Cozumel Snorkeling Tour At Palancar & Colombia Reefs And El Cielo

It’s wonderful, we saw tons of fish , stingrays and starfish. The crew was fantastic, they took great photos! I absolutely loved it

Amazing tour! They really take care of you. Swam with rays, turtles, star fish, & eel. Very customer focused.

We absolutely loved the driver and the tour guide they made this so fun Roberto and Tony were super accommodating and even though it’s started raining they added an extra stop for the inconvenience. I will add the photographer was a bit rude I had to ask him multiple times to take our photos as we were planning on buying them but he ignored us for the other tourist. When it came to show us our photos he had hardly any good ones and was upset I would not pay the ridiculous price. He was giving different prices to multiple people so I would just beware of that but it was a great experience and we got to see plenty of sea life including turtles and nurse sharks!

Tony and Rene’ were fantastic! The snorkeling sites were full of wildlife. They took care of us and no one was left behind in the group. Snacks were delicious! 100% recommend.

We had a wonderful time on this snorkel trip with Chac Choc Tours. The guys were super friendly and took special care of our diverse group. We had kids, uncle, parents, and grandparents - so they had their hands full watching over 8 people. Would highly recommend this trip/tour.

Beautiful water, amazing snorkeling. Boat was a little old and slow but the crew was knowledgeable and friendly.

Highley recommend this tour , was exactly as advertised, also our tour guids jain, papparazzi, and there captain were great!!!!

We saw lots of fishes ,sea turtle and even small shark. Mexican beer on the sandbar with stingrays swimming nearby was unforgettable. Thank you great staff!

It has been a special occasion for a friend's birthday. The boat people were friendly and professional. There are to little downsides to this still beautiful experience; probably they should stop a little longer at the snorkeling spots and a little less at el cielito (although it's lovely), and the boarding dock is very far from San Miguel.

Great experience on Cozumel reef. The staff was excellent and looked after us very well. Highly recommend.

Worth every penny. The tour was exactly as stated, we spent all our time in the water which was glorious. The staff were fun and professional and the places they took us were beautiful. Sandwich and beer in the water ay the end was awesome! I did a “snorkeling tour” in Cancun two days later and it was a huge scam where they dropped you off the whole day for shopping and buffet of hotdogs. This tour is the real deal - do it! You will be so happy!

Buyers Beware. We booked this tour on a certain time as we were coming from a cruiseship and they had us waiting at least 2 hours stating their boat was having difficulties to the ocean being rough and we could notice the water was very calm and all the boats paiing by with customers. Finally they accepted they only had available one departure and that was the main reasson they had us all there. This is unacceptable and unprosffeional and they should honor what the offera. We almost missed our ship because of them. Not a reliable and trustworthy company.

Worth the Ferry ride to experience the snorkeling around this Island. Very pleasant staff. We had a wonderful excursion. Above our expectations!

Huge scam ! First they bumped us off the morning tour onto the afternoon tour, then the tour was cancelled due to a little rain. Claimed it was too "rough" but the waves were small. We got no notice and even tried to call beforehand. Then they refused to refund our money!! They kept trying to offer us other services or tours on a different day which we couldn't do because it was our last day. We ended up cancelling the charge on our credit card. Do NOT book here!!

We are coming again in January 2024 but will choose NOT to use your service due to 1) stopping at 2 additional resorts to pick up passengers and 2) running late to get us back

Sadly we were unable to go on this experience. We were on a cruise and did not have internet connection. Viator had sent so many soliciting emails I began ignoring them before departure. When we finally got to port and had internet connection we found out that our tour would not make it back in time. I tried to ask about alternative solutions but they were not helpful. No refund of any kind was given. It was really disappointing.

We had an amazing time. The guides were great and the experience was something we will remember, Swimming with the stingrays was the highlight of the trip.

