Cozumel on our own... nice beach and good local restaurants?

Hi all! It's been 10yrs since I last went to Cozumel on a RC ship and can't really remember it so well as just did a tour there which was tequila tasting etc! Since then I've done a fair bit of actual travel around various parts of Mexico. The food in the Yucatan area is by far the best to me! :-) So we'd like to do Cozumel on our own, find a nice beach to spend some chill time (preferably not a beach club) and then grab some delicious local fare in a nice restaurant. Any recommendations?

The only other thing I looked at was the Mexican cooking, tasting and beach break because it combined food and beach time - but not sure how many people are usually on that tour?

thanks in advance!

Most of the beaches will require a taxi ride from the ports -- for good snorkeling from the shore check out the Money Bar, or for a good pay as you go beach club with great facilities check out Paradise Beach.

Lots of good dining options downtown - I'll let the locals refer you to the current favorites.

Difficult to find a beach that is not a Beach Club on the west side, but some have more amenities and are bigger than others, so you will need to read some of the numerous reviews of the popular places on this board, to see which appeals to you.

Better beaches,without facilities on the east side but transport is a problem and no ocean swimming.

There are several reviews for the cooking school you mention at Playa Mia if you use the search engine. I haven’t done that one but I can highly recommend Josefina’s class for an authentic meal where you visit the Mercado and cook a meal at her house.

Also, I haven’t tried it but have read good reviews of cooking class at Kondesa restaurant.

I would second suggestion to spend a few hours at Money Bar ( no sandy beach) or Palancar (sandy) and then taxi to town to numerous restaurants. Our favorite is La Choza.