Paradise Beach Transportation & Crowds

[LisaT91403]

We have never been to Cozumel before, but will be visiting for a day in mid-December. My son will be almost 9 years old, and Grandma (79) will be coming as well. After some research, I think Paradise Beach might be a good choice since we do *not* want all-inclusive.

 

I'm assuming we can just get a cab at the pier. However, there are 8 (yes, 8) ships in port that day. Almost 26,000 passengers! So I'm wondering how difficult it will be to get transportation to and from the beach, and also whether the beach would be impossibly crowded. We definitely need shade & chairs, or we'd just assume not go at all.

 

Also, here at home, my son still rides in a booster (he is small for his age), which is required up until age 8 anyway. I've heard that the cabs in Mexico do not have seatbelts, so it sounds like a booster is not an option. I'm assuming that there is no law that would require the booster, but if anyone happens to know, I'd appreciate it.

 

Thanks!

[setsail1975]

We went to Paradise Beach this past April. We are a family of 5 at the time my kids were 8,13&15. We split a cab with 2 other women. I can't remember exactly what we paid, but it was very reasonable. We were on Carnival so we docked in Puerto Maya I think NCL docks elsewhere, in Cozumel. Paradise Beach was perfect , we paid to use the pool & we bought wristbands $19.00 each for the kids to use the "water park" which were blow up slides and trampolines. That was a waste of money since my kids had a hard time climbing up on them . My kids used it 1x.

 

The water was deeper and they couldn't touch the bottom, beach water was very murky. Deeper out was clearer. We kayaked and my husband and oldest daughter went parasailing. I stayed at the pool with my other 2 children pretty much the whole time. The facilities were very clean, staff very friendly and safe. They're lockers too, if need be. We took a cab back to the pier ,where we did some shopping . Cabs were plentiful at Paradise Beach.

 

 

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[setsail1975]

 

Some pics from our visit to Paradise Beach Cozumel

 

 

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[LisaT91403]

Thank you for the pictures and info! You have me reconsidering. If my guy can't play on the ocean toys, and the beach is rocky and murky...I'm not sure what he'd do. I don't really want to go somewhere and just sit at a pool, as I can stay on the ship and do that (and he'd probably had the waterslides all to himself!)

 

We always do Eastern Caribbean, and I hope we didn't make a mistake...I am missing St. Martin's beautiful beach already! LOL

 

If anyone else has some other opinions about PB, or some other suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

[setsail1975]

Thank you for the pictures and info! You have me reconsidering. If my guy can't play on the ocean toys, and the beach is rocky and murky...I'm not sure what he'd do. I don't really want to go somewhere and just sit at a pool, as I can stay on the ship and do that (and he'd probably had the waterslides all to himself!)

 

 

 

We always do Eastern Caribbean, and I hope we didn't make a mistake...I am missing St. Martin's beautiful beach already! LOL

 

 

 

If anyone else has some other opinions about PB, or some other suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

 

 

You're welcome! We were disappointed with the clarity of the water , because we'd prefer to beach it on vacation. That's mainly why we stayed at the pool. If I can't see where I'm stepping in the water then I won't go in. My kids are the same. We did the western Caribbean on this sailing we stopped in Grand Cayman, which is our favorite port. The water no where near as clear in Cozumel at this beach. If your son is a strong swimmer then the water inflatables may be fine for him. We are sailing back to Cozumel again in April this time on NCL without our children,so I'm starting to research as well where to go, this time.

 

 

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[JohninDC]

The water toys are in water deep enough to keep you from hitting the bottom when youngsters (and those of us still young at heart :o) jump off - about 6 feet or so.

 

All of the popular beach clubs are lined up along the same side of the island, so the water quality will be about the same for all - if the currents stir things up or bring seaweed to one, all will have the same conditions.

 

Parts of the beach at PB are rocky, but most is soft sand - easy enough to figure out the difference.

 

When you get to the front of the cab line feel free to skip any cabs that have tied up/cut/non-functioning seatbelts. You can bring your own booster seat, but it is not required in Mexico. Cab fare will be posted - with 8 you'll need a van-taxi and expect to pay about $35+ each way; the ride takes 10-15 minutes.

 

Have a great cruise!. :)

[thewynn]

Does Paradise Beach (or if anyone knows about Playa Mia and Mr Sanchos as well) supply life vests for the kids or will we need to tote our own with us?

[JohninDC]

I recall seeing life vests available and used by others, but no one in my party ever sought one.

[LisaT91403]

The water toys are in water deep enough to keep you from hitting the bottom when youngsters (and those of us still young at heart :o) jump off - about 6 feet or so.

 

All of the popular beach clubs are lined up along the same side of the island, so the water quality will be about the same for all - if the currents stir things up or bring seaweed to one, all will have the same conditions.

 

Parts of the beach at PB are rocky, but most is soft sand - easy enough to figure out the difference.

 

When you get to the front of the cab line feel free to skip any cabs that have tied up/cut/non-functioning seatbelts. You can bring your own booster seat, but it is not required in Mexico. Cab fare will be posted - with 8 you'll need a van-taxi and expect to pay about $35+ each way; the ride takes 10-15 minutes.

