By Darrell and Kathy McQuigge
We are looking for a Caribbean resort with a good house reef. We are busy planning next April’s trip and are getting a bit frustrated trying to locate a resort that offers snorkeling from the beach where my wife can spend hours in the water just floating and looking. Any help would be appreciated. We have been to Roatan, Curacao, BVI’s, Cuba, Jamaica, and Cozumel. Cheers.
Good question… following it for suggestions.
Just got back from week in Bermuda. Stayed at The Reefs and blessed with a north wind for our snorkel day. We found their house reef to be in excellent shape with lots of fish. Full list posted here. Water was in the mid 70s°F, but we all had thermal rash guards on, so it was fine. We snorkeled for most of the day and covered less than half of the reef system. Can’t wait to go back.
You might want to try Sunset House in Grand Cayman. Their house reef was great but I was there quite a while ago.
While we liked the Sunset House about four years ago, we did not find the house reef could compare with Roatan. We’ve been to Grand Cayman twice, with two years between the two trips. The second time we found the waters so crowded with boats we have no desire to go back.
My son and I went to Curacao in January 2024 and were very disappointed. The water is still clear and there are lots of fish, but the northwestern reefs are greatly decreased. We did not get to the reefs on the southeastern part of the island, where we had much better snorkeling several years ago – weather and health did not cooperate. Maybe there are still good reefs there. It is an easy flight for us, but we won’t be going back.
We went to Curacao in May 2025 and stayed at Avila Beach Resort. The snorkeling right outside the break wall was decent. We’re strong swimmers, and the current doesn’t bother us. We went to the places detailed in the Curacao Snorkeling Guide – been meaning to post a report about it – and we were pleasantly surprised. We didn’t see any bleaching, and for the Caribbean, the reefs were pretty healthy.
We have been to Anguilla many times, and the reef at Shoal Bay used to be spectacular, but we were very sad the last few times, with all the elk horn bleached. We also used to go to Turtle Cove in Turks and Caicos. We haven’t been in years, but the decline was evident and I expect it’s even worse now. (We’ve also been to Roatan, Virgin Gorda, St John.) We’ve also been to Raja Ampat, and Curacao is nothing like that, but it’s really decent for the Caribbean.
I love to stay at Coral View Resort in Utila and snorkel the reef off of their beach bar. You can see Queen Angelfish, eagle rays, and lots of tropical fish. The coral was healthier six years ago, but if you go right you can still see purple sea fans and brightly colored coral.
We went to Jibacoa, Cuba and were quite happy with the snorkeling right off the beach. We chose this resort because it is touted as one of the only Cuban destinations with a reef right off the beach. It was really fun! We have been to better Caribbean snorkeling destinations before but never so easy to get access to. Just wade in and put your head in the water. There are already corals and sea fans starting at waist deep. We saw moray eels, octopus, and barracudas in water less than waist deep if you can believe it!
The beach boys will take you out in a Hobie-Cat to the more distant reef line for an hour for $10. The dive shop there did one-tank dives for $25 USD or $30 CAD!
And the tidepools on the point next door were full of Ricordea florida in the deepest parts. Very cool beachcombing.
It’s pretty much what you’d see snorkeling in the Florida Keys but 100 feet offshore instead of a few miles. And with some live Elkhorn Coral as a bonus.
Hi. Did you experience any jellyfish invasions with a north wind? I stayed there a few years back in January-February and couldn’t spend much time exploring that reef because of the invasion of the blue stingers.
Yes. We did have one day when they closed the beach because of Portuguese Man’o’War Jellies. And a couple on other days brought not enough to stop snorkeling.
We were in Jibacoa Beach Cuba, in March-April for two weeks, and 80-90% of the corals are dead, yes the elkhorn corals too! Only fire coral is doing OK and a few brain and finger corals. No hope of recovery either because they are covered in algae, and spearfishers are taking parrotfish 8 inches long every day, so there are very few algae eating fish left and NO big fish whatsoever! Barracuda were 18 inches at the biggest, no rays at all. The sea fans are mostly dead too.
Same in the Bay of Pigs on the south shore. Hot waters in 2023 and 2024 did these shallow reefs in. Don’t bother going, unless you haven’t been elsewhere and the few small reef fish are enough for you.
Sorry, no stingrays or eagle rays, there were a few small yellow rays. A handful of squid and no turtles. A few spots out further had some lovely fish, but a lot of barren areas to swim through. At shore in the grass and sand there are yellow rays, small goatfish, tangs, and needlefish right under the surface.
