No excursion, just walk around with family

I’m going to Cozumel on our last stop of a 7 day cruise with my husband and 3 girls (8, 9 and 10). We are trying to cut costs where possible and have fun excursions planned for the other stops, including one whole beach day.

We are stuck on what to do in Cozumel for cheap. I am a planner, type A and not having any plans one month before the cruise is totally not like me!

I know the cheapest option is to stay on the boat, but we don’t want to do that... our kids haven’t been on a cruise before and we want them to experience other cultures some.

I was thinking we could take a taxi downtown, do some shopping, eat lunch and then head back and that would be relatively cheap.

Do we just tell the taxi “downtown”? I’m sorry if this is a dumb question, but I’ve searched and couldn’t find the answers.

And any recommendations for lunch? Authentic Mexican... not Taco Bell or Tex mex. but the real deal. It would be great if my one picky kid had something to eat... but she can get a snack when we get back on board if needed!

Any other fun things to do for cheap/free downtown?

This will be our last stop with two other beaches, so we wanted to do something different in Cozumel.

Thanks!!

San Miguel is the name of the downtown area - depending upon what pier you are at cab fare should be under $10 each way. Lots of shops and restaurants - Gorditos burritos,

Check out Panchos Backyard! Just tell our taxi driver you want to go to Panchos in town.

You'll be right in town so you can walk around and do a bit of shopping or whatever afterwards.

http://panchosbackyard.com

I would highly recommend checking out Tours Plaza very reasonable and a great company!

I suggest going to the wild side of the island. It's like stepping into a post card.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks everyone!

I would recommend taking a taxi downtown then walking past all the souvenir shops to do a little shopping and stop at the museum to eat. They have good local food and drinks less expensive than most places and the second story balcony provides great scenery while eating in a family environment.

I would recommend taking a taxi downtown then walking past all the souvenir shops to do a little shopping and stop at the museum to eat. They have good local food and drinks less expensive than most places and the second story balcony provides great scenery while eating in a family environment.

I looked up the museum on trip advisor and a review says it’s closed for 18 months for renovations 😔

Any tips for walking around with a family? Is the downtown area all in one place? Is there somewhere to get a map?? Trying to plan and choose a lunch spot!

The touristy shopping area is fairly compact, although you can stroll along the sea-wall for a bit.

Any tips for walking around with a family? Is the downtown area all in one place? Is there somewhere to get a map?? Trying to plan and choose a lunch spot!

This link will give you a start and basic map:

https://cozumelmycozumel.com/cozumel-things-to-do-walking-tour/

The folllowing has similar suggestions and good photos and locations. Concentrate on numbers 1-10 for downtown.

https://www.encirclephotos.com/gallery/cozumel-island-mexico/

11 and 12 are by the southern piers.

While looking for the link for a DIY tour which used to be listed (although had become rather dated and I think has been replaced by my first link), I found this free walking tour which seems to get good reviews.

https://tati82.wixsite.com/freewalkingtour

I haven’t taken this actual tour with Tati but I did do a good photo tour with her several years ago. She seems to have branched out into other tours.

Good places for lunch round the square. Our favorite is La Choza but unfortunately no view, back a street or two. However, there seem to be a lot of new places with good reviews recently so check TripAdvisor or use the search engine of this forum for further recommendations. Lots of touristy places near the waterfront and square but some very good less expensive places back a block or two.

Check out Panchos Backyard! Just tell our taxi driver you want to go to Panchos in town.

You'll be right in town so you can walk around and do a bit of shopping or whatever afterwards.

http://panchosbackyard.com

My daughter and I will be in Cozumel, her first visit, next month. I've not been to Panchos so thank you very much for this suggestion. Have been to the Money Bar and Nachi so looking for something else.

My daughter and I will be in Cozumel, her first visit, next month. I've not been to Panchos so thank you very much for this suggestion. Have been to the Money Bar and Nachi so looking for something else.

Just FYI I have never been to Panchos but be aware it is just in the back of a shop. It is not a beach area like Money Bar or Nachi.

I second The Money Bar. We were there with 6 kids ages 7-16 and we all had a blast. They did a little snorkeling, but mostly had fun just jumping off the pier and swimming around in the clear waters. We all had a little lunch, got some pictures with some wildlife that they had (I think it was macaws, but don't remember) and just played for the day. No cost to get in, just purchase your food and drink there and use the facilities. We loved it.

I like to go to town as well (just ask the drive to take you to downtown, or the town square). It's kind of fun, but if it's hot out, I'm guessing the kids might get over it fast.

Check out Panchos Backyard! Just tell our taxi driver you want to go to Panchos in town.

You'll be right in town so you can walk around and do a bit of shopping or whatever afterwards.

http://panchosbackyard.com

About a block from Poncho's, in the direction of town, is a small "pharmacia" that carries reliable products available in Mexico without a prescription, along with skin care products at greatly reduced prices compared to the US (no knock-offs).

