Day Trip from Cancun to Cozumel
 

We will be staying in Cancun at the Ritz-Carlton and want to take a day trip to Cozumel for snorkeling. Would appreciate thoughts on bus versus car rental. Also interested in recommendations on good snorkel operators in Cozumel or PDC - or should we just pick our own spots from land. For all the Fodors sharks out there, I am not interested in the many reasons we should not stay in Cancun and the many reasons we should not stay at the Ritz and I don't need advice to read prior postings. Been there, done that; (prior postings and Cancun and Ritz)

Personally, I would take the bus to PDC. Renting a car and then having to leave it all day in PDC might not be a good idea. Too many things "might" happen while you are in Cozumel. Might not happen, too, but I wouldn't want to take the chance. Since you obviously can afford to stay at the Ritz, you might want to check into taking a taxi to PDC. You might get a good deal if you have good negotiating skills.

For what it's worth, I've stayed at Cozumel, PDC and Cancun and prefer staying in Cancun over the other two. But, I am in the minority - LOL!

Thank you, Mandy, for your thoughts. As you know, everyone trashes Cancun because it isn't "really" Mexico. When I want the "flavor" of Old Mexico I go to Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, as I have done many times in the past. I go to Cancun because I find absolutely nothing wrong with staying in a luxury hotel on a beautiful beach.

Don't thay have a ferry between CanCun and Cozumel anymore?

I don't know, Prof, but I would be interested in such an option.

The ferry to Cozumel leaves from PDC. There is no ferry from Cancun to Cozumel.

I'm with you ElGuapo. I love Cancun for the beautiful beaches and turquoise water, for the night life and the price. It's my favorite vacation spot. I don't go because I want to experience the "flavor" of Mexico. I go because I want to relax, have fun, soak up the sun, be waited on.

They never had a ferry in between Cancun and Coz to my knowledge. (Been going for 10+ years.)
I agree with Mandy. A taxi to PDC is the way to go - usually runs about $45, and it's easy to catch another once you get off the ferry in PDC on your way back.
You have to walk just a little bit in Playa both ways as the ferry pier is a couple of blocks from where the taxis let you off, but it's not far, and you'll be able to check out a little of PDC on the way and see if you might like to go there for a day. (PDC is a pretty cool place on it's own.)
If you have a lot of gear, there are older men who have "tricycleros" - like a bicycle but three wheels - that will haul your gear for you to the ferry. We give them $3 to $5.
For snorkeling, it depends on how you like to do your snorkeling.
If you want great reefs, and a beach party with good food and an open bar, Fury runs day trips that are a lot of fun if you are the party type.
For more laid back relaxation, get a taxi to Chankanaab Park, where they have good snorkeling from shore, beach chairs and palapas at no cost, showers and lockers if you want, two decent restaurants, and dive operators if you dive or want to learn.
If you are a hard core snorkeler, the Chankanaab Park deal is that you have to swim out past all the newbies close to chore to get to the quieter better areas.
The snorkeling off the Fury is the best I've ever done if you go to Palancar. (They go to two reefs, and you don't have to do the beach party thing if you don't want to.)
Here's their website...

http://www.furycat.com/cozumel.htm

Thanks, Diana, this is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Taxi is probably the way to go (also thanks Mandy). We have all our own snorkel gear except for life jackets because they take up too much room for travel. I like the idea of Chankanaab Park. Would we be able to rent life jackets someplace, or should I be prepared to buy them? Thanks again, Diana. FYI we are amateur snorkelers, just took it up recently. We were professional partiers (now retired). We are more interested in some good snorkeling and can do without the party. That being the case, do you recommend Fury and not Chankanaab Park?

I think I said that backwards, Diana. (about your recommendation)

It occurs to me that there are inflatable life jackets. See, we are newbies.

They do rent life jackets at Chankanaab, and they have them on board the Fury, so no problem there.
I think either one of those places would work for you.
They are both quite different, but both have good snorkeling.

One of the things I really love about Chankanaab is that you can grab chairs and a palapa, go snorkeling for awhile, and then come back to your chairs (we always just leave our stuff there and never have any problems), order a "bucket of beer" - 6 icy Dos Equis in a tin bucket filled with ice, and limes in a styrofoam cup, and read and relax, and then do it all over again.
The restaurants both serve a mean brochete - shrimp, fish or seafood on a skewer with vegetables - and it's very easy to make an entire day of it.

The ONLY two things I don't like about Chankanaab... 1.) Make sure there are not too many cruise ships in town as they bring people there sometimes.
2.) They have one of those "swim with the dolphin" programs that I do not agree with.

When you first get off the ferry, the taxis will all be to the left at the end of the pier, and there's never a problem to get one - they are lined up there. There will be a man at the front ushering people into the next available cab as you walk up. (Just ignore all the people yelling at you for time shares, snorkeling and rental cars, etc. when you first get off the ferry.)

btw, I've stayed at the RC Cancun twice and enjoyed it very much. We go to Mexico every year for 2 weeks, and we always spend a few days in Cancun for beach, party and shopping time! :)

Thanks again, Diana. VERY HELPFUL I think we have a plan. We even managed to get through this without one of the Fodor's sharks telling us how stupid we are.

Well I'm a fodors regular, but I try to be nice - usually! O:)

don't have any advice for you, ElGuapo, but just wanted to say I love Cancun too, even though on this board you can get knocked for saying this! Have a great time. Let us know if the Ritz is still as nice as ever...? Hope the weather's great! Thanks!

Very good information on Diana's post. Just FYI, many years ago (more than 10),they did experiment with a high speed ferry directly from Cancun to Cozumel but it didn't last long. Probably put out of business by the powerful taxi and bus unions!

If you want to save money so you can afford to stay at the Ritz again in the future, taking the bus/shuttle to Playa del Carmen to catch the ferry is not to bad. The best way to do this is to catch any bus to downtown on Kukulkan Boulevard and get dropped off across from the bus station (6 pesos per person). From there, take one of the white private shuttle vans to Playa del Carmen (30 pesos per person). The shuttle will take approximately 45 minutes and drop you off within walking distance to the pier. There are two competing ferry lines -- one is blue and white, and the other blue and yellow -- but both run hourly ferries (except at 2 pm departing Playa, I believe) and will cost you $15 (US) rountrip or $9 (US)one way. The ferry crossing takes about 45 minutes.

I'm with you ElGuapo that Cancun is a great place to stay. But if you want my "Fodor shark" opinion . . . give scuba diving a shot: Cozumel arguably has five of the planet's ten best scuba sites and snorkeling is to scuba what riding a bid wheel is to driving a McLaren F1 race car.