Cozumel Journals

SUN+FUN=COZUMEL!

An August 2004 trip to Cozumel by fresita

Quote: Tropical and very family friendly area very clean and quiet, perfect for snorkeling and diving!

SUN+FUN=COZUMEL!Best of IgoUgo

Overview

Quote: The best is snorkeling; the sea is just great! Very calm, clean, and the water is turquoise. You don't need to go that deep to see tons of fishes. After that, my second best will be the food -- you can taste any kind of Mexican food or seafood and there are really great deals at some of the local restaurants. My third may be walking around the main kiosks, there are a lot of stores, such as duty-free stores, flea markets, and jewelry stores.

Quick Tips:

I really recommend you walk around the island, but just after 2pm, otherwise it will be crowded because between 10am and 2pm all the cruises will land and the downtown is just right across the street from the pier where all the cruises and ferries dock. Also, if you were about to buy something, try it after 2pm, otherwise you will get higher prices. Usually the locals will raise the rate for the cruise crew by at least 10%.

Best Way To Get Around:

Really recommend you to rent a car to fully enjoy the area, that will be the easiest and cheapest. A jeep will cost a day, which is cheaper because a taxi will cost to take you down town or will increase the cost if goes further than that. You can explore the whole island within an hour drive; half of it will be jungle, or the pier and shopping at Punta Langosta. Once downtown, I recommend you walk around; there's a lot of shops!
Quote: Best Things Nearby:
The sea!

It's on the north side of the island, the last on the strip. Just 10-minute drive from downtown were all the shops and the pier.

There's also Atlantida, an interactive aquarium where you can swim with dolphins, rays, and a lot of tropical kinds of fishes. At Punta Langosta, you can see all the cruises because that's where they land.

Best Things About the Resort:
The resort is just great, The amenities are pretty well kept and they have everything onsite - you don't need to get out for anything. It has snorkeling, kayaks, boats, wave runners, volleyball, scuba - you name it! It may not be that fancy, but it is very family friendly, clean, and well kept.

The staff is just great - they always have a smiling face and are very polite and friendly.

The resort's beach is really nice and clean - you can do snorkeling there. If decide to take a walk on the beach while you’re there, you may notice that most of the beach areas are rocky and dirty, but not on the Melia. Many say it has the best beach on the island – it’s not rocky at all and they maintain it very well by cleaning every single morning, which most of the resorts don't do.

Resort Experience:
The resort is very private and they have a couple of restaurants - one buffet, La Isla, has all types of cuisine and they serve breakfast lunch and dinner. Also, there's Cafe Paraiso, which is á la carte. We didn’t try that one because it's adults only and I have a toddler.

The resort is really clean; it looks to me like they were recently remodeled because the restaurants and bars are really well kept and the pool and beach were clean. The only thing that I really didn't like was furniture in the units -- they're really old!!! That’s the only thing I would change on the resort, just new furniture and that's it. Everything works properly but isn’t really that good looking...it is just disappointing that such a nice resort with great amenities has such old furniture. It doesn't bother you much because you don't spend that much time in your unit, but it really disappoints.

  • Unit Type: Other
  • Activities: Excellent
  • Amenities: Excellent
  • Unit Satisfaction: Poor
  • Family Friendliness: Excellent
  • Service: Excellent

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by fresita on September 6, 2025

Melia Vacation Club at Paradisus Cozumel
Melia Mayan Cozumel Apartado 9 Cozumel, Mexico
52 9878720411

Hard Rock CafeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote: Well, I should say it's like any Hard Rock Cafe in the world but it isn't. It is the smallest!! That's what they said, but it doesn't seem to be that small for me. May be the smallest but they still have enough space for Elvis, The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, Beach boys, etc. Really comfortable. They staff is really fast when taking your order and serving.

It's in the middle of the strip so you may get a view at the restaurant and bar, but if you want just a coffee or a dessert, go into the HRC on Punta Langosta, which is like their pretty little brother.

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by fresita on September 6, 2025

Hard Rock Cafe
Aveinda Rafael Melgar #2a Cozumel, Mexico 77600
+52 987 25273

Snorkeling - Melia CozumelBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Snorkeling"

Quote: The beach at the resort is just great for snorkeling. It is not that deep and it's really clear; you don't need to snorkel to see fish, but if you do, you'll see about seven different kinds of fish: white, gray with blue stripes, yellow, zebras, etc. The water is calm so you can swim without any problem. There are some reefs (small ones) and some kind of plankton.

The view is just great -- you can even take some pictures because the water is so blue that there is really good lighting for some pictures.

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by fresita on September 7, 2025

Snorkeling - Melia Cozumel
Melia Cozumel (formerly Paradisus Cozumel, Melia Mayan Paradise) Cozumel, Mexico 77600

Xel-HaBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote: The park is great for those who like walking along nature; at the very entrance of the park there's the dolphin's lagoon, so you'll be able to see them and take some pictures or if you have some extra bucks may be able to be trainer for a day or swim with them.

A few steps from dolphin's encounter you can get into the caleta that's for scuba and snorkeling, a perfect place with really nice water and a lot of reefs. If you have small children they may enjoy the bees farm, jungle train tour, floating bridge, mo's flight, courage jump stone, and the main attraction, Lazy River. They can get some loops to cross the river or may go swimming and do some snorkeling.

For adults, they have sea trek that is walking along the reef just wearing a helmet and boots, you may feed the fishes, and they'll take you a picture for just $9. It is the perfect place for family fun.

Member Rating 5 out of 5 by fresita on September 7, 2025

Xel-Ha
Riviera Maya Mainland Tulum, Mexico 77500
+52 987 54 070

A bit of PlayacarBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote: Playacar is just a new area along the southwestern coast just 40 minutes away from Cancun and 30 minutes away from the parks such Xcaret or Xel-Ha, 45 minutes away from Tulum; pretty much the center of the Mayan Riviera, that’s where the pier is and the ferry station if you're going to Cozumel, an area full of landscapes and vegetation. It's an area full of colors and handcrafts with great food -- a very charming place.

There's not much nightlife, but it has the greatest landscapes in the all of the Mayan Riviera, a very romantic atmosphere there are cafes, ocean view restaurants, art galleries, and handcraft stores.

I would say that Playacar is the perfect place for relaxing and sightseeing.

About the Writer

fresita

fresita
mexico, United States

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