from $35 VIP Glass-Bottom Boat & 3-Reef Snorkel Trip
- Three reefs: Villa Blanca, Shallow and Deep Paraíso
- Glass floor and sundeck for non-swimmers
- Water and sodas throughout, beer after the snorkel
- $11 USD cash pier and marine park fee paid on site
Cozumel Boat Tours
Watch the Villa Blanca coral slide past under a glass floor, or sail south to the El Cielo sandbar where the starfish sit in waist-deep water. Compare Cozumel boat tours by price, pier and time in the water, all with free cancellation.
- Reefs from $31
- Two-hour trips fit a cruise call
- Free cancellation 24h
Quick answer
Boat trips in Cozumel split into two groups. Short reef runs of 90 minutes to two hours stay on the shallow reefs beside town, cost $31 to $45, and leave close enough to the cruise piers to walk. Catamarans of five to six hours sail 20 km south to Palancar, El Cielo and Cielito, cost $92 to $150, and include food and an open bar.
Key takeaways
- Most-reviewed boat: the guided glass-bottom 3-reef trip, $35 per person for 2 hours, rated 4.8 from 557 reviews
- Cheapest way onto the water: the clear boat at $31 for 90 minutes, snorkel gear and six drinks included
- Catamarans run $92 for the 5-hour sunset sail and $150 for the 6-hour trip with lunch and beach-park entry
- Every boat adds a marine park or dock fee paid in cash on the day: $5 to $13 USD, or 100 MXN
- Coming from the mainland, the Playa del Carmen ferry costs $38 round trip and crosses in 35 to 45 minutes
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure on every trip here, and the GetYourGuide boats let you reserve now and pay later
top pick The Boat Most People Book
VIP Glass-Bottom Boat & 3-Reef Snorkel Trip
A glass-bottom boat runs out to Villa Blanca, Shallow Paraíso and Deep Paraíso reefs, so non-swimmers watch the reef through the floor while everyone else snorkels. Boards at El Cid La Ceiba, two miles south of downtown and walking distance from the Puerta Maya and International cruise piers.
- Duration
- 2 hours
- Reefs
- Villa Blanca, Shallow and Deep Paraíso
- Departs
- El Cid La Ceiba, beside the cruise piers
- Price Range
- $35 per person, plus $11 cash on the day
Check Dates and Times
Live availability for the glass-bottom 3-reef trip. Departures run through the morning and early afternoon.
Boat Trips Running in Cozumel Right Now
Sorted from the short reef runs beside town to the full-day catamarans and the mainland ferry. Prices are per person in US dollars and exclude the cash fee each boat collects at the dock.
from $35 
from $35 Coral Reef Snorkel by Glass-Bottom Boat with Guide
- Three snorkel stops in two hours, guide in the water
- Bilingual guide, gear and a beer after snorkeling
- Small groups, 28 passengers maximum
- $11 USD cash marine and pier fee paid on site
from $92 Sunset Catamaran to Palancar, El Cielo & Cielito
- Departs 2 PM and returns at sunset
- Three stops: Colombia or Palancar reef, El Cielo, Cielito sandbar
- Live mariachi and cumbia, MC and open bar on the way back
- $10 USD or 200 MXN marine tax paid on site
from $150 Catamaran Day Sail: El Cielo Reef & Kuza Beach Park
- Reef snorkeling plus the El Cielo sandbar
- Full access to Kuza Beach and Adventure Park
- Lunch: fish, chicken or beef tacos and hibiscus water
- $13 USD marine park fee paid before boarding
from $45 Transparent Boat: Sunken Ships, Los Cubos & Villa Blanca
- 360-degree view through a fully transparent hull
- Two sunken ships and the Los Cubos artificial reef
- Snorkel stop on Villa Blanca reef, gear included
- Two beers or waters and the $5 wharf tax included
from $31 Clear Boat Cruise & Snorkel with Drinks on Deck
- 90 minutes on a fully transparent boat
- Snorkel stop with equipment included
- Six drinks per person: beer, soda and water
- 100 MXN dock fee paid at the port
from $38 Playa del Carmen Ferry: Round-Trip Ticket to Cozumel
- 35-minute crossing, departures all day
- Ticket valid for six months, round trip
- Premium or first class with lounge access
- Exchange the voucher at the Ultramar booth 30 minutes early
Which Boat Suits Your Day
Six ways to get on the water here, and what each one costs once the dock fee is added.
