|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Guide to Cozumel Beaches |
 |
Cozumel island has three distinct types of beaches:
- Sandy walk-in beaches on the west or leeward side of the island generally have calm water. Snorkeling may be disappointing in the sandy areas since any disturbance on a sandy bottom [waves, walking, jumping, playing] suspends sand particles in the water which decrease visibility and make it very hard for coral polyps to thrive. Without coral for camoflage and protection, one will not see as much marine life.
- Beaches with a rocky limestone shoreline on the west coast are the best for snorkeling or shore dives since less sand is disturbed so visibility and coral growth are better. The more coral growth there is in an area, the more reef critters will take cover there to be seen while snorkeling or diving.
- Sandy surf and large waves alternating with rocky limestone coastlines on the east or windward side of the island are beautiful but can be dangerous. The roaring surf creates strong breakers and undertows. Never enter the water alone. Swimming is not recommended on most of the east side beaches. There are now many areas where flags are displayed showing the level of safety for a particular area. Despite the dangerous swimming conditions, these beaches are stunning and serene for those wanting sunbathing, long walks or playing in the water very close to shore.
|
|
| Cozumel Insider Beach Chart | Here is a handy Cozumel Beach Chart with descriptions, photos, hours of operations and amenities! Just click on the names of each of the beaches for complete descriptions. May we suggest our: Do-it-youself Snorkel Tour
| Beach Conservation - Do Your Part |
 Cozumel has a protected Marine Park area that extends from the southern cruise ship piers southward and all the way around the tip of the island and up the other (east) side to Punta Chiqueros. Inside this area, the taking of ANY items from the SEA OR BEACH is prohibited by federal law and punishable with fines and/or imprisonment if caught. Even shells that wash up on the shore can become a home for some critter so please leave them in place in order to help preserve the natural beauty of the area.
 There are many stores and kiosks in town that sell shells however no one really knows the origin of these shells and if they were harvested from a protected area of the island or an open one. So in general, if your desire is to help our conservation efforts, it's best not to purchase shells at all. For this only encourages poaching and illegal harvesting when naturally available supplies are depleted.
I know they are all so beautiful and it is very tempting to say "well it's only one shell so..." But if you keep in mind that according to Carnival cruise lines recently, there will be a couple of MILLION cruise ship visitors this next year to Cozumel, then you can just imagine the impact if each person elects to take just one shell!
Perhaps consider adopting the SCUBA DIVER'S CREDO when travelling the world:
"Take only pictures and memories and leave only bubbles behind!"
~ Sherri ~ |
 |
| Beach Safety is Important! "SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK" |
 Bring life vests for any persons with limited water skills wishing to partake in water activities.
Observe all beach signage and warning flags posted on beaches which indicate current swimming conditions.
While only a few years old, Cozumel's Lifeguard Program now has over 30 Lifeguards on duty daily and continues to develop. Read more here about our Lifesaving Program.
With this program, there are lifeguard towers and lifeguards at some beaches but not all of them.
So please be cautious and consider all beaches to be "SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK"
|
|
A few beachy things you might be interested in!
|
|
|
What a great Experience!!! We booked our excursions through this website with a slight bit of apprehension. We figured it would be safer to book through our cruise ship since this was our first time going to Cozumel. Boy am I so thankful we didn't. Our cruise ship (which we thoroughly enjoyed) had many excursions organized with tons of people in each excursion. By booking through INSIDER we were definitely given smaller groups to be with. We did the Atlantis Submarine excursion and we saved almost 100 dollars right there!!! We also booked a Resort Scuba with Eagle Ray Divers. We had 1-on-1 attention with Antonio (the owner), our own boat to go out on, and got personalized attention with the lesson/dive. I know if we had booked on the cruise ship there probably would've been many other people ...
Also, we originally booked a car rental for that Saturday morning. Jacqueline @ Cozumel Insider, called us at home prior to our cruise to inform us of some minor scheduling changes. She then suggested that the rental car may not be neccessary due to our number of excursions and our limited time. Due to her advice we cancelled our car rental which was the wise thing to do. This shows that this company has a lot of integrity and is not out there just to make a buck on the unsuspecting tourist. Next year we will definitely book through Cozumel Insider, we will recommend this company to all our friends, and we plan on booking with Antonio for more scuba next time!!!! Dr. Marvin Carson ~ Tullahoma, Tennesseee
|
We just got back from Cozumel last week and I'd like to thank you for answering all my questions and for setting us up on the Fury Snorkeling & Beach Party Tour and the van from Budget. This was the 4th time visiting the island and the 1st time that I didn't have the first bit of trouble with booking something online. Your service was great and I will be sure and book with you on my next trip. Thanks again! Danny Neal ~ Marshall TX
|
It is very cold here, it snowed last night. Welcome home to us right?! Just wanted to send an email thanking you for making our experience the best ever in sunny Cozumel. We wanted to let you know that the day we spent at your PalMar Beach Club we had your homemade tamales, (which are my favorite, by the way!) and they were excellent. Also we think that you have very good employees, Juan (there at the beach club/your house) we especially appreciated him, he treated us very well and we just wanted you to know that. Thanks again for the ride to the ferry, we made the 10:00! Also we were very thankful for your advice to stay there in Playa. We were able to get a room and just enjoy our last day on the beach which is what I really wanted. We were within walking distance from the bus that took us to the airport the next morning so it was all very convenient. You were very helpful and we will definately recommend your villas to anyone going there in the future. K & J Gilbert ~ Unknown
|
Just wanted to thank COZUMELINSIDER for getting us booked for our activities while we were in Cozumel. The dolphin swim was fantastic! I'd do it again in a minute. We didn't get to do the SNUBA diving ..... we ended up doing the Helmet dive instead for the same price. We plan on visiting Cozumel again possibly next year and will be contacting you to book some excursions prior to our vacation. We saved a significant amount of money booking the excursions through COZUMELINSIDER instead of the cruise line. Thanks again! S.Forgette and G Wichtowski ~ Not Given
|
Hello, I want to let you know that I visit your website all the time! I love it, so much information. I used you as a resource when I came to Cozumel for the first time about 2 years ago. Although my soon-to-be wife was there before, I needed to do some of my own homework. As for her, she and I will be getting married on June 22 at Hotel Cozumel and we are both really excited about it. I am so happy that you are able to put this website together for people like us who love Cozumel and can't be there as much as we want to be. Thanks again! John DeMaio ~ Milford, CT, USA
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
Copyright © 2000-2013 Sherri Davis, All Rights Reserved. All website content is the property of Cozumel Insider unless otherwise attributed and cannot be used, displayed or reproduced without express written permission from Cozumel Insider.
Contributors retain the copyright to their work where applicable; please do not take art or words without permission. Other graphics and reference materials are used and attributed as per the Fair Use Provision of The Copyright Act and individual terms of use.
|
 |
