Travelnut55

My husband and I have never been to the carribiean or as far as that goes, never been out of the states. We just returned from the Keys and had our first encounter with snorkleing and loved it. We are now looking for NICE beaches, crystal blue water, lots of Palm trees and good snorkling. We are in our mid-30's and not much into the party scene (anymore - so we found out as we were a little disappointed w/ Key West). Would like a quiet atmosphere with a few touring areas and activities. Any help will be appreciated.

Dianebridle

I, too, learned to love snorkeling and crystal clear ocean waters in the Florida Kays. It was through the suggestion of a couple that I met at Cafe Des'Artiste in Key West, that I began traveling to the Virgin Islands. I have fallen in love with them, particularly the island of St. John USVI. The water is warm, crystal clear in multi hues of blue with picture post card white sand beaches. The snorkeling is fantastic, seemingly without the fear of the predatur sharks that sometimes migrate past the Keys.

The island is tranquil, not over crowded with tourists, yet offers wonderful many types of accommodations, diverse dining choices and interesting, quaint shopping venues.

Two-thirds of the island is a National Park, and the lush naturalness of the island has been retained.

Hope this helps.

Travelnut55

Thank you for your suggestion.

EmilyC

Although there are many great destinations with snorkeling, our overall favorite is Cozumel. For the beginner/intermediate snorkeler, there are many sites with beach access that are relatively calm. Our favorite hotel here is the Presidente Intercontinental. There is a sunken barge right off the beach that attracts many species of fish.You almost don't need to snorkel anywhere else if you're staying here!
There are nice restaurants in town which is a 5 minute cab ride from the hotel.

SusanLynne

For those of us who enjoy complete and utter serenity, check out Cat Island in the Bahamas or Anegada, northernmost of the British Virgin Islands. IMO, both offer unsurpassed snorkeling and the feeling of "really getting away from it all." No nightlife, just small islands with loads of beaches and some great places to snorkel!

kanoneli

Grand Cayman is also awesome for snorkeling. Also you have Stingray city where you can swim with and feed the stingrays. It is expensive though, but the water is crystal clear. We've also snorkeled in Cozumel and I'd agree that you can do some great snorkeling right offshore.

kanoneli

P.S. We also like Deadman's Reef for snorkeling which is in Grand Bahama Island!

IPMsMom

I vote for the British Virgin Islands. Wonderful water. Quiet, natural spaces with white beaches and palm trees. Very civilized but not overly touristy. You can't go wrong.

caribtraveler

I vote for St. John, USVI. Crystal clear water (the type you see on magazine covers), great snorkeling, great beaches. Not a commercial island at all, so very quiet.

Travelnut55

My husband and I have actually been thinking about Cozumel, however our travel agent kept pushing everything but. (I think I will be getting another agent, she must really be getting travel-bucks) I have also inquired about Cozumel with co-workers and friends, but they have only been there for an afternoon due to cruise stops and really never say much about it with the exception of "it's nice"

My husband and I did agree that wherever we go we would rather not rent a vehicle. When we were in the Keys, we stayed on Marathon, nice place but far from everything. We felt like (or should I say WE WERE) in the rental car our entire vacation. We found that we wanted to get back to our resort by 9:30 just to have time to RELAX in the pool every night.

I think I am more interested in having everything including snorkling close to the resort/villa etc. I wouldnt mind getting a cab every now and then to do some sightseeing or going into town to some nice restaurants. I also like the fact that the snorkeling is right off of the beach, I don't think I am ready for the deep waters yet ;-)

Emily, your post seems to be on the right track to what we are looking for. As long as it is somewhat quiet.

Thanks all for your replys everyone, Please keep them coming, and don't forget to include all of the nifty websites. So much research so little time.
;-)

Blueskiestrvl

Hi,
You may want to look in to the Riveria Maya. This area is south of Cancun and very nice. Almost all of the hotels are brand new and they are all mostly all-inclusives. The town of Playa Del Carmen is very nice and they have tons of restaurants. From the town of of Playa Del Carmen you can take a ferry to Cozumel and snorkel right from the beach or go to the State patk they have on cOzumel and snorkel. Xel-Ha is also a great place to snorkel it is a natural laggoon. Don't get mad at your agent I think she just thinks you may get bored in Cozumel. There isn't a lot to do there wxcept snorkel and dive. I like Cozumel but I don't think I would want to spend a week there. If you have any questions you can e-mail me at [email protected].

happy Travels,
Jill

EmilyC

Cozumel has a quiet and laid back atmosphere with outstanding snorkeling and diving. The Presidente sits right on the beach which is a great snorkeling area. Boats will pick you up at their dock if you want to go out on dives or fishing.The cab ride into town takes just about 5 minutes.
Other good sites for snorkeling would include Sapphire in STT, anywhere in St. John, Hawksbill in Antigua, St. James in Barbados. However, IMHO, none of these sites offer snorkeling of the quality of Cozumel.