Cozumel_Tom

A Warning from the State Dept. webite regarding taxi scams in Mexico. Know before you go,don't make the same mistakes I made.

"Use only the licensed and regulated "sitio" (SEE-tee-oh) taxis. Some illegitimate taxi drivers are, in fact, criminals in search of victims; users of these taxis have been robbed, kidnapped, and/or raped. Hotels, clubs and restaurants will summon a sitio taxi upon request."

This is for the big cities. I've never heard of this happening in Cozumel. The whole island would be in shock!!

YES we were on the cruise and sorry we did not get info in time to bring you some milk! Gerry did an awesome job driving us around and stopping at the various places we wanted...He is really a sweet man and we loved having him as our driver...I brought him some little gifts for his 3 maybe four year old daughter...We stopped at the grocery store and got drinks and ice for the trip... First stop after driving around the town a few beaches was to The tequila place. It was somewhat interesting but none of us really like tequila so we probably should have skipped that...( 10 $) pp

We did have a drink and chips at Coconuts...so beautiful and then lunch somewhere he suggested (forgot the name) Again very pretty and food was good... ended up at Palamar Beach?? sp??which was just what we wanted ..far away from the crowds of the cruise and plenty of chairs for free. We ordered beer and did a little off beach snorkling...a great day! Again Gerry was awesome and just the perfect host.

Oh good, glad you had a great day with him! Did you get to meet his family/daughter?

If you're not hungry while on the eastside but are when you're coming back to San Miguel and have time before you need to be at the ship, ask him to take you to Los Otates on Avenida 15, I think. It's open air and great fresh made tacos and guac and inexpensive. He may also know of other good "locals" places.

 

And tell him and Lazaro that Stephen, who had to cancel because of H1N1 in May is coming back in January.

Or O'Tate's as we call it on St Patrick's day, yuk yuk! They're only opening at 6PM now in Low Season. No more lunches for now....

I thought I remember reading somewhere that shell collecting is illegal in Cozumel. Is this correct? My wife loves collecting shells, and we have Gerry booked for our July cruise. If it's legal, we'll so a little shell hunting :) Does anyone know?

You can collect shells at most of the beaches on the east side. On the west side, just at the beaches north of Puerta Maya and International Pier. In all other areas, you are prohibited from taking anything out of the water or from the shore. Have a great vacation!

Janie moved back to the US about 6 months ago. The Gaby she used to work with is no longer a cabbie according to her. The other cabbie also named Gaby passed on earlier this year...

He had a sign with my name on it, so we found him right away! I felt very comfortable with him from the very beginning and was very glad we had chosen him as our tour guide. Thanks for recommending him, Tom!

Alright, now I feel much better about recommending him...thanks!

Since I started this thread, I wanted to let everyone know how our day went in Cozumel on July 3. I pre-arranged a tour with Gerardo, an English-speaking taxi driver, to take us to the other side of the island. We enjoyed the tour and feel that we learned a lot about the island from Gerardo. We went to Paradise Beach, El Cedral, the Reggae Beach Bar, El Mirador, and ate at Coconuts. We took some fantastic pictures! If you want to contact him, his e-mail address is cozumeltaxi @ hotmail .com (without the spaces). Since there were only three of us, we were in a car, but he can get a van for larger groups.

Good stuff, glad I didn't steer you wrong! Gerry always seemed like a good guy when we've chatted at PB over the years, but I've never taken a tour with him obviously....good to know he provided a good tour for you guys. Was there any problem hooking up with him at the pier or was he fairly obvious with that sign?

Wow Tom,

 

Thanks for the pic, showed it to DH and the ones from above showing Chen Rio. He is all excited and said it is definitely worth staying sober for the day to take a car around the island, lol. We wanted to see this area so bad in 2005 and now we are super excited to have the opportunity to go back even if its only for a day. I think we will drive all the way around past Punta Sur and come back up the West Coast. If we have time maybe we can stop by and see you. We will be in Coz on 11/9/07 will you be at the beach that day or are you taking vacation during that time?

 

Thanks for everything I will be lurking around here til time to cruise....

 

Sheila

OOPS, sorry for the late response, this thread was hiding on me! Glad you're coming back to explore the island again. If DH wants a few adult bevvies, you should hire Gerardo! I should be around in Nov, unless I hit the lottery!:D

:eek:

I will... Only 45 days.. I dont know about lunch or a massage, but will have a drink or two.. I would like to visit as many beaches as possible to provide first hand pics and knowledge.... Yep will say hey to Tom for ya... Enjoy your next cruise.:)

Hey Ken, don't forget to check out those hammacks!:D

I think El Mirador (the natural bridge) is located about half way between playa bonita and rosta's beach club.. South of chen rio, but before the light house..

Yup, sounds right...here's a pic

Tom, I am thinking about touring the island by either renting a car or driver. It will be dh, me, and our 2 kids (ages 5 and 12). What attractions and beaches would you recommend for us? Oh, and would coconuts be a good selection for lunch? TIA

Coconuts is a great location for lunch. Great food, great view, and lots of animals for your kids to look at to stave off boredom! Ask to see the animal "in the back"! http://www.islacozumel.net/food/coconuts/

Skip the San Gervasio ruins and the Tequila distillery tour, I'll bet the 5 y.o. would be bored to tears. Stop at "El Mirador" on the other side of the island, a natural "bridge" rock formation. A good photo op with the waves smashing against it. Do a little beachcombing for shells on that side as well where it is legal to do so...the cabbie will know. Stop at Chen Rio, just south of Coconuts if the kids want to swim with a little wave action. DO NOT swim anywhere else on the East side as the ripcurrents can take you out to sea quite quickly. Chen Rio has a natural half-cove and you can safely swim there, but NOWHERE ELSE ON THE EAST SIDE!!:eek:

Beaches on the west side are best for swimming as there is usually clear blue water and no wave action. Lots of beach clubs to choose from, I'll let you guess which one I recommend;)!

