Chankanaab Park Opinions

[JessiMommy]

My family & I have tentatively decided to spend at least half a day at Chankanaab Park. We range in age from 59, 30's to 4. Also my sis in law is pregnant. Will we have enough to do here? Any one have any complaints? We are also considering renting a car to do a little sightseeing on our own that day. Any opinions on that? Thanks!

[cali-croozer]

My family (2 adults, 2 teen boys) enjoyed our day at Chankanaab. The snorkeling is great. There is a small mini golf course (additional fee, $2 when we were there). There's a nature trail and replica Mayan ruins (we walked it on our own, but there are free guided tours too). There are dolphin swims/encounters and a sea lion show (additional fees). There's a restaurant and bar (the waiter will come to you if your chair is not too far from them); there's a couple of shops that had very good prices, compared to the prices at the pier (no pressure sales/no roving vendors). The bathrooms/showers were very clean.

 

We didn't do any of the extras except for the mini-golf. It was a nice relaxing day on the beach. If you're going to spend some time there, I feel it's worth the money. Some people mention the chairs aren't comfortable (they are lay down chairs right on the sand so your pregnant sister in law may have some trouble getting in and out of those). It is mainly a snorkeling beach, so it doesn't have a sandy entrance. You walk down rock stairs to get into the water. That might be a problem for your 4 year old. There is a small sandy beach area where I saw several families with small children.

 

As far as a car, our friends rented one for the day (while we hung out at Chankanaab) and thoroughly enjoyed exploring Cozumel. You may want to start a new post with just this question as many people will have tips for you.

 

Have fun planning!:)

[cruisegirl1990]

My family went to Chankanaab in March and had a blast. There's tons of stuff to do.:) We were on the Celebration so we stayed in Cozumel untill midnight though. We spent the day at Chankanaab and at night went shopping. We had a blast. I loved it! You will have fun.

[cruisinqt]

We have been to Cozumel a couple of times, the first time we went to Chankanab, the next time we went to Paradise beach which we liked better. Here are the pros and cons of Chankanab in my honest opinion.

 

Pros:

Good snorkeling

Mayan gardens are pretty ( but lots of walking)

Lots of shade

Attractive beach

Dolphin swim is offered (for a fee)

Mini golf is offered (for a fee)

There's a restaurant and bar

They had clean bathrooms and showers

 

 

Cons:

The chairs are one solid piece of plastic that curves upward at the end to form a backrest. It's a nightmare to get in and out of, and I'm in good shape.

 

Most of the beach consists of steep steps going into deep water for snorkeling. There is only one tiny "normal" beach area where you can walk right into the water or let your kids play in the sand and it's very crowded.

 

The fee just to get into Chankanab is $12 per person and can be quite expensive for a large group.

 

On our next trip we went to Paradise beach which was free to get into.;) And for just $5 per person you could use all of their beach and water toys like the water trampoline, rock climbing iceberg, the spacewalker, floatie mats, and snorkel gear. The restaurant there is excellent and reasonably priced with a panoramic view of the ocean on the second story. They also have a nice bar that will bring drinks to you beachside. :) The freshwater showers and restrooms are very clean. They also offer massages and henna tattoos along with many other water sports like parasailing. Since we aren't big into snorkeling and were looking for a "normal" beach, this fit the bill for us. But Chankanab is also nice if you're looking to snorkel or do the dolphin swim. It's really up to what you're looking for in a beach.