I can answer some of your questions partially. I have been to Cozumel in early Dec and regularily in early Feb. You will likely find the evening temp a bit chilly only because of the humidity. Cozumel rarely gets colder than 50 degrees F so Jan evening temperatures are likely over 60 F. Unless you are going for 2 weeks or really don't want to relax much then a side trip to Cancun is not recommended. It would eat up most of your day comming & going. The most popular trips are to Playa Del Carman (the ferry from Cozumel goes to & from there) Land trip to Cancun from Playa is about 1 1/2 hours each way, with the ferry trip being about 1 hour each way. If you must explore there are day trips to Ruins that your hotel can get you hooked up with, they are big on such side sales. Car rental is also usually done at the resort, but the El Cozumalino is within walking distance ( about a mile or so) of an area which has other rental companies and shops which you will likely want to visit. There are always taxis at the entrances to the resorts. You should only need a car for a day to see the island and most of its beaches. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to drive around the entire road system back to your starting point. Do make that trip, the other side is really beautiful. Find out what dive shop is affiliated with the hotel & contact them re certification & costs. It may be better to do the basics at home through a local shop and the final open water tests there. For your best snorkling it is the waters that stretch between your resort and the Fiesta Americana. You can walk about a mile towards the Fiesta Americana and snorkel back to your resort. This is the best area on the island for shore snorkling. Wear rubber booties on your feet, the limestone is sharp, and you also could step on a sea urchin, which are venomous.

We just returned yesterday (11/7/04) from a 6-day trip to El Cozumeleno in Cozumel with 3 boys 8, 12 and 14. My husband and the 12 and 14 year old went scuba diving for the first time. The scuba instructor, Maria, at the hotel was fabulous!! Antonio runs the dive shop and is great too. We checked around and you won't find better deals than you can get through them. She gave them thorough training prior to the dive and took them diving 25 ft. She was especially helpful to our 12 yr old. Couldn't say enough good about her and their experience! We also rented a car for the day while we were there. We used Royal rent-a-car and one of the hotel employees working at the desk to help tourists arranged it for us. We drove the island and it takes about an hour to drive. No problems! We stopped at Playa Bonita on the ocean side and had the best time! It was a beautiful beach, fun for relaxing and swimming and snorkeling. (Rent the snorkel equipment from the dive shop at the hotel for $10/day or bring your own from home) Playa Bonita also is a restaurant with tables and umbrellas on the beach and bathrooms. Great spot! If you can, bring your own snorkel stuff from home so you can use it whenever and wherever you want. The hotel provides it free for 1 hour only or the $10/day. Stay away from representatives from the travel agencies or other tour packages. We used one to take the ferry over to Playa Carmen and a bus tour to Xel Ha and Tolum but it was overpriced and you're on their schedule. For 5 of us we probably overpaid almost $200 than if we had done it ourselves. It's easy enough to take a taxi to the ferry and rent your own car when you get to Playa Carmen. The hotel staff is definitely more helpful and will assist you with any plans or questions and they are not getting a commission to do so. The hotel also has a snorkel trip to 3 reefs but it's only on certain days. We missed going and I was sorry we did. The hotel and staff are great. You'll love it! Water Polo at the pool was my youngest son's favorite part of the trip! Everything other than what's free at the hotel costs quite a bit so plan on $70 - $100 per person for each snorkel or diving excursion you are planning. Bring an alarm clock too because there are no clocks in the rooms. (just a little advice) As for non-alcoholic drinks... my kids loved the virgin pina coladas! The hotel provides free food and drinks all day and night!

I would imagine that you can get many exotic type drinks in the non-alcoholic variety such as margaritas and coladas that your boys would enjoy. Any dive outfit affiliated with your hotel would be highly qualified or they wouldn't get that affiliation one would think. Diving and snorkeling are two of the biggest draws to Coz. My husband and I were there back in April 04 and did the Discover Scuba (a/k/a resort course) and loved it. We did some snorkeling as well and it was about as beautiful as Hunama Bay, Hawaii ..... such beautiful areas. We didn't do the trips affiliated with the cruiseline, instead opting to save the money and do it in Coz. We paid about $65 each for the discover scuba and $35 for a 3 reef snorkel trip.

We fell in love with Cozumel, planned on going in a year or so but haven't made it that long....heading back in Jan. 05. We will be in Coz during the period you're there for a day but coming in on a cruise ship and bringing most of our kids. Boys 22 & 17 and girls 22 & 14. Our 19 y/o opted not to skip a day of school and miss 4 days work (to pay that pricey tuition)....whereas our oldest daughter scrimped and saved so she doesn't have to work and will only miss one day of class.

