hiring a driver for the day

[amv1605]

We hired Gerry for Sept 21st, 2011 -- He was waiting for us - First in the Taxi line just as expected ... This was my 7th Trip to Cozumel and By Far the Best Day I've had here!!!

Me and My (then Boyfriend) Fiance wanted a more secluded quiet day -- And Gerry Delivered just that! He took us to a Gorgeous Beach first -- We were the only ones there until we were leaving at lunch ... Had a private Snorkel tour by one of the guys that worked there ... Got engaged on the Beach (Squeal!!) -- Swam and laid out for a little while.

Headed down the Lighthouse on the Far Southern tip (We were again, The only one's there!) ... Stopped on the road to the lighthouse to see a small Mayan Ruin site and some Crocs!

After that, We were on our way to Coconuts for lunch ... Gerry pulled over to take some pictures of us at this Beautiful site on the back side of the island!! Then He also pulled over for us to see the Biologist rescuing Baby Sea Turtles!! We actually got a little private Biology lesson from one of them - Got to hold the Turtles too! Way too Cool!

Then lunch at Coconuts!! Absolutely the Best Mexican Food / Salsa I have ever put in My mouth!! Fish tacos are Amazing as well!! Just a word of warning ... They have some STRONG Margarita's - Lol! Gerry told Me they use 2 parts Tequilla to 1 part mix -- I'd say that's probably accurate - :)) It was delicious though!

From there ... The Free Tequilla Tour -- Highly Recommend! We really enjoyed listening to the guide (It didn't take but about 20 minutes or so ... Warning : They obviously will want You to purchase a bottle of very expensive Tequilla -- So If You have a hard time saying no (Like Myself) -- You may want to skip this part ... They also take a photo of You when You arrive (You can decline it obviously .. But You can also purchse just the photo for $5 -- Which we did and are glad we Did!)

Then we went and did a little shopping and came back to the boat ... It was an absolutely wonderful Day!! Gerry sang for us too ... He has a Beautiful voice!! I would Highly Recommend him and his service!!

Edited October 1, 2011 by amv1605

[Cruise_r_us]

That is ship time. When you dock at 8 Am it will be 7 am their. I have a tour coming up and he replied with the same comment to me. I am starting at 9 am which will be 8 am their time.

 

tks, booked at 10am ship time, don't want to be too rush while getting out of the ship. :)

[sarar]

Does anyone have a website for Gerry or an email address?

[jazzinj]

Does anyone have a website for Gerry or an email address?

 

http://www.toursplaza.com/categorias/info/hiring_a_driver

 

Here you go!

[sarar]

http://www.toursplaza.com/categorias/info/hiring_a_driver

 

Here you go!

 

Wow, thanks that was quick.

[sarar]

I have booked Gerry up for the 12th January 2012.

[atahoekid]

Just got back from our cruise on Oasis of the Seas (Oct 1, 2011 sailing) and we spent the day in Cozumel with a private driver, Adiel King. It was for us, one of the best ways to see Cozumel. My wife and I are 55 and 49 respectively and we were traveling with our 19 and 17 yo children. So we weren't looking for a day at the beach in the sun, nor were we looking for wild party spots, though I think Adiel would know where to take you if that is your thing. He picked us up at the ship at 9 am Cozumel time (10 am ships time) in his air conditioned van for our 6 hour tour. He took us on a drive around Cozumel and showed up the landmarks, beaches, attractions and history of the area. He is a native of Cozumel and he is quite proud of his paradise home. As beautiful and breathtaking as the beaches are, I was particularly interested in seeing one of the original Mayan villages. He was very knowledgeable about the ancient history and culture of the Mayans of the islands and discussed the ancient history along with the Spanish takeover of the island. Fascinating! He showed us sea turtles nests on the beach and talked about efforts to support and help the population of sea turtles as a natural resource. We were hoping to see some newly hatched turtles being tended to by volunteers but did not find any. He showed us the city, took us to a tequila distillery for a tasting and then took us to a beautiful private club for lunch, beach time, snorkeling and relaxing. He took us to the shopping district to do some souvenir hunting and finally back to the ship. He charged us $55 per person and I'm sure if you were taking a ships' tour something like this would cost close to $150 per person. Adiel was very personable, very knowledgeable, very polite and spoke English very well. We were hoping our son would be able to practice his Spanish while on this tour but Adiel's English is perfect. We would definitely recommend that you spend the day with Adiel if you are looking for a driver. He will also customize the tour to your likes and preferences, but we asked him to take us to his favorite destinations. He responds to email within a day or so and will send you an email the week prior to your arrival to confirm all the details. He will only accept payment upon completion of the tour and tells you if you aren't satisfied that you should not pay him. I cannot imagine that anyone has ever not paid him. Here is his email: adielrenan@hotmail.com I'm think you will be very happy that you did.

[russandcheryl]

We hired Gerry for Oct. 8, 2011 in Cozumel

He was waiting for us with the yellow cap - thank goodness as we were

a little late and all the taxi drivers look alike.

There was 7 of us in an air conditioned van. 1st. stop mega store for

drinks and snacks - he had the cooler..

