10 Best Places to Go Snorkeling in Cancún

The best places to go snorkeling in Cancun are a diverse range of unforgettable subaquatic settings. From shallow lagoons and ancient sinkholes to the magnificent Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the world’s second-largest reef system, you’ll see it all.

You’ll encounter breathtaking coral gardens alive with iridescent fish, colorful coral drop-off walls, and subaquatic art exhibits with mesmerizing sculptures you can see from the surface. Read on to discover the best places to go snorkeling in one of the world’s most captivating marine environments.

1. Garrafon Natural Reef Park

A tropical paradise with thrilling zip rides

Ideale per: Famiglie, Coppie, Avventure

Garrafon Natural Reef Park on Isla Mujeres off the coast of Cancun, is a popular spot for snorkeling and water sports in a stunning tropical setting. A conservation plan prohibits snorkeling in certain areas, but you’ll still see an abundance of tropical fish in the clear, azure water.

You can also kayak or paddleboard, enjoy a thrilling ride on the zip line over the sea, take a dip in the pool, and enjoy a tequila sunrise on the terrace. Book the convenient VIP package which includes the ferry over, the zip line, snorkeling, lunch, and drinks.

Posizione: Kilómetro 6 Carretera Garrafón Lt 9, 77400 Q.R., Mexico

Orario di apertura: Daily from 10 am to 5 pm

Telefono: +52 800 727 5391

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2. MUSA

World’s largest underwater art installation

Ideale per: Foto, Viaggi alternativi

MUSA is an underwater sculpture garden where every one of its 470 pieces will leave you breathless. It was designed as an artificial reef to protect the natural reefs nearby by giving divers an alternative destination. And it worked.

It has become the world’s best-known underwater exhibit where you’ll see incredible life-size sculptures by Jason de Caires Taylor including Anthropocene, a life-size VW Beetle with a human figure curled up on the windshield, and Silent Evolution, a collection of over 400 life-size human sculptures. Tours run from Cancun and Isla Mujeres and require you wear a life jacket at the site. Make sure you book ahead as it’s very popular and often booked.

Posizione: Quintana Roo, Mexico

Orario di apertura: Daily from 9 am to 2 pm

Telefono: +52 998 206 0182

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3. Playa Delfines

Laid-back beach away from the busy center

Ideale per: Foto, Storia

Playa Delfines is a peaceful family beach 6.5 km away from the center of the busy, Zona Hotelera. It’s the largest free public beach in Cancun with a sweeping scenic stretch of sand dappled with thatched beach umbrellas, which are free if you arrive early enough to snag one.

Snorkeling and paddleboarding are popular most of the year. And it’s the only beach in Cancun with no high-rise hotels in the background, so it’s a photo-op paradise. The beach has free parking, or you can take the bus from the Zona Hotelera. Combine a visit to Playa Delfines with the fascinating Mayan ruins across the road at the El Rey archeological site.

Posizione: Punta Nizuc, Blvd. Kukulcan 17, Zona Hotelera, 77500 Cancún, 77500 Cancún, Q.R., Mexico

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4. Yal-kú Lagoon

Lagoon snorkeling in ancient limestone sinkholes

Ideale per: Viaggi alternativi, Foto

Yal Ku Lagoon is a must-visit for both beginner and seasoned snorkelers. This unique lagoon is a series of interconnected pools full of intriguing rock formations and cenotes, ancient sinkholes forming diverse habitats for marine life to inhabit and snorkelers to explore.

Because it’s connected to the sea there can be a tidal current and life vests are recommended. Go early in the morning before the tour groups arrive for a quieter experience. Local buses stop at the nearby village of Akumal. From there you can walk or take a taxi.

Posizione: Calle Acceso Etapa H Lote 5 Akumal Norte, 77776 Akumal, Q.R., Mexico

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5. Cozumel

A giant marine park sanctuary

Ideale per: Foto, Famiglie, Coppie

Cozumel has some of the world’s most remarkable diving and snorkeling spots, with shallow reefs, coral walls, and swim-throughs to explore. There are good shore snorkeling spots at many of the island’s sandy beaches, such as Playa Corona and Tikila Beach, along the west coast.

