Cozumel

created by Cyt

(place) by funky49 (2.1 y) (print) ? (I like it!) Mon Mar 17 2003 at 14:36:26

Shopping in Cozumel

Lots of items for sale don't have price tags for a reason. You're supposed to haggle. It only takes a little bit of time and it's fun and it's expected in the owner-operated open air markets and beach/street vendors. If an item does have a price tag, go ahead and ask how much it sells for, they might tell you a lower price!

Silver jewelry and Tanzanite jewelry is sold in abundance here. When is comes to silver, be sure it has .925 stamped on the back for the highest quality.

Partying in Cozumel

There are street vendors down the main strip who will sell you drinks and street merchants who will give you free shots of Tequila. The loudest, funnest places to party in Cozumel is Senior Frog's and Carlos & Charlie's. Upon my visit, Carlos & Charlie's was a bit too loud and ruckus but I found the service, food and atmosphere top notch at Senior Frogs. Try a drink from "The Yard" plastic cup. It's a great souvenir.

Weather in Cozumel

As Adrian Cronauer says, "It's hot! Damn hot! Real hot!" Even in March, it's frickin' hot in Cozumel. According to weather.com, the average low is 68F December through March and the average high is 82F to 85F. Stay out of the sun and be careful with the liquor. Use your sunscreen.

The rainy season for the whole Yucatan peninsula is from October to January and April to July. That makes the best times to go from Feburary to March and August to September.

(place) by justabot (1.1 y) (print) ? (I like it!) Thu Sep 04 2003 at 22:18:27

Cozumel is Mexico's largest island. It is situated in the beautiful azure waters of the Caribbean Sea. The island measures 28 miles long by 10 miles wide and is 12 miles off of the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. The climate is sub-tropical and is only unpleasant during hurricane season.

Cozumel is 50 minutes from Playa del Carmen by ferry, which in turn is 1 hour to Cancún by bus or car. You can fly from Cozumel to Cancún in a nice prop-plane for as little as $30 through Aero Caribe.

Cozumel is primarily inhabited by Mayan descent peoples. You will also find many "foreigners" taking up roots in Cozumel, from Canada, the US and other locations.

There is only one city; it is known as San Miguel. It is located on the western side of the island. You can see the lights of Playa del Carmen at night. The city has a population of around 90,000 people and is well known for being crime free (*see note). There are 2 cruise ship docks near the center of town and 4 more just south of town. You can often see 5 to 10 cruse ships off coast or docked on any given day. There are several shops, restaurants and modern malls near the ship docks. It is wise to avoid this area while a ship is docked, because it can be very crowded with "tourists".

Cozumel is known for being one of the top diving locations in the world. The water visibility is 100 to 200 feet and the marine life is abundant. There are over 50 dive companies to choose from and most hotels have their own dive programs/packages. You can choose from around 150 dive locations; from hard corals to vast forests of soft corals. You can swim with dolphins, sharks, eels and manatees, to name a few.

There is somewhere around 100 hotels on the island. You can choose from luxurious to economy to cheap. A nice hotel will not cost you an arm and a leg and often will throw in many bonuses like free meals or dives.

Getting around Cozumel is easy but can be expensive. Taxis charge a set rate per location, which is to say that if you need a ride from downtown to your hotel, they will have a predetermined rate for you. The taxis do not have meters. The rates are fairly steep. One trip in a cab could easily purchase a large meal for 2. The best way to get around Cozumel is to rent a car or a scooter. You will find that the streets are covered with scooters. Be sure to get insurance, because if you wreck the bike or car, you will have to buy it before you can get off the island.

The eastern side of the island is known as the `Wild Side'. There are a few restaurants and bars scattered along the far side of the island that are well worth the visit (especially Coconuts). The wild side has amazingly beautiful white beaches with large surf. Be warned, the undertow in this area is severe.

For the most part the people of Cozumel are warm and welcoming and will always give you a smile. The people are very communal and conservative. Feel free to drink and dance, but for god's sake keep your shirt on. Once you prove yourself to be the obnoxious tourist, you will no longer get the smiles.

* There are a few scams in the tourist areas that you will need to recognize while traveling in Cozumel. You will often be approached by Time-Share salesmen and/or package deals that might include car rentals, boat rides, dives and hotel stays. The majority of these are not good deals and they all have some sort of catch. I was offered 3 dives and a car rental for $40, which in my opinion was to good to be true.

printable version
chaos

Cancún	tanzanite	The accidental tourist	Caribbean
John Brown's Army	pan pipes	David Icke	Playa del Carmen
Isla Mujeres	Cremona	Corinth	Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park
April 18, 2002	dive	tourist	Inhabitate
Coral Reef	Paradise	Maya	ferry
Cabo Wabo

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