Cozumel Snorkeling Tour to Palancar Reef and El Cielo

This was the best part of my trip, el cielito is just amazing, the ocean it’s so clear it looks unreal.

Cozumel is a beautiful island and the water speaks for itself, but the experience on the boat and with the guides was sub-par. Getting there was actually easy and the directions were clear. We were kindly greeted. 1st problem: the boat was overpacked. As an AOW diver who has been on many dive boats, we were over by at least 3 people. There were 13 passengers (All large adults except for 2 minors who were teenagers). 2) Our captains were not bilingual and did not translate English except for very few words well. I spoke Spanish and translated for my friends, but VIATOR should be clear about the translation up front in case there are families who don't speak Spanish. 3) We did not go to Palancar, even though I asked for them to take us there specifically. The captain tried to explain in Spanish that there were jelly fish in Palancar, so he was going to take us to a totally different site. I understand that he seemed like he was trying to be "safe" but there were apparently many sites without Jellyfish at Palancar that day. I was quite upset when I found out about this because I checked with divers and snorkelers who were there at the same time and they said it was a perfect day! As a substitute, the captain took us to see "Star fish". We saw one star fish and all sand for a 30 min visit. Not worth it AT ALL. I see more than that in 5 ft visibility in SoCal where the water is freezing in the Pacific Ocean. They should have made an effort to get us to a safe area at Palancar and should have worked with smaller groups and made an effort to understand our swimming skills and experience because Cozumel has some of the best snorkeling in the world! I can't believe that the captain made no effort to take us to those best sites... 4) Don't expect food. Yes, there is a whole cooler full of beer, but there is only a plate of food to feed 4 people for a "small lunch". We didn't get to eat at all because the two families on the boat with large adults finished everything before we could have a bite. We were starving and felt swindled after they promised at least some food! It should not have to be Darwin's "survival of the fittest" or "last of us" feelings on this boat here when we've paid for the food included. 5) Last but not least, there was only one guide in the water with the group of 13 people and he showed favoritism to one of the families and ignored everyone else. There were people struggling and could have drowned because he went way ahead of everyone and didn't wait for people to get off the boat before leading the first family ahead in the water. It was absolutely unprofessional. I had to step in a buddy-pull a struggling swimmer back to the boat because they had started to go under water and the only water guide on this trip couldn't care less and was three dozen feet ahead during big currents. Totally unsafe experience and against water regulations for guides. Overall, the tour was terrible and not hospitable. I would not recommend it. The water was gorgeous and the fish are lovely, though! So find a better tour that gives you your money's worth and ensures your safety and comfort equitably.

We saw some great underwater scenery. The guides didn't seem to be paying particular attention to us, however. My daughter was having trouble with the snorkel and was getting fatigued, and he didn't really help, just gave her a new mask without really assisting. He also didn't seem to hear me when I said she was tired and needed the ring--she just had to swim for it, with my help. I was trying to keep an eye on both of my daughters (age 12 and 14) so I didn't feel particularly supported. I am comfortable in the water as are my daughters, but if you are new to snorkeling, try something else with a more hands-on approach. This is more DIY, like they just provide the boat and equipment and then let you do your thing. The lunch they served was delicious, ceviche and fresh guacamole.