| Boat type | Time | Ticket | Book | Cash at the dock | In the water | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass-bottom | 2 h | $35 | Check | $11 USD | 3 reef stops | Mixed groups, non-swimmers |
| Clear boat | 1.5 h | $31 | Check | 100 MXN | 1 snorkel stop | The tightest budget |
| Transparent boat | 1.5 h | $45 | Check | $5 wharf tax | Villa Blanca reef | Wrecks and the cube reef |
| Sunset catamaran | 5 h | $92 | Check | $10 or 200 MXN | 3 stops incl. El Cielo | A party on the way home |
| Day catamaran | 6 h | $150 | Check | $13 USD | Reef, El Cielo, beach park | A full day, lunch included |
| Ferry | 35–45 min | $38 | Check | ~65 MXN port fee | None | Getting here from the mainland |
What You Pay in Cash on the Day
No boat in Cozumel includes the government fee in the online price, and none of them take a card at the dock. Bring small US bills or pesos.
$11
Pier and marine park fee
Both glass-bottom 3-reef trips, per passenger
$13
Marine park fee
Kuza catamaran, collected before boarding
$10
Marine tax
Sunset catamaran, or 200 MXN
$5
Wharf tax
Already covered in the transparent boat ticket
100 MXN
Dock fee
Clear boat, paid at the port on arrival
~65 MXN
Ferry port fee
Bought at a separate booth, not with the ticket
How to Pick a Boat in Cozumel
The Six Reefs the Boats Actually Work
Cozumel's reef line runs down the sheltered west coast, and the wind almost never reaches it. Every boat on this page works one of six sites, and the difference between them decides how long your trip lasts.
Villa Blanca and the two halves of Paraíso, Shallow and Deep, sit a few hundred yards off the hotel strip south of town. A boat reaches them in five minutes, which is why the two-hour trips can fit three stops into two hours. You get coral heads, sea fans, parrotfish, angelfish and the occasional turtle in 3 to 8 metres of water.
Palancar and Colombia lie 20 km further south, past Chankanaab and Punta Sur. These are the walls and pinnacles that made the island famous with divers. The water is deeper, the current runs, and only the four- to six-hour catamarans and private charters go there. El Cielo and its smaller neighbour Cielito are not reefs at all but shallow sand flats where cushion starfish sit on the bottom in a metre of water and southern stingrays glide past.
- Villa Blanca: 5 minutes out, shallow coral heads, the standard first stop
- Shallow and Deep Paraíso: the other two stops on every 2-hour trip
- Palancar: coral buttresses and swim-throughs, catamaran and charter only
- Colombia: deeper pinnacles, nurse sharks under the ledges, catamaran only
- El Cielo: waist-deep sandbar, cushion starfish, no coral
- Cielito: the quieter sandbar next door, stingrays in the shallows
Glass Bottom, Clear Boat or Catamaran
These three words get used loosely on booking sites, and they describe genuinely different boats.
A glass-bottom boat is a standard motor launch with a viewing panel set into the hull. Somebody who will not put their face in the water still sees the reef, which is why families and mixed-ability groups pick it. The trips run two hours and cost $35.
A clear boat is the newer product: the whole hull is transparent, so you look straight down through the floor and out the sides. The boats are small, the trips run 90 minutes, and they stay close to town. One of the two goes to the sunken Patzcuaro and Mandinga Lagoon wrecks and the concrete cubes of a hurricane-wrecked wharf that now works as an artificial reef.
A catamaran is a sailing platform for 30 or more people with a bar, a deck and toilets. It exists to get you south to Palancar and El Cielo and to feed you. Five hours minimum, $92 and up.
| Glass-bottom | Clear boat | Catamaran | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical length | 2 hours | 1.5 hours | 5–6 hours |
| Ticket | $35 | $31–45 | $92–150 |
| Reefs reached | Villa Blanca, Paraíso | Villa Blanca, wrecks | Palancar, Colombia, El Cielo |
| Food | Drinks only | 2–6 drinks | Lunch and open bar |
| Non-swimmers | Yes, glass panel | Yes, transparent hull | Limited |
Sailing on a Cruise Day
Three piers take ships here. Punta Langosta sits in the middle of San Miguel, five minutes on foot from the plaza and the Muelle Fiscal dock where the transparent boats leave. The International pier, run by SSA, is 4 km south of town. Puerta Maya is another few hundred metres beyond that, about 5 km out.
Taxis run on fixed zone rates with no meters. From the International pier to downtown costs $5 to $8, from Puerta Maya $8 to $12. Agree the fare before you get in. If your boat leaves from El Cid La Ceiba, which is where both glass-bottom trips board, you are already close to the southern piers and can walk it.
