loady
Contributor
We are looking at high end Coz resorts that have proximity to great diving. What would be your top picks?
Cozumel luxury resorts close to great diving?
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South end will typically get you to the close to the better diving (shorter boat rides) but farther from town.
For a High End resort....maybe check out Secrets as its Adult Only and has you close to the diving.
I'm not big on resorts, I've stayed at park royal a few times but don't see myself staying at another resort unless we go with friends or family that don't dive.
For a High End resort....maybe check out Secrets as its Adult Only and has you close to the diving.
I'm not big on resorts, I've stayed at park royal a few times but don't see myself staying at another resort unless we go with friends or family that don't dive.
99% of diving in Coz is boat diving. Most operators will pick you up at the pier of your resort and go from there. Most of higher end resorts with actual beaches are on the South end of the island. They are closer to some of the deeper dive sites, but not necessarily better. Best literally changes daily...even hourly. There is a favorite Reef for everyone, you just have to find it. Lots of aquatic life, swim throughs, pillars/pinnacles, wall dives, ripping current dives, finger coral, Devils throat, wrecks, sharks, Lionfish hunting, barren sand with all kinds of small things living in it, and lots more are options.
Unless You have a private charter, the dive sites for the day are selected based on divers choice along with divers skill level, the conditions of the day including current, visibility, and how recent the last great white shark, kraken, or killer whale attack was. The cattle boats will generally just pick a site based on conditions suitable for most divers. Cattle boats suck.
We dive with Aldora for the big tanks, long dives, multiple small fast 6-pack boats, and valet service...not to mention Jorge and Sharief are two of the best divemasters we have ever dove with anywhere. Just like the reefs, there is a perfect op for everyone, you just have to find which op works best for you.
It doesn't matter where you stay, most of the diving, with the exception of the Northern dive sites, is within a 10- 30 minute boat ride.
We prefer to stay in town but we stayed at Sunscape next to Secrets once and it wasn't what I would call high end. It was nice, but high end to me is on an end a totally different level that I'm not sure exists in Coz.
Good luck, safe travels,
Jay
Unless You have a private charter, the dive sites for the day are selected based on divers choice along with divers skill level, the conditions of the day including current, visibility, and how recent the last great white shark, kraken, or killer whale attack was. The cattle boats will generally just pick a site based on conditions suitable for most divers. Cattle boats suck.
We dive with Aldora for the big tanks, long dives, multiple small fast 6-pack boats, and valet service...not to mention Jorge and Sharief are two of the best divemasters we have ever dove with anywhere. Just like the reefs, there is a perfect op for everyone, you just have to find which op works best for you.
It doesn't matter where you stay, most of the diving, with the exception of the Northern dive sites, is within a 10- 30 minute boat ride.
We prefer to stay in town but we stayed at Sunscape next to Secrets once and it wasn't what I would call high end. It was nice, but high end to me is on an end a totally different level that I'm not sure exists in Coz.
Good luck, safe travels,
Jay
I've never stayed at the far south resorts, but the InterContinental Presidente was quite nice. It would have qualified as high end 30 or 40 years ago, but not today.
But the most luxurious trip I had to Coz was renting a large condo at El Cantil with another couple and chartering a private dive boat for the four of us for the week. The building has its own dock where we were picked up for the dives and it's right in town, so all the great restaurant choices of Coz are within walking distance. I can highly recommend this strategy if you can get by without on-site spa treatments and a white sand beach.
But the most luxurious trip I had to Coz was renting a large condo at El Cantil with another couple and chartering a private dive boat for the four of us for the week. The building has its own dock where we were picked up for the dives and it's right in town, so all the great restaurant choices of Coz are within walking distance. I can highly recommend this strategy if you can get by without on-site spa treatments and a white sand beach.
robd
Registered
I have stayed at Secrets and Sunscape, I would have to agree Cozumel does not seem to have a "high end" hotel. Most people on boat we have talked with say Playa has some. Also we never found any great diving right off the beach on the south end resorts. We have had better right off the beach diving on the North end. Hope this helps
Everything is, of course, a tradeoff. The resorts at the south end are closer to Palancar, Colombia, etc. but they are farther from Villablanca, Tormentos, etc. A disadvantage to staying far south is that operators that work out of the Fonatur marina won't want to go south to pick you up, north to, say, Tormentos, and then back south to drop you off before heading back to the marina. They will want to stay south for both dives, and that may inhibit your access to some great dive sites that are different from the pinnacle and wall diving that is more prevalent on the southern reefs.
I just stayed at the Occidental Grand. Good resort. Rooms were upscale, nice pools but the food was meh. Did not use the house-shop. We used Palancar Divers and they were great. Picked us up at the pier every morning at 8:30am. 5 minute ride to the reefs. It's a long drive into town if you want to eat decent food. But OTOH, it's a very relaxing stay. The pools are great and the convenience of not having to worry about anything is enjoyable.
Annie Shaw
Registered
I guess depends on what you consider luxury (food, ambiance etc.) My husband and I spent our honey moon at Cozumel Palace. The individual rooms were nice and comfortable (all have a hot tub) and the food presentation and taste, to me, was very luxurious. It is closer to town though and doesn't exactly have that "beachy" feeling.
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