Chankannab

I'm seeing so many mixed reviews. Have you been there? If so what do you actually get with the entrance fee? Can you swim and use the beach chairs or is there a fee? If you bring you own snorkel equipment do you still have to pay? Is food and drink expensive? Tell me all about it.

For about $20 admission fee you can use the park, beaches, snorkel lagoon, facilities, etc. You need to bring your own towel and are welcome to bring your own snorkel gear. Food/drinks/service are good - about what you'd find at Paradise Beach, Play Mia or other popular beach clubs. You'll pay extra to swim with the dolphins, etc.

Find a post by Mitsugirly and click on the link in her signature for Chank - she has great photo reviews.

For about $20 admission fee you can use the park, beaches, snorkel lagoon, facilities, etc. You need to bring your own towel and are welcome to bring your own snorkel gear. Food/drinks/service are good - about what you'd find at Paradise Beach, Play Mia or other popular beach clubs. You'll pay extra to swim with the dolphins, etc.

 

Find a post by Mitsugirly and click on the link in her signature for Chank - she has great photo reviews.

Thanks. So the comments I see about having to pay to snorkel are probably those who didn't bring their own gear and had to rent? How about the sea lion show. Is there a fee for that?

This may help you.

http://www.cozumelparks.com/eng/chankanaab.cfm

This may help you.

 

http://www.cozumelparks.com/eng/chankanaab.cfm

Thanks. I read that website a few times over. I was just more curious about personal experience.

We were there last month, and absolutely loved it.

We would go again in a heartbeat.

Beach chairs and umbrellas were free. Brought our own snorkel gear, so I'm not sure if that was free or not.

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We went there in April 2014.

We chose it because we wanted an affordable, easy to get to, "safe" day at the beach with decent beginners snorkeling.

Even though it was not that long ago, I'm foggy on some of the details, but I'd say we got what we were hoping for.

After walking through the shopping area at the port, we took a taxi to the park. It think it cost around $10 and took 10-15 minutes. I can't remember the entrance fee, but we had printed a coupon from the official park website that we were able to use (i think it was $2 off pp?? -- not a big savings, but why not).

The grounds were well kept and the beach view was beautiful. There was a small inlet/cove area for kids, but since they were busy fishing jellyfish out of the water there, we didn't spend much time there. The main beach area where we were had beach chairs and umbrellas (are they called tiki huts?) and servers to take orders. One thing I recall is that we had to climb down rocks or slimy water stairs to get into the ocean -- not a big deal, but I'm glad we had water shoes!

We brought our own snorkel gear. The water was very clear and if you put a little bread in the water, there were tons of fish to check out (for our next trip, I'd rather have a little real fish food to give, as I don't know if bread is good for them). There are also underwater statues around that are cool to see. I have read that many expert snorkelers think Chankannab is cheesy, but for beginners or kids, I think it is a good choice.

The restrooms were fine - outdoorsy as expected. There was a lady with toilet paper around sometimes, but I didn't always see her, so was happy that I brought my own!

We walked around a bit and saw a diaplay of either crocodiles or alligators and also saw a seal lion show. There was no additional cost for this.

The one thing we noticed when we were leaving was that there seemed to be a food/drink deal available at the restaurant. We just did pay as we went, but if we went again would check for deals before ordering (we ordered bottled water and soda and a pizza and I think it was around $35 USD).

We will have a stop in Cozumel in November and may end up here again, based on price and convenience. If so, I would not complain!

The water was very clear and if you put a little bread in the water, there were tons of fish to check out (for our next trip, I'd rather have a little real fish food to give, as I don't know if bread is good for them).

You likely didn't know, and it is unlikely you would ever be caught, but it is illegal to feed the fish inside of Cozumel's National Marine Park, which Chankanaab is inside of. Please respect local laws and do not feed the fish next time you visit.

You likely didn't know, and it is unlikely you would ever be caught, but it is illegal to feed the fish inside of Cozumel's National Marine Park, which Chankanaab is inside of. Please respect local laws and do not feed the fish next time you visit.

Hmm... I did not know that. Good to know!

Ignorance is not an excuse of the law, but I don't recall it being posted (at least in English) at the beach and I don't see it readily available on their website. In the FAQ's it recommends biodegradable sunscreen, so I'd think that would be a good place to put it to raise awareness.

Not sure what the penalty would be, but I don't think I'd appreciate the accommodations in a Mexican jail :/

You usually see these signs if you are on boat excursions:

http://www.blueprojectcozumel.com/reservar/i_reglas.jpg

I don't know if Chankanaab has one posted.

I do remember there being a sign about requiring snorkel vests (per marine park rules) and then them looking at me like I was crazy when I asked if I had to wear one.

There is always question about how much marine park rules apply when shore snorkeling (for example- if you jump in the water at your hotel, are you supposed to somehow pay for a bracelet? I also don't think Chankanaab actually issues the bracelets.)

We have been there twice and it remains one of our favorite places in Cozumel so far.

I have 2 reviews with pictures listed in my signature line. However, the place has changed a little since the last time we were there. They have added a few things...like a zip line, an alligator pit, a human ball thing and so on. :)

If you just want to see pictures, you can check HERE and HERE.