Cozumel planning for a group of newbies

[on99]

Here is how I went to Coba using the bus. Taxi and colectivo back.
Coba ruins via ADO bus, walking, taxi and colectivo - Playa del Carmen Forum - TripAdvisor
You can modify it to stop at a cenote like Gran on the way back and even go to Tulum.

this really help for my planning, thx lots Ron!

 

[robint]

thx Steven, shld we give up coba if we only schedule 1day for those attractions, or we might save some time for driving on our own?


agree with that.
i also think that keep switching masks is a gd way to find out the best fit, i found mine, the cressi big eyes.

---------- Post added June 24th, 2014 at 02:32 PM ----------


this is very useful, thx Ron!
i will get the mayan adventure, does it worth for cozumel?

---------- Post added June 24th, 2014 at 02:42 PM ----------



ur suggestion is very valuable to me, much thx driftwood!

---------- Post added June 24th, 2014 at 02:51 PM ----------


thx Steven, this seems to be my style, i can also stop by to take a pic if i find something funny or hv a sip of tequila somewhere i think it's cool

---------- Post added June 24th, 2014 at 03:50 PM ----------


glad that it was happened in the pool

---------- Post added June 24th, 2014 at 04:26 PM ----------


thx so much Robin!
my ideal hotel would be close to ferry station n airport in order to shorten our traveling time for day tour n the way back to airport, correct me if i'm wrong.

here's wht my options so far:
1/ Hotel Cozumel <--- v good feedback from diver
2/ Villablanca Garden Beach Hotel Cozumel <--- not much comment from trip advisor
3/ Cozumel Palace <--- everything seems pretty decent

Park Royal looks pretty good, will add to my list for consideration.

divetrip.com is very informative, thx again Robin~

Go with HOTEL COZUMEL.... it will meet your needs, as well as those of your non-divers. You can walk to town (about 15-20 min stroll) and take taxi back at night for around $5-6. There is snorkeling out in front of the hotel (it is directly next to SCC where we stay) as well as easy shore diving there in afternoon (see my videos). You can get meal plans there, too. They can also book you tours to go over to Mainland for Coba/Tulum or any other activity. It is a medium sized hotel, so lots of guests, divers and non-divers.

have fun!

robin

 

[DjDiverDan]

I would agree with robint on Hotel Cozumel with one exception - do NOT get the meal plan. The Food in their AI program is, IMHO, TERRIBLE. i've only stayed there once, in July 2012, and it is a very nice Hotel, big comfortable rooms, HUGE swimming pool, conveniently located, not a bad walk to town, nice, if smallish, artificial "beach" area, good snorkeling and shore dive area out front, even a decent house Dive Op, Dive Paradise (though I prefer more upscale valet operators, especially the steel 120 tanks available at Aldora, Dive Paradise will provide very acceptable service for newbie divers). But the food? Gawd-awful, as far as I was concerned. Now I don't drink a lot, so I was never going to get my money's worth at the bar, the breakfast buffet was edible, but nothing to write home about, but lunch and dinners were so bad that, despite the fact that I had paid for the AI (it was part of the Scubaboard Invade Cozumel Package), I ate outside the hotel 5 out of 7 lunches and dinners when I was there. If you enjoy good food, variety, flavor, appearance, you are NOT going to want to be stuch in the Hotel Cozumel AI plan. It offers a European Plan option - do that.

 

[on99]

thank you so much for ur detail answer Double S!

1/There are many Dive Ops that would do a wonderful service to you and your group. My suggestion is to research the Dive Op's mentioned then contact them directly with your information and questions. ie: Dates, number of party, snorkel/scuba discovery/diving inquiries. Once you decide on the Dive Op, then choose your lodging.

this is a gd idea

2/There is some very nice snorkeling to be found on Cozumel. However, close to shore, we aware that you most likely will not find beautiful corals. Mostly, you will find critters among the stone and muck and sand, which, as it turns out, can be awesome. What a surprise to find an octopus, green moray or infant drum fish among the crevices of an old pier or common rock formation ! Some spots that have always been a good snorkel adventure is in front of the Blue Angel Resort, Hotel Cozumel, Chankanaab Park and in front of the El Cantil Condos. Just be aware at there can be boat traffic in front of the hotels and resorts. Other than shore snorkeling, a boat snorkel trip would be wonderful as well. However, if your friends are new to being in blue water, they may need to adjust to the feeling of being in deep clear swimming environment.

sounds like Cozumel hv some healthy eco at the west shore, any suggestion on boat snorkeling site/spot?
i'm gonna brief them some basic skills on mask n snorkel usage in the pool, then bring them to shallow water for finning practice n let them know some knowledge on coral reef protection by watch not to touch n avoid stepping on coral, will bring them to deeper water after they think they r ready for the big blue open sea.

