Cancún and Riviera Maya snorkeling: reefs, cenotes, turtles and whale sharks
The best snorkeling near Cancún: Puerto Morelos reef, the MUSA underwater museum, Akumal's turtles, Yal-Ku lagoon, the best cenotes and whale shark season.
Cancún is the gateway, not the destination. The hotel zone faces open sea with few reefs, but within 90 minutes you can snorkel a protected national park reef, swim with turtles at Akumal, float through crystal-clear cenotes and, in summer, swim beside whale sharks.
Map of Riviera Maya snorkel spots
Reefs
Puerto Morelos Reef
30 minutes south of Cancún
- Level
- 1 of 5
- Entry
- Boat only (short)
- Depth
- 3–15 ft
- Visibility
- Good
- Best months
- Year-round
- Facilities
- Village pier
- Fees and permits
- National park fee
- What you'll see
- Coral, reef fish, turtles, rays
How to get there
Licensed guides leave from the beach by the leaning lighthouse in Puerto Morelos. Snorkeling the reef without a guide is not allowed.
20.847° N, 86.868° WDirections
MUSA underwater museum
Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc
- Level
- 2 of 5
- Entry
- Boat only
- Depth
- Some statues at 10–15 ft
- Visibility
- Good
- Best months
- Calm days
- Facilities
- On the boat
- Fees and permits
- Park fee
- What you'll see
- Sculptures colonized by coral and fish
How to get there
Snorkel tours from Cancún and Isla Mujeres visit the shallower galleries.
21.205° N, 86.722° WDirections
Puerto Morelos Reef National Park is the easiest real reef near Cancún: shallow, healthy and just a few hundred meters from the beach. You must go with a licensed guide; boats leave from the beach next to the town's famous leaning lighthouse.
Turtles at Akumal
Akumal Bay
1.5 hours south of Cancún
- Level
- 1 of 5
- Entry
- Shore, sandy
- Depth
- 3–15 ft
- Visibility
- Good
- Best months
- Year-round
- Facilities
- Beach services
- Fees and permits
- Access and guide fees
- What you'll see
- Green sea turtles grazing sea grass
How to get there
Off Highway 307. Turtle areas are roped off. A registered guide and life vest are required.
20.395° N, 87.315° WDirections
Yal-Ku Lagoon
Akumal
- Level
- 1 of 5
- Entry
- Shore, steps
- Depth
- 3–10 ft
- Visibility
- Good
- Best months
- Year-round
- Facilities
- Restrooms, lockers, rentals
- Fees and permits
- Entry fee
- What you'll see
- Parrotfish, rays, sculptures
How to get there
At the north end of Akumal. A calm lagoon where fresh and salt water mix. Great for kids.
20.405° N, 87.302° WDirections
Akumal means "place of the turtles" in Maya, and green sea turtles graze the sea grass in the bay year-round. To protect them, the turtle zone is roped off and requires a registered guide and a life vest.
Cenotes
Cenotes are sinkholes in the limestone filled with fresh water. Visibility can exceed 200 feet. Water is cool (about 24–25°C), so a thin wetsuit helps.
Cenote Dos Ojos
Near Tulum
- Level
- 2 of 5
- Entry
- Wooden platforms
- Depth
- Up to 30 ft
- Visibility
- Often 200 ft+
- Best months
- Year-round
- Facilities
- Restrooms, lockers
- Fees and permits
- Entry fee
- What you'll see
- Stalactites, light beams, small fish
How to get there
Off Highway 307 north of Tulum. Guided snorkels go into the lit cavern zone.
20.327° N, 87.391° WDirections
Casa Cenote
Tankah, near Tulum
- Level
- 1 of 5
- Entry
- Shore
- Depth
- Shallow
- Visibility
- Good
- Best months
- Year-round
- Facilities
- Basic
- Fees and permits
- Entry fee
- What you'll see
- Mangroves, small fish, sometimes a resident crocodile
How to get there
North of Tulum near Tankah Bay. An open-air cenote winding through mangroves.
20.276° N, 87.414° WDirections
Gran Cenote
Tulum to Cobá road
- Level
- 1 of 5
- Entry
- Wooden stairs
- Depth
- Up to 30 ft
- Visibility
- Excellent
- Best months
- Year-round
- Facilities
- Restrooms, lockers, rentals
- Fees and permits
- Entry fee
- What you'll see
- Turtles in the open pool, bats, rock formations
How to get there
About 10 minutes from Tulum town. Go at opening to avoid crowds.
20.246° N, 87.465° WDirections
Cenote rules: no sunscreen, no insect repellent, shower before entering, and stay in the marked areas. Cave diving is a separate, highly technical activity; snorkelers stay in the open and lit zones.
Whale sharks
Whale shark season
Off Isla Mujeres and Holbox
- Level
- 3 of 5
- Entry
- Boat only
- Depth
- Open water
- Visibility
- Plankton-rich
- Best months
- June to September
- Facilities
- On the boat
- Fees and permits
- Included plus park bracelet
- What you'll see
- Whale sharks, sometimes mantas
How to get there
Licensed tours from Cancún, Isla Mujeres and Holbox. Only two swimmers plus a guide in the water with each shark.
21.500° N, 86.750° WDirections
Tips
- Rent a car to reach Akumal and the cenotes; colectivo vans also run along Highway 307.
- Sargassum seaweed can wash up on beaches in summer. Check recent reports; reefs and cenotes are unaffected.
- Sunscreen: Mexican marine parks require biodegradable products. Use mineral sunscreen; see best reef-safe sunscreen.
Across the channel, Cozumel has the clearest reefs in the region.
