Snorkeling on Isla Mujeres does not require chartering a boat. Garrafon Natural Reef Park (garrafon.com) on the southern end of the island offers reef snorkeling from shore with equipment included. Nearby Hotel Garrafon de Castilla (garrafondecastilla.info), not associated with the park, provides a similar snorkeling experience on the same natural reef system. Visitors will notice snorkeling tour boats from both Isla Mujeres and nearby Cancun making stops at this part of the island.
Small boats offer chartered snorkeling departing from Playa Norte, the ferry dock,s and hotels on the island. Reservations can be made in advance, but a better deal can be found by haggling with individual captains. Small operators are very flexible in price, length of the excursion and locations visited. Some crews even throw in lunch and drinks to sweeten the deal. Keep in mind that safety is very much the passenger's responsibility. Small charters are very loosely regulated.
The Manchones reef is famous for its natural coral, which is home to angelfish, parrotfish and blue tangs as well as barracuda, sea turtles, and reef sharks. Jacques Cousteau made Isla Mujeres' sleeping shark caves famous. The caves were discovered by skin-diving fisherman. Viewing these caves from a respectful distance might be the better part of valor. Isla Mujeres also is one of the few places in the world where snorkelers can swim with whale sharks.
The National Marine Park of Isla Mujeres (musacancun.com) is part of one of the most unique museums in the world -- an underwater museum. The underwater sculpture galleries feature works by artist Jason deCaires Taylor. The sculptures serve a dual purpose. Created of pH-neutral materials and seeded with coral, the pieces are both art and habitat restoration. As with any museum or any coral reef, the rule is look but do not touch, for the sake of the artist and marine life.
