SNORKELING GUIDES — UPDATED FOR 2026
Choose a reef.
Know the conditions.
Snorkel with confidence.
Snorkeling guides for Hawaii, Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, California and the Caribbean, with entry points, conditions and sources you can check.
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Hawaii · Maui
Snorkeling in Maui: Shore Spots, Molokini and Tour Picks
Maui gives you two very different snorkel days: a boat run to a sunken volcanic crater or a morning on a west-shore reef straight off the sand. This guide sorts out who each one suits, how the entries work, what shows up in the water, and how to choose a tour that fits your group.
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Hawaii · Oahu
Snorkeling in Oahu: Best Spots, Seasons and How to Plan
Oahu packs a protected volcanic bay, calm leeward lagoons, a summer-only lava-rock coast and a boat-only turtle reef within an hour of Waikiki. Match the spot to your swimmer level and your travel dates, and you can plan a full snorkel day around entry type, parking and the rules that protect the reef.
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Hawaii · Big Island
Big Island Snorkeling: 9 Best Spots and How to Pick One
The Kona and Kohala coasts pack sheltered bays, lava-rock steps, and clear morning water into a short drive, but the spots differ sharply in entry style and skill level. Here is how Two Step, Kealakekua Bay, Kahalu'u, Mauna Kea, Hapuna, and Pauoa Bay compare, with the wildlife rules that apply once you are in the water.
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Florida · Key Largo
Snorkeling in Key Largo: Reefs, Shore Spots and Boat Trips
Key Largo puts shallow coral reef within easy reach of a boat ride, and much of it sits inside a protected state park. Here is how the reef sites differ by depth and skill level, how boat days work, what you will see, and the rules that apply once you are in the water.
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Puerto Rico · Puerto Rico
Snorkeling in Puerto Rico: Where to Go and Tours
Puerto Rico packs sheltered city beaches, offshore reef and boat-only sites into a short drive. Here is how Escambrón, Playa 9, Condado and Ocean Park work, when to pick a guided tour, and how to plan the day around swell, current and entry type.
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California · La Jolla
Snorkeling in La Jolla: Cove, Shores and the Underwater Park
La Jolla packs kelp beds, rocky reefs, a submarine canyon and a resident cast of Garibaldi, sea lions and leopard sharks into a protected underwater park that starts at the sand. Pick your entry, learn the no-take rules, and time your swim around the swell.
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Bahamas1 guide
Belize1 guide
British Virgin Islands1 guide
California4 guides
Florida10 guides
- Biscayne National Park Snorkeling: Reefs vs Wrecks
- Snorkeling in Florida: Shore vs. Boat Spots Guide
- Best Springs to Snorkel in Florida: 8 Clear-Water Picks
- Snorkeling in Fort Lauderdale: Beach, Reef and Boat Sites
- Snorkeling in Key Largo: Reefs, Shore Spots and Boat Trips
- Snorkeling in Naples, Florida: Shore Spots & Reefs Guide
- Snorkeling in Palm Beach: Where to Go and What to Book
- Snorkeling in Pensacola: Shore Spots, Reefs and Boat Trips
- Snorkeling in Sarasota: Point of Rocks vs Boat Trips
- Snorkeling in St. Petersburg, FL: Shore Spots and Boat Trips
Hawaii3 guides
Puerto Rico1 guide
Sint Maarten1 guide
Turks and Caicos1 guide
US Virgin Islands2 guides
NOTES FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE
Fresh from the journal.
A little inspiration. Plenty of practical advice.
GUIDE / Oct 18, 2026
Bight Reef Snorkeling, Providenciales: Coral Gardens Guide
Bight Reef, also called Coral Gardens, is Providenciales' most popular shore snorkel: one coral ridge starting near the sand on the Bight Beach, inside Princess Alexandra National Park. Enter from Penn's Road or Stubb's Road, circle outside the buoyed conservation zone, and expect parrotfish, angelfish, turtles and rays over a ridge that runs about 350 feet out to 15-20 feet of water.
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GUIDE / Oct 18, 2026
Cane Bay St. Croix Snorkeling Guide: Reef and Entry
Cane Bay is St. Croix's North Shore beach day with a snorkel in it: sand entry, coral gardens close to shore, a wide beach, and beach bars across the road. Here is how to read the layout, where the snorkeling ends and the dive wall begins, and how to plan around wind, winter whales and lunch.
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GUIDE / Oct 18, 2026
Snorkeling Smuggler's Cove, Tortola: Reef, Entry and Tips
Smuggler's Cove is Tortola's easy, scruffy, quiet corner: a protected sandy bay on the island's western tip where the reef sits close to shore along the rocky headlands. Here is how to walk in, where the fish are, when the water lies flat, and how to pair it with a boat day.
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