You mentioned Tugboat which I feel is the most overrated snorkeling spot on the island. We’ve snorkeled there several times — it’s mostly underwhelming with lots of people in the water unless you get there very early.

We prefer spots further up the northwest coast which generally have calm water; Klein Knip is a great little beach which has a lot to see on the far right and far left portions of the beach – just get there early and avoid going on the weekends.

We also like the night snorkeling at Playa Lagun where we’ve seen octopuses, sleeping turtles and moray eels on some lucky nights.

We loved Avila Beach Hotel and will stay there again. We rented a car for the whole week and explored snorkeling spots all over the island. (Thanks to our snorkeling guidebook!) Our favorite was Playa Jeremi.

Better luck next time!

We have another community post on this site that talks about the snorkeling from that Curacao hotel.

For anyone interested, here is a link to TripAdvisor’s reviews of Avila Beach Hotel. You can help us if you use this link. We may make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.