Most things are a walk or short taxi ride away. Taxi's are not expensive unless you're going pretty far. The recommendation seems to be to rent a car for a day and explore the whole island. We'll do that on our next trip down as we plan on spending a week or so at some point.

I would recommend that you do a lot of research on line. You can get a lot of really helpful information about Cozumel on the various boards and websites. Find the different dive shops, car rental places, attractions, tips on the culture, etc. before you go and get a decent handle on what you wish to do. That will be less time wasted after you get there.

All of the Cozumel residents we met were very, very friendly. The only problem we encountered were the time share sellers and that was more of a minor nuisance considering our time in Cozumel was limited. Have a wonderful trip!!!

One last thing. I don't believe that there is a direct ferry to Cancun. I think you have to take the ferry to Playa del Carmen then take a bus, rent a car, etc. to get to Cancun. Figure about 45 min. ferry ride and an hour to an hour and a half to Cancun. There are a lot of things to do in and around Playa if you want to take a day trip there...... That would be another good search.

Wow! How exciting! Yes! Get the boys certified or take the "Discovery/Resort course." (you too!?) One dive operation quotes: ���Children are faster learners than adults; early certification teaches them to respect the ocean and the environment.���

The water is so very beautiful here, who wouldn't want to spend most of their time in it? Seven shades of blue and more then 100 ft. visibility!

There is plenty more to do at this resort and you will enjoy it, I'm sure. The beach and grounds are lovely, the staff friendly, the food a bit above average, (for an AI) the entertainment is entertaining! rooms are clean and well appointed!

You should rent a car for a day or two, and for $40 a day with insurance & tax, Margarita will come to the hotel to pick you up. You can cruise around the island in a VW convertible!

There's lots to see and do here, but I would definitely start by going to the museum. (you really don't need the car for this, should you spend some time in town before your trip around the island, go to the museum first, this will give you the best

introduction to all of the island! The guys should like it too, and there a great restaurant on the second level with a water view! Fabulous! Best to go for beakfast! Then the museum after, then the plaza....walk around...should go to plaza on sunday nights around 8:30/9pm for live music, local flavor, dancing, very traditional! Shouldn't be missed.

Your trip around the island should include a visit to the ruins, (go early morning to avoid the cruise ship crowds) a stop at Punta Morena so the guys can surf with Peter, the first certified surf instuctor on the island! $15 delicious lobster lunch served on the beach!!!

A stop a Playa Bonita for a long walk on a mostly deserted beeatuiful long beach! Great ceviche too! Palapas on the beach...yup! it's paradise!

A stop at the Rasta Bar for a cold one and the hammock for your afternoon siesta! another paradise!

Playa Palancar, the more authentic beach club, not built up and catering to 'cruise ship people' like alot of the others, provides diving and snorkel trips as well as palapas on the beach, hammocks, a beautiful beach and it's on the most southern end near the park 'Punta Sur." Punta Sur is a is a great place to spend a minimum of four hours! Museum in the light house, lagoon ride for birdwatching, other lagoon for crocodiles! Very cool place!!! Swimming sun, snorkel.

But for the really great snorkeling it further north than Playa Palancar.

For really great 'shore snorkeling' try Playa Corona and Dzul-Ha. You can also go into Chankanab, a great park with lagoons and botanical gardens.

I personally would not go to Cancun, but south to Tulum to see the ruins there. Beautiful, on the coast, amazing! Walk around on Av. 5 in Playa del Carmen after and soak up the european flavor, great shops, restaurants and bars, beautiful beach!

Other than that, I would stay on island and enjoy what is offered here, the beautiful tranquil water of the Caribbean Sea! Kick back, relax, and enjoy being on 'island time!' The locals are friendly and the island is one of the safest places to be! Feel free to e-mail me for any other questions! Happy to help you make the most out of your vacation! cozumelkelly@hotmail.com

CK

Hi -You have so much knowledge about the island I thought I would ask for some much needed advice. I have been disappointed with some of the reviews of El Cozumeleno but have put them aside assuming that you cannot please everyone.We will be traveling to the island and staying at El Coz from Dec. 16 - 23. We have three children 4, 8, 11. We are not divers but thought that the older two and my husband could do some snorkeling. We do not have equipment but for $10/day it sounds like a good deal. Is the equipment in good shape and can we take it from the hotel? We can't wait to visit the wonderful places you mentioned.Who is Margarita and how do you contact her for the vw convertible? This sounds like a fantastic deal.Since we are a family of 5 we are in a garden view room called a family room. Do you know if these are in the north or south tower? Is there much difference between the two towers. Sounds like if there is room a little tipping will go a long way with upgrades.We do not know how to speak spanish (too bad). We feel like we should know more traveling to a different country. Will this be a problem? Please feel free to let me know any other advice. We are looking so forward to the trip (a surprise for the kiddos) that I want to know as much as possible before our excursion. Not long now. Thank you soooooooooo much. Molly Olsen

