Snorkeling Vacation Advice Needed

[roxyoscar]

I am looking for a vacation spot in mid December where there is great snorkeling from the shore and a warm enough water temperature. Went to Bonnaire last year and loved it. Any suggestions. I am a teacher and don't have a lot of choice on vacation times

 

[Testudo]

St. John or Grand Cayman would top my short list in the Caribbean.

 

[danvolker]

St. John or Grand Cayman would top my short list in the Caribbean.

I would second Cayman for this....on the 7 mile beach, a snorkelor/freediver could swim out to the wall litterally from any point on the beach. There aree some places where it is considerably closer, but virtually no place where I would not consider it an easy and fun swim out....
And the entire swim out to the wall is going to be great for you--lots to see the whole time.

DanV

 

[Dave C]

Grand Cayman is nice, but accommodations are extremely expensive, especially at Christmas. Did you take a look at the other current post on this board about snorkeling destinations in which both myself and another person recommend Culebra Island, Puerto Rico? The snorkeling there is good and very convenient off the beach, although you will not find the water as clear as in Bonaire. Plus, there are many cheap flights to San Juan, from where you catch a little puddle-jumper plane to Culebra.

 

[vladimir]

I am looking for a vacation spot in mid December where there is great snorkeling from the shore and a warm enough water temperature. Went to Bonnaire last year and loved it. Any suggestions. I am a teacher and don't have a lot of choice on vacation times

July 1st to August 31st sounds like a lot of choice to me.

I'd consider doing Bonaire again--it's hard to beat in the Caribbean. The best snorkeling I've seen is in Indonesia, in Komodo National Park; pristine reefs reaching right to shore. I have no idea where you'd stay to snorkel them though (I did it from a liveaboard), and it's quite a hike to get there.

 

[Threelittlefish856]

You said you had been to Bonaire, why not check out Curacao or Aruba right next to it? I went to Curacao this spring and you can rent a car to check out endless beaches and bays which offer snorkeling on the south and southwest side of the island (much like Bonaire). Aruba is famous for its shipwrecks as well which can be pretty exciting to explore as a snorkeler or free diver.
Grand Cayman and the Virgin Islands are great as others mentioned however from what I've noticed they're quite expensive in terms of lodging. But probably worth the money!

 

[roxyoscar]

Thanks so much Yes Caymans were extremely expensive. We are going to try the Keys and hope the weather is good. Christmas time is too expensive for travel.

 

[roxyoscar]

thanks

 

[roxyoscar]

Thanks for the information We considered it but flights weren't readily available. We decided to go to the Keys. Christmas is such an expensive time to travel

 

[2toDive]

Hey roxyoscar,
Don't know if you've been to the Keys before, but they don't really have any good snorkeling from shore. Most is done by boat, except maybe Pennekamp Coral Reef Park in Key Largo. Just wanted to let you know so you can plan accordingly. Love the Keys though. My favorite snorkeling spots are Grand Cayman, Curacao, and St. Croix. I am looking to go back to Pueto Rico. Haven't been there since the mid eighties. Did some excellent snorkeling / Free Diving off of Fajardo which is close to Culebra Island.