Snorkeling South America | The best snorkeling spots in South America

Laying within the tropics, subtropics and temperate zone, South American is a world all it own. Here, the Caribbean coasts and islands of Colombia and Venezuela, the lush shoreline of Brazil, untouched volcanic Easter Island and the legendary Galapagos Islands all boast some of the most unique snorkeling spots in the world. If you want to explore an extended coral reef or get up close and personal with friendly sea turtles and sea lions, South America will be your best opportunity to truly immerse yourself in marine life.

Snorkeling destinations in South America

Brazil

(1 spot online)

From the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean coast to the rivers flowing through the Amazon rainforest, Brazil boasts a remarkable diversity of underwater ecosystems. While underwater visibility is not always ideal and coral is scarce in coastal waters, the country still offers fantastic experienc (...)

French Guiana

(1 spot online)

Despite warm waters and a high density of fish, the coasts of French Guiana are almost not suitable for snorkeling. Underwater visibility, altered by sediments dumped by the Amazon basin, is most of time nearly zero in the region. To have a chance to snorkel in French Guiana, you will have to be luc (...)

Galápagos Islands

(14 spots online)

Home to marine life found nowhere else in the world, the Galápagos archipelago is a legendary snorkeling destination. This chain of 19 islands and dozens of islets in the Pacific Ocean, about 600 miles off South America, existed mostly untouched for millions of years. Due to a lack of natural predat (...)

Venezuela

(1 spot online)

With nearly 3000km of coastline and 72 islands bathed by the Caribbean Sea, Venezuela offers a great diversity of marine environments, still secluded. If there are few sites for snorkeling on the continental coast, the Venezuelan islands are home to coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves that prom (...)

Easter Island

(1 spot online)

Although Easter Island (also called Rapa Nui) is not a leading snorkeling destination, this tiny island located seemingly at the end of the world, at the foot of the moai, offers unforgettable snorkeling experiences. In the absence of coral reefs, there are few snorkeling spots on the island- that c (...)