Cielito Cozumel: Snorkeling At El Cielo & Caribbean Reefs

Don’t recommend at all, not professional. Your guides didn’t speak very good English, not many instructions were given and didn’t feel completely safe. They took photos of us but then never showed them to us or offered them to us to buy. Also there’s NO TRANSPORTATION BACK. We don’t speak Spanish and we were stuck in the middle of no where and had no clue how to get back. The snorkeling itself was awesome, but everything else was not good. I recommend somewhere else!

The tour was amazing, the guides where great and the gentleman that was arranging the tour spoke great English and made sure we were looked after. We chose the option with food included and the restaurant was really good authentic Mexican food.

The reef was great, but I cannot recommend booking with this company through Trip Advisor. I was looking to start early and wanted to maximise the amount of time spent snorkeling (didn't really care about the beers and lunch) so I booked this tour, even though it was $40 USD more expensive than the alternatives, as it seemed to be offering more swimming time. Booked for 10am, arrived at the pick-up spot at 9:50am. Met one other tourist on the same tour, who had booked it for $60 USD. I guess I'm the fool there for paying more. After a while we were collected and walked to a man in a Gabo's tours shirt, who informed us that due to weather delaying other passengers we would not be leaving until 11am. I'm pretty sure this was not true, they had merely handed us off to another boat which didn't have sufficient passengers to be worth heading out. Came back at 11am, we didn't get underway until 11:30am, and then we waited for a further half an hour at a different dock for two other passengers. The tour boat was neither ParaViajantes or Gabo's tours but instead Magic Island. The reef and El Cielo were amazing, the Magic Island crew were great, but we maybe missed one of the stops? We only stopped three times (including the lunch) so I was unclear of the first stop was both Colombia and Palancar reefs (reads on Trip Advisor like they should be two separate one hour snorkels). Would have liked more snorkel time in general. Beer and the ceviche after were nice though. Look, I get it. Weather is unpredictable, you don't want to send a 15 person boat out with 2 people on it and other passengers can throw off schedules. But based on my experience I cannot recommend booking this company through Trip Advisor. Instead I'd recommend turning up at the dock, finding any snorkeling boat that's leaving soon and haggling a price. You'll get the exact same experience but likely cheaper and at a time that suits you. And if that happens to be with ParaViajantes (or Magic Island) you'll probably have a good time.

The snorkeling sites were great. The"lunch" was unsanitarily prepared fruit and chips. The boat ride was so rough, one of our party got sick over the side (the seas were perfectly calm btw). The boat was hard to get in and out of. 2 crew for 10 people. We have done this for before and it was incredible.

A wonderful peaceful day out on the reef. I was a solo traveller and the guide and family who were travelling on the day made me feel welcome and I looooved the ceviche and atmosphere they cultivated. Only issue I had was I booked on the early departure and was told to come back an hour later after the guide and team showed up 30 - 40 mins late due to the ferry being late from playa del carmen. I understand delays happened but I also travelled from playa del carmen the same morning but got in early for the early departure. My suggestion would be to ensure guides are on the earlier ferry and also if you are going to push someone to a later departure- please communicate this prior to post arrival as I would have moved my plans around. Great product but better organising needed.

The boat guides were great but the tour was delayed nearly 2 hours and we had a time constraint to return to our cruise ship by late afternoon. The delays and subsequent stress ruined the whole experience. We had to skip the lunch at the end in order to get back to the cruise ship on time. Very disappointed.

We booked a 4 hour tour starting at 10 am. At 9:50 they messaged me saying the boat was delayed and we would start at 11 am. Once the onshore point of contact arrived at 11 am we experienced further delays; we kept walking up and down the street, meeting other groups, giving our lunch order and waiting around. We didn't get on the boat until 11:45. We were onshore for the day only as we had to return to our cruise ship by late afternoon. The boat guides were great and we loved the stops but the delays stressed us all out. We had to skip the lunch at the end of the tour in order to make it to our cruise ship on time. If you have any time constraints at all DO NOT BOOK.

