hiring a driver for the day

[bimmermom]

After booking Gerry 2 other times over the past 3 years and having to cancel (due to DH’s bypass surgery and later his mom’s death), the third time earlier this month was the charm! I can’t praise Eduardo and Gerry enough or even begin to describe how special they really are and how special they make you feel.

 

First of all, Eduardo is professional, friendly and always goes out of his way to make the arrangements that suit your schedule and run smoothly. He will make the tour work for you no matter what your preferences are!

 

And what can I say about Gerry that hasn’t already been stated? He is a real gentleman, a lover of people and of life, and will serenade you with his wonderful voice! He is proud of his daughter and his island and doesn’t hesitate to praise them both.

 

We started off meeting him as instructed at the head of the taxi line. From there our party of 4 (DH and I plus our cousins from Germany) took off in his van for the little grocery store, where we purchased beer and water to keep in Gerry’s cooler. He proceeded to take us all around San Miguel, making several stops for historical narration and photo ops.

 

 

Next up were the San Gervasio ruins. We enjoyed our walk and the monuments there, even though DH and I had seen the much more spectacular Uxmal ruins a couple of years ago. While this was no comparison, it was very interesting for our European friends. Be careful, though, the walkways are very uneven and full of rocks and ruts. You’ll need sturdy shoes to wander around. And don’t forget to wear a hat and sunglasses!

 

 

After joining back up with Gerry at the entrance to the ruins, we had a short ride over to the tequila factory. Fun, fun, fun! We were met at a little café at the front of the complex, where we ordered margaritas and waited just a short time for our tour to begin. Several employees were dressed in beautiful mexican costumes and posed for photos with us. Our guide was young, fun and spoke excellent English. We learned all about how tequila is made and processed (not in this part of Mexico, unfortunately, but elsewhere) and then we sampled many different kinds. Yummy…. Of course, I purchased some specially flavored tequila to take home (for medicinal purposes only LOL!)

 

 

 

Gerry next took us over to the “wild side” of the island. From the foaming surf, deep blue and turquoise waves, to the crocodile on the landward side of the highway, we stopped often to take pictures. We ended up for a late lunch at Bonita Playa, where the margaritas were huge and cold and the food was hot and spicy! So delicious. Although we asked Gerry to join us, he politely declined and retreated to sit at the bar and wait while we enjoyed our view of the sea from our table. We were serenaded by a local band and even found some colorful jewelry to buy as gifts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Bonita Playa, Gerry continued to drive us around the east side of Cozumel, pointing out beautiful scenic spots and singing to us in his wonderful tenor voice. From “Beseme Mucho” to lively Mexican folk songs, Gerry is quite the entertainer! We could listen to him for hours.

 

The time with Gerry had flown by and before we knew it, we had to head back to the ship. Unfortunately, our ship was leaving far too early at 4:00 pm, ship time, and we never got to make it to Punta Sur. Oh well, our time with Gerry proved to be the highlight of our entire cruise and we would not have missed it for the world! Next time, we plan to come back and go to Punta Sur first.

 

If you have the chance to book this tour with Gerry, please don’t hesitate to do so. You will not be disappointed; in fact, you’ll have the best time of your entire vacation! And tell Gerry and Eduardo that Jim, Hilda, Sigurd and Karin said “Hey” and “Muchos Gracias!”

[Laughing Angel]

bimmermom, what a great review, and such spectacular pictures! Sounds like you had a blast. I said it before, and I'll say it again, hiring a driver for the day is one of the best ways to see Cozumel. Can't wait until the next time I'm there!

[newbiecruiser09]

We are hiring a driver in Dec (YeaH!:)) and want to do the Tequila factory. Anyone know 1) how long the tour is 2) is there anything that would interest kids (9 & 15) or will they be bored while hubby and I are enjoying ourselves? TIA

[bajathree]

With all the great reviews here I decided to go ahead and use the link provided (thanks for that:)) and reserve a driver for early April.....filled out the form with exactly what i want to do and sent it in...had a response for deposit payment in less than 5 minutes...made the deposit and had an e-mail confirmation from Eduardo in about 10 minutes...I had to respond back due to that he had the pick-up time as ship time...so it was an hour earlier than I had wanted....Eduardo responded back in less than 5 minutes and in another 5 I had a brand new corrected confirmation...Alberto is assigned as my driver.

