Snorkeling is one of the most popular tropical water sports. When traveling to the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Florida Keys, Bermuda, California, or Australia, you will find snorkel enthusiasts in abundance. Which place has the best snorkeling? Ask any local from these areas and they will all have their own biased opinions, but you have to explore them all yourself to come up with your own favorite(s).
Here are some of the most unusually beautiful places to snorkel that are off the beaten path, in alphabetical order per country to not express favorites.
Mangel Halto, Aruba
The best place to snorkel in Aruba is for advanced enthusiasts, who venture outside the reef for the healthiest corals. The currents, wind, and waves make it quite unsafe for novice snorkeling. For the rest of us, the shallow waters of Catalina Bay provide an underwater paradise to brush up on your snorkeling skills. When you cruise to Aruba, we offer five excursions that involve snorkeling. Contact us for information.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The world’s largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef, is one of the most accessible reefs and offers excellent snorkeling. The UNESCO world heritage-listed natural wonder is a ribbon of blinding blues and greens, a constellation of islands and reefs, running parallel with the Queensland shoreline from the tip of Cape York in the north 1,600 miles south to Bundaberg. Explore the Whitsunday archipelago’s 74 jungle-clad islands, where nature lovers can delve into the uninhabited isles fringed with coral reefs and perfect beaches. Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef represents some of the finest and most exotic scuba diving and snorkeling in the world. Two spectacular outer reef locations away from the crowds, Norman Reef and Saxon Reef, bursts with everything Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is famous for.
Mexico Rocks, Belize
Mexico Rocks is a star coral patch that is located in the shallow waters midway between the reef and the island, unlike many of the snorkeling spots in the area that are right on the barrier reef. Because it is a shallow area, a maximum depth of only about 12 feet, the sun lights everything up, and the good underwater visibility is excellent for taking pictures. This area is well inside the reef, and is protected from the bigger ocean swells, which makes it an excellent spot for beginner snorkelers as well as the more experienced. When you cruise to Belize, we offer three excursions that involve snorkeling. Contact us for information.
Bermuda
Bermuda is where you will find the most northern coral reefs in the world, and in the winter the water temperatures drop into the 60’s °F. So, they are not the most unusual reefs you will encounter, but they are some of the healthiest you will see. This diverse temperature may be why many of the fish and hard and soft corals in Bermuda are bigger than their counterparts in the Caribbean. Just walking on the exquisite sparkling pink beaches makes it worth the visit. When you cruise to Bermuda, we offer three excursions that involve snorkeling. Contact us for information.
Lac Bay, Bonaire
Less than a hundred miles off the north coast of South America, near the western part of Venezuela, lies the tiny island of Bonaire. The snorkeling at Lac Bay off Sorobon Beach is some of the best on the island, but it is difficult to access. It is a top Bonaire snorkeling spot, mostly because it is one of a few very shallow spots, no deeper than five feet. It has large patches of live healthy Elkhorn Coral, Staghorn Coral, and tons of fish. When you cruise to Bonaire, we offer three excursions that involve snorkeling. Contact us for information.
Playa Kenepa Chiki, Curacao
A beautiful, undeveloped area near the west end of the island, this area is also known as Klein Knip, which translates as Little Knip Beach. The best place to snorkel is the left side of the bay, where you will find healthy corals and quite a few fish. When you cruise to Curacao, we offer seven excursions that involve snorkeling. Contact us for information.
Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
The best available snorkeling in the Florida Keys is a tiny remote island about 70 miles west of Key West, accessible only by ferry, seaplane, or private boat. Previously known as Fort Jefferson, the area was redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park. The park is noted for abundant sea life, tropical bird breeding grounds, colorful coral reefs, and legends of shipwrecks and sunken treasures. We offer four snorkel excursions in the Key West area. Contact us for information.
Hideaways Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
A beautiful secluded beach located near the entrance to the St. Regis Princeville Resort, Hideaways is only accessible to snorkelers during the summer months. During other times, it is a surfing beach, with the large waves making impossible for snorkeling.
Kona, Big Island, Hawaii
Adjacent to The Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park is a place truly off the beaten path. Two Steps, or Honaunau, is known for large numbers of turtles, beautiful reefs, extraordinarily beautiful sea life, plus an occasional passing pod of spinner dolphins. It also has some of the most fantastic snorkeling around. It is not easy to find, but well worth the effort in terms of underwater beauty. Just make sure you don’t enter the water at Keone’ele Cove in the park. This is an important cultural site and the park strives to maintain the cultural landscape. Please respect this site that is important and significant to the Hawaiian people. We offer a snorkel excursion at Kealakekua Bay, Kona. Contact us for information.
Kiddel Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I.
One of the best snorkeling spots in the Virgin Islands, Kiddel Bay is another area not heavily used. If you like interesting topography, big caves and walls and canyons, lots of fish, and healthy dense reef life, this is the place to go. We offer eight snorkel excursions in the St. Thomas/St. John’s area. Contact us for information.
