Take
a "walk on the wild side" and explore Cozumel's nearly deserted
east coast.
For
a lot of folks the phrase "exploring Cozumel" means diving,
diving and more diving. But although the reefs that curl around the southern
end of the island offer spectacular opportunities for discovering the
world down under, there's plenty to look at above the water as well.
Unless
you're staying far north or south of town, you really don't need a car
for every day of your vacation in Cozumel. And even if you're staying
way out of town, you still may be better off using taxis. It's hard to
over-emphasis what a presence taxis are on the island except to say that
these red and white vehicles are everywhere and, as long as you get yourself
out on a fairly large road where they can spot you, you're not going to
wait long to be picked up.
Figure
if you're staying at El Presidente and you want to make one round trip
into town per day, for dinner or shopping. You're looking at around $12
each way in taxi fares or $24/day for one RT into town. So with the cheapest
available rental vehicles being in the $30 range and these will tend to
be a little banged up--on up to $75/day for a fancy jeep, you may find
the convenience of cabs is more to you and your pocketbook's liking.
But
whether you decide to rent a car for the full week or not, you should
definitely consider acquiring a vehicle for one day and doing the Island
Tour. With a car you can cruise the straight, ten mile road that bisects
the island from the west to the east coast. Once there you'll find yourself
driving a long, semi-winding but very flat stretch of road that edges
wild, deserted beaches. You'll see rocky outcropping for tidepool hopping
and long stretches of pristine white sand for dipping and surfing.
On
Cozumel island, the condition of rental vehicles is all over the
board from brand new cars (fairly unusual here) to semi-junkers
where the window falls out when you try to roll it down and the
clutch is nearly shot. So be careful about renting sight unseen.
There are several exceptions. One is Jose Crespo's new op, Rentals
2000. New scooters, VW convertibles and Chevy Pops and he'll bring
them right to you. We recommend him. Click the Logo above to read
more about this new rental business.
In
between there are several quaint little beach bar/restaurants that are
open only during the day because there's no electricity on this side of
the island. So plan to spend at least half a day beachcoming or surfing
interspersed with stop ins for refreshment at places like Coconuts (gorgeous
view up on a little cliff above the ocean, decent food and clean restrooms)
or Mescalitos (great burgers and hammocks on the beach. )
A
new place to stop on the east side of the island: the new Punta
Sur National Park. Climb the old lighthouse for a stunning view
of the coastline, watch crocodiles being fed and, in winter months
check out bird nesting grounds on a deluxe pontoon boat ride in
Colombia Lagoon. Good snorkeling here also.
After
you've done the east coast Beach Shacks 'n Swim Hop (which could
turn into an all day affair.) you can either continue on around
the point and start back heading back north on the west coast road,
stopping if desired at one of the beach clubs along the way like
Nachi Cocom, Mister Sachez or Dzul Ha.
Or
retrace your path through the center of the island and stop off at the
San Gervasio ruins. Although not as impressive as many mainland ruins
(See Exploring the Mainland), the setting is lovely, the paths and informational
signs well marked and entertaining, inexpensive guides are available.
Touring
the Jungle and Hard-to-Reach Spots
Cozumel
is still 96% jungle which means there are plenty of opportunities
for investigating the flora and fauna of a subtropical island.
Although
you'll get lots of chances to see tropical birds and some rather large
iguanas just about anywhere you stay on the island, to truly delve into
the jungle environment where you can swim in crystal clear cenotes and
sight coatis, crocs and monkeys along the way, consider signing up for
a guided tour.
There
are quite a variety of these from jungle or beach horseback riding trips
(around $40 for 2 hours) to mountain bikes ($75 for 3 hours), hiking or
ATV and Jeep tours. Canadian-owned Aventuras Naturales offers quite a
variety of tours most of which involve a swimin a "crystal clear
cenote" deep in the jungle. Their horses look very healthy, too.
E-Mail for More Info
about These Tours.
The
Aventuras Horses are in good shape and well-cared for.
Exploring
Downtown San Miguel
Unless
you've chosen an all-inclusive resort and never got around to leaving
the grounds, by the end of your first trip to Cozumel you've probably
discovered that San Miguel is a Lot of Fun with a capital F. There's
the great restaurants, nightlife and shopping, of course. But there's
lot more to San Miguel, Cozumel than just the downtown tourist district.
Get
off the beaten path and mingle with the locals in a friendly way (See
our article on How
to Be More Than Just Another Tourist) and you're likely
to find yourself walking around town with a sappy smile on your face from
all your encounters with friendly Cozumelenos.Walking
or biking the back streets of San Miguel is a safe, fun way to explore
the rich and fascinating Mayan/Mexican culture of the island.
In
the morning stroll 5 blocks back from the waterfront to the island's traditional
market (Avenida 25 and Salas) and take in the scene of busy restauranteurs
and Mayan housewives purchasing the freshest spices and produce for the
day's meals. Buy a liter of freshly squeezed juice or a coconut candy
from one of the vendors and root among the stalls for interesting, unusual
souvenirs.
In
fact, if you like to shop, give some of the little Mom and Pop stores
back in town a try. You may find some unusual souvenirs to bring back
and for a fraction of the price of purchasing them on the waterfront.
For example, Spanish comic books and magazines are wonderful gifts
for anyone who's taking a class en español.
The
same goes for restaurants. Like most of Latin America, Cozumelenos generally
eat their largest meal of the day between around 1:30 and 4 PM. So if
you're hungry at this time of the day, look for small, open-air restaurants
on neighborhood side streets.
If
they're full of locals snoufing down gigantic portions of home-cooked
food at prices that seem too low to be true, you've found a good place.
(Remember--local folks get the same bugs tourists do. And if a place makes
people sick, word gets around REAL fast.) Another sign that you've found
a good place is if you see people coming in with covered pots and dishes
to get take-out meals for the family at home.
If
you like spectator sports, another inexpensive way to join in and enjoy
the local culture--attend a professional basketball or semi-pro baseball
game. We've got some rabid fans here because the teams are so good. Games
tend to be a lot of fun--both for player AND spectator watching.
Another
place to hang out if you want to be around a lot of merry Mayan families
having a lot of fun--Sundays at beaches like Chen Rio on the east side
of the island or Playa Azul at the north end of Cozumel's west side.
Or
join locals in another of the favorite island sports--people-watching.
Sunday nights in the plaza when folks gather to flirt and catch up
on gossip is a good bet. But almost any night--from sunset on--find
a seat downtown on the seawall near Plaza del Sol and join on-their-break
taxi drivers and the occasional couple or family in watching the Human
Comedy Parade taking place across the street.
For
a lot of folks the phrase "exploring Cozumel" means diving,
diving and more diving. But although the reefs that curl around the southern
end of the island offer spectacular opportunities for discovering the
world down under, there's plenty to look at above the water as well.