Very enjoyable trip with nice opportunity to see all different types of animals. We saw a sea turtle and starfish as well as fish

I booked a 4.5 hr $91 tour with Viator expecting a world class snorkeling adventure. Instead, the tour owner placed me on a boat with passengers who purchased the 4 hr $65 tour thru Trip Advisor. The itinerary followed the shorter tour. I requested a refund of$36. Viator only transferred me to the owner who tried to blame it on the weather and then admitted he charges different 3rd parties different prices for the same tour. He refused to authorize the refund

It was amazing! Great communication through WhatsApp. All our questions were answered very timely and friendly.Everything was as promised. We didn’t feel rushed and saw plenty of exotic fish, stingrays, starfish, conches, and a beautiful reef. The water is breathtakingly beautiful. Our guides were very friendly, they made sure we are safe and tried to give us the best experience possible. They had fresh pineapple and drinks for us. We brought our own snorkel equipment, but the equipment they had was in good shape as well. Hopefully we’ll get to come back soon and do this again. Thank you for this great experience 🐠🌴

So this is a difficult review to write because it was an awesome excursion, but I think the company this company "ParaViajantes Mexico" is not the same people that took us on the boat and that led to a little snafu at the end, hence why it's 4 star instead of 5. Let me explain... We received a message from the company prior to arriving. They were very good at communicating the time and location and also provided a number where they could be reached. At the designated time, a friendly individual met us at the meeting point. Here is where it got weird. He told us we would be taking a taxi to the boat - completely covered by the cost of our booking. He also said we would have a paid taxi to return us to this location at the end of the excursion. He passed us to a woman, who stayed with us and eventually placed us in a taxi. It was about a 20 minute taxi ride (a very silent ride - there were others in the car but no-one spoke). We eventually arrived at the marina where we were then met by another individual who split our group into two and placed us in one of two boats. These boats were very simple - nothing fancy. We had to climb up on crates to get into the boats. There were 3 individuals on the boat. The captain/driver, the guide, and a photographer. There were 10 of us on the excursion, so nice and small compared to some of the excursions offered by the cruise lines. They took us to 3 different snorkeling sites that were absolutely gorgeous. Life vests were offered, but no one accepted. Let me tell you - I'm a strong swimmer, but without fins it's difficult to tread the entire time you're in the water. I was gassed fairly quick and asked for float. My advise, just take the floaty to start, you'll enjoy the experience much more. The reefs were absolutely beautiful. There were sea turtles grazing on sea grass, all sorts of coral and schooling fish. We even saw a barracuda and a nurse shark. Truly an amazing experience. The last snorkel area is the famous 'El Cielo' which has the clearest water and beautiful sea stars. Not much more to look at there though - so we felt the first stop was by far the most exciting. After snorkeling, we were taking to a very shallow area with beautiful clear water. We stayed there for about an hour just hanging out in the water. They provided water, beer, and made ceviche right on the boat which they served along with fruit. We had an amazing time. While you snorkel, the photographer comes around and takes pictures of you with the sea animals. The photos turned out stunning. He will offer the photos to you once you leave the beach. We did not feel pressure to buy anything, but we ended up buying them all - they were that good. As we ended the excursion we were told to give them a good review. However, they expressed their company name as Lobos Marinos, I believe - which was different from who we booked through. Also, we were left at the marina to get our own taxi - which we then had to pay for. Not a super huge deal, but also not what we were promised when picked up. That also made me think that once we were handed off to the boating crew, the original booker took off. Overall we would say it was well worth the money, but be aware you will likely need to procure transport from the marina back to where ever you need to go. Also, make sure to bring some extra cash to tip the boat crew and also for the marina bathrooms, which cost 5 pesos to use.

Lots of fish 🐠! Including a turtles star fish & rays!! Definitely worth the money!!! Even included a snack lunch with ceviche & fresh fruit!! The staff was excellent with guests!! Pictures were taken two. What more could you ask for?

If you’re looking for a family friendly snorkeling adventure, look no further! My husband, my son (4), and myself enjoyed everything about this excursion from the people to the sea life, everything was superb. When my son didn’t want to snorkel anymore, he stayed on the boat with the captain while we were able to still snorkel! Mary, the photographer is AMAZING! If you’re questioning whether or not to get the pictures. GET THE PICTURES! They are breath taking! And worth every penny! I 100% would recommend this company to everyone!

