Our Top Snorkelling Destinations
By far, our favourite destination for snorkelling has been the Belize Barrier Reef. As the second-largest reef in the world, it offers many healthy sites to explore. We typically choose a boutique all-inclusive resort on one of the small islands or cays on the reef. In particular, we look for places that offer snorkelling packages, private cabins, and excellent food. Many of these resorts also offer fishing and scuba diving packages, providing flexibility for guests to experience a bit of everything. We've discovered these hidden gems using Google Earth, searching for red dots on tiny cays within the reef, and always checking Trip Advisor reviews and guest photos. The resorts typically have certified guides on staff and during a week-long stay, they take you to a variety of sites often twice a day. Make sure you check if there are up-charges for the excursions. Sometimes, you can even enjoy excellent snorkelling right off the dock or from a hidden beach. While not all resorts have beaches or pools, they all have top-notch staff.
How to get there: you can fly directly to Belize City from Toronto, then catch a short flight from Belize City to Dangriga. From there, a shuttle takes you to the dock where a resort water taxi transports you to your island destination—anywhere from a 30-minute to an hour-long journey.
Some of our best memories include:
Splurging on a helicopter ride from Belize City Airport, which landed right on the beach of our resort (we felt like movie stars!).
Catching a record-breaking barracuda on our first-ever fishing trip.
Being the only guests on an island for three days at another resort—talk about being spoiled!
To find out more about this beautiful destination, visit https://belize.com/ ,
Belize
Taking pictures in the shallows
Yes, this is a REAL photograph!
Curaçao is part of the ABC island group, along with Aruba and Bonaire, situated just off the coast of Venezuela. Unlike the lush, tropical landscapes one might expect from a Caribbean island, Curaçao is a dry desert oasis teaming with a wide variety of stunning cacti, iguanas, and thorny brambles. The island’s rugged terrain makes it essential to stay on designated paths to avoid these prickly obstacles. As a Dutch island, Curaçao is rich in cultural diversity, and locals commonly speak English, Dutch, Spanish, and a Portuguese-based Creole.
Before our trip, we found an invaluable resource at www.tropicalsnorkelling.com, created by dedicated snorkelers Galen Piehl and Nicole Atkinson. They described Curaçao as their all-time favourite snorkelling destination, and after reading their digital guide packed with tips, we couldn’t wait to explore. We rented a car and following their advice, we spent most of our days snorkelling at a variety of locations along the southern coast; all without the need for a guide. Each day brought a new adventure, and with so many diverse snorkelling spots to choose from, we felt like we could spend months on this island discovering a different underwater world each day.
How to get there: You can fly non-stop from Toronto to Curaçao International Airport just north of Willemstad, its Capital City. Ask your resort if they supply a VIP service for your arrival and departure because that will fast-track you past the lineups and security screening. This service was inexpensive and really worth it!! We rented a car delivered to the resort and toured the Island’s various beaches and snorkelling spots. Driving in Curaçao is easy as it is fairly flat, not too much traffic and cars drive on the right-hand side of the road. You can circumvent the entire Island in less than a day and there are plenty of stops to refresh.
Some of our best memories include:
Taking a guided tour to Klein Curaçao: We boarded a massive catamaran and set sail for Klein Curaçao, a deserted island known for its beautiful beaches and appeal to snorkelers and windsurfers. The highlight of the trip was a beach barbecue, but what made it truly special was the opportunity to snorkel directly from the boat to the shore. We encountered many curious fish along the way, clearly accustomed to human interaction as they swam eagerly towards us for treats given by the guides.
Capturing an underwater moment with a Green sea turtle: One of the most memorable moments was filming a sea turtle as it gracefully swam up to the surface for air, before diving back down into the depths. The experience of watching this majestic creature up close and recording its movements felt like a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
A rare encounter with a large, (approx. 2-3 metre long) bio-luminescent creature. While snorkelling, Julia felt an unexpected tug on her left arm and, to her surprise, she saw something bright pink, sparkly, and fluorescent wrapped around it. Startled but staying calm, she shook it off thinking it might have been a fishing net or a toy. When she saw a long, pink shape floating behind her, she realized this encounter was something extraordinary. We managed to capture a few photos of this rare creature, later identified as a rare Diamond-back Squid Egg Mass. This surreal experience left us in awe, as these encounters are incredibly rare.
To find out more about this beautiful destination visit: https://www.curacao.com/en/
Curaçao
Diamondback Squid Egg Mass
Tugboat snorkelling area
Young Hawksbill Turtle
Young Green Sea Turtle Video
St. Lucia is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful destinations in the Caribbean. Its standout features include the iconic and majestic Pitons, an active volcano, hot springs, and mountainous terrain covered in dense tropical jungle. The coastline is lined with mostly black sand beaches; the water is crystal clear and marine life is abundant.
Our first visit to St. Lucia was when we eloped, so it holds a special place in our hearts. It was also the first place Julia tried snorkelling, as there was a UNESCO World Heritage site right off the resort’s beach. Learning to snorkel from a beach is easier since you can stand on the bottom while adjusting your mask and snorkel. Although St. Lucia is a world-class diving destination, we found the snorkelling somewhat limited because of the strong currents and that most reefs are in deep water.
