Are there 'limited mobility' friendly things to do in Cozumel?

[Delta Dear]

We are traveling on Carnival Legend in Feb. My husband has back and leg problems so walking long distances is difficult for him. Let me add, we don't do beaches, snorkle or any of the physical activities. It seems that most excursions require mobility and agility. On Grand Cayman, Belize, and Roatan, I have found bus tours or guides who seem to offer a variety of sites to visit. Can anyone tell me about Cozumel.

 

I didn't post this on the port sight because I wanted advice from others with physical limitation.

[katisdale]

We are going on the crown princess to those ports on the November 14 sailing. We are beach people so that may limit how much our advice will be of assistance to you. I have much difficulty walking, especially steps so bus tours are becoming more and more difficult. In cozumel we are going to Chankanab park. We will take a taxi from the dock to the park. On a previous trip to cozumel we went to Tulum which was fabulous but I was walking better then and I'm not sure I could do that now. However if bus travel is not a problem I would recommend that. After getting to Tulum you can pay a few extra dollars to take a cart from the bus lot to the ruins. Once at the ruins I sat on a rock under a tree while my DH went around with the guide to the various buildings.

[kitty9]

I'm not much in the way of walking either, even less so since having a triple fracture in my knee, so I understand your concerns. Have you ever considered renting a travel scooter? I resisted at first, but now I won't cruise without one. With that, I was able to motor off the ship to the little shopping and eating area right off the pier. It was a really nice way to spend some time off the ship. There are shops, and a couple of restaurants right there---great for people watching.

[Splinter]

If you don't have to tender here, you can get around in the small shopping area with assistance. Few ramps and often a step or two up into shops so best to go with a manual wheelchair and not a scooter. I can also recommend Chankanab Park. Nice botanical gardens with level paths and few steps. There is a beach, but you can sit in the shade and look at the people swimming and snorkeling there. You can take a cab with a manual chair much easier than a scooter, and your cab driver can take you to some other scenic areas on the island as well.

[Se4deb]

Just returned from a Western Caribbean cruise with Cozumel being the last stop. Not much for a none walker. The port area is very congested and very uneven and you have to walk all the way through the duty fee shops to get to the cabs and rental cars. The cabbies will get you where you want to go - nothing close except Senor Frogs - not recommended by me - but will charge you $20.00 extra for a wheelchair or scooter. They do have a few van type cabs with lifts but they are pricy too and you don't know how long it will take to get another one after you are dropped off. If we had to do it again, we would look for a excursion that just took us around the island to see the sights. It isn't the most friendly place if you have mobility issues. Also, I tend to get a little nervous when I see cops with machine guns. When we were there there was a big drug bust at a hotel just up from the dock that kept a lot of people from getting back to the ship. just be cautious. I think we were in port for over 8 hours so that is plenty of time to go explore, go back to the ship and then go back to the duty free shops.

[mkbennett00]

We just arrived home from a cruise on the Carnival Freedom that stopped in Cozumel. I also have limited mobility - bad knees and overweight. Our ship docked in Cozumel, so there wasn't any tender. The walk from the ship to the actual port was a bit far. But, there are men on bikes with rickshaw type carriages attached to them that will take you from the ship to the duty free area. They don't have a set price - just tips.

 

Once you are in the duty free area, the walk to the location where you meet the buses and taxis in about the same distance (maybe more) as from the ship to the duty free area. The ground is uneven - lots of cobblestone kind of stuff. I was able to manage it by going slowly and using a cane.

 

We took the Highlights and Shopping tour in Cozumel. The bus has some kind of high steps to get into it, but is otherwise a normal tour bus. We talked to our tour guide and he saved the very front seat for me, so the bus stuff wasn't too bad.

 

The tour stopped at Discover Mexico and some kind of ruins. Neither was difficult to walk around. We also stopped at a beach and tequila plant - again, nothing difficult. At the end of our tour, we were in the downtown part of Cozumel. It looked kind of crowded with uneven streets and sidewalks, so I didn't even try to manage it on my own.

 

That's pretty much my experience. We found that the tour guides were very helpful and understanding. Hope this helps you!

[Jimnbigd]

My wife has multiple sclerosis. She uses a wheelchair. She can walk for short distances using a walker or holding on to someone. This makes cruises great for her. (And I love them too.) However, we usually stay on the ship rather than venture out when at the ports-of-call. For us, the ship is the vacation. One problem is that she has to use the bathroom at least once an hour -- so that pretty much rules out bus tours and even beaches (where it is a long walk to the bathroom).

 

Actually, we like the quiet time on the ship during the ports-of-call. And you can often get specials on massages and beauty treatments.

[katisdale]

We got off the Crown Princess yesterday. We greatly enjoyed our time at Chankanaab park. I used my travelscoot and it handled the walkways - both concrete and cobblestone - quite well. The gardens here are very beautiful but it was also quite hot. I am very happy I can still swim and the swimming, well snorkeling, here was great. I now have trouble with off boat snorkeling as I can't do the steps anymore so going from the beach is best. There is a shallow area where I could leave the scooter and use my canes to get into the water. This was better for me than the beach where the sand was deep and there were steps down to the water. It was a very enjoyable day.

[muskrat897]

We got off the Crown Princess yesterday. We greatly enjoyed our time at Chankanaab park. I used my travelscoot and it handled the walkways - both concrete and cobblestone - quite well. The gardens here are very beautiful but it was also quite hot. I am very happy I can still swim and the swimming, well snorkeling, here was great. I now have trouble with off boat snorkeling as I can't do the steps anymore so going from the beach is best. There is a shallow area where I could leave the scooter and use my canes to get into the water. This was better for me than the beach where the sand was deep and there were steps down to the water. It was a very enjoyable day.

Were the shops near the pier power chair accessible? Steps to enter?

[katisdale]

I didn't go into the stores but passed them on the way to the taxi area. Most were flat but there was a jewelry store and a farmacia that both had two steps.

[muskrat897]

Did you visit San Miguel? Are their shops wc accessible?

[katisdale]

We did not go to San Miguel.

[LuLaLuvlee]

We tried the shops on the "main" area ( the plaza part) just off the dock in Cozumel. Most of the shops had a "back way" for wheelchairs if their front door wasn't wide enough or stepped. The ones along the main street for the most part were not accessible unless they were corner shops with a side door. The sidewalk along the road on the shop side was narrow and bumpy. The sidewalk water side was great.

 

We spent time watching the dancers and a man who made really neat paintings with spray can paint--no brushes at all.