam
5. Australia
6. Thailand
7. Galapagos
8. Fiji
9. Red Sea
10. Maldives

United States and Canada

1. Florida
2. Great Lakes
3. Ontario
4. Florida Keys
5. California

Shore Diving

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bonaire
2. Bay Islands
3. Cayman Islands
4. Mexico
5. Curaçao
6. Bahamas
7. Belize
8. U.S. Virgin Islands
9. St. Lucia
10. Aruba

Pacific and Indian

1. Hawaii
2. Red Sea
3. Australia
4. Japan
5. Guam
6. Indonesia
7. Fiji
8. French Polynesia
9. Malaysia
10. Philippines

United States and Canada

1. Massachusetts
2. Washington
3. California
4. British Columbia
5. Ontario
6. Great Lakes
7. Florida

Wall Diving

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Cayman Islands
2. Bay Islands
3. Belize
4. Bonaire
5. Bahamas
6. Mexico
7. Turks and Caicos
8. Puerto Rico
9. Cuba
10. St. Lucia

Pacific and Indian

1. Indonesia
2. Fiji
3. Palau
4. French Polynesia
5. Japan
6. Hawaii
7. Philippines
8. Maldives
9. Thailand
10. Galapagos

United States and Canada

1. British Columbia
2. California
3. Washington

Beginner Diving

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bonaire
2. Bay Islands
3. Cayman Islands
4. Belize
5. Bahamas
6. Mexico
7. Curaçao
8. U.S. Virgin Islands
9. Turks and Caicos
10. Aruba

Pacific and Indian

1. Hawaii
2. Thailand
3. Red Sea
4. Japan
5. Guam
6. Malaysia
7. Philippines
8. Australia
9. Fiji
10. Palau

United States and Canada

1. Florida Keys
2. Florida
3. California
4. Virginia

Advanced Diving

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Mexico
2. Bonaire
3. Cayman Islands
4. Bay Islands
5. Belize
6. Bahamas
7. Curaçao
8. Turks and Caicos
9. U.S. Virgin Islands
10. Cuba

Pacific and Indian

1. Indonesia
2. Fiji
3. Palau
4. Galapagos
5. Truk Lagoon
6. Philippines
7. Mexico
8. Maldives
9. Costa Rica
10. French Polynesia

United States and Canada

1. Great Lakes
2. North Carolina
3. Washington
4. British Columbia
5. Massachusetts
6. California
7. Florida Keys

Photography

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bonaire
2. Bay Islands
3. Cayman Islands
4. Belize
5. Bahamas
6. Mexico
7. U.S. Virgin Islands
8. Curaçao
9. Turks and Caicos
10. Cuba

Pacific and Indian

1. Indonesia
2. Fiji
3. Palau
4. Philippines
5. Truk Lagoon
6. Maldives
7. French Polynesia
8. Galapagos
9. Hawaii
10. Australia

United States and Canada

1. Florida Keys
2. California
3. North Carolina
4. British Columbia
5. Great Lakes

Snorkeling

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bonaire
2. Bay Islands
3. Belize
4. Mexico
5. Bahamas
6. Cayman Islands
7. Curaçao
8. U.S. Virgin Islands
9. Cuba
10. St. Lucia

Pacific and Indian

1. Hawaii
2. Japan
3. Guam
4. Fiji
5. Red Sea
6. Thailand
7. Palau
8. Indonesia
9. Australia
10. Maldives

United States and Canada

1. Florida Keys
2. Florida
3. California

Health of Marine Environment

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bonaire
2. Cayman Islands
3. Bay Islands
4. Belize
5. Bahamas
6. St. Lucia
7. Curaçao
8. Turks and Caicos
9. U.S. Virgin Islands
10. Mexico

Pacific and Indian

1. Indonesia
2. Fiji
3. Palau
4. Galapagos
5. Philippines
6. Costa Rica
7. French Polynesia
8. Truk Lagoon
9. Australia
10. Mexico

United States and Canada

1. California
2. North Carolina
3. Washington
4. British Columbia

Best Value

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Bay Islands
2. Mexico
3. Bonaire
4. Belize
5. Bahamas
6. Cayman Islands
7. Puerto Rico
8. Curaçao
9. Cuba
10. U.S. Virgin Islands

Pacific and Indian

1. Philippines
2. Red Sea
3. Thailand
4. Malaysia
5. Indonesia
6. Mexico
7. Fiji
8. Costa Rica
9. Palau
10. Hawaii

United States and Canada

1. North Carolina
2. Florida
3. Florida Keys
4. Texas
5. Great Lakes
6. Washington