Snorkeling: Dzul Ha/Money Bar or Chankanaab?

[sstich79]

Our main goal is to snorkel and relax on the beach (not looking for drunken revelry or anything like that), and both Dzul Ha/Money Bar and Chankanaab appear to be good snorkeling sites. So which of the two do you recommend?

[samscruiser]

We snorkled Dzul Ha several years ago and were very disappointed. Didn't see much of anything and the current was pretty strong at least that day. This was before the big hurricane, so that wasn't the problem. There wasn't much structure/reef/etc to draw the fish in.

[Melismass]

I was kind of afraid to say anything because I thought I must not have swam out far enough or something, but Dzul Ha was some of the worst snorkeling I have ever experienced. I saw a few fish but that is it! Its deep out there. If there is a reef, I never found it. Big disappointment.

[tweety33]

Has anyone taken the package deal at the money bar with the lunch, cocktail, snorkeling and 30 min massage. It sounds like a good deal, and I read good reviews on the snorkeling?

[cruisetobeaches]

I think that the current conditions have a lot to do with what you will see at Dzul ha (Money Bar). I snorkeled there last week and was frequently engulfed in schools of fish that swam right along with me. Not a lot of coral present, but there is some structure along with some man made 'orbs' that seemed to attract a lot of fish.

 

Early in the day, it was nice and calm with little current. By mid day, the current had become so strong that it was difficult to swim into, even with fins, so we left and went elsewhere.

 

For those that have never been to this location, there is no actual "beach" and it is very rocky entering the water.

 

When time allows, I'll upload and post some underwater photos.

[2-laner]

Have you considered Playa Palancar? We went there last year and really enjoyed it. Very few people to compete with for chairs and beach space. They had a snorkeling outfit there to take you in a boat out to the reef. I had my 2 daughters (11 and 13) and we had a great time. Saw plenty of fish, turtles, baracuda, etc. Then we kept the snorkel equipment for the rest of the time we were there and did some beach snorkeling. Food, drink and plenty of R and R along with that.

[sea-n-ski]

We had a great time snorkeling at Chankanaab last Saturday and saw tons of fish...we brought some bread with us and enjoyed the frenzy! It's a really nice place and has a lot to offer. It was a perfect beach day!

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

[cruisetobeaches]

A couple of pics I took at the Money Bar Beach (Dzul Ha) earlier this month, underwater.

 

 

 

 

I took over 100 underwater shots here. LOTS of fish!

[sstich79]

2-laner, could you elaborate on the snorkeling a little bit? That's our #1 activity by far. How much was the boat trip, how far out was the reef and was there much live coral, how long did the boat stay out? Was there much to see during the beach snorkeling? Thanks!

[2-laner]

sstich79 - sorry I toke a few days to reply. I chose Playa Palancar because it was further away from the crowds, and people were praising the Palancar reef that is off shore. This was our first time snorkeling, so my opinion may not weigh in very well. But, my sister who was with us has snorkeled before and she thought it was great. Dalila Divers was the ones that toke us. You can't miss them when you arrive on the beach. It was just us (2 adults, 2 kids) the guide and the boat driver. It was a 10-15 minute boat ride out to the reef, and we were out for almost and hour. We probably would have been out longer, but my daughter had swollowed too much sea water, and was pretty green around the gills. So we all headed back in. We saw many fish, sea turtles, baracuda. I really can't say how much live coral was out there as I am a beginner. We went mid-morning and had the place to ourselves. But, we did notice that as the afternoon wore on, there were more boats appearing with people.

 

As for prices, it was $20 taxi ride each way (total for all 4) plus tip. I believe the snorkel trip was $30-$40 per person, and that included all gear and the boat ride out. Free lockers to store you belongings while you are out. What was nice was the fact that you can keep your fins and snorkel gear the rest of the time you are there. Just turn them in when you are ready to leave. My daughters snorkeled from the shore and had a good time. I saw many people coming out of the water with shells - nice ones too. The girls didn't see as many fish off the shore, but the water was getting choppy by this time.

 

The beach and chairs and tables with grass hut overhead shade were all free. They just wanted you to at least have a drink or something to eat. Which was no problems, as we were hungry and thirsty and their food hit the spot. Prices were reasonable.

 

I love a sandy beach away from the crowds and party animals, and this fit me to a tee. We combed the beach in either direction, and felt like we were off by ourselves many times. I would go back again, if nothing else but to lay in the recliner beach chair and soak in the view and warm myself in the sun. (Being we just had 8" of snow last night, that sounds like heaven right now)

 

You might check a website called cozumel insider and they had some pictures and more info on dalila divers. We were there last spring.