Snorkel· Cozumel· Mexico
El Cielo Sandbar (Cozumel)
20° 17.7′ N · 87° 1.2′ W · approximate
'Heaven' - a shallow white-sand bar in about 4 m of gin-clear water where dozens of red cushion sea stars lie scattered like stars in a night sky.
Practical
Coordinate is approximate: Riviera Maya News (April 2026) places El Cielo at the island's southern tip near Punta Sur and Laguna Colombia, less than 1 km from shore; the point is set about 1 km off the coast west of the Punta Sur park - not a surveyed position. Rules: tours must use CONANP-authorised vessels and agencies (named operators include Cancun Adventures, Dive with Martin and Explora Caribe); do not touch or lift starfish or other wildlife; do not stand on seagrass; non-biodegradable sunscreen prohibited; national park fee 255 pesos (sometimes charged separately). Tour boats usually combine it with Palancar or Colombia; about 40 minutes by fast boat from the San Miguel piers (Cancun Adventures, 2024). A private yacht dropping crew here would still be inside the national park - go with an authorised operator.
Best for
Shallow starfish snorkel for the whole crew
Nearby
- Cozumel Reefs National Park0.3 NM away
- Colombia Reef (Cozumel)0.6 NM away
- Punta Sur Ecological Park (Cozumel)0.7 NM away
- Punta Sur Park Beaches (Cozumel)0.8 NM away
- Devil's Throat at Punta Sur (Cozumel)1.4 NM away
- Punta Sur Nature Trail and Celarain Lighthouse (Cozumel)2.2 NM away
- Maracaibo Reef (Cozumel)2.7 NM away
- Palancar Reef (Cozumel)3 NM away