Cozumel and Yucatan, Mexico????

Travel Info
What are some great things to do out there??? If you have to name of the places, please state them.

Thanks

Travel Tips

There is so much to see and do.

One of the things Cozumel is world famous for is it's beauty below the waves. Cozumel shares being situated along a section of a very long coral reef system, with several sections of the reef in some of the shallow areas along the west coast of Cozumel. Because of the coral reef, there is a great variety of fish, rays, turtles and eels, and all kinds of other marine life at various depths. A lot of this can be seen by snorkeling or scuba diving, but for those who do not want to do it that way, there are several other ways to still see it. Cozumel has businesses operating glass bottom boats, fake submarines (you sit below the waterline making it seem like you are in a submarine), and even a true submarine that takes passengers down to the depths that the divers explore. Generally the water is very clear, which adds to experience.

For those interested in diving, Cozumel can offer you many reputable shops to take you, from small fast boats with groups of 6 divers or less, and as well on big easy on and off larger boats which can handle big groups, but the groups usually get divided up into 2 or 3 smaller groups. That style of boat is often referred to as "cattle boats" and are common at many of the resorts due to the number of divers staying in them. If you have never been diving, but want to try it you can sign up for the complete certification coarse, or you can take what is referred to as "The resort course" which teaches you enough of the basics to do some shallow diving under careful supervision of an instructor or divemaster. This instruction is done with the understanding it is only a temporary thing, only valid at the time with the shop that gave the instructions and felt that you learned them well enough to safely dive while being supervised. Many people use Cozumel to be their test location after taking the pool and classroom part of the course from a diveshop in their home area. This is a convenient way to take the course in the winter months and still go diving on your vacation. As for the diving, it is most often drift diving, where the boat drops all the divers off at one location, and they drift with the current along the reef area, and then surface; the highly skilled boat crew follow the bubble trail to know where the divers are. Some of the resorts will offer a very simple pool lesson for guests to try the feel of scuba (normally free) but this is not the resort course, and is offered to entice you into signing up for at least the resort course, or more hopefully the full course. Most forum users agree that if you are serious about learning to dive it is best to do the course at home, rather than spend a big part of your vacation doing class and book work.

If you want to see the undersea world of Cozumel by snorkeling, there are many tour operators who can take you, again in various sized boats. Some supply drinks and a meal as part of the package and some even stop for a beach picnic & party. Like everything there are differing packages with prices to match. However, you can snorkel in many top quality areas from a shore entry, at no cost, and with no schedule. Many of the very same sites that the tours go to are only a stones throw from the shoreline. If you are looking for information on all the popular sites to visit, how to choose equipment, and some safety rules use this link to a now rather lengthy but informative post on the Cozumel travel forum when it was in it's infancy

http://www.tripadvisor.com/showtopic-......

Since it was first written it has had many very good updates added by forum users. Hurricane Wilma changed the bottom topography, but the areas mentioned are still getting good reviews by recent visitors. It is generally a good idea to buy your own basic gear, rather than rent it, but in Cozumel it is very easily rented from the many dive shops. Some resorts supply it's use free of charge, but only for short periods so others can also use it.

=) trip advisor has sooo much info
Others

Places to visit:
Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins
Xcaret ecological park/swim with the dolphins
Tulum and Xel Ha ecological park
San Gervasio Cozumel
Chankanaab/Palancar Reef Cozumel

go here, more info
http://www.yucatantoday.com

Have a great trip
s
chichenitza Mayan ruins - great
xcaret and xelha-full of tourist don't go take a private tour of cenotes
Playa del carmen - great
tulum-great
Boca Paila - awesome
Eat. Cochinita Pivil - delicious
The Mayan Ruins, any of these are worth looking into:

Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, Tulum, Coba, San Gervasio.

If you are up for an overnight trip then you may want to consider Uxmal, Kabah, Labn谩, Sayil.

Cenotes:

Dzitnup, Dos Ojos are two I can think of but there are many.
http://www.dosojos.com/cavern.html...

Colonial cities of Valladolid, Merida or Izamal. Merida and Izamal would be overnight trips from Cozumel. Izamal has Mayan Ruins there too. They are big but only impressive because of their size there is no decoration left on the ruins. Good view from the top though. Merida has lots of museums and great colonial architecture.

Shopping/Clubbing in Cancun

Shopping in Playa Del Carmen

Dinner/drinks on 5th avenue in PDC.

Snokelling or Diving in Cozumel.

Stay at a Hacienda
An unrestored one like Yaxcopoil
http://www.yaxcopoil.com/guest-house.htm...

Or one of the ones that have been converted into a luxury hotels
http://www.thehaciendas.com/
http://www.haciendapetac.com/

Go fishing:
http://www.fishingcozumel.net/
http://www.cozumel-fishing.net/...
in cozumel.. i would just party at carlos and charlies.. its always a good time..trust me.. but you want to do this after snorkeling..lol.
i have been to cozumel 4 times. on carnival cruise lines