I usually avoid Cozumel in the winter, since it seems every time, we lose diving days due to nortes. Airfares to our preferred winter destinations were out of our price range. We decided to accept the risk, booking a Feb. vacation in Cozumel. I have found it nearly impossible to find lodging at The Residencias Reef during peak winter months. For part of our vacation, my sister(non-diving) joined us for a few days. After scouring vacation rentals, I figured a that a unit at The Landmark would be an ideal location.
Landmark of Cozumel condos:
We secured a great deal on a unit which had 2 bedrooms(one king, one with 2 twin beds), 3 bathrooms and an additional office/ sitting room(no door) with a fold out couch which could be used as a 3rd bedroom. The cost of rentals increases substantially with each floor up. Ours was a ground floor unit. Patio area and bathrooms were enormous. The downside is a lack of privacy with the patio facing the Money Bar and walkway. It really wasn’t an issue for us, plus the patio was so large that it never felt like people were too close. Kitchen and bathrooms were high end, with ample hot water and supplies. The king bed was too firm for my preference, the twin beds were much softer. We had a washer/dryer and dishwasher in the unit. WIFI was stronger than ours at home. Pool area was large with plenty of lounge chairs for all the guests. I found the water to be cold, but a peaceful area for reading a book and warming up after dives.
Some of the evenings hosted live music from The Money Bar. I know I sound like an old coot when I complain about music being so loud. It was practically deafening anywhere near the band. I have listened to live music venues on the island, not sure why this one is always the loudest. Needless to say, our unit was not immune to the loud jams. However, on a positive note, it did not last after 9 pm. While it will inevitably disturb a tranquil evening, I found the pool area(located behind the complex) very peaceful and quiet. After 9 pm, everything was completely silent. I never heard any noise from units next to, or above ours. I am a light sleeper, and this was dead quiet at night. The complex was clearly built using solid construction. The lobby area is almost ornate/fussy and more formal appearing, but there is an absence of pretense. Every one that worked there was friendly and approachable. My vacation rentals usually lack any type of lobby, so this was different. Our dive op picked us up at the Money Bar dock. There was one day that a Money Bar employee gave our boat the stink eye and had a terse exchange with our dive master, but after realizing we were guests at The Landmark, he quickly relented and assisted us off the boat. A) either they don’t want divers spending surface intervals at their place or B) they discourage people staying elsewhere from using dock.
On our last day, our flight didn’t leave until 4 pm. The wonderful staff at Landmark let us use their facilities and hold our luggage until we departed for airport.
Diving:
We have tried other dive ops, when traveling with groups or staying north of the marina. I am always so glad to return to Bottom Time Divers. Raul is a master at finding all forms of marine life. He truly has an amazing eye for finding the macro life. He pointed out seahorses(3), multiple pipehorses, juvenile trunkfish and even a batfish. I don’t recall ever seeing so much macro sea life as I did on this vacation. We saw several nurse sharks, often in pairs sleeping under coral overhang. The upside to diving this time of year is the abundant number of eagle rays. The downside was losing a day of diving due to a short lived norte. While I enjoy the dramatic topography of a wall dive, I have come to the conclusion that the shallower dives of Tunich, Tormentos and La Francesca are my favorites.
What is with the crazy currents?
I have been diving in Cozumel for 17 years. I have never encountered such random, multi directional currents as I did during this vacation. One day on Santa Rosa wall, the current shifted from south to north to north to south. Another day the current at Tunich shifted three times. The craziest time was doing an afternoon dive on 2/15. We were diving San Francisco wall. The first part of the dive was typical drift diving. Near the end of the dive, the currents changed from south to north to mildly downwards and west. I noticed my bubbles going down and to the left. Then it was like the sea opened up and we were getting pelted with endless sargassum from the surface. I managed to catch some of it on video, but it is of crap quality. When we surfaced, the sea around the boat was calm, but the surrounding waves were slapping against each other, each in a random direction. I am interested in hearing from anybody else who may have been diving that same afternoon.
Guided bird tour:
My sister is a bird enthusiast. I only know of the ones that visit my feeder. We hired Elvis Jiminez as our guide. He picked us up at our condo, handed us some binoculars and off we went to the southern shoreline to scout out some of the coastal birds, then we walked around the neighborhoods of El Cedral. He is very passionate about his skill and eagerly shares his knowledge with his guests. He was simply amazing at locating over 45 different bird species. I have never participated in a bird tour, but I cannot imagine anyone better than Elvis!
Dining:
The Money Bar is akin to Chilis serving Mexican food. Nothing great but it was convenient to grab some guacamole after dives, plus their house salad is quite good. We would start out the evening grabbing a drink at either The Pub or Cerveceria Internacional, then pick a place to eat. We were never able to get a table at New Especias. Which is unfortunate, because I have been wanting to try them. The beer at Cerveceria Punta Sur and Kusam were mediocre, but the food was quite good. I have always been a cheerleader for Ceiito Lindo, but was disappointed after our last visit. Their Caprese salad is always delicious and unique compared to other preparations. Both my husband and I ordered their three mole enchiladas. It felt like an eternity before we received our food. It was room temperature. There were plenty of staff, so I am not sure what happened.
General Observations:
-We did not encounter a single lionfish. This was a first for me. Apparently, they are prevalent in deeper waters.
-My Sharkskin jacket worked great in keeping me warm during surface intervals.
-I don’t know if it is just my perspective, but I feel the cab drivers have become far more aggressive with their driving. Between zigzagging between cars and complete disdain for crosswalks, it was harrowing at times.
- I have always been a fan of Residencias Reef, but now Landmark condos are on my favorite places list.
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