We were taken aback after being told we'd be fine using our debit card at the local shops in Cozumel. If you go by Carnival Holiday beware they built and lease to occupants the "preferred" shops you will port at. Shop owners can't barter unless you have cash. Prices go down the closer your ship gets to leaving. Drivers hover around in the plaza with signs of enticement to take you to the different exclusive beaches? Hardly a dime of difference between them. We had 9 and paid $25 cash each to be taken to a beach where you had a free lounge chair, jumpoline in the water, inflatable climbing wall, floats, paddle boats and kayaks to be used in a confined little square. Another family of only 4 on the ship took at taxi to a beach, $20 for all of them. Once at the beach more shops, food and drinks cruise ship priced ($3.00 coke, buffet $15).

Ou lala and MoDa jewelry is a one of a kind boutique in Cozumel. The jewelry is hand crafted and no two pieces are the same. You can put an entire outfit together down to the shoes and bag. My daughter and I could not drag ourselves out the door. We found so many different pieces it was difficult to decide. It is our favorite store on the island.

Cozumel has been extremely careful about the swine flu, it is not here and they are working hard to keep it that way. Playa Del Carmen and Cancun show no signs of any kind of outbreak. We are so glad we did not cancel our trip. They were very careful, taking tempature readings via a laser type device on each airline or ferry passenger. That is the only sign we have seen since being here for seven days. The diving is still the best, the people even better, don´t cancel your trip.

