No boat? No problem. The snorkeling is primo at these picture-perfect Caribbean beaches.ANSE DE COLOMBIERST. BARTS Hills surround this bay at St. Barts' northwestern point, calming the seas for snorkelers, and no roads lead to Colombier, leaving it the island's most secluded beach. Of the two trails in, the easiest is a 20-minute ocean-view hike from the end of the Flamands road. You're on your own on this quarter-mile of sugar sand, so bring the basics. This being St. Barts, that means a gourmet picnic and a chilled Sancerre in addition to fresh water. SNORKEL TOUR As with many other Caribbean beaches enclosed by rocky headlands, most marine life - parrotfish, angelfish, morays, sea stars - gathers along the edges of the bay. For strong swimmers, a wall topped with hard and soft corals lies about 200 yards out along the left side. Says Thierry Balaska of the St. Bart's dive shop Plongée Caraïbes (plongee-caraibes.com), snorkeling off the right side of the beach gives you
a good chance to see green sea turtles foraging in the sea grass. Along with the all-natural attractions at Colombier, if you've ever wanted to snorkel au naturel, this is the place. WHERE TO STAYHotel St. Barths Isle de France Five stars, 33 rooms, one restaurant and a spa, on the beach in Flamands. From $600 in low season ($918 high); isle-de-france.com; 800-810-4691Auberge de La Petite Anse Sixteen quaint hillside ocean-view apartments in Flamands. From $101 in low season ($202 high); auberge-petite-anse.com; 011-590-590-276489Learn more about St. Barts...
CANE BAYST. CROIX, USVIOne of the most popular beaches on St. Croix, Cane Bay is a launching pad for exploration of the north coast's 7-mile-long coral wall, just offshore. There are two beach bars and a restaurant, with snorkel gear, chairs and showers available at the Cane Bay Dive Shop. SNORKEL TOUR A shallow reef stretches the length of the beach about 15 yards out; enter at the dive shop's boat ramp. Tonja Schmidt, manager of Cane Bay Dive Shop (canebayscuba.com), says beginners should swim through the cut and then head either right or left until they begin to see the healthy patches of hard and soft corals surrounded by reef fish. Good swimmers should keep kicking 100 yards straight out to snorkel over the dramatic coral wall that starts in 40 feet of water and drops precipitously to 3,200 feet. "You'll see every coral reef feature
imaginable," says Schmidt. "Lots of turtles, eels, octopuses, lobster, flamingo tongues, seahorses; we even have an ancient Dutch anchor. I've been here five years, and I never get bored snorkeling the bay." WHERE TO STAYThe Buccaneer Legendary family-owned resort with 138 rooms and suites, three beaches with snorkeling, kids camp, spa, golf course, six dining options and two beach-side bars. From $295 in low season ($340 high); www.thebuccaneer.com; 800-255-3881Carambola Beach Resort Nicely sited on nearby Davis Bay, with 150 rooms, restaurant, beach bar and spa. From $150 in low season ($260 high); carambolabeach.com; 888-503-8760Learn more about St. Croix...Learn more about the USVI...18 PALMSBONAIREBonaire is all about reefs, not sandy beaches, but the stretch of coast in front of the Plaza Resort offers both. Find snorkel gear rentals at Toucan dive shop, drinks and snacks at the Coconut Crash beach bar, full lunch and dinner at the Banana Tree restaurant. Showers and restrooms are available, but they do charge nonguests a fee to use the beach and facilities.SNORKEL TOUR There are two entry points, one in front of Coconut Crash and the other in front of the Tipsy Seagull. "Right at the entries you'll see rock formations and loads of juvenile fish," says Emile von Aesch, manager of Toucan Diving at the Plaza Resort. "And you'll find all the adults and larger species just a bit farther out, about 10 yards." Along with all the usual suspects of reef fish, there are plenty of marquee species. "Watch for squid and octopuses in the shallows," says von Aesch, "and eagle rays, small turtles and tarpon in the deeper areas." As 18 Palms lies on Bonaire's lee and reefy west side, the conditions here are almost always calm and clear. WHERE TO STAYPlaza Resort Bonaire Large, full-service beach-and-marina resort offering suites and villas; beach bar plus three other restaurant/bars; dive operation. From $190 in low season ($240 high); plazaresortbonaire.com; 800-766-6016Learn more about Bonaire...
Continue reading...Online Editor's Note: To learn more about snorkeling and diving hot spots around the Caribbean, check out our Top 10 Caribbean Snorkeling Parks.