 

I just want to report back....all went very well with hiring a driver for the day. Alberto was great.....good English.... knowledgeable ...polite and entertaining. Ice cold air in the car. Meet up exactly where was planned and Alberto was even there waiting with a sign 15 minutes early. Defiantly recommend.

[LRene]

Bimmermom - thanks for the review and photos! We're really looking forward to our day with Gerry although we don't know what we want to see or do. We probably won't want to do what most people do though, this group never does. :p

 

I'm thinking we'd just like to make it a personal bar hop tour and hit all the beach bars we haven't been to on all our previous trips to Cozumel. Has anyone just done that? Eating would probably be a good thing too! :)

 

So many good reviews here that everyone should do this for a change from the normal Coz activities and haunts. Two weeks to go....

[t bone steak]

What a wonderful review. How do I book this driver for a day?

[kcgalsr]

Driver for a Day's website is:

 

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

 

Eduardo will respond by email and handle all your scheduling. Have fun!

[hal2008]

1 - Dealing with Eduardo was a very pleasant experience. He always responded within minutes. Very well organized.

2 - I had requested either Gerry or Cantaro and was assigned Cantaro. Cantaro was excellent. (Bit disinterested though)

3 - In spite of repeated clarification in email and at start of trip, there was still misunderstanding about intended end time (between ship time and Cozumel time)

4 - Would recommend Cantaro to anyone

5 - We found East side of the island beautiful but nothing outrageously exceptional. Plenty of sych vista up and down both east and west coast of USA and other islands

6 - San Gervasio ruins had absolutely no mosquitoes

7 - Personal Opinion - Guide at ruins extends your visit unnecessarily too long (IMHO, YMMV)

8 - Visit ruins as early as possible to avoid heat and crowd

9 - Island circle road is in pretty good consition with hardly any traffic

[LHP]

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

 

 

This is how you can get information or book this tour.

 

We have always been pleased with their service.

[HammerTX]

After reading so many great reviews here on CC, we finally had our own Driver for the Day and it was OUTSTANDING! Gerry was right on time picking us up at the entrance to the cruise terminal, made a quick stop to get soda, water and Sol, and we were off. We had a beautiful day for touring, and finally made it to the other side of the island after about a dozen trips to Cozumel. It was gorgeous and so untammed! Gerry was an awesome guide, and seemed to read our minds on what we wanted to see/do. Besides all the sight seeing, he helped my husband find the "right" cigars, stopped at a family owned factory/shop along the route, enjoyed a delicious lunch at Playa Bonita, and a refreshing drink at Coconuts. Gerry was a fountain of information and to top it off he treated us to a couple of songs! Who knew Gerry had such a wonderful voice, a mexican Frank Sinatra! A++++ to Driver for the Day!

[maldenmusic]

After reading all these wonderful reviews, we hired through Edaurdo. Talk about timely. He got back with my email almost immediately. Made arrangements and sent deposit. Alberto was our driver. We were doing a back to back on the Carnival Elation therefore having two days in Cozumel. We hired ALberto for both days- three hours each. First of all, what a nice man. Well educated, very polite and spoke English quite well. More than I can say for me- I speak English and that's it. He did try to teach me some Spanish but I will need a few more lessons. I would not hesitate to hired him again when we visit Cozumel. He will take you where you want to go, or we let him take us on what he thought we should see. He explained so much to us. When we went shopping, he pushed the cart, lifted the heavy bags. What a jewel of a guy.

We are using this service for our cruise in a few weeks and we have been assigned Alberto as our driver. So glad youhad a good experience with him. We have a couple of stops to make in town then plan to go see San Gervasio then over to the east side and back around with our final stop at Playa Palancar. We have always taken a taxi on our previous trips and am looking forward to having a driver.

[K1mmyD]

My DH and I have also hired a driver and we were assigned Alberto for our cruise in late May. I am really looking forward to this excursion. I have not read much about Alberto, but just from this thread it seems we are in good hands. :)

[maldenmusic]

My DH and I have also hired a driver and we were assigned Alberto for our cruise in late May. I am really looking forward to this excursion. I have not read much about Alberto, but just from this thread it seems we are in good hands. :)

Let me know how it goes-we will be with Alberto also at the end of May.

