Cayo Coral, a small island between Isla Bastimentos and Isla Popa, hosts some really beautiful coral reefs, supposedly among the most beautiful in the Bocas archipelago. 300 yards off of the island is a reef where snorkeling occurs. The waters in this area are especially calm and clear and are sheltered from the open sea making snorkeling extremely easy and giving you ample time to appreciate the varied underwater life. You reach the spot by boat, and climb the ladder off the boat to get into the water. The water is turquoise and clean (I only picked up one pice of trash my whole snorkel) and relatively shallow with a depth of 10-12 feet throughout. I saw a fantastic collection of varied fish species and some really beautiful coral. After your snorkel make your way to the restaurant on stilts on Cayo Coral. The water is beautiful here and it’s a nice place to stop for drinks or a snack while fish swim under you.
Tips:
- Try and go early (8-9) in the morning as many excursions come here and if you come early you can avoid other snorkelers.
- Please wear ocean friendly sunscreen. Some of the coral is already bleached thanks to acidification of the ocean and chemicals in many sunscreens hurt it further. Look for sunscreen without oxybenzone and octinoxate. My favorite brands are Sun Bum Reef Friendly Sunscreen, Badger, and Klar.
Tour options if you aren’t staying at Popa Paradise: