What Carribbean island do YOu think has the best...

[twirler324]

What Carribbean island do you think has the best snorkeling area? We are looking to take a cruise or just a vacation to the Carribbean which has great snorkeling, not necessarily from a boat, but right from the beach.

We were snorkeling in St. John and St. Martin in August, and both were great! What is your favorite place to snorkel, and why?

 

TIA!!!!:)

[CRUISERTN]

I have 3 favorite snorkeling places in the Caribbean....Tabyana Beach in Roatan is the BEST and you snorkel right from a beautiful beach. You walk about 10 feet in to the water for some of the best snorkeling ever, and the water is clear and calm. Also Dzul-ha beach in Cozumel for the same reasons...Dzul-ha is near Chakannab and only about a $7.00 taxi ride from where the ships dock....no place to store your things so take only the minimum and carry a water wallet or something waterproof to wear around your neck to keep your cash in. Another favorite is Coki beach in St. Thomas. Again, it is snorkeling from the beach in shallow, clear and calm water and near Coral World, so there is a lot of interesting sea life around that area....underwater cameras are a must for these areas as you will see a lot of beautiful fish. These three places are great for beginners and easy access from the beach and all with shallow, clear water with good visibility and lots of fish. A snorkel trip of a lifetime was not in the Caribbean, but on a cruise in the Galapagos islands. Water is cooler and deeper and you will need a wet suit (at least a shortie) but snorkeling with sea lions, Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, marine iguanas and other animals unique only to that area was a thrill of a lifetime....the Galapagos trip was a trip of a lifetime!!!

[mrsfuzzmo]

Hands down....Grand Cayman. We spent 3 week there quite a few years back and spent the entire time snorkeling. LOVED it. I have been back a few times since, but have done the Stingray thing all three times (we had new people with us each time). This time we are by ourselves and will just hit a few beaches and snorkel the day away! Second place is Cozumel, East side of the island where the water is 20 ft deep and the coral reef comes right to the surface! Third is St. John. Always a favorite!

 

Mrsfuzzmo

[twirler324]

Thank you for the recommendations! It looks like we may need to consider an "exotic" Western Cruise!! :)

[mrsfuzzmo]

We just booked a Western cruise for just that reason. We've both been to all the islands a number of times and seen all the sights so we are going to just snorkel our little hearts out. We are going to Labadee, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Jamaica (which has great snorkeling as well.) Cannot wait!

 

Mrsfuzzmo

[ProudFossil]

Guavaberry Bay in Virgin Gorda (British Virgin Islands) is fantastic for a several reasons.

First it is never crowded. The beach is nice sand, gently sloping into the water, and the water itself is very warm.

Second there is absolutely no current. I have lain on the water for 30 minutes without moving one inch. By doing so all the little critters who are normally very shy will come out of their respective hide-aways.

Third the water is crystal clear.

Fourth it is only a short swim/float to the area of the Baths. Between the two bays you will find dozens of species. The water is deeper here and so there is a wide variety of fish. This short swim is never more than 50 feet from shore and between many boulders which give cover for the many fish.

Another fun thing is to sit up on the beach and watch the "tourists" standing in the water being surrounded by thousands of silversides and completely unaware they are in the middle of a traffic jam.

 

There is only one negative in regards to the initial question relating to being there from a cruise. No cruise will be there. There may be an excursion from Tortola to the Baths but that is as close as a cruise ship will be. This is definitely a vacation spot.

 

Have fun.

Mike

[cmdchiefthom]

For me, it's a toss-up between Dominica and St. Lucia. There is no comparison between the Western and Southern Caribbean. Just the unspoiled corals on Dominica, St. Lucia and for that matter St. Kitts are what Cozumel, and Grand Cayman used to be like 30 years ago, especially close in for snorkelers. In St. Lucia, below the Pitons for instance, SCUBA divers do beach dives, so snorkelers have the same access to the reefs there.