First time to Puerto Aventuras, need all the help I can get

[WhiteSands]

Hola!
I'll be heading to PA in December and need all the advise I can get on lodging, transport & where to eat. I'm traveling on a budget so am not looking for anything luxurious or high-end.

Lodging
- There will be 3 of us, so prefer something like a condo. A working washing machine is a must, and preferably a place to cook. As long as it's clean, and everything works, it'll be fine.
- Most of the time we'll be diving, so it's just a place to sleep, store our stuff and do our laundry/cook occasionally.
- Will be staying for around 14 days

Car rental
- We'll be doing a 6-day course during the 1st week, so we won't be needing a car. We're planning to stay a week more for leisure dives. We don't want to rent from the airport as we'll be wasting a whole week of rental cost. Are there good rental companies near PA, or will the rental companies be willing to send their car down to PA?
- We probably need something big enough to transport 3-6 sets of doubles and other dive gear (3 if we need to drive back after each dive to refill, 6 if we don't)
- The name Easyway came up a lot, is this the company to go with? Understand I need to get full mexican insurance coverage in case of accidents.
- Anything else I should look out for? It's our first time in Mexico.

Restaurants
- We're adventurous and we love to eat. Please recommend your favorite restaurants (any kind).

 

[driftwood]

PA is as close as you can get to USA in Mexico. Not too much of what I would call "budget Mexico" in the resort. I would strongly recommend that you get the Mayan Riviera map from Cancun & Riviera Maya Maps and Travel Guides. For more of a budget stay, Playa del Carmen or Cozumel (downtown) might be a better fit. FYI, never liked the feel of Tulum, but they do have the best beaches.

 

[TSandM]

It's convenient to stay in PA, because you are right where ZG is, and you have restaurants and stores within walking distance.

There are a lot of condos in PA for rent, at various price points, from studios to 3 bdrm units. You can go through Chris LeMaillot's wife, Marina, to rent, or through Debbie van der Haar, who is the woman we originally rented through (and who is FABULOUS local support if you have any problems). And I PM'd you the contact info on one of the condos we have rented. You can also talk to the folks at the Catalonia All-Inclusive about their rates -- that solves all your meal issues, but leaves you without a washer and dryer.

You will need to figure out how to get to PA, if you don't rent a car from the get-go. The APO bus doesn't stop there. I honestly don't know what other options there are, because we always rent. To get three people with two sets of doubles each in a single vehicle is going to be tricky -- you're going to need a BIG hatchback or an SUV or a van. Look carefully at pricing, because you might be better off renting two smaller vehicles (at least it seems to me that we have done the math and come up with that in the past). Two people can manage out of a small sedan, although the hatchbacks are easier. Two sets of doubles in the trunk, and one in front of each rear seat -- be careful with your back when loading and unloading those!

Realize that the insurance will just about double the quoted rate on cars. We used to rent with EasyWay, in part because they posted their true prices, but they no longer do, and they aren't much cheaper than the big companies any more. We've gone with Thrifty the last couple of times we've been down there. They've been good about having the car we reserved available, which can be a problem with the smaller outfits (or even with the bigger ones, but the time Hertz replaced our compact with a Dodge pickup was one I won't complain about!)

If you take some kind of public transportation to PA, walk to the taxi stand and get a taxi to Chedraui (a five minute drive at most) and do a shopping trip. Stock up on bread, cheese, water, and whatever else makes breakfast and lunch for you. Depending on who your instructor is, you may want to pick up something you can truly throw together for dinner. We got back to the condo most nights between 9 and 10, when we did the class with Danny. Had Peter (who was not in the class) not cooked for us, I think we would have gone face down on our beds without eating.

You can rent cars in PA but the prices are horrendous. You're probably better off taking a taxi up to Playa and renting there. You can return the car there and pick up the APO bus to the airport when you leave. You can also rent in Tulum, but the logistics aren't as good.

One thing you might not otherwise think of -- it's not at all a bad idea to pick up one of the tire inflator attachments that fits on an LP hose. Spare tires aren't always there, and if they are, they may be flat or it may be impossible to get them off the bracket (we've run into all three situations). Being 25 minutes up a dirt road with a flat you can't swap out is not a fun situation. If you can reinflate the tire, the vulcanizadors can fix it in a jiffy. You just have to get the car there.

I also love having a small tarp. It keeps the trunk of the car from smelling as though something has died in it, and it's also handy to stand on when gearing up. The ground there is fine limestone dust that gets all over everything and is hard on your seals.

