hank harris
Guest
***See Cozumel Trip Report part one for the dive related stuff.
Topside...
I've been to Coz a number of times, first in the early 70's, when I spent over a year working my way through Mexico, Central and South America. Several months were spent exploring the Yucatan peninsula. Back then, San Miguel, Cozumel was a small fishing village, as was Playa del Carmen, as was Isla de Mujeres and Cancun. The rest was pretty much jungle, interspersed with Mayan ruins like Tulum, Chichen Itza, Palanque, etc. The people here, like most of Mexico outside the tourist traps of Acapulco, Mazatlan, etc., were absolutely fantastic. A trip to Merida was like stepping back in time a hundred years.
But my, how things change. By my next extended stay in the early '90's, Cancun looked like Waikiki Beach, Merida was a large, bustling city, Playa del Carmen had grown into a small city (still plenty of dirt streets though), and San Miguel had blossomed into a dive mecca. But just as I found twenty years earlier, the mostly Mayan population was gentle, kind, and some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet.
My latest trip this summer was a real shocker. While I didn't bother to visit Cancun, I can safely assume it remains what it was created to be. Playa del Carmen was unrecognizible. A huge, congested metropolis, and a far cry from the comfortable place it was just 15 years ago. The beautiful white sand beaches that stretched for miles and miles have become "the Mayan Riviera" (translated, that means raped and pillaged by ambitious developers).
San Miguel, Cozumel, while still bearing a lot of resemblance to the San Miguel of years past, has been radically altered in spirit by the proliferation of cruise ships that visit weekly. The old part of town near the pier is hard for me to be in. Constant harrasment from the pushy, aggressive sales people one often finds in tourist towns. A shopping mall environment (jewelry, clothing, souveniers, etc.), timeshare hawkers, big party bars, loud music, lots of drunks and ugly Americans... the typical tourist-town environment all over the world. If that is what appeals to you, this is heaven. And judging from the wreckage caused by the hurricane, I assume it was even more so pre-Wilma. To me, it felt like a cheesy Disneyland version of the old place. I realize I am in the minority; one of the guys on our boat loved this scene. He had just come from a couple of weeks in Vegas and thought Cozumel was the perfect way to wind down: dive in the morning and party the rest of the day. Different strokes for different folks.
Reading the above, one might conclude my time above water was miserable, but that would be a hasty conclusion, because, if one looks, much of the old Cozumel is still alive and well. Just need to get away from the operations that cater to the cruzistas (one of the nicer names I heard applied to the cruise ship visitors). One will still find lots of wonderful people and great food (more on that below).
Lodging...
Way back in the day, I stayed downtown somewhere off the square. Too long ago to remember. In the early 90's I stayed at the Presidente, which was then the best on the island. Great lodging; great food, especially at the big palapa on the shoreline. Good dive op there, then, too (Scuba do). When I went this past July, the President had left the building at Wilma's urging. Just a shell being rebuilt at a feverish pace. I now hear it is open again. Always a good choice if money is not tight.
This time I opted to stay at Caribe Blu. Wonderful choice. Located right on the waterfront (most Coz hotels are not), rooms are clean and simple, and the staff is excellent. I don't require a lot of amenities, so this was perfect for me, and the value ($80 a night, I think) is awesome. I could sit on my deck and watch the diveboat come up from the Caleta.
I also heard good things from friends staying at Casa Mexicana, but given its location (edge of downtown) and the hassle it would have been to hook up with the dive op I chose, I know I would not have enjoyed it. Caribe Blu, a long walk or quick cab ride, is the perfect distance from all the noise and light.
Food...
I had requested a fridge for the hotel room, which I kept stocked with drinks, fruit and snacks from Chedraui (think Mexican Walmart), located between town and the hotel.
Given my one-track mind while in Coz (dive/dive/dive), I did not get to explore the restaurant scene as I would have liked to. Below are a few recommendations, based on my limited experiences this last time. A couple caveats as you peruse my listings: I tend to seek out places primarily frequented by locals and I avoid other-than-local cuisine when in the Yucatan because despite the plethora of great Mexican food where I live, it is virtually impossible to find good Mayan fare like cochinita pabil, poc chuc, etc.
