Cozumel is a tourist’s paradise. You won’t be able to pack all of the fun things you can do here into a week, or even two, so you might just have to plan for several vacations to this sunny destination. But every time you go, make sure you plan time for a snorkeling tour.
You don’t want to miss out on the wonderful underwater sights of Cozumel. It is a snorkeler’s destination dream and you will soon find out why when you don your gear and splash into the shallows to see for yourself.
When you go to Cozumel and want to spend some time in the water snorkeling, you want to make sure the snorkeling tour you go on is one of the best, right?
Any of these 5 snorkeling tours in Cozumel will excite as you explore the underwater world around this wonderful place. Each is different in its own right and offers different features.
Best Snorkel Tours in Cozumel
| El Cielo reef by Catamaran with Beach Club | Cozumel El Cielo Snorkel by Private Boat | El Cielo, Palancar Snorkel & Beach Party Experience | |
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| Departure: | Marina Fonatur | Marina Fonatur | Cozumel downtown ferry pier |
| Start: | 10:30 AM & 2:30 PM | 10:00 AM & 2:30 PM | 1:30 PM |
| Duration: | 4 hours | 4 hours | 5 hours |
| Includes: | Drinks, life vest, snorkel equipment, guided tour | Private boat, drinks, snacks, snorkel equipment, guided tour | Drinks, lunch, snorkel equipment, guided tour, private beach cabanas |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Snorkeling Tours in Cozumel
- El Cielo reef by Catamaran with Beach Club
- Cozumel El Cielo Snorkel by Private Boat
- Snorkeling Tour & Cozumel Beach Party
- The Cozumel Turtle Sanctuary Snorkel Tour
- Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs
So let’s get to it, here are our top Cozumel snorkel tours. Be sure to see our reviews of Cozumel ATV & Jeep Tours.
Cozumel Snorkeling Tour Reviews
1. El Cielo reef by Catamaran with Beach Club
If you feel like both sailing and snorkeling in Cozumel, this is the snorkeling tour for you. On this 3-hour tour, you will sail on the only sailing catamaran on Cozumel and enjoy two different snorkeling stops, each approximately 45-minutes long each.
All snorkeling equipment needed for your adventure is provided by the tour company. At the first snorkeling stop you will enjoy a reef with abundant marine life including tropical fish, crustaceans, and more.
The second stop is actually to the second-largest barrier reef in the world and you will encounter species of fish and other marine life you won’t see anywhere else.
The FE Catamaran is equipped with both restrooms as well as freshwater showers for comfort and convenience. The stairs that allow you access to the water for your snorkeling adventures are ergonomically designed for ease of use.
While aboard the catamaran after your second underwater adventure, you will be able to enjoy complimentary drinks – including cold beer, tequila shots, rum punch, cold waters, and soft drinks – as well as salsa and homemade guacamole with chips.
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Enjoy all this food and beverage delight as you listen to great music and recant tales of your snorkeling fun with your group.
You will be picked up in a centrally located Cozumel location and dropped off at the same spot after your trip. You can take your Catamaran Sail and Snorkel Tour at either a 9:30 am or 1:00 pm departure time.
Be sure to let the reservationist know which time works better for your group.
You will be able to purchase souvenir photos after your trip for an additional purchase but these are a great memento of your adventure and also great to show off to family and friends back home.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Cozumel El Cielo Snorkel by Private Boat
Are you wishing to spend the whole day in the water with only the people in your party? If the answer is a definite YES! then you need the El Cielo Snorkel by Private Boat. For the same money to have four people on a group tour, you can do this one for the same money and have your own boat!
You will have a one-hour guided tour and then you can spend as much time as you’d like snorkeling the area with your group. This is ideal for groups or families that want to spend time together doing a fun activity.
You will be instructed in snorkeling, shown your gear and how to use it properly and fitted with it. Your mask and brand new snorkel tube, life jacket, and fins will all be provided to you as part of the snorkeling tour. Be sure to bring a camera as well!
The reef you will be exploring is not too far from the beach and you can spend the whole day there. Well, except for when you come back to enjoy the lunch at the restaurant or bar.
You can also use the beach as much as you’d like for the day for relaxing, spending time with your group or family, or just relaxing.
If you’d like to bring along a few family members who just want to use the beach and not snorkel, they are more than welcome.
You arrive at the beach at 10 am and can stay as long as you want, going back to your cruise ship or hotel by taxi when you are ready.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. El Cielo, Palancar Snorkel & Beach Party Experience
There’s nothing quite like a Cozumel beach party and you will get to enjoy one while meeting great new people after snorkeling from a custom-made catamaran if you choose this Snorkeling Tour & Cozumel Beach Party.
