Need authentic local food in cozumel

[MMM]

How to make this a sticky for authentic local Food suggestions for future visitors?

Because they are a dime a dozen. There are endless food threads here and the answers change with the seasons. None of them are about diving. (Glad you are enjoying the food)

 

[JamesBon92007]

Cozumel has over 220 freshwater wells in the center of the island operated by CAPA that provide water for the municipal water system. This water is chlorinated at a plant near the wells, on the Transversal. From there, the water is fed to the city in buried asbestos/cement pipes; fragile pipes that are full of cracks and leaks. Unfortunately, these cracked pipes were buried in trenches with the sewer pipes, so since the fresh water pipes are low pressure (and sometimes no pressure) the sewer water can infiltrate the freshwater pipes. So, nobody drinks the water from the city water system, but use bottled water instead. No water comes to Cozumel from the mainland, except retail bottles of national and international brands in small bottles.

There are several companies on Cozumel that produce drinking water for resale using reverse osmosis and other methods. Most large hotels have their own reverse osmosis systems.

Read more about the water system, the island's hydrology, and CAPA's wells in my new book, NATURAL HISTORY OF COZUMEL, available on Amazon.com

There is a coin-operated water dispenser in a triangular building on Coldwell somewhere in the general vicinity of Calle 11 Sur. I think it's $10 MX for 20 liters. Is this most likely a reverse osmosis machine? The caballero who was telling us about it was very happy to be getting water for 10 pesos and appeared to be in reasonably good health, however I still have doubts about drinking any water directly from the island. I think I read somewhere that salt is a factor in the water too, not just bad pipes and possible contamination. I have not yet walked down every street in town yet but that's the only machine like it that I've seen. In many places that we visit we simply boil a big pot of water when we get there, and sometimes pour it through a filter, but not on Cozumel. Some hotels say don't even brush your teeth with it.

 

[El Graduado]

I have not yet walked down every street in town yet but that's the only machine like it that I've seen. In many places that we visit we simply boil a big pot of water when we get there, and sometimes pour it through a filter, but not on Cozumel. Some hotels say don't even brush your teeth with it.

There are several first-world quality water companies in Cozumel. One, down by the Puerta Maya Pier, even provides the potable water for the cruise ships. I always laugh when the cruise ship tourists say not to drink the Mexican bottled water, when they don't realize they are drinking it on the ship!

Most homes have home delivery of 5-gallon bottles from the island's water company, one of which is Crystal, a division of the the Coca-Cola Company. Do you drink Coca-Cola when you are in Mexico?

Some homes refill their 5-gallon bottles at the type of kiosk you saw, or go straight to the water companies to fill them.

The hotels you say tell you not to brush your teeth with it mean "don't drink from their spigot" since they are not using reverse osmosis to purify their water, but are furnishing you with city tap water and then, I assume, small bottles of purified water for your room.

In Cozumel, if you get bottled water and the seal is intact, it is as safe or safer than the tap water in the US.

 

[JamesBon92007]

In Cozumel, if you get bottled water and the seal is intact, it is as safe or safer than the tap water in the US.

I don't drink the tap water in the US

 

[mstevens]

How to make this a sticky for authentic local Food suggestions for future visitors?

It's already out-of-date.

Since all Cozumel posts eventually turn into food discussions, the info will be there.

 

[Sushi Boy]

Just came back from the restaurant formally known as Los Otates. If I heard correctly, the new name is Tacos Tales.

That is correct. Complete with updated signage, lol

I had some tasty tacos there last week, beef, cheek, and tongue. Wanted to try the eye tendon too, but they were out of that one.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

I truly love a good tongue taco but not sure if I could do eye tendon.

 

[El Graduado]

Eye (ojo) and tendon (nervio) are two different types of taco filling.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

Eye (ojo) and tendon (nervio) are two different types of taco filling.

Ok, so tendon I could probably do. Eye, um, no, probably not. At least not sober.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Eye (ojo) and tendon (nervio) are two different types of taco filling.

It is indeed chopped eyeball, is it not? I mean, not the eye muscle but the eyeball itself. Every time I have seen it on a menu I have asked for it, but I am always told they don't have any.