From there, continuing to walk in the direction of the piers, there are many other shopping venues and great places to cool off with a drink and experience some lively Mexican music. The island is small enough to do both a town tour and a visit to the ruins.

The only negative we have ever experienced is a Sunday port stop - when everything is pretty much closed and the downtown is absolutely dead.

Just get out of the pier area and walk bypass the stores the ship wants you to shop at.its what we do been to coz 3 times will be going again next year.we just walk and shop .stop at whatever looks interesting.we get off the beaten path and find different things .no one bothers you.if you don't want what they are selling say no thank you and keep moving.we never hardly eat on the islands we visit .we generally eat a big breakfast then we eat whenever we get back on the ship.carry small bills they never seem to have change for a 20 .

While taxis are cheap, one thing to be careful of - they will do their best to get you to hire them for the whole day (if you want to do several things, that isn't a bad option). If they can't do that, they'll want you to commit to meeting them at a certain time so that they can take you back to the ship.

Just keep telling them no.

While taxis are cheap, one thing to be careful of - they will do their best to get you to hire them for the whole day (if you want to do several things, that isn't a bad option). If they can't do that, they'll want you to commit to meeting them at a certain time so that they can take you back to the ship.

 

Just keep telling them no.

Never experienced this in all our trips to Cozumel. They are usually in a rush to get back for their next fare. Some people even complain about the speed of driving because of this.

Were you going to a beach bar? I cant imagine them wanting to sit and wait for you there - different if you are going to the ruins or east side where it is almost imperative you have them wait.

Never experienced this in all our trips to Cozumel. They are usually in a rush to get back for their next fare. Some people even complain about the speed of driving because of this.

 

Were you going to a beach bar? I cant imagine them wanting to sit and wait for you there - different if you are going to the ruins or east side where it is almost imperative you have them wait.

They'll wait if you pay them for the whole day.

They'll wait if you pay them for the whole day.

I am sure they will but i have never been solicited to do so in many cruise ship days or land vacations.

Cozumel is one of the few places I feel comfortable to "wing it." I am a planner too, but not terribly worried about planning in Cozumel.  

On 10/13/2019 at 4:41 PM, legaljen1969 said:

Cozumel is one of the few places I feel comfortable to "wing it." I am a planner too, but not terribly worried about planning in Cozumel.  

 

Same here.  Cozumel is very tourist friendly and easy to get around in.  Last time we went, we took a taxi to Mega, bought some inexpensive souvenirs and bottled water, then walked north along that main street to the tourist shopping area.  Stopped along the way to look at little shops, wandered around the tourist shopping area, walked back to a restaurant along the Rafael Melgar street, and then took a cab back.  Very laid back and a nice day.

Cozumel is our favorite vacation destination when we are not on a cruise!  We have been going for 19 years, about a week a year.  Trust me...it is the easiest place you will ever visit.  Take a taxi to town, walk around for hours, eat great food, relax, take photos, taxi back to ship.  You can't go wrong, it is just the best...and very inexpensive.  Stay off the main street, away from cruise ship owned stores, and you can negotiate prices and get great deals.  

And just to prove how much we love the place, we are heading back there for a week, march 2020.  Just can't get it out of our blood.  

On 10/17/2019 at 3:18 PM, ABQrobin said:

Cozumel is our favorite vacation destination when we are not on a cruise!  We have been going for 19 years, about a week a year.  Trust me...it is the easiest place you will ever visit.  Take a taxi to town, walk around for hours, eat great food, relax, take photos, taxi back to ship.  You can't go wrong, it is just the best...and very inexpensive.  Stay off the main street, away from cruise ship owned stores, and you can negotiate prices and get great deals.  

And just to prove how much we love the place, we are heading back there for a week, march 2020.  Just can't get it out of our blood.  

Do you have to get a taxi if you just want to get off the ship to have some food and drinks and just walk around a little?  Or is a taxi required to be able to get away from the port area?

45 minutes ago, kcbookworm said:

Do you have to get a taxi if you just want to get off the ship to have some food and drinks and just walk around a little?  Or is a taxi required to be able to get away from the port area?

That would depend which of the three piers you dock at.
 

If you are at Punta Langosta, easy to walk off the ship and around town, but do your research and have some idea where you want to go.

International and Puerta Maya are 2-3 miles south of town and although you can easily (and safely) walk, most will take a taxi. There are some shopping “areas” opposite the piers and  some bars to walk to, towards town but it will depend what you are looking for and how able you are to walk. There are tourist restaurant/ bars at the piers.

This will give an idea of which ships dock where but is subject to change.

http://www.cruiseportinsider.com/cozumelschedule2019.html?ezpage=19