First Time to Cozumel

[yle]

... but you might want to interact with a dolphin or something.

That's diving.

Or at least, it should be.

 

[Couv]

I am always surprised at someone who travels to a new country for the first time and wants to eat or drink things they can get at home, when new foods and drinks are there to discover.

Generally I agree with the above-but one must be able to find a good cup of coffee no matter where in the world he travels. Banana cake can indeed be found "at home" in fact my wife makes better banana cake than El Coffee-however, that is only because El Coffee set the bar for her.

Thank you for the tip on at Corazon Contento, I will give them a try. But I have to ask, have your tried the chiliquiles at El Coffee Cozumel, or did the name put you off the place?

 

[keesmon]

Couple of things I like:
Spending a few hours at the Liquor Box, Miami (or whatever you want to call it) on the east side. I eat lunch at the Rasta bar first (the grilled fish is surprisingly good), and then lounge the afternoon away in the hammocks at Miami.
I like having a car when diving with 3P and staying in town. Just drive to the Caleta and meet the boat there. Quick getaway straight to lunch while avoiding downtown and the pod people. They magically disappear by 4-5PM everyday .
Speaking of lunch: San Marcos is my favorite after two long dives. Great seafood platter and a nice family. It sets up nicely for a siesta at the condo before happy hour begins.
I prefer to stay on the island, especially since you'll be there for prime Eagle Ray time. Gotta be in the water to see them right? But if you want a day across, do the Cenote dives and make that your day across.
Pesos will also go quickly for dive tips. Amounts vary greatly, but I've settled on 500 pesos for two people for two tanks.
Enjoy! I've now gone every year for 4-5 years now, even on years where my diving takes me elsewhere. I find a cheap flight out of NYC to sneak over for 4-5 days and get my current diving, taco eating, beer drinking fix.

 

[kmarks]

Is the bank-owned ATM at the airport bad? I wait until I get to my hotel, but I figured it was ok. Here is the conversion scam to avoid: More photos of the bank ATM scam

Please stop calling this a scam. It's not a scam. It's a service they offer and they are completely open and up front about it. Sure, the exchange rate they are offering does not work out in your favor (most of the time, it might if you would otherwise get dinged with a foreign exchange fee from your bank), but it is not a scam if they are offering you 18:1 when the posted exchange rate is 19:1. It would be a scam if they told you that you would be getting an exchange of 19:1 when the posted exchange rate is 19:1, and then they surprised you with a 5% currency conversion fee on top of that, but didn't tell you about it until they charged your bank. I was offered an exchange to USD at ATMs and just about every restaurant I visited in Portugal last month, too. It's becoming a common practice.

Generally I agree with the above-but one must be able to find a good cup of coffee no matter where in the world he travels. Banana cake can indeed be found "at home" in fact my wife makes better banana cake than El Coffee-however, that is only because El Coffee set the bar for her.

Thank you for the tip on at Corazon Contento, I will give them a try. But I have to ask, have your tried the chiliquiles at El Coffee Cozumel, or did the name put you off the place?

My wife is a big fan of the root beer floats at El Coffee. Corazon Contento is great, and I also really liked Antique Coffee on Benito Juarez for their desayunos completos and black coffee. COZ Roasting Coffee was a bit of a let down - I felt like it was too tourist focused. I guess any time the menu board has all the prices in dollars, you should be suspicious.

 

[Sue Sue]

Hello Wrock, First and Foremost...Congrats on your first visit to Cozumel ! As you have most likely come to understand there are many of us who have a deep connection to this wonderful place. You also probably see that we have so many opinions on “What to do’s” and how to do them. Just know however that all of our “Best’s” have come from many years of finding our own way of what is best for us. With that said, perhaps you too will return to Cozumel again and again to find your OWN BEST’S of what Cozumel has to offer...

And, since you have asked I have a few ideas for you to consider. I notice that your dive history covers 0-24 dives. Considering that, and that this will be your first visit, I would recommend you stick to Cozumel for your diving for this trip and hold on going to the Mainland. Yes, the Cenotes and sights on the mainland are interesting, however, for your first trip, perhaps staying with only Cozumel diving and sightseeing would be a good option. Give yourself the opportunity to learn the ropes and get your bearings before venturing out. I will say that your dive ops you have chosen will keep you busy enough with all of the wonderful dive sites to satisfy your vacation timeline. Just go with the flow and follow their lead.

Topside, perhaps take a sit out day from diving and explore the island. Stop by the ruins, visit an East Side establishment or two to enjoy refreshments and the view and visit the Lighthouse at Punta Sur. Another interesting stop is to visit the museum in town as well as simply walking around to take in the sights and sounds. As far as restaurants there are so many excellent places that finding your most favorite can be overwhelming. Best to do is to just venture out and try as many places as you can.

Overall, I wish you the best for your first Cozumel trip. Do check out the stickies at the top of the Cozumel forum. Hopefully you will enjoy yourself so much that you will have more Cozumel trips in your future !

Best Wishes,
Double S

 

[DandyDon]

visit the museum in town

It reopens the day he leaves. I agree with your other suggestions tho. I don't know if he has ever done a night dive even, but a cenote diving day trip is a bit much for the first trip, more so traveling alone. I know that many do it, I've enjoyed such outings, but maybe plan that next trip. A couple of other suggestions that I usually offer first-timers...

Hire a private DM for the first trip. Money well spent.

I trust that you have DAN dive insurance? It's really essential.​

 

[Wrock]

@Sue Sue thanks for the good advice. I think I’ll stick to Cozumel this trip and leave the mainland for my next trip. Luckily we have relatively cheap and direct flights from where I live to Coz. I’m a researcher by nature, so I have read the stickied posts, and continue to read posted dive logs as well. This community is amazing and I’m really appreciating all of the first hand advice.

@DandyDon I hadn’t even considered the private dm option. I’m going to do that.

 

[Wrock]

Couple of things I like:
Spending a few hours at the Liquor Box, Miami (or whatever you want to call it) on the east side. I eat lunch at the Rasta bar first (the grilled fish is surprisingly good), and then lounge the afternoon away in the hammocks at Miami.
I like having a car when diving with 3P and staying in town. Just drive to the Caleta and meet the boat there. Quick getaway straight to lunch while avoiding downtown and the pod people. They magically disappear by 4-5PM everyday .
Speaking of lunch: San Marcos is my favorite after two long dives. Great seafood platter and a nice family. It sets up nicely for a siesta at the condo before happy hour begins.
I prefer to stay on the island, especially since you'll be there for prime Eagle Ray time. Gotta be in the water to see them right? But if you want a day across, do the Cenote dives and make that your day across.
Pesos will also go quickly for dive tips. Amounts vary greatly, but I've settled on 500 pesos for two people for two tanks.
Enjoy! I've now gone every year for 4-5 years now, even on years where my diving takes me elsewhere. I find a cheap flight out of NYC to sneak over for 4-5 days and get my current diving, taco eating, beer drinking fix.

It sounds like you and I have some similar travel habits. Thanks for these tips, I’ll put them to good use!

 

[DandyDon]

andyDon I hadn’t even considered the private dm option. I’m going to do that.

It's really a good idea for Cozumel diving and an inexperienced diver. DAN dive insurance is essential as your Canadian medical coverage won't work there, and accidents happen. I take trip insurance for the same reason.

 

[ggunn]

Couple of things I like:
Spending a few hours at the Liquor Box, Miami (or whatever you want to call it) on the east side.

I am very familiar with the east side of the island but I've never heard of this place. Is it the upstairs bar across the road from the water that used to be called Andele?