Rick's Guide to New Year's in Cozumel

We were in Cozumel in late December 2004 and early January 2005. New Year's in Cozumel was amazing. Here are reviews of El Presidente InterContinental Hotel and Chankanaab Park, and three separate articles about activities in Cozumel.

For the overall experience, nothing can beat Cozumel and El Presidente. The location is terrific, just a few minutes from the Cozumel town of San Miguel and even closer to Chankanaab (the combination reef/amusement park).

We rented a car (at the hotel) right off the bat. We used the car to explore the island, drive to the various small "ruins" (nothing like we saw on the mainland, but interesting nonetheless), spend some time on the "wild side" of the island (the East side), and getting to know downtown.

Quick Tips:

Chankanaab Park is a wonderful experience. Our kids did the full Royal Dolphin Swim and loved it. And now they allow parents (or whomever) to stand topside (along the walkway) and take pictures and videos, so you're not locked into buying their standard video (although it is terrific) and their pictures (which were better than mine). You can spend the better part of a day at Chankanaab, but if you are staying on the island, 1 day is all you need.

We rented a jeep on our first day on Cozumel and drove around the island. The various ruins are nothing spectacular compared to what you'll find on the mainland, but they are interesting nonetheless.

The island road goes along the shore on the south end of the island. The north end is inaccessible by anything other than heavy-duty four-wheel-drive vehicles or ATVs. DON'T try it in a rental jeep.

The beaches on the east side (the "wild side") are beautiful and, for the most part, unspoiled, but the surf coming directly in is dangerous and not suitable for any kind of water sports. Three divers lost their lives there in 2004. There are a couple of protected coves, marked by restaurants and tamer beaches, that ARE safe and have lots of families and children swimming.

The main town on Cozumel is San Miguel. It's a funny little place, and smaller than the maps would suggest. The north-south streets (Avenidas) are numbered in increments of 5, so Avenida 10 is only 2 blocks from the waterfront. I guess somebody thought that system would make Cozumel look more developed. And the east-west streets have their own system. Odd-numbered streets (Calle 1, 3, 5, etc.) are on the SOUTH side of town. Even-numbered streets (Calle 2, 4, 6, etc.) are on the NORTH side of town.

Best Way To Get Around:

In the town of San Miguel, there are two main docks for the incoming cruise ships, both of them on the south side of town. There is limited tourist shopping outside of each. One of them has a fairly substantial shopping mall (Punta Langosta) with a decent selection of shops with not-too-high prices, as well as the full gamut of Groupo Anderson's restaurants: Carlos & Charlies, Senor Frogs, and Shrimp Basket. Make sure to hit the Carlos & Charlies clothing store on the ground floor (there's one in the restaurant and another in the mall). Of course, nobody goes to Carlos & Charlies for the food, but it's a fun return to the frat-party days.

If you get a taxi to Punta Langosta (or drive there yourself; there's a lot of parking), it's a good starting point to explore the downtown area. Right on Avenida Rafael Melgar (which was under construction when we were there) are the top tourist-based shops, with mostly diamonds and leather, along with some Mexican crafts. The stores run from about Calle 7 Sur to Calle 7 Norte, so it's a pretty short walk.

You'll find Mi Casa about in the middle, and it's the sister store to Los Cinco Soles at the north end. They're owned by the same company, so the prices will be the same. Los Cinco Soles has a much larger inventory, however, along with a terrific restaurant (Pancho's Backyard) on-site. You can also look at a wonderful selection of tequilas at Los Cincos Soles, but beware, the prices are about double what you'll pay at the local supermarkets. And in some cases, more than you'll pay in the States. But if you're looking for something unique, and you know what's available back home, this is the place to go.

Take the time to explore the main square, on the waterfront at Avenida Rafael Melgar and Benito Juarez (the western end of the road that bisects the island). There are lots of little shops and activities all day long. And it's a good place to start exploring the less expensive (and more willing to barter) shops a few blocks off the waterfront. But be aware that many of those shops will close for siesta, so do your shopping early (or late).

For the overall experience, nothing can beat Cozumel and El Presidente. The location is terrific—just a few minutes from the Cozumel town of San Miguel, and even closer to Chankanaab (the combination reef/amusement park).

We rented a car (at the hotel) right off the bat. We used the car to explore the island, drive to the various small "ruins" (nothing like we saw on the mainland, but interesting nonetheless), spend some time on the Wild Side of the island (the East side), and getting to know downtown.

