Status of Dzul Ha (now The Money Bar Beach Club)

[lawtyger]

Hi,

 

My wife and I will be in Cozumel in March on the Carnival Legend. We've snorkeled Dzul Ha on 3 prior occasions but not since the hurricanes (Wilma, etc.) hit. I've now noticed that they rebuilt the structures and call it The Money Bar Beach Club.

 

My questions are:

(1) Is snorkeling free still?

(2) Is it still worth snorkeling there and are the reefs recovering (slow process obviously).

 

In the past, Dzul Ha was a great deal, you just stopped in, did your snorkeling (decent snorkeling, nothing like Tabyana in Roatan), made sure to buy lunch and it was a pleasant way to enjoy a few hours. I liked the relatively primitive feel before, and it sounds like that may have changed.

 

If anyone has been to Dzul Ha / The Money Bar Beach Club lately, please respond. I certainly sounds like someone may have sunk some money in the place and made some enhancements but the Money Bar Beach Club sure sounds like a place that tourist will be dropping a lot of money. I'm sticking with the name Dzul Ha.

[Kittybork]

I was there in November. If you loved Dzul Ha, as I did, for its rustic charm, you might be a bit disappointed. Many of the changes that have been made make The Money Bar more like any other Beach Club along any coast in the world.

 

The new bar with the wooden floors is beautiful, but I prefer the old place. Dzul Ha was bought by an American, so it has been Americanized.

 

Snorkeling is still free. We've been 4 times since Wilma, so I can see new life, but it will obviously be a slow process.

[lawtyger]

Thanks for the response. Well, the bottom line for me is that the snorkeling is still free as I have a comfort level with the area and always enjoy snorkeling there (even though I've been to better places). I spend much of the time in the water but I too will miss the rustic charm.

 

Thanks for the info.

[nolaAlive]

When I was there in November, the Money Bar was actively hiring waitstaff, but the old Dzul Ha Beach club bar and grill were still there and active. Not sure what the future holds, however.

 

The shallow reefs were destroyed, but you can see new growth. It is kind of neat to see a reef develop from almost nothing. There are a few coral heads around, but nothing like before. Very few, if any, parrot fish, but lots of others.

 

Watch where the dive and snorkel boats stop and that is a good indication of where to snorkel.

 

Just south of Dzul Ha is an artificial reef (broken concrete I suspect left over from Wilma). Lots of fish hanging out around it. It is marked with buoys.

[lawtyger]

Just to clarify which way south is as I'm not sure. . . is South towards the cruise ship port?

 

I've gotten some good parrot fish pictures in the past so it will be a disappointment not to see as many (or the jumbo ones).

[nolaAlive]

South is away from the cruise ship docks.

 

I saw none of the huge parrot fish near to shore (no coral for them to eat). They are obviously somewhere - but I haven't found. There are the usual suspects - Sergeant Majors and other beggers.

[Kittybork]

NolaAlive is correct. The old bar was still there in November, but the new bar had not yet opened (not when I was there during Thanksgiving week). It may be open now.

 

I have my doubts about whether or not they'll tear down the old one once the new one is functional. The two don't have the same decor. I suspect the old one will go. Perhaps I'm wrong.

[Scooter-n-GB]

The old will go, if it is not already gone, and the new owner, who has sunk so much funding in the "Money" bar, is a bit of a predator, and is trying to force Palmar Beach Club, just next door, out of business, so that he can buy on the cheap and tear it down to expand. :(

[ReeRee47]

We were there last week, perfect weather and had a great time. We saw lots of fish and there were only about a dozen people there. We wanted somewhere quiet away from all the cruise folks, as there were 5 ships in town. Perfect spot!! I had taken alittle bit of fish food out with us, and at one time there were close to 50 fish around us, amazing.

[lawtyger]

ReeRee47, were you snorkeling behind the old Dzul Ha bar/restaurant?

[FoolUKnot]

As far as I know, Sherri of Cozumel Insider still owns Palmar (and at least one other property). If a predator named Wilma couldn't force her out, not sure what the Money Bar owner is planning.

 

But I know I don't like the looks of the Money Bar, so will probably be spending more time and money at Palmar. The snorkeling is the same.

 

It could be interesting to watch the battle if it materializes.

[Scooter-n-GB]

Sherri does still own Palmar. I believe there's some court activity currently underway, related to encroachment by the Money Bar, onto Palmar property.

[cozumeldivegoddess]

The Money Bar Beach Club has placed 40 artifical reef balls into the ocean in conjunction with the marine park to augment the reef and snorkeling here at Dzul Ha.

 

The new restaurant still features free snorkeling, rental of snorkel gear and has a 2 x 1 happy hour.

 

Gone is the "rustic" dilapidated, sanitary hazard of the old days, to make way for a more environmentally and family friendly place to spend the day.

 

I had breakfast with the legal representative of the Money Bar Beach Club this morning, and he's unaware of any legal action between the two properties.