 

Have a great cruise!. :)

 

Thank you! What do you think about the crowd/transportation part of the question?

[setsail1975]

Does Paradise Beach (or if anyone knows about Playa Mia and Mr Sanchos as well) supply life vests for the kids or will we need to tote our own with us?

 

 

Paradise Beach definitely had life vest, for use. You just had to leave your drivers license with them and you would get it back when it was retuned.

 

 

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[JohninDC]

Thank you! What do you think about the crowd/transportation part of the question?

 

PB is huge - I do not think you will have an issue with getting cabs or finding chairs/shade.

[sublarry]

I recall seeing life vests at playa Mia, but don't know if they had to pay. Playa Mia is a little further down from Paradise beach. We usually go to Paradise and see lots of kids on the sea toys. We were there last month and the staff would not let you walk into the water at the rocky area.

 

It is a $13 cab ride for 4 people to Paradise and 3 each to get in. That gets a chair and umbrella. I think it is $12 to do the water toys. They do have a $10 cover charge there, but we always eat lunch and have a few sofas and virgin drinks. Typically for 2 people we spend about $65 for the whole deals taxi and all. We don't do the toys.

 

 

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[Charles4515]

It is a $13 cab ride for 4 people to Paradise and 3 each to get in. That gets a chair and umbrella. I think it is $12 to do the water toys. They do have a $10 cover charge there, but we always eat lunch and have a few sofas and virgin drinks. Typically for 2 people we spend about $65 for the whole deals taxi and all. We don't do the toys.

 

 

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They charge $3 to get in which includes access to chairs and umbrellas at the beach or pool. The $10 is what they ask as the minimium to spend on food drink and I think it is a reasonable request. That is pretty easy to do. I think the fun pass for all water toys and stuff is $18. I also don't do those either.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Charles4515

[CdnSunshine]

We were at Paradise Beach last week with our kids, whose ages range between 13 and 7. The taxi ride for 7 was $30 each way, and our van had functioning seatbelts. It was only about a 10 minute drive each way. There are tons of cabs at the port and at beach so it was very easy to find one, even for our larger family. The taxi fares are clearly posted at the port so you can look up your destination and know the price before you head out.

 

The inflatables price has increased to $21 per person. The whole day was incredibly reasonably priced to me - only $3 admission for a beautiful beach and/or pool, and you just had to spend $10 pp in food. Between my husband's buckets of beer and my frozen cocktails, it was no problem to hit our target, lol. We also ordered a bunch of food - tacos, nachos, fries, burritos, etc.

 

We brought our own life jackets for our 7 and 8 year olds as we weren't sure if we could rent them there. I never investigated further once we arrived since we had our own and didn't need to. The water was a bit deep so we were glad they had life jackets. Our older kids were fine swimming on their own. There's also a lifeguard on the beach.

 

The staff was fantastic - service was excellent. Food wasn't cheap but wasn't unreasonable either, and it was very tasty (even to our pickier kids). I had a fantastic massage in a curtained cabana on site (negotiated them down to $60 for 60 min) while my husband kept an eye on the kids at the beach.

 

Everything on site (including washrooms) was very clean. The pool was beautiful, and there are TONS of loungers available under palm trees or umbrellas at both the pool and beach. The day we were there it was busy but not crowded at all.

 

We absolutely loved Paradise Beach, and will be returning next year when we're back in Cozumel! 😊

[JohninDC]

Thanks for the detailed review and welcome to the boards! :)

[TOmama]

Thanks for the review! Was there any preference or issue with paying in cash or via credit card at Paradise Beach? Trying to determine how much cash to bring versus how much credit card conversion fees are!

[CdnSunshine]

We paid the taxi with cash but everything else at Paradise Beach (food, drink, admission, inflatables, massage) we put on our visa. They charge everything in American, which was converted to Canadian on our statement.

 

I believe our server's name was Arni and he was wonderful - he found us lounge chairs and moved tables to accommodate our group, was quick with drinks, and the bill was tallied perfectly.

[LisaT91403]

We were at Paradise Beach last week with our kids, whose ages range between 13 and 7. The taxi ride for 7 was $30 each way, and our van had functioning seatbelts. It was only about a 10 minute drive each way. There are tons of cabs at the port and at beach so it was very easy to find one, even for our larger family. The taxi fares are clearly posted at the port so you can look up your destination and know the price before you head out.

 

The inflatables price has increased to $21 per person. The whole day was incredibly reasonably priced to me - only $3 admission for a beautiful beach and/or pool, and you just had to spend $10 pp in food. Between my husband's buckets of beer and my frozen cocktails, it was no problem to hit our target, lol. We also ordered a bunch of food - tacos, nachos, fries, burritos, etc.

 

We brought our own life jackets for our 7 and 8 year olds as we weren't sure if we could rent them there. I never investigated further once we arrived since we had our own and didn't need to. The water was a bit deep so we were glad they had life jackets. Our older kids were fine swimming on their own. There's also a lifeguard on the beach.

