I have located a tour company that does a Snorkeling trip to Chileno Bay.

Has anyone just done this on their own?

We would like to try and do some snorkeling in the morning and then go over to Cabo Cantina for lunch before getting back on the ship by 4pm. The tour lasts from 9:30 - 1:30 and I just want to leave ourselves enough time.

Is Chileno Bay close enough to get a taxi too and just hang out on the beach for the day - but still be able to GET BACK! Is it out in now where land or are there ways to to and from by taxi? I can't tell by the pictures on the internet.

Michele, if it's a reputable tour company, I would strongly suggest Chileno Bay for snorkeling. You won't be under the tight time restraint of a guided excursion booked through the ship and it should be more leisurely. Via boat excursion it took us approximately 40 minutes to get to Chileno. Our guides slowed, even stopped, several times to show us whales. Your tour will definitely be faster than ours. I cannot vouch for the taxi. It was on a well-traveled road, but not exactly a "taxi stop" sort of road, if you know what I mean. Without verification, I would be dubious about making it back to the the ship in time. The beach at Chileno is awesome. There were a lot of people there enjoying the beach, but it was not overcrowded. A'ndrea

I will have to keep searching. I would really like to have one snorkeling adventure on the trip and Cabo seemed better than Mazatlan or PV.

Anyone have any thoughts on that???

I think we are set on going to Sea Life Park in Puerto Vallarta and doing the dolphin swim. So that would leave Mazatlan or Cabo for the snorkeling.

I would prefer someplace that we could go on our own since we really just want a beach day...but someplace my older son and I could mess around and snorkel. I just think a "tour" would be overkill for our family. The El Cid was on the agenda for Mazatlan...can we do any snorkeling around there and see something in the water besides some sand!!!!

If we choose Cabo for the snorkeling...then I still have to be able to fit in a stop at Cabo Cantina after. The tour says it gets back at 1:30 and we have until 4pm to get back to the ship. I am not one for cutting things close-but two hours seems like enough time to get a bite to eat, take some pictures, buy some cabo wabo shirts...oh yea and try out that Cabo Wabo tequila!!! Might be a day to leave the 3yr old back in Camp Carnival!

Michele, I was actually going to suggest to you to leave your 3 year old at Camp Carnival. He will probably have more fun than the beach with you (no offense). I know my girls would of at that age. He will be completely safe there so you won't have to worry about the care that's given.
At the El Cid, the beach/pool area is about it. Some kids were in the water with some floats, some were building sand castles. But that's about it. There are water sports(jet skis and parasailing) but only for adults. As far as snorkeling at the El Cid, notta. There are pretty good sized waves coming in. My daughter and I got hit good by a few of them.
Between Cabo and Mazatlan, Cabo is the better port for snorkeling.
BTW... We didn't get to Cabo Cantina, but other cruisers had a blast there. I'd say the Cabo Wabo tequila is calling your name. A'ndrea

Well I am really hoping to fit the snorkel trip in at Cabo. Really the only place to do it with everything else we want to do.

Cabo Wabo Cantina will take definite priority though! We HAVE to fit this in. Our family are HUGE Sammy Hagar fans and my Kyle would just about run away from home if we didn't take him to the Cantina for lunch. We'll see about sneaking him downstairs to "say" he was in the bar! Sammy was Kyle's first rock concert and well...Cabo Wabo here we come. And to top it all off...Sammy's birthday bash is the very next week. He plays there every night from the beginning of October until his bash. CAN'T WAIT!!!

So we'll have to see if the snorkeling trip just is too long. We may have to do the one from the ship...it's shorter. More investigation needed! Would be easier if we could just go someplace on our own for a couple hours in the morning. Since we just really want to splash in the waves and see some fish! Still trying to convince Kyle we can't just bring one home and throw it in our tank!

Michele, you absolutely cannot go to Cabo and miss Sammy Hagar's stomping ground. Kyle would never forgive you. It's supposed to be a hopping place. When we were heading to Chileno Bay, our excursion guides pointed out the home of the drummer for The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Just an incredible, huge white home overlooking the Pacific.

Maybe I will just have to hold off on the snorkeling until we do the Grand Cayman cruise. I just hope that that won't make me a "snorkeling - snob". I've heard you all rave about the Caribbean. Once I snorkel there...I may not want to go anywhere else!

We'll just have to find something else to while in Cabo - The Cantina doesn't open until 11am. Who knows that's our last stop...we may just sleep in that morning!!!! Yea right!

Hi Michele,
Did you decide to snorkel? Which company did you find this excursion through?

I don't think we are going to "plan" anything in Cabo. I would really like to snorkel...I just don't know if we have time. We all really want to go to the Cantina...so we'll have to play it by ear. Don't want to miss the boat! The tour company I found for Cabo was www.cabosanlucastours.net. They say they get back at 1:30...so will have to really figure out if that is enough time for the rest.

El Cid is on the schedule for Mazatlan. And maybe explore the Golden Zone. But found Stone Island to be of some interest. The same company from above does tours in Mazatlan too. www.mazatlantours.org or there is always Mazatlan Frank. Someone recommended him on another thread once. I also came across Shell City in Mazatlan. VERY interested in that since I live in a house where SPONGE BOB is a daily must watch on the tv. Thinking about going to see that and see if we can find Sponge Bob, Patrick and the rest of the gang!

