Playa Piedras Pintas
San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico
Playa Piedras Pintas is a rocky beach at San Carlos in Sonora, Mexico, with rock formations that form natural pools full of tropical fish, starfish and sea urchins. It is considered the best snorkeling you can reach from shore in San Carlos. The views from the rocks are a bonus.
The best shore snorkeling in San Carlos, though the rocks and urchins call for water shoes and care.
How we score beachesSnorkel the rock pools in the morning when visibility is best, and wear water shoes on the rocks. Watch the urchins.
Park near the access and walk to the rocks. Check current signage for any fees.
The shore is rocky and uneven, so it is not suited to strollers or wheelchairs.
Summers are very hot, with highs of 35 to 38 C from June through September, and the water warms to the high 20s Celsius. The comfortable beach season runs from early December to early March, and hurricane season can bring peripheral storms.
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