2 weeks vacation in Cozumel after 35 years away...this June

[swimbody]

Almost pulled a huge mistake going to PDC for two weeks but I'm really beside myself because the whole family, mixed bag of divers and non divers, has agreed to a two week vacation in Cozumel. Funny thing is my wife was there 15 years ago as a non diver, I was there 35 years ago with my dad and mom as non divers, we snorkeled San Francisco beach near the El Presidente hotel. It was a lot like "Don't Stop the Carnival". The Aeromexico 727 we flew in there ate up all the asphalt runway and had to be hooked up and pushed back so it could turn back to the grass hut to deplane. That memory lives with me every time coz is mentioned. Even my step mother hasn't been back there in 35 years! Little did dad know he was going to marry a youngster on the island at the same time 33 years later.

So the wifey and I have become newbie addicts, got nitrox certified, AOW and are over the 50 mark in dives. I've free dove to similar depths more without a tank though. Believe me, I love tank diving but am smitten with Roatan. I'm just so darn excited about CZM after reading y'all's posts I could just spit.

Oh well I will peruse away and dream of June 9th. Cannot wait to see what awaits. Any non tourist stuff y'all like please let me know about and I'm a certified Rum lover so any guidance for top shelf drinks and rum bars as well as great foodie joints, please advise.

I havent seen anything posted yet but are there any challenging wreck dives in CZM?

swim

 

[Brules]

LOL Aero Mexico was soooooo bad. Those guys were SCARRY! Coz to DFW on them was by far the scarriest flight I have ever been on in all of my life!

 

[Festus]

June in Katy Texas far surpasses anything I could travel too.

 

[MMM]

There is really only one wreck of any note in Coz, the C53 and I don't think it is all that challenging.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

Here are my favorites...your result may vary....

Best drink....mojito at the thirsty cougar. Can't remember the bar tenders name but he is slender with Afro curly hair, super friendly and very good behind the bar. He Puts lots of mint in the mojito so after muddling it is best shaken and strained in a martini shaker, easy ice.

best food- Dinner- scallops at Guidos, hands down don't miss them. Go early in the trip and you will go back. Decent wine selection for the island too. Still haven't found a great lobster yet.

quick lunch- burritos Gorditos, there is a bakery on the corner next to BG that is amazing as well. There is a restaurant around the corner from Casa Mexicana called Fogo( I think) that has great shrimp tacos and guacamole. Shrimp and grouper ceviche at the cougar deserves a try as well.

best beer- Bohemia Obscura. You can't get it in the states...mmmmmmmmmm,

after 35 years, you won't recognize much. I don't know if it is better or worse... Growth cuts both way. Airport is relatively modern now. Fly into Cozumel direct if possible. Flights aren't necessarily cheaper into Cancun. You can take a cab for $100, shuttle for $30 each, or the bus for $16 each (I think) to the ferry in PDC. ferry is another 18 each or so. It's not a bad diversion, but with a lot of people after a day of travel might not be much fun. The ferry ride for us was awful, lots of people feeding the fish from being seasick. They were handing out the yellow barf bags constantly. But....it was a bad night and the worst seas that had seen in a while.

Mega is a large grocery store just south of downtown for provisions.

Christi, the owner of Blue XTSea has a sticky with other local info at the top of the forum listing. Its a good read. Safe travels. If we are done calving and daughters are done with softball, we may see you there!!

Safe travels!!
jay

 

[cvchief]

Where do I start:

Foodie wise, I urge caution on the scallops at Guidos. Let me say, I like Guidos alot. One of the worst plates I have had however was the seafood platter at Guidos. Tuna was the catch of the day and was on the platter and wonderful. Everything else was fishy esp the scallops. Friends talked me into going back and it has been great and I eat there alot. Usually the catch of the day.

On the other hand, you have to try Kinta or Kondessa if you are a foodie. Kinta probably more so. The plates look like a pic off a food magazine and are wonderful.

Coming in to Cancun, $100 for a taxi is taking one up the giggy. My van guy does it for like 50-65 for a van. Cheapest is the bus which is just fine, however every flight I ever took to Cancun landed at the magical time where I had MAYBE enough time to catch the next ferry. Get the van to drop the hammer and rush for it or stop for beer know we are going to miss it by 5 minutes.

Best drink: The next one?

 

[DandyDon]

I'd like to see that story...?!

Little did dad know he was going to marry a youngster on the island at the same time 33 years later.

Your earlier thread on the Mexico forum (seen here) has some other details worth addressing as well. Cozumel is almost all drift diving, as well as almost all boat diving. Exactly how many divers and how many total in your group would affect some suggestions...??

You may well want to charter a private dive boat, and you may have enough in your group that it wouldn't cost more. I certainly suggest hiring an extra DM the first day or two since your son is brand new, your wife is nervous, and you've never dived the Cozumel currents. You may well want to shop dive Ops that go out of the southern marina (Caletta?) to reduce boat rides for your wife, and with several divers - your cost on the taxis will be cheap enough each, especially if you're renting a condo down south. Or you may well want to rent a car? Isis seems to be the most popular car provider on the island, and she may well be able to provide a larger car if you need one.

You'll still want to do some days on the peninsula to cover the park and the cenotes you mentioned on the other thread. I have been known to leave most of my stuff in my Cozumel hotel while renting another room on the mainland for a two day visit, but you may want to do extra ferry rides instead so you can take dive gear one day, not take it the next. There are some outstanding ruins available, if you like that sort of thing.

 

[deepsea21]

When you dive COZ, Roatan is going to reside in your "Been There Did That" file (In my personal opinion of course). COZ may be built up these days and if you haven't been there in many years you will be blown away by development, traffic, cruise ships, etc. That being said, that current still flows from the deep blue southern carribean and washes the reef with a 2-3MPH pure blue water current. June wil be here before ya know it. Have fun preparing!

 

[swimbody]

Love the comments guys. Y'all were with us in heart and soul when went to Roatan for the first time. That's why I love Scubaboard so much.

 

[Queen Triggerfish]

Going along with Jayfarmlaw's theme of favorites, mine absolute favorite food item is the queso fundido with warm tortillas from Kondesa. Asking for a Habanero margarita with it (not on the menu) adds a nice touch too.

If anyone knows anything about cooking or cheese, I'd love some thoughts about what cheeses are in it.