The best snorkeling in Caribbean islands

Young woman snorkel, holding two thumbs up

Dive beneath the crystal clear, turquoise waters of the Caribbean!

Ready for sunshine, sweet piña coladas and swaying palm trees? There’s no better way to unwind and enjoy a tropical paradise than to set sail with Princess Cruises® to your perfect Caribbean getaway. The Caribbean is warm and sunny almost all year round with ocean waters that feel as warm as a bubble bath. Anytime is the best time to visit the Caribbean

When you’re sailing with Princess, you’ll want to experience the adventure and beauty you can only find in the Caribbean, like snorkeling among the coral reefs and schools of colorful fish. 

No matter where you’re sailing with Princess, there’s going to be a good snorkeling spot nearby. Read on for the definitive guide on the best snorkeling in the Caribbean and what you can expect at each of these stunning places.

Table of contents

Best snorkeling beaches in the Eastern Caribbean

St. Maarten

There’s a legend that a Dutchman and Frenchman divided this island by doing a walk-off to see who could cover more distance, yet the French ended up with more than half of the area. There’s no formal boundary between the two countries either, so you can easily experience both halves. When you come here to snorkel on your Eastern Caribbean cruise, you can expect to see shipwrecks surrounded by bright colorful tropical fish and turtles.

Little Bay

High aerial view of Divi Little Bay and Belair on St.Maarten.
The sparkling Little Bay on St. Maarten is home to six shipwrecks that makes it an iconic snorkeling spot.

Beneath the sparkling waters of Little Bay Beach, you’ll see reefs, fish, sea turtles and maybe even squid. The bay also has six shipwrecks, including a sunken helicopter and tanker, to explore. Plus you can experience all of this while riding on a beautiful wooden schooner!

Simpson Bay Lagoon

Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
Swim out to a shipwreck and see all the fish and corals that have made it their home.

Simpson Bay has a large shipwreck that juts out of the shallow water and attracts a wide array of exotic fish. You can also get close to a colorful collection of corals, sea fans and sponges just beneath the warm water.

U.S. Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands offer some of the Caribbean’s best snorkeling, with crystalline waters teeming with vibrant tropical fish and coral reefs. On land, explore lush mountain landscapes and white-sand beaches framed by gently swaying palms and discover one of America’s 63 spectacular national parks.

Trunk Bay

Trunk Bay, St. John, United States Virgin Islands
The stunning turquoise waters and pillow-soft white sand is what makes Trunk Bay one of the Cruise Wonders of the World.

Trunk Bay in St. Thomas is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and one of the Cruise Wonders of the World. Beneath the waves you’ll discover there’s a snorkeling trail that extends for 225 yards through the coral and lavender sea fans along the reef. The water is clear and calm, and you’ll likely spot a rainbow of fish, hermit crabs, stingrays and sea turtles.

Magens Bay

The beach in Magens Bay on St. Thomas - US Virgin Island. The Magens Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Dive beneath the crystal clear waters of Magens Bay to spot rays and sea turtles.

Magens Bay Beach on St. Thomas is the most photographed and recognizable beach on the island — and for good reason. Its pillow-soft sand and shallow, tranquil waters makes it the perfect place for beginner snorkeling. Keep your eyes peeled for hawksbill sea turtles, stingrays and eagle rays floating through the serene waters around St. Thomas.

Turtle Cove

A sea turtle swims close to the ocean flower at Turtle Cove.
Spot sea turtles, colorful coral reefs, parrotfish and more when you snorkel at Turtle Cove.

Turtle Cove is filled with turquoise waters, and when you dive beneath the waves, you’ll spot coral reefs that are home to tropical fish such as snapper, hamlets, parrotfish, surgeonfish, squirrelfish and other sea life. Lucky visitors will spot a glimpse of the stunning sea turtles that frequent the area.

Honeymoon Beach

Honeymoon Beach on St John - US Virgin Islands
You’ll fall in love with Honeymoon Beach when you see its blue-green water that’s perfect for snorkeling.

Honeymoon Beach, located within St. John National Park, is a highlight for guests on cruises to St. Thomas with Princess, as the island is easily accessible from St. Thomas. Its sun-kissed shores and blue-green waters make it a must-see destination with Princess. The water is shallow, which makes it easy to see corals and tropical fish up close before swimming out a little further to catch glimpses of rays and turtles.

Grenada

Grenada is one of the world’s biggest producers of nutmeg, mace, clove, cinnamon and cocoa, which is why it’s nicknamed the “Isle of Spices.” On the island, no building can be taller than a coconut tree, so you’ll easily be able to take in all the lush green scenery. Underneath the clear waters, you’ll find a unique sculpture garden that dazzles snorkelers.

