I really only have a few new things to add to previous trip reports - but they're important (in my opinion).
We did the meal plan at Casa del Mar, with very low expectations, and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food. The molletes and heuvos motuleños for breakfast were really good (the flan was not). There was a shrimp and rice dish on the dinner menu that we both liked a lot. There are 4 items on the menu that there is an upcharge for - they are seafood or beef items (I'm sorry I don't remember exactly what they were). Also, I ordered a Black Label and coke one night and found out the Black Label was not included on the meal plan. When he told me I said "ok, just whiskey and coke" but it got lost in translation and I paid for it - twice.
We did go to Ernesto's one night and I believe the prices have been steadily increasing and we noticed it this time - food is still good though.
Beds at Casa del Mar are still hard (no surprise) and we were glad we brought our blow up camp mattresses again. We stayed in a cabana again - the regular rooms are really too small for our comfort. The cabanas have two levels and two bathrooms, as well as a two burner stove, microwave, fridge, sink, coffee maker and toaster (and we didn't use any of that). One of the benefits to the cabana is that you can hang your gear up inside, turn on the overhead fan and everything is bone dry by morning.
I was super, super excited to get a shot of a mantis shrimp!!! I saw it skittering across the top edge of the reef and go into a hole, then watched to see where it came out. It didn't come out far before it started to go back down again, but I was lucky to get off a couple of shots before it quite literally turned tail and ran (got a shot of the beautiful colors of the tail too). That was at Tormentos (sp?). The seahorse was at Tikila.
One day we only did a single shore dive so we decided to get our 2 mile walk in. From CDM to the car ferry (north) it is exactly one mile.
We did the meal plan at Casa del Mar, with very low expectations, and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food. The molletes and heuvos motuleños for breakfast were really good (the flan was not). There was a shrimp and rice dish on the dinner menu that we both liked a lot. There are 4 items on the menu that there is an upcharge for - they are seafood or beef items (I'm sorry I don't remember exactly what they were). Also, I ordered a Black Label and coke one night and found out the Black Label was not included on the meal plan. When he told me I said "ok, just whiskey and coke" but it got lost in translation and I paid for it - twice.
We did go to Ernesto's one night and I believe the prices have been steadily increasing and we noticed it this time - food is still good though.
Beds at Casa del Mar are still hard (no surprise) and we were glad we brought our blow up camp mattresses again. We stayed in a cabana again - the regular rooms are really too small for our comfort. The cabanas have two levels and two bathrooms, as well as a two burner stove, microwave, fridge, sink, coffee maker and toaster (and we didn't use any of that). One of the benefits to the cabana is that you can hang your gear up inside, turn on the overhead fan and everything is bone dry by morning.
I was super, super excited to get a shot of a mantis shrimp!!! I saw it skittering across the top edge of the reef and go into a hole, then watched to see where it came out. It didn't come out far before it started to go back down again, but I was lucky to get off a couple of shots before it quite literally turned tail and ran (got a shot of the beautiful colors of the tail too). That was at Tormentos (sp?). The seahorse was at Tikila.
One day we only did a single shore dive so we decided to get our 2 mile walk in. From CDM to the car ferry (north) it is exactly one mile.