The 7 Best Snorkeling Destinations in the Caribbean You Need To Know

You are looking for information on the best snorkeling destinations in the Caribbean. This time: YES. It’s going to be the best vacation your family ever had. The challenge: that everyone has fun, from the little 6-year-old, the mother, grandmother, and even your sister-in-law’s son, that obnoxious teenager who doesn’t find it worthwhile to talk to someone. This year you are going to snorkel. That’s right!

At Dressel Divers, we have been offering snorkeling experiences in the Caribbean for more than 28 years, and we know them all. Even more, we have the privilege of visiting several of these sites from our bases. So, keep calm. We will help you! These are the best snorkel vacation destinations in the Caribbean.

A. The best places to snorkel in Mexico

1. Cozumel

Of the 11,122 km / 6911 mi. of Mexican coastline, 1000 km / 621 mi. are bathing in the Caribbean Sea. Rightly, it is the country that offers the most destinations for snorkeling in the world. There is a wide variety of experiences, animals, and corals to see without equal in the world.

In our selection, we talk about three areas that, due to their proximity, can constitute the best snorkeling vacations of your life.

Choosing a destination with the best snorkeling in the Caribbean is complicated.

It is already known: while some people think a location is extraordinary, for others it is so-so. But if there is something everyone agrees on Cozumel is one of the best destinations for coral reef snorkeling.

Snorkeling in Cozumel is like visiting an underwater paradise of vibrant corals along the second largest reef in the world. On the island, you can snorkel from the beach or a boat. If you choose the latter, you will be able to visit the most spectacular reefs.

For example, Palancar Reef and Colombia Shallows offer some of the best snorkeling on the Mexican island. Visibility reaches 30 meters / 100 feet.

Angel, parrot and triggerfish, nurse sharks, turtles of various species, and beautiful coral formations of vibrant colors; are waiting for you there.

In addition, in Cozumel, you can do night snorkeling. Yes, yes, as you read it. Going out at sunset with water-resistant flashlights, you will enjoy a new perspective on the reef full of color and very hectic marine life. Believe it or not, many animals prefer the night to come out of their hiding places searching for food.

3. Cenotes

How to choose the words to describe to you what it feels like to snorkel in a cenote?

What makes the cenotes one of the best snorkeling destinations in the Caribbean is that they are unique in the world. They are caves and caverns flooded with fresh water and whose ponds open in the middle of the Mayan jungle. You can put on your snorkel and jump into the water in the earth’s most beautiful natural swimming pools.

When you jump into a cenote, the freshwater refreshes your body. It feels good because of the Mayan tropical temperatures. As fast as your eyes adjust, you will discover the decorations that garnish these submerged cathedrals. Stalactites and stalagmites, large stone domes, tree roots that go through the rock until they reach 100% crystal clear water; are some of its attractions. In some cenotes, you can even see bats.

b. The best snorkeling destinations for families

4. Jamaica

Check any listing, and you’ll see that one of the best snorkeling vacation destinations is Jamaica. One of its best places is in Montego Bay. Why? You will ask yourself. Because it’s a marine park!

There, the underwater world offers visitors views of beautiful coral reefs and colorful marine life, plus its crystal-clear waters make everything easy to see. Yihaa, 3 of 3!

For families with small children, it also has the bonus that the bay is quiet and safe.

If you are traveling with young people who are in the mood for adventure, you will need a boat to visit the best places to snorkel, because these are a little further from the coast. There, the currents are stronger, but the fish are bigger.

5. Curacao

Curaçao is a volcanic island with a very arid surface and a seabed full of life. Snorkeling in Curaçao, in addition to seeing numerous reef fish, you can swim alongside dolphins, sea turtles, and rays.

The northeastern part of the island holds some of best Caribbean snorkeling beaches, as they are still little unexplored by mass tourism. Green moray eels, lobsters, mushroom-shaped corals, colorful reef fish, and a blue cave await you there.

6. Catalina Island and Saona Island

These two small islands in the Dominican Republic perfectly represent the image we all have of paradise on earth. White sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and a surface of incredible beauty that rivals underwater wonders.

Saona Island is part of the protected Parque Natural del Este. On its western side, protected from currents, you can enjoy shallow reefs that will delight the whole family. There, you can see pufferfish, rays, and some trumpet fish changing color between seagrass beds and mangrove forests.

For its part, Catalina Island, which is also very beautiful, offers a corral plateau and wall that falls vertically towards the blue. Snorkelers have a great time on the shallower part and looking over the wall.

In this snorkeling destination, you can enjoy the upholstered coral and different shapes, colors, and sizes of the sponge sea bed. The most typical species of the Caribbean Sea, exotic fish of many colors, crustaceans, mollusks, and turtles swim there.

7. Grenada

In Grenada love is in the water. So, it is an ideal destination for newly formed families. The “honeymooners” find it one of the best destinations for snorkeling due to its wide range of bays, more than 45 beaches, numerous protected reefs, and secluded coves from which to enter the sea.

In Granada, you can snorkel on the first underwater sculpture park in the world.

There are mangrove swamps, coral reefs, and seagrass beds. Its shores are home to a large nesting population of leatherback sea turtles. There you will find shrimp, lobster, and schools of colorful tropical fish as well. An island to fall in love with and where to fall in love!

You already know the 7 best-snorkeling destinations in the Caribbean, which one will you choose for your vacation?