Molinere Bay

United underwater
Underwater art? Look no further than Molinere Bay that has an entire sculpture park beneath the waves.

If you’re looking for a chance to spot tropical fish and see some unforgettable art, Molinere Bay is the perfect place. Beneath the waters in Molinere Bay, there’s an Underwater Sculpture Park where you can swim between 68 unique sculptures covered in sea growth and coral.

Flamingo Bay

Squirrelfish and juvenile drum fish are hidden from a scuba diver by a healthy common sea fan on a beautiful reef in Grenada, West Indies.
Rays, sea turtles and seahorses, oh my! Get ready to see some of the unique wildlife at Flamingo Bay.

Flamingo Bay’s clear turquoise waters make it easy to spot the dazzling array of colors among the coral, sea fans, sponges and tropical fish. As you swim among the reefs, you might also glimpse other frequent bay visitors: rays, octopuses, seahorses and sea turtles.

Antigua

Antigua is the largest of the British Leeward Islands, and you can still see the sugar mills that dot the hills from that era. This island is home to some of the Caribbean’s most spectacular coastlines, and you’ll find the waters here are filled with stingrays.

Deep Bay

The drone aerial view of Deep Bay beach in Antigua Island.
Relax on the beach at this stunning oasis or dip underwater for a glimpse of lobsters, crabs and turtles.

Deep Bay Beach is a stunning oasis with clear blue waters where you can dive beneath the waves to see a wide variety of fish, sponges and corals. You might even spot lobsters, crabs or sea turtles — or a friendly ray might swim right up to you.

Barge Reef

Stingray City
Barge Reef is famous for being a stingray hotspot where you can get up-close-and-personal with rays — and even feed them!

Underneath the water by Barge Reef, you’ll find Stingray City, home to dozens of rays that are very friendly. Your Princess guides will be there to assist you as you touch and feed them — all while surrounded by tropical fish.

Green Island

The girl in the mask for snorkeling swims under water in the coral reef pool.
Green Island is a lush paradise with perfect blue waters hiding a fantastic coral reef.

Green Island is a private island tucked away from the crowds, perfect for relaxing and exploring the nearby coral reef. Check out the Green Island Jetty and see if you can spot the green turtles that frequent the area.

Best snorkeling in the Western Caribbean

Mexico

On the eastern side of Mexico, you’ll find an area called Cozumel, which a Mayan myth claimed was home to the gods. It’s easy to see why: This coast is covered in white-sand beaches, ancient Mayan temples, exotic jungle wildlife and crystalline waters that are perfect for snorkeling. There’s a reason this port is a staple for Western Caribbean cruises.

Bay of Akumal

Aerial view of the Akumal Bay in Quintana Roo, Mexico during Sunset. Caribbean Sea, coral reef, top view. Beautiful tropical paradise beach
Welcome to the Place of Turtles where, yes, you can swim with the local turtles!

Bay of Akumal means “Place of Turtles” in the Mayan language. Here, you’ll enjoy a swim with these resident turtles. You’ll also be surrounded by schools of colorful fish and corals — and nearby a tranquil beach awaits.

Turks and Caicos

The Grand Turk regions currently reign as the world’s premier diving location, so if you’re cruising through this area, snorkeling is the perfect excursion.

Horseshoe Reef & Round Cay

Horseshoe Reef is one of the largest and deepest barrier reef systems in the world, and it’s a great place to spot nurse sharks.
Green Island is a lush paradise with perfect blue waters hiding a fantastic coral reef.

Your Princess guides will take you out to sea where you’ll find a 7,000-foot wall, home to the world's third-largest and deepest barrier reef system. At the reef, you can spot colorful fish and coral, as well as stingrays that are known to swim right up to you. At Round Cay, keep an eye out for Lucky, the resident friendly nurse shark.

Gibbs Cay

A Southern Stingray stirs up the sand by flapping its fins and forcing streams of water out of its mouth in search of bivalves, worms and other prey buried in the sand of the Turks and Caicos islands
Gibbs Cay is a secluded paradise where you can see all the sealife of your dreams and in shallow and clear water.

Gibbs Cay is a secluded island that attracts a wide array of stingrays that you can swim with on this Princess excursion. While you’re getting up close and personal with these majestic creatures, enjoy the views of pristine corals, sea fans, sponges and an entire rainbow of fish.

Jamaica

Jamaica is home to Blue Mountains, lush green hills, white-sand beaches and valleys of wildflowers. It’s truly a natural paradise, and the same applies when you’re beneath the water. You can expect snorkeling in Jamaica to involve crystal clear waters, majestic stingrays and dazzling coral reefs.

