I've heard that Cozumel beaches are not that great, has anyone been there that can tell me a little about their beaches. Am visiting in January and am getting a little nervous seeing as I love a good beach. Are they really that bad? I am staying at the El Cozumeleno on the Santa Pilar beach.

Well, it's been several years since I've been there, but it's true Cozumel is not known for it's beaches. Most are fairly small and some are very rocky. On the other side of Cozumel away from the resorts/hotels there are longer expanses of beaches, but it's rough water over there so not good at all for swimming.<BR>What do you consider a 'good' beach? Maybe someone can tell you if there is a beach you're looking for. You can always take the ferry over to the Playa Del Carmen area. Talk about great beaches! Good luck!

Susan,<BR>There are a couple of stunnng secluded beaches on the resort side, with palm trees, hammocks and gentle surf perfect for swimming.<BR>Try the area around the Allegro Resort and look for the signs on the side of the road. Some of them are Playa Corona, Playa Palancar, Playa San Francisco, etc.

Susan; Many Internet postings report that Cozumel has no nice beaches. This information is somewhat misleading. The western shore is hard black limestone called &quot;ironshore&quot;. Some hotel beaches are man made and while they don't have typical beaches, they do have beautiful white sand terraces that are great for sunning. Such is El Cozumeleno. Seawalls surround the &quot;beach&quot; and the sand is trucked in. They are usually equipped with umbrellas for shade, sports facilities and snack bars. Entering the water is achieved by way of a sea ladder or steps. The water at entry will be quite clear and loaded with fish and coral - excellent at El Cozumeleno. Many hotels do indeed have pretty beaches. One example is Hotel Playa Azul - just a block or two from your hotel. These don't typically have the best coral reefs. There are several very pretty public beaches on the western side of the island; San Francisco, Playa Sol, Playa Corona and Nache CoCom, where one can spend an afternoon. The entire eastern side of the island is made up of gorgeous beaches, but some are dangerous due to undertow and very trashy from cruise ship dumping. So don't get hung up about beaches. One additional word about El Cozumeleno - its an all inclusive and friends report that the food is a real bore. Lots and lots of great places to eat in Cozumel. Skip the all-inclusive.

Thank you all for the very helpful information. TC, can you supply any other information about the El Cozumeleno? We're already booked for the AI, which I wasn't expecting awesome food, just something decent. Were the other elements of this hotel good?

Susan, I haven't stayed at El Cozumeleno. We stay at Coral Princess Resort just a couple of doors down the beach and that is why I know about the snorkeling, etc, in that location. We had friends who stayed at EC a few years ago. They liked the hotel, but hated the all inclusive food and after three days just stopped eating there. They reported that the rather bland buffet was exactly the same day after day. As I said, there are tons of great places to eat in town. It would be a real shame to miss them. Maybe you'll enjoy breakfast and/or lunch at the hotel before heading to town for dinner.