Puerto Vallarta I am booking directly through Sea Life Park for the Dolphin Swim for my son and I and just the entrance for my DH. Youngest son is free. YEA!!!! Finally saving money somewhere! Transportation doesn't seem to be a problem...and since the park closes at 5pm, we won't have a problem making it back to the boat by 10pm!

Does anyone know about/what the Ecological Snorkel Adventure is in Cabo. It says it takes you to both Chileno Bay and Santa Maria. Only a 3.5 hour tour - and it has two different departure times. Just curious if it is worth the $69??? and if it is by sea or land transportaion???

Hi Michele. Me again. I looked on Pride's excursion page. We did the Chileno Bay Snorkel. I believe we also paid $69.PP. It was also for a 3.5 hour duration. We barely had any time to snorkel Chileno Bay and lay out on the beach(maybe 20 minutes or so). I am not 100% sure how the quality of snorkeling will be split between 2 snorkeling locations in 3.5 hrs. It took us approx. 30-40 mins. to arrive at Chileno Bay on our excursion boat. BTW... it will be a boat, not air, that takes you to both snorkel locations. I do not know anything about Santa Maria for snorkeling. This is totally your call on how much time do you wish to spend snorkeling versus traveling to another snorkel spot. A'ndrea

LOL Sponge Bob nation here too. I can't watch anything else. Anyways, I am still trying to figure out what to do. I want to try snorkeling but I am afraid of having things swimming around me I have decided that I have to challenge my fears. We'll see what I decide to do.

Chileno Bay is very calm. The scariest sea creature that will be swimming around you there are beautiful, tropical fish. They don't want any part of you. If you just want to enjoy a relaxing day sunning at a gorgeous beach, go to Lover's Beach. You can see it from the ship's deck and it was quite beautiful. A'ndrea

A'ndrea - Is Lover's Beach someplace we can get to and from on our own. (ie, cab or water taxi) I just don't want to get into the "tour" thing in Cabo because we need to be able to have a nice leisurely lunch at Cabo Wabo Cantina. So just a nice fun few hours at the beach here would be nice. We can play and swim in the water on our own. Just would like to know we can GET BACK!!!!

Hi Michele. Check out www.loscabosguide.com for important information. I would strongly suggest (as will Carnival) not to take a private water taxi. I believe we talked about them before. Waves coming in from the Pacific are very strong in that area. Deaths have been associated with these rickety water taxis that the locals operate. They are very recognizable. Boats are usually wooden, chipped blue painted dingys. Hand painted signs with "Water Taxi" printed on the side of the dingy. You will be able to find reputable water taxis. Just make sure you agree on a price and time allotment on Lover's Beach so you don't miss Cabo Wabo. BTW..... ET showed Jessica Simpson hanging out there last night! A'ndrea
P.S. Also, try googling-- Lover's Beach Cabo water taxi -- and see how you make out. You can usually tell by the site if it's reputable or not. Another thought: check out www.tripadvisor.com. Very helpful site. I'll help you check into it once you have success in finding one.

Oh yea more googlin''!!! Can't wait until I get home tonight to do that!!!!

Ok now picture my hubby's eyes rolling as I head towards the computer...turning it on now ...there I sit...(hours later)...there I sit...(hours later)....still googling!!!!
Whoo Hoo fun tonight!!!

Thanks A'ndrea - I will check it all out. I do remember the thread on those scarey water taxis. Don't need that! But for the few hours we have to kill (no pun intended of course ) I don't want to waste a bunch of money on a tour. We just want to play in the water and take home some nice sea shells! At least that is what I am imagining the 3yr old is going to be doing. And STILL haven't convinced the 13 yr. old he can't smuggle the fish back to his tank!

Thanks again! Just think...more to add to our travel guide - a whole chapter on water taxis. Man is this book getting bigger every week. We may just need to look into maybe a sort of Encyclopedia Britannica sort of release. Can you imagine the volumes!!!!

Diana - have you whittled down any of the excursions yet??? What are you thinking about. That Pirate Ship sounded really fun. I would like to do that if we ever take this cruise a second time. Just can't fit it in this time. I can't wait until you get back to hear about the cruise!

We have a nice salt water tank at home and I would like to fit some "fun" snorkeling in too to see all the fish. And of course I HAVE to have some photos for my scrapbook album when I get back home. I'm a scrapbooker and you can't go snorkeling without some of those awesome underwater photos!!!! Already have the paper picked out!!!!

Michele,
I can relate. My hubby thinks I'm having an affair because I spend so much time on this darn thing.
You are 100% correct in thinking.... just get me to the beach... no tours. Sun, sand, water. That's it. There is so much time wasted waiting for tours, getting there and back, etc.
No matter what you do in Cabo, you will be in awe. A'ndrea

Have you taken an excursion that allows you to sun on lover's beach?

I'm with you Michele. Especially since we are in Cabo for such a short period of time.