Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs

111 Reviews

Quintana Roo, Mexico

Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs

Admire abundant marine life during your tour

From $60.00 / person

Lowest Price Guarantee

Free cancellation

Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more

Safety measures

4 hours (Approx.)

Mobile ticket

Offered in: English and 1 more

Good for avoiding crowds

Overview

Sail the shimmering sea on a glass-bottom boat and snorkel at specular reefs off the coast of Cozumel on this half-day guided tour of the National Marine Park. At El Cielo, named after heaven itself, marvel at the sea stars that decorate the sandy ocean floor. Float beside sea turtles at Columbia Reef then plunge into the crystal clear waters of Palancar Reef to discover fascinating fish, nurse sharks, and colorful coral reefs. Between sublime snorkeling stops, refresh with complimentary beverages as the warm sun soothes your skin on this unforgettable ocean odyssey.

Snorkel at three locations off the island of Cozumel
Gaze at groups of sea stars in the shallow waters of El Cielo
Discover the abundant marine life teeming around Columbia and Palancar Reefs, including turtles, rays, and colorful fish
Refresh yourself with unlimited drinks on board, including beer, juices, and bottled water
Choose between a morning and an afternoon departure

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From $60.00

Lowest Price Guarantee

What's Included

Professional guide

Snorkel gear

Snorkeling at 3 different locations

Unlimited drinks (fruit juices, bottled water and beer)

Alcoholic Beverages

Snacks

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Gratuities

National Marine Park Fee of $ 5.00 U.S. p/p

Departure & Return

Departure PointMarina Fonatur Cozumel , Marina Fonatur, Carr. Costera Sur km 6, 77688 Q.R., Mexico

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Please take a taxi and ask to be taeken to The Marina Fonatur. At Guests arrival kindly proceed to the boats ramp and look for Chac Choc Tours

Departure Time

1:00 PM

Return DetailsThis activity will end right where it started.

What To Expect

Depart from the pier and dive headfirst into your ocean adventure. Embark your stylish glass-bottom boat and follow your skipper and guide as they offer a tour of the onboard amenities and explain important safety information. Then, set sail to the first of three incredible snorkeling locations.

Sink into your cushioned seat and soak up the sunshine as the boat propels you towards your first destination of El Cielo, a place so beautiful it directly translates as ‘heaven’ in Spanish. Don your snorkeling gear and sink into the inviting water, investigating the sea star colony that inhabits the ocean bed.

Next, journey to Colombia Reef, a sublime snorkeling spot hailed as one of the Marine National Park’s finest. With excellent visibility and a diverse variety of marine life, Colombia Reef is a perfect place to spot sea turtles, coral communities, barracudas, eagle rays and schools of shimmering fish.

Cruise to Palancar Reef to discover a submerged showcase of underwater wonders; gaze upon nurse sharks, lobsters, moray ells and kaleidoscopic tableaus of tropical fish. Return to the boat to enjoy a complimentary onboard bar of chilled beer, refreshing margaritas, zesty juice, and purified water as you revel in the soothing Mexican sunshine.

Return to the pier after the tour.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Minimum age to snorkel is 5 years
Minimum age to drink alcohol is 18 years
Passengers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult
Maximum weight is 127 kg (280 lbs)
Please bring cash to pay the marine fee
Not recommended for pregnant women or people with heart complaints or other serious medical conditions
It is recommended that you wear a swimsuit and bring sunglasses, biodegradable sunscreen and a towel
Note: Time spent at each of the reefs is approximate and depends on weather conditions and group size.
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
OPERATED BY JS Tours

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Learn more about cancellations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs?

A:The policies on face masks and attendee health are:

Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival

See all safety measures taken by Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs.

What is the policy on sanitization during Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs?

A:The policies on sanitization are:

Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized

See all safety measures taken by Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs.

What is the social distancing policy during Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs?

A:The policy on social distancing is:

Social distancing enforced throughout experience

See all safety measures taken by Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs.

What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs?

