Visiting the Riviera Maya usually includes checking out activities and sites to experience during your vacation. Apart from SCUBA diving, cultural tours, and relaxing at the resort pool, snorkeling in Playa del Carmen and its surroundings is one of the most sought-after activities for visitors looking to refresh themselves in the warm Caribbean waters or local Cenotes.
But – where are the best spots for snorkeling Playa del Carmen?
In this blog, we’ll break down our favorite Cenotes and beaches for snorkeling, their cost, and what you can see there, and dedicate a special part to the worldwide renowned, yearly whale shark snorkeling season along the Caribbean coast of the Riviera Maya.
BEST BEACH SNORKELING IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN
Playa del Carmen is a city located in the Riviera Maya, next to the Mexican Caribbean. Being a prime location along the coast of the state of Quintana Roo, Playa del Carmen offers many aquatic activities to visitors spending their vacation here.
Today we will disclose our favorite spots for snorkeling Playa del Carmen and explain the differences between each spot.
Is Playa del Carmen Good for Snorkeling?
Visiting Playa del Carmen during your vacation gives you many options for activities during your stay. The pristine coastal waters offer a perfect opportunity to go snorkeling in Playa del Carmen, as along the coast there are many spots with close-by reefs to explore.
Snorkeling in Playa del Carmen comes with clear water, shallow waters along the white sand beach, and reefs and marine life close by, easily accessible by just walking and swimming a couple of meters off the coast. The water temperature of the ocean ranges from 26°C in the winter months up to 30°C throughout the summer months.
There are different spots we call our favorites to snorkel in Playa del Carmen, some are just a few minutes walk down to the beach from the famous 5th Avenue.
Is It Safe to Swim In The Sea In Playa del Carmen?
Most of Playa del Carmen’s beaches and sea swimming locations count with lifeguards along the coast, but not all. If your swimming abilities are limited, it’s recommended to take some sort of floating device or a life vest with you in the water.
Currents can become stronger the further out you swim from the coast, but most areas close to the beach are very shallow and even dozens of meters into the water you will still be able to stand. The waves in this part of the ocean don’t generally become very big, so it’s unlikely you’ll be splashed over by water in your face. Have a look at the beach flags green, yellow, or red color to be aware of official advisories and conditions indicated by the lifeguards on entering the sea.
What Can I See Snorkeling in Playa del Carmen?
The reef structures in Playa del Carmen belong to the famous and worldwide renowned Mesoamerican barrier reef, stretching for nearly 1000km from the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula to the Bay Islands in northern Honduras. You can see colorful corals, a great variety of different fish, rays, moray eels, parrot fish, lobsters, turtles, macro life and so much more while snorkeling along the shallow parts of Playa del Carmen’s coast. You might even find a little octopus hiding between crevices!
Our Favorite Beaches For Snorkeling in Playa del Carmen
When it comes to beaches to visit for snorkeling in Playa del Carmen, one might be overwhelmed with the options offered, as there are many beach accesses along the coast.
We made the choices a little bit easier, listing our favorite beaches for snorkeling in Playa del Carmen below. Visiting these beaches you will most definitely enjoy a relaxed day of plunging and exploring the underwater world, with mostly good visibility in the shallow areas and wide beaches to spend a sunny day with your toes in the sand.
Read on to learn about our top choices and locations for beach snorkeling in Playa del Carmen.
-
Playa del Carmen Punta Esmeralda
A very unique and scenic beach in Playa del Carmen for snorkeling is without a doubt Punta Esmeralda beach in the north of the city. The access is right off 110th Street down to the beach.
There’s a parking area before the beach entry, and you can also park near the access along the many side streets’ designated parking sides. The access is public and cost-free, there are showers and bathrooms to use for a small fee and lots of palm trees and space to set up your umbrella and beach chairs if you wish.
The Punta Esmeralda beach is known among locals to be a unique spot, as it features a small, shallow Cenote filled with crystal-clear water connecting right to the ocean, allowing one to take a plunge in the freshwater to cool down on a hot day. There is no bar or shop right on the Punta Esmeralda beach, but beach sellers pass by regularly offering local snacks and food like empanadas, churros, kiwis (regional specialty made of yucca root filled with either cheese or minced meat), mangos, and drinks that you can buy for a small price if you feel a little hungry. Of course, you can bring your own snacks, fruit, and drinks here too.
