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Cozumel Island
Island Guides
Mayan Ruins
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Cozumel Trip Report Allegro Resort Cozumel - Trip Report We just got back last night from a week at the Allegro Resort in Cozumel, and had a FANTASTIC time.This was our first trip to Cozumel, although we have been to four other Mexican destinations on five previous trips. We had a lot to compare this resort to, since we've also been to Bermuda twice, Jamaica twice, and had a family condo in Key West for several years. All-in-all, this was one of the best vacation destinations we've ever experienced. Our room was in the 5500 group, close to the beach, but away from the pool.
The room was clean, and the A/C kept it nice and cool. There's a ceiling
fan in each room, which was terrific, especially at night, when the A/C almost
got a little too cool. We had an "upstairs" room (2nd floor),
with a high palapa (thatched) ceiling, giving it a very nice tropical feel.
We We found the food to be plentiful, delicious, and with a selection wide enough to probably suit most tastes. We usually ate both breakfast and dinner at the buffets, and were extremely satisfied. The service was good, and staff extremely pleasant. The large buffet room was a little stuffy, especially on the really humid days, but whenever we asked for a table under the fan, we were always accommodated. The smaller "back" room was cooler, and if we asked to eat there, we were always accommodated, as well. We also had fresh fruit at the outdoor fruit bar, good sandwiches at the outdoor deli bar, and even some tasty snacks at the pool-side snack bar. We're not big on "junk" foods, but the cheeseburgers, deep-fried onion rings, and french fries were pretty darn good. And if you like desserts, you'll be in heaven, because there were plenty of homemade goodies available, as well as ice cream. We made reservations for Caruso's Italian restaurant, without much problem, and then cancelled them the next day. We merely rescheduled, for the next night, and had a fantastic meal, with excellent service. We never tried the outdoor Mexican restaurant. Some people complained about only getting one reservation at each of these restaurants during their stay. However, stand-by dining was available at nearly every seating, and we never saw Caruso's completely full. And as far as "availability" of food, there was something available nearly around the clock, from 6am to 1 am. With regard to drinks, both Corona and another "dark" beer flowed freely from a self-serve tap on the side of the bar, along with a self-serve soda machine. We've seen lots of people comment on watered-down drinks, but didn't have any problems ourselves. ALL you had to do was ASK for what you really wanted, rather than go away frustrated. Sometimes, it was just a lack of communication, easy to overcome, if you tried. The bartenders were probably the second hardest group of workers, and you'd see them at one bar early in the morning, and then in the main dining hall late that night. As far as activities go, there was loads to do. Our main activities
were snorkeling and laying our lazy butts under a nice palapa on the beach (and
maybe in reverse order). But, hey, that was just us. Without a doubt
the hardest workers at the resort were the Activities Staff. They were
there from 8 am until 1 am, and were extremely entertaining. There were
games on the beach, games by the pool, and they were never overbearing in trying
to round up guests for participation. Every night, there was a Mini Disco
for the kids, who always seemed to enjoy being up on stage. That was followed by
an "ice breaker" to get to know the crowd, and then a
"show." No, it was not like Las Vegas, but it was terrific on the four
nights we saw it, as well As I said, we did lots of snorkeling and spent loads of time at the beach. We probably saw 2 dozen different varieties of fish, including a couple of large starfish, rays, crabs, and a VERY ominous looking barracuda. We had our own gear with us, but did use theirs a few times. Their gear was very good, but they limited your use to 2 to 3 hours, which is really why we brought our own. Beach towels were another item we had no problem with. Sometimes we got them early, sometimes after lunch, and sometimes at late as 6 pm, thirty minutes before they closed. Keeping them overnight was not a problem. At the beach, there are quite a few palapas, but we sometimes found them all taken. We never had to wait around any longer than about 20 to 30 minutes, before we got one for ourselves. In the meantime, we parked ourselves under a palm tree, by the pool, or in the water, until we got one. The beach was kept extremely clean, and all the grounds were immaculately kept. We saw staff trimming and pruning, checking balconies and railings, cleaning the pools late at night, and generally paying attention to the smallest details. The Allegro is located several miles down the west side of the island, which is pretty isolated, except for two or three other resorts nearby. Round trip taxis to the "downtown" area run about $15 US for two, each way. Other destinations varied from $7 to the Chan-Kanaab park to $65 for a ride around the "entire" island. We preferred being away from the downtown area, as we were really looking forward to "get away" by ourselves and enjoy the time relaxing. We rented a car for two days, which cost about $52/day, including full insurance (no deductible) and the 10% government tax. We drove around to the east side of the island, which is gorgeous, and took loads of great pictures along the beaches and lagoons. We wanted to see some ruins, and went to San Gervasio, which is just about smack dab in the middle of the island. It was really in the middle of the "jungle" and we had close up encounters with about five iguanas, in the 3-foot range, size-wise.Admission was only $5.75 each, and we did a self-guided tour. Clean bathrooms, a souvenir shop, cold drinks, and guided tours are also available. We drove into town, saw the cruise ships, and stopped at a couple of other beaches we read about, for good snorkeling. The best, by far, was Dzul-Ha, only about 3 miles up the west coast from the Allegro. Access was free, decent bathrooms across the street, and outstanding snorkeling. We had the palapa closest to the water, spent the entire afternoon in the water and relaxing, hoisted four cold Coronas each, and enjoyed a great afternoon. I realize I've been a little long-winded, but I wanted to write this up as soon as possible, with everything still fresh in my mind. Also, customs coming and going was a breeze, and the "Funjet" vacation reps were readily available to assist you. The weather was nearly perfect. The afternoon we spent enjoying the sun and water at Dzul-Ha, it rained at the Allegro. We actually saw the large dark rain clouds down that way, but had not a drop where we were, just a couple of miles away. If we were to offer any suggestions, they would be: 1) Remember where you are. A 5-star resort in the tropics is not the same as one in New York or L.A., regardless of what you're paying. 2) Enjoy the "good" things you find. If you are always looking for the "bad" part of everything, you'll find it. 3) Speak up if you're not satisfied. Tourism is their lifeblood, and they can't afford to not be as accommodating as possible. 4) Learn a little Spanish. Really, it can help when dealing with the local folks, who seem to appreciate you taking an interest. 5) Do your homework before you go. There are loads of sources for
great information about EVERYTHING you could want to know. Lodging Reviews
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