Runaway Bay

View of Runaway Bay beach (Jamaica).
This beach is a picture-perfect vacation spot where you can make unforgettable memories beneath the waves.

Step into a little slice of Eden at Runaway Beach where the clear waters allow you to see schools of kaleidoscopic fish, as well as some stingrays, barracuda, lionfish and sea urchins. An expert Princess guide can point out the history and natural wonders of the area as you soak in the beauty of Jamaica.

Doctor’s Cave Beach

Doctor's cave beach in Montego Bay Jamaica
Doctor’s Cave used to only be accessible via cave, but now anyone can dive into these curative waters to see what’s living beneath.

The pristine beaches and turquoise waters at Doctor’s Cave Beach are said to have curative powers, so dive into them on your Princess excursion in Jamaica. Beneath the waves, you’ll see a bustling reef that’s home to stingrays, blue tangs, grunts and butterflyfish.

Bamboo Beach

The sea and sand at Bamboo Beach in Jamaica
Relax on this golden beach or take a swim with the blue tangs at this breathtaking Jamaica beach.

Enjoy the sunshine and stunning blue waters at Bamboo Beach when you go ashore with Princess, and then take a swim to see what sea creatures you’ll find. Many visitors have spotted octopus, porcupine fish, lobster, blue tang, needlefish, barracuda, queen conch, sea urchins and more while snorkeling at this stunning Jamaican beach — one of the best beaches in the Caribbean.

Best snorkeling options in the Southern Caribbean

Aruba

On your Southern Caribbean cruise, you’ll find the small but stunning island of Aruba. Formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles until its independence in 1986, Aruba is now a peaceful vacation destination. The land here is covered with cactus and windswept divi-divi trees. You’ll enjoy calm and clear waters when you snorkel with Princess in Aruba.

Boca Catalina

Boca Catalina Beach Aruba, rocks and cliffs and blue ocean Aruba
These turquoise waters are home to seagrass meadows that make for unforgettable snorkeling and a perfect first-time diving experience.

Boca Catalina is an area filled with reefs and deep seagrass meadows where you can see marine life like sea turtles and the queen angelfish. The waters are calm and shallow, which is perfect for beginner divers.

The Antilla Shipwreck

Divers on Antilla wreck
Ahoy, matey! Head underwater here to see a World War II shipwreck that will make you feel like you’re living in a movie.

The Antilla was a 400-foot vessel built in Hamburg, Germany in 1938 and sunk in the Caribbean during World War II. Most of the wreck is still intact, so you can swim around it and watch the pelicans dive nearby for a meal.

Bonaire

Bonaire is a Dutch island off the coast of Venezuela, and it’s a major producer of sea salt, with large “white mountains” of it waiting to be shipped out. This tiny island is also a world-class diving area, so the snorkeling here is some of the best anywhere.

Bonaire National Marine Park

Bonaire coastline
Snorkel in this marine park to see a wide variety of fish like trunkfish, blue tangs, damselfish and more!

Bonaire National Marine Park has protected sea life in the area for over 30 years, and it’s the perfect place to swim with fish, including blue tangs, trunkfish, damselfish, angelfish, parrotfish, rays and trumpetfish — and sometimes sea turtles!

Klein Bonaire

Klein Bonaire At Kralendijk In Bonaire Netherlands Antilles. Island Beach. Blue Sea Landscape. Kralendijk At Bonaire Netherlands Antilles. Tourism Background. Nature Seascape
The sand at Klein Bonaire is so white that it’s almost blinding, and the waters are a rich blue — and home to friendly dolphins.

Set sail to Klein Bonaire on the Samur, an authentic 56-foot Siamese sailing junk from Thailand. As you snorkel, notice Bonaire’s wide variety of soft corals that are common in the tropics and see if you can spot some dolphins (they regularly swim in the area).

Curaçao

Curaçao is a Dutch island off the coast of Venezuela, and it’s a colorful place with Dutch charm and houses in neat rows. The island was formed from volcanic activity, which created excellent reefs to explore while you snorkel here on your Princess cruise.

Caracas Bay

Shipwreck "Tugboat" in shallow water of coral reef in Caribbean sea with Sea Anemone, Curacao Flag, view to surface and sunbeams
Head out to this shipwreck that’s next to an oceanic drop-off where you can see out into the deep sea.

In this secluded bay, you can snorkel around a ​​sunken Curaçao tugboat, which has been covered in coral and sponges since the 1970s and is home to a rainbow of fish. There are oceanic drop-offs where you can see deeper into the sea and maybe spot some large jacks, grouper and barracuda.

West Point Beach

Hawksbill Sea Turtle, St. Lucia
West Point Beach is home to graceful sea turtles, and you can swim alongside them here.