Our rooms were adjacent on the far southern end of the property, ground floor opening right out onto the beach. Our rooms were wonderful, especially the family of IGUANAS that lived under the step on our little porch on the beach side. We fed them every morning with some of the fruit provided by housekeeping. They (the iguanas) particularly like grapes!

So do what you can to get the beach front rooms—it is amazing to walk out your door right onto that beautiful beach!

The Italian restaurant (Alfredo's) is apparently the work of the guy who invented (if that's the right verb) Fetucinni Alfredo. The food was terrific, but watch out for the wine list—the prices are astronomical. Suffice it to say that one doesn't travel to Mexico for a good Medoc. But there are a number of local (Mexican) wines that are very good, and reasonably priced.

The other restaurant (Caribeno) is open-air, with a very good buffet breakfast for about 185 pesos (maybe $17). We also had dinner there a couple times. And most of those same items are available on the extensive room service menu.

All the waiters (and all the hotel staff for that matter), are polite, efficient and very eager to help. Most speak very good English, and they are VERY polite with numb-nuts like me to try out our mangled Spanish on them.

The kids tried the pool a number of times, along with frequent rentals of the Wave Runners. A little pricey, but they had a ball! Good snorkeling right off the hotel beach, but you'll want to go out on the "Snorkel Adventure" with the on-site water sports group (Scuba Du). It was a 5-hour ride to a reef down at the southern tip of the island, plus the Palancar horseshoe with a stop VERY close to the hotel itself. Amazing sea turtles, sea snakes, and a tremendous variety of fish. We didn't dive this trip, but we will when we go back.

And please don't hesitate to drop me a line with your own observations about this journal/review. I like to see if my advice has value. email me at rickhowe@aol.com

Chankanaab Park is a Wonderful Experience. Our kids did the full Royal Dolphin Swim, and loved it. And now they allow parents (or whomever) to stand topside (along the walkway) and take pictures and videos, so you're not locked in to buying their standard video (although it is terrific) and their pictures (which were better than mine). My wife and I spent time with the Sea Lions, and they were a kick. We also wandered around the grounds, took their very limited "Botanical Garden," but had fun looking at the replica "ruins" scattered throughout the property. The kids did some snorkeling right off the beach and proclaimed it average (we also did snorkeling on the reefs, arranged by our hotel, which was much better. You can spend the better part of a day at Chankanaab, but if you are staying on the island, 1 day is all you need. Feel free to e-mail me with questions.

And please don't hesitate to drop me a line with your own observations about this journal/review. I like to see if my advice has value. Email me at rickhowe@aol.com.

There are two main docks for the incoming cruise ships, both of them on the south side of town. There is limited tourist shopping outside of each. One of them has a fairly substantial shopping mall ("Punta Langosta") with a decent selection of shops with not-too-high prices, as well as the full gamut of Groupo Anderson's restaurants: Carlos & Charlies, Senor Frogs, and Shrimp Basket. Make sure to hit the Carlos & Charlies clothing store on the ground floor (there's one in the restaurant and another in the mall). Of course, nobody goes to Carlos & Charlies for the food, but it's a fun return to the Frat Party days...

Here's the drill on Carlos & Charlies (and Senor Frogs). It's just plain fun! Yup, you'll eat too much. Yup, you'll drink too much. Yup, you'll dance too much. And YUP, you'll spend too much! But you're on vacation, right? This is NOT the time to be conservative. The food is better than you'd expect (basically bar food), and certainly tastes better after a few drinks. The Yard-Long drinks (actually only about 18 inches long), are not as strong as they look. The Groupo Anderson's folks don't waste liquor on people who don't even know what they're drinking.

But you'll spend a whole lot more in a traditional restaurant and have a lot less fun. The noise, dancing, and general insanity is part of the ambience.

We tend to be Mexico traditionalists—we like to get out into the countryside, into the villages to meet the people. We've had that approach for over 20 years.

But sometimes you just need to cut lose! Sometimes you just need a hamburgesa, you know?

If you get a taxi to Punta Langosta (or drive there yourself; there's a lot of parking), it's a good starting point to explore the downtown area. Right on Avenida Rafael Melgar (which was under construction when we were there) are the top tourist-based shops, with mostly diamonds and leather, and some Mexican crafts shops. The stores run from about Calle 7 Sur to Calle 7 Norte, so it's a pretty short walk.

