"It’s was a great trip- kind of over crowded but that was expected. Guides were great, boat was nice, would recommend!"
From Fajardo · guided reef snorkel, then the beach · from about $117
Snorkeling at Cayo Icacos
The afternoon cruise from Marina Puerto Chico puts you on the reef first, crew in the water, then on the sand with lunch - 945 reviews. The reef is the same for every boat here; the guides, the time in the water and the honesty about the current are not.
Top pick
From
$117
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.7 / 5 968+ Reviews
- Zero Buildings, Toilets or Shops on the Cay
- 15–20 min By Boat From Las Croabas
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Snorkel Cruise Includes
The guided reef session, the slide, the light lunch, the bar.
Highlights
- Snorkel and swim in crystal clear waters
- Savor an onboard light lunch with drinks
- Enjoy some beach time
- Tour Goes to Icacos Island
- Learn about Puerto Rico’s culture and marine ecosystems from your guide
What's Included
- Cruise with onboard shade, slide, sun deck, and bathroom
- Snorkeling equipment
- Light Lunch
- Water, soda, Piña Coladas and Local Rum
- Tour + Transportation Spaces Available to Book (San Juan to Fajardo Transfers)
Good to know: The tour requires a minimum number of participants to run · Tour + Transportation Clients: Transportation requires a minimum of 6 passengers. If the minimum is not met, cancellations of transportation or extra fees may apply. Pick up is available from the San Juan to Fajardo area. · The tour is subject to favorable weather conditions · If the tour is canceled you will be offered an alternative date or a full refund · There is visitor parking, bathrooms, and showers available at the marina · The minimum drinking age is 21 years old · If you have food allergies or other dietary preferences, you are welcome to bring your own lunch · Items brought aboard are at your own risk and if damaged, lost, or wet. No reimbursement is available. Waterproof cases for mobile devices are recommended · Not suitable for: Pregnant women, People with mobility impairments, Wheelchair users, Children under 6 years · Not Included: Towels and Sunscreen, Gratuity
How a Day at Cayo Icacos Actually Works
Four steps, one honest line about the weather, and the thing every listing buries: which cay you actually land on.
Check In at Marina Puerto Chico for 1:30 pm
The cruise leaves Marina Puerto Chico in mid-town Fajardo at 1:30 pm. Use the marina's restroom and put lotion on before boarding one of the two boats, Medusa or El Kraken; hotel pickup is a separate add-on, not part of the base price.
The Reef First, With the Crew in the Water
The first stop is the reef, where the guides go in with you and point out what is there - fish, the odd ray, urchins on the bottom. Gear is included. When the current runs the stop is shortened or moved, and the crew says so rather than pretending.
Then the Beach, the Slide and a Light Lunch
The boat moves on to the cay for beach time, the slide off the stern and a light lunch with the bar open. Icacos is the named destination, weather permitting; its old web address still says 'Icacos or Vieques' from an earlier combined product.
Back to Puerto Chico by Evening
The run home passes the Fajardo lighthouse with El Yunque behind it. Children from 6; the bar's minimum age is 21; the trip needs a minimum number of guests to run and is weather-dependent, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before on the platform.
Photo Gallery
The Icacos Reef - Through the Lens
The coral shelf off the cay, the boats at anchor over it, and the beach that follows.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
The Snorkel Cruise, the Dive-Shop Boat, and the Luxury Sail
Three boats that put the reef before the beach, with what each listing includes - and the honest difference: who guides you in the water, and what happens to the snorkel stop when the current runs.