West Point Beach is right next to Lagun, an authentic fisherman’s village situated along the beautiful turquoise water. Snorkeling in this bay is a great way to see wild sea turtles and explore the underwater reefs.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia is known for its twin peaks, called the Pitons, that rise over 2,600 feet above the Caribbean waters. This peaceful island has had a turbulent history with an invasion in the 9th century and unethical plantations in the 18th century. But today, St. Lucia is the ideal vacation spot, and the unique reefs and rock formations make it a snorkeling haven.

Pigeon Island

panoramic view from Pigeon Island Saint Lucia or St Lucia Caribbean. beautiful mountain and a tropical beach pigeon island
Step into paradise and see if you can spot flying fish jumping from these azure waters.

Pigeon Island is a national park that spans 44 acres and includes large stretches of ocean and reefs. When you snorkel here, you’ll see the usual tropical fish and colorful corals, and if you time it right, you could see flying fish jumping from the water to escape predators.

Marigot Bay

Marigot Bay, south of Castries on the west coast of the island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Location for film Dr. Dolittle
The water in Marigot Bay is so clear that you can see fish from several feet away.

The visibility in Marigot Bay is spectacular, so you can expect to see fish from several feet away and pick out all of the colors. The area is also home to unique rock formations where you can spot sea whips and sea horses.

Barbados

Barbados is one of the few Caribbean islands colonized by only one nation, and it’s sometimes considered more English than the British Isles — names like Hastings and Worthing abound here. But unlike England, the turquoise waters around the island are home to dazzling arrays of tropical fish that you can see as you snorkel.

Carlisle Bay

Aerial landscape view of Bay Area of Carlisle Bay at Bridgetown, Capital of Barbados around "Brownes Beach" with white sand beach and amazing turquoise water
Carlisle Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to a shipwreck, octopus, turtles, eels and more.

Carlisle Bay, a crescent-shaped bay and natural harbor nestled within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to sea horses, rays, octopus, turtles, eels and fish in colors that rival a box of crayons. You’ll snorkel right over the shipwreck of the Cornwallis, a Canadian freighter that was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-Boat in World War II.

Bahamas

When you take a Bahamas cruise with Princess, you can expect to step foot in a tropical paradise — complete with pristine beaches and coconut trees. This destination is home to Princess Cays, the private beach resort only accessible to cruise guests and home to fantastic snorkeling.

Stuart Cove

Shark at Stuarts Cove in the Bahamas
Looking for sharks? Head to Stuart Cove where reef sharks and nurse sharks regularly swim by.

Stuart Cove is located within a world-class diving resort and is known for being the wild shark hot spot in the area, drawing visitors from all over the globe. You’ll likely spot angelfish, blue tang, reef sharks, nurse sharks, sea turtles and lionfish both while snorkeling and SNUBA diving.

Princess Cays

Travel photo from a beautiful part of Eleuthera in Bahamas. View of amazing seaside in Princess Cays in Bahamas with beautiful clouds and waves.
Enjoy a peaceful snorkeling experience on this private Princess island.

Princess Cays is a resort island owned by Princess Cruises®, so you’ll have these crystal clear waters to yourself as you explore the reefs beneath the surface. You can see old and new strands of coral, sea fans, sponges, a dazzling kaleidoscope of fish and, if you’re lucky, an occasional turtle or ray.

Nassau

A lot of young sting rays swimming slowly in the warm water of Nassau in the Bahamas.
Soak in the warm waters of Nassau as you keep your eyes peeled for dolphins, nurse sharks and fire coral.

Nassau is home to warm, clear waters inviting you to see two different reefs surrounded by fire coral, bottlenose dolphins, nurse sharks, wild Atlantic spotted dolphins and more fish than you can imagine.

Caribbean Princess Cays Bahamas bungalow palm trees
The Caribbean is a colorful paradise where you and your family can sit back, relax and snorkel.

Exploring the Caribbean with Princess Cruises®

The Caribbean is a stunning destination, no matter which areas you pick to explore. The snorkeling here is unlike anywhere else in the world, and you’re sure to see some of the most beautiful arrays of fish as you swim in the turquoise waters. Princess Cruises® is the perfect way to experience the Caribbean: You’ll visit these stunning destinations while enjoying the luxurious Princess amenities. 

You can cater your Princess Caribbean cruise to your liking and create your perfect vacation. On board, you can have ship-wide delivery anywhere and the Princess Luxury Bed that feels like sleeping on a cloud. You’ll enjoy some of the best food on the seven seas as you soak in the sunny beaches and perfect weather. When your ship is in port, you have your selection of Caribbean excursions that will help you find adventure and see these beautiful islands. 

Plan a Caribbean cruise with Princess today.

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