Cozumel, Mexico

COZUMEL
Cozumel has some great shopping and is known for its snorkeling. In general, bargaining is expected on this island – know your prices to ensure that you don’t get taken advantage of.

There is more than one pier where cruise ships dock so transportation prices to a destination can vary depending on which pier your ship docks at. You can get information on the various piers and find out where your ship will be docking by visiting: http://www.cozumelinsider.com/cruiseships

MAPS OF COZUMEL
www.si-mexico.com/city_maps/cozumel_area_map.htm
This map shows all of the beaches and dive/snorkel sites on the island.

www.cozumel.net/1maps/citymap.htm
This map is of downtown Cozumel.

ATTRACTIONS
Chankanaab Park is a great place to visit. They have a pool, snorkeling, a dolphin swim and a manatee encounter. They only allow biodegradable sunscreen to minimize harm to the fish, dolphins and coral. A $12 cab each way (4 people) will get you there and admission is $19 for adults and $10 for kids. There is a $2 off admission coupon on their website ( http://www.cozumelparks.com/ ).

It is not extremely crowded and people say that the snorkeling is good. There was some damage during a hurricane a few years ago but the reef is starting to recover.

Mini-Golf - See website for location and pricing.  www.eagleraydivers.com/minigolf.htm

Playa Del Carmen - you can take a ferry over to the mainland to Playa Del Carmen for the day.  There are two ferry companies, Barcos Mexico and Ultramar, that take passengers between Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen.  Round trip fare is about $15 per person and the trip takes between 30 and 45 minutes each way.

When you get off the ferry, you will be at the end of 5th Avenue, which is a pedestrian-only street lined with shops and restaurants.  The beach runs right along the street so you won't have to go far to find what you're looking for.  Walk to the north if you want to get away from the crowds.

You can also take a cab from there to the Xcarat Eco Theme Park or Tulum (Mayan ruins).  Plan carefully and be aware of the time to ensure that you get the ferry back to Cozumel in time to be back on board for departure.

BEACHES
Most of the appeal of Cozumel is its beaches. There are beaches all along the coastline and the majority of them are associated with a beach club. All beaches in Cozumel are public and free to access but, if you want to use the loungers/umbrellas at the beach clubs, they will expect you to buy drinks and/or food. If you don't want to pay for access, just find a spot (not in front of the loungers), put your towel down and enjoy your day. I will summarize of few of the most popular beaches:

Paradise Beach – http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/
This is an extremely popular option if you just want a fun beach day. It is a $12 cab each way (up to 4 ppl). At Paradise Beach, it is usually expected that you will buy about $10pp worth of drinks/food (I would say for adults…not the kids if they aren’t using the loungers). They have lots of water toys and things like water trampolines, etc. $10 pp for kids to use the water toys all day. There are larger toys for older kids and smaller toys for younger kids.

Playa Mia - is an all-inclusive day resort where many ship's excursions go for their 'beach break' tours...which means that there are lots of people and a party atmosphere. If that's your thing, then this is the place to go!! There are several package options that range in price from $16 up to $70pp. A cab ride takes 10 minutes and costs between $14-$16 for up to 4 people.

Nachi Cocom Beach Club - This beach club also operates like an all inclusive. You pay a flat rate for the day and have access to the amenities, drinks and food. For an extra cost, you can book a massage, a snorkel tour to the world-famous Palancar reef or even parasailing. They limit the number of people to 100 daily and rumour has it that it may be down to 80 people now, so it's best if you make your arrangements in advance. You can get more details and book your spot through Island Marketing at: http://www.cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/CozumelBeachBreak.htm.

Playa Palancar - The attraction at this beach is the nearby Palancar Reef which is world famous for its excellent snorkeling. They offer snorkel tours out to the reef for $35pp adult. This beach is a bit of a drive and is somewhat isolated so there aren't many crowds. A cab to the beach will cost you between $17-$20 each way for up to 4 people. They do have a website but it seems to have some technical difficulties and you can't always make the 'english' button work so everything is in Spanish. http://www.buceopalancar.com/index.html

Playa Uvas - http://www.playauvas.com/
This beach club has received excellent reviews in the past but since they now only offer their 'clear kayak' excursions for ship's tours, visitors are less than pleased with not having this popular activity available to them. Carmen and Eduardo appear to offer excellent customer service and go out of their way to ensure their visitors have a wonderful experience at Playa Uvas. They offer various package options for the day. You can find the options on their website. Click on 'full price list' for details and pricing. The snorkel tours get great reviews, as do the food and service. They have recently built a spa area for their popular massages!

Mr. Sancho's Beach Club - This is another beach club that offers an all-inclusive experience for the day. It is located just inside a protected marine park which means that they require you to wear only biodegradable sunscreen when swimming to ensure no harm comes to the fish and coral. They offer massages, shopping and a variety of water sports and activities. They also offer a horseback riding tour and an ATV tour along the beach.

Passion Island - This is a popular destination for those looking for a very quiet beach getaway with not a lot of activity. It is located on a private island off the coast of Cozumel. Food and drinks are included in the price. Lots of ship's excursions visit here, as well, so there are often lots of people around but there seems to never be a problem with finding a quiet spot out of the way. You can arrange this excursion in advance ($65pp online-adult) through many online tour operators or you can also book it at the pier for $45pp at a kiosk. It is cheaper to arrange it on your own than to go through the cruise lines. Some tours offer a 'twister' boat ride that takes you on a speedboat to the island and spins you around in circles along the way.

SNORKEL TOURS
The two outfits that receive excellent reviews online are:

Mystic Snorkel - Rave reviews for snorkel tours offered by Swiss-born, Rosi. The tours leave from Caleta Harbor which is about 10 minutes from port and costs about an $8 cab to get there. The tour lasts approximately 4 hours and visits 3 different stops (35-40 minutes each). The cost is $65 pp adult. You can get more info and an email contact for Rosi at: http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com/Pages/CozumelCruiseToursSnorkeling.htm

Eagle Ray Divers - http://www.eagleraydivers.com/index.htm

Enjoy all that Cozumel has to offer!!