Paradise Beach, Nachi Cocum or Playa Mia?

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

Please help me decide!

 

Ideally I am looking for a comfortable, family friendly place where I can take my two kids (ages 11 and 7) for the day while DH goes SCUBA diving. The biggest issue is my kids have very different likes and dislikes - so pleasing both may be a challenge. For DS11, the trampoline and iceberg at Paradise Beach or Playa Mia would be the highlight of his cruise. DD7, on the other hand, doesn't venture into the ocean beyond her ankles and, like me, prefers the comfort of a pool with a beach view.

 

From my research, it seems Paradise Beach has the trampoline and iceberg, but no pool; Nachi Cocum has a pool, but no trampoline or iceberg; Playa Mia seems to have both, but is more of a party atmosphere. I also read that the iceberg and trampoline at Playa Mia are a good distance from shore. I think if PB had a pool (I read somewhere they have been trying to get a permit for some time) that would be the hands down winner for me, based on the rave reviews on this site. But since it is unlikely they will get a permit and complete construction in the next 4 weeks, I have to decide if a pool is that important. Also, I know Nachi Cocum is reservation only (I think 100 people max) so I have to decide soon if I am going to go there.

 

Sooooo...... Can any of you help me compare these beach spots? I'm interested in learning more about:

 

1. Atmosphere of these resorts - I enjoy a vacation cocktail (or two) but do not want to bring my kids to a drunken fraternity party. I would like a place with other kids for them to hang out with. My kids are well behaved and would do fine with adults, but they would have more fun findings others their age to hang out with.

 

2. Cleanliness of facilities - bathrooms and pools especially (for those that have pools.)

 

3. Quality of food - we don't need gourmet, but I would like to enjoy my lunch and some chips and salsa/guacamole!

 

4. Activities for kids - see above

 

5. Proximity to the port - are they all fairly close to each other?

 

6. Comfort of beach chairs - another negative I read for Playa Mia here. The chairs look awfully uncomfortable!

 

7. Accessibility to umbrellas - do all chairs come with an umbrella. In addition to being more of a pool girl, DD7 needs her shade when the sun gets too intense.

 

8. Service - I know I can order drinks/food from my lounge chair at Paradise Beach - do the others offer the same? Being a single mom for day, I need to be able to keep an eye on the kids so I can't schlep over to a bar everytime I need something!

 

Anything else you can tell me - good or bad - that distinguishes these places? I have looked at all the pictures on webshots - they all look great. Any other pictures would surely be appreciated!

[JoeTx]

Please help me decide!

 

Ideally I am looking for a comfortable, family friendly place where I can take my two kids (ages 11 and 7) for the day while DH goes SCUBA diving. The biggest issue is my kids have very different likes and dislikes - so pleasing both may be a challenge. For DS11, the trampoline and iceberg at Paradise Beach or Playa Mia would be the highlight of his cruise. DD7, on the other hand, doesn't venture into the ocean beyond her ankles and, like me, prefers the comfort of a pool with a beach view.

 

From my research, it seems Paradise Beach has the trampoline and iceberg, but no pool; Nachi Cocum has a pool, but no trampoline or iceberg; Playa Mia seems to have both, but is more of a party atmosphere. I also read that the iceberg and trampoline at Playa Mia are a good distance from shore. I think if PB had a pool (I read somewhere they have been trying to get a permit for some time) that would be the hands down winner for me, based on the rave reviews on this site. But since it is unlikely they will get a permit and complete construction in the next 4 weeks, I have to decide if a pool is that important. Also, I know Nachi Cocum is reservation only (I think 100 people max) so I have to decide soon if I am going to go there.

 

Sooooo...... Can any of you help me compare these beach spots? I'm interested in learning more about:

 

1. Atmosphere of these resorts - I enjoy a vacation cocktail (or two) but do not want to bring my kids to a drunken fraternity party. I would like a place with other kids for them to hang out with. My kids are well behaved and would do fine with adults, but they would have more fun findings others their age to hang out with.