When it comes to beach snorkeling in Playa del Carmen, Punta Esmeralda beach is a unique experience, as the shallow and clear waters allow great visibility and you can swim out several dozens of meters and still stand up easily. You can encounter parrotfish, small rays, picturesque coral, and much more marine life just off the coast in shallow depths.
-
Playa del Carmen Playacar Beach
One of the widest sand beaches in Playa del Carmen for snorkeling is the Playacar beach, located on the south side of the city. Playacar is the name of a gated resort community bordering the city center of Playa del Carmen. White, fine sand covers a great area spotted with palm trees and other vegetation spending shade, while the shallow slope off the beach leading into the ocean is walkable for quite a long distance before you won’t be able to stand anymore.
Glass clear water allows snorkelers to see far underwater and explore a variety of marine life just off the coast. Even children have a lot of fun swimming and snorkeling here, and you’ll certainly find a great spot to spread your towel and enjoy a relaxed day at the beach.
The access is free of cost when entering near the ferry pier behind “Señor Frogs”, otherwise there is access through the Reef Playacar Resort for residents of Playacar and visitors renting vacation homes inside the residential area of Playacar.
-
Playa 88
One of our favorite publicly accessible spots for beach snorkeling in Playa del Carmen is without a doubt Playa 88. Offering bathrooms, and showers, Playa 88 is located right down on the beach of 88th Street and declared a blue flag beach, meaning that it’s one of the most recognized and beautiful beaches to spend the day in Playa del Carmen.
The access is free and you can bring your own drinks and snacks to consume, or you can conveniently buy fruit, empanadas, kiwis, churros, and drinks from beach sellers passing by regularly. A lifeguard’s post is right next to the public access, overlooking the whole beach area and maintaining safety for swimmers and snorkelers.
Shallow and clear, turquoise waters invite visitors to take a refreshing time in the sea either swimming or snorkeling at Playa 88. Very close to the coast you can find a bunch of colorful coral structures, serving as a habitat for small groups of fish, flounders, the occasional ray, moray eels, and macro life – all that in only 2 meters of depth, some meters further than where snorkelers can still stand upright in the water.
BEST CENOTE SNORKELING PLAYA DEL CARMEN
One of the top advantages Playa del Carmen has to offer for snorkeling is the possibility of two different underwater environments to experience during your vacation. The hundreds of local Cenotes are filled with fresh water, and feature different fish and dripstone formations and sometimes even colorful underwater gardens with waterlilies and little turtles swimming around.
A must-do activity during a vacation in the Riviera Maya is visiting a Cenote for snorkeling near Playa del Carmen. Refreshing oneself in the cooler water (around 25°C water temp year-round) comes with glass-clear visibility, a natural and unique environment surrounded by jungle, and very different life & formations depending on which Cenote you choose to visit. Don’t miss the Cenote snorkeling activity during your vacation and read on to learn about rules, tips and our favourite Cenotes for snorkeling near Playa del Carmen.
Rules For Cenote Snorkeling Playa Del Carmen
Swimming and snorkeling in Cenotes near Playa del Carmen is a relaxing and unique activity. But please be aware to protect these fragile environments abiding by the general rules each Cenote requires its visitors to follow.
Cenotes are privately owned land, so owners can add or change these rules at their preference.
- No sunscreen
- No repellent
- Take a shower before entering the water
- No alcohol consumption in or near the Cenote (only at adjacent restaurants/designated areas)
- No smoking outside of designated areas, some Cenotes don’t allow smoking at all on their property.
- Do not throw trash in or next to the Cenote, dispose of your trash at the designated trashcans or by taking it back with you.
- No unsupervised Kids
- Respect the opening and closing hours of the Cenote you visit
Our Favorite Cenotes For Snorkeling Near Playa del Carmen
Following, we’ve listed our favorite Cenotes for snorkeling near Playa del Carmen.
-
Cenote Chikin Ha
Location
The Cenote Park Chikin Ha Aldea Maya is located just some minutes south of Playa del Carmen. It features three different Cenotes, Cenote Chikin Ha, Cenote Rainbow, and Cenote XTabay, each of them featuring different layouts, depths, and life.
Infrastructure & Activities
On-site, you’ll find a small restaurant, bathrooms, changing rooms, showers, lockers, and a souvenir shop next to the reception. You can book the use of a zip-line leading over Cenote XTabay, a bicycle tour through the park, or a traditional Mayan temazcal sauna session.