That’s very disappointing to hear that the reef in Jibacoa has gone so far downhill. And the Bay of Pigs too! We went to the Bay of Pigs 24 years ago and it was unreal.
There may not be any resorts left that have decent snorkeling right off their beach, if the entire Caribbean is now so degraded that all the shallow reefs are dying. We went to Cozumel last year but I didn’t bother mentioning it because it was very damaged compared to 10 years ago.
Come to think of it, another hotel that was actually quite fun to snorkel at right from their beach was the Grotto Bay Beach Resort in Bermuda, pretty much a Caribbean destination, at least biologically if not geographically. Not much for coral other than gorgonians and sea fans but there are two sunken barges in about 10 feet of water and they have a bunch of lobsters hanging out in their holds. And there are quite a few seahorses there, that’s one of the things that I thought was the coolest about that hotel’s beach. There are also freshwater springs bubbling up in the sea floor there that attract many fish, Bermuda and Grey Angelfish included. And some on-site caves you can explore and swim in. Very cool and it won’t be as depressing as seeing so much dead coral.
What was the name of the resort?
We stayed at the Starfish Jibacoa. Very inexpensive, with surprisingly good all-inclusive food. There is a bit more upscale resort next-door, the Memories Jibacoa. It looks nicer but the beach is a tad nicer at the Starfish.
Both have the same reef out front. If you’re diving, the scuba prices are better at the Starfish, but the pools and amenities are nicer at Memories. I can’t comment on the food at Memories, Starfish was better than a comparable hotel at Varadero Beach, like, much better. These resorts are about halfway between Varadero Beach and Havana. You fly to Varadero Airport.
Sunwing Holidays does some very reasonable packages to Jibacoa if you do look at going there.
Anse Chastanet Resort, located on the South-West coast of St. Lucia. We stayed here and enjoyed snorkeling right off the beach!
When did you stay there?
I agree with Mary Beth – went to Anse Chastanet Resort in March 2023 and loved it! Read the guide from Galen and Nicole linked above – great resource. Besides the great options for snorkeling right off the beach, the food and service at the resort was excellent. Most rooms are not air-conditioned, but there are four buildings of rooms down by the beach that do have it.
When did you go to this resort? It is one that I’ve been researching, but would love to get an up-to-date report with more details on the snorkeling, corals, and other marine life at this location. Also, how were the resort amenities (food, pools, rooms, etc.)?
Thank you Mary Beth, this place is one on the short list.
We’ve done Iberostar in Cozumel several times and really enjoyed it. The actual house “reef” isn’t great as far as coral life goes, but the resort has a dock and lots of fish and other sea life congregating around it. In addition, there is a mix of rocky and sandy bottom with sea grass across the beachfront that holds a variety of life. I’ve spent many hours snorkeling the area right from the beach and the dock – seen multiple types of rays, eels, snails, starfish, anemones, urchins, lobsters, and, of course, lots of fish.
Also, Cozumel in general is fantastic for snorkeling so getting out and exploring away from the resort is a lot of fun too! We’ve seen octopus, nurse sharks, turtles, spotted eagle rays, and lots of beautiful corals.
I’ve heard from other snorkelers that shallow reefs in Roatan and Curacao have been hit by the bleaching events also, seems most of the Caribbean has, and worldwide. Anyone been anywhere this year in the Caribbean with healthy shallow corals? More than 75% healthy?
Sadly I can second your opinion on Roatan and Utila.
I’ve been to Ray Caye Island Resort twice and it is my favorite place in the Caribbean. It is about an hour boat ride off the southern coast of Belize on a small caye and is truly paradise. Wonderful snorkeling around the entire island, a short boat ride to the reef and all that has to offer plus close to Laughing Bird Caye, a National Park where you can check out their coral regrowth programs.
Thank you Julie for this information, we will look into it. Cheers.
Julie, does this resort get large influx of sargassum? That is what has kept us from going back to Belize. The reports are horrendous.
Thanks!
Thanks everyone so far… as they say, “keep those letters and post cards coming”.
We may end up having to move to taking excursions (if we can find one that doesn’t rush you along).
Anyone stayed in Martinique? And if so, can you snorkel from the beach?
I have been many places in the Caribbean and was also disappointed by the ability to snorkel off the beach.
I have been to what used to be called Slickrock Adventures on Long Caye in Glover’s Reef Atoll off the mainland of Belize. It’s an hour or two boat ride depending on where you depart from, which is included in the trip. The reef was the best I’ve seen anywhere in the Caribbean without a doubt.
