The 15 Best Turtle Snorkeling Tours in Mexico

1.Half-Day Sea Turtle and Cenote Snorkeling Tour from Cancun & Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,039 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $99Our pick

Start early with hotel pickup, then snorkel at Akumal Beach for sea turtles, rays, squid, and tropical fish. After empanadas and snacks, walk through Parque de Cenotes Yax-Muul and swim in a cave-filled freshwater cenote. Guides such as Max, Marina, and Daniel are praised for safety and humor, but expect crowds and optional photo costs.

“Our tour guide, Daniel San Francisco, and photographer Maxi, were amazing. Daniel was extremely knowledgeable about the areas we visited, was very friendly, funny, and easy to get along with. Maxi was very nice, though quiet, but his photography spoke volumes. The photos he showed the group at the end were amazing. They were a great pair, and took good care of the group. It was a little bit of a colder day (by Mexico standards), so the cenote and snorkeling with turtles were not busy at all. We saw multiple turtles, sting rays, and beautiful coral formations.”

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2.Tulum Ruins, Turtles in Akumal and Cenote tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,706 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $129

Spend a full day combining Tulum’s seaside Maya ruins, a guided boat-and-snorkel outing in Akumal Bay, and a freshwater cenote swim at Yax-Muul. Ocean Tours Mexico provides transport, equipment, life jackets, tacos, water, and bilingual guides such as Alejandro, Yul, Mimi, and Arturo. Expect an active day with early pickup, wet clothes, and plenty of driving.

“Our guide for the day was Mark. Overall, it was an enjoyable day. It would be helpful to have more logistical details in advance of the excursion such as ability to change clothes, how we would only ride the boat out to snorkel but walk back in so nothing could be left on the boat. Regardless, Mark did a great job guiding us to all three stops. It would have been nice to have a bit more time on our own in Tulum but the snorkeling was good (a bit crowded but that can't be helped) and the cenote was amazing. The food served at the cenote location after the…”

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3.5-in-1 Cancun Snorkeling: Turtles, Reef, Musa, Shipwreck, Cenote

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,678 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $79

Join Total Snorkel Cancun for a guided five-stop boat trip covering a reef, two MUSA statue areas, sea turtles, a shipwreck, and a cenote. Guides such as Daisy, Chuy, Mauricio, and Kiko help first-time snorkelers feel safe, while the crew provides gear, water, transport, showers, and lockers. Bring biodegradable sunscreen, a towel, and cash for the $20 dock fee.

“Absolutely incredible experience. Our guide, Kiko, was informative and kept us moving at the perfect speed. It was very well worth the price. The pick up and drop off to the venue was amazing as well! Air conditioned van and friendly drivers.”

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4.Hidden Cenote Swim: Snorkeling, Sea Turtles and Beachside Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,222 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $169

Spend a morning swimming through a Maya-era cenote near Tulum, then snorkel from a boat toward Akumal Beach to look for sea turtles, fish, coral, and rays. Guides such as Omar, Iker, Andrea, and Jesus Salas have led this outing. Lunch and beach time at Punta Venado follow, but long transfers from Cancun can stretch the day.

“Absolutely amazing experience. Our guide Henry was amazing and our driver Victor was also amazing. Incredible experience definitely rememberable.”

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5.Full Day Tulum Ruins Tour Cenote and Swimming with Sea Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,171 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $131

Spend about nine hours visiting Tulum, swimming through the underground Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich, and snorkeling at Akumal Beach. Guides lead each activity, with lunch, equipment, water, and transfers included. The group is capped at 18, but expect extra fees of $15 for turtle protection and $20 for the Tulum reserve.

“Pablo was absolutely amazing, accommodating and an all around wonderful person. A great guide, he did a wonderful job keeping us all close together during activities and was very safety oriented during the portions of our trip that involved water. The trip was everything I imagined and more!”

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6.With Turtles, Shipwreck, Cenote, and Reef and Transport Included

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,102 reviews · 2 hours 40 minutes (approx.) · from $79

Swim through Cancun’s warm, shallow reef waters to see tropical fish, coral, turtles, a shipwreck, cenote, and underwater sculptures. Groups max out at 10, with guides such as Daisy, Chuy, and Piña helping beginners feel secure. Hotel pickup, gear, water, and insurance are included. Plan on about two hours in the water, plus transport and check-in.

“Excellent adventure! We got to see so much sea life and our guide was amazing! The boat captain and the photographer were also amazing! I would highly recommend this adventure. It is about 2-2.5 hrs. They have water available. You get back on the boat between stops and they give you plenty of time at each stop to see things. You can purchase pictures and videos when you are all done for $80 and I thought that was a great price for how many we received!”

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7.The Cozumel Turtle Sanctuary Snorkel Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,041 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $65

Cruise from downtown Cozumel to several reef stops, a turtle area, El Cielo’s starfish sand, and Cielito’s shallow sandbar. Guides such as Alex, Roberto, Roy, and Emilio have been praised for friendly help, while fresh ceviche, fruit, drinks, and sunset views round out the trip. Wildlife sightings are natural, not guaranteed.