| Feature | OUR PICK Snorkeling Puerto Rico Cruise | Sea Ventures Snorkeling Boat | Sail Getaway Luxury Catamaran |
|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From about $117 per person | From about $110 per person, plus $3 marine fee in cash | From about $195 per person, plus $3 DRNA fee in cash |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 from 945 verified reviews | 4.7 / 5 from 284 verified reviews | 4.9 / 5 from 163 verified reviews |
| Leaves From | Marina Puerto Chico, Fajardo - the 1:30 pm tour | The Sea Ventures dive shop at Villa Marina - check in 1:30 pm, boat 2:30 to 6:30 pm | Villa Marina, docks M-20/21 - check in 45 minutes before |
| In the Water | A guided snorkel on the reef with the crew pointing out marine life, then the beach | A USCG-certified crew in the water with you for 1 to 1.5 hours on the reef, then 2.5 hours on the beach | A guided snorkel clinic built for beginners and children, then the beach-club setup |
| The Boat | Two vessels, Medusa (with the water slide) and El Kraken; shade, sun deck, a bathroom | A dive-centre boat | Getaway Too, a 54-foot sailing catamaran capped at 49 guests, slide, swings, two restrooms |
| Lunch and Drinks | A light lunch; water, soda, pina coladas and local rum | Snacks; water, soda, rum and vodka drinks | A hot Puerto Rican lunch buffet; unlimited soft drinks and a rum bar |
| Icacos Promised? | Icacos is the named destination, weather permitting (the listing's web address still reads 'Icacos or Vieques' from an older combined product) | The trip is to the Icacos reserve; a review records the snorkel stop cancelled for current | Yes - Icacos Cay in the Cordillera reserve |
| Not For | Children under 6, pregnant guests, wheelchair users; the tour needs a minimum number to run | Pregnant guests, back problems; no jeans, no coolers | Wheelchair users, recent surgery |
| Free Cancellation | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before |
| Best For | The most-reviewed reef-first afternoon, with the slide for the kids | Serious snorkellers who want divers in the water with them, at the lowest price | Beginners and families who want the clinic, the shade and the hot lunch |
| Check Availability | See the Dive-Shop Boat | See the Luxury Sail |
The Other Reef Boats
More Snorkeling Boats to Cayo Icacos
A dive-shop crew, a four-hour power cat, a beginner clinic on the luxury sail, and a 5.5-hour morning catamaran. Titles are the operators' own.
DIVE-SHOP CREWFajardo: Snorkeling Boat Tour with Snacks and Drinks
Relax on an Icacos Island Snorkel & Boat Tour This Icacos Island Snorkel Cruise is a worry-free experience to one of Puerto Rico’s best snorkeling tours. Our USCG …
REEF THEN SANDBARIcacos: Double Dip Power Catamaran Snorkel & Beach Tour
Enjoy a 4-hour snorkeling and beach tour traveling to Icacos Island and the Cordillera Cays Reserve and admire the beautiful local wildlife. Come with a great …
BEGINNER CLINICIcacos Luxury Sailing Catamaran All Inclusive Tour
Embark on the ultimate Caribbean escape aboard Getaway Too, where exclusivity meets adventure in an unforgettable island experience. This curated beach day is …
MORNING, 5.5 HOURSFrom Fajardo: Icacos Catamaran Snorkeling Tour
You have the option of exploring the uninhabited island of Icacos, hitting the beach, getting geared up for the first snorkel session, or just doing nothing — …
Before You Book
What Snorkeling at Icacos Actually Is
A shallow reef on an exposed shelf: good fish, occasional turtles, and a stop that gets cancelled when the current runs.
The reef at Cayo Icacos is a shelf of coral in shallow water off a cay with no one on it, which is why every boat anchors there. Here is what the operators’ own listings and their guests say happens in the water, and what we will not promise.
What you see
Sea Ventures, whose crew are dive-centre staff, lists “fish and turtles” as the thing to look for on the reef; Sail Getaway’s listing talks about “colored tropical fish and thriving corals”; a Tena Rock guest in July wrote simply that she “saw lots of fish snorkeling”. Turtles are a sometimes, not a promise, on every listing. Visibility near the beach reef runs 15 to 25 feet on an ordinary day and more on a calm morning; after a blow it is milky. The beach reef is small and busy by midday; the catamarans’ second stop, on the outer reef or off Cayo Lobos, is where the better snorkelling is. Black sea urchins live on the beach reef - water shoes are not optional - and nobody here sells manta rays or sharks, and neither do we.
Guided means different things
Snorkeling Puerto Rico puts the crew in the water with you on the reef and points things out; the session comes before the beach, and the boat with the slide (Medusa) is the one the children want. Sea Ventures is a dive shop: a USCG-certified crew jumps in with you for an hour to an hour and a half, then two and a half hours on the beach - the longest reef time on the shelf, at the lowest price, plus $3 in cash for the marine fee. Sail Getaway’s luxury sail runs a snorkel clinic built for beginners and children before anyone goes in. The four-hour Double Dip reverses the usual order - reef, then sandbar - and is the one listing that tells you the landing is a wet one.
See dates for the snorkel cruise →
The stop that gets cancelled
A Sea Ventures guest in April describes arriving to be told “the snorkel part was going to be cancelled” for strong currents; several families cancelled, his continued without it. That is the honest shape of a winter booking here: the beach almost always runs, the reef stop sometimes does not, and the operators decide on the day. If the reef is the point of your trip, book a morning in the calmer months and keep the 24-hour free cancellation in mind.
