Stone Island Mazatlan

[seesee]

Just wondering if anyone has ever tried Mazatlan Tours by Johann and Sandra. They have a tour to Stone Island that includes just about everything we want to do. We are traveling in December with a group of 9 couples. This tour seems like it offers something for everyone. You can't beat the price either. Please let me know the good, bad or whatever. My husband and I usually do not book tours. We like to go out and explore on our own. With a group like ours difficult to do on our own. Oh, by the way we are in our 50's and 60's. Thanks in advance. Love it here so much info.

[miodus]

Originally Posted by seesee

Just wondering if anyone has ever tried Mazatlan Tours by Johann and Sandra. They have a tour to Stone Island that includes just about everything we want to do. We are traveling in December with a group of 9 couples. This tour seems like it offers something for everyone. You can't beat the price either. Please let me know the good, bad or whatever. My husband and I usually do not book tours. We like to go out and explore on our own. With a group like ours difficult to do on our own. Oh, by the way we are in our 50's and 60's. Thanks in advance. Love it here so much info.

We are also interested in the Stone Island tour and would like information if there is anyone who could help we would appreciate it. Also how are the Johann and Sandra tours in all the other ports.

[star gazer]

Hurricane Rick severely damaged the beach restaurants on Stone Island. I visited there on Nov. 4 and was overwhelmed at the destruction. Debris and dead fish littered the beach. I ran into other tourists and all of us were stunned.
A few of the restaurants had sawed palm trees to rebuild with. The few residents that I met were optimistic with future plans.

[c-leg5]

Originally Posted by star gazer

Hurricane Rick severely damaged the beach restaurants on Stone Island. I visited there on Nov. 4 and was overwhelmed at the destruction. Debris and dead fish littered the beach. I ran into other tourists and all of us were stunned.
A few of the restaurants had sawed palm trees to rebuild with. The few residents that I met were optimistic with future plans.

I am so sorry to hear this. Have you been before? We usually go to Rudi's. Which restuarant did you end up at that was still open?

[seesee]

How very sad. That tour sounded just perfect for our group. Does anyone have any other suggestions for Mazatlan?

[CruiserMickey]

That is so sad to hear about the hurricane damage! I hope those families can rebuild soon. We loved our time on Stone Island at Molokay's last March!

[swedish weave]

Don't let the hurricane damage scare you away from Stone Island. I was there the week after the hurricane 10/27, and some of the restaurants were torn up, but some I hadn't seen open in all my trips. Lety's and Victor's appeared to be in good shape, and I could see that they were open, although we didn't walk that far down the beach. We stopped at the first place that was open, and it wasn't damaged.

I am not sure why the beach was littered with dead fish on 11/4, because it was clean when I was there the week before. Since the island is privately owned, and they depend on tourists, it will be cleaned up very quickly. I am going back next week, so will see what it looks like.

[c-leg5]

Originally Posted by swedish weave

Don't let the hurricane damage scare you away from Stone Island. I was there the week after the hurricane 10/27, and some of the restaurants were torn up, but some I hadn't seen open in all my trips. Lety's and Victor's appeared to be in good shape, and I could see that they were open, although we didn't walk that far down the beach. We stopped at the first place that was open, and it wasn't damaged.

I am not sure why the beach was littered with dead fish on 11/4, because it was clean when I was there the week before. Since the island is privately owned, and they depend on tourists, it will be cleaned up very quickly. I am going back next week, so will see what it looks like.

This was why I asked if the previous poster had been before. I agree some of the restuarants have looked torn up for years. I was surprised to hear about the dead fish. Thanks for your report.

[Gillian2]

Do the water taxis run continuously or is there a schedule?

[star gazer]

Originally Posted by Gillian2

Do the water taxis run continuously or is there a schedule?

Continuously when a cruise ship is docked.

[J&KCruisers]

There is not a real schedule. Typically, you just show up and the fill the boat and go. Same for the return.

Happy Cruising

[Gillian2]

Thanks, that sounds great.
I was also looking for something similar in PV (without a 45 minute boat ride) or something more unusual as we have been so many times on cruises.

[FireMonkey]

We booked a day at Stone Island while we are docked there in February. We did not book through the ship so I was wondering how to get there. Do you have to take a cab to the water taxis or are they pretty close to the ship (within walking distance?)

[c-leg5]

Originally Posted by FireMonkey

We booked a day at Stone Island while we are docked there in February. We did not book through the ship so I was wondering how to get there. Do you have to take a cab to the water taxis or are they pretty close to the ship (within walking distance?)

If you want to go by yourself here is a link to a good thread with detailed directions and map showing the water taxi that most independent travellers use:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=996060

The walk from the pier to the water taxi is actually about 10-15 minutes.

If you have booked through a company they usually take care of the transport and take you from a different pier, which you can also use if you go by yourself but I think it is further and you have to get a taxi to it.

[FireMonkey]

Originally Posted by c-leg5

If you want to go by yourself here is a link to a good thread with detailed directions and map showing the water taxi that most independent travellers use:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=996060

The walk from the pier to the water taxi is actually about 10-15 minutes.

If you have booked through a company they usually take care of the transport and take you from a different pier, which you can also use if you go by yourself but I think it is further and you have to get a taxi to it.

Fantastic, thanks!

[bejinhos]

We took the water taxi over, instead of going left and over the berm to the touristy restuarants, we went right on the dirt road to a smaller beach about 1/3 mile away. Eli of Pizza Benji's walked us over to his establishment, it was rustic to say the least but the hospitality was 5 star all the way. It never got crowded and we had a small cove to swim in. Apparently it's where the locals go, I don't think we saw any other cruisers but there were some Americans who were renting near buy. Compared to the cost it would have taken to do a ship shore excursion, we saved at least 50%. Six adults ate, drank lots of beer and tequila and got snorkling equipment for about five hours for about $28 per person including the water taxi. The pizza and the rest of the menu was great too.