I believe the resort is now called Belize Adventures. If you go to the website you will see that it’s a really low-key resort. The food is good. It doesn’t have TV or Wi-Fi as far as I know. The cabins don’t have air-conditioning, but it’s very comfortable. However my wife never would go because they do have composting toilets if that’s an issue.
There is a more upscale resort south from Glover’s Reef, on one of the Southwest Cayes, called Manta Island which is a cut above as far as accommodations and creature comforts. Obviously it’s a lot more expensive. The rooms are air-conditioned and they have a swimming pool.
Guides will take you out to the reef, which is a bit of a swim from the actual front of the resort, but not too hard. If you’re not a decent swimmer, the guides will take you out there and you can snorkel to your heart’s content. The reefs have shown some degradation but are still excellent. Great coral, sea fans, soft corals and many fish and invertebrates. A lot of which you will not see readily in other sites.
My husband and I just returned from Ft Young in Dominica. The reefs have been severely damaged. The snorkeling is very easy off their dock. There is also a dock where the cruise ships come in that has interesting sponges and some good fish. Eels, sponges, lots of fish, but no really great coral. They have dive boats also. The hotel has been remodeled since the hurricane in 2017.
Thanks David, we will be looking into this as well. Cheers.
Hi, we were in the BVI’s January 2025. Four couples rented and crewed a 48 foot catamaran for 11 days. The weather was quite rough on several of the days, but there sea turtles around as well as several different fish species. Some of the best snorkeling was off of Peter Island (opposite side to resort). You can walk from resort to this cove side and go in from the beach. The resort is all that is on this island apparently.
As we were on the boat, we stayed anchored there for a few days. Kathy was coming back from about a two hour snorkel when out of the corner of her eye she had a large spotted eagle ray come out of the depths towards her and turn from her about four meters (14 feet) away. Pretty sweet.
If taking a boat out, going to the Indians is pretty sweet snorkeling.
At Curacao in 2021, we stayed at the Sunscape. They have a nice break wall from the ever rolling water coming towards the island. You can go in by the dock that services the dive boats and let the current take you down to the other end (about one hour if you stop and look around). Rock fish, sand divers, lots of schools of fish as well. The area was good and they are really pushing using proper reef friendly sunscreen. No sea horses, but they are out a little ways if you decide to take a boat.
We rented a car and drove to the northwest end of the island, lots of bays where you can snorkel from the shore and see lots… probably 25 to 30 feet of water and no problem seeing the eels, sea snakes, high hats, cow fish and many more. Enjoy.
Has anyone been to Curacao recently? I have Galen and Nicole’s book and plan to follow many of their recommendations. We are staying at Coral Estates and have a rental car. I am hoping the snorkeling is still good at Karacter Beach. I have only been reading positive comments about the reefs, very few mention bleaching so I hope this is what we find this fall. Any recommendations are appreciated. Any good snorkel tours you can recommend?
We were in Curacao November 2024. I know that it was the rainy season but we were very disappointed with the reefs. We went on a buggy tour that took us to four different beaches. Didn’t have much time to snorkel but wish that we had done this at the beginning of our stay. Definitely check out Yabbi van den Kieboom of Snorkeling Tours Curacao. We found him to be a very pleasant person to snorkel with.
Very disappointed with the snorkeling at Klein Curacao.
Hello, thanks to everyone for their posts.
In February 2025 we bought Galen and Nicole’s terrifically informative Curacao ebook and headed there for two weeks. Many days the winds were well over 12 mph and squashed some plans, however, when we stayed at Blue Bay Resort the weather improved and allowed for four days of most successful snorkeling!
As described by G and N, the snorkeling around the point and to the right was very satisfactory with soft corals, sponges, large hard corals and an abundant variety of fish.
One does not need to be staying in the resort to access their beach. A day pass can be purchased.
Not sure how extensive a “resort” experience you’re looking for, but I can recommend two reef spots on Turks and Caicos that are right off the beach from lodging. One is Smith’s Reef near Providenciales.
It is an absolutely gigantic area to snorkel right off the beach, and could keep you busy for days. It has both shallow reef areas and deeper areas for larger stuff. To date it still holds the record for the biggest spotted eagle rays I’ve ever seen, and had turtles on almost every trip out. The only downside is there’s no resorts or hotels on it. It’s all rental condos/VRBOs/Airbnbs (which is most of Turks and Caicos, to be honest).