Great adventure! Saw a ton of amazing sea life including a baby turtle. Boat was clean and well operated. Casper was great in the water and kept everyone together and safe. I highly recommend buying the photos from Mary ( Sorry I know that is spelled wrong). She dives down and takes great family photos. 10/10 recommend

This was exactly what we were looking for in a snorkeling excursion. From the very beginning there was clear communication about where to meet and what to expect. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable. Our guide, Carlos, cared very much about safety but also knew a lot about the creatures we were seeing. It was a great morning overall.

Very friendly staffs and no hassle with booking. Our snorkel guide was very nice and patient, he used a string to drag a lifebuoy where a few not-very-good swimmers holding onto it, including my 5 year old kid.

The weather did not work out that day, but Guido was very helpful and everything worked out for me. Very professional, thanks again! I will book with them on my next trip for sure!

The tour operator failed to send our pre-paid reservation to the captain and therefore he was a no-show at the pickup point. The really helpful competitor helped us reach the captain on his local cell phone. He was such a gentleman. Captain made room on his next departure 2 hours later. Snorkeling itself was good but not great. Windy conditions altered the snorkeling locations we could visit. Boat was packed and we weren’t allowed to use our fins which made for tough snorkeling on the really windy day.

We were late getting to the excursion due to not fully understanding that the pier for the excursions is different from the pier used for the cruise ship. We had a fantastic time and the team was very accommodating.

Due to the whether, we didn't get to go to the planned spots, but the alternative locations are still wonderful. We saw So many fish in all different kinds, flounder, puffers, angle fish, trigger fish, even sting rays! The crew are really nice and professional. They keep this tour in small size which I like a lot. After the dive, they served us ceviche, beer and tequila. We had some a wonderful time. Some notes: for people visiting from cruise, the meeting spot is at the ferry port in downtown, not the cruise port. They also offers photo service for $50. I didn't get it, but one of the girls on our boat got it. From what I saw, I think it totally worth it. They don't just take random picture of you, they attract the fish for you, the help you with the pose and they find best moments for you. If you care for some nice pictures, I think it's a good offer.

Disappointing tour because of the two following reasons: - Slow boat: We travelled to Colombia reef too long because the boat was slow and powerless. Before reaching the first stop, the other boats already started to came back. The whole tour was not 4:30 hours it took us 6. - Poor lunch: We had to share a portion of ceviche between two people, which can be considered as a snack but not lunch. Do not recommend the tour! The place is incredible but the agency is not!

It was a nice excursion. The staff was friendly and helpful. We got to see rays, turtles, colorful fish and starfish. I would have liked to have had flippers but those were not provided. Looked like all the snorkel excursions went to the same places so it was a little crowded at times. I liked this trip because it went to three locations while most only went to one or two.

This was a last minute addition to my trip, and it was great. Good communication about pickup details, small group size. Saw so much marine life, turtles, eagle rays, manta rays, etc. Absolutely beautiful. Our guides were great, very professional and attentive. Worth the time and money!

Wonderful place!!.. lot a Beach Clubs… the secret is in PUnta Sur EcoPark.. a nice and quiet place!!

No one showed to the meeting point and no one answered when we called the number. The people at the other kiosks tried to help but they couldn't get in touch with the tour providers either. When we requested a full refund through tripadvisor/viator we were only given a PARTIAL REFUND. Paid for nothing but frustration and wasted time.

Absolutely incredible! Got to swim with stingrays and see many red cushion sea stars! Our guides Chucho & Jose made the experience very nice. El Cielo and Columbia were our favorite! Especially at the end when you eat ceviche while wading in the most crystal clear aqua water while stingrays swim around you! Jose took some amazing pictures and videos of the group and they were so good I was happy to pay the $30 to get them. My only feedback for tour operator would be to recommend putting on sunscreen 2 hours prior. We purchased the special reef safe sunscreen and was told we couldn't put it on since it was within 2 hour window and so we got a little sunburned.

Quite disappointing. Too much expensive for what you get: snorkeling with several boats around you in a crowed sea (as if the sea wasn’t large enough for everyone to enjoy their time in).

We had a stop on our cruise in Cozumel, and we wanted to snorkel. In 1 day we booked and made the tour. Everything went very well, and the food was very good. I recommend the service of the agency

Incredible to see El Cielito, this is the best stop, we saw turtles, stingrays, and fish of all shapes and colors. The crew was very helpful

This excursion was excellent; everyone had recommended that I go see Cielito in Cozumel, and it was a total success. The staff was very patient, explaining the tour at every moment; they took photos of us underwater near the fish and stingrays... very nice.

