Cozumel

Cozumel in the Spring

Last year, in April, my husband and I took a trip to Cozumel. Even though the trip was wonderful and we would do it again in a heartbeat, we would do things a lot differently next time.
We opted to land in Cancun because we found the airfare a lot cheaper. However, the long bus ride into Cozumel and the ferry across was exhausting even though it was adventurous. The difference in airfare was not worth the loss of time and the need to carry our luggage to two extra destinations. The only thing that was beneficial about this mistake was that we got to see Playa del Carmen right away and got to understand how the ferry system works. It also gave us a chance to visit Senor Frog which was quite entertaining with all the loud music, bucket of shrimp and fries, waiters dancing on the counters, and the girls dancing on stage.

The cost difference to fly to Cozumel instead was about $200 each. So although we saved $400 give or take, we lost time but I gained info to share with you. One thing you should know about Cozumel is that there are no buses on the Island. You can rent a car, jeep, or a scooter, or take a taxi. The Island is not that big so you could see the whole thing in a few days but a week would be best. The beaches are very nice but the side that is not the marina is more open and therefore, windy and the current is stronger.

If you snorkel and you are advanced and a good swimmer, you may want to take a catamaran tour and go out to the ocean to see the reef. It’s beautiful and worth it. If you are a beginner and not a good swimmer like me, you would be wise to snorkel off of your resort first to get use to the idea of it again and rent the gear from your resort, a nearby shop, or bring your own. It’s cheaper and you won’t have to pay an hourly rate to use the resort equipment.
I made the mistake of taking the catamaran trip first and therefore did not enjoy the ocean like my husband did. Later I snorkeled off of the resort beach and became comfortable with it again and wished I would have had my own gear so we could snorkel together. We only rented one set so we had to take turns. The other great thing to do in Cozumel is scuba dive. It’s one of the best places to scuba in the world and it’s where the divers go.

We also visited the Tequila factory and had a very personalized tour and became educated on the process of Tequila and the different types. Now we know what type to sip, throw back, and use in Margaritas.

There is a lot of great places to eat and one of the places that we loved and would go again was Bob Marley’s famous shrimp spot. I have to say the shrimp was the best I ever had. Make sure you order the grilled shrimp, it’s to die for. It's very laid back, you can wear anything, and watch the waves crash up against the shore as you eat the take a dive afterwards. It’s located on the north side of the Island which is the same side of the more private beaches.

Another great restaurant we visited was in town not too far from our resort. The Casa Mission restaurant located, 55 Avenida entre Avenida Juárez y calle 1º Sur. Cozumel, Quintana Roo, México Phone: (987) 872 1641 was very Spanish and they had the best food in an atmosphere that was home like but fancy as well. The owners live there and if you walk around you can see their private dining area which is nicely decorated in Spanish décor.

The kitchen is outdoors because of a fire but it’s still functional for the waiters to serve you with a prompt and personal touch. They have a trio singing there which adds to the ambiance. I would recommend the fish since Cozumel is famous for its fishing.

The other thing that we found fascinating was the tour we took to Chichinitza. The ruins are spectacular and the drive there is interesting with little towns tucked in along the way and make sure you stop at the stores to buy your turquoise. There is also a place nearby the ruins where you can go to the cave and take a dive to cool off.

Another location that I loved was Playa del Carmen. There is lots of shopping to do there and lots of restaurants. However, you never have to leave Cozumel because they have the same thing and we found better prices on t-shirts, bags, and souvenirs.

We also took a ride in our rented Jeep wrangler to the light house and hoped to see the Dolphin center. It ended up being too windy that day so we were only able to see the lighthouse. It was magnificent since we were able to climb to the top inside on the spiral staircase. Once we reached the top, the view was amazing and the wind was so strong we had to hold on. You might want to pick a day that the winds are not strong on that side of the Island.