Description
Cenote Chikin Ha is also known for recreational SCUBA Diving, offering two different entries and a massive open-air dome-like roof covering part of the waterbody, that allows snorkelers to explore a big area decorated by rock formations and cat-fish, with easy access and possibility to watch scuba divers descending into the depths of the cavern-tunnel leading to Cenote Rainbow. Snorkeling in Cenote Chikin Ha is definitely a great activity for the whole family, couples, or single visitors, offering unique and close-to-nature entertainment.
Cenote Rainbow, also known as Cenote Taak Bil Ha is frequently used for Mayan ceremonies, weddings, and other events, with its mystic aura and dry cavern section touching visitors’ souls. You can find it after a short 5-minute walk from Cenote Chikin Ha following the signs towards Cenote Taak Bil Ha. Partially roofed, this sinkhole features dripstone formations, roots growing from the roof to the water surface, and a shallow area with clear water.
Cenote XTabay is the most beautiful of all three Cenotes in the Park, decorated by endless colorful waterlilies in the very shallow open area, surrounded by jungle and bigger rocks visitors use to get themselves comfortable and enjoy a silent and peaceful ambiance next to. The main entry is effortless and shallow to access, with another water entry featuring some steps leading into the water, mostly used by technical divers entering the deeper section towards the underwater cavern of this Cenote.
There’s a small swim through, that freedivers and versed snorkelers love to explore.
-
Cenote Dos Ojos
Not quite as close to Playa del Carmen, but certainly worth a visit is Cenote Dos Ojos Park. One of our favorite Cenotes for snorkeling near Playa del Carmen and enjoying a peaceful day in the jungle, but also for scuba diving, Dos Ojos Cenote counts with two Cenotes, full infrastructure, and amenities to spend a full day of relaxation, exploring, and connecting with nature.
Location
The Cenote Dos Ojos Park is located approximately 40 minutes south of Playa del Carmen’s tourist center, you can reach it by public transportation, taxi, or with your rental car – its park entry is on the right-hand next to the 307 Highway towards Tulum. Once you pay your entry fee for snorkeling in Dos Ojos Cenote, you’ll follow the dirt road approximately 2 kilometers further into the jungle until you arrive at Cenote Dos Ojos.
Here you’ll have access to two connecting Cenotes, the “two eyes” as translated from its original name.
Infrastructure & Activities
After passing the main gate with its small regional restaurant and snorkeler parking area, you’ll find the bathrooms, showers, souvenir stands, a parking zone for divers only, and a photography store selling basic gear, t-shirts, phone cases, and more.
A few steps further some stairs lead downwards into the first circular sinkhole platform, offering the mandatory live vests, snorkeling gear, and some hammocks to enjoy. You can book a guided snorkel tour, following a professional guide leading you through the cavern-like tunnels into the so-called bat cave and both of the Cenotes.
Description
You’ll find a two-sided entry zone in the so-called “west eye”, where the lefthand entry is exclusively reserved for SCUBA divers entering their dives, whereas the righthand side is reserved for snorkelers and swimmers enjoying a refreshing plunge into the fresh water.
Lifeguards oversee the whole area and “do-not-pass”-signs on the surface mark the area allowed for snorkelers and swimmers, prohibiting them from entering the vast underwater tunnel system of this Cenote to avoid serious accidents. There is a small dry cave you can explore too, giving the absolute explorer-feeling decorated with dripstone formations and easy to access right next to the snorkelers platform.
Ascending the steps back up to the main area, following the signs leading a little further into the jungle you’ll find the stairs leading down to the second Cenote, called the “east eye”. This is a massive sinkhole, with a big platform to enter the clear water of shallow depth. Live vests are mandatory to swim and snorkel. The area inside the sinkhole is covered by palm trees spending shade and you’ll find hammocks and benches to relax between swimming and snorkeling in the Cenote.
You can explore the whole area decorated by ancient dripstone formations, iguanas peacefully enjoying the sunshine, some bats in the roofed area of the cenote over the water surface, and the occasional scuba diver passing by underwater!
Snorkeling in this Cenote you can observe huge dripstone formations growing from the roof, small fish and catfish swimming in the Cenote, roots hanging from the roof touching the water, and enjoy the fresh water and the clear visibility, surrounded by green and dense jungle.
An absolute top location to spend a day in Cenotes for snorkeling near Playa del Carmen with easy access and all the activities around.
-
Cenote Garden of Eden
Location
A short drive to the south of Playa del Carmen you’ll find the road entry to Cenote Garden of Eden. After paying your entry fee and following the jungle road for some more minutes, you’ll arrive at this Cenote with a huge open water area to snorkel and swim in.
