Shallow snorkeling spots in Cozumel?

[Lady Slipper]

Can anyone recommend beaches where I can walk into from the beach and snorkel in shallow waters?

I am also looking for it in St. Thomas, Grand Caymen, St. Martin,

Thank you :)

[scubaran]

Can anyone recommend beaches where I can walk into from the beach and snorkel in shallow waters?

I am also looking for it in St. Thomas, Grand Caymen, St. Martin,

Thank you :)

 

Cozumel would be Chankanaab Park

St. Thomas would be Coki Point

Grand Cayman would be Eden Rock or Sunset House

St. Martin would be Orient Bay (for beach, there's no really decent snorkeling in St. Martin)

 

There are a large number of details on these here and on the Ports pages. Use the search function to find them. :)

 

Randall

[Lady Slipper]

scubaran: Thank you so much for the information. I had read others who had said Chankanaab Park was the place to go but then someone said "the steps at Chankanaab are difficult - very large steps down onto rough rocky areas. It isn't a good place for swimming and the beach is very small and has lots of rocks with a sandbag walk out past the rocks but it was slippery."

I was leaning towards Chankanaab Park and I think I will stay with that decision. Coki Beach in St. Thomas I think will be on our list as well. Maybe we will look for some kind of a tour in St. Martin.

Thanks again for your help:)

[jmps]

Scubaran has given you very good advice. The step at Chankanaab Park really aren't that difficult. Cozumel isn't really the best place to snorkel but Chankanaab will be the best from shore. It is also a very nice place to sit back and relax.

[scubaran]

scubaran: Thank you so much for the information. I had read others who had said Chankanaab Park was the place to go but then someone said "the steps at Chankanaab are difficult - very large steps down onto rough rocky areas. It isn't a good place for swimming and the beach is very small and has lots of rocks with a sandbag walk out past the rocks but it was slippery."

I was leaning towards Chankanaab Park and I think I will stay with that decision. Coki Beach in St. Thomas I think will be on our list as well. Maybe we will look for some kind of a tour in St. Martin.

Thanks again for your help:)

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome. :) I've actually snorkeled all these places (and St. Martin) and they're where I'd go. :D

 

r

[bplazo]

I agree with Chankanaab Park. I am not a very good swimmer or snorkeler and I had the best time there snorkeling.

[Lady Slipper]

scubaran, jmps and bplazo:

Wow, what can I say....Thank you all for the great information. You have just put the fun back into planning this trip!:D Now I will check to see what we might do in Aruba, Tortola, and Bermuda. We have planned a walking tour of San Juan. Maybe I will check out "what to shop for" too :p

Oh... one question, did you take a taxi to all these beaches?

[bplazo]

We took a taxi once and then rented mopeds another time.

 

In Aruba we did an all day jeep safari with ABC tours. We had so much fun. My husband drove (I wouldnt have dared) and we followed a tour guide to places that I would have never thought we could get to. It also included drinks and a stop at an outdoor restraunt. My teen daughter thought that this was the best excursion we have ever done.

[jmps]

You can easily catch a taxi on Cozumel to the park. The rates are set. Just ask the driver how much before you get in. Taxis in Cozumel are very easy to use. I would say don't get a moped. Many tourists have been hurt and killed on them. They are fun but not worth the risk. If you want to go to the park and see the east side rent a car or Jeep.

 

In Grand Cayman, if you don't mind walking a short distance you can just walk to Eden Rock. Sunset House is bit further and you probably would like a taxi.

 

Here are some ideas for your other stops. We are going to Tortola and Aruba in a few weeks on the Galaxy. In Tortola we are taking the ferry to Virgin Gorda and the Baths. We plan to play in the rocks and snorkel. On Aruba we are renting an SUV from Royal and just bumming around the beaches and sights.

 

We have never been to Bermuda but would LOVE to get there sometime. What are you thinking about doing there? I have heard the bus works really good there.

[Lady Slipper]

jmps: Eden Rock sounds good to me. There is a group that are going to take the bus and ferry to see some of Bermuda, I think we might join them. I haven`t decided what to do in Aruba yet but I read about a glass bottom boat tour and I kind of like that idea.