How to get there: You can fly non-stop from Toronto to Vieux Fort at the southern end of the island. For transportation, you can take a taxi, hotel limousine, or a domestic flight to the northern city of Castries. Renting and driving a vehicle can be challenging: you drive on the left and the narrow, winding roads are full of potholes. Local drivers often ignore speed limits, making the journey across the mountainous terrain even trickier. Our advice: save yourself the stress and hire a ride to your destination.
Some of our best memories include:
Meeting a wonderful couple who worked at the resort and who stood as witnesses at our wedding.
Being upgraded to a suite with a private butler and an infinity pool overlooking the Pitons and the Caribbean Sea.
Discovering a small, chef-owned fine dining restaurant in Soufriere called Orlando’s. He should definitely be considered a national treasure!
To find out more about this beautiful destination visit: https://www.stlucia.org/en/
St Lucia
Sea Urchin gathering
A young Gray Triggerfish cruising below the Piton
Antigua is a small, beautiful island in the Lesser Antilles, forming the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. It spans only 108 square miles, with 54 miles of coastline, and tourism sites proudly boast that the island has 365 beaches—one for every day of the year. Antigua’s sister Island Barbuda, was virtually destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The category 5 storm had winds up to 180 mph; it seemed to pause right over Barbuda decimating about 95% of the island.
We’ve only been to Antigua twice but we there are many snorkelling sites we have yet to discover.
On our first visit, the ocean waves were too wild, preventing us from getting into the water from our location. We spent most of that vacation relaxing and swimming in the resort’s pool. However, we did take a circumnavigate adventure boat tour with a stop at Stingray City. Stingray City is a small marine reserve complete with guarded access, located on a sandbar. There is a dock where tours tie up and are greeted by the “Guardians”. As soon as the rays realize a boat is approaching they appear; knowing they will be fed. The rays are free to swim outside the roped-off area. They are extremely tame, often wrapping themselves around the trained handlers and sometimes the guests.
During our next visit, we were able to snorkel right from our resort’s beach. About five meters from shore, we discovered a small reef that ran parallel to the resort. It was teeming with fish, including large schools of grunts hiding under the shade of the rock ledges. We visited this site daily and never tired of exploring it. The water was crystal clear and calm. We also took a tour to visit a boat wreck; here water wasn’t that clear but it was teeming with fish and we got a few good pictures.
How to get there: You can fly non-stop from Toronto to St. John’s at the Northeast corner of the island. Most resorts offer a shuttle service to get you to your destination and given the island’s small size, it never takes too long to get anywhere.
Some of Our Best Memories Include:
Taking a guided tour to “Stingray City,” where we snorkelled and floated among hundreds of very tame stingrays. We had the typical tourist photo taken holding a stingray, but we both agreed it was a bit intimidating to touch such giant creatures. The area was so shallow that we were afraid to put our feet down, worried we might accidentally step on a ray buried in the sand. When snorkelling, you’re usually warned not to stand on the bottom to avoid getting stung. We have great respect for the underwater world and always try to avoid touching corals or sea life.
Enjoying the sunset view from “Shirley Heights,” accompanied by steel drum music and a BBQ.
Enjoying the spectacular views from our hillside cottage.
To find out more about this beautiful destination visit: https://www.visitantiguabarbuda.com/
Antiqua
Crystal Clear Water
Fish and Corals Love Shipwrecks
Grenada is made up of three islands: Grenada itself, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique. We stayed primarily on Grenada, a small tropical island located off the coast of Venezuela. Our first visit was so enjoyable that we returned three months later to the same resort. The breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea from our hillside cabin were difficult to leave behind, especially from the peaceful hammock on our veranda, which felt like pure bliss. When we did manage to tear ourselves away, we embarked on a few island tours to learn more about its history, which, though fascinating, was marred by violence. Today, 82% of Grenada’s population are descendants of African slaves who were brought over to farm nutmeg and other labour-intensive crops. Grenada still supplies 40% of the world’s nutmeg crop.
One hidden gem we discovered was a snorkelling destination from the Island of Carriacou. We decided to stay overnight, as the guided tours left early in the morning and returned by dinner. There were many uninhabited islands with white sand beaches to explore, adding to the magic of the experience.
Everyone we met was incredibly friendly and helpful, doing everything possible to make our trip memorable.
Some of our best memories include:
While waiting at the Carriacou airport for a flight back to Grenada, we were surprised to see a distinguished older woman arrive, accompanied by a soldier in full dress uniform, white gloves and all. Her portrait was on the wall, and we realized she was the Governor-General of Grenada, Dame Cécile La Grenade. She ended up on the same small plane as us, and despite being a bit under-dressed for the occasion, we had a lovely conversation with her.
Staying overnight on Carriacou in a cozy B&B cabin rented from the chef and owner of Bogles Round House Restaurant. The restaurant, housed in a round stone building, was an intimate setting with candles and linen tablecloths. The meal was an incredible fusion of European and Caribbean flavours.
Sampling the amazing seafood that’s a staple in many of the places we’ve snorkelled, but this time, we had the chance to try Lionfish. The resort’s chef was experimenting with different dishes to encourage the consumption of this invasive species. The fish, which has to be handled and prepared carefully due to its poisonous nature, was a culinary adventure we won’t forget.
To find out more about this beautiful destination visit: https://www.puregrenada.com/about-carriacou/
