Looking for suggestions over Christmas/New Year on Mexico East Coast

[MMM]

My husband and I share a winter home in Cozumel with my brother. This year, his family is coming down with adult children and their boyfriends/girlfriends in tow. I think it will be a bit crowded so was thinking of heading elsewhere for the Christmas/New Year time frame. I have been looking at Isla Mujares and Akumel. I am the only diver of the two of us, and I am easily entertained (i.e. diving doesn't need to be awesome, just slow and easy so I can poke around and shoot photos). My preference is a smaller op that provides meticulous service. And we don't care for big hotels. Boutique hotels are great. Beach access is fairly important. Outside of that, we like to eat out at local, small restaurants. Suggestions most greatly appreciated.

 

[TSandM]

Well, you might really like Akumal. We stayed in the bungalows at the Akumal Caribe. They are small but comfortable, and have kitchenettes. There is a beautiful, white sand beach, with swimming and some snorkeling, and there is supposedly a spa, although we didn't see it open. The hotel offers breakfast at the nearby restaurant, Lol Ha, although we frequently went over to Turtle Bay instead. There are several evening restaurants, including a couple which are better drives than walks. Akumal is neither stridently touristy nor loud, unless you want to go listen to karaoke and sit in the swing chairs at one of the beachfront bars.

The only diving I have done in the ocean there was with Akumal Dive Shop (I think). They are within walking distance of the bungalows. The boats are small, and you wade out to them. The reefs were heavily impacted with algae, but there are a reasonable number of reef fish, and some big lobsters.

The whole area is beautiful. From Akumal, it's a quick drive to the ruins in Tulum (and Tulum has WONDERFUL restaurants). I've heard the tours in the Sian Kaan Biosphere are well worth doing (it's on our to-do list), and the ruins at Coba are bigger and more majestic than Tulum.

Anyway, if you like a quiet place, not hugely developed, with some very reasonable restaurant options and the best mango margaritas I've ever had (Lol Ha, beach bar), Akumal might suit you very well.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Akumal (not AKumel) is a great area, but it is already a little late to try to book lodging for the holidays. See what is available at locogringo.com.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Pwr_Diver]

Cozumel is hard to beat that time of year. Understand wanting to ditch the family; though, if you're interested my wife and I own a condo there that will be unoccupied. Let me know if you'd be interested inventing it and ill send you the URL to the property management company.

 

[MMM]

Cozumel is hard to beat that time of year. Understand wanting to ditch the family; though, if you're interested my wife and I own a condo there that will be unoccupied. Let me know if you'd be interested inventing it and ill send you the URL to the property management company.

Thanks but I think it will be a bit of an adventure to head over to the mainland and experience something a little different. I will be in Coz for 3 months, so don't mind losing a week or so to my brother and his family.

 

[ibj40]

Have you checked into Puerto Aventuras. Right in the middle of the mainland coast, close and easily accessible to attractions both internal to the "compound" as well as outside (ruins, Xcaret, Playa del Carmen, etc.). Lots of condo units there which will surely accomodate your group. We dive with Dive Aventuras (and they do property rental/management as well).

 

[Mike]

My husband and I share a winter home in Cozumel with my brother. This year, his family is coming down with adult children and their boyfriends/girlfriends in tow. I think it will be a bit crowded so was thinking of heading elsewhere for the Christmas/New Year time frame. I have been looking at Isla Mujares and Akumel. I am the only diver of the two of us, and I am easily entertained (i.e. diving doesn't need to be awesome, just slow and easy so I can poke around and shoot photos). My preference is a smaller op that provides meticulous service. And we don't care for big hotels. Boutique hotels are great. Beach access is fairly important. Outside of that, we like to eat out at local, small restaurants. Suggestions most greatly appreciated.

Isla Mujeres is everything you described... boring diving unless you want to poke around.... meticulous service may be a problem, nothing like Aldora over there, but there are a couple of ops who will take good care of you, but the dive community is 1% of what you have on Cozumel. Plenty of boutique hotels and the north beach is simply an amazing, beautiful location, Hildago street is the main restaurant street, dozens of restaurants, but not like Cozumel, much more variety than Mexican food, mostly European and South American influences, more wine than tequila. Big bonus would be at that time of year if there were any sport fisherman in the group Mujeres is the #1 spot in the Caribbean for sail fish fishing, absolutely incredible. You can even snorkel with them. One issue with Mujeres in your time frame is the weather, small island with diving all around it, if you get a spell of bad weather, you're limited to the sheltered side which would reduce your dive locations by at least 75%. You can dive the other sites, but you better be ready for wet boat rides and take sea sickness pills if you do in bad weather. Also the times we've been there around that time of year the water is cold for me, so I don't enjoy going swimming at the beach, my wife goes in, but I'm a wuss.

Have stayed in Akumal many times too. I'd pick that location if you wanted to take advantage of ruins and cenotes, and everything TSandM said.