hiring a driver for the day

[aggiemom12]

We had a great trip last week, had Alberto and he was FANTASTIC!! DD was surprised to learn that Alberto also speaks French, he studied tourism and French at the University. He speaks English very well although he says he just started 2 years ago. We stopped briefly at the local mercado, picked up a few beverages, snacks, etc. then had a brief tour of the local monuments. Next we went to the ruins, I was fine with 45 minutes but my dad could have easily stayed another hour. Then on to Playa Bonita! Our group of 5 ordered 2 LARGE margaritas, 1 pina colada, 2 cheese quesadillas, 2 orders of the fish tacos and our bill was $77, or was it $66??? Regardless, we thought the prices were very reasonable for what we ordered.Those margaritas were HUGE and very good :D. They served chips with great pico de gallo. The accommodations are very rustic, remember there is no power or other services on that side of the island. We ate overlooking the gulf, the view was fantastic! This was a highlight of our cruise!

 

If we have to opportunity to go back to Coz we will definitely contact Alberto. He is very knowledgeable about area accommodations and activities. All around great guide!!

[needsomesun]

We had a great trip last week, had Alberto and he was FANTASTIC!! DD was surprised to learn that Alberto also speaks French, he studied tourism and French at the University. He speaks English very well although he says he just started 2 years ago. We stopped briefly at the local mercado, picked up a few beverages, snacks, etc. ...

 

If we have to opportunity to go back to Coz we will definitely contact Alberto. He is very knowledgeable about area accommodations and activities. All around great guide!!

 

 

We have been to Cozumel many times, but have always just spent the day at a beach club. We wanted to do something different on our upcoming cruise in February and, after reading this string, booked a driver with Eduardo. We have been confirmed with Alberto, so I'm very glad to read that you had a great experience with him! I am really looking forward to this!

 

Aggiemom, when you say you picked up some beverages, that got me to wondering if we could pick up some cervezas to enjoy while we drive around. Is there any problem with that (yeah, this may be a dumb question).

 

Also, looking for input on what the "must see" places are. I know I want to go to Coconuts, El Mirador, and some of the beaches on the east side. We're not that interested in ruins. We would also like someplace uniques to eat lunch thats got good food and i not too expensive. Any recommendations?

 

Thanks!

[rjscott]

Aggiemom, when you say you picked up some beverages, that got me to wondering if we could pick up some cervezas to enjoy while we drive around. Is there any problem with that (yeah, this may be a dumb question).

 

Also, looking for input on what the "must see" places are. I know I want to go to Coconuts, El Mirador, and some of the beaches on the east side. We're not that interested in ruins. We would also like someplace uniques to eat lunch thats got good food and i not too expensive. Any recommendations?

 

Thanks!

 

When we were with Gerry, he took us to Mega Mart and encouraged us to purchase whatever beverages we wished, including those cervezas you're interested in. ;) He said there was no problem with our consuming them, as long as he wasn't consuming them. :p

Re restaurants; Gerry took us to Playa Bonita. Terrific food, great view of the ocean and very reasonable prices. The menu is very large, so it is hard to decide what to choose. My husband and I ended up choosing a combination platter and sharing so that we could sample several things and it was a LOT of food.

Depending on how much time you want to spend with Eduardo, what you have planned will easily use up your 3 hrs and perhaps more. If you want to do more, Eduardo can certainly suggest other sights to see depending on your interests.

[aggiemom12]

We have been to Cozumel many times, but have always just spent the day at a beach club. We wanted to do something different on our upcoming cruise in February and, after reading this string, booked a driver with Eduardo. We have been confirmed with Alberto, so I'm very glad to read that you had a great experience with him! I am really looking forward to this!

 

Aggiemom, when you say you picked up some beverages, that got me to wondering if we could pick up some cervezas to enjoy while we drive around. Is there any problem with that (yeah, this may be a dumb question).

 

Also, looking for input on what the "must see" places are. I know I want to go to Coconuts, El Mirador, and some of the beaches on the east side. We're not that interested in ruins. We would also like someplace uniques to eat lunch thats got good food and i not too expensive. Any recommendations?

 

Thanks!

