Just back from Cozumel.

[freezerburn]

Hi all,

 

I wanted to drop a little info for future Cozumel visitors.  Everything seems nearly back-to-normal since the pandemic. First up on the list was the ship excursion catamaran snorkel and beach package.  After a 15 minute ride, we arrived at the snorkel area.  The waters were pristine but the sales pitch to buy the pictures kinda hurt this experience.  Afterwards, we took a cab ride to El Centro and walked the area.  A new item that seems everywhere are hand-painted Christmas ornaments.  We found the best prices here vs the shops in Progresso (our next stop).  Also, we walked thru the Mega grocery store for a few pastries.  Great prices on grocery items here if you're interested in that kind of stuff.  Afterwards, we took a cab back to the port.  The stores were busy with people from the 3 ships docked there that day.  The weather was beautiful this time of year.  Can't wait to go back.

[blue_water]

Yes Coz is once again one of THE busiest Carib cruise ports and it is crazy busy! It’s probably becoming impossible for cruisers to find even a moderately busy beach on the busiest port days with 7+ ships in…

[llarsen]

We are booked for next month visiting Cozumel and doing a Catamaran snorkel on Princess but it does not include beach package.

 

Can you recommend a safe sandy calm water beach that is a short taxi ride from the port?

I was thinking Paradise Beach but have never been there (or to any of the beaches)

 

Thanks!

[freezerburn]

The last beach i've been to (pre-pandemic) via taxi was Playa Mia.  It had a nice beach and calm vibe back then.  Kid friendly as well.  Prior to that, we had gone to Chankanaab park.  Chankanaab does not have much of a beach but the snorkeling was pretty good.  Hope that helps.

[lrk]

Curious about the water temp.  Were you cold snorkeling?

[jbrinkm]

43 minutes ago, llarsen said:

We are booked for next month visiting Cozumel and doing a Catamaran snorkel on Princess but it does not include beach package.

 

Can you recommend a safe sandy calm water beach that is a short taxi ride from the port?

I was thinking Paradise Beach but have never been there (or to any of the beaches)

 

12 minutes ago, lrk said:

Curious about the water temp.  Were you cold snorkeling?

 

We were at both Paradise Beach and Cabana Beach (adjacent to Chankanaab with some type of arrangement-partnership) in April. I think 6 ships in port, if I remember correctly. We were able to do Paradise Beach first thing in the morning PAYG but many have been reporting that the PAYG option is going away, or at least very limited now. They're moving towards an all AI model now, it seems, which is fine if you want to spend your whole day there. 

 

The sandy beaches tend to be in a part of the island where the off-shore snorkeling is not as good. The snorkeling part of the island nearest the cruise ports is better on the rocky West side, further north, near Money Bar and Chankanaab. But you have a catamaran, so probably don't need more snorkeling, I'm guessing. Since it will only be a half day, Paradise Beach may not work out well for you but I don't have an alternative recommendation for a PAYG. You will most likely want a PAYG option. You also didn't mention if you have kids, but Pardise Beach is popular with families because of the inflatables. It is beautiful there and the food was excellent, but was definitely getting crowded when we were heading out, so maybe not very relaxing. 

 

I didn't go in the water at Paradise Beach, but my teens did, and water seemed warm enough. I felt it on my toes and that was definitely warmer than what we had at Cabana Beach in the afternoon. When we snorkeled off Cabana Beach in the afternoon, it was the hottest part of the day and that cold water felt pretty good. 

 

The last time we were in Cozumel we also did a snorkel trip from boat and the water was pretty cold then too. The air was also chilly/cloudy that day, so we were all pretty cold. They warned us ahead of time to bring a jacket or windbreaker along. 

[freezerburn]

1 hour ago, lrk said:

Curious about the water temp.  Were you cold snorkeling?

January 18 was our Cozumel day.  It probably got up into the high 80's, mostly sunny.  After riding on the catamaran for 15-20 minutes, i would say getting into the water required a little determination as it was cool to the touch.  5 minutes later though, it was fine and we weren't feeling the need to get out of the water.

[clackey]

On 1/24/2023 at 11:12 AM, lrk said:

Curious about the water temp.  Were you cold snorkeling?

I checked online and it is about 80 right now.

[blue_water]

It’s subjective of course, but we’re not cold water fans and have only rarely found the Caribbean to be a bit too cool in the winter months.
Now our pool is another story until March! 🥶