Then a tour of town and history lesson .

Headed to north side of island - so beautiful up there

lunch at Bonitos?? not sure of name but close to Coconuts

Had a great time - then he dropped off 2 of us at Mr. Sanchos

to meet the rest of the group and took us back to the ship.

His english is good - he can sing lovely spanish songs....

We enjoyed the day ... Highly recommend :)

[gazingm42]

We just got back from our Cruise. We hired Gerry ahead of time. However he

had a medical issue which he could not make it. But made arrangements to have a private van/taxi take us for the day at the same terms.

 

It did a GREAT job and were not disappointed in anyway. The driver we had took us to many area on the island. He has lived there all his life and knew

the island well.

 

We were able to see turtles eggs being processed by on the beach not far

from the blow holes. When we were done we wanted to find a good place

to purchase "REAL" vanilla. He took us to a local grocery store where we only

paid $2 vs the $7.50 in the tourist shops.

 

We would use gerry service again.

[artseeker]

Just got back from cruise on Norwegian Sun ... 3 months ago I tried to book Gerry but Eduardo e-mailed me back and he said Gerry nor Cantaro were available but Alberto was, so I decided that if Eduardo recommends him, he must be as good....so I booked him and he was awesome, He was right on time, sign in hand, We told him about ourselves and what we were interested in (wanted to see the island sights and some non-tourist stuff). Alberto immediately suggested an itinerary. We (6 ladies on our anual girls trip) felt totally comfortable with him. He drove us thru the city, saw sights, schools, etc. Went to some non touristy neighborhoods. Toured some nice churches. Visited a local food market and bought vanilla, hot sauce, pottery, etc. Drove to the ruins, east side. Coconuts, Mirador, lighthouse etc. Had lunch at Playa Bonita. Good food, ocean side, great service, Drove back to downtown pier. Spent about 6 hours on this tour. Really enjoyed ourselves. Felt safe and protected with Alberto. It really was like having a friend/family member show us around. Thanks to everyone on these boards who recommended Eduardo and his men. It was awesome!

[LHP]

I am officially jealous. Sounds like everyone is having great tours!!!

 

Our Cozumel stop last week got cancelled thanks to Hurricane Rina...we ended up going to Progreso instead.

 

We still had a good time....but Cozumel is my favorite!!!

[p.g.tips]

hello to one and all:)have heard so much about this community,glad to be aboard.:D

[Life without whine]

Waiting to hear ... last excursion to book for our second ever cruise & finally sent the email to Gerry & crew - so hope they are not fully booked as the reviews of the drivers here on this thread have been outstanding!

 

Just out of curiosity ....has anyone ever hired a driver for the day in Cozumel that did not work out? Anyone ever gone somewhere on this drive around tour that they wished they had not spent the time at?

[blue_water]

We drove ourselves arounf the west, south, and east coast and enjoyed it immensely. I wouldn't do it any other way as it is aan extremely drive. The only problem we've had is a fast moving crab that played "chicken"! But the drive is nice and roads are well marked. We rented from a place across from ibis, these are very reasonable and great to work with.

Reggae beach bar on the south tip is a fun spot, and if you don't hit any of the beach clubs on the west coast there are a couple places on the east coast with great views.

Excellent help on the Cozumel forum on TA

[Life without whine]

BOOKED! Alberto on Jan 4 - cannot wait!

[queenbeen]

We just booked Cantaro for Dec. 13! Can't wait!

[Quixotic]

I just e-mailed Eduardo to request a day tour in Cozumel with Gerry. I would never have known to book him if it weren't for this board. Love it! :D

 

I was really nervous about going to Mexico and navigating ourselves. Some may feel OK about it but I am not, so hiring a driver with such great reviews makes me soooo happy. I hope he is available! I can't wait to hear back.

[blue_water]

It is much better when you can feel comfortable about your tour, you may return to stay in Playa Del Carmen someday and drive Cozumel like we did, much easier after you've been there a few times - enjoy!

[Grungycat]

We were trying to book with Gerry several years ago and could not get him since he was booked, he referred us to Lazaro and can not say enough good things about him. Knows the island very well, patient and kind. We always ask for him and can not wait to see him next Friday. There is so much more to see than the main strip and they can show and tell you so much. Take the tours-make them what you want to do.

[logan25]

I need ideas of where to go and what to do to best make use of a driver. Don't care about laying on the beach. The tequila factory tour is pricey and not getting good reviews.

Edited November 16, 2011 by logan25

[Herb2relax]

Thanks for all the info about the drivers for the day. I booked today and somehow have gotten Gerry! I am excited as he has so many good reviews. I will post back of how our outing went.

[LHP]

I need ideas of where to go and what to do to best make use of a driver. Don't care about laying on the beach. The tequila factory tour is pricey and not getting good reviews.

 

I am not into just lying on the beach either.....

 

We have used Gerry several times and thoroughly enjoyed the East side.

 

It is amazing how many people never get the opportunity to see that side of the island, because it does not offer the regular taxi service that you have on the West side.

