Which Snorkelling Tour to the Arch in Los Cabos Should You Book?
6 min read
Book the Los Cabos Arch & Lover’s Beach Tour + Snorkeling Tour if you want the Arch and a swim for the least money and the best record: €45.07, 2 hours, 4.9 stars from 375 reviews. For roughly the same price, the Snorkeling Excursion and The Arch Experience is the one to look at if crowds bother you: €46.15, 2 hours, 5.0 stars from 38 reviews.
See availability and prices for the Arch & Lover’s Beach Tour + Snorkeling
Five ways to snorkel at the Arch
| Trip | Duration | Price from | Rating | Where you swim |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arch & Lover’s Beach Tour + Snorkeling | 2 hours | €45.07 | 4.9 (375 reviews) | Pelican Rock |
| Snorkeling Excursion and The Arch Experience | 2 hours | €46.15 | 5.0 (38 reviews) | A quieter spot, per the listing |
| Cabo Catamaran Snorkel: Arch & Santa Maria | 3 hours | €62.45 | 4.3 (127 reviews) | Santa Maria Bay, with an open bar |
| Kayak to The Arch & Snorkel + Transport & Photos | 2.5 hours | €77.88 | 4.9 (42 reviews) | After paddling there |
| The Arch and Lover’s Beach Kayaking + Snorkeling | 3.5 hours | €84.13 | 4.9 (334 reviews) | Around Neptune’s Finger |
The question is where you get in
All five visit the Arch. What differs is the water you end up in, and how much effort it takes to get there. The cheapest trip snorkels at Pelican Rock, which its description calls a natural aquarium. It also passes the sea lion colony and several caves around Lover’s Beach, so the two hours are more than a swim.
The quieter alternative
The Snorkeling Excursion promises “calmer waters and fewer crowds”, a colourful ecosystem of tropical fish, the Arch and sea lions. Those are the listing’s words, and a promise of calm is not a guarantee of it. Its five stars come from 38 reviews, a smaller base than the leader’s 361, so it is a good second choice rather than a proven better one. It costs €1.12 more.
The catamaran: a different bay and an open bar
On the 3-hour catamaran you sail on a 46-foot boat to the Arch and then to Santa Maria Bay for what the description calls a complete snorkelling tour, with an unlimited open bar and snacks. You swim in a different bay from the Arch, and you do not paddle. The price of that comfort is €17.95 over the cheapest trip and a lower rating, 4.5. The full comparison of Arch catamarans is in our guide to catamaran tours to the Arch.
The kayak routes: snorkelling as a reward
Both kayak trips are mostly paddling. The 3.5-hour one covers Land’s End, Lover’s Beach and Neptune’s Finger. The 2.5-hour one uses Hobie kayaks, which its description calls very stable, and includes transport and photos. The kayak routes are the right answer if you want to arrive under your own power; they are the wrong one if you want most of the time in the water, because paddling takes up part of the clock. Our kayak comparison covers them in detail.
Before you pay
The descriptions do not all say whether snorkel gear is provided, so confirm it on the booking page. Nor does any of them say how long you actually spend in the water within the two or three hours. Compare the sailing time with the swim time rather than the headline duration.
Clear recommendation
Book the Arch & Lover’s Beach Tour + Snorkeling. It is the cheapest tour here, the most reviewed and among the best rated. Choose the catamaran instead if you want a bar and a second bay, and the kayak only if you are happy to earn your swim.