Buy mosquito repellent, although December isn't typically that bad.

We used to bring a lot of spares, but ZG has everything and Jorge can fix almost anything (even dry suits, nowadays!) so we don't bother any more.

Oh, and you are going to have SO much fun the week after class! Make sure, after you've done a couple of days of diving in the systems you already know, that you make it to Caracol. That's my current favorite dive down there, and it's shallow and you can swim all day on the mainline.

 

[lv2dive]

I am assuming you are taking cave1, else I'd highly suggest taking a stage instead of two sets of doubles, and doing one long dive.

At any rate, I completely agree with TSandM about EasyWay. We've used them several times and our last trip we decided we would go with a different option. It has been worth it to wait a few (30-60) extra minutes to get picked up from the airport but we almost missed our flight bc they weren't there early as agreed, and the rate wasn't as discounted as it has been in the past.

Not sure what is going on with firefly but I used them in boston and their rates appear to be a fraction of the other companies. Currently have reservations for an SUV in Dec, would be curious if anyone has used them yet. They seen to have a counter at airport but be located in chetumal which is on the way to PA/tulum.

 

[ibj40]

TSandM has answered most of your questions in great detail above. From your description, it sounds like you are doing some type of cave or technical training your first week and you have your instruction in place already, but otherwise I was going to recommend Dive Aventuras located right within the community on the marina. We have been diving in the cenotes and ocean with them for years and hope to do cave training ourselves with them once we retire.

We always rent a condo at the Chac Hal Al complex through Blue Caribbean (www.bluecaribbean.com). Debbie (as mentioned above) also has several rental units in that complex. Very reasonable and you can rent anywhere from a studio to a 3 bedroom unit. They have full kitchens, washer/dryer, two pools, beach access. The Chedraui grocery store just across the highway has everything you will need as far as groceries, etc. There are also a few smaller places located by the marina that have limited groceries and a great farmer’s market located near the post office (behind The Pub restaurant) on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

It appears that you will be bringing in doubles with you and if that is that case, Cancun Valet (Cancunvalet.com) may be able to help you (although not sure). We pay $145 round trip from the Cancun airport to Puerto Aventuras for an entire van just to ourselves (2 people). Again, not sure of your situation, but from what I have read above, if you are looking to transport doubles, luggage and people from the Cancun airport, this might be a viable option for you. The vans are private for your group only and the price is based on the van and not the number of people. Great professional people to deal with and you could email them to ask about carrying your extra gear, etc.

Puerto Aventuras is admittedly not a foodie’s paradise, but there are some decent places. Our favorites are Massimo (excellent Italian), Paparazzi Pizza, Joel's Pub for a great Mayan breakfast, and Bamboo for sandwiches and smoothies.

 

[TSandM]

They won't be bringing tanks down from Cancun. They'll be renting them at Zero G. The first week won't be a problem, as long as they are taking their class from one of the tres amigos. (If you are taking the class with JP or somebody else who doesn't live there, be aware they'll expect you to provide your own transportation!) The second week of fun diving is where the need for the right kind of car comes in, and as I said, we've done the math, and it's cheaper to rent two small cars than to pay for an SUV or van.

I like the burgers at Latitude 20, and the food at Massimo hasn't been bad. Café Ole has fantastic homemade pies and sometimes has some really nice live music. The Pub has free internet, which is handy if the internet in your condo, which you were assured the condo had, suddenly doesn't seem to be working properly if at all.

Which is another thing you should know -- do not expect everything in Mexico to work. AC may be out. We've been without hot water before. Internet is notoriously flaky, and big storms can affect the power for the whole complex, in which case you need to eat at the Omni, which has generators Elevators are flaky, too. With rental cars, it isn't whether something isn't working, it's just what. I didn't mind the car where the glove compartment fell open in my lap every time Peter stopped, but the one without brakes was a different story. You have to roll with the punches when you travel down there. And then there is the whole story about the police and traffic tickets . . .

 

[WhiteSands]

Hey everyone!
Thanks for the awesome tips so far, appreciate the contacts/links for accommodations and the tips on everything.

I'm wondering, how does the leisure cave dives logistics work there? Do you take out 2 sets of doubles per person each time, or 1 set?

Also do you dive the same cave system more than once each trip (exploring different passages each time), or are there too many good caves to explore to do the same system multiple times?

What is a realistic number of dives we can do a day, comfortably? I really don't know what to expect, but I think it probably involves some degree of huffing and puffing, mosquitoes and hopefully very minimal jungle bashing/hiking in drysuits and doubles on our backs.