[coolcat12]

Leo will be our driver for the day. I will report back:)

 

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[bajathree]

My DH and I have also hired a driver and we were assigned Alberto for our cruise in late May. I am really looking forward to this excursion. I have not read much about Alberto, but just from this thread it seems we are in good hands. :)

 

Had Alberto in March....real nice guy:)

[maldenmusic]

Had Alberto in March....real nice guy:)

What all did you do? We are wanting some beach time and just time to run in and out of a few places downtown. We pretty much know what we want to do but am looking for suggestions.

[bajathree]

What all did you do? We are wanting some beach time and just time to run in and out of a few places downtown. We pretty much know what we want to do but am looking for suggestions.

 

We went over to the east side of the island and did some bar/restaurant hopping and some beach.... gorgeous on that side....nice to get away from the touristy stuff....but that can be fun also...just depends what you like.

Edited May 4, 2012 by bajathree

[LRene]

For anyone trying to decide what to do in port in Cozumel, this is your answer. After about 15 visits to the island, we “Hired A Driver For The Day” because we wanted to see the other side of the island. We also wanted to have a few drinks and no one wanted to drive besides all the other problems that come along with renting a vehicle in Mexico. There were 5 adults in our party and everyone agreed it was a great and memorable day!

I first contacted EDUARDO several months ago and we agreed on a driver for 3 hours. Eduardo is very good at answering emails fast! He booked us with GERRY as our driver and the more we thought about it, the more we wanted to see, so we increased our time to 5 hours and I’m so glad we did! Gerry was there waiting for us when we got off the ship – right on time. He provided a van for the 5 of us so we had plenty of room and plenty of cold air conditioning. Gerry also speaks very good English so no language issues.

Our group didn’t want to see some of the usual places like the Mayan Ruins or the Tequila tour. We were more into doing our own personal bar hop and the scenery on the other side of the island. We first went into to town to go to the grocery store and stock the cooler Gerry had with cold drinks and ice and to meet up with Eduardo to visit for a little while. Then we headed out west of San Miguel to see some of the resorts, homes and monuments out that direction. We also took a brief driving tour of the town of San Miguel before heading to the other side.

Cozumel relies 100% on tourism and importing. The only manufacturing plant on the island is a little place on the cross road where they make beautiful pottery and carvings. We bought a large Mayan calendar to hang on our patio with intricate carving and our friends bought some of the pottery. My DH wasn’t too happy about it after carrying it around in port for an hour or so and again when we got off the ship. That thing is heavy!

Upon reaching the other side, the first thing I noticed was Mezcalito’s. I’ve heard a lot about this restaurant and although we only stopped here to take pictures, I’d like to return one day and have lunch. We were surprised to learn there is no electricity on that side and that each bar, restaurant etc. uses generator power.

From there, we ventured along the beautiful coast with it’s rock formations and breaking waves to my desired destination….Coconuts. What a fun bar! Although we only stopped for a drink, it was an interesting place, well worth the drive to experience it. By now, it was lunchtime so Gerry took us to Playa Bonita for lunch. The food was very good and the margaritas were….well, HUGE! If you order the large, be prepared to have at least 2 people drink it. :eek:

After a leisurely lunch in the open air at Playa Bonita, we ventured along the coast to Punta Sur and the Rasta Bar. We wanted to make it to the lighthouse but we ran out of time. I guess that gives us something else to look forward to in the future. On the way back to Puerta Maya, Gerry sang to us and believe me…the man is good! He was such a great guide, a genuinely nice man and a pleasure to spend the day with.

I will post a few photos in the near future. I can almost guarantee that we’ll "Hire A Driver For The Day" again on a future trip to Cozumel. I still need to see that lighthouse! :) Thanks Eduardo and Gerry!

[NoobCruise]

I saw where PB Tom mentioned the $20/hour rate, but not sure that includes an English speaking driver?"

