Love Snorkeling? There’s something magical about exploring our undersea world and its colorful and curious inhabitants….it’s even better when you’re at an all-inclusive resort with snorkeling right off beach!
(Pssst! Be sure to check out our Bonus Tips below!)
Beaches, Turks & Caicos
Providenciales in Turks and Caicos has the most beautiful beach we have ever seen, and the nicest water for snorkeling in – calm, clear, and bathtub warm.
If you are dreaming of a tropical hideaway beach, then wake up and look at the all-inclusive Check PricesBeaches Resort in Turks & Caicos for the ultimate family beach vacation.
Not just for leaving footprints in the powdery-soft and dazzlingly white sand – there are 230 miles of it in Turks & Caicos – but also for exploring the crystal-clear and warm waters.
Those very waters boast 1,000 square miles of colorful reef and sunken ships to explore, whether you’re a scuba diving or snorkeling enthusiast.
Do you like to make new friends while on vacation? Then your snorkeling session might include a meet and greet with Jojo – the resident bottle-nose dolphin! If only paradise was half as nice…
Small Hope Bay Lodge, Bahamas
Couples Resorts, Jamaica
Yes, ALL of the Check PricesCouples Resorts in Jamaica…take your pick of these luxuriously romantic adults-only all-inclusive resorts, and enjoy the included glass-bottom boat snorkeling tours to one of 30 different (and all spectacular!) snorkeling sites (Jamaica has some of the world’s best reefs to explore). All the gear you’ll need (and even lunch) is included, and if snorkeling whets your appetite for more undersea adventures, take advantage of Couples Resorts Free Scuba Diving program.
Want to read more about the fantastic reefs and snorkeling sites in Jamaica? Our friends at Sandals & Beaches Resorts wrote a great blog post, which you can read here » Check PricesWant To Snorkel In Jamaica? Here Are The Best Snorkeling Spots To Try!
Palafitos at El Dorado Maroma, Mexico
If you prefer an adults-only vacation, with superb snorkeling that checks your boxes, then consider Check PricesPalafitos at El Dorado Maroma in Rivera Maya.
Throw in a few bread crumbs from your breakfast leftovers into the water, then step right off your front porch into the water. You’ll rapidly have more finned buddies to hang out with than you can fathom. What could be better than donning a mask and fins and jumping right off of your private deck into warm, turquoise-blue waters?
The new Palafitos – bungalows set over the water, gourmet dining at six restaurants, total relaxation, and a romantic getaway are guaranteed to make your vacation just about perfect. Watch ocean life from inside your accommodation, where there are windows set into the floors, or simply mask up and dive in – right from your private patio.
Finest Playa Mujeres, Mexico
Want a family-friendly snorkeling resort? Well, families just love the Check PricesFinest Playa Mujeres in Mexico. While most all-inclusive resorts offer snorkeling right off the beach, waves can be an issue for younger kids. However, at Finest Playa Mujeres you’ll find one of the best beaches in Mexico, with calm water (due to the protection afforded by the just-offshore Isla Mujeres) so no big waves to knock over the little ones (AND less of the stinky seaweed on the beach to deal with!). The water is safe, warm and calm, and clear, so you can see everything.
With their popular swim-up suites and an ever changing activity list, Finest Playa Mujeres is one of those resorts where you can just switch off and enjoy some family-time in style. Grab your masks and fins and go snorkeling together, making some great family vacation memories.
See who can be first in the family to spot starfish, turtles, and brightly colored fish – a family vacation scrapbook is a must, so DO invest in an Check Pricesinexpensive underwater camera (or a couple) before you go!
El Dorado Casitas Royale, Mexico
Want to snorkel with ‘The Whales’? Check PricesEl Dorado Casitas Royale, an upscale adults-only enclave located adjacent to Check PricesEl Dorado Royale Spa Resort installed some just-offshore barriers to protect their coral reef.
They refer to their coral reef restoration project as “Kan-Kanan”, but we call them ‘The Whales‘ because they are big, dark and the water just brushes over the top of them.
These protectors calm the waves somewhat and also bring tons of fishies and sea creatures to within 100 feet of shore so you can wade out to them.
Plus you have a small lagoon that allows you to snorkel in water you can stand up in. For those of us who don’t like being in over our head.
Kan-Kanan will have you spending hours watching the magic of marine life building a new habitat!
Barceló Maya Colonial, Mexico
Ideally, you want to be able to snorkel straight from the beach, with shallow and easy access. That’s exactly what you will get at the Check PricesBarceló Maya Colonial in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico.
Dive straight in from the pier to the left of the hotel for superb snorkeling, and get the chance to see Barracuda, Ray and even Turtles.
There’s a huge variety of sea life to explore in the clear and warm waters of the 1.2 mile stretch of beach belonging to this well-equipped resort – including several swathes of coral so remember your snorkeling footwear too, as it can be pretty sharp. Besides amazing aquatic discoveries, Barceló Maya Colonial is a resort with luxurious and excellent facilities, several bars and restaurants, and active nightlife.