Happymom; As you put your question in someone elses I hope you read this. The rental is per person, so I recommend buying some basic snorkling equipment at Wal Mart or some place similar. Once your kids & husband see what is in those waters be prepared to join them, there are thousands of colorful fish & many very beautiful coral formations. I personally can spend all day snorkling these areas, everyday if I wasn't going diving. Secondly you should be aware that Cozumel before Christmas has many activities going on, especially geared up for the young ones. There probably will be activities on Sat & Sun evenings at the main square, and a camera is needed to capture the memories. Also the kids will seem to be begging from the tourists. Don't dispair, they are begging for their Christmas party, and will sing you a carrol in return for your donation. This is organized and all the money is used properly. I strongly recommend you check in with the resort front desk for info on such things, it can be very entertaining, and the kids are dressed so nice. One other thing about Cozumel then is the Christmas decorations, it sure seems funny looking at large plastic Frosty the Snowman, Santa, Micky & Minni statues in 80 to 90 degree weather. I don't know how Frosty survives it. I have only been there once in December but the memories will live forever. Too bad some of my photos didn't work out, some of the kids looked fantastic.

Thank you so much for the info. We are looking so forward to this trip - much needed R & R. Fortunately we have well behaved kids (knock on wood) so we should enjoy the experience. Thank you for the advice on the snorkeling equip. we will definitely buy prior. Have you ever stayed at the el coz? thanks again. any advice on restaraunts or beaches?

I have not stayed there yet. It is the next place I plan on trying after my upcoming visit. As for beaches there is really only ! on the leeward (safe) side of the island. It stretches for several miles and many of the resorts are along it, starting with the Reef Club at the end closest to town and ending well past the Iberostar. There are many commercial facilities along the beach, the oldest being Playa San Francisco. Playa = beach in english as far as I know. There are mamy great restaurants in town, and everybody has their favourite. The most well known are The Mission (I finally found last visit & will try it this Feb), Lobster house is another highly reputable restaurant but I don't go there. I prefer to look at them when diving, rather than eat them even though I do eat Atlantic lobsters, the kind with claws. I much prefer shrimp, easier to eat, less waste. My own personal favourite restaurant so far is Sonora Grille, located 2 blocks behind the main square, down the road on the left side of the square when looking at it from the waterfront. The food is Mexicanish, very tasty, good sized portions and very reasonably priced. All the restaurants that I frequent are in my opinion a great value. I try not to look for food I could eat at home, I really didn't go that far just to eat steak or prime rib. I have booked an all inclusive on the edge of town knowing full well that I will be sampling many local restaurants this visit, because they are all within walking distance. The location of your hotel is close enough to the original pier or town that taxi rides won't be very expensive, whereas from the Iberostar they cost $18.00 each way. You tend not to go into town for that reason & miss a lot of what Cozumel is about. I am going to post a topic about snorkeling in a day or 2 that you should read, it will point out several important things to know, and hopefully prepare first timers (to Cozumel) to get the most out of their vacation. I want to write down things as I think of them & then make a single post which hopefully will gather info from others as a big referance manual.

hi nebraska, i have heard good things about the el cozumeleno, we cant afford to stay there, but are looking at staying next door at the melia over spring break, also traveling with kids, 2 of them teenagers. this will be our 4th trip to coz, its so awesome there. we go there to snorkel, have never done a dive. your hotel is all inclusieve, but if you go out, eat at la prima, it is our favorite restaurant in the whole world. FRESH seafood/italian. rent a car for the day and drive around the island, the "other"side is really pretty, has huge waves and the water is wild. but there is a place where you can body surf, it's kind of an inlet where theres waves but its also fairly calm. the ferry ride over to playa del carmen is about 45 minutes. playa is really fun, and you could go to excaret or tulum/xel ha. chankanaab park (on coz) used to be a must, the snorkeling there is awesome, and theres some statues buried there. however, in recent years, like all of coz, it has been overpopulated with cruise ship people! but i hope you have a wonderful vacation!!!!minneapolis