shore snorkeling in cozumel

[jbilicska]

We are avid snorkelers( can't dive due to medical reasons ) can anyone tell us how the snorkeling from shore points are in cozumel. Also do the have good snorkeling boat trips out to the shallower reefs.
Thanks
Joe B

 

[BurBunny]

There's pretty good snorkeling at Chankanaab park, though do be aware it can get pretty busy there. Because fish are often fed there :-x they do tend to hang around. I've also heard there's some decent snorkeling at Pancho's Back Yard.

There are boats which will go out to the shallower reefs, and those are the ones I recommend for my snorkeling clients. I seem to recall several go to Paradise Reef for the shallower portions. Eagle Ray Divers runs afternoon snorkeling boats on request. I'm sure others here will have further recommendations. If you're comfortable with boat snorkeling, I'd definitely recommend that over the shore.

 

[Rondo]

The best shore snorkeling I've found is Dzul-Ha beach club,this is where many of the boat tours go.

The nice thing is it's FREE,they have a few palapas and a small covered eating area,a small grill,and a bar.

The way to approach a snorkel tour there is to find out which way the slow current is running, it changes upon season.Walk down the beach a ways opposite the current and do a nice drift snorkel back to beach club.

 

[MN Lakeman]

Drive or take a taxi to the Palancar area beach - nice open air restaurant, palapas, & very nice beach. There you will find a desk that takes your name (& money!) for the next boat heading out to the shallower part of Palancar reef w/ a "guide". I took my family of five, & it was worth every dollar spent. We donned our snorkel vests, & drifted ahead of the boat for about 45 minutes. The kid's were hooked (in fact my oldest just got certified OW & AOW). This was 3 years ago, & I think it was $15 USD per person.

 

[ggunn]

The best shore snorkeling I've found is Dzul-Ha beach club,this is where many of the boat tours go.

The nice thing is it's FREE,they have a few palapas and a small covered eating area,a small grill,and a bar.

The way to approach a snorkel tour there is to find out which way the slow current is running, it changes upon season.Walk down the beach a ways opposite the current and do a nice drift snorkel back to beach club.

FYI, the current direction and speed at Dzul-Ha (and anywhere else on the shoreline of Cozumel) can change several times in the course of a day, or it may remain constant for weeks. The prevailing current when you get out from shore is always south to north (it's part of the Gulf Stream), but the current right next to shore is subject to eddying due to turbulent interactions with the coastline.

 

[jlyle]

Colombia Shallows is a great snorkel site - check with some of the boat operators and see if they are taking people that far south. Paradise Reef is also good.

If you do go in from the beach at Chankanaab or Dzul-Ha, like ggunn says, pay attnetion to the currents.

 

[GPdiver]

Just south of Chankanaab are some mooring's look for those for a free place to go
Also great and free at Paradise shallows, go through the southern marina and park anywhere,

Dzulha is always good, look for stuff the pod people loose from there pockets there

 

[sharky60]

There are snorkel trips on the Fury Catamarans, they are 52' 'cats' and last I knew they had 2 types of trips one including a lunch at on a beach. this trip takes you south to Palancar reef where you are in about 35' of water and get to see Palancar reef as apposed to the shallow shore reefs.

cost used to be about $70 per person for the lunch trip and if you can get on one of the non-cruise ship charters it seems like maybe there are less people on board. They still put quite a few on board, mind you, but it doesn't seem to be as many as on the cruise ship charters.

another pretty good shore snorkel is 'airplane flats' in front of the El Cid La Ceiba hotel, nice shallow reefs with usually pretty good amount of life, yellow stingrays, cuddlefish, angels, parrot fish and the usual suspects. there is what's left of an airplane sunk for a movie back in the '70 just outside of the swim rope in about 30' of water. the plane has been broken up through the years from storm, cruise ship activity and what not, but the main structure of the plane is still in tact and the reefs around it are healthy and nice to explore. usually very little or no current here due to the protection from the international pier.

 

[diveborg]

You can also go to Playa Palancar. It is the last club to the south on the west side. It is a nice, quiet club, usually devoid of podders. You can take a snorkel trip from there. It is a very short boat ride to Palancar reef.

For Dzul Ha, if the current is going north to south, you can get in at Dzul Ha and drift snorkel down to the Fiesta Americana to get out. This works best if you are staying there and can walk up to Dzul Ha to enter the water.

 

[jbilicska]

Thanks for all the helpful insight so far . I found a thread at the end of this one that led me to cozumelmycozumel.com that also was helpful. It looks like a choice between back to Aruba that we love or trying somewhere in Cozumel.