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Snorkeling La Palma, Quick Facts
Snorkeling In La Palma, Small Groups, Clear Water
A guided snorkel in the clear water of Los Cancajos, on the east coast of La Palma, with a maximum of five guests per guide. All the gear is included, wetsuit too, and the guides are trained at a PADI instructor development centre, so the standard is higher than a rental shop on the beach. It starts at 10:00 and lasts about three hours, ten minutes by taxi from the cruise port in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Families from eight years, first-timers welcome, and you just need to be able to swim.
Small groups are the whole point here. Five people, one guide, nobody lost at the back.
What You See In The Water
La Palma has some of the clearest water in the Canary Islands, because the island is young, steep and has almost no sand to cloud it. The east coast at Los Cancajos is sheltered, with lava rock, small bays and a reef close to shore. The guide takes you along the rock where the life is, points things out, and keeps the group together.
🐠 Honest About The Marine Life
Common: schools of Atlantic fish, parrotfish, damselfish, trumpetfish, sometimes an octopus hiding in the rock.
Sometimes: rays on the sand, cuttlefish, and seasonal visitors depending on the month.
This is the Atlantic, not the Red Sea. No coral gardens, no guaranteed turtles. Natural, clear and quiet, and the visibility is the reason people come back.
⚠ Before You Book, Please Read
You must be able to swim. This is open ocean from the shore, not a pool. The guide watches the group but does not give swimming lessons. Children from eight years are welcome with a parent in the water, and groups stay small.
No hotel pickup. You make your own way to the dive centre in Los Cancajos. From the cruise port or Santa Cruz it is about ten minutes by taxi; from the resort hotels in Los Cancajos you can walk.
Is This Trip For You?
Read both sides before you book. We would rather you choose right than feel let down.
✅ Book It If
- You want a calm, guided snorkel in clear water with a small group.
- It is your first time, or your children's first time, and you want a guide who actually watches.
- You are on a cruise and want a real activity that fits between docking and sailing.
- You can swim and are comfortable in the sea.
🚫 Maybe Skip It If
- You cannot swim, or you are nervous in open water.
- You expect coral and turtles on demand. Nature decides here.
- You want a boat trip. This snorkel goes in from the shore.
- You want to breathe underwater. That is the try dive, next door on the same page of our site.
Your Snorkel Trip, Step By Step
Meet At The Dive Centre
Meet at the dive centre in Los Cancajos, the exact spot is on your e-ticket. You are fitted with a wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins, all included, and get a short briefing in English, Spanish or German.
Into The Water
A short walk to the entry point and in you go from the shore. The guide leads along the rock and the reef, at the pace of the slowest person, never the fastest.
The Snorkel
Fish, the rock, the drop-off, an octopus if you are lucky. The guide points things out and keeps the small group together.
Back At The Centre
Rinse off, hand back the gear, and you are free. Cruise guests are back at the ship with time to spare.
Arriving By Cruise Ship?
This is one of the easiest shore activities on La Palma. Ships dock in Santa Cruz de La Palma, and the dive centre in Los Cancajos is about ten minutes away by taxi, with taxis waiting at the port. The 10:00 start gives you a morning in the water and the afternoon in the old town.
Send us your ship's arrival and departure times when you book, or on WhatsApp before, and we tell you honestly whether the timing fits. If it does not, we say so.
Private Snorkel
Private snorkel: your group only, your own guide, on request. The calm option for nervous swimmers, families with small children, or anyone who wants photos without a group around. Message us and we set it up.
Make it a full La Palma day: snorkel in the morning, then the private stargazing night at Roque de los Muchachos, the thing La Palma is famous for. See everything we do on the island on our La Palma experiences page.
Where To Book This Snorkel Trip
Book direct with Club Canary, the local team from the Canary Islands: a small deposit reserves your spot, the rest is paid at the dive centre, cash or card, and real people on WhatsApp answer fast. With five spots per guide, the good slots fill up.
Best Price Guarantee, a small deposit now and the rest on the day, and real people on WhatsApp every day from 08:00 to 22:00, in English, Spanish, German and Dutch. Club Canary is the official ticket seller, a licensed local PADI dive centre in Los Cancajos runs the activity. Rated 4.8/5 from 1,400+ verified reviews.
The practical stuff, tap a section to open it
What's Included On The Snorkel Trip
- A guided snorkel from the shore in Los Cancajos, about 3 hours.
- All gear: wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins.
- Surface interval refreshments.
- A professional guide from a PADI instructor development centre, in English, Spanish or German.
- Maximum 5 guests per guide, smaller groups when children join.
- A safety briefing before you go in.
- Best Price Guarantee with Club Canary.
Price: 35€ per person. You book with an 8€ deposit online and pay the rest, 27€, at the dive centre.