3/My vote is to purchase a snorkel set before going. If your friends are serious about continuing with a dive certification and will need a mask, snorkel and fins anyway, then perhaps they will want to invest a little bit in their purchase. check out www.leisurepro.com or www.scubatoys.com for some good deals. Although, you are in NYC, so you could go directly to the Leisure Pro store. (42 West 18th Street..upstairs from Adorama)

i think they will get mask n snorkel for the trip. i've just got a quick look at leisurepro.com , they hv some cool deals, i will absolutely bring them there to check it out!

4/If you want a Maya History/Culture experience on a grand scale then you will have to travel to the mainland at least for one day. As mentioned, there are travel tours that will take you there. Coba or Tulum is easy enough to do, with Chichen Itza being a longer trip. However, if an introduction to Mayan/History Culture would do well for you, then do not overlook staying on Cozumel for this. There are some ruins on the island such as San Gervasio as well as a small site in El Cedral, the oldest Mayan Ruins on Cozumel Island, dating back to 800 A.D. The town of El Cedral itself is a very nice place to visit for a couple of hours. Also, do visit the museum in town, Melgar (Main oceanfront street) and Calle 6. There you will find a very good presentation of Mayan and Cozumel History. Regardless, for a one day trip to the mainland pyramids, I would recommend to stay on Cozumel and perhaps order up a tour. If you feel you would be satisfied with the island ruins, then you could perhaps just hire up a taxi for the day and do the tour on your own. Although, there are several on island tours that will take you as well. However, if you are interested in a more in depth Mayan History/Culture trip to the mainland pyramids, then perhaps you may want to consider an open jaw trip. Fly into Cozumel and Fly out of Cancun.

for the first time of our Mexico visit, one day tour for Coba n Tulum are good enough for us. i personally like those stuff pretty much, would hv no doubt to go deeper in the future.

5/The weather has been covered
In addition, my two cents for lodging... as robint mentioned, the further South you stay, the more it does cost in taxi fare to get to and from town. The resorts in the south are very nice, and the All Inclusive options work well for many folks, however, be aware that in doing so you can be isolated from the "Town" experience due to the distance and taxi cost. Of course, if you rent a car, then your transportation is covered. However, you may want to research the discussions here on Scubaboard/Cozumel in regard to driving and parking on Cozumel to make that decision. With all of this in mind, I suggest for consideration Hotel Cozumel, Blue Angel Resort, Park Royal or El Cid la Cieba. I would not go any further south than El Cid. These lodgings are of moderate cost, however, there are other options for more budget or higher price. TIP: (Check out the orbitz or expedia packages)

i think we would rather stay west so that we could get close to the ferry pier n shorten our traveling time to town n airport.
thinking abt the packages comparing, wht i got now r groupon getaway, cheapcarribbeam, cheaptickets, orbitz, n expedia, which one would be more reliable or more reasonable?

 

[Sue Sue]

on99,

RE: your question about where are the best spots for boat snorkeling. If you choose to go out on a snorkel tour, you most likely will be taken to snorkel locations that are used most often. However, If you can, hiring a private charter will most likely give you the best chance to go to spots that are less traveled.

RE: your lodging Staying in town would not only be very convenient for you, but also will give you the opportunity to explore without the need for taxi's. Just be sure of the location and ameniteis when you choosing your site. Hotel Cozumel, which has been mentioned a few times in this thread is a good choice. It is walking distance to town, although it still requires a walk of several blocks to the ferry pier. However, the walk is very doable and scenic as it is on the main oceanfront street. Also, in town is Suites Bahia, Suites Colonial , Casa Mexicana or Vista del Mar. Just be aware if you are looking for a pool for a break from summer heat, that Suites Bahia and Suites Colonial do not have pools and the pools at Casa Mexicana & Vista Del Mar are basically shallow non-swimming pools.

RE: Websites Before booking on a website do check to see if there are any discount codes available. www.retailmenot.com is a good source as well as checking the threads here on SB. Also, keep in mind sometimes , packages will give a better price. I have in the past even booked a hotel/car package for less than a standard hotel reservation and then just did not pick up the car. Regardless, be sure to crunch the numbers carefully.

RE:Coba/Tulum trip Sounds like a good plan. Your days is going to be long , however, very enjoyable. TIP: I don't know if it has been mentioned, but do purchase only one way tickets for the ferry. There are two ferry companies and if you purchase a roundtrip ticket for one ferry line, you may have to wait for your ride back to Cozumel from PDC. Whereas , if you purchase one way tickets , you can ride either ferry.

Best Wishes to you and your group !

