6 Snorkeling in Playa del Carmen to Build a Day Around

1.Half-Day Sea Turtle and Cenote Snorkeling Tour from Cancun & Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,039 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $99Our pick

Snorkel with sea turtles at Akumal and swim through a crystal-clear Yucatan cenote on this practical half-day tour from Cancun.

“Our tour guide, Daniel San Francisco, and photographer Maxi, were amazing. Daniel was extremely knowledgeable about the areas we visited, was very friendly, funny, and easy to get along with. Maxi was very nice, though quiet, but his photography spoke volumes. The photos he showed the group at the end were amazing. They were a great pair, and took good care of the group. It was a little bit of a colder day (by Mexico standards), so the cenote and snorkeling with turtles were not busy at all. We saw multiple turtles, sting rays, and beautiful coral formations.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Hidden Cenote Swim: Snorkeling, Sea Turtles and Beachside Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,222 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $169

Swim through a Tulum cenote, snorkel with Akumal sea turtles, and enjoy lunch at a beach club on this guided half-day outing.

“My boyfriend and I took the Cenote + Turtles tour, which I purchased as a gift for my boyfriend's birthday. Prior to the cenote, our tour guide Jesus Salas had taken lunch orders for the beach club later and made a mistake with one of our orders. Since we had many hours before lunch, we didn't make a big deal about it in the moment, choosing instead to correct the error separately after the cenote tour. When we did, he asked why we hadn't said anything before, and my boyfriend (not wanting to draw attention to Jesus's mistake) replied, "I must not have been paying attention." Jesus replied saying "yeah,…”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Beach Escape: Isla Contoy and Isla Mujeres with Snorkeling.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 717 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $169

Explore Isla Contoy’s reef, birds, beach, and lunch, then browse Isla Mujeres on an all-day boat trip from Riviera Maya hotels.

“Isla Mujeres was amazing and fun. I highly recommend getting a cab to Punta Sur, you will NOT be disappointed by the amazing views. The real jewel is Isla Contoy, though. Like my title says, it gives Gilligan's Island vibes and I could have stayed forever. Don't miss this opportunity if you get the chance, it's a 100% worth the money experience. The guides were amazing and very knowledgeable. I can not give them enough praise.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Catamaran Cruise in Riviera Maya With Snorkeling & Beach Club

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 440 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $85

Review of the Riviera Maya catamaran cruise from Maroma Beach, with reef snorkeling, drinks, hotel transfers, costs, timing, and practical tips.

“Last minute changed the pickup location and would not budge. Could not make it to the new location at proper time. Refused to give refund. Very unprofessional, they should not have confirmed the reservation if pick up location was unavailable”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Private Snorkeling with Sea Turtles in Akumal Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 364 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $65Best value

Swim Akumal’s protected waters with green turtles on a private, guide-led snorkel tour with equipment, lockers, and park fees included.

“Highly recommend booking your snorkel with Darwin! I am so glad that I chose this tour for our family of four. Darwin does small group tours and we were his only clients during our tour. I am so thankful he does this for a couple of reasons: 1. It was so much easier for our small group to stay together in the water and hear Darwin when he was explaining things (the current was strong the day we swam), and 2. I think it is less stressful for the marine life to have smaller groups near by. Darwin loves the ocean and the turtles and it is quite obvious. His…”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Mayan Adventure Snorkeling Tour from Playa del Carmen or Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 313 reviews · 7 hours (approx.)

Snorkel three Riviera Maya ecosystems, from Yal Ku Lagoon to jungle cenotes, with lunch, gear, guides, and hotel transport included.

“Funny tour guide, great food and saw many bright colored fish along with some blue lobsters and a s all turtle! Atilano made our trip very enjoyable.”

Check availability →Read our full review