Snorkel

house reefs to hammerheads

Snorkel Spots

Destinations

%

Firsthand

Every snorkeling site here was swum by us, rated out of five, and photographed underwater. Some blew our minds. Some were a long walk for three fish, and we’ll say so.

Use the ratings to pick your day.

Use the guides to make it easy.

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Best Snorkeling in the Galapagos:

10 Sites Rated

Best Snorkeling in St. John:

11 Sites Rated

Where to Snorkel

Grouped by destination. Each links to its full guide with site-by-site ratings.

Overall Snorkel Rating

🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿   =   World-class snorkeling and worth traveling for the snorkeling alone!

🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿   =   Incredible snorkeling and should be on your list of top things to do!

🤿 🤿 🤿   =   Decent snorkeling and worth the effort!

🤿 🤿   =   Worth consideration if you are running out of things to do!

🤿   =   Not worth it!

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CARIBBEAN

Close up of sea turtle at Maho Bay in St. John USVI

St. John

Waterlemon Cay    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Haulover Bay North    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Little Lameshur Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Francis Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Grootpan Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Maho Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿

Salt Pond Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿

Cinnamon Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿

Hansen Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿

Trunk Bay    🤿 🤿

Blue Cobblestone    🤿

Snorkeling with a school of blue tang at Karpata Bonaire

Bonaire

Red Beryl    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Tori’s Reef    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Salt Pier    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Angel City    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Klein Bonaire    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Karpata    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Boca Slagbaai    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

1000 Steps    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Wayaka 2    🤿 🤿 🤿

Bari Reef    🤿 🤿 🤿

Lac Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿

18 Palms    🤿 🤿 🤿

Andrea 2    🤿 🤿 🤿

Playa Funchi    🤿 🤿

Snorkeling with turtles at Tres Trapi in Aruba

Aruba

Mangel Halto    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Tres Trapi    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Boca Catalina    🤿 🤿 

Arashi Beach    🤿 🤿 

Snorkeling with sergeant majors under Frederiksted Pier in St. Croix

St. Croix

Frederiksted Pier    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

Cane Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿

Buck Island    🤿 🤿 🤿

Dorsch Beach    🤿 🤿 🤿

Isaac Bay    🤿 🤿

Snorkeling with a school of blue tang at Pinel Island in Saint Martin

St. Martin

Pinel Island    🤿 🤿 🤿

Divi Little Bay    🤿 🤿 🤿

Petite Clef    🤿 🤿

Turtle checking me out at Tent Reef in Saba

Saba

    Tent Reef    🤿 🤿 🤿

    Snorkeling with nurse sharks at Shark Ray Alley in Belize

    Belize

      Shark Ray Alley    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

      Swimming with a Whale Shark on the Outrigger Maafushivaru Excursion in the Maldives

      Mexico

        Isla Mujeres (Whale Sharks)    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

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        GALAPAGOS

        The Galapagos are spread across multiple islands. See my Galapagos Snorkeling Guide: 10 Sites Rated + Reviewed to see which sites are worth building your trip around.

        Baby sea lion saying hello at Muelle Tijeretas in San Cristobal Galapagos

        San Cristobal

        Kicker Rock 360 Tour    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Muelle Tijeretas    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        La Loberia    🤿 🤿

        Gorgeous parrotfish at Concha de Perla on Isabela Island

        Isabela

        Concha de Perla    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Playa Isabela    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Los Tuneles    🤿 🤿 🤿

        Los Tintoreras    🤿 🤿

        Snorkeling with yellowtail surgeonfish at Chinese Hat in Galapagos

        Santa Cruz

        Bartolome Island    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Chinese Hat    🤿 🤿 🤿

        * Sites accessed by Day Tour from Santa Cruz or Cruise

        Hammerheads sharks at Devil's Crown in the Galapagos

        Floreana

        Devil’s Crown    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        * Site accessed by cruise only (Endemic Cruise Review)

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        FRENCH POLYNESIA

        Blacktip shark at the Sharks and Rays Sandbar in Moorea

        Moorea

        Alex Lagoon Tour    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Moorea Water Game Tour    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Sharks & Rays    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Sofitel Coral Garden    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Coral Garden Tiahura    🤿 🤿 🤿

        Jardin de Corail    🤿 🤿 🤿

        Hilton    🤿 🤿

        Snorkeling with a school of humpback red snapper at the Aquarium in Rangiroa

        Rangiroa

        Tiputa Pass    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Aquarium    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

        Blue Lagoon    🤿 🤿 🤿

        Snorkeling at the beautiful Coral Garden in Tahaa

        Tahaa

          Coral Garden Tahaa    🤿 🤿 🤿

          Snorkeling at the Coral Garden in Bora Bora with Reef Discovery

          Bora Bora

            Bora Bora Reef Discovery Tour    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

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            INDIAN OCEAN

            Octopus changing colors at Le Meridien Maldives

            Maldives

            Outrigger Maafushivaru    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

            Le Meridien    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

            Reethi Faru    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

            South Ari Atoll (Whale Sharks)    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

            Snorkeling with a cute turtle at Anse Lazio in the Seychelles

            Seychelles

            Anse Georgette    🤿 🤿 🤿

            Anse Lazio    🤿 🤿 🤿 

            Sister Islands    🤿 🤿 🤿

            Felicite Island    🤿 🤿 🤿

            Petite Anse Kerlan    🤿 🤿 

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            SOUTHEAST ASIA

            Snorkeling with manta rays at Manta Point in Nusa Penida

            Nusa Penida

              Nusa Penida: Manta Point    🤿 🤿 🤿 🤿

              Snorkel Packing List

              Tested on the sites above, not pulled from spec sheets. We travel with our own gear every trip, because rental masks leak and rental fins never fit.

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              Best Snorkeling Gear

              13 Item Checklist

              My 5 Best Snorkel Masks

              In the Water

              The 3 things worth owning

              Wearing a pink Coolibar rash guard at Angel City Bonaire (1)

              Sun Protection

              The best sunscreen is a shirt

              GoPro Hero Camera for Snorkeling

              Nice to Have

              Not essential, but we pack them

              Snorkel Skills

              The stuff nobody teaches you before they hand you a mask on the boat.

              How to Snorkel · Start here if you’ve never done it
              How to Fix a Foggy Mask · The one problem that ruins most first snorkels
              Fish Identification · Know what you’re looking at