National Reef Park of Puerto Morelos
National Reef Park of Puerto Morelos
National Reef Park of Puerto Morelos
4.5
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4.5
1,560 reviews
Excellent
1,110
Very good
331
Average
85
Poor
17
Terrible
17
dnblue
Minneapolis, MN2 contributions
Jan 2020
My husband and I did a half-day snorkeling that included all snorkeling equipment, lunch, and beverages. Our guides were Johnny, Luis, and Bernie- all of them were great. There was a Quebecois couple in our group and Luis spoke Spanish, English, and French, so he was able to give them specific instructions and safety tips. While we were snorkeling we saw tons of different fish, a sting ray, barracuda, and even a sea turtle. When we got back on shore, the lunch was just right- empanadas, rice, beans, and a salad bar, and we were able to go back for seconds. Our transportation back to our hotel was a little bit late, but it gave us time to have a beer in one of the hammocks on the beach. It should be noted though that you can't wear sunscreen because it damages the coral. They had sun shirts and shorts/pants for sale on site and the prices were about equal to what my husband and I would have paid in the States.
Written 25 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy N
8 contributions
Jan 2021 • Family
Best snorkeling excursion!!! We biked to a small fishing village ( Puerto Morelos ) and hired a 2 man guide with motor boat to take our family to the reef. Our guides were great, went in the water with us. They provided everything we needed: life vests, snorkels, fins... all for 60USD for a group of 5 adults. It was an hour altogether. I would do this again, for sure. The marine life at this reef was so rich and colorful
Written 6 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
suzannem308
Las Vegas, NV30 contributions
Jan 2020
The reef is amazing and worth the price to get out there. Shop around though. We were initially quoted $25 and kept walking up and down beach. A vendor by the light house ended up charging us $15. The snorkels are open so you might want to bring your own that that has the shut off valve inside to keep water out. They all say 2 stops and 2 hours. Last year they took us in after one stop and tried to this year until I explained that we paid for two stops and 2 hours. They then honored the agreement, stopping at the second location.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrea P
13 contributions
Jan 2021 • Family
We booked this through the Marina El Cid resort, but anyone can go to the Marina at the edge of the resort and book this tour, which several people on our tour did. It was a 3 hour tour, on a catamaran. Beautiful ride to the reef area, where we tied off and received snorkel gear. Moved to a tender to get closer to the reef, which is very shallow. We saw tons of fish and marine life. You are literally just inches from the reef and all it has to offer. We snorkeled for about 45 minutes, with our guide, Apollo. Once we reboarded the catamaran, the drinks flowed and the music played. Excellent experience with amazing boat staff.
Written 17 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John D
5 contributions
Feb 2020
We took a trip to see the reef and we are so happy we did. The best time to take the trip is in the morning and the way to go is by personal speedboat which is half the fun. Make sure you bring a waterproof camera or a case for your cell phone to get pics and video.
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveler193607
12 contributions
Feb 2020
We took the glass bottom boat to the reef and went snorkeling, it was great the captain let me and another person hold onto the life saver and he led us around the reef and showed us many beautiful things. We made two stops for snorkeling and one to see through the glass bottom, you really don't see much of anything through the glass. But, this tour was for two hours and we all enjoyed ourselves, saw many fish, Sting Ray, Barracuda, It cost $19.00 U.S. and it includes the fee for the reef.
Written 15 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kimberly H
Colorado321 contributions
Jun 2021
Wonderful reef to explore! Lots of fish, shark, manta ray, coral. It was great having this so close to town. Juan picked up in his boat in front of the house we were staying in just before 9:00 am. It was only the three of us and another couple. I noticed that some boats had twice as many people as we did. There were only a few other people at the reef when we arrived, so it felt like we had it to ourselves. Juan was an expert, pointing out many things along the way. We were in the water for more than an hour, so we were able to see quite a bit. The water was calm and our 11 year old did great. By the time we were leaving a number of other boats had arrived. I noticed that in the afternoon the reef gets very busy - so go at 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning. There are many people that will take you out. Just by walking through the square in Puerto Morelos, you can find a tour length, size, and price that fits your needs. Our tour was set up by the caretaker of the property we were staying at and we were very happy with Juan.
Written 9 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert R
18 contributions
Dec 2019
This was a great time and our boat and snorkel guides were helpful and congenial. The Gentleman booking our trip at the plaza said we may not see many fish this time of year but we saw many fish and our guide pointed out some lobsters also. We enjoyed it so much we would have gone the next day had we not already had other plans. Great value for the experience.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sydney S
3 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Our experience here was excellent! Geo was our tour guide. He was great!! He made it very fun and an unforgettable experience. Beware!! You cannot wear sunscreen or make up! If you are going during the afternoon session or noon session, I’d cover up because we got burnt pretty bad. When you are in the water almost the whole time, you forget you can even burn. The experience was terrific! There are also no photos allowed. We did not purchase any because we didn’t bring enough money to purchase them.
