My husband and I were in Mexico 9/9-9/16. We arrived at the hotel and were greeted very warmly. Our room was up on the 4th floor with an ocean view. The rooms were kept very clean. The beds were comfortable. The pool is very small, but we enjoyed a quick dip after returning from the salty ocean. Every morning we ate breakfast at the hotel. The food was awesome and the juices were fresh. There are computers in the lobby for guests to use. Our first two days we spent in Cozumel and then we took the ferry to Playa del Carmen for two days and then returned to Cozumel until we left. We were able to leave most of our luggage except for a backpack and our snorkeling gear at Casa Mexicana. This was awesome because we like to travel light. While on the mainland, we were robbed (sob, sob!) of all our identification (passports, drivers' licenses, credit cards, cash, cell phone). By the grace of God we made it back to Cozumel and Casa Mexicana. The staff at Casa Mexicana were very helpful and empathetic. They helped direct us to Mexican Immigration and the US Consular Agent to get some paperwork filled out to help us get through airport security when it was time to return home.


Places we ate (we split a lot of the meals because the servings were so large):

Sonora Grill- great fajitas and guacamole

La Choza- awesome soups, fajitas, tacos, salsa. The salsa is very unique and flavorful. This restaurant is frequented by the locals. If you go for lunch, ask for the lunch special- it's not on the menu, but the locals all know about it

Pepe's- great steak and rolls. Very romantic with an ocean view and a man playing the piano in the background. Expensive.

Guidos- tasty Italian food. The pizzas were delicioius and the dessert was good too. Their is a courtyard in which to sit outside. It was romantic.

Casa Denis- just off the plaza. Traditional Mexican food. Great place to people watch and enjoy the strolling musicians. The food was great. We had the tacos and a chicken sandwich (Mexican style).

La Veranda- by far the most romantic dinner. There are tables set up on the back patio. It's secluded and the gardens are fabulous. Enjoy star gazing while you eat. The food was incredible.

La Cozumelena- they serve breakfast and have their own bakery. We never had breakfast there because we ate at the hotel, but we frequented the bakery for light, cheap lunches. The ham and cheese items were delicious, as were the nut cookies.

Asadero El Pollo- they sell whole and half roasted chickens. Included in the price is tortillas, onions, rice and salsa. Very economical.

Diving/Snorkeling:

As far as diving and snorkeling goes, we were impressed with Papa Hogs. A small outfit that takes only six passengers out on their boats. They are flexible with the itinerary. Places we found that still had coral following the hurricane- Columbia Shallow, Palancar Reef and Cedral Reef. The snorkeling from Dzul Ha was pretty good for shore entry.

My wife and I stayed at Casa Mexicana from the 20th of July to the 27th. We have traveled to many destinations (5 internationally). You will find no better hotel on Cozumel than Casa Mexicana. We had a partial ocean view which was incredible. The staff was inviting, courteous, and professional. The rooms were spotless and cleaned daily. They have free high speed internet with 4 modern computers available downstairs. They have U.S. style plumbing (I mention it in case this is your first adventure abroad) and may be a concern to some. It's location is very central to San Miguel. My recomendations: For diving check out scubatony.com I assure you, you will have a better dive trip by booking with him than anyone on the island. It may cost a few bucks more, but it is well worth it. There is not enough space for me to tell you how good he and his captain, Carlos, and other dive master, Eric, are. They also have a fast boat and will tailor trips to you ability and needs. The large dive operations like dive paradise are a joke and you might as well throw your money in the ocean if you want to use them. For kiteboarding: barracuda beach is serviced by taxi and a great spot to ride. Make sure to meet adrian at cozumel kiteboarding. As it was told to me, "If you leave Cozumel without meeting Adrian, you have missed out." Food: Especias, Prima, and Johnny's are my favorites! I can't wait to go back!

We had a great time in Cozumel and really happy with our stay at Casa Mexicana - the breakfast buffet was great - service was excellent. The view from our room was beautiful - we would wake up watching the boats on the ocean - it is worth the extra money to get a ocean view room. The hotel is located in the down town area - walking distance to McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Hard Rock Cafe and lots of shopping. The beach is a taxi ride away - Every day there would be a different animal made of towels awaiting us. We really enjoyed our stay and will return.

I've just returned from another dive trip to Casa and again had a great time. The service was very good as always and the beds have gotten softer. My only gripe is that there is not a gym. However, there is an OK gym on Benito Juarez near the Pemex fuel station. It's a safe (and healthy) walk of about a mile. Near Benito Juarez and 10th is Los Corales 3. It's a tiny little place with great (and cheap) fish tacos. Guido's is fab and Pepe's is just OK, but is reasonably priced. I dived with Aqua Safari yet again as it is right net door to Casa. As always AS was a good choice as the staff is safe, professional and friendly. I've stayed at several other places on CZM and Casa will remain my first choice.