One trap catches cruise passengers every week. Cozumel keeps its own local time, and ships often run on a different ship time. Operators here tell you to check the difference before you pick a departure slot, because the boat leaves on island time and does not wait.
- Punta Langosta: downtown, 5-minute walk to the Muelle Fiscal boats
- International (SSA): 4 km south, $5–8 taxi to town
- Puerta Maya: 5 km south, $8–12 taxi to town
- El Cid La Ceiba: the glass-bottom meeting point, walkable from the southern piers
- Check ship time against Cozumel time before booking a slot
Coming Over from Playa del Carmen
Every boat tour starts on the island, so a day trip from the Riviera Maya means the ferry first. Ultramar and Winjet both run the route between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, crossing in 35 to 45 minutes depending on the sea. Between them a boat leaves roughly every 45 to 60 minutes through the day, from around 6 in the morning to 11 at night.
A pre-booked round trip runs $38 and stays valid for six months, which matters if your plans move. The port fee of about 65 pesos is separate and paid at a booth before you board.
Book a tour that starts at least two hours after your ferry lands. Operators are blunt about this: miss the crossing and there is no refund. On a rough morning the crossing takes the full 45 minutes, and the walk from the Cozumel terminal to a downtown meeting point adds another 10.
- Arrive at the Playa del Carmen terminal 30 minutes before departure to swap the voucher
- Pay in pesos where you can, the terminal exchange rate is poor
- Leave a two-hour buffer between landing and your boat
- The last ferry back leaves around 11 pm, but check the board on arrival
Private Charters and Party Boats
A private boat is priced by the boat, not the seat, so the maths only works with numbers. Leon Tours charges $170 per person for a couple on its four-hour El Cielo charter, $90 each for a group of four and $70 each for six or more, on boats holding up to 16 people out of Caleta. Six friends pay roughly what they would on a shared catamaran and get their own itinerary.
Party boats sit in a different category. The local fiesta boats charge $69 to $89 for five hours, which looks like a bargain next to a $150 catamaran until you count the water time. Most of the five hours goes on music, drinks and a beach club stop, with one short snorkel.
If what you want is reef time, the two-hour glass-bottom trip puts you in the water three times for $35. Nothing else here beats that ratio.
| Option | Group of 2 | Group of 4 | Group of 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private charter, 4 h | $170 each | $90 each | $70 each |
| Shared catamaran, 5 h | $92 each | $92 each | $92 each |
| Glass-bottom, 2 h | $35 each | $35 each | $35 each |
When the Water Is Worth It
The dry season from November to April gives the calmest, clearest water, and visibility peaks between December and March when it regularly passes 30 metres. Water sits around 26°C in those cool months and climbs to 29°C by May and June.
The catch in that window is the norte. Between January and March a hard north wind can blow for a day or three, and when it does the harbour master closes the port to recreational boats. Nothing sails. Operators refund or reschedule, but a one-day cruise call has no second chance, so book the morning slot rather than the afternoon.
Sargassum worries people more than it should here. The weed lands on the exposed east coast of the island, where nobody snorkels. The leeward west coast, where every boat on this page runs, stays clear through the sargassum months.
| Months | Water | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| December–March | 26°C | Best visibility of the year, some nortes, port closures possible |
| April–June | 27–29°C | Warm, calm mornings, sargassum on the east coast only |
| July–October | 29°C | Hot, afternoon storms, hurricane season peaks September |
| November | 27°C | Season turns, crowds thin, water still warm |
The Rules Out on the Reef
The reefs sit inside Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, 11,987 hectares of coral, open water and seagrass that form part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-largest reef system in the world. Rangers enforce the rules, and guides lose their permits over them.
Touch nothing. Not coral, not fish, not turtles, not rays. Nothing leaves the water, including shells and coral fragments. Chemical UV filters are banned, which means oxybenzone and octinoxate, so buy biodegradable sunscreen and put it on 30 minutes before you get in the water or skip it and wear a shirt. Boats tie to mooring buoys rather than dropping anchor, and nobody feeds the fish.
The starfish rule is the one visitors break. Cushion starfish stay in the water, always. Thirty seconds in the air is enough to stress the animal, and CONANP has recorded roughly a 20 percent drop in the El Cielo sea-star population over five years, driven by people lifting them for photographs. Guides will stop you. Take the picture with the starfish where it is.
- No touching coral, fish, turtles, rays or starfish
- Nothing leaves the water: no shells, no coral
- Biodegradable sunscreen only, applied 30 minutes before entry
- Boats moor on buoys, never anchor on the reef
- No feeding fish
How a Reef Trip Actually Runs
The two-hour glass-bottom trip, start to finish. The catamarans follow the same shape over a longer day.
