Just how good is Cozumel?

[KeithG]

Cozumel is great...if you are cheap...that is why it is popular with North Americans (imho). It is generally easy to get to from many places in the US and it is relatively inexpensive. It has good to great guided drift dives. Well, only drift dives...and only guided dives...

The Caribbean in general has less diversity than the Pacific. The number of species in PNG blew me away after years of Caribbean diving. (I can not comment on Red Sea).

Coz is good for wide angle as you zoom by, not so much for macro.

If you really want to do the Caribbean, there are lots of other options that are more photo friendly that would allow both wide and macro and a little of everything in between:
- Little Cayman
- Belize
- Turks & Caicos
- Roatan
- Saba
- Bequia
- British Virgin Islands
- Bonaire (mostly for macro, got to hunt for great wide angle opportunities...)

 

[Tigerman]

How good is Cozumel?

Good enough that I have spent my travel dollars to go there 3 times in the last 4 years..........

By that standard alone the red sea is more than twice as good as Ive been there 10 times in 6 years?

 

[Divegoose]

How good is Cozumel?

Good enough that I have spent my travel dollars to go there 3 times in the last 4 years..........

Been to Cozumel 4 times now. Looking forward to visit number 5 - hopefully next March.

Divegoose

 

[overexposed seahorse]

Thanks everyone very much for your help! I think I have decided on Cozumel for this year, especially as there are the added attractions of the Cenotes, the Mayan Ruins and Whale Shark snorkelling. May look to go to Little Cayman next year instead. I know that Egypt is great, I go every Easter, so it will be nice to go somewhere different!

 

[Tigerman]

The whalesharks is absolutely brilliant. Theres just no way of describing how massive they are to someone who has not been swimming with them

 

[pjhansman]

Cozumel is great...if you are cheap...

....or if you prefer not to travel through 10 or more time zones for a week of diving
....or if you like a direct flight to your destination
....or if you like a huge variety of restaurants within walking distance of many of the hotels
....or if you like a very friendly, very safe environment to take your family
....or if you like having a large assortment of quality dive ops to choose from
....or if you really enjoy drift diving

etc.

 

[ronski101]

Coz got the best reef structure that we have seen in the carrib which would fit your wide angle photo need. Coz also got the best vis in the carrib and their sea life was a pleasant suprise on our trip last year after they were devistated by Wilma a few yrs back.
We always have felt safe in Coz while Bonaire has been the shore diving/truck vandalizing capital of the world for the last 20 yrs and getting worse. And, yes we have always followed the theives dictated instructions of leaving the truck unlocked, windows down, and nothing of value inside. P.S. they have now expanded their operations to night burglary of condos too. If you don't believe me, just search the forums a bit and "read all about it"...........

 

[dmoore19]

Not at all, it simply means that I have been there and will return.

I like Cozumel, I enjoy going there. I like the diving and I like the island. I have not been to the Red Sea, so I don't know if it is twice as good as Cozumel. I do know that I will go back to Cozumel before I go to the Red Sea.

By that standard alone the red sea is more than twice as good as Ive been there 10 times in 6 years?

 

[ScottNY]

Not too much to add. I've enjoyed Turks/Caicos, Cozumel, Aruba, etc. and Bonaire.

The only thing I'd add about Bonaire is this... there's really nothing else to do there at all but dive. There is a little casino and I suppose a couple of bars, but pretty lame. Some may disagree, but depending on when you go, it's a bit hot for anything else. It's a really bad idea if you have a non-diver with you.

Maybe visit the 'other' side of the island to see the Flamingos or check out the salt production if that's of interest. If you want lunch off the beaten path, there is the town of Rincon. Don't bother.

That being said, it is a unique environment and it was absolutely some of the best diving of my life. So as others have said, it depends what you're looking for.

 

[Mike]

Not too much to add. I've enjoyed Turks/Caicos, Cozumel, Aruba, etc. and Bonaire.

The only thing I'd add about Bonaire is this... there's really nothing else to do there at all but dive. There is a little casino and I suppose a couple of bars, but pretty lame. Some may disagree, but depending on when you go, it's a bit hot for anything else. It's a really bad idea if you have a non-diver with you.

Maybe visit the 'other' side of the island to see the Flamingos or check out the salt production if that's of interest. If you want lunch off the beaten path, there is the town of Rincon. Don't bother.

That being said, it is a unique environment and it was absolutely some of the best diving of my life. So as others have said, it depends what you're looking for.

Good or bad in regard to the petty crime, it's a stupid harrasement that most visitors won't be victims of but will have to plan their experience around no matter what.

But Bonaire is still a very unique dive experience, it's like no other place in the world that I know of, so it's well worth experiencing. As said Bonaire is a diver's island there are no cruise ships, no huge hotels, the island experience revolves around diving freedom, simply waking up and deciding where to drive along the shore and go diving, at your own pace, all day or 1 dive a day, it's up to you, it's unique and worth a visit in every diver's lifetime.