 

The East side is primitive with the HUGE waves that I could watch roll in for HOURS. It also has the porous rock that the surf shoots up through which is cool. You can walk out on it.

 

The bars over there are a bit interesting....Bob Marley and Coconuts especially. (use your imagination) They are not over the top but just interesting....

 

These bars use generators and bring over purified water and ice for the day, since there is no infrastructure over there.

 

There is also a lighthouse at the end of Cozumel....as well as horseback riding at the Buena Vista ranch.

 

Enjoy!!!!

[adnil530]

Wow! I was trying to talk my husband in renting a car and was looking up here for ideas and found this thread. We were able to book Gerry for December 24. I'm excited. Eduardo got back to me very quickly. He is asking for ideas and suggestions. We've only been to Nachi Cocum so we are open to ideas. I'll spend some more time reading. I'm excited to have gotten him and can't wait to put together a semi-itinerary.

 

Thanks for the tips!

Linda

[swedish weave]

A note for those who make it to the back side of Cozumel. If you see groups of people digging on the beaches, be sure to stop and see what is happening. They may be digging the newly hatched turtles from the nests and releasing them into the ocean. We experienced this in October, and it was a highlight of our trip to help the baby turtles get over the sand and into the ocean.

[rjscott]

For those of you looking for suggestions on what to do on your tour, I dug out my email from Mike Thompson, who used to book Gerry's and the other drivers tours for them. He made some suggestions here for me:

 

Gerry has lived in Cozumel for over 20 years, so of course he knows all the popular tourist destinations as well as the out of the way gems. Popular stops include:

 

-San Gervasio Ruins http://www.cozumelparks.com/eng/parks-sanGervasio.asp

 

-Tequila History Tour http://www.worldgolf.com/features/take-the-tequila-tour-when-golfing-in-cozumel-5580.htm

 

-Punta Sur http://www.cozumelparks.com/eng/parks-puntaSur.asp

 

-Chankanaab http://www.cozumelparks.com/eng/parks-chankanaab.asp

 

-Discover Mexico Theme Park http://www.discovermexico.org/

 

 

The isolated east side of the island is perfect for beachcombing, sightseeing and having a cold drink at one of the few bar/restaurants on the "wild side". Take some pics of the waves smashing up on the natural limestone "bridge" at EL MIRADOR, and a few snaps from the edge of the cliff at COCONUTS bar. At 41 ft, it's the highest point on the island!

 

-Mezcalitos http://www.mezcalitos.com/

 

-Coconuts http://www.islacozumel.net/food/coconuts/ http://www.islands.com/article.jsp?ID=47916

 

-El Mirador http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1342995619057125515abSXCR

 

 

The west side beach clubs are where you want to be if you want to swim or enjoy a jetski, parasail or banana boat ride. Of course, just lounging around and working on your tan while enjoying a frozen island cocktail is acceptable as well! The best spots that DON'T charge an admission fee:

 

-Mr Sancho's http://www.mrsanchos.com/mr_sanchos/home.htm

 

-Paradise Beach http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/

 

 

Hassle and haggle free shopping can be found at LOS CINCO SOLES. The widest selection of Mexican handicrafts on the island! http://www.loscincosoles.com/mainwelcome.htm

Now, this was in early 2010 when we booked Gerry, so some things might have changed, as far as fees and such. We had been to Cozumel at least a half-dozen times, and wanted something different to do, which is why we decided to look for a private driver and someone that would suggest some ideas for us and someone with whom we would feel safe exploring areas of the island we weren't familiar with. We definitely wanted to snorkel and had been to Chankanaab several times, so again, were looking for a new spot. The day we docked it was raining and actually cold in Cozumel. We had to return to our cabin and get umbrellas and jackets, and change into long pants. We did go ahead and take our snorkel gear, hoping the weather would get better as our day progressed. Garry was waiting for us, and once the four of us were in the car, he said we needed to make a plan based on the weather. We decided to first stop at Mega Mart to pick up some beverages and snacks. Loooved Mega Mart. A great selection of beverages at a good price and also a good place for souvenirs. We then decided to head for the ruins at San Gervasio. We'd been to Tulum, and understood than San Gervasio was quite small by comparison, but Gerry thought we'd like it, since the day was not good for snorkeling or other outdoor activities at that point. He drove us thru a neighborhood to show us a cathedral and we asked to stop for photos and we went in. It was a lovely church. When we got to San Gervasio, Gerry not only secured a guide for us (for a few dollars extra), but borrowed large umbrellas for us to use as we walked around the grounds. At this point, the rain was only sporadic and light. We really liked San Gervasio. The ruins are nothing like Tulum, with those large structures, but there is a lot of history there. Having a guide made the visit much more worthwhile. There are some shops in the square around San Gervasio and if you see something you like, Gerry will offer to bargain for you. After San Gervasio, we went to the East Side. It is so lovely there. We walked around on the rocks a bit and took some photos and had a great lunch. Gerry sang for us on our drive back and it was hard to believe that our day was over. Sadly, the wind never died down enough and it never did get warm enough to snorkel, but we had a great day just the same.