El Cielo Bay Snorkeling: Discover Cozumel's Hidden Gem

111 Ratings

Cozumel

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Embark on a Cozumel snorkel tour and explore the vibrant coral reefs, swim in the stunning el Cielo Bay, and relax at a beautiful beach break. Discover the diverse marine life and encounter protected species in this heavenly paradise.

Duration: 6 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Coastal Highway South - Embark on an adventure at the stunning Reefs of Cozumel, where crystal-clear waters unveil vibrant coral formations and colorful tropical fish. With guidance from expert crew members, snorkel in one of the island’s renowned reef systems, ideal for both novices and seasoned swimmers.
Then, set sail to the iconic El Cielo, a…

What's Included

Snorkel life vest
Marine Transportation to snorkeling
Lunch
Entrance fee to Kuza Beach Park
Use of Water Park facilities at Kuza beach park
Visit to Colombia and Palancar Reefs

What's Not Included

taxes
$13 US marine park entry fee per person

Additional Information

The helm is directed towards Cozumel’s hidden gem: “El Cielo” Bay, a paradise on earth and a sanctuary for starfish and other protected species. Visitors will encounter a vast array of vibrant colors and shapes within the lush marine life. Marvel at “El Cielo,” aptly named for its stunning blue waters and starfish.
Kuza Beach & Adventure Park offers a…

Kuza Beach & Adventure Park offers a transition from ocean exploration to beachfront serenity. Guests can enjoy full access to this stunning beach park, which boasts soft white sands, tranquil turquoise waters, and an exhilarating aquatic park. Whether choosing to relax under the Caribbean sun, take a refreshing swim, or indulge in the water attractions, Kuza provides the ideal mix of excitement and relaxation.

This tour operates from Monday to Saturday.
Participants must comply with all of the instructions given by the vessel’s captain and/or his crew.
Participants must comply with all instructions given by tour guides at all times.
Participants must comply with the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park rules of use.
All participants must be self-sufficient proficient Swimmers and in good health.
All participants must be able to stay afloat for 30-minute or more.
Participants must be able to descend and ascend boat ladder(s) for the snorkeling activity.
The use of a LIFE VEST during the snorkeling activity is MANDATORY, No exception.
This tour is not an available tour for people in wheelchair.
All participants must sign a Waiver.
Minimum age for snorkeling is 10 years old.
Participants under 18 years old must be accompanied, directly supervised and cared by a Responsible Companion, Parent(s) or Legal Guardian at all times.
Alcoholic Beverages will be served only AFTER the Snorkeling activity.
Legal drinking age in Mexico is 18 years old. Minors will not be served alcohol, even with parental consent.
We require, at its sole discretion, a valid photo ID as proof of age for the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Rreserves the right to refuse service of alcoholic beverages to guests that appear intoxicated, are unruly or underage.
This is a STRENUOUS activity level excursion.
Maximum weight is 250 LB / 115 KG to snorkel.
The participation in any and/or all of the services and attractions offered by the Tour Operator are entirely at the guest’s sole discretion, risk and responsibility.
THIS TOUR IS NOT ALLOWED FOR NON-SWIMMERS, PEOPLE UNDER MEDICATION SUCH AS ANTIDEPRESSANTS, LITHIUM, RECENT SURGERIES, BETA-BLOCKERS OR BASE (VEIN) CONSTRICTORS OR IMPAIRED FOR PREGNANCY, ASTHMA, HEART CONDITIONS, DIABETES, SEIZURES, RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS, BLOOD PRESSURE CONDITIONS, BACK/NECK/LIMB/JOINT INJURIES, OR THOSE WITH MOBILITY LIMITATIONS/ ANY LIMITATION ON MOTOR SKILLS.
IMPORTANT: Cozumel Catamaran committed to protecting the ocean environment and Cozumel’s vast coral reefs; therefore, the use of any type of sunscreen, sunblock, or suntan lotion which could eventually make its way into the ocean is no longer allowed. We suggest the use of long-sleeved UV-filtering shirts, hats, and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun. Coral, fish and all other sea creatures thank you for your cooperation! We strongly recommend, DO NOT TOUCH THE MARINE LIFE.
People with anxiety problems.
There is an $13 US marine park entry fee per person that is not included in the tour price and must be paid in cash on the day of the tour.
Minimum age to participate on the tour is 5 years old
Food and drinks are available for puchase at Kuza beach park
Crew will remind guests to keep physical distance during reception and brief.
Health screening of guest at the pier will be made through a quick test including temperature checking,
Any guest showing symptoms of respiratory illness, such as coughing, and sneezing will be excluded from the tour
Each guest will be asked to sign a declaration of health upon arrival
We will allow healthy people to enjoy the tour; the crew will encourage guests to use a face mask/face covering upon arrival. Due to local government policies, the use of face mask/face covering is mandatory.
Guests must wear face mask/face coverings in common areas, near other guests, and when interacting with crew. Due to local government policies, the use of face mask/face covering is mandatory
Whether guests opt for wearing or not masks/face coverings onboard, the crew should assess with their training the appropriate guideline, because some face masks/face coverings may become a loose-article hazard, interfere with the safe operation of the boat, or jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of others
On board, the crew will provide each guest antibacterial gel (containing at least 70% alcohol) upon arrival
We will have markers indicating the safe physical distance our guests and team members must keep between each other. Besides, we will mark physical distancing space with signs to allow individuals or family units to have safe space from each other.
Markings or signs will help guests to understand what is expected.
We will provide additional hand sanitizing dispensers help to reduce the possible spread of viruses and bacteria
We will encourage guest to follow the handwashing protocol and the importance of frequent handwashing with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after the snorkel activity