You will get to snorkel the world renowned Palancar reefs as well as one other reef as you sail the waters around Cozumel on a catamaran.
While aboard this catamaran you can enjoy beer, margaritas, sodas, or water once you are done enjoying the marine life of Cozumel. This marine life includes coral, tropical fish, turtles and more.
The beach party is the real fun though. There’s the “Aqua Jump” trampoline on the water, barbeque food like hamburgers, beach chairs and hammocks to relax in as you enjoy the shade or sun – your choice.
You can even have some fun with your new friends with a competitive game of volleyball.
Then you can enjoy more drinks and sun on your way back to the marina onboard the catamaran as you recount the stories of your snorkeling, sailing, and beach party fun.
This snorkeling adventure comes with a lot more than just enjoying the marine life – party on the beach and sail the Cozumel waters, South of the Border style!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. The Cozumel Turtle Sanctuary Snorkel Tour
You won’t get the whole beach party atmosphere with this one, but if you are looking to see marine life, (especially turtles), enjoy the sun, some good food, and some good company as well as a great snorkeling adventure in Cozumel, then this is the Cozumel snorkeling tour for you.
Snorkeling in Cozumel is like no other and you will enjoy your time exploring underwater. With this tour, you will explore four different reefs.
You start off the tour at the Playa del Carmen. You’ll meet your guide and get a quick intro to what you’ll be doing to the tour. Quickly get the group outfitted with your mask, fins and snorkel and the instructions for snorkeling will be given.
You will start your adventure at El Cielo which is the best known reef here, then onto Cielito, which is known for its natural starfish.
Perhaps the highlight of the tour is the green turtle sanctuary. Here you can snorkel alongside these huge majestic turtles.
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Don’t worry if you haven’t done any snorkeling in the past because you will be shown everything you need to do and you will even get a practice session on the beach and in the shallows until you are comfortable with what you will be doing and with all of your gear.
After your snorkeling session, seeing wonderful marine life in the waters of Cozumel, you can come back to the beach to enjoy lunch.
The Mexican food at the bar is superb and the cost is included in your reservation – a vegetarian option is available for those who wish it.
Then use the beach access as much as you want until 9pm. This exclusive beach is only open to those who have snorkeled with the tour and purchased the beach access so it’s not overrun with people. Simply enjoy!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs
Through a glass-bottom boat you can see some wonderful marine life and that’s just what you can experience with the Cozumel Snorkeling Tour that takes a guided tour around Cozumel and surrounding areas like Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park and El Cielo.
You will also be able to snorkel through these wonderful areas like Palancar Reef as well. There’s nothing quite like experiencing the marine life around Cozumel first hand.
While on the glass-bottom boat, enjoying the scenery as you drift by, you can enjoy your choice of refreshments from beer, juice, or water and those beverages are bottomless in between the snorkeling stops.
Your snorkeling stops are: El Cielo, where you will spend about 20 minutes in shallow waters with a sandy ocean floor; Columbia Reef, where the visibility is nearly always clear and you can see up to 200 feet, to see sea turtles, coral, and tropical fish.
You will spend about 30 minutes here; and Palancar Reef, which is at Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park (or Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel), where you can see rays, turtles, coral, nurse sharks, tropical fish, moray eels, and even different types of crustaceans.
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You can choose to depart in the morning or the afternoon, whichever is more convenient for you or your party. The morning group will depart at 9 am and the afternoon group will depart at 1 pm.
You will need to check-in at Marina Fonatur at least 30 minutes prior to departing on the glass-bottom boat.
Your Cozumel Snorkeling Tour will include all snorkeling gear required as well as the professional guide that is familiar with all local attractions.
The areas you will be snorkeling, the marine life you see while snorkeling or through the glass-bottom boat and more. Your tour will last approximately 4 hours.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Your Guide to the Best Snorkeling in Cozumel
It’s not just snorkeling that you can enjoy in Cozumel, but there are some details about a vacation in this sun-lover’s dreamland that you should know before you start buying plane tickets and booking accommodations. Let’s look at when you should go, how you can get around, and more.
- When to Visit Cozumel
- Getting Around Cozumel
- Staying Safe in Cozumel
- What to Pack for Your Trip to Cozumel
- Saving Money While in Cozumel
- Knowing Local Customs
When to Visit Cozumel
The best time to visit Cozumel is between mid-February and mid-July. During this time, the temperatures aren’t scorching but you will see plenty of sunshine and warmth. You will also be avoiding hurricane season and the rainy season.