Which, in your opinion, are the must see caves for a Cave 1 only diver (can only navigate 1 permanent T, but can navigate unlimited temporary T's, gas usage for penetration limited to about 22% total gas volume)?

Lynne, thanks for all the life saving tips. Noted your recommendation of Caracol, will definitely include it into our must-do list.

Jim, bluecarribean looks awesome. We will be renting tanks from Zero Gravity, won't be bringing any tanks.

Kate, noted on Easyway, thanks for the tips and contacts.

I am also really interested in trying authentic mexican street food (particularly fond of quesadillas), places the locals rave about. We will probably be taking a day off diving to head to Tulum (or anywhere interesting) and visiting the Mayan ruins, and would love to eat at some non-touristy, local eateries.

Does anyone know of good places I should visit?

---------- Post added August 25th, 2015 at 01:59 PM ----------

One other question: will FE Drybase + a 3mm hood be warm enough for the caves during December, or do I need my FE Arctic?

 

[Blue Life]

I would highly recommend going to El Arbolito for tacos, it is right by the highway on your way south out of Puerto Aventuras. It is a must for a pre-dive breakfast! Also Los Aguachiles in either Tulum or Playa del Carmen for great ceviches and fish tacos!

For cave fun dives, the logistics will largely depend on how long you plan to dive. Many of the caves are so shallow here that you can plan to do two 90-120 minute dives on one set of doubles. It works great to plan to do the upstream and downstream sections of one cenote as two dives in one day, saving yourself the hassle of hauling tanks to two different cenotes. You should be fine with a drybase garment and a hood, the water temperatures stay around 75 F/24 C year round.

It seems like you have already organized your cave training while you will be in the area, but if you are interested in guided cave dives or possibly Cave Sidemount training please check us out at Diving Mexico - Cenotes, Caves, Caverns, Reefs Playa del Carmen Tulum - Blue Life. Diving the caves in sidemount opens up a ton more options for sites you can visit, as many amazing caves are not accessible with backmount. For more information you can email us at info@bluelife.com, we would be happy to help with any other questions you may have!

 

[WhiteSands]

I would highly recommend going to El Arbolito for tacos, it is right by the highway on your way south out of Puerto Aventuras. It is a must for a pre-dive breakfast! Also Los Aguachiles in either Tulum or Playa del Carmen for great ceviches and fish tacos!

For cave fun dives, the logistics will largely depend on how long you plan to dive. Many of the caves are so shallow here that you can plan to do two 90-120 minute dives on one set of doubles. It works great to plan to do the upstream and downstream sections of one cenote as two dives in one day, saving yourself the hassle of hauling tanks to two different cenotes. You should be fine with a drybase garment and a hood, the water temperatures stay around 75 F/24 C year round.

It seems like you have already organized your cave training while you will be in the area, but if you are interested in guided cave dives or possibly Cave Sidemount training please check us out at Diving Mexico - Cenotes, Caves, Caverns, Reefs Playa del Carmen Tulum - Blue Life. Diving the caves in sidemount opens up a ton more options for sites you can visit, as many amazing caves are not accessible with backmount. For more information you can email us at info@bluelife.com, we would be happy to help with any other questions you may have!

Thanks for the food recommendations and the tips, will definitely pay those places a visit. Will keep bluelife in mind for sidemount or guided dives too.

Read this thread with much sadness, was just chatting with Lynne a few days ago via PM...

 

[lv2dive]

A few caves that are fairly easy to find, pay for, that don't require huge hikes, and could easily accommodate multiple dives include: Dos Palmos (I don't think it requires a guide although dos Ojos does), taj, Chac mol, chan hol, Nohoch, and Mayan blue (a little deeper). I'm sure you will hit some of these in class but there are some ideas for some you don't.

With regards to tanks: it is entirely possibly to get two sets of doubles and gear for two divers in one of the smallish cars if you are creative. Definitely suggest getting a car big enough to support tgat plan as you don't want to be spending all your time driving all over the place to switch out tanks.

Re food- I definitely know tulum better than PA. If you have a chance to go to Azafran for breakfast / brunch one day, do! Hangover breakfast is a must-do every trip to Mexico, even if we stay somewhere where breakfast is included in the price.

The ruins in Muyil are further away from PA but much less crowded and a great experience. There's also a nature walk and a REALLY tall treehouse/former lighthouse (?) to climb which was a lot of fun. I'll try to attach some pics...
-View going up;

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