Breakfast: We rarely ate it out, as the boat picked us up around 8am. Tried the restaurant on site (Rendez Blu?) a couple of times, but found it just fair to tolerable. Did eat at Coco's downtown twice on travel days and found the food (chilaquiles roja, huevos mexicana) good and the atmosphere friendly. Both times I was there early, right after opening, and met ex-pats from the States who had made this their morning hangout. Also ate once at RocknJava, which had a very nice breakfast and a terrific view of the water. Also dropped in there once while walking back to the hotel from town and got a piece of apple pie to go. Very good. Mostly, though, breakfast was fresh fruit picked up at Chedraui.
Dive intervals on the beach: something new to me, with mixed results. The so-called "beach clubs" are not something I like. Very expensive, mediocre gringo food, but it is convenient and preferred by the majority of divers. I only went to a couple of these before asking our captain to take us back to the Caleta (harbor) where there was some real food. There's a little place (nothing more than a 3-walled tin shack) across from the docks. No name that I know of, but referred to by several as the "mexican macdonalds." This place is run by a family and has some seriously great food for very low prices. Usually only had one or two things on the outdoor stove, but always delicious. The 3 plastic tables sitting in front were usually full of dock workers. I can still remember the Torta Con Toda with some habenero salsa slathered on. Yum. Our boat's captain, knowing my love of all food Mayan, brought us some Cochinita Pabil tortas from his favorite restaurant one day. Killer tortas!
Lunch/dinner: I combined these two, because I usually only ate one big meal per day, in mid-afternoon, after and or before diving. Only a few of these were at restaurants.
For old times sake, a trip to La Choza. The food was okay, but the prices reflect the location and the restaurant's reputation.
Another time a stop at Casa Denis to meet friends who were dining there. Again, just okay.
Once at a place called Tortugas, which was back in the neighborhoods. Lots of locals, but the food was nothing to get excited about.
One restaurant I did get excited about is Las Palmas, a few blocks from the Mercado and full every time I visited. All kinds of well made Mayan food. We usually got big combination plates and sampled everything. The poc-chuc was especially tasty, but there was much to savor here.
My favorite dining destination, however, is the mercado. Only breakfast and lunch though (till maybe 3pm or so). Dozens of places to eat well there. Inside the large building are numerous stands. I ate at several of these, just picking from the pots that are clearly visible from the aisle. Amazingly good food. And if you like fresh, hot, crispy chicharrones, there are butchers in there cooking them all morning. And fresh fruit vendors. And tortillas. And liquados. And... well, you get the idea. Outside the large building are some attached sheds housing about a half dozen loncherias. Great choices abound here also. Most have numbers for names. My favorite does not have a name outside, but it is between Loncheria 4 and Loncheria 7, so I took to calling it Loncheria 5-6. We ordered a plate of ceviche pescado to get started, thinking it would be the usual portion, and were brought a dinner plate mounded with perfectly made ceviche. From there a mayan chicken dish (the name escapes me, but fried chicken, red/brown achiote sauce, over rice) which was also to die for. On our numerous visits, we persuaded them to grill us some habeneros and onions to compliment whatever we ordered, and this place was all I ever want in a Mayan eatery.
Okay, enough of that, except for one general recommendation when seeking food in Mexico, whether you are in the Yucatan, Oaxaca, Guadalajara or wherever... always seek out the mercado (the last two I mentioned will feed you some of the best food you will have this side of heaven).
Concluding thoughts...
Coz is highly recommended for both above and below the water activities. Whether you are a party animal diver or a more sedate species, there is something here for you. Has it changed since the hurricane? Yes, both above and below the waterline. But that is what life is about. And it can be a good thing, even if it means having to scratch the surface a bit to get the Mexico you are looking for. I don't give a lot of weight to people who whine about the reefs pre-Wilma. Yeah, most were better, but you should have saw them 35 years ago. People will always whine about the good ole days. Including me
. But that takes nothing away from the fun place Coz is this very day!
