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Jennifer Penner

The Best Overall Destinations for Scuba Diving in 2020

Our readers rank their favorite overall destinations for diving, from Mexico to Fiji.
By Brooke Morton | Updated On November 18, 2021
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The Best Overall Destinations for Scuba Diving in 2020

These are the best overall dive destinations, as voted on by our readers. More than 5,000 readers chose their favorite destinations, resorts, operators, liveaboards and more for our 2020 Readers Choice awards. Here we list the destinations in alphabetical order and list each category in which they won an award.

Aruba

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Wreck Diving
  • Beginner Diving

Australia

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wall Diving
  • Snorkeling

Bahamas

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals (#1)
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Cave Diving
  • Shore Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Barbados

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Wreck Diving

Bay Islands

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Cave Diving
  • Shore Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Belize

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Cave Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Bermuda

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Wreck Diving
Bonaire Cleaner Shrimp

Bonaire earned high marks for macro diving.

Jennifer Penner

Bonaire

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Macro Life (#1)
  • Shore Diving (#1)
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography (#1)
  • Snorkeling (#1)
  • Health of Marine Environment (#1)
  • Best Value

British Columbia

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life (#1)
  • Wreck Diving
  • Shore Diving
  • Wall Diving (#1)
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

British Virgin Islands

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Wreck Diving (#1)

California

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Cave Diving
  • Shore Diving (#1)
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment (#1)
  • Best Value

Cayman Islands

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Cave Diving
  • Shore Diving
  • Wall Diving (#1)
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Costa Rica

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Big Animals
  • Advanced Diving

Cuba

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Big Animals
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Curaçao

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Macro Life
  • Shore Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Fiji

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wall Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment

Florida

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Cave Diving (#1)
  • Shore Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value (#1)

Florida Keys

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall (#1)
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Beginner Diving (#1)
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography (#1)
  • Snorkeling (#1)
  • Best Value

French Polynesia

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Advanced Diving
Hawaii Cathedrals Diving

Volcanic swim-throughs are a hallmark of Hawaii diving.

Jennifer Penner

Galapagos

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Wall Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Health of Marine Environment

Great Lakes

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Wreck Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving (#1)
  • Photography
  • Best Value

Grenada

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Wreck Diving

Hawaii

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall (#1)
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Cave Diving (#1)
  • Shore Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving (#1)
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling (#1)
  • Health of Marine Environment

Indonesia

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life (#1)
  • Shore Diving (#1)
  • Wall Diving (#1)
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving (#1)
  • Photography (#1)
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment (#1)
  • Best Value

Japan

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Shore Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Photography

Malaysia

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Macro Life
  • Photography

Maldives

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Wall Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling

Massachusetts

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Advanced Diving
Mexico Chac Mool Cenote

Mexico offers cenotes – such as Chac Mool – thrilling Caribbean drifts, and encounters with great whites and mantas in the Pacific.

Jennifer Penner

Mexico

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall (#1)
  • Big Animals (#1)
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Cave Diving (#1)
  • Shore Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving (#1)
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value (#1)

New York/New Jersey

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Wreck Diving
  • Advanced Diving

New Zealand

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Advanced Diving

North Carolina

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Wreck Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Palau

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Cave Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Health of Marine Environment

Philippines

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Macro Life
  • Shore Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Puerto Rico

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Macro Life
  • Best Value

Red Sea

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Wreck Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Solomon Islands

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography

South Carolina

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Advanced Diving

St. Lawrence Seaway

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Wreck Diving

St. Lucia

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Beginner Diving
  • Health of Marine Environment

Texas

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Big Animals
  • Photography
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

Thailand

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Macro Life
  • Beginner Diving
  • Photography
  • Best Value

Truk Lagoon

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Wreck Diving (#1)
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography

Turks and Caicos

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

U.S. Virgin Islands

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Big Animals
  • Macro Life
  • Wreck Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Photography
  • Snorkeling

Washington

2020 Readers Choice Awards

  • Overall
  • Macro Life
  • Shore Diving
  • Wall Diving
  • Beginner Diving
  • Advanced Diving
  • Health of Marine Environment
  • Best Value

MORE: Complete Readers Choice Awards Results