Location

Centro Comercial Royal Village

Avenida Rafael E. Melgar

Arrive 30 minutes prior departure time at the Royal Village shopping center, right next to Hard rock cafe and in front of International cruise pier at the booth your tour operator will be there dressed in white Shirt.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

3.8

(111 Ratings)

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1 star

Robertop5486

Mar 9, 2026

I didn't get the pictures. - Last week I made a tour to be precise on March 4 in the Katamaran Aqua Dream 2 the crew from the beginning everything well was presented to each of them including the photographer who during the activities with my partner took photos which at the end of said activities showed us the photos that I take and same that we acquired us a memory with the photos and our return home to download the photos the memory is empty I would like to know if you can support me to contact you to send me the photos we acquired If not, what they should prohibit is that work inside the vessel since we trust them fully to pay for the service and we cannot check a memory at the time

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Deb_b

Feb 27, 2026

Snorkel fun - We joined the Dreamscape 5 catamaran snorkel excursion, which included two short snorkel stops and a brief stop on a shallow, three-foot-deep sandy beach to watch stingrays. A medical emergency on board during our first stop likely contributed to the itinerary being shortened. The crew and on-board medical professionals did everything they could to keep everyone calm and assist the patient. After a lengthy wait, they arranged a backboard from a nearby beach hotel to load him and transport him to medical care. Once things settled, we resumed the snorkel portion. After the third stop, drinks were served as we headed back to shore for the included lunch. We walked about three minutes to a restaurant where pork, chicken, or tacos and drinks were available. Aside from the medical emergency, it was a good excursion and I would do it again. Victor, our English-speaking guide, was very friendly and helpful, as were the boat captain and sailors, Daniel and Rodolpho.

Review provided by Viator

Kagoog

Feb 20, 2025

Great Snorkeling Excursion - We had booked an excursion from Shore Excursions Group for our day here in Cozumel during our cruise trip. The excursion was called Snorkel El Cielo and Colombia Reef with Playa Mia and organized by Playa Mia. The whole excursion process went smoothly and it was very organized. We went to 3 different snorkeling locations and then ended at the beach at Playa Mia for all inclusive access. The excursion guides on our boat the Aqua Dream 1 were all very professional and kept everyone safe and well informed throughout the process. It was truly an enjoyable and fun day at Cozumel!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Indyzelda