“PORT WAS CLOSED DUE TO WEATHER / EVENT CANCELLED / full refund was given Would love to do it next time”

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8.4 Hour Cozumel Turtle Sanctuary Experience on a Luxury Catamarán

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 608 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $77

Cruise Cozumel’s west coast aboard a catamaran for guided snorkeling at reef sites, a green turtle area, El Cielo’s starfish sand, and Cielito’s shallow sandbar. Crew names vary, with Leo, David, Peter, and Baby Turtle among those praised for their care. Expect ceviche, fruit, drinks, and a sunset ride when conditions allow.

“This tour was a lot of fun and a great way to explore several of the most popular snorkel spots near Cozumel. The group of 20 guests fit comfortably on the catamaran. The crew were friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and fun. The snacks and beverages were nice. But the best part was seeing sea turtles, a baby nurse shark, stingrays, and lots and lots of fish. Overall, a great day. (The only thing that didn't go smoothly is that we were about an hour late returning to Cozumel because the boat went very slowly back to the pier. There seemed to be an issue with the motor, but the crew didn't…”

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9.Private Tulum Ruins, Turtles in Akumal and Cenote Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 581 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $375

You’ll visit Tulum with a private bilingual guide, snorkel with sea turtles at Akumal, and swim in a crystal-clear cenote. Guides such as Claudia, Carlos, Alma, and JP have led this route, with private transport, equipment, lunch, water, and hotel pickup included. Expect a full but flexible day for up to 10 people.

“JP , our guide, made this private tour a great one. Alphonse, our driver, was wonderful as well. I would not hesitate to book this again. We did the ruins, snorkeling with the turtles, and the cenote with lunch and everything was top notch.”

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10.Starfish, Stingrays and the Turtle Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 455 reviews · from $52

Spend four hours snorkeling Cozumel’s clear Caribbean waters at Palancar, El Cielo, El Cielito, and Turtle Bay. Certified guides such as Nicholas, Andy, Gaspar, and Miguel help you spot turtles, stingrays, starfish, sharks, and reef fish. The trip includes gear, drinks, a snack, and a shaded boat, but not hotel pickup or the $11 marine fee.

“What a wonderful activity! The weather was not so great in the beginning, but the spots were still amazing to snorkel at. Beautiful water, many turtles and fish. Wonderful experience!”

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11.Tulum, Snorkeling with Sea Turtles, Cenote and Beachside Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 446 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $189

Spend about six and a half hours visiting Tulum’s Maya ruins, swimming in Cenote el Sueño, snorkeling near Akumal’s sea turtles, and eating at Punta Venado Beach Club. Pickup, gear, snacks, a bilingual guide, and lunch are included. Bring water, towels, dry clothes, and extra snacks because lunch comes late.

“We went with family and had a great time, Mario and Javier were really nice & took care of us the whole time.”

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12.Swim with sea turtles

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 445 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $45Best value

Meet at Akumal Beach for a private snorkel with a guide such as Santiago, Angel, Francisco, or Orlando. In water about 2 meters deep, you can watch green sea turtles, rays, squid, and colorful fish without touching them. Gear, entrance fees, insurance, lockers, showers, and bathrooms are included.

“This was a great experience. The pick up was seamless and the experience itself was exceptional with the guide seeking out a few turtles for us to observe. Highly recommended.”

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13.Private Turtles & Cenotes Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 424 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $310

Start with hotel pickup between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. and head to Puerto Aventuras for guided snorkeling with guaranteed turtle sightings. Then cool off in a Yucatan cenote surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites. Private guides such as Alejandra, Juan Pablo, and Rachelle tailor the pace, with gear, snacks, water, and transport included.

“This tour was full of incredible memories from start to finish. Rachelle was the very best guide and we loved the photos that Luisa took for us. Everyone went above and beyond to make it a great experience. The food was amazing and rachelle was so friendly and knowledgeable. We saw multiple sea turtles. One of the turtles was so close to me coming up to the surface I almost got a kiss. 😂 Our driver Esdras was very good also. Highly recommend!”

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14.Private Snorkeling with Sea Turtles in Akumal Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 364 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $65

Meet Darwin and Marlene at Playa Akumal for a private, open-ocean snorkel in the protected CONANP circuit. Darwin guides your group for about 50 minutes, helping you spot green turtles, rays, fish, and reef life. Equipment, life jackets, lockers, showers, restrooms, and the park fee are included. Swimming ability is required.

“Positives: The providers were kind and flexible in our booking, allowing us to reschedule due to weather for a date that worked for us. They also provided a prescription mask upon request for our family member with bad eyesight - a lifesaver, and Marlene loaned us her own 100 peso bill for the locker rental. Darwin graciously pulled us (3 adults) all around the reef on a life raft, even as decent swimmers we would've struggled to keep up without it as the snorkels added an extra layer of difficulty. He also managed to locate many turtles for us and it was wonderful to see them so close up. He…”

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15.Full Day Tour to Tulum Cenote and Swim with Turtles in Akumal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 277 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $89

Start early from Cancun or Puerto Morelos for Tulum’s sea views, a swim at Canamayte’s Mariposa Cenote, and a guided turtle swim in Akumal. Guides such as Mildred, Jorge, Alfredo, Moises, and Ricky bring Mayan culture and humor to the day. Lunch, transport, vests, and lockers are included, but Tulum admission and drinks cost extra.

“Loved the tour and Alfredo and Moises were great. Swimming with the Alumal turtles was on my bucket list and Tulum was amazing.”

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