A:The policies on staff health & safety are:

Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms

See all safety measures taken by Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Palancar, Columbia and Cielo Reefs.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

"Beverages were provided throughout the tour, although beer was only available after the snorkeling for safety purposes." See review

Reviews

4.0

111 Reviews

5 stars

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1 star

Reviews by Viator travelers

Showing 1-10 of 111 reviews

Over Priced!

Debra_P

, Sep 2021

The guides were lovely. However for 3 - 20 minute snorkling experiences it was very expensive ($60 US each). Sadly there is virtually nothing left to see in the reefs. Climate change has taken the color and life away from the 3 areas. The 3rd was only a very few starfish on the bottom. Could have seen that swimming out from a beach.

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Amazing

EleniSelene_I

, Aug 2021

The boat personnel was amazing the snorkel was amazing and the locations were breath taking ❤ I would come back again the same tour again.

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Snorkeling was fun…beware of possible scam

Philip_V

, Jul 2021

5 dollar tax not mentioned when we booked this excursion. Photographer worked on commission and had a complete photo shoot with one family and took about 6 pics of us. And tried charging us the same price for way less pics

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Response from Host , Jul 2021

Hello Philip, Thank you very much for your feedback and four points rating. I apologize for any wrong impression you could have on the photo concession work. We'll take care of those details right away in order to avoid any possible misunderstanding. In regards the $5.00 US p/p National Marine Park is clearly indicated on the section "What's Included" of the tour description which you may review. Sincerely yours,

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Had a lot of fun! Good deal!

Evan_D

, Jul 2021

We had a great time snorkeling with pachie and the crew! Cool fish to look at and drinking beer on the sandbar was a nice highlight. Maybe seeing more of the reefs would have been nice but very fun time and well worth the money!

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Amazing Snorkeling Experience

Jessica

, Jul 2020

We booked a snorkeling trip last minute with Juan, Rene, and Wilbur and had an incredible experience. We visited three snorkel spots and then got to swim at El Ciel at the end. Rene took incredible pictures of our family snorkeling and I was thrilled to be able to buy them at the end for only $45 for my family of 4. The pictures were in my email in the next few hours. The three crew members on our boat could have not been nicer or more helpful. I highly recommend this trip!

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1 traveler found this review helpful

Excellent trip, great value, helpful staff

John_M

, Feb 2020

Our boat was crewed by Juan, Roman & the photographer, all really friendly guys. They took time to explain exactly what we would be doing, what we could expect to see, and looked after us very well. The snorkeling was better than we expected as we saw a turtle, shark, parrot fish, queen ocean trigger fish & many more. Juan kept the group fully informed during the snorkeling, telling us whenever he stopped anything interesting. The photographer took great photos of us and the turtle; we never normally buy 'tourist' photos, but made an exception as the photos were excellent. Really enjoyable trip, thoroughly recommended

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2 travelers found this review helpful

Overall, a great tour with helpful guides

PTProfessor

, Jan 2020

I previously wrote a review that mentioned I never received the pictures i paid for at the end of the tour. I contacted the tour operator and photographer, and within two days, received all the pictures I was expecting. Other than that temporary problem, it was a great trip.

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1 traveler found this review helpful

Good Snorkel trip

Connector37277709525

, May 2019

Did have a really good time on the boat and in the water. Lots of fish to see. The crew does a good job of providing a safe and enjoyable trip.

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A very fun snorkeling experience

Compass06199184408

, Jan 2019

Our crew was very friendly, and the three locations where we stopped to snorkel were beautiful. We had some pictures taken of our group underwater, which all turned out great and we were able to purchase for a very reasonable price. Beverages were provided throughout the tour, although beer was only available after the snorkeling for safety purposes.

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Awesome times!

Lisa M

, Jan 2019

We had an amazing time on this snorkeling excursion. The reefs were beautiful even without 100% visibility. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Needed to read the fine print regarding the taxes of $3.00 each and not being met at the port.

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