 

The staff was fantastic - service was excellent. Food wasn't cheap but wasn't unreasonable either, and it was very tasty (even to our pickier kids). I had a fantastic massage in a curtained cabana on site (negotiated them down to $60 for 60 min) while my husband kept an eye on the kids at the beach.

 

Everything on site (including washrooms) was very clean. The pool was beautiful, and there are TONS of loungers available under palm trees or umbrellas at both the pool and beach. The day we were there it was busy but not crowded at all.

 

We absolutely loved Paradise Beach, and will be returning next year when we're back in Cozumel! 😊

 

Thank you so much for your detailed review! It is really helpful. I especially like knowing that I can use a credit card, that there is lots of shade, and that the bathrooms were clean! Sounds like a good way to spend the day in Cozumel, as we do not want an all-inclusive experience. Thanks again.

[CdnSunshine]

No problem at all! I'm happy to 'pay it forward' as when I was doing my planning, I relied heavily on people's reviews and opinions too! 😉

 

We definitely didn't want all inclusive either; this was a great alternative. We honestly weren't even really looking forward to our stop in Cozumel because we didn't really know what to expect, but after long and exhausting excursions at our other 2 ports the 2 days prior, we loved the opportunity to enjoy some much needed R&R there. ☺

[mjhouse2]

Hello and thanks to everyone for the information provided. I am curious about toddlers at these beach places. Is there one that is better for a 1 year old and a 5 year old?

[c-leg5]

Hello and thanks to everyone for the information provided. I am curious about toddlers at these beach places. Is there one that is better for a 1 year old and a 5 year old?

 

I would look at Playa Mia, day pass to Allegro, or Chankanaab. If you want to avoid transportation with the little ones and are docking at southern piers, Park Royal.

 

Probably best to use search engine on here and put in "toddler" for more suggestions, or start new thread since this one is really about Paradise Beach.

Edited November 26, 2016 by c-leg5

[c-leg5]

Thank you so much for your detailed review! It is really helpful. I especially like knowing that I can use a credit card, that there is lots of shade, and that the bathrooms were clean! Sounds like a good way to spend the day in Cozumel, as we do not want an all-inclusive experience. Thanks again.

 

We would generally pay in pesos if we have some left over from a land visit.

 

If we use a CC, we would use one with no foreign transaction fee, and have it charged in pesos.

 

Not sure if this is still the case, (haven't seen it discussed recently) but Paradise used to add 20% service fee onto CC transactions to automatically include tip and CC fee. It was stated on the menus - just something to keep in mind and check on. However, I don't know if this was 20% of whole charge (including entrance and water sport bands?) - it was reported 15% tip went to waiter. Perhaps someone who has paid by CC and bought watersport band could comment, or do you have to pay separately for watersport band?

Edited November 26, 2016 by c-leg5

[C. Anne]

My 10 and 14 year old had a blast at Paradise Beach. We have been there twice, last time was in February. I have never seen the water look murky like the pictures posted here. They had fun snorkeling out at the end of the pier. We walked out and sat on the pier while they did it, they loved the inflatables, and the pool was really nice. We thought it was well worth it and not too crowded.

Carey

[KarimaJ]

Our 11 year old had a blast on the inflatables. I was a little nervous since the water is above her head out there but I kept an eye on her from the beach. They have 1 lifeguard out there but obviously he can't see everything. The water was not clear like at Roatan, kind of cloudy. For entrance fee there were no 20% fees. Another person in our party handled the food/drink bill so I'm not sure about that. Tip: we got screwed on cab ride over there $40 for 5 people. We even walked away and he didn't budge on price so I figured I was wrong about the lower price I read that wrong on the boards. Once we got there we saw the posted rates, only $21 for 5 people. Our port (NCL) is further away but don't let them tell you that is the reason why higher rates. All in all a good inexpensive day for all.

 

 

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[c-leg5]

Our 11 year old had a blast on the inflatables. I was a little nervous since the water is above her head out there but I kept an eye on her from the beach. They have 1 lifeguard out there but obviously he can't see everything. The water was not clear like at Roatan, kind of cloudy. For entrance fee there were no 20% fees. Another person in our party handled the food/drink bill so I'm not sure about that. Tip: we got screwed on cab ride over there $40 for 5 people. We even walked away and he didn't budge on price so I figured I was wrong about the lower price I read that wrong on the boards. Once we got there we saw the posted rates, only $21 for 5 people. Our port (NCL) is further away but don't let them tell you that is the reason why higher rates. All in all a good inexpensive day for all.

 

 

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Did you pay by credit card? The 20% charge I mentioned would only apply if you paid by CC. And I just wondered if you had to pay separately or if it could be added onto your food and drink tab? Do you have to purchase your wrist bands at the beach or can you get them from your waiter? I have only visited to eat and drink previously but just wondered what the situation would be if we took older children who wanted to use the watersports.

 

Sorry to hear about the problem with the taxi. Was this from dispatch, or a taxi on the street? If the next in line at dispatch it should charge the rate for your size group even if it is a bigger vehicle than you need. The prices are posted on a board at the pier. On the street it could charge the rate for the rate for the bigger vehicle although that price seems high even for that. I would just have taken the next taxi or asked him to show me his tarif card.

Edited November 27, 2016 by c-leg5