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Cozumel Trip Report
Posted by Danielle Andres on 05/08/01

The Reef Club (Club Isla Cozumel)

-click for more info-

My husband and I went to the Reef Club from March 17 - 24, 2001.  The weather was fantastic for the entire trip. 

Accommodations
I read a lot of the posts on this board before our trip and went expecting the Days Inn based on what a lot of people said.   The Reef Club far exceeded our expectations - we had a gorgeous room.  We reserved a gardenview room and ended up on the 3rd floor and had a partial oceanview. The rooms were very nice and clean.  I loved the fact that they had a tile
floor instead of carpeting (it just seems cleaner to me).  The staff at the Reef Club was fantastic - they really went out of their way to make you happy.

Drinks
We did learn on drinks that you had to tell them if you wanted a stronger drink.  They tend to generally make them a little weak.  Strawberry Margaritas were better if you asked for them with Jose Cuervo in them instead of the other Tequila they have.  Isiahas at the snack bar (El
Marinero) and Jesus at the pool bar made the best drinks.  Jesus was very funny and always made sure his drinks were just right.  He makes killer Bahama Mamas!  Mixed drinks ordered at the bars are always better than in the restaurants.

Food/Restaurants
I read a lot of mixed reviews on the food.  The first couple of days, we really enjoyed all of the food.  Towards the end, I got a little sick of it, but my husband had not problem.  I think women are more picky about food than men are in some cases.  We at both the Italian and Steak restaurants. The quality of all of the food is not necessarily like you would find in the
US.  The steak was not bad - I was less impressed with the Italian.  It was okay, but the flavor of the sauces they use is not quite like in the US.  I would term it as the Mexican equivalent of Italian food.  There was one night that the buffet was set up outside for dinner that I could not find any food that I liked at all but some other people seemed to enjoy it.  That was a rough night for me.  To sum up, I would say the food is decent - don't expect gourmet.  I would not let this be the determining factor whether or not you would stay at the Reef Club - others that I talked to that stayed at different places had the same experiences where they stayed.

Some posts said they had a hard time getting reservations for the restaurants - could have to do with the time of year you go - we had no problems.  One day we made our reservation on the same day. 

Entertainment at the Reef Club
If you are looking for a party scene, the Reef Club is not the place to go. It is away from town (that is what we were looking for) and away from most things.  Again, if you are looking for a party, the Disco on the resort is not the place to go.  I would head to Carlos n Charlies in town.  (It will cost you a $10.00 cab ride to get there)  We wanted a nice quiet and relaxing vacation away from any crowds from the cruise ships and the Reef Club was perfect for that.

The entertainment staff was fun - they tried very hard with the activities they put together.  Some of the shows were a little on the cheesy side but you could tell they were doing their best.  They always looked for people to participate in various things around the pool during the day.  We did get involved with some of their contests and they were kind of fun.

Beach/Snorkeling
The beach was very nice, but a little rocky in the water.  Water shoes are a good idea to protect your feet.  The snorkeling was great once you found the right spot.  The fish like to hang out around the rocks - between the place where you get your snorkel equipment and the volleyball net seemed to be the best.  We were able to see some big schools of fish.  We also walked down the beach past the swimming area, towards Sand Dollar sports and snorkeled
off the beach there too.  We saw some very cool fish.  If I had to do it again, I would bring my own snorkel equipment just to be sure it fits right and you know how clean it is.

I read a lot about bugs in some of the posts - we brought some spray based on what we read and never even used it.  Again, I think it might depend on the time of year you go.

Other Activities

First Time Scuba -We took a resort course through Papa Hogs.  We read that Sand Dollar Sports was a bit of a cattle operation (i.e. takes a lot of people out at the same time) so we decided not to go with them even though they were right at the hotel.  With Papa Hogs, it was just me, my husband, and our Dive Master.  They took us through the ropes, then we swam out to a little reef right from shore.  All I can say is AWESOME!  We loved it so much, we asked to go on a boat dive.  Again, it was just my husband and I and our dive master.  There was another small group on our boat, but there was another dive master for them.  We will definitely be getting certified to dive in the near future.  You have not really seem Cozumel until you dive!

Shopping - Everything is in US dollars.  You can bargain a little more if you go on the days there are no cruise ships in port or in the evenings. I think Sunday and Monday are the best days.

We rented a car for the day and went over to the east side of the island. We stopped at all the little places along the way.  Went through Punta Sur - the beach and the water are incredible!  Don't do the boat ride, it is a waste of time!

Went to Chakanaab Park - best days to go are when there are no or very few cruise ships in town.  The snorkeling was pretty good there as well.  Also took the ferry to Playa Del Carmen and rented a car.  Drove to the ruins at Tulum - gorgeous!  Went to Xel-ha - great snorkeling there - even better than Chakanaab.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions!

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