 

yes you can get any beverages... for some reason Alberto couldn't get ice at the mercado so he stopped at a roadside market, very primitive but it had ice. We used Alberto 5 hours and only did a small tour of the monuments, spent less than an hour at the ruins, and decided we would rather enjoy some margaritas and the view at Play Bonitas than try to make it over to area with the crocodiles, then headed back to port. We passed by Coconuts, didn't go up there because we were out of time. Those 5 hours went too fast :)

[LRene]

Aggiemom12, you made us rethink our day and decided to spend even more time with Gerry so we can have some relaxing time at those beach bars. I was surprised to see how fast your 5 hours went and I would really like to go up to Coconuts.

 

Does anyone have photos of Playa Bonita? Is it the usual mexican food you get on the island? Gigantic margaritas sound good!

 

Never heard of the crocodiles. Where are they?

[aggiemom12]

Aggiemom12, you made us rethink our day and decided to spend even more time with Gerry so we can have some relaxing time at those beach bars. I was surprised to see how fast your 5 hours went and I would really like to go up to Coconuts.

 

Does anyone have photos of Playa Bonita? Is it the usual mexican food you get on the island? Gigantic margaritas sound good!

 

Never heard of the crocodiles. Where are they?

 

I have pictures but don't know when I'll get around to finding them or getting them put up.. well, it's mostly pictures of our margaritas :D I'm so glad we decided to slow down and take a break and enjoy Playa Bonitas, we were just going to run in, grab a drink then on to the next place, but once we saw the view we knew we had to stay :) The crocs are in an area is like a national park or animal reserve. Something else to keep in mind is the speed limit and traffic, it's not like you can take an interstate to the other side of the island, everything is slower and more relaxed in Coz. Enjoy!!

[Life without whine]

We enjoyed Alberto's great tour guide qualities Jan 4. What a great guide and so friendly! Our boat arrived early after getting stormed out of Grand Cayman so there was a little confusion trying to get with him ....not his fault at all and he did end up coming down earlier than originally scheduled.

 

First we had to stop at a local coffee shop - 2 big coffees & a hot cocoa ran us $12 but was honestly worth it after the stuff they try to pass as coffee on board ship. We had brought a few things for the island orphanage so got to see it from a distance (if only everyone would just bring a bag of gently used clothing to each island..:o..what a difference we all could make!) then off to San Gervasio to tour the ruins.

 

Had lunch at Coconuts with some friends then took the scenic tour to a tequila farm that taught us how to properly drink tequila (which I now officially like - is that a good thing? :p). Raced in to town for some quick shopping - Alberto took my DS17 to help pick a good gift for his girlfriend & got him a great deal - I should have gone with them! Then back to the boat - over all too soon :(.

 

Would highly recommend Alberto - he is a gentleman and a kind soul with a big heart for Cozumel. Keep up the great work and hope to cross paths again someday. God bless

[LadyDivot]

So is Mike Thompson still the way to get ahold of Gerry and the other drivers that work with him? We set up a tour a couple of years ago but got diverted by hurricane Paula. Decided last minute to see if we could set something up! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

 

Pam

[LadyDivot]

Sent an email from their website (totally way more organized) yesterday on the off chance Gerry still had a car/driver available. I really was expecting a "no" since our cruise is so close! Boy, you never know! I got an invoice in return. Don't know who our driver will be, but really looking forward to the trip!

 

Pam

[yj2cute]

I recently enjoyed a tour with Alberto while in Cozumel and had a wonderful time. He's young and smart and enjoys his job. I was very impressed with his English since he says he's only been speaking for 2 years.

 

I was happy with the way the tour started because we had originally hired a car for the day. But we quickly realized that with the 4 full sized adults, including my 6'5" husband, that this vehicle would be way too small. Alberto quickly arranged a switch with Gerry, who had a van, and a smaller party, and we were able to enjoy our day without feeling cramped.

 

We did go around to the other side of the island as well as the ruins. Just a warning, the walking around the ruins is far from level! Lots of rocks and roots. It was quite hazardous at times. Do not wear flip flops! Definitely a sturdy rubber soled shoe is best.

 

We had planned to end the day at Paradise Beach, but the weather wasn't the greatest, so Alberto happily dropped us off downtown at a restaurant at our request.

 

When returning to Cozumel, I wouldn't hesitate to book a driver with Eduardo again.

 

Yael

[robigs]

My party of six booked Cantaro (from Eduardo) on 12/28. He picked us up in a minivan, we did the complete loop of the island. Cantaro was a delight to work with, his english was excellant, I did my research and couldnt find much on Cantaro so I hope this helps.