Double S

 

[on99]

If you are considering an AI, my vote is for the Palace. If you stay for a week, they give you $1500 in resort credits per room. You can use that to dive with Aqua Safari, at $79 per two tank dive. We did that last year (and are doing it again in a week and a half). I found them to be an excellent operator. Their boats are bigger and slower than many Cozumel dive ops, but I like the ride out to the reefs, so that's a feature rather than a bug for me.
You can also use the resort credits for Discover Scuba for non-divers.
Finally, they have trips to both Tulum and Coba which you can pay for in resort credits.
The Palace is probably the most expensive AI in Cozumel -- on the front end. If you use most or all of your resort credits for diving and tours you would otherwise have paid full freight for, the Palace ends up cheaper than many AI's that are, IMO, not as nice.

my group disqualify this one due to room rate n distance, thx for ur suggestion anyway Ripple~

---------- Post added June 26th, 2014 at 09:26 AM ----------

You can certainly go to Coba and the Tulum ruins in a single day - we've done just that. You can probably do it by bus if you keep an eye on your schedule. We've only done it by renting a car and driving ourselves.

i feel like renting a car is the way i want, but i'll c how they vote for this.

Cozumel isn't included, but the maps are so good and so inexpensive that it's a great idea to get both.

i'm gonna get both then.

This is our favorite budget hotel (of the 3 we've tried). It's just a few minutes from the ferry pier by car.

a couple added a request on it "ocean view is a must", i found that the only one can guarantee ocean view room is hotel cozumel among the other in our acceptable list.
1/ hotel cozumel
2/ blue angel
3/ villa blanca

once again, thx for ur comments Steven

---------- Post added June 26th, 2014 at 10:00 AM ----------

Go with HOTEL COZUMEL.... it will meet your needs, as well as those of your non-divers. You can walk to town (about 15-20 min stroll) and take taxi back at night for around $5-6. There is snorkeling out in front of the hotel (it is directly next to SCC where we stay) as well as easy shore diving there in afternoon (see my videos). You can get meal plans there, too. They can also book you tours to go over to Mainland for Coba/Tulum or any other activity. It is a medium sized hotel, so lots of guests, divers and non-divers.
robin

hotel cozumel is MY first choice definitely~

 

[DandyDon]

a couple added a request on it "ocean view is a must", i found that the only one can guarantee ocean view room is hotel cozumel among the other in our acceptable list.
1/ hotel cozumel
2/ blue angel
3/ villa blanca

"A must"...?! They'll see the ocean enough wherever. All 3 of those are on the channel, but only 1 has good channel views. Hotel Coz is across the street from the docks actually, and they have this little racket of charging extra for upstairs rooms that can see the channel better than others, but rip off. Otherwise, I like HotCoz, including their food - but I'm not a food snob. The AI package is so cheap that you can use it when you want, skip it and go to own when you want. Villa Blanca's Superior rooms are great, their downstairs regular rooms not so great, but they all look over the garden with an angled view of the channel. Blue Angel does have direct views of the channel from the rooms; I used to stay there before the rate increases.

 

[robint]

Seriously, a VIEW of the ocean will not be that big a deal as most people spend little time in their rooms!
Hotel Cozumel is across the street from the ocean, higher rooms may be able to "see" it but who cares. Walk out of room, tunnel over to ocean, just a short walk.
If your friends want to sit in their room and stare at the water, rather than get in it, then they need to look a a different hotel. Seriously, people do not sit in their rooms in Cozumel, no matter which hotel.

 

[Mossman]

Seriously, people do not sit in their rooms in Cozumel, no matter which hotel.

If I'm not a "people", then what am I?

I've spent plenty of downtime enjoying fantastic ocean views from the privacy of my own balcony. Why share the moment when you can have it to yourself?

 

[Mike]

Contrary to what may be said, everybody isn't everybody and there are plenty of people who go to Cozumel who enjoy ocean view and ocean front accommodations and plenty hang out on balconies and patios having breakfast, eating lunch, having drinks, ending the day, etc while enjoying the view.

On99, in regard to Hotel Cozumel, they have ocean view rooms, they are the few ones on the front face of the hotel, and as Robin said the hotel is across the street from the water, and 'the street' is an issue with these rooms

1) These rooms are a premium priced rooms, they have "jacuzzis" in them, and 'balconies'. Hotel Coz charges more for them because of the amenities and the view

2) These rooms were horrible when we made the mistake of booking them years ago. Dirty, dingy, dark, dank & smelly (thanks to the jacuzzi), rusty, old, nasty, even the hallways outside these rooms are bizarrely dark and dingy like a dungeon...

3) They are on the main street of Cozumel and the main street is loud and busy with traffic all day. On the plus side the traffic dies down after dark so they get a bit quieter, but all it takes is one loud truck, bus or motorcycle once every hour to quickly make you wonder why you paid more for these rooms

They may have upgraded these rooms by now, but they were so bad when we booked ours long ago that we didn't even unpack and immediately moved to a 'cheaper' pool view room (no refund given) and their cheaper rooms are far superior and will keep just about any person booking a 3 star hotel happy. They are big, clean, newer and quieter. I can only guess that maybe those ocean view rooms are part of the original wing of the hotel and the rest of the place was built after and it showed back then. I haven't stayed there in years so maybe things have changed?