Silky soft sands and crystal clear, year-round warm waters make Jamaica’s beaches some of the most inviting in the world, especially as many provide direct access to some of the best snorkeling in Jamaica.
You need only swim slightly off shore to admire colourful shoals of fish and reefs teeming with marine life, and perhaps even snorkel with stingrays. Hop on a boat for a snorkeling tour to the outer reefs, and you might sight shipwrecks, sea turtles, and nurse sharks in the waters below.
Whether your perfect aquatic afternoon is slinking between a beach bar and splashing around in the shallows or embarking on a catamaran cruise to see what awaits in the deep blue, here’s where to go snorkeling in Jamaica.
Doctor’s Cave Beach
Doctor’s Cave Beach
Home to some of the best beach-accessible snorkeling in Jamaica, northwestern Doctor’s Cave Beach is just a stone’s throw away from Montego Bay Marine Park, a protected scientific research area rich in corals and marine life.
This stellar sweep of glorious white sands—located at the end of Jamaica’s lively Hip Strip—has a handful of restaurants, facilities, and lifeguards, making it an excellent afternoon snorkeling base for both experienced and novice snorkelers.
Doctor’s Cave Beach
Make the short swim in the shallow, crystal-clear designated swimming area towards the edge of Doctor’s Cave Reef and you’ll soon be admiring the vibrant corals thronging with tropical species, including jaunty yellow butterfly fish, blue tangs, and lionfish, all stripes, spines, and frills.
Lionfish are actually an invasive species in the Caribbean. You shouldn’t touch them, as their spines sting, but if you spot lionfish on the menu, it’s a delicious and eco-friendly choice.
There are also a pair of wooden piers providing a jumping off point, often with plenty of fish swimming underneath. More confident snorkelers can consider joining a boat tour to the outer side of the reef, where stingrays, barracuda, and even reef sharks can be spotted.
Seven Mile Beach
Seven Mile Beach
Stealing the spotlight on the west coast, the town of Negril hosts some of the best snorkeling in Jamaica, particularly alongside and offshore of one of the island’s most famous sandy retreats, Seven Mile Beach.
This dreamy swathe of soft sands lapped by aquamarine ripples is a treat above and below water, with various snorkeling spots suited to all levels along the seemingly never-ending beach.
With excellent visibility right off the beach, there’s a chance to spot fish on a short paddle. To reach the extensive and colorful reef, which harbors far more marine life, you’ll need to swim around 300 feet from the shore, where trumpetfish, starfish, and yellow grunts add a splash of color.
Seven Mile Beach
Glass-bottom boat trips are another excellent way to experience Seven Mile Beach’s underwater world, providing the chance to jump off and snorkel above shipwrecks and outer corals with ease.
For a more secluded experience, take a boat to Booby Cay Island, a pocket-sized sandy islet shaded by mangrove trees visible from the north end of the beach, where there’s some excellent snorkeling to be enjoyed around the edges of this pristine paradise.
After working up an appetite, make a beeline for Flag City Seafood Grill halfway down the beach, an excellent place to enjoy freshly grilled lobster with sand between your toes and a front-row beach view.
Runaway Bay Beach
Runaway Bay Beach
Halfway between Falmouth and Ocho Rios on Jamaica’s north coast, the slightly sheltered Runaway Bay affords a more serene beach experience than those closer to either town.
Ideal for a snorkeling adventure after exploring some of Jamaica’s top attractions, such as Green Grotto Caves and Dunn’s River Falls, Runaway Bay Reef is accessible directly from the beach, eliminating the need to arrange a boat tour. However, you’ll want to bring your own mask and snorkel.
It’s just a short swim in the calm waters to reach the edge of the reef, home to schools of parrot and angelfish, eels, and even barracudas if you venture further. Sea urchins are another common sight in Runaway Bay, so pack water shoes for additional protection, or wear fins when you’re snorkeling.
Half Moon Beach
Half Moon Beach
Hidden along the verdant and relatively underdeveloped stretch of coastline north of Negril, handkerchief-sized Half Moon Beach is one of the most secluded locations to go snorkeling in Jamaica.
Flanked by vegetation and lapped by transparent waters, Half Moon is about as postcard-perfect as Caribbean beaches come. Pack your own snorkeling gear and you’ll be able to relish the first-class location in all its glory.
Wade into the calm waters, semi-protected by the vegetation-clad islet in front of the bay, and after a few moments of swimming, you’ll reach the reefs of Negril Marine Park.
Marine life in Jamaica
Generally, these reefs are in far better condition than some of the island’s more frequented snorkeling spots, and the vivid colors of the corals and sea fans are reason enough to visit. To help keep Jamaica’s corals healthy and protect your skin, it’s advisable to pack reef-friendly sunscreen before arrival.
After a calm hour of hopefully spotting kaleidoscopic anemones, parrotfish, and angelfish, and perhaps spiny lobsters creeping across the seabed, reward yourself with lunch at Calico Jack’s Pirate Shack.
This is the sole structure on a teeny islet in the bay, meaning you’ll need to take a short boat ride from the beach to arrive. Just confirm that Calico Jack’s is open before departing, as the wooden shack-like restaurant has sporadic hours, especially after the rainy season, when it may close for maintenance.
Read: What to Pack for Jamaica
Ocho Rios Bay Beach
Ocho Rios Bay Beach
One of the most favored and easy-to-access beaches on the north coast, Ocho Rios Bay, often called Turtle Beach, is a sandy crescent fronting the town.
While the bay’s common name refers to the turtles that used to nest here, the numbers have dwindled in recent years, with sightings now more common further east. Still, you might spot a turtle gliding through the sun-dappled shallows if you’re lucky.
