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.
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.
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.
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.