Infrastructure & Activities
Garden of Eden Cenote has on-site parking, bathrooms, showers, snorkel gear, lifevests, and snorkel gear to rent, as well as a grill station where you can order food, soft drinks, and coffee. There’s a massage area offering relaxing massages surrounded by nature and lots of areas around the Cenote to get yourself comfortable bringing a towel and some snacks to spend a unique day. Cenote Garden of Eden is our top choice when it comes to Cenotes for snorkeling near Playa del Carmen.
Description
The huge and shallow open water area of Cenote Garden of Eden features several small swim-throughs, vegetation around, and a small island inside of the Cenote where you can find different fish, an occasional crab, little ducks, and turtles swimming around the refreshing and clear water.
A platform near the parking area allows you to jump into a deeper area of the Cenote for those who dare to take the plunge. All around the Cenote, there are cute spots to spread your towel and take a jungle-surrounded nap, shade, and close-by access to the water.
Top Tip: Sit on the border of the Cenote and just have your feet in the water calmly, some small fishies will come and nibble the dead skin off your feet, just like in a fish spa, but all-natural. It might tickle a little bit while the small fish nibble your skin, but they’ll leave your feet fresh and clean like after a top spa session.
Feeling tense? You can book a relaxing massage in a little tent on the backside of the Cenote, enjoying the natural environment and connecting to nature on a totally different level.
-
Cenote Cristalino
Location
Another great location for snorkeling near Playa del Carmen is Cenote Cristalino. The Cenote entry is located just some 200 meters further from the Cenote Garden of Eden, some 20 minutes south of Playa del Carmen.
Infrastructure
Offering a parking area, bathrooms, showers, changing rooms, lockers, a little shop, pool loungers, and the mandatory life vests, Cenote Cristalino counts with all of the basic necessities one might need to enjoy a relaxing day plunging in the fresh Cenote waters surrounded by green jungle and ambiance. At Cenote Cristalino you can pay by card, which avoids the necessity of carrying cash with you while visiting.
Description
Featuring a big open water area, Cenote Cristalino makes a perfect spot for spending a day of refreshing. It’s one of our favorite Cenotes for snorkeling near Playa del Carmen. It’s easy to access with a designated parking area, right off the highway marked with a huge sign calling visitors attention to easily find the right location. Once you paid your entry fee, you can rent snorkeling gear on-site or bring your own into the Cenote area to plunge into the crystal-clear waters of this Cenote.
The green and lush surroundings make a picturesque ambiance, the perfect background for a photo shoot if you’re looking for an amazing place to do so.
The little shop offers soft drinks, water, snacks, and more to consume during your visit and if you’re looking for an adrenaline kick, they offer a designated area with some deep enough water to jump off a cliff directly into the blue waters. Even if you choose to only swim and not snorkel, the clear water allows you to see all the way to the bottom, observe the little fish swimming around and lots of Iguanas around the Cenote enjoying the sun.
In case you’re looking for a more laid-back experience, the well-maintained garden area offers sun-beds, hammocks, and palapas to unwind surrounded by nature, or makes a perfect, ambiance for a picnic session in the middle of lush vegetation.
Remember to pack your own reusable water bottle to minimize your environmental impact during the visit to Cenote Cristalino.
WHALE SHARK SNORKELING PLAYA DEL CARMEN
The yearly whale shark migration is an absolute seasonal highlight for visitors to the Riviera Maya and takes place from June to the middle of September each year. Whale sharks are the largest species of fish on earth, earning their name “whale” solely from their size. They grow to a size of about 40ft long (13 meters) and feed on huge plankton carpets floating on the ocean surface and deeper areas.
Whale shark snorkeling in Playa del Carmen is one of the top excursions for tourists and locals alike, observing these gentle giants in their natural habitat is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and an adventure for everyone looking for an adrenaline kick.
Even though the whale sharks are usually found a bit north near Cancun, most whale shark snorkeling Playa del Carmen tours include transportation from the city center or your hotel to the Cancun harbor, where tour boats depart in search of the whale sharks.
This is a full-day tour on a boat, where looking for and snorkeling with the whale sharks is part of the tour. Life vests are mandatory throughout the snorkeling activity, as the ocean in the area where the whale sharks are found is rather deep. Another part of this tour includes a stop and some free time at either Isla Contoy or Isla Mujeres, usually after the whale shark snorkeling activity to spend some relaxing hours of refreshing, snorkeling, and exploring the island before heading back to Cancun’s harbor and ending the tour.