 

We stayed at the Cozumel Melia for a week a few years ago. Its about 5 miles north of town so we took a taxi every time we went into town. Never had a problem language wise. These people drive english speaking passengers every day, so the majority of them can converse in at least the basics.

 

As far as renting a vehicle, the drive around the island is very easy. 1 road loops all the way around the island. You can't get lost. Although with a driver, everyone can relax and enjoy the trip. There are a lot of little restaurants and bars along the way. You might want to stop and enjoy a drink at a few.

[Host Faith]

My DH and I have also hired a driver and we were assigned Alberto for our cruise in late May. I am really looking forward to this excursion. I have not read much about Alberto, but just from this thread it seems we are in good hands. :)

 

We had a great time with Alberto in March. You can see what we did in Cozumel with him in my Liberty photo review (link is in my signature below). We went to San Gervasio, the tequila tour, and then he dropped us off at Mr. Sancho's. We had an awesome time. Booked with him again for our cruise this fall. This time, we're going to the ruins, then to the far side of the island. Can't wait!

Edited May 10, 2012 by Host Faith

[Toshia58]

We had Alberto as our driver when we stopped in Cozumel on May 4th. He was great, we wanted to see the wild side of the island so he took us to Punta Sur, Chen Rio and El Mirador. We had him drop us off at Playa Corona as we wanted to do some snorkeling for a few hours. We then took a taxi on our own back to the ship. All in all, it was a great trip with Alberto!

[legolas_23]

I booked with Eduardo probably 5, maybe 6 months before our trip to Cozumel. He told me Gerry would be our driver and he would be wearing a "gerry" name tag. Come to find out we did not have Gerry as we were told. Another driver named Leonardo showed up at our hotel. He said Gerry was doing another tour. Why was I told I would have Gerry as my driver? I find it doubtful someone booked before me for that day. This only bothered me for about a minute. However, when Eduardo emailed me to ask me to write a review I asked him why we did not have Gerry and he said Gerry was having back problems on that day....I got 2 different stories.

 

Anyway, I did not let this bother me at all and the day turned out to be a great one. Leonardo was more than gracious and we will probably book through Eduardo again because it seems all his drivers are very polite and speak good English.

 

Leonardo had a cooler and we stopped at a store to buy some drinks for the road.

 

All I really wanted was a designated driver to take my wife and I bar hopping on the east side of the island. We had stops at Bob Marley bar (aka rasta bar aka freedom in paradise), playa bonita, el mirador, and coconuts.

 

As I said Leonardo was very gracious taking pictures of us, opening the door for us, laughing at my jokes or singing, etc. I could not have asked for more.

 

The weather was not good at all that day so we cut it short to 4 hours even though I was planning on doing 5 or 6. The locals told us the weather was like that maybe 2-3x a year. Bad timing I guess

 

this was a great day and if you want to see the east side of the island while having some or many adult beverages it is a great option.

[Maple Hts]

Greetings,

 

We booked Gerry thru Eduardo September 2011 and had a fantastic time. I've rented vehicles several times prior in Coz but enjoyed the option of adult beverages without worries, not to mention Gerry is a fantastic guide and great person. If you're lucky, you might get a musical treat on the way back to the port!

 

Also, make sure to have plenty of cash because most places on the eastern part of the island do not accept plastic. Enjoy!

 

Maple Hts

 

Costa Amerikanis Sept 1981

Carnival Paradise Sept 2001

Carnival Inspiration July 2004

Carnival Elation Sept 2006

Carnival Legend Sept 2011

Carnival Fascination July 2012

[maznblue3]

We booked via their web site and Eduardo was prompt and professional in setting up all the arrangements for our party of 6. We were given a van with Alberto as our driver. Alberto gave us the history of the island as well as answered any questions we had about the sites we went to. If you have never been to Cozumel this is a perfect way to get a taste of the whole island and maybe make some new friends.

[maldenmusic]

We booked via their web site and Eduardo was prompt and professional in setting up all the arrangements for our party of 6. We were given a van with Alberto as our driver. Alberto gave us the history of the island as well as answered any questions we had about the sites we went to. If you have never been to Cozumel this is a perfect way to get a taste of the whole island and maybe make some new friends.

My daughter and I will have Alberto as our driver next week-can't wait!