The color of the sea that we saw in Cozumel was incredible! We saw many colorful fish and had a really nice day snorkeling. You should definitely try this out.

Friends who had previously traveled to Playa del Carmen, recommended us to do the tour in cozumel of heaven and sky. We liked it a lot, only the day didn't accompany us, it was very windy .. that ruined the experience a bit, but you can tell that there is a lot of marine life !! We'll have to do it again.

We had a great time with the girls on the sky tour.. the color of the sea I found incredible,, I recommend that you do this tour with the Guido agency...

I loved snorkeling in the paradise sea of Cozumel!! We saw a lot of colorful fish! Beautiful

Beautiful place to swim with mantarallas , tip go sunny day to better appreciate the starfish and hire large boat not boat

Beautiful day! With a super awesome vallentine guide to discover the reefs fish and turtles 🐢 and starfish and dinner wow

Thank you for Lizbeth and Marcos attention for the welcome at the dock and making us spend a super happy day, we loved it.

If you like to snorkel it is the ideal tour, it has 4 stops where it is ideal with a guide of the island that accompanies you at all times, I loved the service

This excursion was in the package we also contracted with the same agency. It was awesome the color of the cozumel water... it has no waste... literally never seen a sea as transparent as here. Without a doubt, this tour and the island tour women, are essential if you travel on vacation to the Mayan riviera.

This tour has no waste. Well deserved the 5 stars... with my friends, we had a lot of fun! The sea of cozumel is transparent, an incredible color. We snorkeled on the reefs, and we could enjoy watching many different colored fish, very cute. The guide has taken some super cute pictures, we thank you

The experience of visiting Cozumel was all we were looking for to make a good and beautiful family snorkel .. the security and confidence they provide is exceptional, the food and fruit very fresh ... I am very happy with this contracted service!

with this excursion I think I discovered an activity that I loved, and that I want to repeat again, snorkeling and diving. Sky and sky, full of starfish, transparent sea, many manta rays, worth doing, do not miss it

The truth is that Excellent. Everything as agreed. Super recommended. The guys on the boat are geniuses. The ceviche and spectacular fruits.

I want to thank "ParaViajantes Tour" who made the effort to get the tour late in the day so I could enjoy the experience. The place is excellent, you can't believe the color of the sea. We went with the "Moxo Tour" group on the boat, we had a great time and the guys worked hard all the time for the people and trying to take good photos. The weather did not help because there was a lot of wind or air as they say in Mexico, this made the bottom of the sea choppy and the boat moved like a samba. We also ate ceviche, nachos and had some beer at the sea. This is done upon returning from Cielito, with good music and good vibes. The boat is small, it is not one of the giant catamarans, so take few things, you cannot use sunscreen because of the corals, wear UV shirts, they offer you on site but at a high price. After the 3 snorkeling points, you return to the island and eat, and they leave you on the island to explore it as you wish. The most recommended excursion, don't miss it!

The ferry ride from Playa takes an hour, so it's a good idea to go to the ferry terminal early. Afterwards, we were picked up and dropped off in a taxi, which was included in the tour price. The boat was small, unlike the one in the promotional photos. There is an extra charge for photos taken by the crew, but they are good at taking photos so I think it's worth it. It was a great experience to be able to see various creatures in each spot. There were no showers after we returned to land, so everyone went home wearing shirts and other clothes without changing.

We really liked the experience, we saw many colorful fish, manta rays, a special day. The ceviche they offered us was delicious. Miki um crack

She is delighted with this trip! The service was a 10!!! We loved it!!! Now we want more!!! Thank you Guido for guiding us and for the good vibes!!! I fully recommend!!!

I went with my daughter to take this ride on our vacation to Playa del Carmen, it was great, I loved the ride in the little boat, the color of the water, everything was incredible, thank you

Not doing this experience in Cozumel is missing out on truly getting to know a paradise. It was 5 hours aboard the boat, with a guide, the captain and a super nice group from Colombia, we had a great time, we had fun and enjoyed the blessed nature, the color of the literal sea was transparent. If you don't know how to swim like me, don't worry because they give you life jackets! Do it! greetings