You'll find Mi Casa about in the middle, and it's the sister store to Los Cinco Soles at the north end. They're owned by the same company, so the prices will be the same. Los Cinco Soles has a much larger inventory, however, along with a terrific restaurant (Pancho's Backyard) on-site. You can also look at a wonderful selection of tequilas at Los Cincos Soles, but beware, the prices are about double what you'll pay at the local supermarkets. And in some cases, they're more than you'll pay in the States. But if you're looking for something unique, and you know what's available back home, this is the place to go.

And please don't hesitate to drop me a line with your own observations about this journal/review. I like to see if my advice has value. Email me at rickhowe@aol.com

Here's a hint about tequila: we found the best prices (rather astonishingly), and reasonable selection, at the duty-free shops in the airport when we were leaving! But there are two shops there, one with much better prices, so take your time to shop carefully. You can also find good prices on Cuban cigars at the duty-free shops, and another Los Cinco Soles shop as well, if you have some pesos burning a hole in your pocket.

We also had a terrific dinner at Pepes downtown, on the Avenida Rafael Melgar.

On the south side of town, at Avenida Rafael Melgar and Calle 15 Sur, you'll find a Wal-Mart-style mega-store with automobile tires next to the Frosted Flakes. But it's a good place to stock up on necessities, and their tequila prices are very good.

Take the time to explore the main square, on the waterfront at Avenida Rafael Melgar and Benito Juarez (the western end of the road that bisects the island). There are lots of little shops, and activities are available all day long. And it's a good place to start exploring the less-expensive (and more willing to barter) shops a few blocks off the waterfront. But be aware that many of those shops will close for siesta, so do your shopping early (or late).

At the north end of the waterfront, about 4 blocks north of the Zocalo, is Los Cinco Soles, probably the best and maybe the largest store in Cozumel. There is a fantastic selection, even a sale rack. If you can't find it here, you won't find it in Cozumel.

Hint: If you have a long afternoon or more to spend, start at Los Cinco Soles—get an idea of what you want and what it costs. Then, as you work your way south and then around the Zocalo, you can compare prices. Certain items, like the Mexican pewter (which is actually aluminum), can vary in price from one store to the next. Take, for example, Mexican-pewter picture frames (and there are hundreds of designs). You'll find one that you like, and then another, and another at different stores. And while the prices may run the gamut from high to low, you probably won't find the EXACT frame at one store or the next. So if you find one you like, and the price seems reasonable, you're probably better off getting it when you see it.

Another hint: One of the nicest places in town for lunch is Pancho's Backyard, at Los Cinco Soles. There's great food, a terrific atmosphere, reasonable prices, and live Marimba msic during lunch. Shop a bit, eat a bit, and shop some more. What could be better?

And when in the Zocalo, don't ignore the street artists. Armed with regular cans of spray paint, they take stencils and forms to layer really amazing pieces of art. But if you buy one, wait a few minutes before you pick it up, because the layers of spray paint can take awhile to dry!

During our 1-week stay at El Presidente (see review of El Presidente), we explored the island a bit. (See separate short review of Chankanaab.) We rented a jeep on our first day, and drove around the island. The various ruins are nothing spectacular compared to what you'll find on the mainland, but are interesting nonetheless. San Gervase (sp?), on the road that bisects the island, is the best of the bunch.

The island road goes along the shore on the south end of the island. The north end is inaccessable by anything other than heavy-duty four-wheel-drive vehicles or ATVs. DON'T try it in a rental jeep.

The beaches on the east side (the "wild side") are beautiful, and for the most part unspoiled. But, the surf coming directly in is dangerous and not suitable for any kind of water sports. Three divers lost their lives there in 2004. There are a couple of protected coves, marked by restaurants and more tamed beaches, that ARE safe, and have lots of families and childen swimming.

Give "Coconuts" a try on the northern end of the road. Great location, great view (on a small rise over the beach), and great food. Just be wary of the traditional rural Mexico toilet arrangements (you are supposed to put your used toilet paper in the waste basket instead of flushing it—Yuck!).

The main town on Cozumel is San Miguel. It's a funny little place, and smaller than the maps would suggest. The north-south streets (Avenidas) are numbered in increments of 5, so that Avenida 10 is only two blocks from the waterfront. I guess somebody thought that system would make Cozumel look more developed. And the east-west streets have their own system. Odd-numbered streets (Calle 1, 3, 5, etc.,) are on the SOUTH side of town. Even-numbered streets (Calle 2, 4, 6, etc.,) are on the NORTH side of town

And please don't hesitate to drop me a line with your own observations about this journal/review. I like to see if my advice has value. Email me at rickhowe@aol.com.