At the island’s southern tip, the marine sanctuary Cozumel Marine Park is a diving mecca forming part of the world’s second-largest reef system. You can take boat tours out to snorkel on magnificent reefs like Palancar and Colombia where hard and soft coral grow crowded on reefs and walls and you’ll be surrounded by curious, otherworldly fish. See groupers lurking in crevices and spot turtles, rays, and lobsters.

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6. Puerto Morelos

Home to the Queen angelfish, one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful fish

Ideale per: Famiglie, Coppie, Avventure

If you’re looking for a beautiful, laid-back beach with great restaurants and incredible snorkeling without the non-stop party vibe of Cancun, Puerto Morelos is perfect. You can snorkel right off the tranquil public beach.

Or take a 10-minute boat ride out to the well-preserved barrier reef where you’ll see a variety of marine life from rays and turtles to lobsters and reef fish including the yellow and blue Queen angelfish, one of the most spectacular fish in the Caribbean Sea. Puerto Morelos is 35 minutes south of Cancun. Hop on a regular colectivo minibus and you’ll find yourself in an ocean paradise in no time.

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7. Akumal Beach

Swimming with sea turtles

Ideale per: Foto, Avventure, Viaggi alternativi

Swimming and snorkeling in Akumal Bay’s protected reef is a unique chance to swim with turtles. The majestic loggerhead and green sea turtles in this sanctuary are used to humans observing them and seeming unbothered by your presence as they glide.

There are tours from Cancun, and tour sellers at the site will tell you the tours are obligatory, but you are free to explore on your own if you prefer. There is a small fee to enter the park and a separate parking fee. You can rent snorkel gear from the dive shops on the beach or take your own.

Posizione: Carretera Tulum, Yodzonot, 77776 Cancún, Q.R., Mexico

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8. Punta Nizuc

Underwater sculpture garden

Ideale per: Viaggi alternativi, Foto

At Punta Nizuc, at the southern tip of Cancun’s hotel area, you can take a boat tour to the natural reef. It’s a safe and protected snorkeling spot ideal for children and beginners. Or you can visit the underwater sculpture exhibit, which is part of the renowned Cancun Underwater Museum (MUSA).

Punta Nizuc is home to some of MUSA’s most famous sculptures like Jason Decaires Taylor’s huge Timebomb, and newer pieces by Elier Amado Gil like Understanding with its 6 cross-legged life-size human figures seated around a table. Book ahead to make sure you can see it as tickets sell out far in advance.

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9. Paamul

Relaxed beach community with great snorkeling and diving

Ideale per: Viaggi alternativi, Avventure

Paamul Beach is a laid-back beach community with great snorkeling and diving spots an hour down the Riviera Maya coast from Cancun. The sand has exposed limestone, so water shoes are helpful at the entry points. Just offshore, the shallow reef winds through the pristine turquoise waters teeming with tropical fish and vibrant corals.

Visit the dive shop on the beach to ask about cavern diving in the nearby limestone sinkholes and explore dive spots like the Paamul Mini Wall, known for nurse sharks and moray eels. To reach Paamul on public transport take a colectivo minibus from Playa del Carmen to Tulum and ask to get off at km 85.

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10. Xcacel

Secluded beach and nature reserve with a teeming reef

Ideale per: Viaggi alternativi, Foto, Avventure

Xcacel is a virgin beach surrounded by jungle and a protected turtle habitat. Annually, 200,000 turtles hatch here including threatened species so parts of the beach may have restrictions. The reef has over 60 types of coral and rich marine life diversity and the water is no deeper than 8 feet.

But it’s 200 meters offshore so you should feel confident swimming that far and stay within the protected lagoon as there is no lifeguard. You can get there by car, taxi, or take a colectivo minibus to the intersection at Road 307 and walk the last 500 meters. Only water and fruit are allowed in the reserve. Take an umbrella with you for shade.

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