Tulum or San Pedro ? Help me plan a trip in Mexico & Belize

[annlaur]

Hi there

I'm planning a trip this winter in Mexico and Belize and have to make some tough decisions as I won't be able to fit it all in.
Basically, I'll be able to spend one or two days diving in either Tulum, Mexico or San Pedro, Ambergris, Belize. The timing doesn't allow me to do both, so I'm hoping to get some input from you guys.

I will be staying and diving for sure in :
Isla Mujeres (I have friends there, so it's non negociable),
Cozumel (read too many great things about it, I have to check it out)
and Caye Caulker (sounds like my kind of island, plus I want to do a dive trip to Turneffe).

I'm sort of a newbie (OW, 50 dives spread over a few years), safety conscious, love the reef, have never seen a shark or done a cenote dive but would like to. (The cenote is the reason I was considering Tulum, but I guess I can do one on a day trip from Cozumel ?)

If you're familiar with these places, thank you for giving me your feedback and helping me decide.

@ mods : I'm not sure if this thread belongs here or in the Mexico or Central America subforum. Please feel free to move it.

 

[DandyDon]

Wow! You're traveling from France, arriving Cancun I take it, and flying out of Belize City perhaps? So much to discuss there, and the travel covers areas covered in two forums, true. How many days are you going to be over here?

I have not dived the ocean at Tulum. The beach below the ruins there is lovely, very popular, and one can see the waves hitting the reef some distance out with a natural break in front of the Temple of Winds - probably one reason for the Mayans selecting the site to build a navigation aid for small boats plying the coastal waters in trading, or so our guide suggested anyway. I have never heard anything good about scuba diving the reefs there tho, and I know the nearby Playa del Carmen reefs pale in comparison to Cozumel's.

Cenote diving near Tulum is great tho, and easier done with a hotel stay in Playa del Carmen or Tulum, so that part of the plan sounds good. It's really guided cave diving, not just cenote, and not for newbies - but if you are comfortable in the water and with night dives, should not be a problem with the excellent guides and thier safety protocols. With all of the other reef dives you have planned, I think I would suggest including a day of cenotes at least on your itinerary. There is good diving off of Ambergris and trips to nearby atolls that are even better to my limited experiences there, but you have others planned anyway.

How are you traveling from Tulum to Belize? I have never done that route, but read one account of possible bus travel. I would not like the idea of traveling by land across into Guatemala but it might be accomplished safely enough. Backup plans might be a good idea in case of missed buses.

Belize city is known for urban crime risks and it's generally best to fly from a coastal resort area to the Belize city airport then not leave the airport before your departure. Hope this info helps you define your plans better for more helpful discussions.

Are you traveling alone?

Edit: I see that this has been moved to General Travel, which does get less attention unfortunately. When is your trip? Don't be afraid to post additional threads in the other forums for more local info.

 

[annlaur]

Thank you DandyDon for the feedback.

What you're saying about the cenote makes me reconsider doing one on this trip.
As much as I want to try that some day, I'm not that comfy in the water yet to do any sort of cave diving, and I have only done one night dive so far (hoping to do more on this trip). It sounds like it would be a trust dive if I did it at this point.
I thought it was just diving in a hole of fresh cristal clear water and looking at stuff on the sides, not that it involved overhead environments.
Thanks for clarifying this for me.

As for the trip itself, it will be in December for 22 days.
I'm flying in and out of Cancun, as trips between Belize City and Paris are obscenely expensive (at least twice the cost !)

I land in Cancun at 11 pm after about 16 hours of travelling, so I'm planning on heading straight to Playa Del Carmen by private airport shuttle for a good night sleep before taking the ferry to Cozumel (will probably spend 5 to 7 days there).

Then I'll bus my way down to the border at Chetumal, change buses and get to Corozal, Belize. From there, I'll either boat or fly to Caye Caulker with a stop-over in San Pedro.
On the way back, I'll boat to Sarteneja, a small village in the Corozal Bay visiting the jungle for a couple of days.
Then take the early morning boat to Corozal, a bus to Chetumal, a bus to Cancun and the ferry to Isla Mujeres where I want to spend time (and X-Mas) with my friends.

I've lived in Mexico and travelled a lot by bus, they're a very convenient and cheap way to visit the country. They're also, in my opinion, a lot safer than driving a car and the 1st class ones are very comfy with reclining seats, movies… Much better than Greyhound or even some airlines. On the downside, they overuse the AC, play the music/movies too loud, and the ride can be bumpy because of all the "topes" on the roads. There are about 20 buses every day travelling along the coast from Cancun to the border.

