Help on where to dive and stay for Cozumel first timer!

[diverokc1234]

I stay for 3 weeks to a month every trip. If you look on air bnb you can find lots of small apartments and studios for anywhere from $700-1000 a month in corpus Christie where most expats live. To me it is walking distance to the water. You could walk to hotel Cozumel and get on the boat or $4 cab ride or get a bike. I walked sometimes and cabed it sometimes.

 

[jbjclj]

We just spent 5 weeks at Villa Las Anclas and were give a great rate for long term stay and we paid cash. Wonderful 8 room hotel with small kitchen, can sleep 4, small pool. Great location within 5 minute walk to many great restaurants, one block from our dive shop (Tres Pelicanos) who transports us to and from the caleta. We have stayed everywhere in our 30 years coming to Coz and this is now our favorite. Will be back Oct 25-Dec2

 

[AdivingBel]

our dive shop (Tres Pelicanos) who transports us to and from the caleta

@jbjclj , really enjoyed diving with you. I'm the guy with palm trees on his fins staying a Villa Escondida. Hope we can do it again sometime.

 

[ScubaBackpacker]

I hesitant to make suggestions based only on my limited Cozumel experiences but given your additional info this may meet your needs.

We stay in town at Villa Escondida B&B. It is a detached four room unit with common lounge area and pool. Wonderful in town location convienent to multiple dive shops, restaurants, the pier for pick up (depending on which dive op you choose) and the ferry to the mainland. There is a fridge and microwave in the common area and a tv that is rarely used. The courtyard is very private with plenty of lounge chairs. The is however no convienent sitting area in your room and no room tv or phone. Magda cooks a wonderful authentic Mexican breakfast except for days she makes her fluffy pancakes!

Villa Escondida Cozumel Bed and Breakfast is located right in downtown Cozumel, and it is ideal for travelers who want local attractions at their doorsteps: great dining, the main pier, the central park, local shops and more are all at a short walk from this charming villa. A delicious, complete breakfast consisting of fresh brewed mexican coffee, selection of teas, fresh orange juice, pastries or homemade baking, hot main dish /mexican dishes are our specialty!) and fresh fruit and yogurt is served in the terrace every morning.

And for more of a personal feel and cost consideration consider 3 P's. Multiday dive discounts, lots of local/repeat divers on board and the shop is just a few blocks from the B&B. Divers can meet at the shop and they arrange transportation to and from the marina.

Thanks for taking time to make an extensive reply. Villa E. looks like a great place -- I'm not a TV person so don't care if there is one or not. I'd really like their healthy breakfast -- can you get it early enough for the dive boat?
Also, @ronscuba , 10 dive plus package is the way to go for me !!!
Thanks to all for these great suggestions. For first timers, a little bit of reliable info. makes things a lot easier . Marigrow

 

[halocline]

You might consider Village Tankah and dive with Roberta, the dive shop is called scuba shack. It's a nice small B&B (six rooms in a hacienda-style hotel) a couple of miles south of downtown, maybe 1/4 mile north of the cruise ship terminal. This is my go-to place for Cozumel; it's quiet, very pleasant, and the dive op is good. The only problem is that it's either a 45 minute walk (which I love to do) into town or a $7 cab ride. There are a few restaurants right in the area, most notably Ernesto's fajitas. But the best places to eat are downtown. I usually go to Chedraui and load up on supplies for the time I'm there; there are fridges in the rooms and a communal eating area where you can comfortably make sandwiches and snacks.

 

[uncfnp]

Thanks for taking time to make an extensive reply. Villa E. looks like a great place -- I'm not a TV person so don't care if there is one or not. I'd really like their healthy breakfast -- can you get it early enough for the dive boat?
Also, @ronscuba , 10 dive plus package is the way to go for me !!!
Thanks to all for these great suggestions. For first timers, a little bit of reliable info. makes things a lot easier . Marigrow

Magda will ask your plans and any food preferences or requirements then do her best to meet any special needs or requests. If it is just you up early she will likely offer a selection of fresh sliced fruits (I don't know how she is able to select fruits at their peak but she is especially skilled at this), yogurt, granola, muffins or other breads, omelette or other egg dish, breakfast enchilada, etc. And then of course fresh brewed coffee and squeeze juice. If it is a group she will probably offer the full breakfast early.

And for 3 P's, again I hesitant to link my thread but it might help narrow your choices. I compare and contrast Aldora and 3 Ps. I have dove both and they are each very good but they are also very different. 3Ps just suited me better.

Aldora and 3 P's Reviews

 

[AdivingBel]

I was the only diver at Villa Escondida on my last trip. Magda & David were sweet/thoughtful and provided me the "full treatment" for breakfast. I was a little rushed the first morning so the rest of the week they backed it up another 15 minutes so I could enjoy at my leisure. I told them it wasn't necessary as I was the one choosing to dive and I knew early mornings weren't Magda's favorite (David ratted her out ). She laughed and said she chose to run a B&B and her guests come first. They really are nice folks.