- 1 Show up 30 minutes early Operators ask for a half-hour buffer before the stated departure. On the glass-bottom trips you check in at the booth by the hotel entrance, not at the boat.
- 2 Pay the fee in cash The pier and marine park fee is collected here, per passenger, in US dollars or pesos. No card machine, and the crew cannot waive it.
- 3 Gear and a safety briefing Mask, snorkel and life vest are handed out on board. Crews on these boats work with first-time snorkelers every day, so say so and someone stays with you.
- 4 Three stops, not one long one The boat moors on a buoy at each reef for 20 to 30 minutes. Guides get in the water with you and point out what you would swim past.
- 5 Dry seats stay useful Anyone who skips a stop watches the same reef through the glass panel or the transparent hull, with drinks available the whole time.
- 6 Beer on the way back The included beer is served after the last snorkel, never before. Photos shot by the on-board photographer are optional and sold at the dock.
Timings come from the operators' own listings for the boats on this page.
Where the Boats Go
The reef line runs down the sheltered west coast. Short trips work the three sites beside town; catamarans and charters run 20 km south to Palancar, El Cielo and Cielito.
Reefs and sandbars
Cruise piers and docks
Cozumel Month by Month
Rainfall drives the boat season here. The dry months from November to April bring the calm, clear water; September is the wettest month and the peak of hurricane season.
- 65mm Jan 26°C
- 45mm Feb 26°C
- 40mm Mar 26°C
- 35mm Apr 27°C
- 95mm May 29°C
- 175mm Jun 29°C
- 140mm Jul 29°C
- 150mm Aug 29°C
- 230mm Sep 29°C
- 200mm Oct 28°C
- 110mm Nov 27°C
- 85mm Dec 26°C
- Dry season (Nov–Apr)
- Wet season (May–Oct)
Water temperature in °C. Nortes between January and March can close the port for a day or two even in the dry season.
What Passengers Say
Great tour with wonderful guides who were in the water with you. They kept an eye on you and kept our group together. All three snorkeling spots were amazing! We even saw a sea turtle! The boat crew offered us cold water & a cold beer, after we finished snorkeling.
This was a fab snorkelling trip, and would highly recommend. Had plenty of time in the water and saw lots of fish! The directions on how to get to the pickup point from the cruise port were very clear and it was easy to find.
★★★★★
★★★★★
The trip was fantastic and the guide, Engle, was amazing…the price is great for what you get…highly recommended!!!
Unfortunately, we snorkeled only a few hundred yards offshore and only saw fish and sea bottom that are commonplace. […] The crew was nice and the snorkeling instructor was very attentive in looking after all who got in the water. All in all, it was a worthwhile trip for those who want to experience snorkeling without traveling miles offshore.
This was a great snorkeling tour with a small group. We snorkeled three different areas with only 7 people which was great! We were able to see reefs and colorful fish. The guides were very safety conscious.
★★★★★
★★★★★
Emmanuel was so funny, spoke in both Spanish and English, and was helpful to the seniors. This was my 2nd clear boat trip with this tour company and plan to do it again in January. The only drawback is the walk from the tour office to the boat.
Quotes come from the Viator and GetYourGuide listings for the boats on this page, reproduced as written. Where a review is shortened, the omission is marked with an ellipsis. Star ratings are shown only where the platform publishes a per-review score.
Booking This Way Instead
The dock price is not the deal
Walk-up sellers on the malecón quote a headline price and add the marine park fee, gear rental and a photo package at the boat. The tickets here show the fee up front.
Ship excursions cost double
The same three reefs sold through a cruise line run $75 to $95. The independent boats charge $35 and carry fewer people.
Smaller boats, more water time
The glass-bottom trip caps at 28 passengers and puts you in the water three times in two hours. Big cruise-contract boats spend that time loading.
Cancel free until the day before
Every boat on this page refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead, which covers the forecast turning or a ship schedule changing.
Written by someone who works the dock
Arturo has run these boats since 2011. The fees, the meeting points and the walk times come from the trips, not from a press kit.
We take no payment
Bookings happen on GetYourGuide or Viator, with their cancellation terms and their customer service. We compare, they handle the money.
What You Will Actually See
The reliable sightings on the shallow reefs, and the ones worth a season's planning.
