Rkimes
Registered
am new to diving and planing an April 2017 trip to Cozumel. My wife doesn't dive or even swim, looking forrecommendations on where to stay and activities to accommodate both of us. She does love the beach.
Trip planning
- Thread starter Rkimes
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Rkimes
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Well a condo with a pool is always nice. Hint hint.... Especially one right on the edge of downtown so it is quiet, but you can still walk to everything and shop and what not....
Brules
Contributor
All inclusive for the wife. I am in the same boat as the OP and give you wife the gift of AI. She will enjoy not having to cook, clean, fend for herself while you are off diving 4-5 hours every day. She will have lots of people to hang out with, wont have to pay for anything, convert dollars to pesos etc.
People will tell you AI's are evil and you don't get to experience the "real" Cozumel - and it is a load of hoo ha lol. Just find an AI close to town that meets your needs and you can then still go to town as often as you like to eat, shop and hang out.
We prefer the Park Royal as it is a great AI that is still an $8 taxi ride to town. We eat in town for dinner 2-4 times a trip and my wife gets to do exactly nothing while on "vacation" lol. No cooking any meals, fixing drinks etc etc.
People will tell you AI's are evil and you don't get to experience the "real" Cozumel - and it is a load of hoo ha lol. Just find an AI close to town that meets your needs and you can then still go to town as often as you like to eat, shop and hang out.
We prefer the Park Royal as it is a great AI that is still an $8 taxi ride to town. We eat in town for dinner 2-4 times a trip and my wife gets to do exactly nothing while on "vacation" lol. No cooking any meals, fixing drinks etc etc.
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PARADISE HUNTER
Contributor
I second the AI suggestion for a non diving wife. I also recommend the Park Royal if you want to be close to town. The best beaches are on the south end of the island and it's a long drive into town for shopping or dining. Of the southern resorts, I would suggest the Grand for the combination of beach and overall resort.
Terribly accurate hoo ha...
I did the AI. I dive with alot of people who AI. The reports are always the food is ok.
We have a full kitchen. Other people tell me it works. I never use it. You can eat for next to nothing. Lots of places mix drinks for you.
But you do have a point. If she just wants to hang out at the resort and wait for you to come back and drink and eat in the cafeteria, sure. And they will have a guacamole making class and stuff like that to entertain you.
My 81 year old mother loves staying at the condo as she like to get out and take a walk along the malecon looking at the water in the morning. Spend a little time in the pool. Stop by her favorite shopping spots. Go see Sergio about some jewelry.
But she like to get out and enjoy herself. It is all in the kind of person your wife is.
On the other hand, I have friend who stay alot at the Hotel Cozumel. They report the AI option is SO cheap there that they get it for maybe a little breakfast and some drinks. They always eat out at the variety of terrific restaurants. Now maybe that makes sense for an AI for more people.
judydivescoz
Contributor
I would rent a condo close to town. El Cantil has a beautiful pool and is walkable to everything. Your dive op may even pick you up their dock. North of town has great oceanfront units as well. Check out Miramar, Cantamar and NaHa. There are a few others as well. These units are close to town but you will need to get a taxi or rent a car to get to Caleta. All these condos have great views and beautiful pools overlooking the ocean. No cooking or cleaning required....unless she wants to! They provide maid service. We like having our morning coffee and a little to eat before diving. It's nice to have a full kitchen, we made a trip to Mega to stock up on snacks and drinks. Dinner in town is easy and far better than any food served at an AI.
Brules
Contributor
My wife is the kind who works as a special ed teach for K-3rd graders specializing in Autism, so by the time school is out - she is pretty much ready to do a big fat nothing on vacation hehe. Ie: no cooking, food shopping, meal prep, drink prep etc. Laying by the beach and having drinks brought to her is her definition of vacation lol. Her stance is I get diving - she gets AI! LOL!
And I would put the PR food up vs most of the cheap meal places in town. Their breakfast is as good or better than any breakfast in town, lunch is as good or better than any cheap lunch spot. Dinner we usually go to town as the price for the AI is still cheap at the PR (not as cheap as the Hotel Coz) so dinner in town usually just depends on if we have kids with us or not. No kids = goin to town much more often. This year is no kids so will be eating at all of our favorites nightly!
And I would put the PR food up vs most of the cheap meal places in town. Their breakfast is as good or better than any breakfast in town, lunch is as good or better than any cheap lunch spot. Dinner we usually go to town as the price for the AI is still cheap at the PR (not as cheap as the Hotel Coz) so dinner in town usually just depends on if we have kids with us or not. No kids = goin to town much more often.
This year is no kids so will be eating at all of our favorites nightly!
dlofting
Contributor
Is there anything else your wife likes to do besides go to the beach ......or is she happy to just do that while you're diving?
Everyone likes to do different things. My wife would not be happy in Cozumel if it wasn't for the excellent diving.
Everyone likes to do different things. My wife would not be happy in Cozumel if it wasn't for the excellent diving.
DjDiverDan
Contributor
Well, I'm one of those "NEVER All Inclusive on Cozumel" types. But I do understand that not everyone has the same desires. That being said, there are AI Resorts that have good food (I'm just guessing - no personal experience) and those with TERRIBLE food, like Hotel Cozumel. But, other than the food, Hotel Cozumel is a nice place, huge pool, comfortable rooms, and not a terrible walk to town, and you don't have to do the AI option. Plus, the AI premium is cheap enough that, if you drink enough, just the breakfast buffet (which is not bad, although the coffee is lukewarm dishwater) plus alcohol will get you your money's worth, and you can still go out to all of the great restaurants that Cozumel has to offer. Based solely on reports of others, Cozumel Palace is the only AI resort that both has good food and is an easy walk to downtown. If your wife wants a REAL beach, not one of those small man-made sand piles where you need a ladder or stone steps to get into the water, your only options are up north - pretty inconvenient for diving, since most all dive locations are way south, as are most of the good Dive Ops - or way, way south, a long and expensive taxi ride into town. If you stay in or near town, your wife can head out to one of the beach clubs for a couple of days, maybe the same one you do your Surface Interval at so you can join her for an early lunch (Aldora does the SI at a beach club - ask it which one), or spend the time when you are diving doing other things in town, like shopping, going to the Museum, taking a snorkel tour, visiting the Kaokao Chocolate factory, etc.
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