This was a very poorly organized excursion. First, there was no clear instructions on where to go after arriving at the marina. I was staying in PDC so took the ferry over. Then I took a taxi to the marina. At the marina there was no signage or anyone at the doc. I was running around asking around where our tour was. I tried calling the number provided by Viator only for it to not work. Once I finally find our boat we arrive and assume the tour begins at 1pm which is what I paid for. Boy was I wrong. The boat wasn’t very nice so that was a let down and then we made nearly 6 stops at different hotel ferry docks to pick up more passengers. This added an extra hour to our trip so we really started at 2. We were told we would go to three diff snorkeling spots but really it was just two. The staff was very rushed and frazzled. They nearly forgot to give me my fins and then snapped at my 9yr old saying if his fins don’t fit he has to pay for them. They weren’t attentive at all and didn’t help me or my child and expected us to manage our own tour. Even the basics of helping us into the boat was not provided. They provided fruit slices and half a ham sandwich on bread. The fish you see near you on the first excursion is there bc they’re feeding the fish. This did not feel like a properly run excursion, the lack of attentiveness to the customers, y tying to cram in as many passengers into a cheap boat, I really regret taking this excursion. Then to have to make all these extra stops for diff hotel guests (I don’t know why everyone couldn’t just meet at the doc) was terrible. I definitely don’t recommend taking this tour.

We were on a cruise and snorkeling was a priority at our stops. Cozumel was by far our favorite. The crew was amazing and showed us so much. Small group of 5 of us and the spent so much time showing us the beautiful reefs. It was amazing

The Starfish were beautiful. We also enjoyed the fruit and sandwiches. We weren’t impressed with the guy taking pictures with fish food in his pocket

Did this tour as part of our honeymoon. Staff are amazing, reeds are gorgeous. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to see El Cielo. They also added a bonus stop to see some sea turtles. Highly recommend. A must do whilst in Cozumel.

A little slow at first because we made 3 stops to pick up additional passengers (nature of the business) but once we got in the water we had a blast. Tons of fish, turtles, starfish, conchs, etc. Best part was the last stop (el cielito) where we all stood in the crystal clear, waist deep water as sting rays glided past our feet. Crew was really awesome!

The guides were so helpful! We saw tons of fish, sea turtles, starfish, and sting rays. The equipment was clean and in great condition.

El Cielito beach and el Cielo with the starfish. Weather was perfect and ocean very clear and warm. Great time !!

The crew was awesome! And we had a great time!! They accommodated to us and to the others on board with language and food and drink

The tour was well run. Despite the failure of the ship to clarify the discrepancy of the ship time and local time, the tour owner accommodated our group of 14 by putting us on a separate boat so that we would make it back to our ship on time. The equipment was great and the staff on the boat were competent and very nice. The beer and the tequila shots at the end were fun.

Chac choc tour staff was nice but time for snorkeling was kept short and icking up other people from resorts didnt help much and was actually longer than the tour. Cozumel reefs are great and water was good but dont think will book again with this company.

I wasn't gonna post a review since i feel i already lost valuable time of on this. However i think i should warn other travelers about it. We took this tour on April and staff was friendly but it took forever to get to the first reefs as they made at least 4 stops and each stop was about 20 minutes..minimum. We took the by 1:00pm tour and arrived by 12:30pm as requested and by the time we arrived to the first snorkeling spot it was almost 3pm. Needless to say everyone else was bored except for those who were picked up last. I would recommend to go with another company.

The Friendly Staff also very good with communication in whats taking place. The How too's and Why not, Best part was being with my Bestfriend/ Husband . And seeing the beauty of under water life💦🐟💙

It was a bit of a slow start - we had to make two pick ups on the way to the reef. Once we were there it was great. Guides were very helpful, polite and kept the group happy! A fair amount of sea-life and I was happy to pay the tax towards conservation.

Good time with the crew on the boat. They show you on a quick trip what needs to be seen, sea life at different depths with some drinks and fruits. Good for half a day.

