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Okay which itinerary for the best overall shore snorkeling???


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Trying to narrow this down! I just want to be able to get off the boat and get a ride to a really good snorkeling beach (I hate off the boat snorkeling). This would be at the beginning or middle of November!

 

  • 1. St Croix, Virgin Islands - U.S
  • Philipsburg (St. Maarten), Netherlands Antilles
  • Roseau, Dominica
  • Bridgetown, Barbados
  • St George's, Grenada

OR

2. Grand Turks

St. Thomas

OR

3. Harvest Caye

Costa Maya

Cozumel

OR

4 St. Thomas

Tortola

OR

5. Grand Turks

Philipsburg

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From your option 1 - I have only been to St Maarten, I have not read of a place that has off the shore snorkeling. But do not take my word on this because we generally do other things at this island.

 

St Thomas has many beaches to snorkel off the beach. There is a thread that describes each beach in detail. I will look for it & try to post it for you. We taxied to Coki & really enjoyed it but I tell you our plan was to go to Sapphire but the driver talked us out of it. I realized later it was to his benefit that he changed our minds but like I said we loved it. I do hope to make it to Sapphire beach because my goal was to check out the condos there too.

 

When we snorkeled off the beach right at the port in Grand Turks it was not as exciting as St Thomas but that was fun. I have read where some walk to the other side to snorkel but we couldn't do that for other reasons.

 

I do not know anything about snorkeling at the other places listed.

 

Here is the link on St Thomas:

 

The beautiful beaches of St Thomas - brief descriptions/opinions

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1993432

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  • 3 months later...
Trying to narrow this down! I just want to be able to get off the boat and get a ride to a really good snorkeling beach (I hate off the boat snorkeling). This would be at the beginning or middle of November!

 

  • 1. St Croix, Virgin Islands - U.S
  • Philipsburg (St. Maarten), Netherlands Antilles
  • Roseau, Dominica
  • Bridgetown, Barbados
  • St George's, Grenada

OR

2. Grand Turks

St. Thomas

OR

3. Harvest Caye

Costa Maya

Cozumel

OR

4 St. Thomas

Tortola

OR

5. Grand Turks

Philipsburg

We are avid snorkelers.

 

St. Croix - you can walk off ship, down dock to left (head towards the fort) and snorkel right from the beach. We saw a ton of fish there. Even lion fish. You can also take quick taxi to Sandcastle on the Beach Hotel and do a cheap day pass for chair and umbrella and snorkel from their beach. It was good too. They have nice restaurant.

St. Maarten - nope. Have never had any significant wow we have to go back there snorkeling.

Dominica - take taxi to Champagne Beach. There is a small fee because it is a park. Walk down to water is fairly rocky but OMG the BEST snorkeling ever. We have been here many times by boat and by taxi. Best is to go by taxi.

Grenada - nope. Another place that we didn't have much success in 3 tries. Just not our cup of tea.

Grand Turks - never been.

St. Thomas - take taxi to any of these: Sapphire Beach - been there many times and it is good. It can be rough swimming at times. Coki Beach - good snorkeling. Secret Harbor Beach between the hotel and restaurant. We had the best snorkeling here of all 3 places in St. Thomas. Going back there in about 1 month. :-)

Harvest Cay - never been.

Costa Maya - we did the ruins instead of snorkeling.

Cozumel - go to Xel Ha Park. Requires a boat ride and bus ride. Is an all day thing but well worth it. There are lockers for your gear and food and drink are included in the park pass. Really good snorkeling. Will go back there again for sure. Worth the travel time.

Tortola - we went with the ship to 2 different sites. Saw TONS of fish. Schools of fish. It was really good and memorable. Have not been on an itinerary that has taken us back there but we would go again if we could.

 

We are die hard snorkelers. We snorkel everywhere we go. Have our own gear and have been to Caribbean many times over the years and have found some really great places. St. Maarten -The reef we found at Dawn Beach was OK the first time but last year (2016) it had declined a lot so after the hurricane probably worse.

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