Trip to Cozumel

[Clyde Frog]

I have just booked a trip to Cozumel for 2 weeks in May any advice or tips would be welcome.

[Steve50]

I have just booked a trip to Cozumel for 2 weeks in May any advice or tips would be welcome.

I think they are out of stock right now, but this map is a great resource for everything on the island including restaurant reviews, dive sites etc..


Can-Do Travel Guides (http://www.cancunmap.com/)

[firstdive2005]

I have just booked a trip to Cozumel for 2 weeks in May any advice or tips would be welcome.

Hi-What would you like to do? Are you diving? Do you want to rent a car? Where are you staying. How many of you? Any kids? You know, how big are your feet? All I know is if noone answers the only way you wont like it there is your dead. So fill in some blanks and it will be fun to give our experiences! kev

[sharky60]

Hi-What would you like to do? Are you diving? Do you want to rent a car? Where are you staying. How many of you? Any kids?...

Yep, what he said...:popcorn:

[Clyde Frog]

Just me and my wife, I am a diver and my wife is not we are staying at the Iberostar. I don't intend driving unless it is recomended. Steve 50 thanks for the map:D

[don Francisco]

Clyde-

The Iberostar is quite a ways down south from town. It's perfectly located for diving as it's near the major reefs, so you'll have short boat runs, and probably surface intervals on shore. Because of the location, your choice of dive ops will be limited, so you might as well opt for convenience and use the house op.

Even though you're at an all-inclusive, I suggest you plan on getting out and seeing the isalnd, and even enjoying a few meals in town. Check for options with the hotel, but probably the best bet is to rent a car for a few days to explore. If so, I suggest Isis in town for low rates, and honest service.

If you're adventurous, consider an excursion to the mainland to visit Koba, Chichen Itza, or other places. Try to plan these trips well because of the time and dollars involved in getting to and from the mainland.

Otherwise my only advice for you is to remember that you're there to relax and have fun. Plan on doing very little, give yourself all day to do it, and don't be disappointed if you don't get it done.

[Zman96]

As Don said, I would recommend a car for a few days so you can drive around the east side of the island. I am in the same boat you are in, I am a diver and my wife isn't, so I would imagine you will need to get out of the hotel even though its an AI and renting a car is a lot more economical then a taxi at 16-18 dollars each way to town.
Good excursions on the island are Punta Sur and Chankanaab for the more tourist type places and then any beach on the east side for a quiet place. Enjoy!

[ednedfred]

I've stayed at both the Iberostar in Cozumel and Playa. Do not use the on-site dive op (Dressel Divers). I used them twice and never again. You can search my trip reports on this site for dive reports.

Also, since you've never been to Cozumel, visit this site Mapchick.com home page (http://www.mapchick.com) This is a family who develops maps when they vacation with great restaurant recommendations, rental car agencies, pretty much everything. It's helped us a lot.

Have fun.

[billindenver]

There are plenty of reviews of Iberostar and Dressel on this site, the search feature up top will give you a full days reading I imagine. When we stayed at Iberostar, I dove with Blue XT Sea and Dressel and while each had things that made them better than the other, I really would not consider one a world different than the other. BXTS is small boat, Dressel is large boat...both have pretty good service and each has their pitfalls. Decide how many dives you want to make, whether or not you want afternoons as an option, want small boats with breaks on the beach or large boat with breaks at Iberostar....and go from there. Dressel puts a time limit on your dives of an hour for mornings and 45 minutes for afternoons....but then an aluminum 80 with Blue XT Sea was getting me about an hour anyway. If you are better on air than I am, the restriction could be irritating at Dressel.

The long and the short of it is, if a dive op takes you out to the reefs around Cozumel....you will have a difficult time finding a dive you don't enjoy....in my opinion. The difference in pricing can be quite large and typically revolves around the boat ride...which to me is highly insignifcant when diving out of Iberostar....the reefs are a stones throw away so they could literally have me row out in a canoe and I wouldn't mind.

My opinion only, but if I were staying at Iberostar with a non diver....I would dive with Dressel (their in house dive op). The ability to pick and choose which time of the day you decide to dive would be a real benefit in that case I would think. Sleep in with the wife, have breakfast and still make the 10am dive and then do early or late afternoon dives as well if she is busy in the spa. If you want to lock in 2 tank mornings and save some money...I would give Dive with Martin a real look.