The snorkeling part was ok The people that work there were ok. They treat you good. But picking up people in 3 different hotels was too much, we spent more than two hours before getting to the first snorkeling place. It was a long time and they kept picking people up. We felt we wasted our time with this tour.

The snorkeling part was nice The peopele that work there were very nice. They treat you very good. The beverages were nice. But picking up people in 3 hitels was too much, we spent more than rwo. Hours before getting to the snorkeling place

The guides were lovely. However for 3 - 20 minute snorkling experiences it was very expensive ($60 US each). Sadly there is virtually nothing left to see in the reefs. Climate change has taken the color and life away from the 3 areas. The 3rd was only a very few starfish on the bottom. Could have seen that swimming out from a beach.

Palancar was AMAZING!! this tour, the guides, and the photos that Oscar took were great! We would highly recommend. All staff were knowledgeable and extremely helpful the entire time.

The boat personnel was amazing the snorkel was amazing and the locations were breath taking ❤ I would come back again the same tour again.

The crew was absolutely fantastic! I believe we had Tony, Jorge and Juan. They were very personable, spoke English really well, covered safety thoroughly, were hilarious and laughed a lot with us, and are very good at what they do. The boat was very clean and tidy. As for the not-so-fun aspect of this trip- it was a LONG boat ride (probably an hour or so) before we could go snorkeling, but ultimately it was worth it! We saw many starfish, beautiful tropical fish, SO MANY string rays, and tons of beautiful coral. The water at the reefs where we snorkeled were breathtaking! And there was no seaweed issue whatsoever. They provided super yummy snacks, tequila, beer, and sodas- all were delicious- at our last stop where we had a sand bar ocean party with a few other boats! The glass bottom portion of the boat is a small window, and the onboard bathroom leaves little to be desired, but we had so, so much fun on this trip! One of the crew members is an underwater photographer and he takes pics of your group snorkeling during each stop at the reefs, and the whole package for our group of 8 people was only $80 USD! Again, the crew makes this trip so much fun and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat!

5 dollar tax not mentioned when we booked this excursion. Photographer worked on commission and had a complete photo shoot with one family and took about 6 pics of us. And tried charging us the same price for way less pics

We had a great time snorkeling with pachie and the crew! Cool fish to look at and drinking beer on the sandbar was a nice highlight. Maybe seeing more of the reefs would have been nice but very fun time and well worth the money!

This is Not a good tour. First they asked you to arrive to the marina in time and then you spend 1 hour picking people up from hotels. The time to the reefs was kept short about 15 minutes since we already had spent time making stop at each hotel so it felt really rushed. Last time we did this tour it was different and time was wisely used. I dont recommend unless you want to snorkel 25 minutes and spend the day picking up other people for hours.

We had an amazing time. Columbia and palancar reefs are just... breathtaking... the biodiversity is unbelievable. I wish we spent more time there... time seems to fly when you're lost in the water. Cielo beach was very cool, big starfish, great photo op. We went with maybe tours, with capitan jorge and Juan, and had an amazing time. Our group was great too. Transportation was easy, provided. Great day. Reminder to onlyyyyy use reef safe sunscreen when in the ocean!!!!

We arrived at the Marina and got all squared away. We then went to the Palancar Reef and snorkelled. The water was an absolutely gorgeous shad of blue. Then the more shallow (12 feet) Columbia Reef. The water was crystal clear at all three stops. We then saw hundreds of starfish at Cielo. We also went to a spot that was shallow and saw several sting rays. It was a fun day in the water and the sun. Our guide were Ricardo and Jesus. They were so great. Jesus made the best guacamole and pico. It hit the spot. They had drinks for us the entire time and even pineapple cut up with salt and lime juice. A totally awesome day.

