First time to Cozumel help needed!

[deepsea21]

Bethie... Ahh from Ithica, NY (the real upstate NY). My wife grew up in Niagara Falls. She is enjoying some vaca time right now and is away but I'm quite confident she'd say the same as I respond after diving Cozumel for 14 or 15 years together... I can't imagine a more relaxing dive vaca than staying at the Casa Mexicana in town where everything San Miguel has to offer is a short walk and diving with Tres Pelicanos which is our "new" dive op as of 2 years ago. Everything about 3P's is top notch and the Casa Mexicana is simply fantastic for those who like to be in-town and really experience the best of the best San Miguel has to offer.

Without a doubt, as you search your options for places to stay and all the dive ops to select from, I say you consider the Casa Mexicana and 3P's. If Interested, contact Jeanie through 3P's website and look at those dive and stay packages they offer with the Casa Mexicana. Their negotiated rates with the Casa are better than anything we've found and we've sliced and diced cozumel dive/stay costs every which way.

Long story short... Price everything every which way, read the reviews here and on TA and, based on the experience you are seeking, I bet you end up at the Casa and diving with 3P's as so many others have here.

Best

 

[Dogbowl]

When I go to Coz, I also stay at Casa Mexicana and dive with Tres Pelicanos.

 

[sharky60]

Blue Angel has a VERY good special going on July 24 - Aug. 22 .... 7 nights, 5 days diving, breakfast, lunch & dinner at all 3 BA related restaurants (Blue Angel Resort restaurant, Blu Bistro & Terquoise bar) & beer included ... $660.00 per person ...


Blue Angel Resort added a new photo. - Blue Angel Resort | Facebook

 

[shardison]

Bethie,

I can give you an idea of what SCC is and how it runs. As others said, they have larger boats and a couple 6 pack type boats... (none of them are fast) However, they are great platforms to dive from, they have shade and a "head" on the boat. Boats usually are at the pier no later than 8:00 am and are headed out to the reefs by 8:30 am. They try as best they can to match divers based on experience etc... I've never felt cheated or deprived of an experience of the Coz crystal clear water. My last trip (2014) I got on a boat that hadn't done very many sites that week yet, so based upon what I dove my first trip (2011) I made requests for sites down in Punta Sir, Columbia The Cathedral, and Palancar areas. You dive 2 tanks while you are out with about a 50 minute SI between dives. Usually back to the resort by 12:30 or 1:00 PM and lunch is just moments away. The shore dive area is one of the best on the island and a great spot to "checkout" your setup when you land on day1. It's not a fancy hotel, but it has everything I need, and runs a pretty smooth schedule. Aldora and Blue Angel are both ops that I have and will continue to consider and are highly recommended all over this board.

Just my .02

 

[deepsea21]

When I go to Coz, I also stay at Casa Mexicana and dive with Tres Pelicanos.

Yup... Perfect dive vaca found! We found the Casa Mexicana over a decade ago when my wife and I were planing our wedding in Coz. Actually, I can't take credit for finding the Casa as my wife found it (I was looking at the cheaper options back in the day). Well, wifey found the Casa and I got on board. I'm a bit of control freak but when it came to the wedding I have to say my lady got it all right with the Casa Mexicana which is the best in-town hotel on the island.

Since then, we've never looked back and we've stayed at the Casa every year since as it delivers everything we want... It's in town, walking distance to everything (including the Mega just up the street to load up on everything you can imagine) and is absolutely spotless clean.

That brings me to 3P's which we discovered together and are now pleased to call ourselves "Pelicans" as Steve B would say. Well... You dive with 3P's so you know what I mean. Simply fantastic.

 

[mmmbelows]

Where do SCC and Blue Angel do their surface intervals?

 

[krbailey]

Where do SCC and Blue Angel do their surface intervals?

Blue Angel uses one of several docks or finds a quiet spot to drift.

 

[Dogbowl]

deepsea21, the combination just works for us...we like to stay in town to take advantage of the proximity to restaurants. We like to people watch when the cruise ships are in town and we like to watch the cruise ships when they're docked. The Casa Mexicana is super clean, reasonably priced, and reasonably modern. The buffet is great too. 3P is walking distance. I really like 3Ps service, their small boats, that they offer private DMs for a reasonable price, excellent communications...I could go on.

 

[littlechihiro]

We've stayed at SCC twice (2015 & 2016); it's where our local dive shop group goes. Both times we've had a boat just to our group, which was big enough that we had two or three sub-groups of six people with their own divemaster. The boats are super slow (takes about an hour to get to the first dive site), but they are comfortable as far as having shade, a head, and plenty of room to sit. The divemasters and boat crews from SCC are excellent. They sub-grouped us by experience, so while the whole boat went to the same site, each divemaster customized the route, creatures pointed out, etc. to the experience and interests of his 6 divers.

The resort itself is very clean but also simple. The only thing to do there is really to dive There's a small pool which we never have used. There are lockers for your stuff right near the dock/ shore diving area, but there are also patios for each room with a bar to hang gear on if you want.

The food isn't terrible, but it isn't great either. They served the same meals both years we went. I'm a vegetarian and they really ran out of ideas for me by the end of the week! However, it is really convenient to have your breakfast and walk right out to the boat, then get off the boat in the afternoon and walk right in for lunch. They'll hold dinner late for night dives, too. You can sit where you want. We met a bunch of people who weren't with our group, some of whom were traveling alone. The walk into town is easy. You can also get a taxi (I think it was 70 or so pesos each way).

We'll probably stay somewhere else on Coz to get some different perspective next time (sounds like maybe Casa Mexicana!) but will be back to SCC because of the great people and the simplicity- very relaxing when taking a break from hectic real life

Forgot to mention: the shore diving is great for marine life, not so great for coral. Lots of cool fish close in to the shore in the rocks and coral that are there, especially juveniles that can be harder to see on the large reef. At night, we've seen lots of octopus, eels, interesting shrimp all off the SCC dock.

 

[bethie]

Thanks again for all your suggestions. This time (my first to Cozumel, first drift diving, and solo) I have decided to stay at SCC. Their special includes only breakfast and lunch so I will get the chance to explore town for dinner. I like the idea that it is walking distance but not right in town- cruise ship crowds are not my idea of fun. I also thought about the hot afternoons after diving if I stayed at Casa Mexicana, roasting in the sun with no shore diving, beach etc.

There are so many great looking options- I hope to return in November with my partner, who does not dive, so we will certainly stay somewhere different.

Has anyone ever taken part in the sea turtle nesting activities?