Cozumel Review

Overall 4.67 of 5 view all 3 reviews

mrkstvns
Austin, TX

What a Dive!!

on the beach, snorkling, active traveler, exploring Mexican culture

Pros

unparalleled diving, spectacular snorkling, scenic Caribbean island

MAR

2008

Mexico has so many spectacular beach destinations that it can sometimes be hard to know which one is really "the best". Of course the right answer is always "it depends", and when it comes to Cozumel, what it depends on is how much you and your family like spending your time under the water. People who come for the diving and snorkling are the people who get the most out of their Cozumel vacation: Cozumel is quite simply *THE* best dive destination in Mexico, and coral reefs are the reason. Cozumel is home of the world's second largest coral reef. Only Australia's Great Barrier Reef eclipses Cozumel's Palancar Reef in size, but many professional divers say that the diving is actually much better in Cozumel than anywhere else in the world. The only downside I can see for the diving afficianado is that the word on Cozumel has long since gotten around and there are literally dozens of dive shops and no shortage of daily trips to every major site surrounding the island. You won't ever have a sense that the ocean is your own, but if the fish can stand you, so can the other divers.

Cozumel is one of those places where an explosion of colorful undersea life awaits you just below the waves. The waters of Cozumel are spectacular: warm and crystal clear, with an unearthly light turqoise color that gets its color from all the bleach white soft coral sand that's found all along the Caribbean coast. Some visitors come to Cozumel expecting the same kind of impossibly long, wide, stunningly beautiful beaches that you find in Cancun or Playa del Carmen, but most of Cozumel isn't really like that. Much of its shoreline is rocky, particularly towards the east end of the island, and not all that inviting to the casual swimmer. It's still beautifully scenic, but Cozumel isn't a real "beach bum paradise" in the way that Cancun and Playa del Carmen are. There are some excellent beaches though, particularly as you head towards the western end of the island, and quite a few of the big resort hotels have beaches that are, to be honest, much better than your typical Pacific Coast resort area. There's good beaches on Cozumel, even though I still think of it as primarily a "dive" destination.

There are several outstanding resort hotels on the island, each offering a wide range of swimming pools, spa services, tennis clubs, and daily kids activities. Our family owns a timeshare unit in the Sol Melia (bought on the resale market, of course --- we ain't idiots), and that's the only big resort hotel that we've had any experience with. It's rooms are first class and spacious, it has a very nice beachfront location that's quite good for swimming and sunbathing, and there's sea kayaks and windsurfing rigs available for guest use. I'm not necessarily endorsing the Sol Melia over other areas, but I can assure you that it's a modern, clean, spacious place with lots of water activities for everyone in the family. Some of the other big resort hotels nearby area the El Cozumeleno, the Fiesta Americana, the Presidente Inter-Continental, the Iberostar, and the Cozumel Palace. Some of these might well be even better than the Sol Melia...just try to avoid the all-inclusive though...you can ALWAYS score better, fresher, more authentic food and usually lower prices by just eating in the many small restaurants around town. *NO* all-inclusive hotel on Cozumel will have better food or better deals than you can easily find locally....the folks who tell you otherwise are either marketing people for the hotels or those who just plain do a whole lot more talking than tasting and thinking.

For the land-stuck crowd, the attractions of Cozumel are the town of San Miguel, the small Mayan archaelogical site at San Gervasio, the Chankanaab National Park, which includes a large protected lagoon area that's good for casual snorkling and there's dolphin discovery opportunities and more. Nothing's far apart on Cozumel --- the island just isn't all that big --- and you can get around easily by renting a moped, golf cart, or maybe even a bike. I think there's ample activities for a few days, though if you want any of the big ticket attractions, you'll have to take the ferry across to the mainland, since there's a whole lot more variety along the coast.

San Miguel is a pleasant town, and there are numerous shops for souvenirs though the truly unique items and the genuine bargains are rare birds indeed (the shopping opportunities are NOTHING like they are in Puerto Vallarta). There's also plenty of great dining options in San Miguel. There's some cozy, local-flavor places, as well as your usual chain restaurants and clubs, like Senor Frogs. After spending a day out on the dive boat, by the pool, or on the beach, its fun to unwind in the evening by strolling along the Malecon --- the wonderful seaside walkway where couple casually stroll hand-in hand, trying to ignore the families with laughing, running children. The Malecon is the place to see and be seen on a warm Cozumel evening. There are also nightclubs where you can enjoy some music, dancing, and drinking after the sun goes down. San Miguel is a lively place, and it's the hub of life on Cozumel.

Cozumel is one of Mexico's most popular resort destinations, not to mention a popular stop for cruise ships doing their western Caribbean itineraries. It's a scenic place and there's some excellent activities, though the diving is really the exceptional drawing card that brings in the big spenders --- the coral reefs and undersea life around the island are really what Cozumel is all about. And if finding Nemo and his friends is what you want to do, you will NOT be disappointed by a Cozumel trip.

Last edited on Apr 04, 2008