Lisa Gibson
North Conway, NH

My boyfriend and I just returned from a trip to Cozumel. Before we left, we were surprised to find little information on the island, except for references to scuba diving. My boyfriend's parents have spent over 45 days in Cozumel already this year; so we were able to experience the island as locals. As we met more and more wonderful people, we realized that we owed it to them to write a real review of the island.
The people of Cozumel rely on tourism, most of it from Cruise ships docking at the island for the day. Most of the people there don't even have work if there isn't a cruise ship. The main city of the island is called San Miguel de Cozumel, this is where the ferries and cruise ships dock. I would just like to inform anyone taking a cruise to Cozumel that the large diamond companies and stores directly in front of the cruise ship dock are over charging. They also encourage you to only shop there, as the cruise ship companies get kick backs from those stores.
Jewelry stores, whether they sell expensive things like diamonds or one of the prevalent silver stores, are places you should remember to be aware of- not everything is always above board. Almost every shop is full of pieces stamped '925' but not all of it is real silver. The easiest way to tell if a store is legit, is to look at the stones in the shop. You cannot bring any coral, red or black, back to the United States. Most of the opals, especially those set in pieces with 'tanzanite' are man made, as in plastic. Also almost every shop had fake Turqouise in it, even the reputable ones. Real turquoise has a blue green color and brown striations in it. Dyed Howlite, however is a really bright blue with black lines in it. If you are in a shop that only has a few pendants with stone, and they are black, red, blue and green in flat colors; the stones aren't real and I doubt the silver is either.
Some of the best stores are off of the main plaza, on the right hand side; in an area called 'Plaza Confetti.' Some stores I suggest are Joyeria Michelle's, Silver Gallery S&I, Fatima Artisans, Crystal Sea (Loose Gemstones are also real here, very nice store for higher end jewelry).
Also at the end of this side street is an amazing restaurant called The Mission. For roughly $10 US a supper, you get Guacamole, Garlic Bread, Soup, a huge plate of food, and either Flan or ice cream. You are also sitting in a nicely ventilated room with murals of ruins, plants and a huge stone waterfall. In the plaza there are two cafes on the right hand side of the main square that are wonderful and inexpensive. Behind the plaza on the same road, is a place called Casa Denis. It is one of the only remaining original wood structures on the island after Hurricane Wilma. It has a rich and wonderful history, and Jackie Onassis had once eaten there. The food ranges from American style hoagie sandwiches to seafood dinners. At night in the square there is a little store that sells ice crams and something called 'esquites' which is a warm corn snack served in a dixie cup. It is made of corn, cheese, creme fresh, lime juice and chili powder. The line for this stand can stretch all of the way across the park and I highly recommend trying it.
When dealing with stores and vendors, they will always knock off twenty percent immediately if there is no price on an item. Be careful when buying blankets, because signs will advertise a certain price for a 'big' blanket that isn't much larger than a throw. Real ones will run you about $20 US and there isn't much you can do about it. All of the Mexican dresses sold are made somewhere in the Yucatan, as there are huge import taxes on items from places like China and Taiwan. Most of the items in the shop are directly supporting the mexican artisans. Just be aware the the price of things you buy and feel free to shop around. Also, Cuban cigars don't cost a dollar, they cost at least $6 US . If buying cigars, be sure the shop is using a humidor. Some shops take the wraps off of Mexican cigars and put fake Cuban wraps on instead.
In the square there are many different cabana stands offering tours, mopeds, snorkeling and scuba diving. I recommend Fanny snorkel tours, in particular a man named Carlos. He owns a glass bottomed boat. He is very helpful and upfront and is normally wearing a leather cowboy hat. If you are going to Cozumel, and looking for a tour I recommend emailing him at CarlosDiazHerrera750@hotmail.com. Remember Hurricane Wilma took most of the sand from the shores of Cozumel and dumped it in the ocean. To get to a beach you will need transportation.
Carlos set us up with an amazing scuba dive master named Santos. He works at the national park, and has been diving since 1988. He became a dive master in 1999, and is an amazing instructor. He picked us up, brought us equipment and took us out to the park. He gave us options as we are not certified. He taught us how to recover our respirators underwater, how to stabilize our depth under water, and gave us an amazing dive. A man at the beach was able to take pictures of our dive for $35 if we were interested. Our dive started at the beach and we made our way out to Paradise reef. For a beginner's dive, Santos brought us to hideouts in the coral where there were moray eels. He showed us anemone, conchs, and schools of fish in the reef. It was an informative and interesting dive. We were very comfortable and Santos gave us options to work toward certification. He said he could certify people in about 3 days. We live in Wisconsin where underwater visibility is very poor, but there are indoor dive schools here. He said we could also take the courses here and take the final test with him in the reef. His email is Divewithsantos@hotmail.com.
There are some other things to be wary of when it comes to tours on the island. The carriage rides do not take you around the plaza. They take you 'downtown' which is about 5 blocks away from the main drag. There is not much to see on the tours and I never saw a water trough for the horses. The Tequilla Factory there is not a factory, it is a museum. It is still interesting, but it is a common misconception. The Tequilla Factory stores in the square are way overpriced. A 100ml bottle of good tequilla was $13 US; a liter was $65-$92 US. The ruins at San Gervasio were washed out by Wilma. They rebuilt them using the same stones, but they are rebuilt. This is not shared with tourists, they are referred to as original ruins.
The hotel we stayed at was called Hotel Mary Carmen. It was very affordable, but a bit rustic. The location was amazing as public restrooms are hard to find and it is half a block form the square. I don't know what kind of experience you want to have in Mexico, but remember there is more to this place than all inclusive resorts. You can have a much more full and special trip if you take the time and money and spend it in the real city as opposed to being way down shore of the local businesses and restaurants. Supposedly, Bill Gates bought a large chunk of coast to build a resort that happens to be on the same beach where sea turtles lay their eggs. This is devastating as the ecology and natural beauty of this island is one of the true assests and attractions Cozumel has to offer us.
The people of Cozumel are amazing, they have a rich Mayan tradition. Many of the people of Cozumel are full blooded Mayans, and know the Mayan language. Whether it is Pedro, who is an amazing spray paint artist in the square, or Rudy who braids hair for cruise ship passengers; the people of Cozumel are fun and hospitable. They will help you with anything you need and give you lots of helpful information. They rely on us for there bread and butter, so take some time and explore the local businesses and stands. You may find a beautiful boutique like 'it', or an amazing shop full of authentic mayan instruments and handmade guitars called 'U Nahi Pax.' Overall this island is safe and clean. The people are friendly and helpful. The atmosphere is relaxed and has that special pride and attitude that only an island can capture. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did and that you found some helpful information in this review. It is all based on local information and personal experience.