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Cozumel Island
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Cozumel Trip Report Iberostar-Cozumel My family and I (my husband and three boys, aged 12, 13, 14) just returned from the Iberostar. We had a wonderful trip. Our flight out of Dallas was right on time. Passing through Customs in Mexico was a little labored, probably 30-45 minutes. After clearing Customs, we followed the signs for our tour company, "Adventure Travel," which delivered us on to the Iberostar (about a 30 minute ride from airport). Upon arriving, I jumped out of the van quickly, to arrive at reception desk first. My husband and boys unloaded luggage. I immediately handed the clerk $10.00, telling him we would really appreciate the best room he could get for us, preferrably away from the Lobby, the Theatre, the Dive Shop. We wanted to be near the beach. He did just that. We were a stone's throw from both the beach and pool. Next time I might not ask for one that close to pool and the restaurant El Cedral ( I think) as at 7 a.m., they begin playing some funky music. We had to call and ask them to turn it down two days. We wanted to sleep in. Not until the last day of our trip did they finally cut the music that early. We very much enjoyed eating at the main restaurant, near the Lobby. The restaurant by the pool was okay, but not a very big selection of food. I think the main restaurant served breakfast (very good) starting early and lunch (good) from from 12-3:00. Dinner was 6:30. We never had a chance to eat in the specialty restaurants, but I heard from a woman from Texas that ate in the steak restaurant that the steaks "WERE BETTER THAN WE HAVE IN TEXAS." We liked the "buffet" restaurant, as each night they had a different specialty item. One night it was these huge shrimp that they grilled. Another night it was lobster tails. Another night sort of a Mexican-theme, I think. And still another night k-bobs. The dessert table was awesome. The service staff always friendly. We usually left couple $ tip in the main restaurant, but not much of a tip in pool-side restaurant. Everything there was more help-yourself. The rooms were really nice. Mexican tile floors, thatched roof with exposed beams, marble bathrooms, refrigerators in room (stocked). TV was mainly Mexican-style, with CNN on one channel, I think. Some English-dubbed movies on (not pay-per-view). We had two rooms. First day we left $2 tip for maid for both rooms, which was kind of cheap, I guess. We didn't get our refrigerator re-stocked and had two towels. The next day we left $2 per room and the refrigerator was restocked and extra towels left. Take the bottled water from refrigerator with you when you go out, as I still had trouble chugging tap water. Also some Perrier-type (with gas) water in refrigerator. You need to book your dives early in stay. The boat for snorkeling comes from the nearby village and you have to have reservations. I think it was 45.00 each. We didn't scuba dive, so I don't know anything about it. Best snorkeling around hotel would be up to left of beach area, an old ship is being "worked on" by a dive resort and you can walk up past it and snorkel. The current will naturally bring you back towards Iberostar. Our boys found a huge starfish there. We decided one day to go to the Iberostar at Playa del Carman. The ferry leaves from town. Taxi to town, $14.00. Round-trip ferry, $18.00 per person (45 minutes each way). When you arrive in Playa, walk up the path from the ferry and there will be a ton of taxi drivers. Tell them you want to go to Iberostar Playa del Carmen. It should be a $5.00 ride. Very close, but too far to walk, we thought. It is up to left of where ferry drops you. When you get to Iberostar Playa, go to desk and show them your wristbands. They will give you one of a little different color for their place. It is GORGEOUS. We plan to go there next time. The beach and water were wonderful. Pool is larger, too. Food was really good, too. We stayed all day, taking the ferry back at 7:00. Check the schedule. Another day we went on a Jungle Jeep Tour with Adventures Naturalis. It was fantastic. Our guide, Heather, was so great. She went out of her way to stop and show us everything possible along the way. She knows this Mayan man along the 700-year-old Mayan-built road through jungle that let us pick coconuts and then cut them open with a machete(sp?). The jeep ride is VERY rough and wouldn't be advised for anyone looking for easy-going, pleasure-type trip. It is hot, sweaty and VERY rough. My boys loved it, though. $75 per person and we gave Heather $10 tip. She took us all the way to northern point of island, the lighthouse. Passed some military on the way -- guess they're guarding the island primarily from drug traffickers, I think...they just waved. Several Mayan ruins on the way. You can climb up in them and she takes pics. On the way back she stops at a secluded beach, where there is a reef close in that breaks the undercurrent. Heather took my boys out (they wore snorkel vests) and she also took along a boogie board to hold on to, if they got tired. It was quite a swim out, I thought. They loved it and weren't nearly as scared about it as I. They said their snorkel vests just got in the way and they didn't need them. The water was 13-15 feet out where they went, I think. She kept them out for a while and then came in and served a wonderful lunch of island chicken, salsa, rice, chips and tortillas...with drinks to go along. It was great. We left the Iberostar at 10 a.m. and didn't get back until probably 5, 5:30. Quite a day. She knows a wealth of history of the island. A great vacation....we're booking with Iberostar again soon!! Lodging Reviews
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