During the warm, dry season mentioned above that you want to visit during, there are some time periods you want to avoid, however. Of course, if you can only stay a few days, try to stay mid-week as prices will be lower and you can avoid weekend crowds. Also, try to avoid the Spring Break rush of college students in the area.
Getting Around Cozumel
While you can choose to rent a car, if you’d like, the expense really isn’t necessary and if you aren’t familiar with the area, it can be a bit hectic trying to get around in an unfamiliar city in an unfamiliar country via car.
If you want wheeled transportation, you can always take taxis, which are very popular, or if you are trying to sightsee, there are many moped rentals since they are widespread around hotels and especially around attractions.
However, the best way to get around Cozumel is still going to be on foot. You can take your time to look around, take in the many sights, sounds, and wonder food smells of the city and take as many pictures as you would like. So, be sure to bring good walking shoes and wear them often.
Staying Safe in Cozumel
Whenever you are on vacation to a hot tourist spot in another country, you want to take certain safety precautions.
Always keep your head about you: this means partaking in adult beverages to have fun but not going overboard so that you can keep your wits, not showing off expensive cameras or flashy jewelry, and always having identification on you.
If you will be enjoying the snorkeling tours and other outdoor sports, it is a good idea to also invest in traveler’s health insurance just in case of accidental injury or if someone in your family or group gets sick.
You want to know that you can be seen by a local doctor or at a hospital and not end up with a medical bill for a simple visit.
What to Pack for Your Trip to Cozumel
Be sure to bring walking shoes as well as sandals for the beach. You also want to bring a beach bag that can get sand in it or is made of mesh so it won’t hold sand at all. Have beach clothes as well as everyday walking around clothes.
You might also want to bring a set or two of nicer clothes in case you want to visit a nicer restaurant or two or even one of the many clubs around Cozumel.
Saving Money While in Cozumel
Most attractions, restaurants, small vendors, and more will take both pesos, which is the local currency in Cozumel, as well as the American dollar. However, if you pay in pesos, you will most likely be getting a better deal.
If you take money out at an ATM, you will be getting pesos anyway so there’s no need to change them over to dollars even though you may be more comfortable paying for things that way and will know more about how much you are paying for things.
The best bet is to download an easy-to-use app onto your smartphone that will allow you to quickly convert pesos to your currency of choice so you know exactly how much you are spending on things in a currency you are familiar with.
Try to avoid spending money on the piers as most of them are tourist traps. Because all of the cruise lines unload on the piers, most of those tourists spend a lot of money there and the locals know this so the prices are higher.
You’re better off spending money closer to downtown. However, when on your snorkeling tours, this might not be avoided so bring as much as you can with you, like your sunscreen, sunglasses, etc. Most of them will provide snacks and drinks or a way to purchase them.
Knowing Local Customs
Because this is a tourist spot, most locals know English, or at least enough to communicate with the tourists. However, it will really help if you can know at least a few phrases.
- Hola – Hello
- Adios – Goodbye
- Please – Por favor
- Thank you – Gracias
Knowing a few local phrases will help put you in the good graces, so to speak, with the locals you interact with, even if you are just buying a bottle of water.
This area is very conservative so you won’t find any nude beaches. Even untying the strings on the back of your bikini so you don’t have tan lines is frowned on. This is even if you are lying face down and tie them before getting back up. Make sure you are decent at all times.
It’s not really a custom but tourists shouldn’t drink the tap water. You can get very sick. Even use bottled water to brush your teeth.
It’s Time to Pack Your Trip to Cozumel!
Are you ready to spend some time in the sun? The resorts, beaches, fun attractions… and yes, even your snorkeling tour adventure… is awaiting you in Cozumel.If you have some extra time be sure to take a ferry ride over to Cancun. There are lots of sightseeing tours you can do. If you go be sure to see the Tulum Mayan ruins, or the beautiful Cenotes. There is nothing else like them, be sure to snorkel them!
So, get packing!
I hope this guide was helpful for finding the best Cozumel snorkel tours to fit your needs. If you want to comment or recommend a tour I didn’t include, please use my contact form to get in touch. If you plan on spending any time in Cozumel, be sure to see our guide on How To Snorkel.
Remember; be safe, and stay within your limits and most of all enjoy your time in Cancun!
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The Catamaran Sail & Snorkel Tour in Cozumel is our top pick for the best snorkeling tour