The other spot is Coral Gardens, also near Providenciales in an area called Bight Settlement. This too is right off the beach. It is a smaller spot, and very popular and good for beginners. There are a few of hotels right on the beach here on or next to Coral Gardens and another spot just up the beach that doesn’t yet have a name (but enough people have Google pinned it for it to be a snorkel spot). The hotels on the map closest to Coral Gardens are Windsong Resort, The Seagate, and Grace Haven Villas. Beaches Turks and Caicos is also a short walk down the beach.
Turks and Caicos is generally very good for snorkel spots you don’t need a boat to get to. Smith’s Reef, Coral Gardens, Babalua Beach, and Malcolm’s Beach are all solid and right off the beach. As I’ve looked at Google Maps, it looks like more people are pinning other random areas saying it’s good snorkeling, so staying anywhere in Bight Settlement up through the area where Smith’s Reef is, would grant you the ability to walk to a wide area of good snorkeling. When I visited we also took a charter and saw great stuff located on reefs farther out.
My two caveats are that I haven’t been back to Turks and Caicos in over seven years, so can’t comment on current coral health. I also did the VRBO thing and drove to spots so can’t comment on the quality or vibe of the resorts or hotels.
I would second the motion for Manta Resort in Belize Glover’s Reef, and Smith’s Reef in the Turks. The house reef at Coco View in Roatan was excellent a couple of years ago but the resort is centered around divers and you have to deal with that. I still thought it was fun.
A lot of times we go to Cozumel and stay about a mile north of town at apartments on the ocean. There is no reef but there is the wall that forms the island that has colorful coral and multiple creatures. I’ve seen almost everything from rays to turtles to squid. It is very convenient as you just step off your dock and there you are. Also, Cozumel itself is great.
We are going to give Bonaire a try and see if it’s recovered at all.
I suggest Sugar Beach Resort in St. Lucia. I go every December. There is a decent underwater marine park at the foot of Big Piton which is the beach right next to the resort. The coral has been somewhat damaged in the last few years but the fish are great. The locals say hurricane damage. I think warming has more to do with it. It’s a convenient spot if you stay at the resort.
We have been to Bonaire (Diver’s paradise) four times. We stay at the Plaza Beach Resort. The island has over 60 sites to walk in and either snorkel or dive. We rent a truck and snorkel on our own. Sometimes we will go on a guided boat to see the small island called Klein Bonaire. It is Dutch and they are lovely people, speak English and the currency is the US dollar. Check it out, can’t hurt.
I highly encourage anyone commenting to leave the year (even approximate) of your stay to help make your information more valuable. I have been to Curacao in ’23, ’24 and plan on later this year, and Bonaire ’22, ’23, ’24 and ’25. Even from ’23 to ’24, I could see the enormous–and negative–impact La Nina and Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease has had on the corals.
Hi, I’ve done quite a bit of snorkeling in the Caribbean. My top spots for ‘off the beach’ snorkeling there would be:
– Anse Chastanet in St.Lucia (have been there three times, with the last visit in 2022). Nice variety of snorkeling here with grass beds right off the main resort beach (saw turtles there everyday and Flying Gurnards are not uncommon) and hard and soft coral outcroppings on the right side of the beach (good variety of fish, squid and octopus in this area). It’s also a terrific resort with multiple restaurants and two separate beaches. Only downsides: beach/water is busier now than it used to be with cruise ship visitors on day passes and many rooms/restaurants are on the hillside which can be challenging for anyone with limited mobility (views of the Pitons are great though!).
– Off The Wall Resort in Belize. Very different ‘resort’ (Two hours offshore in Glover’s Atoll) with very rustic accommodations, no WIFI, community dining and minimal land amenities. But the snorkeling around the island is varied and fun with multiple boat trips per day take you out to explore more distant coral outcroppings and drop-offs in the atoll.
– As mentioned by others, Smith’s Reef off of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos is nice. A bit harder to get to off the beach (decent walk from most of the beach resorts and a bit further of a swim to get out to the reef) but the snorkeling is fun and varied with a mix of grass beds and coral outcroppings.
– Klein Bonaire has nice snorkeling all around the island but you now have to take a water taxi or excursion to get there from the mainland. You used to be able to kayak over from Harbour Village Resort in Bonaire and moor your kayak off the island but unfortunately they no longer allow you to do this (safety reasons). We last stayed at Harbour Village in 2024 (very nice resort) and they arrange two snorkeling/diving trips per day to various points in the vicinity which provides a nice variety of options. There are also a few rock outcroppings right off the beach at this resort; they are pretty boring during the day (topography and fish variety are underwhelming unless you are a beginner) but it’s a fun, safe spot to night snorkel (lots of moray eels, tarpon, and rays that you don’t see during the day).