Cantaro is the man. We didn't make up our minds until days before the trip. On the strength of his many years of glowing CruiseCritic reviews, we requested Gerry. Whatever Gerry does, he canNOT be better than Cantaro. By the time our ship docked our party of 4 had turned into a party of 14. I called Eduardo from my cell, on the ship, and he said that Cantaro could secure a second van for us. Cantaro was the first person in line, with a big welcome sign for me. He was not the least bit flustered by needing to find a second van for 10 more people! He took us to the ruins, and then, upon our request, to Coconuts. He had ideas in mind as to where to take us, but was totally flexible and willing to bend to the will of the group. At the end of the day we wanted one shot of tequila, so he took us to the place where he had his first job! Great fun. And when one in our party was a little tipsy, he was ever the gentleman, helping her across the street and into the van. Gerry may be good, but I guarantee you he is not better than Cantaro. Cantaro would not join us for a tequila 'cause he was headed to church later that night. He's a sweet man, and I appreciate the good care he took of us. The rest of the party of 14 think I'm a hero for having found Eduardo, Cantaro, and the east side of the island.

[Upshaw]

Cantaro is the man. We didn't make up our minds until days before the trip. On the strength of his many years of glowing CruiseCritic reviews, we requested Gerry. Whatever Gerry does, he canNOT be better than Cantaro. By the time our ship docked our party of 4 had turned into a party of 14. I called Eduardo from my cell, on the ship, and he said that Cantaro could secure a second van for us. Cantaro was the first person in line, with a big welcome sign for me. He was not the least bit flustered by needing to find a second van for 10 more people! He took us to the ruins, and then, upon our request, to Coconuts. He had ideas in mind as to where to take us, but was totally flexible and willing to bend to the will of the group. At the end of the day we wanted one shot of tequila, so he took us to the place where he had his first job! Great fun. And when one in our party was a little tipsy, he was ever the gentleman, helping her across the street and into the van. Gerry may be good, but I guarantee you he is not better than Cantaro. Cantaro would not join us for a tequila 'cause he was headed to church later that night. He's a sweet man, and I appreciate the good care he took of us. The rest of the party of 14 think I'm a hero for having found Eduardo, Cantaro, and the east side of the island.

 

 

A couple of questions...

I see different drivers names, do they work for the same company?

How do you book them and when do you pay?

 

Also what is the price of the 3 hr vs the 5 hr tour?

 

Any info is appreciated since I have never booked privately.

Thanks

[RubyOnTheWater]

We were supposed to have Alberto through Gerry and Eduardo's group but Alberto was sick. Eduardo arranged for a man named Crescencio Ton to fill in for us. Crescencio does not usually work for them it didn't sound like. He gave us an excellent tour though.

We were expecting a car and he had a van- which was a huge plus since we had 4 in our group.

It was a rainy day much of the day and he got out an umbrella and worked hard to keep us as dry as possible.

He gave us an excellent tour- got to see and hold iguanas, saw the crocs and flamingos, he took pictures of us on the pretty east coast beaches. He even took us by his home at the end of the tour to give us some shells. One of my friends wanted a purse for her daughter that was made with candy wrappers and his wife sold them to us much much cheaper. We asked him to take us to a restaurant where locals eat inland and I have no idea where we ate but it was definitely locals and the prices were great and the food was awesome! I am not sure what he would normally charge as we paid him the way we had arranged with Eduardo but I would definitely recommend him. I asked him when we left for his contact info if someone wanted to arrange a tour with him and he gave me is email creslopez41955@hotmail.com If I had friends or family going to cozumel that wanted to see and do a lot during their trip I would recommend him highly.

 

I will say that if we had just wanted to do one or two things it is probably more economical to just have a taxi take you to those places but we wanted to see and do as much as possible and he made sure we did. He also was a pro at giving us our space at each stop but then seeming to magically appear as soon as we had a question or where ready to move on the the next stop.

[danquebec]

Back from a cruise 8-15 january, we had a tour of Cozumel with Cantaro... It was really great. I know I have a bad english, but the tour was so wonderful that I want to let you know that, and book your journey in Cozumel with him!

[Upshaw]

Back from a cruise 8-15 january, we had a tour of Cozumel with Cantaro... It was really great. I know I have a bad english, but the tour was so wonderful that I want to let you know that, and book your journey in Cozumel with him!

 

I would like to confirm something in advance since there is going to be 8 or 9 ships in port the day we are there.

 

Is there a web site or email address to reserve an island tour?