 

2. Cleanliness of facilities - bathrooms and pools especially (for those that have pools.)

 

3. Quality of food - we don't need gourmet, but I would like to enjoy my lunch and some chips and salsa/guacamole!

 

4. Activities for kids - see above

 

5. Proximity to the port - are they all fairly close to each other?

 

6. Comfort of beach chairs - another negative I read for Playa Mia here. The chairs look awfully uncomfortable!

 

7. Accessibility to umbrellas - do all chairs come with an umbrella. In addition to being more of a pool girl, DD7 needs her shade when the sun gets too intense.

 

8. Service - I know I can order drinks/food from my lounge chair at Paradise Beach - do the others offer the same? Being a single mom for day, I need to be able to keep an eye on the kids so I can't schlep over to a bar everytime I need something!

 

Anything else you can tell me - good or bad - that distinguishes these places? I have looked at all the pictures on webshots - they all look great. Any other pictures would surely be appreciated!

 

I guess the biggest difference is Paradise and Playa Mia are resort type beaches with all the water toys. Nachi Cocum feels more like a private beach that just so happens to have a very nice pool, hot tub, bar and resturant.

 

My 11yr boy and 7yr girl had a great time at NC. There were a few kids to play with, but that will just depend on the number of guests that reserve online. Snorkling is just ok there, since the beach is sand, there are not alot of structures were fish will congragate.

 

Through our waiter, we arranged parasailing and banana boats rides at extra cost, the rest of the time, the kids just played in the sand, swam and snorkled...

 

NC is not crowded, so I felt more at ease letting the kids run around by themselves.

 

I am NOT a crowd person and don't need water toys, so I prefer NC, but if you like to people watch, etc, then the others might be more to your liking...

 

Most of the beaches are about the same distance south of the port and will cost about $15 by taxi.

 

NC chairs were comfortable and plenty of paplonas to offer shade.

 

NC food was very good and homemade, bathrooms and showers were clean. Pool water was fresh and clean, as was the hottub..

[PirateGal]

Would anyone know the cost of entry to these beaches?

 

Looks like Paradise Beach is free, but what about Nachi Cocom or Playa Mia? There is no price listed on their websites.

 

Thanks!

[JoeTx]

Would anyone know the cost of entry to these beaches?

 

Looks like Paradise Beach is free, but what about Nachi Cocom or Playa Mia? There is no price listed on their websites.

 

Thanks!

 

We booked NC through http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/CozumelBeachBreak.htm

 

Technically every beach in Mexico is free. From the waterline up 66ft is government owned, so you can technically go anywhere. Its the facilities your paying for, chair, shade, etc.....

[JoeTx]

dupe

[lv2BonBoard]

I was at Playa Mia last Friday. We had planned to go to Nachi Cocum, but when we arrived we were told both at the pier and by a cab driver that it had recently been closed to the public and only members were being allowed in. We were skeptical, but decided to try Playa Mia instead of paying to go out there and then possibly find that we couldn't get in. Anyway, we loved Playa Mia. It was very clean. The facilities all looked newly built - some construction is still ongoing but it is walled off and attractively blocked. It wasn't very crowded (3 ships in port) yet enough people that my kids, 12 & 10, had others to play with. It was a mixture of families, couples and retirees. A big party boat came to shore while we were there, but it wasn't very crowded and it seemed most of the passengers were older folks. You didn't say when you were going... the atmosphere might be quite different at spring break as most people had purchased the all inclusive package like we did. We got the buffet lunch - not great, not bad, chairs - rather difficult to get in and out of, but ok, towels, open bar, paddle boats, kayaks, water tramp, ice berg. Rest rooms and all facilities were very clean. We paid $12 each way (4 people) by taxi. We paid $40 all inclusive per adult for the day and $12 facilities only per child. You can purchase food/drink separately if you want to just pay the $12. My DH paid $5 for an umbrella. Waiter service was limited. I went to the bar for most drinks, but it was very close and the drinks were great. There are lifejackets for the kids to use. The trampolene wasn't too far out, but the iceberg is. There is a rock climbing wall for an additional fee. The pool was very nice with plenty of lounge chairs. They also had some shops on the way in/out with nice, reasonable souvenirs. I bought a nice beach bag and some tank tops that change colors like the ones from Del Sol. We went to Paradise beach last spring and lliked Playa Mia much better.