I do not recommend this tour. It is a VERY long time in the boat (90 minutes), something that is not disclosed. In a very choppy day, it it will be terribly miserable (we had one kid crying all the way, and it was really terrible). The boat makes 3 stops. Arriving from the ferry to the Marina Fornatour takes 200 pesos. My advice is that you take a cab directly to the last boat stop, the Iberostar (next to Alberto's beach restaurant) you will save yourself 80 minutes of pain. It was 210 pesos and it was we did on our way back.

We booked a snorkeling trip last minute with Juan, Rene, and Wilbur and had an incredible experience. We visited three snorkel spots and then got to swim at El Ciel at the end. Rene took incredible pictures of our family snorkeling and I was thrilled to be able to buy them at the end for only $45 for my family of 4. The pictures were in my email in the next few hours. The three crew members on our boat could have not been nicer or more helpful. I highly recommend this trip!

We had an excellent time with Abraham, our knowledgeable and personable guide and Captian Ignacio skillfully navigated and made great guacamole for the beach stop! A memorable visit to the remarkable reefs.

We took this tour this week, our guide was Juan and the papparazzi was Rene....the two of them did an excellent job with the mix of experienced and inexperienced people. Juan was extremely patient with all of the group, he was also very knowledgable of the reefs and the sea life we were seeing. I also have to say, as an experienced snorkeler, that Juan had some of the best "eyes" I have seen. He routinely spotted hidden creatures such as a nurse shark and moray sharing the same den, a spiny lobster tucked under a ledge and then a spotted moray just barely poking it's head our of the crevice. We say a myriad of fish and the highlight for me was swimming with a large Eagle Ray in Palancar Shallows. The only negative was at times the captain seemed more interested in his phone than piloting but that did not take away from the great day we had. Special thanks to Juan and Rene for showing us a great ecosystem.

I have snorkeled in a few different areas in the caribbean, but my husband is not a swimmer so I was looking for a guide who would be attentive and actually goes in the water. This guide was amazing and made sure everyone was safe, comfortable, close by and also made sure that everyone saw fish of interest under the water. This guide clearly enjoyed his job and dove down to the bottom alot to poke his snorkel under rocks to lure the fish out. There was a huge assortment of fish, and they were everywhere. We also saw a stingray and a lobster. Now, one important note is the the El Cielo sandbar is CLOSED for research or something, so don't go if this is what you absolutely want to see. It is not the fault of the tour operator, and Carla does mention it before you pay if you didn't do your research beforehand. Instead of going there, we went to a natural beach on land. I thought it was beautiful, but there was little shade and some of our group was upset about that and wanted to leave. It was also wavy, so our guide had issues tying up the boat to the nearest palm tree. Just like in real life, there was a tourist "expert boater" on board who was trying to help during times of the tour, which I did not enjoy. We had fresh guacamole and tortilla chips on the way back to land and the drinks were plentiful. I really enjoyed this experience and would highly recommend it if you are a solo snorkeler who wants a more attentive guide. Some people did complain about things that were out of the control of the tour operator, like waves, and lack of shade. Carla searched out my husband and I to check to make sure our excursion was enjoyable, and it was. I feel for businesses that have to endure bad reviews, when they don't deserve them. My only issue was that it took a few minutes to find the tour operator, but everyone was pretty helpful guiding us to the right area. Also, Carla let us go on the tour an hour earlier than we had reserved, which was great!

Our boat was crewed by Juan, Roman & the photographer, all really friendly guys. They took time to explain exactly what we would be doing, what we could expect to see, and looked after us very well. The snorkeling was better than we expected as we saw a turtle, shark, parrot fish, queen ocean trigger fish & many more. Juan kept the group fully informed during the snorkeling, telling us whenever he stopped anything interesting. The photographer took great photos of us and the turtle; we never normally buy 'tourist' photos, but made an exception as the photos were excellent. Really enjoyable trip, thoroughly recommended

Amazing / clear waters/ corals and marine life. A must do event. A chance of a life time. The water is crystal clear.