Snorkel Chinchorro

The Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve, an atoll located about 30 km from Mahahual, offers the best snorkeling in Mexico. Expeditions to Chinchorro are very special because there are no trips every day, and they are subject to, first, by the weather -it is important that sea conditions are good- and, second, by the number of people -a minimum group of eight snorkelers is needed-.

The atoll is famous for its black coral, nurse sharks, turtles, crocodiles, lobsters and pink snails, but also has archaeological sites in the form of wrecks. A submerged cemetery that hosts a total of 70 historic shipwrecks from the sixteenth century to the present. Wreck expeditions only take place in summer and on specific dates.

There are only a very few boats in Mahahual that have permission to operate in the Chinchorro Reserve. Pepe Dive Mahahual belongs to the “Cooperativa Turística Paraíso del Caribe”, that has two of these boats that alternate their trips according to the needs. One of them, the Gran Kraken, with a capacity of 20 people, is the largest and most comfortable of those that operate in the atoll.

The operation starts at 8 am at Pepe Dive Mahahual’s facilities. The clients must have already completed all the paperwork the day before the trip: signing of liability papers; certifications verification; equipment testing; payment of the tour, etc. On the day of the trip, only the environmental fee ($360 MXN per visitor for Mexicans and residents or $725 MXN for international tourists*) for the conservation of the park must be paid in cash before boarding.

The trip to the atoll lasts between one and a half and two hours, depending on sea conditions. Once in the reserve, we do 2 dives. There are many dive options: Gatas, Baliza, Teresitas, Punta Gonzalez, Acuario, Coral Negro, El Muro, El Solitario, etc. The choice of the dive site corresponds to the instructor in charge of the group and the captain of the boat, who will decide the best option taking into account the state of the sea, currents, visibility, divers’ experience, etc. Between the 2 dives, we take the chance to rest and eat a lunch with sandwiches and fruit.

Sometimes, and in special occasions, we also visit the island Cayo Centro, in the heart of the Reserve, towalk around the small island to observe the crocodiles and giant iguanas.

After finishing the tour we start the way back to Mahahual, where we would be arriving normally between 15 and 16h.

Read more about biosecurity measures for visitors to Banco Chinchorro.

   Snorkel tour at Banco Chinchorro: $2,700 MXN
(With promo price with cash payment: $2,500 MXN)

*Fares of the environmental tax 2025:
-International travellers: $725 MXN
-Mexicans y residents in México -50%: $360 MXN
-Exempted: kids under 12 y/o, disabled, elderly Mexicans (INAPAM) and Mexican pensioners and retirees
-Mexican students and teachers with id -75%: $180 MXN