Well, actually the best snorkeling is not in Cancun at all. It is just south of Cancun, about a 30 minute drive, to the little town of Puerto Morelos. Here the reef is very close to the shore and very shallow, which makes for perfect snorkeling conditions.
Trina Snorkeling on the reef
I’ve snorkeled in Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, and Akumal countless times over the years and I have to say yesterday I had THE BEST snorkel experience. I met with the boat owner who introduced me to our guide, Paz. Paz is very passionate about the ocean, sea life, snorkeling, and he made sure that everyone on the boat had good time. He gave personalized attention to each snorkeler, ensuring that everyone was comfortable in the water and that they could see the amazing underwater world that he so loves.
All of the snorkel boats in Puerto Morelos are the 8-12 passenger panga boats. I like being in smaller groups when snorkeling, so this worked out well for me. They have to use the smaller boats because the large boats cannot get close to the coral reef. Once in the boat, Paz fitted each person with snorkel gear and gave us instructions about the coral, safety, and general snorkeling etiquette.
Coral Reef in Puerto Morelos
The boat ride from the dock to the reef only took us less than 10 minutes. When we reached the reef there were 5-6 other boats there with snorkelers in the water. Paz said that we would avoid the others by swimming against the current for a few minutes then drifting back along the reef. This worked out very well for all of us.
I was amazed at the sea life we saw and the condition of the coral reef. It is so vibrant and alive! The schools of fish are brilliantly painted by mother nature and I felt thankful to be in her presence. We saw fish of every size and shape and color, one fish in particular caught Paz’s attention because it literally sparkled! I don’t think the photos do it justice, you have to see it for yourself.
Fish on sandy area by the reef
We snorkeled for almost 2 hours on the reef in Puerto Morelos. I was so impressed with this snorkel trip that I am adding it to my list of featured tours.While taking underwater photos we came upon an angel ray. This was the highlight of the trip. I was able to follow it at a pretty slow pace for several minutes. Just amazing.
So the video quality is terrible, but about half way through is where I started following the ray. I’m sorry about that, I will try to get better quality underwater video soon.
If you have your own transportation to Puerto Morelos, the snorkeling is only $49 per person. If you are staying in Cancun it is just $70 for round trip transportation (1-10 people). Email us for a transportation quote if you are staying in another location! Book your Snorkel Trip today!
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- On the boat heading out to the reef.
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- Guide giving instructions
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- Coral Reef in Puerto Morelos
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- Coral Reef & Tropical Fish
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- Trina Snorkeling on the reef
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- Fish on sandy area by the reef
There is one in Cancun and one in Cozumel. These are great for the whole family to be able to see the ocean floor from the safety of the submarine. Again, visibility may be slightly diminished. Discounts on 
Cancun now has a Mayan Museum in the hotel zone. It is only about $5 per person and a great way to learn about the culture. 
We checked in at Cancun Bay Resort & Marina, located at KM 3.5 in the Cancun Hotel Zone. Check in was fast so we had about 30 minutes at the palapa before the start of the tour. This worked out well since we had skipped breakfast and the palapa sold croissants and bottled water. We split one of each which cost us $36 pesos (~about $3 USD).
By 11:00 AM we were back on the boat, heading over to the island. Our first stop was at Isla Contoy dock. We had 1 hour free time on the island to shop, rent a golf cart, or hang out at the bars/restaurants. We skipped the golf carts and just walked around a bit, then ended up at the Isla Contoy dock bar where we watched an English fellow eat a scorpion pickled in Tequila. Good times!
We boarded the boat about 3:00 PM to head back to Cancun. Just before we got there the captain set anchor and put up the spinnaker. The spinnaker is like para sailing, except you are anchored. The video shows it better than I can describe it. It is not very easy, however it looked well worth the effort.
My name is Trina. I moved to Cancun in 2005 from the United States. It was not an easy move and I had to overcome many challenges, but along the way I met some awesome people. I worked for many years for a travel agent here in Mexico before I decided to go out on my own and offer travelers the best service and advice about Cancun that I had learned over the years. This is my dream come true.