First trip to Cozumel

[gopbroek]

As DD just said, while Cozumel has some of the best drift diving around, initially (on some days / dives) it can be a little intimating if you are not used to it. Hiring a private DM for the first dive or two can be cheap trip / safety insurance and allow you to relax and get settled into the routine of it.

 

[cicopo]

I have photo tours of some of the places you might want to consider here. My album for Hotel Coz has quite a bit of info in it because we stay there most trips.
Picasa Web Albums - Larry
As mentioned there are a lot of very good dive ops to choose from & I dive with a few of those mentioned. The idea of a private DM for day 1 is a very good one but if you decide not to go that route let the DM know you are rookies, DO NOT pretend to be experienced more than you are & in that way the DM will know to keep an eye on you. From experience I know Tres Pelicanos usually had 2 DM's on the boat just to be able to supply a bit closer monitoring of newer divers but now that they have 2 boats I don't know if they have enough staff to offer that service all the time.

 

[slice1357]

I am thinking of flying into Cancun bag dragging to cozumel. What is the approximate cost per person and the cost?

 

[Ron Lee]

I am thinking of flying into Cancun bag dragging to cozumel. What is the approximate cost per person and the cost?

Look through this first www.tinyurl.com/7m3r6 Bus: 156 pesos per person one way Ferry: 163 pesos per person one way. Only buy one way tickets. Avoid early flights back unless you stay close to the airport or at least on the mainland.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

We stay as Casa Mexicana, the place you get breakfast at when you stay at Suites Bahia. There is no beach at either so if sand is your thing, you will have to go to either the north or south end of the island.

the Thirsty Cougar is a great bar and is across the street from SB. They have live music (awesome) and I have wondered if it can be heard in the rooms. If your an early to bed type....I would ask around to see if it is an issue. the Cougar has great drinks, world class Mojitos, and huge frozen drinks. Their Ceviche is great as well. Casa Mexicana usually runs about 70 a night and you can get the best rate calling the desk directly. We have had breakfast with several people staying at SB and have never heard any complaints.

Other than diving, I want to eat so staying close to downtown is important to me. There is lots of really good, really reasonable food so an AI is a waste of money to me.

Dave (Aldora) and Christy (Blue XT Sea) are supporters of this site, so if you haven't selected your dive operator, at least give them the chance to earn your business. All the operators do something a little different so you just need to pick the one that meets your preferences. As long as you stay off the cattle boats, you should have a great experience.

Blue Magic has "Sleep and dive" packages with everything from bed and breakfasts to all inclusive so. Good prices too. I have dove with them before and can recommend them without hesitation. We will be diving with Aldora because of the steel 120 tanks next week and I'm trying to put together a night dive with Blue XTSea.

the bag drag is not too bad. If you get in late, it sometimes gets rough on the ferry over. Lots of seriously green people when that happens. Even the locals get sick. Check your airfares, sometimes it's not too much more to fly directly into Coz. https://matrix.itasoftware.com/ will give you a monthly rate schedule for multiple airlines. If I can fly in to Coz for 50 to 100 more, it's worth it to me. Shuttle and ferry both ways and 2 hours or so each way. Bag drag is kind of fun, but there are better ways to spend your vacation. In the last week, someone posted a bag drag question and a response posted step by step details with pictures on how to do it.

Be be prepared to become addicted. I've traveled quite a bit and Cozumel is my favorite place to be. I'll be there SAturday!!

jay

 

[Streydog]

Funny you should ask because I just did it for the first time today. Arrived at 11:30 and was in Cozumel checking in by 3:30. Surely not a record but the airport was busy. 12US for the bus and 11 US for the fairy. Staying at Hotel Plaza Cozumel for under 45 a night after tax. So far so good. Setup to meet Aldora at 7:30 in the morning after my included 7 am breakfast and will be good to go

 

[ggunn]

No liveboard in Cozumel?

Cozumel IS a liveaboard!

 

[Skittl1321]

the Thirsty Cougar is a great bar and is across the street from SB. They have live music (awesome) and I have wondered if it can be heard in the rooms.

we only heard it one day. It wasn't TOO loud, especially if you closed the bathroom window. If you are really sensitive ear plugs aren't a bad idea. It wasn't a huge issue to me. It was louder when we stayed at the Sabor- that was difficult to sleep through.

 

[ron_dodge]

My wife and I are traveling to Cozumel next year for a dive trip. We are staying for 5 nights. I have no idea where we should stay or dive and want some recommendations. Price is of some concern but not the deciding factor. We don't need anything super fancy. Any recommendations?


Thanks,
Kyle

Kyle,

My wife and I stay at Hotel Barracuda right on the southern edge of the downtown area. Dive Paradise is the dive shop attached to the hotel but you don't have to dive with them if you're inclination is to use a different dive organization.

The Barracuda is far from extravagant but their prices are reasonable, it's right on the ocean, there is a pool, and you're in easy walking distance to a lot of the better food options in Cozumel. Another plus is it's directly across the street from the Mega (think Walmart) so you can easily grab some snacks for the room, pick up extra sunscreen, etc..

There are tons of reviews on tripadvisor.com but, here's the one I wrote about a year ago.

Best budget hotel for divers in Cozumel - Review of Barracuda, Cozumel, Mexico - TripAdvisor

Best of luck.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

For the real budgets I'd suggest the Suites Bahia, it tends to be clean, rooms are spacious, breakfast is included (at Sister hotel nearby) and it is not as noisy/party as the Barracuda. Mid range might be Hotel Cozumel (skip the AI), or Coral Princess up north, or my favorite by far is the Playa Azul which is the only one I mention with a nice "real" beach. And look at the earlier thread "Why not the North Hotel Zone" and you will see it is not too tough to get on dive boats up there. I could make recommendations on dive shops but I'll leave that to others

Dave Dillehay

Aldora Divers