Cozumel Snorkeling Tour: Columbia, Palancar and El Cielo Beach

They picked us up 1 hr late and then made 2 other stops to pick up 1 person at each location. It was a double decker boat but we were not allowed up top where the sun was in abundance. The boat was packed 25-30 people. No way to social distance. A covid capsule no mask after the 1 st 20 min. If you have not yet had covid don’t go! However the reef was beautiful and so was elcileo with the starfish and rays. I suggest using another boat. We left at 1:30pm and returned at 6pm we were told to be at the dock at 12:15

I definitely can NOT recommend the tour. 1. The guide was really annoyed and grumbeling about us – all the time over ridiculous things. E.g.: we got small bottles of water/juice which we put on our seats when jumping from the boat into the water to snorkel. Of course, when you jump, the boat moves and some of the bottles fell on the ground of the boat. We could not put it into our bag as they were locked in a locker on the boat. When we got on the boat again and he saw the bottles on the ground, he was grousing: „DON’T THROW THE BOTTLES ON THE GROUND“. Due to him, it was a really bad atmosphere. 2. The glass bottom – ridiculous! 1. So small, that it’s really really hard to see anything! 2. Our guide has put the swim west on the glass, so we couldn’t see anything… So it’s not an advantage 3. If you want to see great fish, go to Egypt, not to Cozumel

The tour/reefs we saw were a bit less variee than what I was hoping, but nevertheless the coral reef was beautiful. We swam from Columbia to Palancar and the sun saw a star fish, barracudas and lots of tropical colorful fishes. Not the best coral reef I've seen, but really long, wide and impactful at first sight. The color of the water was incredible. The staff was ok, not very enthusiastic, but the group we were with were really nice. We got offered drinks and some fruit. I had read online that the Playa El Cielo was closed till Jan, however the tour guide said (not sure if true) that that was still closed and was going to open in March, which is why they could not stop there and we stopped at a regular public beach instead (beautiful, but not the same). A bit overpriced perhaps, but overall a good experience.

What started with a large amount of trepidation ended in a wonderful experience. The first point to recognise is that the marina is located away from the cruise terminal. It's about a 5 minute taxi ride at a cost of $9-00USD (could likely be a tourist price). We were extremely nervous on arrival at the marina - it looks somewhat run down. The boat also looked as though it had seen better days. So - that was the worrying part. However, once on board everything was wonderful. It's about 20 minutes to the most southerly reef we visited. The journey was exhilerating. Once there we were provided masks, snorkels, fins and life vests by choice and into the water with our guide who was with us all the time we were in the water. The reef is not especially colourful - certainly not compared to Australia. The fish are very beautiful. Our first reef was at a depth of about 10m. We then moved on to a second reef with a depth closer to 30m. We had a barracuda encounter - it just went past below and to the side - very beautiful. This phase meant we were in the water for about 30-40 minutes continuously and moving constantly. Whilst you don't need to be fit to enjoy the experience, I certainly found the life vest useful to make the journey easier. After getting back on board for a few minutes we arrived at the last reef. This was back to a shallow reef again with a gorgeous array of fish and coral. Our final stop was an area of beach where we could relax, paddle/swim, enjoy a beer, some fruit or sunbathe. Then it was back to the marina. Jorge - our guide was wonderful. Once you get over the initial feeling on arrival at the marina, the experience is excellent, however, bear in mind the taxi fares could make other options more beneficial. Thank you all - we had a great time.

We had a big miscommunication and we did not get to go on the excursion. I booked a different three reef snorkeling trip but due to conditions that we and Viator could not control the trip and time was changed. The sad problem was that we where notified of the change while we where on the cruise ship and we had no access to my email to find out. We showed up to the location first confirmed and no one showed up. We wasted 2 hours of time and 2 taxi rides for no excursion. I did not know what had happened until I returned home and talked with Viator. They did give me my money back. I was sad to not get to go on the snorkel trip, but I will survive.

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed this snorkel tour! It’s definitely worth the price & the boat is awesome!! We got plenty of time on the boat and in the water to explore and we had drinks offered to us the whole time! The guides seemed like they were doing their best to make sure everyone was having fun but staying safe, and they speak great english! Would definitely recommend!

We had a great time! They took us to some really cool spots to snorkel. The guides on the boat were very friendly. For those coming in on a cruise, the harbor looks very close on a google map but it is a litter longer of a walk then expected. Take a taxi.