-
Green sea turtle
All reefs, most common on Paraíso -
Southern stingray
Sand flats at Cielito and El Cielo -
Spotted eagle ray
Passing through, May to July -
Nurse shark
Under the ledges at Colombia -
Cushion starfish
El Cielo sandbar, in the water only -
Great barracuda
Hanging over the deeper reef edges -
Queen angelfish
Villa Blanca coral heads -
Splendid toadfish
Cozumel only, under coral ledges
Nothing is guaranteed. Guides here spot far more than you will on your own.
See the Boats Before You Book
Three clips shot on the water here: an operator's own glass-bottom boat, a visitor's footage of the three-reef run, and the sail down to El Cielo.
Snorkeling by glass-bottom boat at Cozumel
The operator's own footage of the glass-bottom boat used on the guided three-reef trip, including the view down through the panel.
Video: Safe Tours CozumelGlass-bottom boat snorkeling tour to three coral reefs
A passenger films the full two-hour run: boarding, the reef stops and what the water looks like from the surface.
Video: Aaron & Shawnee's LifeEl Cielo in Cozumel: watch this before you go
What the sandbar and the surrounding reefs actually look like on a catamaran day, filmed above and below the surface.
Video: TheRopeMonsterVideos load only after you click, and play through youtube-nocookie.com.
Questions People Ask Before Booking
What are the best tours in Cozumel?
By review volume and rating, the guided glass-bottom 3-reef snorkel trip leads the island's boat tours: 4.8 from 557 reviews, $35 for two hours, three stops in the water. For a full day, the catamaran to El Cielo with lunch and beach-park access at $150 covers reef, sandbar and beach. On land the island's other big draws are Punta Sur park, Chankanaab and the jeep circuit around the wild east coast, but the water is what people come for.
What is the number one thing to do in Cozumel?
Get on a boat over the reef. Cozumel sits on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-largest reef system in the world, and the shallow sites at Villa Blanca and Paraíso are five minutes from the dock. A two-hour trip costs $35 and works for swimmers and non-swimmers alike, which is why it outsells everything else on the island.
How much is an excursion at the Cozumel cruise port?
Booked independently, a two-hour reef boat runs $31 to $45 per person, and a five- to six-hour catamaran runs $92 to $150. The same reef trips sold through a cruise line typically cost $75 to $95. Add the cash fee every boat collects at the dock: $11 on the glass-bottom trips, $13 on the Kuza catamaran, 100 pesos on the clear boat.
What should I be careful of in Cozumel?
Four things. Agree the taxi fare before you get in, since taxis run fixed zone rates with no meters. Bring cash for the marine park fee, because the dock takes no cards. Check your ship's time against Cozumel time, as they often differ and the boat leaves on island time. And leave the starfish in the water at El Cielo: touching or lifting them is prohibited across the marine park, and the El Cielo population has dropped about 20 percent in five years.
Which pier does my boat leave from?
The two glass-bottom 3-reef trips board at El Cid La Ceiba hotel, walkable from the International and Puerta Maya piers. The transparent boat leaves from Muelle Fiscal downtown, four blocks north of Punta Langosta. Catamarans board near the ferry terminal by the Monumental Flagpole. Check the meeting point on your voucher, since the two ends of the waterfront are 5 km apart.
Can I do a boat tour if I cannot swim?
Yes on the glass-bottom and clear boats. The glass panel and the transparent hull let you see the reef from a dry seat, and every passenger who does enter the water wears a life vest. Crews on the two-hour trips work with first-time snorkelers as a matter of routine. The catamarans assume you swim, and one of them lists non-swimmers as unsuitable.
Do Cozumel boat tours run from Playa del Carmen?
The boats all leave from the island, so you take the ferry first. The crossing runs 35 to 45 minutes with departures every 45 to 60 minutes at peak times, and a round-trip ticket costs $38 and stays valid six months. Book your boat at least two hours after your ferry lands. Miss the crossing and the tour operator will not refund you.
Are children allowed on the boats?
The glass-bottom trips take all ages with an adult, and infants sit on laps. The clear boats and the day catamaran set a minimum age of five. The Kuza catamaran also rules out pregnant travellers and anyone over 130 kg. Children's snorkel masks are not always carried, so bring one if your child needs a small size.
What if the weather turns?
Between January and March a strong norte can shut the port, and the harbour master's call is final. Operators reschedule or refund when that happens. Booking a morning departure gives you a second slot the same day if conditions improve, which matters on a single-day cruise call. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before departure on every trip here.
Should I take seasickness tablets?
On the leeward coast the water is usually flat, and the two-hour reef trips stay a few hundred metres offshore. If you are prone to motion sickness, take Dramamine or Bonine an hour before boarding, and pick a shorter trip on the shallow reefs rather than the run south to Palancar, where the swell builds.