chankanaub or PB?

[lucy lu 2]

Haven't heard much about Chankanaub for beach and Snorkling. What's the difference from Paradise? Thanks!:)

[lilmsonry]

I hear Chank has better snorkling, but with that said, it seems like when compared with PB, people generally enjoy themselves more when going to PB. I have not experienced either yet, just seems to be my personal take on what I have read. We are a family of 5, and for us, we are skipping Chank and going to Paradise Beach to enjoy there water toys, food/drink, beach, and of course meeting the much famous Paradise Beach Tom on 9/7/05. Hope you enjoy whatever you choose!:)

[bruce-r]

Haven't heard much about Chankanaub for beach and Snorkling. What's the difference from Paradise?

The two are very different. Chankanaab has a long sandy area, but since the sand doesn't go out into the water, like at PB, then I wouldn't say that Chankanaab has a real "beach". It has the better snorkeling of the 2 because the shoreline is rock.

 

 

Other things found at Chankanaab:

1. Gift shops
   
2. Reproduction Mayan ruins
   
3. Botanical garden
   
4. mini-golf
   
5. dolphin and seal program
   
6. decent restaruant and bar
   
7. on-site dive operators
   
8. snuba
   
9. better snorkeling
   

PB has:

1. nice sandy beach
   
2. water toys
   
3. restaurant and bar
   
4. Tom
   
5. also has snorkeling, just not quite as good
   

Both places can be lots of fun for the right people.

 

Also check www.cozumelinsider.com and www.cozumelmycozumel.com for better descriptions and photos.

[lucy lu 2]

Bruce,

 

Thanks so much that really helps break it down! I was leaning toward PB but I was concerned that the snorkling would't be that great! Who am I kidding? I'm not that big into fish anyway!!!:eek: Does PB have parasailing?

 

lucy

[Cotton]

Lucy, I believe the para-sailing can be found right next door to PB. Although I haven't been there yet, lots of folks do enjoy PB. Tom says the snorkeling is ok, but you have to swim out quite a way because there are no reefs at the shore.

 

I've been to Chankanaab twice, and absolutely loved it both times. Great snorkeling right off the beach. Steps go down into the water. There are lifeguards and a dive platform you can swim to...and underwater statues to see, along with the zillions of beautiful fish.

 

It IS a beach, and a long one, but doesn't slope down into the water. There's a smaller beach area that does that - just before getting to the snorkeling area. LOTS of loungers under palapas to sit. Waiters come to you for drink orders but aren't pushy.

 

Chank also has 2-3 dive shops for rentals. You can watch the dolphins perform even if you don't go the Dolphin Encounter. Also a bird and sealion show. I thought the al fresco restaurant I went to was very good, with reasonable prices. (I had quesadilla, salsa and chips, and margarita - all for $7.50.) They have strolling mariachis at the restaurant, and every table has an ocean view.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the botanical gardens and replicated Mayan ruins. The walkway from the entrance to Chank to the beach area is lovely, nicely landscaped.

[Rowan555]

Someone mentioned mini golf - is this included in the price, or is there an additional fee? My kids LOVE mini golf!

 

We can't wait to go to Chankanaab - three more weeks!

[cali-croozer]

Someone mentioned mini golf - is this included in the price, or is there an additional fee? My kids LOVE mini golf!

 

We can't wait to go to Chankanaab - three more weeks!

 

When we went, in 2003, it was $2 per person to play. It's very small, but we enjoyed it anyway. You won't see any fancy obstacles, but you might have to play around live iguanas (who won't move, by the way)!:) Have a great time at Chankanaab!

[bruce-r]

Someone mentioned mini golf - is this included in the price, or is there an additional fee? My kids LOVE mini golf!

Cozumel does have a pretty nice mini-golf in town too. Although the vegetation suffered during the recent hurricane, you still can use the radio to order sangria brought out to you while on the "course".

[mnsawyer]

We have been to both and enjoy both. Chanakaab has fabulous tiki huts but the chairs are pretty uncomfortable (solid plastic). The snorkeling is fabulous. There is also a great walking path within the park as well. Paradise Beach is a beach and very nice. There is a long pier that is shaded at the end and we went there after lunch and no one was there. Some small chairs and a few tables. You can also swim and snorkel there since there are two ladders. The snorkeling beyond the pier isn't bad and much better than we expected. Both are excellent and you can't go wrong with either place.

[CozInsiderJacq]

If you want to try snorkeling and don't already have plans at Chankanaab Park, I would make a stop at the Dzul Ha area to snorkel. There is no entrance fee (Chankanaab charges $12 to get into the park) and you can rent gear and lockers at Dzul Ha or at the club across the street Palmar.

Once you have had your fill of snorkeling you can grab a taxi and head about 10-15 minutes further South and go to Paradise Beach for relaxing on the Beach.

