traceynt

Our group (3 couples, 3 grandmothers, and 5 children) usually travels to St. John for 10 days in the summer, however this summer we thought we would try something new. We are looking into renting a villa on Cozumel Island. We have never been to Mexico and would appreciate any advise or suggestions. We are mid thirties/early forties with children ranging in age from 3-11. Like I mentioned earlier we usually travel to St John, USVI for the following reasons...small island, great beaches, great snorkeling, some nightlife but not crazy, and restaurants. We are looking for something similar in Mexico if that is possible. Being that we have never been to Mexico, safety is a concern. I haven't read anything but to use your common sense, which we would do anyway. Are we safe being out at night with the kids and at local beaches? We are open to changing our destination if that is the case. Thanks in advance.

Debiky

Cozumel gets 4-6 cruise ships a day so the character of the town is heavily influenced by the cruise passenger traffic. However, the diving on Cozomel is awesome.

You might want to consider Puerto Morelos if you're seeking a small, safe town with gorgeous beaches. It's not very touristy, but, it has a great selection of over 20 restaurants. It's also great for snorkeling and very centrally located to explore ruins, cenotes, zoo etc.

JeanH

I'd also take a look at Isla Mujeres. Beautiful beaches, but only ok snorkeling. Very safe, loads of excellent and cheap restaurants. Very family friendly.

It's also small and compact, getting around is easy.

janenicole

Cozumel is safe, so I wouldn't let safety concerns stop you. It has almost everything that you are looking for (we thought the snorkeling was great, but have heard St. John is better), and would probably be a lot less expensive than St. John. But, as debiky mentioned, the town can get very busy during the day.

KVR

We've been to Cozumel 3 times. It's our favorite Island of them all and we've been to many. We thought the snorkeling was better than St. John, but not as good as Grand Cayman. We had no probelm walking the town square at night and eating in the resturants.

There are many cruise ships during the day. Most of the passengers center around the Mercado for shopping and the Senor Frogs/Carlos and Charlies bars. There are plenty of places to go to get away from them until the ships leave.

Go to Chankanaab Park. Great place to relax on a lounge chair with wait service and snorkeling.

Second choice would be Grand Gayman. 7 Mile Beach is very nice with lots of water activites, swim with the sting rays and fabulous snorkeling. You'll find more condos type units to rent with kitchens. You'll have the same issues with cruise ship passengers during the day. Food and drinks are quite expenisve compared to other destinations.

beanweb24

Just returned from a week in Cozumel and would go back in a second. Although it's heavily trafficked by cruise ships, the crowds are easy to avoid if you save the main plaza for the evenings rather than the day.

We stayed in a condo at Na Ha, rented from At Home in Cozumel. It was a 3 BR/3.5BA unit. You would probably want 2 units with a group your size. Na Ha is a small building (only 16 units I think) with a great pool and an amazing view. It's just a few minutes (5 max) drive to the main plaza...but there are on sandy beaches on that side of the island. (Sandy beaches are less than 30 minute drive.)

I second the recommendation to go to Chankanaab Park.

The best snorkeling I found on Cozumel was at Palancar. For $30 USD, I took a no-frills snorkel boat to Columbia Reef, then drifted for an hour to Palancar Reef. Saw an eagle ray, a sting ray, and a barracuda - awesome!!

The restaurants in Cozumel were fabulous and CHEAP. Our favorite meal was at Kinta. For $78 USD for 3 adults, we had 2 mixed drinks, 3 bottled waters, 1 appetizer, 3 entrees, 2 desserts, and 1 dessert coffee. And it was *delicious.* We ate their the last night and wished we had tried it earlier.

TC

We spend a month in Cozumel every February and have for over 15 years. Love the place -- obvisouly. Absolutely safe -- anywhere, any time. I think you would love it.

Don't know how big a place you need for your group, but I would suggest you look for something in the Northern hotel zone. Its close to town and has a spectacular coral wall for snorkeling that can be accessed easily from shore.

A few recommendations -- most of which could be rented through At Home Cozumel (which is an excellent management company that has been in operation for a long time) would be:

<u>Houses</u>
Villa Maya:
http://www.cozumel.tc/rental-homes-l...illa-maya.html

Casa Caribena:
http://www.cozumel.tc/rental-homes-l...-caribena.html

<u>Condos</u>
Miramar, NaHa or Las Brisas, or Puesta del Sol condos are all in a great location as are the new Peninsula Condos

http://www.cozumel.tc/rental-homes-l...-south-4b.html

We stay at the Coral Princess Resort. They have 3 bedroom condos for rent and all the amenities of a hotel with great snorkeling and activities for the kids as well as good restaurants, a dive operation and spa. The Villa Maya, however, is right next door to the Coral Princess so guests there often come over for happy hour or other activities.

http://www.coralprincess.com/

If you'd like my &quot;things to see and do&quot; list, just post your email address. I am happy to share it.