Group discount: the bigger the group, the more you save. The discount comes off your deposit, so you pay less up front. Pick your number of guests when you book and the price updates.
Not included: hotel pickup and transport. Taxi from the port or Santa Cruz is about ten minutes.
Private snorkel: your group only, price on request. Message us.
Good To Know Before Your Snorkel
- Starts at 10:00, every day, and lasts about three hours. Arrive 15 to 30 minutes before. The dive centre is in Los Cancajos, east coast of La Palma, and the exact spot is on your Club Canary e-ticket.
- You must be able to swim and be comfortable in the sea. The guide watches the group but does not teach swimming. First time snorkeling is fine; the guide shows you how the mask and snorkel work before you go in.
- From 8 years, with a parent in the water. Groups stay small when children join. Under 18s need a parent or guardian to sign.
- Swimwear under your clothes, a towel, sunscreen, water. Leave valuables at the hotel or on the ship.
- No hotel pickup. Taxi from the cruise port or Santa Cruz about ten minutes; walkable from the Los Cancajos hotels. Rental car: free parking nearby.
- English, Spanish and German guides. Tell us your language when you book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be able to swim?
Yes. This is open ocean from the shore, not a pool. You must be able to swim and be comfortable in the sea. The guide watches the group but does not give swimming lessons.
Is it suitable for children?
From eight years, with a parent in the water. Groups stay small when children join, and under 18s need a parent or guardian to sign.
Do I need snorkeling experience?
No. First-timers are welcome. The guide shows you how the mask, snorkel and fins work before you go in, then leads the group the whole time.
What is included?
The wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins, a professional guide, surface interval refreshments and a safety briefing. You bring swimwear, a towel and sunscreen.
Where does it start and how do I get there?
At the dive centre in Los Cancajos, on the east coast of La Palma, about ten minutes by taxi from the cruise port. There is no hotel pickup.
Is it good for cruise passengers?
Yes. The centre is about ten minutes from the port, with a 10:00 start, so you are back at the ship with time to spare. Send your ship times when you book and we confirm.
What might I see in the water?
Atlantic fish, parrotfish, trumpetfish, maybe an octopus or a ray. It is clear, calm Atlantic water, not a coral reef, so marine life is never guaranteed.
What happens if the sea is too rough?
If the guide decides the sea is not safe, you move to another time, another day, or get a full refund. You never lose money when the operator cancels.
Booking & Cancellation Policy
Deposit & Payment
- You book with a small deposit through Club Canary and pay the rest at the dive centre on the day, cash or card.
Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours before your start time, or 72 hours for groups of 5 or more, by emailing office@clubcanary.com. Your deposit comes back in full.
- 24 to 48 hours before: you lose your full deposit. No exceptions.
- 12 to 24 hours before: you lose your deposit and pay 60% of the remaining balance. We send you a payment link.
- Less than 12 hours before, a no-show, or arriving too late: you lose your deposit and pay the full remaining balance (100%). We send you a payment link.
The Only Exception
- A real doctor or hospital paper that says you cannot take part, dated before the activity or the same morning. It covers the person named on it, not the whole group. Feeling unwell without it is not enough for a refund. We know this is strict, and it is the only way we can protect against last-minute cancellations.
Weather & Sea
- If the guide decides the sea is not safe, you choose another time, another day, or a full refund. You never lose money when the operator cancels.
- Cruise guests: if the sea is cancelled and you cannot come back another day, you get a full refund.
Wildlife
- This is the open ocean. Fish, octopus and rays are often seen but never guaranteed, and there is no refund for what nature does or does not show.
Complaints, On The Day Only
- Any issue must be raised with the guide on the day, so it can be fixed right away. Club Canary is not on site and cannot process complaints or refunds after the activity.
Swimming & Health
- You must be able to swim. If you have a medical condition, or your doctor would not recommend snorkeling, please do not take part. Follow the guide's instructions at all times.
Questions or a private group? Message our local team on WhatsApp, open daily 08:00 to 22:00.
Club Canary's Honest Take
Real talk from your local team in the Canary Islands
La Palma is the quiet island, and the water around it is some of the clearest in the Canaries. This snorkel is the simple way to see it: a guide, five people, the right gear, in from the shore at Los Cancajos. No boat, no fuss, no forty people in matching life jackets.
We chose this centre because it trains dive instructors, which tells you how they treat a beginner with a mask on for the first time. Small groups are not a marketing line here, they are the rule. And for cruise guests it is the easiest yes on the island: ten minutes from the ship, a 10:00 start, back with time to spare.
Clear water, a small group and a guide who watches. Book the 10:00, then go and see the old town.
Book Now WhatsApp Our Local TeamMade with love by the Club Canary Team.
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