[vmom]

How about going to the Palmar beach club which is right across for Dzul Ha for some excellent snorkeling and then spending the after at PB? That was you get in some really good snorkeling and some fun sandy beach time.

[lilmsonry]

VMOM-just my plans and can't wait! Wish it was tomorrow!!!

[cruisinqt]

The main thing that bothered us about Chankanaab besides paying $12 per person to enter was the crowds and the fact that the beach didn't slope into the water. You have to use steps to get down into the water. There is a small man made beach area, but it was swarmed by families with young children when we were there. We were really just looking for a nice beach to hang out at and relax with very few crowds and plenty of comfortable lounge chairs and umbrellas available for shade. We found all of that at Paradise beach and then some.:) Paradise had the nice long adjustable chaise lounge chairs like you see around the pool at a nice hotel. At Chankanaab, the lounge chairs were one solid piece of curved plastic that sat low to the ground. It was hard to get into and nearly impossible to get out of.:( I think if I were into mini golf, I'd go to the nice one in town, the one in Chankanaab was tiny and unimpressive.

 

If I were into snorkeling I would go to Dzul Ha which has some amazing snorkeling and is free to enter. The one thing that Chankanaab has that no one else has is the dolphin encounter, which is quite expensive but unique. The Mayan ruin replica is nice to look at but there's not much to it, though it is great for photos. The garden is beautiful and there are a few nice shows to see, but I'm a little "showed" out after seeing all of the shows on the ship. By the time I get into port I'm just looking for some relaxing beach time and a little play time in the water.;)

[gumpy]

does anyone know how far and how much $$$ the taxi ride is from Chanakaab to PB. I will be doing the dolphin swim and then was thinking about going over to PB.

[chellencrette]

We did this exact thing a few weeks ago in Cozumel. The taxi ride from chanakaab to paradise beach was $10.00 for 2 people. It only took about 10-15 minutes to get there. Have a great time!!!! We sure did!!!

[kenandlaura06]

Thanks for the info everyone.

[TxSandMom]

We just got back!!! The cab ride from the pier to Paradise Beach was $12 (we had two adults, two toddlers, and an-almost-five-year old... they tried to charge us extra since we had five people, but relented to the $12 in the end).

PB has no entrance fee. It costs $8 per person to use the water toys (a huge inflated "iceberg" that sits out in the water and also a floating trampoline), and floats. There was parasailing at $150 (not sure how long that was), and wave runners. There was a hut where massages were $1 per minute and a hut where they braided hair.

They also have a small gift shop where you can buy towels if you forget to bring them off the ship!

We were there for 4 hours and enjoyed it very much.

[Cozumel_Tom]

Glad you enjoyed your day with us! I guess that´s a typo...should be $55 not $150!

[tbag124]

Could you just rent a floatie mat if that's all you wanted? Would it still be $8? I think $8 is more then a good price for all of the water toys. Just wondering if you only wanted a mat, how much would that cost? Or if you could even do that? Thanks!!

[pugmama]

Someone made a list earlier in the thread...Tom should be like 3 items on the list, amazing service should be one, great GUAC and cool folks to meet, and a place where you don't feel nickel and dimed...

 

Ok, make Tom 5 items, since he's going to be a daddy. PB is the way to go!! Best for your $$, best all around.

 

Pugmama

[Hebejeebe]

We just returned from PB on Friday. I was torn between Chankanaab and PB but chose PB. It was okay but I think we would have enjoyed Chankanaab more.

 

The PB beach is not that nice where sand meets water. There is a small sandy area that is sand all the way into the water. But the majority of the beach (at least 3/4) is quite rocky under the water. The sandy part is limited to the area right in front of the iceberg only - - the water in front of the trampoline over to the dolphin statue is rocky). You don't see the rocks since the shore appears sandy but the rocks start about 3 or 4 feet from the shore. The rocks are large and slippery enough to turn an ankle. Be careful.

 

There were three ships in port on Friday but PB was jam packed. There were no chairs with umbrellas available when we arrived in the afternoon. Based upon the information on chips/salsa and margarita the prices in Chankanaab are better. The margarita was $6.50 but pretty good. The chips and salsa were another $6.50 (as I recall) and very disappointing in quantity and quality. You can get better chips at any Mexican restaurant in the Washington DC area. They put some dabs of gaucamole spread on the chips for decoration. I prefer chunky gaucamole so you can tell it didn't come out of a spray can.

 

I can say that PB looks like a great place to party hard. There was a satellite bar on the beach where folks were doing some real heavy drinking. Lots of singing and chanting to the drinking contests. I don't care, however, to hear hip-hop music in a Mexican bar. My DW thought the place was too Americanized (or Canadian since it's managed by a Canadian).

 

Next time we hit Cozumel we'll visit Chankanaab.