[ReeRee47]

Lawtyger....Yes we snorkled at the Money bar. I believe the snorkle gear was $10.00. We also had lunch, great chips and salsa!! I thought it was worth the trip, and will return again.

[Kittybork]

The new place may be prettier - I'm not so sure about the rest - but it is NOT friendlier.

 

We spent many days there in the past and enjoyed conversation with all of the waiters while there. Now, the same waiters seem reluctant to talk. I can only imagine one cause for that.

[eltigre]

The info I saw regarding the new owners & their future plans...condos on the jungle side....

 

el tigre:(

[Cammie]

I was there last month and was very disappointed. Some of the niceties are indeed nice (bathrooms, handrails into the water now), but the prices have gotten outrageous. Unfortunately, I probably won't go back. I loved the rustic charm of Dzul Ha and their reasonably priced drinks and food. The niceties don't make up for the ridiculous price increases by the Money Bar.

[Scooter-n-GB]

The info I saw regarding the new owners & their future plans...condos on the jungle side....

 

el tigre:(

 

Making money with no regard for the "big picture", it would seem. Is this the true "Ugly American", with and FM3 and an attitude to match? :eek:

[lawtyger]

The comments being posted about the differences between Dzul Ha and the Money Bar are very interesting. Our main focus really is the snorkeling aspect of going there. In fact, if we are there 4 hours, I'll be in the water 3 of those 4. We always enjoyed a lunch/rest break there and hopefully that will continue, although it sounds like it may be more expensive. I'm curious to see how my experience will be since I'm more focused on the snorkeling, then that building or amenities on shore (even though it clearly sounds like the amenities have gone up, however, possibly at the expense of the friendliness).

[cozumeldivegoddess]

Making money with no regard for the "big picture", it would seem. Is this the true "Ugly American", with and FM3 and an attitude to match? :eek:

 

 

 

Ugly Americans are make judgements without knowing the whole picture.

[lawtyger]

Boy, the simple thread I started about snorkeling Dzul Ha is turning ugly. Hmmmm. . . well, if I'm an ugly American too, then so be it but I'm really looking forward to coming back to Cozumel for my 4th time and will always consider it one of my favorite ports, even if I do get lumped in with the Ugly Americans. Oh well, that's sort of ashame, but nevertheless, I look forward to snorkeling Dzul Ha / The Money Bar in a month. I'm excited about the the artificial reef balls and hope the parrot fish I love taking pictures of have returned (or at least some of them).

 

Here's a couple pre-hurricane pictures taken at Dzul Ha:

 

 

[Scooter-n-GB]

Ugly Americans are make judgements without knowing the whole picture.

 

Call it what you will... and, you will, as shall I. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, based on who they know, and what they know of the situation.

 

If you have anything you'd like to add, that is productive, to the conversation, then please do. If you'd prefer to pass judgement upon someone whose knowledge, of the situation, is unknown to you, then so be it.

[eltigre]

lawtyger

 

Loved the pictures!!!!

Yours?

What were you using?

 

I am an amature photo buff & looking into an underwater unit for my camera as I write this.

 

Last time I was in Coz was 1995. Only 1 beach club, 1 road(the old one now I guess) 1 pier & a ferry much different than now so I hear:eek:

 

Snorkled by stopping anywhere along the road & threading your way through the rocky beach.:o

 

 

So looking forward to my reurn.

 

Please, please post more info & pics when you retun:o

Let me know where you will post them?

 

eltigre

[rickb609]

I last snorkeled Dzul-ha 5 years ago and found that it was one of my favorites. I keep hearing that the reef was destroyed by the hurricane. Can anyone give me a current evaluation of the most current conditions of the shore snorkeling there. My trip is 4 weeks away and I want to firm up the plans for our day. We are really thinking about switching gears and going straight to Palancar and taking a boat out.

[lawtyger]

lawtyger

 

Loved the pictures!!!!

Yours?

What were you using?

 

Please, please post more info & pics when you retun:o

Let me know where you will post them?

 

eltigre

 

Sorry I didn't respond until now. . . we spent the last 3 days at Disney World.

 

Yes, those are a couple of my pics from a previous trip to Dzul Ha.

 

I'm actually not much of a photographer. I'm using a Sony W7 with the Sony underwater case that is made for it (very very good quality). I basically just fill up my memory sticks and typically find several good shots. Afterwards, I just run the pictures through Photoshop Elements and the filter that fixes water photos and I'm done (this filter works well when there is bottom or coral in the background - not so well with a lot of water only behind a fish). Just wish I could figure out how to fix the colors in videos I take with the W7 (you'll see why in the spotted ray video below).

 

Here is an album of pics we took in Nassau while snorkeling:

 

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaNGzdw2bOGLxw

 

The spotted ray:

 

 

Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures :D, hopefully I can get a few more good ones on our upcoming cruise.