What specifically brings you back to Cozumel?

[robbcayman]

I know many of us return often, but what is it that keeps bringing you back to Coz?

 

[lindenbruce]

Great boat operators. Easy drift diving. Great viz. Great food. Great sunsets. Great surface conditions/weather. Excellent water temps. It's fairly close to the states. What more does a guy want. B.

 

[DjDiverDan]

Definitely the diving. Especially as I've gotten older, I appreciate more and more the relaxation of drift diving, the easiest diving I've ever done. And for great diving - amazing coral formations, varied sea life, unmatched visibility -- it's pretty tough to match Cozumel. Then there is the convenience, a short 2-1/5 hour flight out of DFW, and the cost - Cozumel is still one of the best travel bargains I know of, considering the cost of hotel rooms and great meals, even the diving - diving in Cozumel is a much better bargain than dive ops in the Caymans (which has great diving, don't get me wrong, but I can make three trips to Cozumel for what a Week in Grand Cayman costs me) or the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Johns is beautiful, St. Thomas is kind of grungy, at least in Charlotte Amalie, and the diving is disappointing). And Cozumel is one of the friendliest vacation destinations I've ever been to. Yeah, the timeshare hawks can be a pain in the ass, and the taxi drivers need to be watched, but most people on Cozumel are just incredibly friendly. I keep coming back because it's like coming home each time.

 

[MMM]

Good topic! Initially for me it was the reasonably good air access and the promise of good diving. Once I had visited, it was the people, the diving, and the cost, not necessarily in that order.

 

[Lopez116]

Definitely the diving. Especially as I've gotten older, I appreciate more and more the relaxation of drift diving, the easiest diving I've ever done. And for great diving - amazing coral formations, varied sea life, unmatched visibility -- it's pretty tough to match Cozumel. Then there is the convenience, a short 2-1/5 hour flight out of DFW, and the cost - Cozumel is still one of the best travel bargains I know of, considering the cost of hotel rooms and great meals, even the diving - diving in Cozumel is a much better bargain than dive ops in the Caymans (which has great diving, don't get me wrong, but I can make three trips to Cozumel for what a Week in Grand Cayman costs me) or the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Johns is beautiful, St. Thomas is kind of grungy, at least in Charlotte Amalie, and the diving is disappointing).

I've never been to Coz, but I hope to go soon. Been to GC 3 times in the last year. My flight from Houston was 2.5 hrs, room for 8 nights was $850 (for 2 people), and we shore dove at the rate of $15USD per dive to our heart's content. I return because it is cheap...unless COZ is cheaper...is it???

Plus, it's clean, you can drink the water out of the tap, and it's safe. I'm not saying Coz isn't any of those things bc I haven't been there. But, how does it fare in those respects???


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[guruboy]

I'm interested to know the cost of Cozumel as well. Been reading a lot of good things, itching to make a trip now.

 

[DjDiverDan]

I'm interested to know the cost of Cozumel as well. Been reading a lot of good things, itching to make a trip now.

The cost depends entirely upon you -- I've done dirt cheap trips, staying at really cheap hotels ($25 a night), coffee and pastries from a local bakery (Zermat) for breakfast, eating at locally owned loncherias - full lunch, including chips & salsa, soup, and entree with rice and beans, with agua fresca to drink, 84 Pesos (about $7) including tip, taquerias for a late dinner. The diving, at from $65-$90 for a 2-tank dive, was most expensive part of the trip. You can also spend a lot on a high-end all-inclusive hotel and spend $50 or more a night for dinner and drinks at some of the nicer restaurants, like Kinte, La Cocay, Kondessa, Buccano's. And there are a lot of options in the middle. I'm currently booked for a trip in December, and Air will be $529 RT, hotel (Casa Del Mar) will be $79 plus tax (figure $90 total) per night for a Superior room, $345 for 6 days of diving (that's a group rate), extra for Nitrox, another $35 for a night dive, $120 for tips on the dive boat (I tip $15-20 per 2-tank dive), and I'll budget about $60 per day for meals (breakfast is included in the room rate), taxis and incidentals. I don't drink much anymore, so budget higher for drinks if you do. currently, round trip air from Dallas is running about $500-$630, depending on season, day of week, etc. Houston is slightly cheaper. You can often get a package deal for a 3, 4, or 7 day trip through Apple Vacations or one of the other vacation charters, and if you are flexible on the dates and have a wife, girlfriend, or dive buddy to travel with (the charters are all priced for double occupancy), you can find a deal if you keep watch on those websites.

 

[diverokc]

I agree with MMM. At first it was the diving and the price, but now I have many good friends on the island and can't wait to see them and go diving.
24 days to go

 

[novasquid]

you guys are making me feel i should've signed up for cozumel instead of the scubaboard bahama bash in november!

 

[divingjd]

Originally, it was non-stop flights from Detroit, really good deals at the Fiesta Americana, the Palancar sites, and dinners in town.

Now, it's non-stop flights from Detroit, the sites south of Palancar and north of town, all the good restaurants we've come to know and are still learning about, the warmth of all the people we meet, and Aldora Divers and the Villa Aldora. My dive buddies and I thought we were about done with Cozumel a few years ago, but Aldora changed our experience of Cozumel. I'm sure that others could say the same of their favorite dive operations. There are enough downsides to Cozumel (cruise ships and all that goes with them) that it might not be my favorite destination if I did not have a dive operation and place to stay that delivered a quality experience, good value, and made us feel at home.