I have heard that you can spend a good portion of the day at Chankanaab Park so that will probably be all we will do in Cozumel. Except maybe look for a carved painted fish that I passed up last time we were there.

[scubaran]

scubaran, jmps and bplazo:

Wow, what can I say....Thank you all for the great information. You have just put the fun back into planning this trip!:D Now I will check to see what we might do in Aruba, Tortola, and Bermuda. We have planned a walking tour of San Juan. Maybe I will check out "what to shop for" too :p

Oh... one question, did you take a taxi to all these beaches?

 

What can I say, I get around.....

 

In Bermuda, go to Elbow Beach Resort 5 minutes taxi from Hamilton. Tell the driver to take you to the beach (it's a winding road down from the hotel about 100 yds). Down there you'll find a great fine sand beach, restaurant, public bathrooms with lockers (you have to bring your own lock) and a scuba shop who rents snorkel gear and can give you directions on where to go in the reef. To get back in town, have the beach restaurant or the scuba shop call a cab for you and hoof it to the top of the hill to the front of the hotel (it's really not that bad of a walk and there's a winding walkway so the slope's not bad at all).

 

For Tortola, we like either the Baths as recommended (though you don't get that much time to hang out there (45 minutes or so) or, our favorite, a snorkel cruise to Norman and Peter Islands. At Norman Island there's a bunch of caves with 3-4 ft. of water in them that you can snorkel back into and Peter island has a great sand beach (and bar) where you can either snorkel or lay on the beach.

 

Aruba, like St. Martin, wasn't that impressive as far as snorkeling went so I'd either shop or go to a local beach and relax.

 

As far as San Juan, what we do is take a taxi to El Morro, the fort at the entrance to the harbor (it's a steeeep walk up to it) and visit the fort. Afterwards we go "down hill" straight and to the right and go through the old town. Stop by the church pointed out in the photo. It's a beautiful church and in the wall on the left 1/2 way in is the tomb of Ponce De Leon, the fountain of youth explorer, and don't forget to detour through the gate in the wall.

 

As far as what to buy, if you go down a ways past the church you'll find the bar credited with the creation of the pina colada, and you have to have one just to say you did and to get a picture holding one by the plaque to make all your friends at home jealous. My wife also has me stop in and by some local Puertorican Madala beer (if you like beer). She claims its the best beer in the Caribbean and we always bring a 6-pack home. The other thing we pick up is some 5-coin rum. It's again local and we think much better than Bacardi, even though their rum plant is just across the harbor from downtown San Juan.

 

 

 

Anyway, just some suggestions,

Randall

[jmps]

Lady Slipper pardon the digression...

 

Thanks Scubaran for the San Juan info. We are staying at the Sheraton in old town one night pre-cruise (three weeks from today!) and will use your walking and buying info.

[scubaran]

Lady Slipper pardon the digression...

 

Thanks Scubaran for the San Juan info. We are staying at the Sheraton in old town one night pre-cruise (three weeks from today!) and will use your walking and buying info.

 

Hi,

 

No problem, if you're staying over night, stop in at the Hard Rock Cafe for a cold Medala at the bottom of the hill. It's a great watering hole after a hot walk. Plus you might look into going to the Condado Beach area right outside of downtown (something like a $.50 public bus straight from the bus station downtown by the cruise docks and a 5 minute ride). It's got a main street that all the buses go down, you cross over a bridge going out of downtown and just get off at the next stop and walk around. It's like 7-10 blocks with hotels and restaurants. We went into the CondadoPlaza hotel, right across the bridge, and had the largest "fish bowl" margarita's we've ever seen. It also has a casino and is right on the beach (once we stayed a week at a hotel down the street). Buses go about every 10 minutes and dump you back at the bus station, or a cab is cheap as well.

 

Randall

[Lady Slipper]

You are a wealth of information Scubaran thank you. I like Dark Rum usually Captain Morgans (my hubby says "how can you taste the rum with the tiny amount you have") My response to this is "Heh, I`m a cheap date and the driver when we go to parties!" :p But I will definately have to have one of those Pina Coladas, I love those. But I never make them. I`m a one drink kinda gal so it doesn`t pay to get everything to make them at home.