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

lv2BonBoard

 

We're going February 18 - 25, so we'll be in Cozumel on 2/21. I'm not sure how that impacts the crowds. It is February vacation here in the Northeast, and many of us try to escape the cold and head to the Caribbean.

 

Did the party boat seem out of control or was it just people having a good time? I guess you're right - maybe if I am avoiding college spring break, February shouldn't be too bad.

 

The rock climbing sounds cool - I hadn't heard about that. Can you elaborate a bit about why you liked Playa Mia better than Paradise Beach? If you went back to Cozumel, would you go to Playa Mia again?

[lv2BonBoard]

Most of the people on the party boat seemed to be senior citizens. The arrival of the boat really didn't impact the atmosphere on the beach. It wasn't that crowded - always plenty of beach chairs and probably a hundred tables and chairs at the covered eating area. I would go back to Playa Mia. Paradise was a smaller area with alot of chairs crammed together on the beach. Paradise and San Francisco are so close together you might think they were one and the same. If they had an all inclusive package for food and drinks, we didn't know about it. It was much more crowded at Paradise, but the food/drink we ordered there were good and they had wait service on the beach. The main seller for us at Playa Mia was the pool. My husband really wanted to go somewhere with a nice fresh water pool. I just asked my kids which one they would choose to go back to, and they both said Playa Mia was more fun.

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

Thanks lv2BonBoard. You've given me a lot to think about! My real reason for considering it is the pool, as well. If you don't mind one more question - what about those funky chairs? The pictures I have seen of Playa Mia's chairs look like hard plastic wavy pringle potato chips!!! Are they really comfortable?

 

Anyone else been to these places? Which would you choose and why?

[lv2BonBoard]

No, they really are not comfortable. I found that I really wasn't in it that much. We were in and out of the ocean, walking to the bar, in the pool, off to the buffet, etc. The day goes so quickly. The pool chairs are much better.

[cruise.freak]

We have also been to both and prefer Paradise. Playa Mia was too crowded for us and the chairs are not comfortable and set so low there is sand in them all the time. We didn't eat at Playa Mia but did at Paradise an it was great. We also rented the banana boat from Paradise which was a blast. We are going back to Paraside this time for the "extras" they have there, parasailing and waverunners.

[torybruno]

We have been to Playa Mia and Chunkanaab, and are considering Paradise for our upcoming cruise. From what I remember about Playa Mia, we did not get the buffet - all inclusive, but opted to order from the menu, and I think we were much happier than the people who got the buffet. The chairs are not comfortable, but I agree with the previous poster that you are not in them all that much. There are normal chairs around the pool. When we were there they also offered massages, and they had a pinata game for the kids. No snorkeling there, and the iceberg and trampoline were out a ways, but heck, I made it out to both!

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

Thanks everyone. I still can't decide, but I guess I really can't make a "bad" decision. Just to keep it interesting, anyone been to San Fransisco beach? I think that is next door to Paradise Beach and has a pool. But does it have the trampoline and iceberg? I'm getting so confused!

[c75]

we were there week of 1/7, been to both, like them both.....was playa mia this time

 

we rented a car for $55, and with the car rental, you can get into playa mia for 3$ per person...just gets you in, gives you a chair and you can some of the water stuff (which we never do).....but I HIGHLY reccommend that you go snorkeling there. its $27 p/person for 1 reef, and 37$ for 2 reefs, we did the 2 and let me tell you it was absolutely outstanding!!!!!! One of the highlights of the whole cruise. You'll have a boat driver and a guide that you just follow once you get to the reef.....definitely take an underwater camera, we got some incredible photos!!!! chairs at paradise are better, but it didn't damper things one bit...when the party boat came, it was full of 20 somethings getting pretty lit up....and having a good time.

 

We split a beef (actually steak!!) burritio for like 8$ and it was outstanding...huge!!!

 

 

We had never rented a car there before (we've been there 6-7 times) but that or a scooter are the way to go. Their taxi fares can add up pretty quick there, beach use fares, etc...and it seemed all the rental car places gave that playa mia discount. Their roads are just like ours, but in town, ALL the roads are one way. Have fun, we cant wait to go back!!!!

