Paradise Beach or Nachi for my family?

[Joie]

we LOVED Nachi. There were 5 of us and the cost was great for what we got....drinks, food and a beautiful beach.

[tattoos]

We went to Paradise Beach twice and both times the water was absolutely filthy, so dirty we couldn't even go in it. A lady fell getting out of the water and did some damage to her knees (couldn't see the rocks close to shore because of the black, filthy water). They had to carry her to a chair with bloody knees.

 

Chankanaab Park was beautiful and had great snorkeling, food and drinks. They also have a great area for children. We didn't do an all inclusive here, just paid when we wanted to order food or drink. The only downside to the snorkeling area is...the beach doesn't slope gradually to the water, you have to access the water by climbing down some stairs, but there were so many fish in the water, we were bumping into them as soon as we entered the water, cool. They also have a float you can swim out to.

 

Playa Mia was o.k., nice beach but no snorkeling. Food was mediocre at best and I don't know if they purchased new loungers but when we went they had those molded plastic loungers...once you were in it, you had a tough time getting out and had to drop to your knees and boost yourself up. I'm pretty sure Playa Mia was where we had to turn in our Sail & Sign card and retrieved it at the end of the day, didn't like that at all.

[mavrington]

I haven't been to Nachi, but I've heard good things from people who have been there. As others have said, it is great for adults moreso than kids.

 

We visited Paradise Beach two weeks ago and we were disappointed. The water toys are nice, but it is a bit of swim to most of them so smaller kids might have a tough time. The ladders to the trampolines were broken so the climb up was difficult. The beach was ok, but the water was murky from the shore to 100 feet out. There are a lot of rocks as other posters have said. The iceberg was fun to climb, but too many kids just sit on top of it and they often jump off the wrong side to where people are climbing.

 

My wife and 17yo daughter used the pool, which was big, very nice, and full of people, but yet didn't feel crowded. My 16yo son and I (37yo male) can have fun about anywhere and we played around on the water toys but after 30 minutes or so the excited is gone. My wife swam out once, went down a slide and that was it. That was a waste of 12 bucks.

 

The food was disappointing with TGI Friday's-quality nachos that came cold. They did have buckets of 5 beers for $16. My 3yo son had some very good chicken fingers even though they were cold, too. The staff is nice, but they automatically add gratuity to your bill. The bathrooms were very nice and clean.

 

I wouldn't go back, but maybe you will have better luck.

 

The cab ride from the port is $13 for 4 people, but they will likely ask for more. He told me $19 for 5 people, but I told him $13 since we have a small child. They said no at first, but I just walked away and they accepted it. Don't pay more than $13 for four or fewer people. Be absolutely sure to negotiate the price before you get in. Here are the listed prices for other Cozumel destinations: http://www.puertamaya.com/port-information/taxi-rate-information.aspx

[Ellanora]

Having said all that, I give this heads-up... we paid $12 for 3 in our group (the 2 kids and their dad) so that they could play on the large water jump toys in the water. This was kind of a waste of money because it takes a lot of strength to master climbing aboard those huge floats. My son-in-law spent all his time hoisting kids (his and others!). So if you choose Paradise Beach (or any other beach based on those huge jumping floats), read other reviews and make sure you'll get your money's worth out of the $12 bracelet. For the rest of us, it was $2 for a lounger (lots of shady options) plus a $10 food/drink minimum per person (very easy to meet if there are a few adult beverages in the mix lol).

We visited Paradise Beach two weeks ago and we were disappointed. The water toys are nice, but it is a bit of swim to most of them so smaller kids might have a tough time. The ladders to the trampolines were broken so the climb up was difficult. The beach was ok, but the water was murky from the shore to 100 feet out. There are a lot of rocks as other posters have said. The iceberg was fun to climb, but too many kids just sit on top of it and they often jump off the wrong side to where people are climbing.

My son and I visited Paradise Beach a few weeks ago and had the same experience as above. We just didn't have the arm strength to be able to enjoy most of the water toys we paid for. Our own fault for not being in shape, I suppose, but if some of the straps had not been torn away, we'd have been able to do more. Also, I was shocked at just how murky the water was. I had read that it wasn't clear but it was well beyond that - you could not see your hand just a few inches under. I live on the north-central coast of Florida, and this was worse than the Atlantic on a bad day.

 

I was also disappointed in the service - I had read such great things about it. We had to flag down a server in order to purchase the wristbands and then he left us to find our own chairs. After a couple hours wearing ourselves out trying to climb the toys, we moved to some empty chairs in the corner of the pool lanai, which was very pretty and very crowded. We laid out and read the books we brought for an hour. Not once did a waiter even come close enough to flag down to order a drink or food. Finally I got up and waved wildly at one across the deck and ordered nachos and soda, which did come out quickly, and were good. However, once we ate we'd had enough of the day and retrieved our $20 (!!!) deposit for the locker and took a cab back to port. The whole day just felt like an expensive waste, ugly water, pointless water toys, no service whatsoever.

 

The pool was beautiful and the bathrooms were very clean. Others seemed to be having a nice time, and the people close to the pool were receiving service. I think Paradise Beach just isn't meant for us, and we will try somewhere else if we go back to Cozumel.

[sadiesue]

We were just at Nachi a few weeks ago and LOVED IT! I would go back in a second! BUT...There is really nothing for kids to do there. I'm not even sure I remember seeing any kids there. I think they would be quite bored. They had banana boat rides and kayaks (I think!) but nothing like Paradise Beach. I've been to Paradise Beach several times, and although it has become more crowded over the years, it is definitely the place to take your kids. They will be entertained for hours with the inflatable thingies and trampolines in the water.

Save your Nachi trip for your second honeymoon without the kids.

 

Have a great cruise!