Bring your own, or don’t
Masks and snorkels are on every list; fins mostly are not. Towels and sunscreen are on every exclusion list - and the sunscreen that belongs on a reef is the mineral kind, which two listings ask for by name. The beach page has the full packing list, and the Puerto Rico snorkeling comparison sets Icacos against Culebra, Vieques and the shore sites on the west coast.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
4.7/5
from 968 verified guests
"Great crew, great drinks, and great energy. Coming back in November and doing it with my family again."
"Excellent excursion for what I paid. Tuti, Chris and Andrea were a delight - they made our trip seamless and fun. Our driver Luis was amazing; he was prompt when picking us up from our hotel and brought us back that evening safe and sound. This was a 10/10 experience and I would definitely do it again!"
"They crew is very nice and welcoming. It was so fun and calming! I loved snorkeling and watching the fish swim around. I would definitely recommend booking this experience for your trip!!😇"
"This was the absolute BEST!!! Everything from A-Z was perfect. The crew was so much fun and accommodating. This was our first time visiting Fajardo and this excursion did not miss!!!"
"This was the highlight of our trip. Everything was perfect and the guides were amazing. They were not only helpful, but also entertaining. I would 100% recommend it to everyone"
"This experience was absolutely amazing. Our tour guides Andrew and Marie were very knowledgeable and helpful with all equipment and activities. Julie the bar tender was amazing, one of the best pina coladas I’ve ever had. And the captain Omar gave a smooth boat ride between islands with wonderful views. The snorkeling was exhilarating, lots of beautiful fish and even some sting rays. And spending time on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and using the slide brought the whole trip together. Will definitely come back!"
Read all 968 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Icacos Snorkel Cruise
The 1:30 pm cruise from Marina Puerto Chico: guided reef snorkel, light lunch, slide, bar - rated 4.7 by 945 verified guests, from about $117, free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Icacos is the named destination, weather permitting, and we say so. Starting from $117 per person.
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Find a tour that fits your schedule. Dates and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Cayo Icacos Snorkeling FAQ
What people ask before booking a reef boat - answered in the first sentence, sourced from the operators' listings and their guests in the ones after.
Good, shallow and easy - a coral shelf with plenty of fish, and turtles as a sometimes. Sea Ventures' dive crew lists 'fish and turtles' as what to look for; Sail Getaway describes tropical fish and thriving corals; guests write about seeing 'lots of fish'. It is a beginner's reef in calm conditions, which is why the luxury sail runs a clinic there for children. It is not a drift dive or a wall, and nobody on this page promises rays or sharks. On a day after a blow the water goes milky; on a calm winter morning it is at its clearest.
A mask and snorkel are on every listing; fins mostly are not. Snorkeling Puerto Rico, Sea Ventures, Sail Getaway and Tena Rock all include snorkelling equipment, and Tena Rock lists kids' gear; the water taxi includes a mask and snorkel but excludes fins. Flotation devices are listed on the Sail Getaway and Tena Rock boats. Towels and sunscreen are excluded everywhere, and two listings ask for biodegradable sunscreen by name - the mineral kind is what belongs on a reef.
Sea Ventures - an hour to an hour and a half in the water with a USCG-certified crew, then two and a half hours on the beach. It is also the cheapest reef boat at $110 plus a $3 marine fee in cash, leaving Villa Marina at 2:30 pm. Snorkeling Puerto Rico's cruise puts a guided session first, then the beach, with the slide for the children; Sail Getaway's Double Dip does reef then sandbar in four hours; the luxury sail runs a beginner clinic. They are compared above.
Yes - the reef stop is the part of the day that goes first when the current runs. A Sea Ventures guest in April was told on arrival that the snorkel part was cancelled; some families cancelled, his continued with the beach only. Every listing reserves the right to cancel for weather with a full refund, and every one cancels free up to 24 hours before (checked October 2026). If the reef is the point, book a morning in the calmer months and watch the forecast the day before.
Not strictly for the beach boats, but the reef is open water. The boats anchor off the reef and you swim from the ladder; flotation is provided on the Sail Getaway and Tena Rock boats and East Island's Culebra listing says plainly that you must be able to swim to snorkel. The luxury sail's clinic exists for beginners and children. If you are not a swimmer, the water-taxi beach day keeps you in waist-deep water off the sand.
Culebra has the bigger reefs and the famous beach; Icacos has the short crossing and the lower price. East Island runs both from the same marina: the Icacos day is $155 and about 45 minutes out; the Culebra day is $185, 50 to 55 minutes each way on a faster boat, lands on Flamenco or Culebrita depending on conditions, and requires a 50-to-70-foot swim from the boat to the beach. Icacos is the easier, cheaper, closer day; Culebra is the one people cross an ocean for. The full comparison is here.
Still have questions? Email us at info@cayo-icacos.com