Playa Las Casitas Snorkel Area:

While there are many places to snorkel, few are as close to the center of town as this one is.  It is perfect for the cruiser that wants to do it on his own and then have time to shop and eat in town. There is an excellent snorkeling area at Playa las Casitas, directly across from the naval barracks.  If you don't have your own gear, you should rent some from one of the dive shops in town on the oceanfront road.  If your friends don't snorkel, they can wait for you at the palapa bar located at this site.

After Hurricane Wilma, the large chunks of concrete removed from the destroyed Puerta Maya pier were placed in this area to create an artificial reef.  The depth varies from 10-20’.  There are numerous fish and, if you can get deep enough, you might find a lobster under the structures.  The current in this area runs north to south most of the time. (This opposite of the rest of the area due to what is known as a "recirculating eddy"). 

Start the trip by swimming straight out from shore to the northernmost yellow “nun” buoy.  Turn left and swim south toward the second yellow nun buoy and you will swim directly over the artificial reef.  There are also two sunken PT type boats in this area of about 45’ in length.  When you get to the aforementioned second yellow buoy, turn west (right and away from shore) and head out to the third yellow nun buoy.  In 20-35’ of water the first boat will appear. It is pointing almost due south.  Again, you will find a good number of fish.  Some of these fish might be large.  To locate the second boat, use the bow of the first boat as a clock (with the bow being 12 o’clock) and swim 30-40 yards at 11 o’clock.  This boat is in 30’ feet of water.  If you are a decent snorkeler, you can make it down to the tops of the boats. 

A few words of caution.  Be aware of your surroundings.  Verify the current direction before you start your trip.  If you do make it out to the sunken boats, take note that it is a long snorkel back to shore.  Keep an eye out for boats and the numerous sailboarders that may be there in the late afternoon.  A dive float or sausage is a good idea to have so the boats can see you.

For the non-snorkeler, there is a palapa bar called the Love Cafe where your friends can wait for you.

 North Shore Areas

This is an easy, do it yourself, snorkel trip just north of town.

Put in at the at the vacant lot immediately south of the Coral Princess Hotel. This is a rocky entry with sharp rocks (and maybe some broken glass?) so some sort of foot protection is good to have if your feet are tender.

Jump in at the ledge and start working your way north. Just north of the Coral Princess there are usually several large schools of fish that hang out.  Generally, the reef wall or within 20' of it is the best place to see all the critters, small sponges and coral.

In a vertical grotto/crevasse at the north end of the B Hotel property line (Formerly the Fontan.) there is a large, brown spotted eel that calls that area his home. Look carefully and you may see a large green ee in the same crevasse. You'll need to get down to 6' to see them.

Beyond this and further north, you will see an overhanging reef wall near a house. Look closely on the ocean floor for small stingrays. There are some large concrete blocks that may have something interesting underneath them as well. You can't miss them. Depth here is about 10'.

Be sure to look in all the crevasses along the way. There is always something interesting to see if you look closely.

When you get to Miramar and Nah Ha condos, look for some rusty chain link fence rolled up on the bottom and about 10' from shore. Spotted eels like to hang out there.

Continue your drift past a rocky, pot-holed area. This area is sort of barren of fish and coral, but occasionally a barracuda will hang out there. When you get to the yellow condo tower with the sandy beach and pier, that is a good place to get out. Simply walk to the north edge of the condo and head back up to the street. Then you can take the bike path back to your car if you have one or flag a cab.

Total distance is about 1.25 miles and maybe 45 minutes in time. Average depth is 8-12'. You can cover a lot of ground by swimming, but really all you need to do is float.

An alternative to this if you with non-snorkelers is Cozumel Caribe Club and is a bit further north.  The entry fee here is $100 pesos but that is credited to your bill.  They rent snorkel gear there.  The food is excellent and they also have a small sandy beach.  To snorkel. walk to the far south side of the facility and jump in.  The current will carry you back to the beach area.