You don't have to go thru Guatemala to get to the North of Belize.
Nor do you have to go all the way down to Belize City to get to the Cayes : Tropic Air has several daily flights from Corozal, just south of the Mexican border, and Thunderbolt has 2 boats a day (at 7 am and 3 pm), going to San Pedro.

So, to answer your question, you can go from Tulum to San Pedro by public transportation in one day if you get an early start.

As for Guatemala, I've travelled there too ten years ago, by myself and by bus, and never had any safety issue. Of the several places I visited, the only one I wouldn't recommand is Guatemala City. Not that anything bad happened to me, I just didn't like the vibe of the city.

So basically, the land part is not what bothers me. I love backpacking and really don't mind the little inconveniences that come with this sort of trip (no, let me rephrase that : I LOVE IT when life interferes with my plans).
My questions are really about the diving. Considering the cost of the trip and the relatively short time I have, I want to fit in as many dives as I can in the "best" spots that are within my abilities… the latter of which are not great.
But I don't want to be in a resort or on a liveaboard as I also want to experience the local life.

I'll do some more research and post specific questions in the appropriate subforums.
Have a great day,

Anne-Laure

 

[damage]

There are good spots to dive in Playa del Carmen, a guide from Mayan Aquadive told me about a wreck in Puerto Aventuras, (near Playa del Carmen) not very deep dive, and very nice. Cozumel is amazing a lot of places to dive.

 

[tedgarner]

I have not been to Key Caulker however the two islands are very close to each other and
From what the dm on Ambergris Key told me they will dive both places just a short boat ride. Diviing should be the same on both islands. The difference will be the size. From what I saw San Perdo is 15 years behinde Cozumel as far as tourism and amount of people and they tell me Key Caulker is 15 years behinde San Perdo. My kind of place too.
I had a great time in San Perdo the diving was very different from Cozumel. Not better just different. Two much to explain and Coz is my home so I know it better.
Give these people a call they are nice folks and will pick you up in Chetumal and get you across the boarder and to the small airport or water taxi your pick. George & Esther Moralez Travel Service
So I guess I am saying give Tulum a try for the cenotes and Just do one of the Belize islands
As for crime the islands are much safer than Belize City but you should check out the Zoo and Old downtown during the day. Watch you night time outings.
Sorry just reread you post to Don and see that you know the ropes. Have fun see when you stop here.
Just one more suggestion if you want to do other tours give this guy a call or email http://regtourbz.com/

P.S Skip Playa go to Tulum way to many people in Playa. If you have time don't forget Coba and the cenotes on the way there

 

[DandyDon]

Thank you DandyDon for the feedback.

What you're saying about the cenote makes me reconsider doing one on this trip.
As much as I want to try that some day, I'm not that comfy in the water yet to do any sort of cave diving, and I have only done one night dive so far (hoping to do more on this trip). It sounds like it would be a trust dive if I did it at this point.
I thought it was just diving in a hole of fresh cristal clear water and looking at stuff on the sides, not that it involved overhead environments.
Thanks for clarifying this for me.

Oh, you can do that snorkeling, and I don't think you need a guide. It could be interesting. The "Cenote Dives" marketed are indeed trust-me cave dives, and maybe not for you at this time? That could change if you can get several ocean dives and some night dives first.

You don't have to go thru Guatemala to get to the North of Belize.

My mistake. Looked at the map wrong, and was remembering a time I wanted to travel from Honduras to Belize.

Nor do you have to go all the way down to Belize City to get to the Cayes : Tropic Air has several daily flights from Corozal, just south of the Mexican border, and Thunderbolt has 2 boats a day (at 7 am and 3 pm), going to San Pedro.

Right. Just wanted to give you warning if your plans had included Belize City.

As for Guatemala, I've travelled there too ten years ago, by myself and by bus, and never had any safety issue.

Well it's not a place I would recommend, but up to you. I'm just trying to be prudent with my suggestions. Sounds like you are planning a nice yet safe adventure okay. Hell, wish I could tag alone.

 

[Hank49]

Mayan Island Air now is flying from Cozumel...or Cancun to Belize city. Pretty cheap too.

