Diving in Lima

Lima is the political and commercial capital city of Peru, located right on the Pacific Ocean. Although this bustling metropolis is one of South America’s largest cities, visitors can quickly get away from it all by visiting the many dive sites sitting just offshore, most of which are a short 30-45 minute drive south of the city. Most dive trips are available only on weekends; however, some Lima dive centers offer boat trips during the week. Most dive boats depart in the morning, and divers can, on occasion, book night dives that leave at sunset.

Diving in Peru is on the cooler side, with water temperatures averaging around 10 to 20 degrees Celsius. Peru dive centers recommend using a thicker wetsuit like a semi-dry suit with hood and gloves or a dry suit.

Between the beautiful beaches of Santa Maria and Pucusana, you can find excellent Peru diving opportunities. Dense kelp forests fill the best dive sites with buzzing marine life. Diving near Pucusana you can find an amazing 100-foot wall dive, and northwest of Lima near the Chincha Islands is an exciting wreck diving. Palomino Island attracts divers and snorkelers from all over to interact with its large sea lion colony. No matter where you dive in Lima, it will be an adventure.