Really roads changed in Cozumel...lol other than adding some wouldnt have ever thought that could happen especially on the Trans road or east side road.....

 

Tom, Adrian,

 

Can anyone enlighten me to possible road changes since aug 2005 post emily- pre wilma

The Transversal "straight shot across the island road" is now 4 lanes, 2 in each direction till you get to the other side. Then you'll be on the new 2 lane road that parallels the old 2 laner for a short while till you hit Coconuts. Then it's the old road all the way to (almost) the end where the entrance to Punta Sur is located. You pick up the new road again and it curves inland away from the old road but then parallels it again a short while later. No big changes that will get you lost, just a little tricky if you want to get to the Rasta bar or Punta Sur or Playa Palancar off the old road....

OK guys. Just talked to one of the cab drivers that I've gotten to know over the years here at PB and he'll take you wherever you want to go! He's got a Ford Focus stationwagon with ice-cold air. Gerardo speaks very good English and charges $80USD for 3 hours and $20USD for each additional hour. Let me know if you want to book him and he'll meet you at the pier...

...that is one cute kid there, PBT!

Thank you, thank you! Helps that he got his Mom's good looks!:D

Tom, I looked and I could not find the new thread starter, sorry. Thank you for your info. Are they called something else in Mexico? Also can you find them close to the pier or do you have to go into the city itself? Thanks!

It's a small blue rectangle with "New Thread" written on it, close to the bottom of the main page, left hand side.

If you are docking at Punta Langosta, you're practically in town anyway, so just look for a drugstore (farmacia)...they should have 'em. If you're coming in on the International Pier, there's a little store about a 3-4 minute walk down the street to your left as you exit. On the other side of the street! Now go find that "New Thread" button" LOL!:D

Hi, I will be going to Cozumel in June and was wondering if anyone has ever purchased Kinder eggs from cozumel mexico. Kinder eggs are hollow chocolate egg shaped candy with a toy inside. I would love to know where I could find these while I am there. Thanks!!:D

Sorry for aiding and abetting a thread hijacker, but yes, they can be found at any corner store.

Welcome to the boards you'll find lots of good info here! In the future though, it's considered good etiquette not to ask questions unrelated to the thread topic, in this case, UVAS BEACH. Next time start a new thread to pose your question:) Have a great vacation!

To any and all Cozumel experts: Is it possible to obtain a Quintana Roo license plate? The price at Plate Hut is $125 but come on! We purchased a Cayman Islands plate for $10 at their license bureau, brand new. Will the Mexican authorities sell you a plate? If not, is there any other way of getting one?

 

By the way, we collect plates and hang them in our garage. It's a cheap (usually) but nice souvenir.

You can't buy a plate from the "DMV" down here. I remember the same question posed on another Cozumel board awhile ago (can't remember which one) and the only way they were getting them was through ebay. Expensive though, like $40-50USD if I remember correctly. I'll ship you my old Ontario plate from my '88 Golf that I drove down here 9 years ago for only $35USD though! HAs authentic Hurricane residue on it!:D (And lizard poop!)

Thanx for the compliments, Stircrazy! :D

Welcome to the boards! Here's a link to one thread of reviews: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=273617&highlight=uvas

For more reviews, just type in "uvas" in the search feature. Have a great day in Cozumel!

Its not that we're avoiding anything, it's just that uvas is kinda out of the way, and we all have jobs and lives that don't leave us much time to go out researching! Having said that tho, I did go out that way a few days ago and managed to get this shot before the battery died....

International Pier to Carlos n' Charlies/Senor Frog's/Punta Langosta Pier/Southern edge of downtown= 3.7kms or 2.3 miles. Add another .3 km (.2 miles) if you're coming from Puerta Maya.

Cozumel street map: http://www.cozumel-vacation-rentals.com/map.htm

Passed by an accident scene about 5 hrs ago right downtown, 10th ave and 5th street. Tourist in a jeep ran a stop sign and plowed into a local guy (looked like in his 50´s but hard to tell with all the blood and bandages) on his old green motorcycle. Rent 4 wheels, not 2. A scooter is fun for about 5 minutes, then you´ll be wishing you had more metal around you when ya get a taste of local driving habits!

Nope, not related but I knew (know) Tony, Heather (moved back to Montreal about a year ago and had a baby!) Rob, and Stephane. La Cocay closed a few months ago, but will reopen later this year at a new location near Manati. I'll take a raincheck on the beer till next time...have a great vacation!

Definitely WON"T be crownded in Sept!! Unfortunately, I'll be away for that month with the missus, travelling here and there, so it looks like I'm gonna miss you this year.

maybe next year? Have a great vacation!

Hot, humid and yes, Sept and Oct are generally rainy :(. That's not to say there aren't any sunny days in Sept, just be prepared for rain. Hope to see you at our (hopefully sunny) beach!