Written 24 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin H
8 contributions
Mar 2023
We were two families with 5 children under 5 years old. Great spot to play in the sand and the water. Also a nice playground close to the main dock! There are good seafood restaurants (El Pesquero was amazing!) and a fun market in the evening in the central square (at least on Saturday). We also really enjoyed the free snorkelling here! The tour was ok, but you are so limited on time and where you can go, we saw just as many species snorkelling where it was free! The tour gives you a higher density of fish and shallower water, but the 30 minutes in each spot (we did two spots) felt very rushed. When you snorkel on your own you can spend as much time as you want viewing the fish! You also have the option of diving down to see things closer (please don't ever touch the reef) where on the tour you don't and life jackets are mandatory.
If you do decide to do a tour we would recommend Marcelo and his boat "Damara". He's located about 100-200 meters from the leaning lighthouse on the beach. Be clear on how much time you want actually in the water as the price depends on how much time you get to swim. I was told we'd have 45 minutes in each spot and it ended up being only 30 minutes per spot. But when I talked to Marcelo afterwards, he gave us the refund so that we only paid the 1 hour swimming (250 pesos) vs the 1.5 hour swimming (300 pesos). Also, go directly onto the beach and talk to Marcelo instead of asking about tours from any of the shacks on the road. We were on the same tour as people who paid 500 pesos (we only paid 250 each). You can also rent chairs and an umbrella from him too! Great spot and quieter/way less crowded than other locations on the beach.
If you do decide to do a tour we would recommend Marcelo and his boat "Damara". He's located about 100-200 meters from the leaning lighthouse on the beach. Be clear on how much time you want actually in the water as the price depends on how much time you get to swim. I was told we'd have 45 minutes in each spot and it ended up being only 30 minutes per spot. But when I talked to Marcelo afterwards, he gave us the refund so that we only paid the 1 hour swimming (250 pesos) vs the 1.5 hour swimming (300 pesos). Also, go directly onto the beach and talk to Marcelo instead of asking about tours from any of the shacks on the road. We were on the same tour as people who paid 500 pesos (we only paid 250 each). You can also rent chairs and an umbrella from him too! Great spot and quieter/way less crowded than other locations on the beach.
Written 21 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hola buenos días ! una pregunta se puede grabar con cámara de video en el arrecife ?
Written 12 September 2022
Can you snorkel from the beach? / Puede snorkel desde la playa?
Written 12 March 2021
Could a person who is not that active and cannot swim be able to snorkel here? Is there a better location for them, especially shallow? thanks!
Written 11 June 2020
The previous answers are good. You don't really need to be able to swim...just kick you feet to move around. But if you are timid around water, it may not be enjoyable since you CANNOT stop and stand on the reef. So you need to keep that in mind.
Written 12 June 2020
For the tours, how long are you on the boat for? And are you on a bobbing boat for a long period of time? I have motion sickness on small boats when they are parked in the middle of the sea and bobbing.
Written 26 November 2019
As other mentioned, reef is very close to the shore. It is hardly 5 minutes ride to the reef. When they take you to next stop after snorkeling, it is hardly couple of minutes from first stop and then another 5 minutes to get back to beach after that round of snorkeling.
Written 14 December 2020
Hello, what is the age requirement for snorkeling. I have a 9 year old going on ten and a family member who I believe is 6-7?
Written 11 November 2019
This is Mexico ... meaning that so long as it won't hurt anyone, I suspect they'll be happy to have you. Make sure they have small life preservers that will fit. Also note that there is a lot of tiring swimming involved -- even with life preservers, our kids (11 and 16) were wiped out.
Written 2 December 2019
When we take the tour, a Newborn traveled with us on the boat. I guess is responsibily of the parents
Written 14 August 2019
Hola, si llego al muelle de Puerto Morelos, a cuánto puedo encontrar un tour para ver el arrecife?
Written 8 April 2019
El muelle queda al lado de la plaza central, en la plaza encuentras empresas que hacen los tours al arrecife.
Written 8 April 2019
yep, there's a beach to snorkel from. HOWEVER, the beach is fronting heavy boat traffic so it's not like you walk in and leisurely snorkel. You have to dodge the bullet and hope a boat doesn't run you over.
Written 27 September 2019
Hi Going to Puerto Morales in December and im excited about snorkeling the reef. Do they require any specific sunscreen to protect the reef and your skin? Karen
Written 27 November 2018
Yes, they require Eco-friendly sunscreen and insect repelient which we bought before we left home. We had a fantastic time.
ENJOY!!!
Written 30 November 2018
hello which tour group or person did you use?
Written 16 February 2018
Alltournative was great. They picked us up from our resort in Riviera Maya and ensured we were well cared for at the reef. The actual snorkeling was a guided tour but we had trouble keeping up with the guide. It is very fast paced and the water was very choppy.
Written 17 February 2018
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