Snorkeling in Cozumel

[rich10900]

Our cruise stops in Cozumel from 10am until 6pm so we wanted to do a longer snorkeling tour. Any suggestions for tours that will take us to palancar reef? We were looking into island marketing limited but there seem to be mixed reviews out there. Another option we were thinking of doing is a snorkel and dolphin encounter combo...but that might be too much???

[mitsugirly]

We did the dolphin encounter (at Chankanaab) and snorkeled at Chankanaab. It is a national park and is BEAUTIFUL. It was one of our favorite ports of the cruise last month. I would go back in a heartbeat.

 

Here are my reviews of both Chankanaab and Dolphin Discovery:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=30683350&postcount=59

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=30692077&postcount=65

 

There's a link at the end of each review to tons of pictures.

 

Enjoy. :)

[Stevesan]

Our cruise stops in Cozumel from 10am until 6pm so we wanted to do a longer snorkeling tour. Any suggestions for tours that will take us to palancar reef? We were looking into island marketing limited but there seem to be mixed reviews out there. Another option we were thinking of doing is a snorkel and dolphin encounter combo...but that might be too much???

 

Your 10AM arrival may be a problem. Most tours leave earlier, but they sometime adjust to the ship schedules. An option is your ship's snorkel trip. The boat will be crowded, but the reefs are nearby, so there's little time spent in the boat.

 

Eagle Ray's "full Day" visits Palancar and Columbia and one more selected usually by request. My last trip the third reef was Punta Sur. All the offshore reefs are great, but Punta Sur was special.

 

http://www.eagleraydivers.com/

 

Manta Ray is another good choice:

 

http://www.mantaraya.com/

[Middleager]

As mentioned, the 10am arrival time means most other local shops would have been out for their morning trips. There are >100 dive shops, and most of them are decent, that gives you an idea of how good diving is there and how many people go to Coz to dive.

 

If you have several people then it might be possible to book a private boat. Try Chuco, or Blue Angel.

 

Plancar is famous, but it is also big. There are many named sites within Plancar. It is a bit south from the cruise piers. So looking for a dive shop/boat further south would help, so that you spend the money on taxi getting south rather than a boat to go south.

[whynotgo4it]

Another option is to take a taxi a mile or so down the road from Taxi Stand to the Money Bar $8.00 for the Taxi. You can snorkel right from the beach. We have done that several times. We bring our own gear but you can rent from a snorkel Shack next to the Money Bar. The Money Bar has good food and drinks and no charge to use facility as long as you eat or drink something.