Apr 12, 2025

Great crew but I wouldn’t do this trip again. - The crew was terrific, and the snorkeling was great. We also appreciated the quality family photos that Diego took of us (at extra cost). The rest of the day was just ok. I think the trip description is purposely light on details. The meeting time was 8:50. We were there by 8:30, not realizing they had already built in cushion time for people to be late. The next step was a ferry to Cozumel, which didn’t leave until 10. That took about 40 minutes. Then they immediately load people onto catamarans. Ours held 75 passengers and was completely full. Then a catamaran ride of at least 30 minutes. We finally made our first snorkeling destination around 12:15. First was a reef, and we saw a lot of beautiful fish but unfortunately no rays or turtles. Next stop was sea star sanctuary. Then a 3rd stop to chill in some beautiful water, but they only gave us about 15 minutes there. We got to the beach club at 2:30 and were informed that we would depart at 4:30. I was initially disappointed about the short time there, but there isn’t much to the club and precious little shade. I guess beach umbrellas cost extra? The lunch was very mediocre. Then my family hung in the ocean for the rest of the time. The catamaran departed right at 4:30 and arrived in Cozumel around 5:25. Our ferry back to Playa wasn’t until 7, so we were stranded there for 1.5 hours. We finally made it to Playa around 8. So it was a 12 hour day for about 30 minutes of snorkeling. It’s probably a good value for the money if you’re a drinker, but we are not. If I had more details about the day, I would have paid more for a more snorkeling focused tour.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lee_h

Mar 30, 2025

Family Snorkeling Trip - Overall good experience. Some issues getting organized and on the boat - but once on rhe boat and off - it was great.

Review provided by Viator

Mabelencevallos99

Aug 23, 2024

Watch out for sunburn!!! DO NOT LET USE SUN BLOCK OF ANY KIND - It is a tour I recommend because it is paradise and the service 100/10. However, when we booked the tour through our Trips Agency, we were never told that they no longer allow any kind of sun protection. Neither ecological, nor biodegradable, I came from Ecuador with my "reef-safe" sunblocks supposedly so they don't make me a problem, because until recently they told me they only allowed this type. Recently in Playa del Carmen, to board the ferry, we were told that no use of sunscreen was allowed and we were not given time to go buy water shirts. I have had the worst sunburn of my life and that I come from Ecuador, where the sun burns worse. My Trips Agency told me that Playa Mia had not socialized them from this, as seen in the capture of the conversation we had. Please socialize this information!!! Or at least give yourself a chance to buy something, don't say it right when we're boarding the ferry. Sunburn is super serious, it's strong, I'm a doctor and I've seen horrible skin cancer from sun exposure. I would like to give 5 stars, because the experience was beautiful, but the pain and sunstroke remind me that I will never trust again. Please people going to Mexico, find out 3 days in advance if policies have not changed and avoid a hard time.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Harpero806