Turneffe is really good. The Elbow (south tip) is about 20 miles almost due east of my house. Lots of activity there. About 6 weeks ago my buddy and I were there and at the same time, you could look around and see a school of about 200 dog snapper, with some trailing cuberas (20 lbs or so), a school of about 80 horseye jacks, 25-30 permit and a few grouper down on the bottom at the top of the wall. Unreal.

 

[DandyDon]

Hank is a great resource for Belize info!

Here is a current discussion about cenote diving. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...125-second-thoughts-about-cenote-divings.html

Annnnd, here is an online slideshow of my recent visit to Coba & Tulum ruins: PhotoWorks: Share - View slideshow Coba is the jungle ruins; Tulum is manicured, with the beach shots.

 

[annlaur]

There are good spots to dive in Playa del Carmen, a guide from Mayan Aquadive told me about a wreck in Puerto Aventuras, (near Playa del Carmen) not very deep dive, and very nice. Cozumel is amazing a lot of places to dive.

Thanks. But to be honest, I'm not interested in wrecks. Besides, since the diving is said to be much better in Cozumel, I'd much rather go there and then head off to a different place.

P.S Skip Playa go to Tulum way to many people in Playa.

I'm only spending a night in Playa because I land at 11 pm in Cancun and it will be too late to catch a ferry to Coz. Plus I'll be dead tired and a 1 hour transfer is about all I'll be able to handle that first night.
BTW, can you recommand a quiet, comfy, inexpensive place by the ferry dock in Playa ? I was considering Casa Tucan.

Coz is my home

:blinking: Lucky you, for living there and for the fact that I have to get up early, so no time to ask the zillion questions that pop to my mind. But I'll get back to you about cheap places to stay and good dive ops once I've done some more research.

Give these people a call they are nice folks and will pick you up in Chetumal and get you across the boarder and to the small airport or water taxi your pick. George & Esther Moralez Travel Service

Do I really need this ? I crossed the border from Belize to Mexico coming back from Guatemala in 2000 and I don't recall it being a hassle or anything.

Oh, you can do that snorkeling, and I don't think you need a guide. It could be interesting. The "Cenote Dives" marketed are indeed trust-me cave dives, and maybe not for you at this time? That could change if you can get several ocean dives and some night dives first.

Good point. I guess I'll just play it by ear after diving in Cozumel or on my way back from Belize.

Well it's not a place I would recommend, but up to you. I'm just trying to be prudent with my suggestions. Sounds like you are planning a nice yet safe adventure okay. Hell, wish I could tag alone.

Don, if you'd spent a week in La Antigua during Semana Santa or some time in the beautiful villages around Lago Atitlan, I'm sure you'd recommand it. The only thing I don't recommand about Guatemala is the food. It's not bad but gets really boring really fast. Hell, you can tag along if you hire me as your tour guide !

Mayan Island Air now is flying from Cozumel...or Cancun to Belize city. Pretty cheap too.

I didn't know about flights between Cozumel and Belize. Thanks ! I love the bus, but if I can save time on the road…

Turneffe is really good. The Elbow (south tip) is about 20 miles almost due east of my house. Lots of activity there. About 6 weeks ago my buddy and I were there and at the same time, you could look around and see a school of about 200 dog snapper, with some trailing cuberas (20 lbs or so), a school of about 80 horseye jacks, 25-30 permit and a few grouper down on the bottom at the top of the wall. Unreal.

Turneffe Elbow is the day trip(s) I want to do. I've read it was a shorter ride from Caye Caulker than from Ambergris. Do you confirm ?
What about the diving conditions there ? Like mentionned, I'm a vacation diver, I'm comfy in clear, shallow, quiet waters. I will get experience in Cozumel about currents and drift diving. Will that be enough to go to Turneffe in safe conditions ?

Thank you all for taking the time to give me your feedback, keep it comin' !

 

[webjr]

I will be staying and diving for sure in :
Isla Mujeres (I have friends there, so it's non negociable),

The diving is Isla is so-so, but I do recommend checking out the wreck C55 (or is it 58).
Its very interesting to see up close just how powerful a hurricane can be.
It was sunk as an artificial reef many years ago. During the hurricane Wilma<?> it was broke in half sitting 90ft under water! Its amazing something can have that much power that deep! Even broke in two its still a nice dive and a popular hangout for big beautiful eagle rays. And penetrations are only half as far now!
Enrique at Coral Sea Scuba there is a great guy and excellent guide. You can't go wrong diving with him.