Snorkeling in Cozumel: All You Need to Know!

Okay, you've finally made it to the beautiful island of Cozumel. Now you want to dive in to those crystal clear waters and experience all they have to offer! Now the question remains, which tour do I select? What do I get for my money? Is the experience worth it, or should I just do it on my own. In this post we discuss the answers to all of those questions and we share the tips and tricks we learned about how to have the best snorkeling experience in Cozumel! Let's do this!

Wait to buy your tickets!

When you decide to take a ferry over to Cozumel, you will likely be leaving from a large port. For example, when we did it we left from Playa del Carmen; and let me tell you, we must have been offered tickets for snorkeling tours at least 20 times before we even made it to the ferry. No joke...We were offered snorkeling tours where we parked. Then on the walk to the ferry port. Then right outside of the ferry port where you can buy ferry tickets. Then again in line while waiting for tickets. Every 20 feet there was another person selling tickets. Their prices all slightly varied and they were all selling similar tours. The average price that they were selling a snorkel tour for was between 900-1,200 pesos or $45-$60 USD per person. We considered buying the tickets there, because we wanted to ensure we got on a snorkel tour, but we had heard a tip that if you waited until you got to Cozumel, you could get the tickets at a much cheaper price, so we took a gamble.

We took the ferry over to Cozumel. For more tips on traveling by ferry and which one is the better choice check out my blog post Mexico Ferries, Why Your Choice Matters. As soon as we got off of the ferry, we saw multiple options for snorkel tours right on the pier. They had everything, from snuba, to shark tours, to full glass bottom boats. Here is an image that I found on Google that accurately showcases how the pier looks. As you can see there are little booths set up in a line along the pier, each offering their own unique tours. You can walk up to each and select the booth to your choosing.

*Note this image is not mine, all credits go to Carlos B, and the original can be found at this link: https://www.google.com/maps/@20.5113967,-86.9501033,3a,75y,41.13h,86.62t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipOJzqqHvvR64KPqtBmAb4ECMhI87LHPIkZFWT9V!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOJzqqHvvR64KPqtBmAb4ECMhI87LHPIkZFWT9V%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya290.8551-ro0-fo100!7i6912!8i3456

Unfortunately we do not remember the exact name of our booth tour selection, we do remember that it was one of the first booths that we stumbled upon and what made us select that option was that it took us to 3 separate locations. My boyfriend and I had done our research before coming on this trip and we knew that two places we really wanted to see were Playa Cielo and Playa Palancar. This tour we selected took us to both of those and a third destination as well. And the best part? This was the same tour that was being sold at Playa del Carmen for 1,200 pesos; we got it here for 600 pesos. Or 30 dollars a person. It was HALF THE COST by just waiting to purchase it on the island. So pro tip one, if saving money is your style, wait to purchase your tickets until you are on the Cozumel dock. Don't worry about them running out of tickets, there are tons of tours and they operate every few hours.

Don't worry about the fancy stuff.

Some tours will try to sell you on things like "oh we include a lunch or beverage package". If this is something you are into than by all means go for it! Or if you are someone who likes the fancier boats with all of the amenities we say go for what you like! If being in the water and getting to the best spots is more your main concern, don't worry about all of the fancy add ons they can tack onto tours. Also, be very aware of what exactly your tour includes. For example the one we selected included food, and that was a bag of potato chips on the way back. Didn't matter to us because we weren't counting on that meal, but others might be. It was advertised as providing food and beverage, which it did...but if someone was expecting a full lunch they would have been disappointed. So be sure to inquire exactly what your tour entails. Our tour was considered one of the "basic" tours and it took us to three amazing locations:

• Playa Cielo

• Playa Palancar

• El Cielito

We got to see starfish, tons of fish at the coral reefs, and stingrays! And we got some beer and some snacks. Plus a bonus of not stopping somewhere for lunch or having a big lunch on the boat is that we got more time in the water, which is what we wanted to experience and what we found value in spending our money on.

Snag those underwater pics!

