Tour vs. DIY Snorkeling in Cabo — The Trekking Pawns’ Thoughts 🌊🐠

-


We’re deep into planning our snorkeling time in Cabo San Lucas, and one of the big decisions is: book a tour or go at it ourselves. After comparing both and reading reviews, one tour in particular stands out — the Los Cabos Arch & Lover’s Beach Tour + Snorkeling Tour on GetYourGuide.

(Disclaimer: Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click or buy on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.) 

Here’s how we’re weighing our options.

✅ Why a Tour Looks Really Good

  • The tour includes a boat ride around the iconic Arch of Cabo San Lucas and a stop at the famous Lover’s Beach, so you get scenery plus snorkeling-time without having to swim out to the spots yourself. 

  • According to reviews, the guide is experienced and the gear + safety are handled: from the listing: “snorkel equipment, life jacket …” 

  • The tour explicitly notes that there’s a water taxi/boat portion, making it easier for those of us who aren’t super comfortable with strong currents or tricky access.

  • Recent reviews (4.9 stars from over 240 reviews) mention that even beginners felt well-taken-care-of.

Because of all that, it really reduces risk, stress and guess-work. If we go the tour route, we can relax knowing someone else has done the navigating, safety checks, and gear.

⚠️ Why DIY Could Be Fun… But Requires Care

  • DIY means more flexibility: pick the beach, snorkel on your own schedule, bring our own gear, find a quiet spot.

  • If we’re confident swimmers and can read the water + pick a safe spot, we could save money and feel more “free”.

  • BUT: Reviews and local guides warn that the currents around Cabo can be strong, especially near rock formations, arches, and when open to the Sea of Cortez. That means if you’re not an experienced snorkeler, DIY has added risk.

  • Also, finding the “right” snorkeling spot (good visibility, marine life, safe entry/exit) takes local knowledge. If we guess wrong, we could end up disappointed.

🎯 Our Decision (so far)

Given our comfort level + desire to both explore and feel safe:

  • We’re leaning toward reserving that tour (or a similar guided one) to guarantee a good snorkel experience with minimal risk.

  • At the same time, we’ll bring or rent minimal personal gear (mask/snorkel) so if we find a calm beach early, we might try a short DIY snorkel just for fun.

  • If we do DIY, we’ll choose a sheltered beach, go early in the day, avoid areas with heavy surf or strong outflow.

📝 Key Questions to Ask / Confirm Before Booking the Tour

  • Exactly which beach / rock formation the snorkeling happens at (so we can assess accessibility and current conditions).

  • Confirm that gear + life-jackets are included (yes, this tour does).

  • See what the cancellation policy is (this one allows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead). 

  • Ask if pick-up from the cruise dock or marina is included (makes logistics easier).

  • Check what time the boat leaves and returns — we’ll tie it into our walking/beach tour schedule so we don’t feel rushed.

🔮 Final Thought

Snorkeling in Cabo is something we really want to do well — not just as an afterthought. Booking the tour gives us a higher chance of great experience + safety, and as The Trekking Pawns, we value both. But we’ll keep our DIY option alive too for that spontaneous “Oh I want to dive in right here!” moment.

With the boat + arch + sea lion colony + guided snorkel all wrapped into one, this tour ticks a lot of boxes. If you’re lounging it up and want lowest stress: go tour. If you’re geared up, confident and want total freedom: DIY might be your jam.

We’ll report back after booking — and share whether the tour lived up to the hype (spoiler: we expect it will).
— The Trekking Pawns

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Exploring Storyville: The Scandalous Past of New Orleans’ Jazz and Red-Light District

-
Image
As part of our pre-trip journey into the rich and colorful history of New Orleans, we’ve been reading The Seamstress of New Orleans . The novel has been a fascinating guide, weaving together the city’s iconic culture with its complex history. One place that keeps popping up in the book is Storyville, a district infamous for legal prostitution and gambling. Intrigued, we had to find out if this place truly existed—and wow, what a story we uncovered! (Disclaimer: Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click or buy on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.)  (Photo: Amazon ) The History of Storyville Yes, Storyville was very real. From 1897 to 1917, this legalized red-light district was the beating heart of New Orleans’ nightlife. It was named after Alderman Sidney Story, who ironically didn’t intend for his name to become synonymous with debauchery. The district was bordered by Iberville, Basin, St. Louis, and No...
Read more

Getting Around Nice with Public Transportation: A Seamless Experience!

-
Image
As The Trekking Pawns, we’re all about making the most of our travels—and that includes figuring out the easiest and most affordable way to get around! During our time in Nice, France, we discovered a few public transportation options that made exploring the Côte d’Azur a breeze. With the city’s modern contactless cards from Lignes d’Azur , getting around has never been easier. Here’s a quick rundown of what we learned and how we plan to use these options during our French adventures. 1. "Ma Carte" : The Ultimate Go-To for Regular Travelers We love the convenience of the "Ma Carte"! This personalized contactless card can be reloaded with ease and comes with your name and photo, so it feels like your very own travel buddy. For just €2, you get a reusable card that allows you to purchase and top up occasional tickets or season passes. Plus, if you ever lose it (we’ve all been there), you can get it replaced along with all the tickets you’ve purchased. Super convenient...
Read more

Beignets Are Calling: Our Sweet Adventure in New Orleans Awaits

-
Image
  While planning our upcoming trip to New Orleans , there’s one thing we’ve already decided on: we’re going all in on beignets . The very moment we started talking to people about our trip, three separate conversations began with, “You HAVE to try the beignets.” Without even asking for recommendations, this fried, powdered-sugar-dusted treat was at the top of everyone’s must-try list. (Image: AI generated. Real pictures to come when we go!) (Disclaimer: Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click or buy on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.) We’ll admit, we’ve never had a beignet before. We’ve had donuts—plenty of donuts—but from what we’ve heard, beignets are something else entirely. Curious, we dug into their history via the Food Network (recipies can also be found here ). Beignets, as we learned, are square, puffy pastries made with a less-sweet dough and fried to golden perfection before being bu...
Read more