[Silverain_54]

Ok we are back from our cruise and I wanted to write about our experience at Nachi Cocom. First of all it IS open. We booked through Island Marketing at the price of $49pp. We paid the deposit to Island Marketing and the rest in cash when we arrived (the do not take credit cards!). We were there Jan 15/07.

 

Once we got off the ship we made our way to the taxi lines (about a 5 min walk). We told the driver we were headed to Nachi Cocom and she tried to get us to go to another beach, but once we told her we had made reservations she didn't push. The cab ride was $12 each way and it was a nice 15 min ride. We arrived around 11am and we didn't know what to expect when we got there but when we did we were greeted by a woman and a younger girl who took our picture with sombreros on. We didn't see anyone else there and we were right, we WERE the only ones there! We paid the lady and she gave us wristbands for the all inclusive. Manuel was our server and he escorted us down to the beach where we were set up under a palapa hut with two beach chairs and a table. We were also given beach towels (nice touch). At first we were a little weirded out because we were the only guests there, but Manuel explained that with the weather (it rained all morning) and only 2 ships in port they expected it to be slow. In the end being just the 2 of us there was amazing. Manuel kept bringing me fabulous frozen drinks (try the Chi-Chi) and Coronas to my husband without even asking. DH ordered the fajitas and I had nachos which were really good as well. Manuel told us we could order more but we didn't want to over do it. We went swimming in the ocean and it was so clear and blue. This is a SANDY beach. We didn't come across any rocky parts. They also had a heated pool which we didn't use. We found the whole place including the washrooms to be very clean. There were massage tables set up nearby and a jet ski rental place next door, but we just sat on the beach and went swimming all day. The whole day was great because it was a totally relaxing day with just me and my hubby and we really enjoyed ourselves. If you are looking for a relaxing, sandy beach with great service I would give it a try.

[JoeTx]

Glad you enjoyed your stay. Its a pretty cheap price to pay for your own private beach! Thats what I love about the place...

[PirateGal]

Great review! There will be 3 ships in port when we're in Cozumel too and I was worried that the beaches may be croweded.

 

What time did you arrive?

 

Thanks!

[Silverain_54]

We arrived at 11am and left around 4pm. We would have stayed longer because we weren't leaving port until 7pm but we wanted to do some shopping.

 

We kind of felt like movie stars because a few people had walked down the beach from the busier places and asked us what the deal was haha! :D

 

And yes to have your own piece of paradise for a few hours was great!

[kath1210]

Were the beach chairs comfortable and sturdy? My DH and I are plus-sized and I would hate to go and not be able to find seating.

 

TIA!

[smashley]

This sounds WONDERFUL. Just what we are looking for. So everything is included in the booked price - food and drinks and chairs? Can you order as many drinks as you'd like? Love the sound of getting a massage too. :)

[JoeTx]

This sounds WONDERFUL. Just what we are looking for. So everything is included in the booked price - food and drinks and chairs? Can you order as many drinks as you'd like? Love the sound of getting a massage too. :)

 

all chairs, shade, food and drink is included. I had margueritas and bottled Sol beer.

 

massages, snorkling trips, parasailing, jetskis, banana boats are not included.

 

chairs are big and comfortable

 

NOTHING beats sipping a marguerita sitting in the hot tub while overlooking that beautiful blue caribbean water!

[Silverain_54]

DH and I are not skinny people and we did just fine!

 

And yes, you can order as MANY drinks as you want! After a couple of margaritas and daquiries I asked Manuel to surprise me. He brought me the most delicious drinks ever! haha and DH just drank Corona... a LOT of Corona's. I will try to post pics.

[Silverain_54]

how do i post pics???

[LHP]

So glad to hear they are up and running!! I am also glad to see that they have come down off that $69.00 a person price. $49.00 is not as good as the $32 it used to be....but it is definately headed in the right direction!!!

[kath1210]

DH and I are not skinny people and we did just fine!

 

And yes, you can order as MANY drinks as you want! After a couple of margaritas and daquiries I asked Manuel to surprise me. He brought me the most delicious drinks ever! haha and DH just drank Corona... a LOT of Corona's. I will try to post pics.

 

Thanks!

 

Just curious - is this a family-friendly beach? Were there many kids (mine are 13 and 15)? Did a lot of people overindulge with the drinks? Was there toplessness or nudity? :)