Cozumel: A Wonderful Winter Getaway Destination
One of my favorite places on earth is Cozumel, a small island off the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
Cozumel is a friendly little island with a slow and relaxing pace.
Cozumel is a major cruise ship destination and during the winter cruise season it’s not unusual to count six or seven cruise ships in port on any given day of the week. Even so, unless you are in downtown San Miguel, the island never feels crowded.
The 2nd largest natural reef in the world runs along the Yucatan Peninsula close by to Cozumel. You can take a boat ride out and visit this beautiful reef. Glass bottom boats offer a bird’s eye view of wild splashes of beautiful colored coral — and oh, those exotic and breathtaking fish!
The most popular place to spend the day in Cozumel is also one of my favorite places: Chankanaab National Park. The park is just a short cab ride (about ten minutes) from the cruise terminals. Chankannab, meaning “little sea” in the Mayan language, is home to a beautiful Lagoon that has the only inland coral reef formation anywhere in the entire world.
Once you are in the park there is lots to do. You can:
Take a swim with dolphins, sea lions and manatees.
For our kids this was an unforgettable experience of a lifetime!
You can go Seaktrekking or Snuba diving. Even better than snorkeling, Seaktrekking and Snuba diving let you explore all of the beautiful underwater treasures found in the park.
You can go snorkeling:
Get up close and personal with the beautiful interior reef. You can rent all your gear in the park. Don’t forget to pack an underwater camera — you will treasure pictures of your kids feeding the beautiful fish in the lagoon.
Cabs are available regularly to and from the park and the cab fares are preset and very reasonable. So you don’t have to worry about transportation when you are going to Chankanaab.
Where can you eat in Cozumel? You will have no problem there! You can enjoy a typical Mexican taco breakfast with your family in any one of several locally owned restaurants. For a romantic dinner, try eating by candlelight at one of the beautiful open air cafes that look out over the beautiful blue Caribbean.
If you are adventuresome you might try some of the unique Mayan cuisine that has been prepared by local restaurant operators who are actual Mayan descendants.
We love to rent a jeep for the day when we are on Cozumel. There is only one major road on the island, and of course it takes you around the perimeter of the island — the whole island is only about 30 miles long and 9 miles wide.
A word of warning: renting motor bikes can be great fun, too, but there seems to be an inordinate number of motor bike accidents on Cozumel. This is probably due to the condition of some of the roads in the exterior — and a lack of experience on behalf of the riders.
Well, there is my recommendation for a wonderful winter getaway. Cozumel is a great place to visit and one of my favorite places on earth.