Trust me when I tell you there is going to be a lot to see and you're going to want to capture it with more than just your eyes! You should definitely plan for and bring things that will allow you to take underwater pics. We had a GoPro and our phones, although if I am being honest we got better stuff with our phones than with the GoPro. We just bought some underwater cases and popped them on and we were good to go! It's how we got photos like these:

Don't overpack!

Here is another pro tip , for these tours DO NOT over pack. This is a tour where you are going to want to drop your bags off before hand and just take exactly what you would need on this boat. Also a rule of thumb here, if you don't want it to get wet...don't bring it. These boats are not big catamarans where you are high up and there is storage. These are smaller boats, closer to little speed boats, and the only storage they had was your lap or this little net that hangs from the ceiling. Luckily we only had a small bag and it fit nicely up there but it would not have held a larger bag. So when booking these tours keep your luggage in mind!

Bonus fun fact: our boat had a strip in the middle that was glass so we could see the marine life beneath us while on the boat! Got a taste of the glass bottom boat experience without the hefty price tag!

Enhance your Experience!

Ever wonder why when you snorkel alone the fish never seem to come close but when you are in these massive groups the fish come right up? Seems weird right? Like hmmm there are more people the fish should be more scared. Well this trip we figured it out, our guides had food for the little guys in their pockets! They brought fish food and slowly release it when you are all in the water. This brings the fish closer to you and allows you to get great shots and a really fun experience. To enhance your experience even more ask them if you can feed the fish! They may even snap of photo of you doing it looking like a real life mermaid! My boyfriend and I fed the fish and it was such a cool experience! They get so close and you get to see them in a whole new light! It was really fun to be able to interact so closely with these animals.

Swim with Stingrays!

This was by far one of my favorite parts of the tour. I was not expecting this part either which made it even better. The third and final stop on this tour is a place called El Cielito, and when you pull up on it it just looks like a relaxing beach. Very shallow waters, a shore off in the distance, and tons of boats anchored down. Many people get out and wade in the waist deep water, they have a beer, throw a football and just relax. Here a lot of people opt to stay on the boat too, because they are tired and think, "oh this is just the relaxing spot, I don't need to get in". Trust me when I say, you do not want to make that mistake in thinking that! This is the place that I named Stingray Beach. It has TONS of them! I'd say about every five minutes I saw one of these majestic creatures swim by. And I don't mean like off in the distance, they come right up to you! Below I have attached one of the MANY videos that we got of these creatures. It was such an incredible experience. So that is definitely a pro tip! At the 3rd location make sure you get in the water with your camera and snorkel gear so you can see these majestic creatures up close and personal.

Visit Beach clubs!

You may be thinking to yourself "Steph...why would you include this in a post about snorkeling? It has nothing to do with it?" But hear me out! The next day, after our snorkel adventure we decided to spend the day at one of the beach clubs on the island. We chose Playa Palancar Beach Club, and we were not disappointed. Besides looking like a postcard, this beach club also offered something...you guessed it SNORKEL TOURS! It offered the same tour we went on the day before and for even less! This one was only 500 pesos or 25 USD per person. Now, let me give you the scoop because it was a little different.

Snorkel Tour from the Dock:

• Takes you to 3 stops (Playa Cielo, Playa Palancar, El Cielito)

• Is a bit far out from the destinations (I would say about 20-30 min)

• Takes larger groups and fills the boat (about 12-15 people)

• Provides small snacks and beverages (including, water, sodas, and beers)

Snorkel Tour from Playa Palancar Beach Club

• Takes you to 2 stops (Playa Cielo, Playa Palancar ..*Note with this one you do not go to Stingray Beach aka El Cielito)

• Is much closer to the stops (about a 10-15 min ride)

• Will take smaller groups out (Only need a minimum group size of 6 people)

• Does not provide snacks or beverages

So depending on your preference you can decide which tour suits your groups needs, but now you know that there is another location to purchase these tours at Palancar Beach Club! In addition to offering these tours, the beach club is worth a visit all on its own. In order to stay at the beach club you just need to consume, but there is no minimum consumption rate. Beautiful beaches, ocean front, good food and drinks. No better way to spend a relaxing day.

Well, that's all for today! I hope these tips helped you plan for your next trip to Cozumel! Happy snorkeling!

Until next time,

Steph :)