[Host Faith]

I would like to confirm something in advance since there is going to be 8 or 9 ships in port the day we are there.

 

Is there a web site or email address to reserve an island tour?

 

Hi Upshaw! I just booked through this website for our cruise in March. I received a confirmation response very quickly. Looking forward to our tour! :)

[rjscott]

Hi Upshaw! I just booked through this website for our cruise in March. I received a confirmation response very quickly. Looking forward to our tour! :)

 

Wow, great website! Thanks Host Faith! When we booked with Gerry, we just did it via email with Mike Thompson, who was great to correspond with, but who has, I understand, moved on. But, this is even better, as people can get an idea of what there is to do and things to see ahead of time. We had a great time with Gerry, but had really poor weather, so will definitely use him or one of the other highly recommended drivers on our next visit to Cozumel so that we can see more of the island.

[JudyOh]

Does anyone have Eduardo's email address, would like to do a tour to the East Side, Coconuts, etc. Thanks in advance for any help.

[needsomesun]

Judy Oh, if you go to the website listed above in Host Faiths post, there is an email address there - eduardoesquer@toursplaza.com

 

In addition to that, I think that we contacted Eduardo through the address cozumeltaxi@hotmail.com

[sarar]

We were fortunate to get Gerry as our driver on Christmas Eve. Gerry took us on a tour of the city. He is very knowledgeable about the history and landmarks. He took us through many areas that I feel you would not see on a "regular" city tour. He took us to some shops where we got some souvenirs and I got some vanilla for my baking friends. Gerry has a Sam's Club card and we went to Sam's Club too! If anyone had ever told me that I would enjoy a trip to Sam's Club in Cozumel, I would have bet that I would not...but I did! Just checking out the pricing on items was an experience. Dang...I should move here! We went to the ruins which were also enjoyable. The iguanas and, surprisingly, the racoons where abundant. I thought racoons were nocturnal. Not here! There was a pair that crossed the paths fairly close to us tourists. It was surprising. We also saw a wild pig or boar after leaving... I can't go into all the wonderful things we saw and did with Gerry. I would recommend Gerry highly. At our last stop, we went in to have lunch and the girls a swim in the ocean and pool. When we came out...Gerry was there...and his Christmas dinner was in the back! How that all came to be, I do not know, but Gerry knows so many people in the area that I think his family dinner was delivered to him while he waited for us to finish. And yes...Gerry sang to us too... We felt that we were in good hands. He even stopped traffic for us to cross streets when necessary. We enjoyed our time with Gerry.

 

We also used Gerry for our fantastic tour and he sang to us too. We only got back yesterday from our cruise so just getting back to reality:-(

[mclaire]

i want to reserve a van with eduardo. he said Pino would be our driver. Has anyone ever had him? thanks!

[Host Faith]

Wow, great website! Thanks Host Faith! When we booked with Gerry, we just did it via email with Mike Thompson, who was great to correspond with, but who has, I understand, moved on. But, this is even better, as people can get an idea of what there is to do and things to see ahead of time. We had a great time with Gerry, but had really poor weather, so will definitely use him or one of the other highly recommended drivers on our next visit to Cozumel so that we can see more of the island.

 

No problem at all! We're thinking of doing a 3 hour tour with Alberto (he's our assigned tour guide), stopping at the ruins, tequila factory, and Los Cinco Soles. Then we're asking to be dropped of at Mr. Sancho's, where we'll spend the rest of the day on the All Inclusive side. If the weather is bad, maybe we'll extend the tour with Alberto. It's going to be a packed day, but those are the things the three of us really want to see and we only have a day to see them all! :)

[flowery]

I've appreciated all the reviews for various private tour guides. We're leaning toward Eduardo's company and Alberto is available for our date.

 

A few yrs ago we got a cab driver off the street in the Mediterranean. He was a safe driver and a nice guy but a complete motor mouth. The four of us felt very irritated having to listen to non stop patter.

 

We want someone friendly and sociable but not too talkative, especially on the drive across the island. Will we be OK with Alberto or another one of Eduardo's guys do you think? We'll be in Cozumel on my husband's birthday and are hoping for a very pleasant day

 

Thanks for any comments!

[Kellit1964]

We had the pleasure of having Alberto as our driver last Friday. He is such a sweet young man. And he actually fit your desires above quite well...very informative but not over talkative. You will be very happy with him!!!

[flowery]

Perfect! Thanks for the endorsement- I'll go ahead and make a deposit.