Enjoy your trip. I'm sure you'll have a blast no matter who you stay & dive with.

 

[Sue Sue]

I recommend either Villa Escondida B & B or Summer Place Inn. Villa Escondida is located in the center of town on Ave 10 between 3rd and Rosada Salas , Across from La Choza and very near to several Dive ops. Deep Blue, Deep Exposure and Tres Pelicanos just to name a few. Summer Place in is located on Ave 10 between Calle 17 and 19. It is a B & B however the breakfast foods are provided for you to cook in the well equipped outdoor kitchen. The advantage is that you can cook your breakfast for lunch or dinner if you wish. There is a shared refrigerator as well as a small fridge in each room to store the extra which you can purchase at the Chedraui. The facility also has a pool. As far as Dive op connections...it is an easy walk to the "Town Pier" or a quick taxi ride. My hubby and I would just start out walking toward the town pier, giving plenty of time should we not get picked up. Once we were past the halfway mark we just completed the walk. If we did happen to get a taxi, then we just arrived a bit early and relaxed on the pier until the boat arrived. No big inconvenience. Or, you may want to contact Tres Pelicanos as they may arrange transport.

 

[deepsea21]

Obviously I am a fan of staying in-town and am glad to hear you elected to enjoy the culture and all the great things San Miguel has to offer. As you have SO MUCH time to spend in Coz, if the economics of a condo make sense that is the way to go. My wife and I have been staying in-town for 15 or so years now and the past several trips we have extended our stay to 2 weeks from our prior 1 week visits. The ever rising cost of airfare drove our decision to burn more vaca days in Coz instead of elsewhere as it costs $ to get anywhere but once in Coz it is cheap compared to other destinations (if done right). The Colonial Suites was mentioned earlier in this thread which has 2 sister hotels being the Suites Bahia and the Casa Mexicana which is the flagship of the three. The Casa lays out the 30' breakfast buffet every day for guests staying at the Casa, Colonial and Bahia. From the Colonial or Bahia you are looking at about a 5-10 min walk to get to the breakfast and as you prefer the healthier side of dining the Casa's breakfast buffet offers everything in terms of fresh fruit, a make your own smoothie station, etc... it goes on and on.

With regard to your Dive op, I too recommend Tres Pelicanos. We discovered 3P's 3 years ago when our prior dive op went down hill and we couldn't be happier with 3P's. For your situation, I think 3P's would be perfect as they offer free transport from town to the boats and back to town and they will take care of absolutely ALL of your gear from the day you arrive until the day you depart... No hauling anything anywhere... It's "boutique" diving without the boutique price.

I will add, when one considers a condo they think they can save $ by utilizing the kitchen and cooking their own food. That is a fallacy in Coz as it is far cheaper to eat out and eat better every night than you could ever do shopping and cooking yourself unless one wants a diet of PB&J and Ramen every day. Some do it and God bless 'em but not me.

I say contact Jeanie through 3Ps website and see what she may be able to put together for your EXTENDED stay which she may be able to negotiate a much lower rate than you see for accommodations. Staying at the Bahia, Colonial, or Casa (among the best) ain't all bad and everything will be taken care of. We have absolutely no problem spending 2 weeks at the Casa which most consider a "hotel" as it is so much more than that and everything you could want is at your feet regardless of which of the three you chose.

 

[backprop]

deepsea21 makes good points about eating out, something I love to do in Coz. But to me, after long morning dives, nothing is better than lazily hitting the pool at the villa, going through pics from the dives, taking a long walk, or reading a book until dinner. I'm an early-to-bed type, so by having breakfast and lunch at the villa, I can go out at 6:30 or so for a great dinner and be in bed early. Otherwise lunch is at 2 or2:30pm and then I'm not hungry for dinner until way late.

I can happily get by with just a few ingredients that gives me a full breakfast and lunch. My list is 18 eggs, 1/2 kg bacon, some bananas, 2 bags bread, 2 sticks butter, 1 jar of preserves, an avocado per day, a few limes, a bag of frozen veggies, a bag of tortilla chips, some pastries, and a block of cheese. $25 or so at Mega. That gets me a full breakfast every day, plus a grilled cheese, veggies, and chips with avocado dip (I don't do onions but you could add one of those for guac), and dessert. If you plan ahead and enjoy the routine like I do, it's worth cooking at your own place!

Also you mentioned you get cold. The huge difference maker for me has been a neoprene beanie/cap. Have you tried one? I don't like hoods but a beanie gives full range of motion and has really helped me through many weeks of multi-dive days which I otherwise couldn't handle.