It is also spur and groove reef here to explore, just deeper. Toward the right side of the beach there is a rocky point and the water is deeper in front of it, 15 feet or so. But it can be poor if the weather isn’t right. The water visibility snorkeling Hideaways Beach can be very good during calm summer days. There is very little live coral, but there are tons of fish, and the channels provide interesting topography to explore. There is no real reason to swim a long ways out though.

You can swim straight out until you get close to where the waves are breaking, and you will still be in shallow reef.

The water depths are fairly shallow on the reef in front of the beach, no more than 10 feet. Sometimes you can find an area to swim over the reef farther out to get to the next groove over. You can snorkel in and out of the grooves in front of the beach. It comes very close to the shoreline making the access once you reach the beach easy. The beach here can be quite steep, so watch for large drop-offs in the sand on entry and exit.Īs you will see through your polarized sunglasses on the way down the hill, there is a lot of spur and groove reef here that runs perpendicular to the beach. It is quite easy though to find a channel to walk into and put on your fins. You can enter the water for snorkeling Hideaways Beach in bare feet, but be aware of the reef spurs that come close to the beach when you are entering both for your feet and so you don’t damage any coral that might be there. Water Entrance for Snorkeling Hideaways Beach That said, if you have the nerve and physical endurance to get down the hill, snorkeling Hideaways Beach is worth it. And when it has been raining, which is a lot of the time here, the dirt trail becomes extremely slippery mud. Have no doubt, this is a trail only for physically capable people. These spiky leftover handrail poles are dangerous, particularly if you happen to fall on one. There is a rusty handrail at the top and what used to be a handrail on the lower part of the trail that has now degraded into sharp bits of metal with some ropes, wires and garden hoses tied between them. The trail has gotten even more dangerous over recent years. If you miss a step you are going straight down the hillside. After a short section of flat trail, you will find a very steep set of stairs followed by what only can be described as a treacherously steep trail. You access Hideaways on the trail just east of the parking lot.

Hideaway beach