Snorkelling from a resort or local beach

[john1989]

Me and my wife are looking for a resort where we can snorkel from the resort or a nearby beach. My wife is not a confident swimmer so does not want to be too far from the beach, and also why boat trips are out of the question unfortunately.

We went to the Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii for our honeymoon and snorkelled with turtles from the hotel’s beach and loved it, so we are looking for something similar and maybe slightly cheaper but we would like to snorkel with something other than just fish. We have been looking at Mexico & Dominican republic but are open to any suggestions

We know this is a very difficult question maybe verging on impossible because our research hasn’t been very fruitful, so we thought we may have better luck asking people with better knowledge, thank you to anyone who attempts to help us out =]

 

[Skeptic14]

Me and my wife are looking for a resort where we can snorkel from the resort or a nearby beach. My wife is not a confident swimmer so does not want to be too far from the beach, and also why boat trips are out of the question unfortunately.

We went to the Fairmont Orchid in Hawaii for our honeymoon and snorkelled with turtles from the hotel’s beach and loved it, so we are looking for something similar and maybe slightly cheaper but we would like to snorkel with something other than just fish. We have been looking at Mexico & Dominican republic but are open to any suggestions

We know this is a very difficult question maybe verging on impossible because our research hasn’t been very fruitful, so we thought we may have better luck asking people with better knowledge, thank you to anyone who attempts to help us out =]

My wife and I are fairly new to snorkeling/diving, we first snorkeled last Nov. in Maui. At the time I was definitely not a confident swimmer, I have very little buoyancy even in salt water, so the distance from shore was on my mind initially.

Since then though that's changed, for one the more time you spend doing an activity the more comfortable you become. But once I realized how important fins were (didn't use them in Maui) it really changed the game. If you and your wife aren't using fins, definitely get some. Also, for our SCUBA class we were fitted for a good mask and snorkel and that made a world of difference too from the cheap set we picked up for snorkeling. When you are trying to clear your mask/snorkel every few minutes that wears you out.

Also, you can find waist floats for snorkeling too, that might make your wife more comfortable.

Both my wife and I are now much more comfortable in the water in a short period of time. We just returned from Grand Cayman where we dove and snorkeled. We snorkeled some spots that were easily 200-300 yards from shore and never felt uncomfortable.

As far as where to go, hopefully some others can come along with some suggestions. As new snorkelers we've only done Maui and GC... Grand Cayman was amazing... the colors, fish variety, reefs IMO surpassed Maui... however we only saw one turtle the whole week versus at least one turtle each day in Maui. But... that could have just been where we snorkeled in GC.

 

[Kharon]

My wife and I went to St. John last year. I'm a diver but she is like your wife. I forget which site it was but once she saw the big turtles and all the rays she kept wanting to go back. Almost all of the sites are calm.

Probably the best place I've ever been for snorkeling right from where I was staying (and in general) was the Picard Beach Resort on Dominica. Bungalos with full kitchen right on the water and a great place to snorkel just about 100 feet to the right. The reef starts about 10 feet from shore. Alexis Faustin (staff there can put you in contact) can take you to many secluded beaches that you can snorkel from shore if you get tired of the resort reef. Picard is walking distance to Portsmouth and the medical college is right next door (they have a cafateria) and there is an open market with all kinds of food just about 100 yards toward Portsmouth. Also, there is a ton of other stuff to see and do (nature stuff - not casinos, etc.).

 

[KathyV]

Here is the link to Tsetudo's excellent guide for snorkeling sites available on Grand Cayman. It gives all the details and he can advise you about the best places to stay for good snorkeling.

TESTUDO'S SNORKEL GUIDE Cayman Off the Beaten Path

Just a word of caution about Dominica. We loved the island and the diving/snorkeling but the country was devastated by a bad tropical storm earlier this year. It is a poor country and I understand that recovery has been very slow so do some research before deciding to go there soon. It is also a bit difficult to get there, traveling from the Midwest we had to overnight in Puerto Rico on the trips to and from Dominica.

