Jardines de la Reina, Cuba: fishing banned since 1996, bull sharks, crocodiles. Bay Islands, Honduras: Mesoamerican Reef, low prices. Dominican Republic: humpback whales Samaná Jan-Mar. Colombia: Providencia, Islas del Rosario.
Cuba, Colombia (San Andrés), Nicaragua, and Havana appear as destinations where Spanish divers seek advice. These destinations combine great marine biodiversity with prices more accessible than the English-speaking Caribbean. Logistics are often complex: visas, currency restrictions, limited access to professional equipment. Divers exchange contacts for trusted dive centers and alert each other about political changes affecting tourism.
Cuba stands out with Jardines de la Reina, an archipelago considered one of the best-preserved coral ecosystems in the Atlantic, where fishing has been prohibited since 1996 and encounters with bull sharks and American crocodiles are common. Honduras, with the Bay Islands (Roatán, Utila, Guanaja), provides access to the second largest barrier reef system in the world, the Mesoamerican Reef, at significantly lower prices. The Dominican Republic adds wrecks, reefs, and the possibility of observing humpback whales in Samaná Bay between January and March.