Snorkel· Caja de Muertos· Other Caribbean

Caja de Muertos Snorkel Trail & Playa Pelícano

17° 53.2′ N · 66° 31.6′ W

Coffin Island's Blue Flag beach on the western, docking side, with a marked underwater snorkel trail over the reserve's protected reefs, the best snorkel within reach of Ponce.

Belize Barrier Reef

Practical

Position: Playa Pelícano as mapped on OpenStreetMap; Wikipedia places it on the western (docking) side between the DRNA dock and Cerro Morrillo, and it has been a Blue Flag beach since 2010. Wikivoyage describes 'a marked underwater snorkel trail'; ask the DRNA rangers at the dock where the trail markers start, as they are not mapped. The reserve protects nesting sea turtles, dry forest and reefs: Playa Larga is closed to visitors, don't anchor on coral or seagrass, and take nothing. Rangers were absent for over a year after the 2019–20 earthquakes, and Wikipedia records illegal anchoring in the sand, jet skis and camping in that period, so expect stricter enforcement now. Ferries from La Guancha run mainly at weekends (Wikivoyage lists US$4 and +1 787-842-8546, verify locally), and Caribbean Images Tours offers half-day guided snorkel trips (US$55, verify locally). Come midweek to have it nearly to yourself. Anchor off the west side (see Caja de Muertos Anchorage).

Best for

Reef snorkeling and a Blue Flag beach on the run east from Ponce

Season

Year-round; a surge wraps round the SW tip after strong trades

Nearby