Link to SB photo gallery and a couple dozen pictures from this trip:
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/63786
Topside...
I've been to Coz a number of times, first in the early 70's, when I spent over a year working my way through Mexico, Central and South America. Several months were spent exploring the Yucatan peninsula. Back then, San Miguel, Cozumel was a small fishing village, as was Playa del Carmen, as was Isla de Mujeres and Cancun. The rest was pretty much jungle, interspersed with Mayan ruins like Tulum, Chichen Itza, Palanque, etc. The people here, like most of Mexico outside the tourist traps of Acapulco, Mazatlan, etc., were absolutely fantastic. A trip to Merida was like stepping back in time a hundred years.
But my, how things change. By my next extended stay in the early '90's, Cancun looked like Waikiki Beach, Merida was a large, bustling city, Playa del Carmen had grown into a small city (still plenty of dirt streets though), and San Miguel had blossomed into a dive mecca. But just as I found twenty years earlier, the mostly Mayan population was gentle, kind, and some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet.
My latest trip this summer was a real shocker. While I didn't bother to visit Cancun, I can safely assume it remains what it was created to be. Playa del Carmen was unrecognizible. A huge, congested metropolis, and a far cry from the comfortable place it was just 15 years ago. The beautiful white sand beaches that stretched for miles and miles have become "the Mayan Riviera" (translated, that means raped and pillaged by ambitious developers).
San Miguel, Cozumel, while still bearing a lot of resemblance to the San Miguel of years past, has been radically altered in spirit by the proliferation of cruise ships that visit weekly. The old part of town near the pier is hard for me to be in. Constant harrasment from the pushy, aggressive sales people one often finds in tourist towns. A shopping mall environment (jewelry, clothing, souveniers, etc.), timeshare hawkers, big party bars, loud music, lots of drunks and ugly Americans... the typical tourist-town environment all over the world. If that is what appeals to you, this is heaven. And judging from the wreckage caused by the hurricane, I assume it was even more so pre-Wilma. To me, it felt like a cheesy Disneyland version of the old place. I realize I am in the minority; one of the guys on our boat loved this scene. He had just come from a couple of weeks in Vegas and thought Cozumel was the perfect way to wind down: dive in the morning and party the rest of the day. Different strokes for different folks.
Reading the above, one might conclude my time above water was miserable, but that would be a hasty conclusion, because, if one looks, much of the old Cozumel is still alive and well. Just need to get away from the operations that cater to the cruzistas (one of the nicer names I heard applied to the cruise ship visitors). One will still find lots of wonderful people and great food (more on that below).
Lodging...
Way back in the day, I stayed downtown somewhere off the square. Too long ago to remember. In the early 90's I stayed at the Presidente, which was then the best on the island. Great lodging; great food, especially at the big palapa on the shoreline. Good dive op there, then, too (Scuba do). When I went this past July, the President had left the building at Wilma's urging. Just a shell being rebuilt at a feverish pace. I now hear it is open again. Always a good choice if money is not tight.
This time I opted to stay at Caribe Blu. Wonderful choice. Located right on the waterfront (most Coz hotels are not), rooms are clean and simple, and the staff is excellent. I don't require a lot of amenities, so this was perfect for me, and the value ($80 a night, I think) is awesome. I could sit on my deck and watch the diveboat come up from the Caleta.
I also heard good things from friends staying at Casa Mexicana, but given its location (edge of downtown) and the hassle it would have been to hook up with the dive op I chose, I know I would not have enjoyed it. Caribe Blu, a long walk or quick cab ride, is the perfect distance from all the noise and light.
Food...
I had requested a fridge for the hotel room, which I kept stocked with drinks, fruit and snacks from Chedraui (think Mexican Walmart), located between town and the hotel.
Given my one-track mind while in Coz (dive/dive/dive), I did not get to explore the restaurant scene as I would have liked to. Below are a few recommendations, based on my limited experiences this last time. A couple caveats as you peruse my listings: I tend to seek out places primarily frequented by locals and I avoid other-than-local cuisine when in the Yucatan because despite the plethora of great Mexican food where I live, it is virtually impossible to find good Mayan fare like cochinita pabil, poc chuc, etc.
Breakfast: We rarely ate it out, as the boat picked us up around 8am. Tried the restaurant on site (Rendez Blu?) a couple of times, but found it just fair to tolerable. Did eat at Coco's downtown twice on travel days and found the food (chilaquiles roja, huevos mexicana) good and the atmosphere friendly. Both times I was there early, right after opening, and met ex-pats from the States who had made this their morning hangout. Also ate once at RocknJava, which had a very nice breakfast and a terrific view of the water. Also dropped in there once while walking back to the hotel from town and got a piece of apple pie to go. Very good. Mostly, though, breakfast was fresh fruit picked up at Chedraui.
Dive intervals on the beach: something new to me, with mixed results. The so-called "beach clubs" are not something I like. Very expensive, mediocre gringo food, but it is convenient and preferred by the majority of divers. I only went to a couple of these before asking our captain to take us back to the Caleta (harbor) where there was some real food. There's a little place (nothing more than a 3-walled tin shack) across from the docks. No name that I know of, but referred to by several as the "mexican macdonalds." This place is run by a family and has some seriously great food for very low prices. Usually only had one or two things on the outdoor stove, but always delicious. The 3 plastic tables sitting in front were usually full of dock workers. I can still remember the Torta Con Toda with some habenero salsa slathered on. Yum. Our boat's captain, knowing my love of all food Mayan, brought us some Cochinita Pabil tortas from his favorite restaurant one day. Killer tortas!
Lunch/dinner: I combined these two, because I usually only ate one big meal per day, in mid-afternoon, after and or before diving. Only a few of these were at restaurants.
For old times sake, a trip to La Choza. The food was okay, but the prices reflect the location and the restaurant's reputation.
Another time a stop at Casa Denis to meet friends who were dining there. Again, just okay.
Once at a place called Tortugas, which was back in the neighborhoods. Lots of locals, but the food was nothing to get excited about.
One restaurant I did get excited about is Las Palmas, a few blocks from the Mercado and full every time I visited. All kinds of well made Mayan food. We usually got big combination plates and sampled everything. The poc-chuc was especially tasty, but there was much to savor here.
My favorite dining destination, however, is the mercado. Only breakfast and lunch though (till maybe 3pm or so). Dozens of places to eat well there. Inside the large building are numerous stands. I ate at several of these, just picking from the pots that are clearly visible from the aisle. Amazingly good food. And if you like fresh, hot, crispy chicharrones, there are butchers in there cooking them all morning. And fresh fruit vendors. And tortillas. And liquados. And... well, you get the idea. Outside the large building are some attached sheds housing about a half dozen loncherias. Great choices abound here also. Most have numbers for names. My favorite does not have a name outside, but it is between Loncheria 4 and Loncheria 7, so I took to calling it Loncheria 5-6. We ordered a plate of ceviche pescado to get started, thinking it would be the usual portion, and were brought a dinner plate mounded with perfectly made ceviche. From there a mayan chicken dish (the name escapes me, but fried chicken, red/brown achiote sauce, over rice) which was also to die for. On our numerous visits, we persuaded them to grill us some habeneros and onions to compliment whatever we ordered, and this place was all I ever want in a Mayan eatery.
Okay, enough of that, except for one general recommendation when seeking food in Mexico, whether you are in the Yucatan, Oaxaca, Guadalajara or wherever... always seek out the mercado (the last two I mentioned will feed you some of the best food you will have this side of heaven).
Concluding thoughts...
Coz is highly recommended for both above and below the water activities. Whether you are a party animal diver or a more sedate species, there is something here for you. Has it changed since the hurricane? Yes, both above and below the waterline. But that is what life is about. And it can be a good thing, even if it means having to scratch the surface a bit to get the Mexico you are looking for. I don't give a lot of weight to people who whine about the reefs pre-Wilma. Yeah, most were better, but you should have saw them 35 years ago. People will always whine about the good ole days. Including me
. But that takes nothing away from the fun place Coz is this very day!Link to SB photo gallery and a couple dozen pictures from this trip:
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/63786