St. James Club, Antigua
Located on a secluded peninsula, the family-friendly boutique and upscale Check PricesSt. James Club has two gorgeous white-sand beaches with calm and warm shallow water, perfect for snorkeling!
The resort also features three different courts available for Pickleball, along with world-class cuisine, exemplary service, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and plenty of activities galore for adults and kids alike (including an amazing kids club).
Pineapple Beach Club Antigua
Featuring a classical old-world Caribbean vibe, the 180-room adults-only all-inclusive Check PricesPineapple Beach Club Antigua is part of the Elite Island Resorts brand, well-known for their exceptional attention to luxury and service. Located on 30 acres with a quarter-mile of stunning white sand beach, this elegant resort is perfect for snorkeling with its warm, calm, shallow water.
You’ll also find two freshwater swimming pools, three bars, and three restaurants — all offering the gourmet cuisine you expect from a 5-star all-inclusive resort. And when you tire of snorkeling, Pineapple Beach Club also offers 6 dedicated courts for Pickleball along with numerous other activities like kayaking, tennis courts, non-motorized sports, and a fitness center, as well as nightly entertainment, and a full-service spa.
Anse Chastanet – St. Lucia
The tropical, lush, and uniquely colorful Check PricesAnse Chastanet is in the heart of St. Lucia’s BEST scuba diving. Situated on over 600 lush acres and surrounded by a marine reserve, where you can expect to encounter octopus, turtles, moray eels, parrotfish, and sea horses, along with much more marine life. The resort has an on-site dive operator – Scuba St. Lucia – which offers both beach and boat dives along with snorkeling tours including all the gear you’ll need.
For the non-snorkelers there’s also hiking, biking, yoga, and beach-time at either or both of their two beaches, or spend some time relaxing at the Kai Belte Spa, but families take note – this resort accepts children ages 10 years and older, and doesn’t offer much in the way of kids-focused amenities, so you won’t find a kids’ club or programs, but the tweens & teens will still enjoy the snorkeling and other activities.
BONUS Tips:
DO you have kids who love snorkeling? Many of our readers tell us they LOVE both Check PricesHard Rock Riviera Maya and Check PricesHotel Xcaret because they have naturally-created lagoons along the beach area instead of an open expanse of seashore, and while adult snorkeling purists might look down their noses, it creates a safer space for kids as parents won’t need to worry about rip-tides or their little ones floating too far from shore.
CONSIDER the seaweed issue – nobody likes it (except maybe skincare and supplement manufacturers!) but it’s a fact of life at many beach destinations and no, the destinations cannot control it – it comes and goes with the tides and weather. If snorkeling is the highlight of your vacation plans, then it’s best to stick with locations where you’re less likely to encounter it, such as Playa Mujeres, Puerto Vallarta, or Los Cabos.
Where can I go to avoid the seaweed?
We have a popular FAQ on this topic – where to go to avoid the seaweed problem….
That’s a great question! As the ocean temperature changes so does the seaweed problem, some years there is little to no seaweed (also called “sargassum”), in other years there is an over-abundance of the stinky stuff. Weather — sometimes far offshore — also has an effect. These factors can be hard to predict, and sometimes last for weeks or months, often changing overnight.
Your friends might have a perfect seaweed-free vacation just the week before your trip to the same destination, when you might encounter a daily pile-up of seaweed.
What that means is that it’s hard for anyone, expert or not, to tell you exactly when or where to go to avoid seaweed, but you do have SOME options.
- Consider an all-inclusive in Playa Mujeres or Costa Mujeres (north of Cancun) such as the new Check PricesSecrets Playa Blanca Costa Mujeres, where they get *some* protection from the seaweed from Isla Mujeres (which also blocks some of the ocean’s larger waves, resulting in calmer water).
- There are several great all-inclusive resorts in Isla Mujeres where there is no seaweed at all on the west-facing (inward aka leeward) coast of the island. We’re really looking forward to a stay at the brand-new Check PricesSecrets Impression Isla Mujeres!
- A few resorts – such as the Check PricesHotel Xcaret and the Check PricesHard Rock Riviera Maya – have a “lagoon”-style beach area featuring either natural or man-made off-shore reefs that block most waves, and most of the seaweed, but still let you wade and snorkel amongst the fishies.
- On the opposite (western) coast, the all-inclusives in Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, and Riviera Nayarit, rarely suffer from seaweed problems that can sometimes plague the Caribbean (eastern) side of Mexico. As of April 2024 there will also be a new Check PricesDreams Estrella Del Mar Mazatlan, a family-friendly option.
It’s also important to know that the government of popular Caribbean tourist destinations including Mexico, along with many in the tourism industry, are now spending millions of dollars to combat the problem. One solution being implemented is off-shore nets that will keep the stuff from hitting the beach.
More Reading:
Want to know more about when/where/why seaweed is more of a problem than it used to be?
Mexico & Caribbean Seaweed Report
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