Regardless, Ochos Rios is a fantastic snorkeling spot that families in particular will appreciate due to the bay’s shallow and calm waters, on-duty lifeguards, bathrooms, and changing facilities.
Ocho Rios Bay Beach
However, given the bay’s popularity and many boats coming and going, it’s more common to see stray fish rather than shoals when snorkeling from the beach. For the best aquatic experience, take a boat to the reefs in the Ocho Rios Marine Park—the closest corals are around a mile from the beach.
Multiple companies operate in Ocho Rios, meaning you can tailor the perfect experience. Whether you’d prefer to ride a glass-bottom boat, peer down from a self-powered kayak, or join one of the many guided snorkeling trips, all are easily arranged, as are first-time discovery scuba dive experiences to admire the reef deeper still.
Montego Bay Marine Park
Montego Bay Marine Park
Lively Montego Bay on the northwest coast is one of the island’s most popular beach resorts, but it’s equally celebrated as home to some of the best snorkeling in Jamaica in the Montego Bay Marine Park.
This extensive protected coastal area of reefs and seagrass beds stretches out on either side of the town, ensuring the vibrant corals and waters remain a haven for marine life as motorised water sports are mostly banned.
As much of the best beach-accessed snorkeling is restricted to the waterfront resorts, the best way to snorkel and experience the Montego Bay Marine Park is on a boat tour.
Sailings include yachts and catamarans, traditional fishing vessels, and glass-bottom boats, the latter providing the best experience to appreciate the reef’s magic, even for non-snorkelers.
Arguably, the finest section of corals is found along Secrets Reef. After jumping overboard, you’ll likely witness trumpetfish, eels, rays, sergeant majors, and abundant lionfish. It’s also an excellent scuba diving location with a mix of reef and wall dives.
Discovery Bay
Discovery Bay
Discovery Bay—named due to being the location where it’s believed Christopher Columbus first landed on the island—offers some of the finest underwater adventures along Saint Ann’s spectacular northern coast.
Hugging the east of the bay, Puerto Seco Beach is an idyllic location to snuggle into the sands and enjoy a lazy afternoon of sunbathing, snorkeling, and sipping rum punch cocktails from the restaurants. An on-site swimming pool and inflatable playground are just some of the beach resort’s facilities.
After relaxing into island life, don a mask and snorkel—Puerto Seco has rentals—and swim out into the crystal-clear waters of the sheltered bay towards the reef in search of tropical fish, sea stars, and corals. Kayak and stand-up paddleboards are also available for hire, while guided glass-bottom boat tours will bring you directly to the best snorkeling spots.
Bloody Bay
Bloody Bay
Just north of Negril’s Seven Mile Beach, vegetation-backed Bloody Bay is an arc of inviting sands leading towards some of the best snorkeling in Jamaica.
Picturesque and peaceful, the tranquil bay blends both bars and resorts with undeveloped, forest-backed sections of sands, affording an excellent environment to feel remote without sacrificing facilities or comfort.
As with Seven Mile Beach, the reef is accessible directly from the beach. You might encounter wrasses, crabs, rays, and sea stars while swimming out from the shore. If you’d prefer to snorkel in the nearby caves or venture to the outer reef, join a boat trip with Little Reefers.
For an exceptional post-snorkel lunch, head to Wayne’s Place. This simple beachside shack has postcard-perfect sea views and shaded tables and serves some of the island’s best grilled lobster—often caught while you’re waiting. Pair it with a chilled Red Stripe for the complete Jamaica experience.
Bamboo Beach
Bamboo Beach
Look no further than Bamboo Beach and its namesake beach club for a fine slice of tropical paradise.
Located on the relatively underdeveloped stretch of coast between Falmouth and Ocho Rios, Bamboo is one of the north coast’s best beach clubs, where snorkeling is one of many reasons to visit.
Settle into one of the beachfront loungers, soak up the sunshine, and relax to the reggae ringing out from the bar—the Caribbean doesn’t come more relaxing than this.
If you can tear yourself away from the beach, use the club’s snorkeling equipment and paddle out. The reef is only 70 feet offshore so it only takes a few minutes of swimming to spot tropical fish darting between the corals. Water shoes are a good idea as there are some rocks on the seabed.
Read: Best Things to Do in Falmouth, Jamaica
West End Negril
West End Negril
Beyond the sweeping sands of Seven Mile Beach, the cliffs fronting Negril’s West End provide a more adventurous snorkeling environment accessed via ladders descending from the low-slung cliffs.
The most famous ladder location is Rick’s Café, a lively cliff top bar where it’s easy to jump between cold beers and warm, fish-teeming waters. However, a handful of other ladders along this stretch of coast afford easy access to the waters below.
Confident swimmers who descend into these slightly deeper waters can swim with schools of tropical fish, as well as looking out for moray eels hidden in the rocks, barracuda, and sea turtles.
Negril Lighthouse
The area around Negril’s lighthouse is particularly celebrated for sightings, though, due to the strong currents, it should only be explored by competent swimmers or via a boat trip.
Devil’s Reef
Located off Ocho Rios’ coast, the magnificent Devil’s Reef is home to some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling in Jamaica. Only accessible by a short boat trip, this thriving reef is considered an advanced snorkeling site due to its distance from the shoreline.
While scuba divers are best rewarded with incredible rocky swim-throughs and coral gardens, snorkelers and free divers can still enjoy excellent marine life sightings atop the reef.
Peering down on the colorful corals, you might see typical tropical fish alongside larger species due to the reef’s depth as barracudas, stingrays, and even nurse sharks swim below.
Bamboo Beach
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