Aug 17, 2025

Stay far far away from this excursion - Me and my wife booked this excursion because our regular tour guide that we have used several times was not available. We took this excursion on 8-14-25 and I will tell you that this excursion was anything but pleasant. As soon as we ferried over to Cozumel from Playa De Carmen, we were immediately shuffled onto an awaiting catamaran specifically the Aqua Dream 4. We were so packed on the boat that it felt like herded cattle and continued to feel this way the full trip. We took an about 40-45 minute ride over to the first reef, if you can even call it that. When it was time to get in, they hurried us into the water as quickly as they could and we swam around while the guides tried to keep us as tightly packed as possible. So packed that people were getting kicked from other people treading water. I basically had to try to protect my wife the whole time to keep her from getting a foot to the face all while getting kicked myself. There was hardly any fish and the fish that you could see had to be coaxed in by feeding them. I’ve used bigger fish as bait back home. They let us stay in the water no more than 10 minutes before they rushed us back onto the catamaran and that was an experience unto itself. If you weren’t worried about getting ran over by the catamaran then you had to worry about the chaos of people frantically trying to get back onto the boat. There was no order to it at all. People kicked and clawing to get to the ladder first all while you’ve got a guide yelling to hurry up. We took off from the first spot and went to the second which was the starfish reef. Same exact thing at the second stop. Hurry, hurry and back onto boat. Maybe another 10 minute stop. The last stop was the sandbar. There, they gave us maybe 15 minutes to sit and relax. Me and the wife just took the time to get away from everyone. Then when it was time to leave to go back to land they rushed us once more. Then the drinks came. They started serving alcohol to anyone breathing regardless of age. I get it, it’s México and they don’t care how old you are but have some common sense. Serving alcohol to kids that are obviously under age is just ridiculous. When we finally were back at port and getting off the catamaran, we saw a group of kids on the boat almost get into a fight and know alcohol played a part in it. They walked us about 6 blocks to the little hole in the wall restaurant were we ate lunch. That was the only good part about the trip. I will say that the food was good. But after that we were able to go out into Cozumel for about 2-1/2 hours until we’re supposed to get back on ferry to cross back to Playa De Carmen. Me and the wife caught an early ferry and went back to the mainland to await our transport. Once our transport arrived, late at that, he did not have a van waiting and we had to wait an additional 30 minutes to arrive and when it finally did, he put us on the van with the most drunk obnoxious group of tourist that I’ve ever been around. Just imagine drunk and obnoxious and multiply that x10. It was horrible. Finally made it back to our resort at around 8 that evening and was never so glad to be done with a tour. If you want an unforgettable experience, you can take this one of two ways. You can have a horrible horrible experience you will never forget and take this tour or book a tour with max 10-12 people like we are used to and have an extraordinary enjoyable experience that you won’t forget. I highly recommend staying away from this company and this excursion. It’ll just leave you pissed off in the end.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Voyageurec

Aug 1, 2025

Big scam - You are sold very expensive snorkeling: 3 times 30 minutes on a catamaran with 25 people then an afternoon in a super beach club (photos) with activities (kayak, pedalo, inflatable games...) with an unlimited buffet. But the reality is quite different: catamaran with at least 60 people (admittedly, the staff is friendly), dives much shorter than what was advertised then a club that does not exist since closed! You get a broth and then a dish in a small restaurant. We leave again hungry and then we have to wait several hours for the ferry while hanging out in the street!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Inspiration769953

Dec 30, 2024

Overpriced and overcrowded. Don't waste your time and money. - We booked this excursion through Expedia for a stop at Cozumel during our cruise. Transportation, communication, and logistics were great and seemed to run smoothly. The staff was friendly. However, this was an overcrowded nightmare. You make a stop to snorkel, everyone is herded off the boat and told to stay close to the flag. Snorkeling with 60-70 people was not ideal. The crew kept yelling at everyone to stay near the flag. You couldn't even move without being kicked or whacked by someone, let alone enjoy the snorkeling. We had five experienced snorkelers in the group and one first timer. It was the least safe I have ever felt snorkeling because of the numbers. When we tried to give ourselves a little space, we were yelled at to get by the flag. The second snorkel stop we were in the water for maybe 7 minutes before we were told that it was time to get back on the boat. The Playa Mia resort with the "international buffet" was even more crowded and definitely not as nice as it sounds in the advertising. Food was not good. We don't drink, so I can't speak to the quality of the free alcohol. The whole day felt like a big money grab. I would definitely not recommend. There has to be nicer places on Cozumel.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Passenger25792496379

Jul 29, 2024

Snorkeling great- Honesty is horrible - Excursion was awesome! Bus ride home went SOUTH! Another passenger started vomiting, meaning husbands iPhone falls. Vomiting continues we finally exit at 6:30pm at Hyatt Ziva. When we realize phone is missing it has been to Cancùn and just now passing us on main road. We track it to smoke shop and final stop at 9:30pm in Playa del Carmen where several hours later the battery dies. Company says driver doesn’t work next day and bus will sit so we have to wait and now phone can not be found. An EMPLOYEE had to have cleaned that bus and found themselves an iPhone. It’s just a phone but honesty goes a long way. Not even going to review the actual resort Playa Mia Grand Beach Front at this point.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $100

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult