Where good snorkling in Florida and Cozumel and good scuba too?

[MikeSSS]

My wife and I snorkel together and I scuba dive. We are planning on Cozumel in early August, so I'm trying to figure out where to stay that has good beach snorkeling for 'us' and also where I can get a few scuba trips. There are places like Hotel Cozumel near San Miguel and places down south past Chankanaab like Allegra Cozumel. We want a place that is QUIET, calm, layed back and where we can sit in the shade, sip a drink and watch the beach and water. All inclusive is good. Any ideas/ recommendations?

Florida, might go there alone or with the wife. Destin, Panama City costs less gas than Key Largo, but I like KL. If 'we' go we would be looking for good snorkeling with marine life to look at. Of course I'd like to go diving too. Beach diving would be a big plus financially, in addition to boat diving. If I go alone I'd be looking for pretty much the same stuff...snorkeling, beach diving, and a few boat trips. Boat wrecks are a plus as is colorful marine life. The alternative to this is the good old Texas rig trip.

It looks like Fort Lauderdale and WPB, etc would be good for sit in the shade, sip refreshment and watch the water because the afternoon sun is behind you. Coz and places like Clearwater have the afternoon sun in your eyes and that ain't a good thing.

?Advice? Comments? What do you think?

Thanks.

Viva Gulf of Texas!

 

[TheRedHead]

I don't think there is any good snorkeling left in Cozumel after Wilma. Last trip I stayed at Villa Aldora which is a private villa with 8 suites, a little man-made beach and a pier where the boat picks you up in the mornings. It's about 2 miles north of town and taxis are about $2.50 to town. You can have breakfast delivered in the mornings for $4.00. Definitely not AI. The AI places are usually not quiet. Cozumel is just not a good location for beach diving, although the night snorkeling off the villa was suprisingly good in about 20 feet of water. Snorkeling in the daytime was unproductive - everything gone and the critters hiding. You could dive it, but why bother in such shallow water?

Key Largo is also a bad destination for shore diving and beach diving. Even snorkeling is done off boats there as the reefs are miles offshore.

Maybe you should look at Bonaire?

 

[mstevens]

In Cozumel, the Intercontinental Presidente has very nice shore diving/snorkeling. It's quiet with a nice beach. It's not all-inclusive. Perhaps the most significant problem for you, though, is that it won't reopen until October.

 

[TheRedHead]

mstevens, have you been to Cozumel since the hurricane? You can fix hotels, but you can't fix coral and sponges that were covered up and/or destroyed.