 

[diversteve]

Two to consider:

St. John as Kharon mentioned. Some of the resorts have snorkeling directly off their property. Not the best beaches but there generally is one. Caneel Bay is going to price like the Fairmont - there's also a Westin in Cruz Bay. The better snorkeling is elsewhere though. Best Snorkeling on St John | St John Beach Guide

IDK if it matters but the only way there is a 1/2 hr. ferry ride from St. Thomas. The fast ferries (big boats) run between all the islands in the region and you can even "drive" to St. John from Red Hook on St. Thomas's east end - there's 2 car ferries. Which also makes it possible to daytrip back to St. Thomas and snorkel at Coki Beach, Hull Bay or Magens Bay in that general area. St. Thomas is sort of dreary though - lots of cruise ships and pretty rundown in places so I don't suggest staying there. Virgin Islands Ferry Schedules - VInow

Another option is Virgin Gorda in the BVI's. You would take the fast ferry from St. Thomas to get there. It only runs specific days so the other option is the fast ferry to Tortola then a local ferry to Virgin Gorda - both run on the hour. You can also fly into VG on a local airline but all are going to be Cessna-sized twin props - the kind where one of you gets to sit next to the pilot.

There are some very specific resorts with good snorkeling just off their beach. The more affordable one is Mango Bay - Mango Bay Resort

Our long, sandy beach is naturally protected by a coral reef barrier, providing an ideal place for watersports. The reef also gives Mango Bay Resort its great privacy as none of the larger yachts or big charter boats can find their way onto our shores.

Our calm bay is the perfect place for many activities such as snorkeling....Our guests can also enjoy swimming and sunbathing along the tranquil waters of Mahoe Bay beach. Snorkeling equipment, floating mattresses, and kayaks are provided at no extra cost....Guests can visit The Baths, "The Indians" snorkeling site...

The Baths are a world famous snorkel destination. You can either drive over and walk down the path or go over and snorkel off a local boat. The Baths National Park, Virgin Gorda, BVI | BVI Tourism That photo really doesn't do it justice so here's some others. The Baths - British Virgin Islands | Trover.

The Indians is off another island about a 20-30min. boat ride south.

The other pricier option is the Rosewood Little Dix Bay. It also has it's own private beach - in fact they own the whole bay. There is a boat channel bisecting the beach but it's clearly marked and not used except for resort guests arriving on their yacht from Beef Island Harbor on Tortola - or twice we went in there on the DiveBVI boat - both times turtles dove for the bottom even though we were nowhere near them. Much of the snorkeling there is right off their private beach. It's going to probably make the Fairmont seem cheap by comparison though. Click thru the first 3 images to see the reef snorkeling options there - both times we were there there were people in the water: http://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/little-dix-bay-virgin-gorda/gallery

There are a few other resorts on the island but they're pretty isolated - and two of them are also Yacht harbors (Leverick Bay or Bitter End) so there's a lot of surface boat traffic. Both are pretty isolated so you'd have a long drive to "town" for anything. And it's a very long, narrow island. Some general info: http://www.bvitourism.com/virgin-gorda

---------- Post added December 31st, 2015 at 12:08 PM ----------

One comment I'd add about Cayman. Many of the resorts are on Seven Mile Beach but the reef is too far out to snorkel (or dive) there. The Westin put down a man-made snorkel trail some years ago but IDK what that looks like now. At the far north end of SMB - Cemetery Beach is an easy entry and shallow snorkel. South of Georgetown Smith's Cove is the other. The majority of the other snorkel spots in the West Bay area might have ironshore cliffs so your wife might be a little intimidated from the water looking at the entry/exit. Turtle Reef is one of the best but here's what it looks like: http://static1.squarespace.com/stat...65_100000481201574_1569184_299485302_n[1].jpg The steps being the only access point. A few of the other sites have docks/ladders also.

 

[agilis]

Renting your own car for all or part of a trip can make an enormous difference in choices of snorkeling locations. Having your own transportation can add vast new dimensions to any trip. I've been diving the Caribbean for several decades and would never consider a trip unless I were able to rent a vehicle. Too many divers seem to fear driving when in another country, especially a small island. Rentals can be relatively inexpensive, less than $50 per day, and your credit card generally covers insurance.