Each year we try to get away in the winter for a quick dive trip in a tropical setting. After much debate between destinations - BVI, Belize, Caymans, we ended up deciding on our old favorite - Cozumel MX.
Of course the trip couldn't have come at a worse time for both of us with respect to work - it always seems like breaking away from work for even a quick vacation is like trying to take a piece of meat from an alligator. After a lot of last minute coordination and hand-offs we were able to comfortably leave work behind pack a few last minute things, give Grandma and Grandpa the update kid-o in-brief, catch about 3 hours of sleep, and then we were on our way to sunny Cozumel.
Once on the ground in Cozumel we checked in to our little oasis right in the heart of downtown, the Casa Mexicana. Its an incredible value and they put out a fantastic breakfast spread each morning not to mention some great views and its located within walking distance of all of the fun restaurants in town.
This time around we decided to venture out and try some new places to eat. The first place we found was a couple blocks from the hotel, and was the kind of place that no- one from a cruise ship would ever go to. You literally had to walk through someones's living room to get to the courtyard in the back where the restaurant was located. They had a full Mexican menu but when asking the waiter what is best he recommended the fish - so fish it was! Delicious grouper in a garlic lime sauce that the waiter had just caught. There is just something about ordering your food in Spanish, drinking a Sol in a tropical garden, and eating freshly caught fish on a nice hot day in the middle of February on a work day that is so gratifying.
For our first full day we had a mission - find a nice quiet beach to read a book and take a nap on while listening to the waves.
On the way to the beach we decided to do a little cultural enrichment and visit some of the Mayan ruins on Cozumel. There are several sites on the island but this is the largest. We took our time exploring around on our own and found some pretty cool iguanas that kept us company on our journey.
The Ruins are in almost the center of the island, several miles from shore making one wonder why they were built there of all places. It's impressive to think of how much work went into building all of this...
After our cultural enrichment it was time to cool off at the beach, read a book, and take a nap.
The east side of Cozumel is pretty much completely empty aside from the occasional beach bar so finding a quiet beach all to yourself is pretty straight forward. Drive until you don't see anyone, pull over, and swim!
Same applies to finding a good shady place for a nap and reading!
The next day the ocean was planned to be our first day of diving however the ocean was closed due to a low pressure system that blew in bringing very heavy seas. The harbor master closed the port so no one was diving. We decided to head up to a restaurant we had tried years before called Conchita del Caribe which is a locals seafood place. Apparently the day we were there was Paella day - a local favorite. So what the heck, we tried it. It was good, but a very interesting mix of food in this paella. There was chicken of course, muscles, shrimp, conch, and octopus. After that, it started to get interesting. There were also pork ribs, and a ton of mini hot dogs! We should have shared instead of each ordering our own - should have known better. Next time we will try more fish. Allegedly this place is home to some of the best ceviche on the island. We aren't big on ceviche but maybe next time we'll give it a try.
Completely full we walked back towards town to do a little shopping and who do we find...
Its Mr. Carnival himself!
Finally, it was time to get into the water. The ocean was nice and calm and we got a couple of great dives in in the morning. This go around we rented a nice camera and strobe and got some pretty good results!
It turns out you get really hungry diving. We got back to the hotel, showered, and headed out for a late lunch. We were ravished and headed straight to one of our all time favorite restaurants anywhere in the world. Casa Denis!
Free Margaritas? Si por favor!
Can't go wrong with the mixed Fajitas - Beef, Shrimp, Chicken - they are simply incredible! Best I have ever had without question.
After our epic day of diving and Casa Denis we headed back to the hotel for nap. I work up at 9:00 not knowing what day it was - it was dark - I work Kate up - she just wanted to sleep until morning. I got her up anyway and yes, we went out to eat. Another favorite! El Foco - its generally open late serving tacos that are spectacular. Think philly cheese steak served on soft tortillas with delicious guac and Mexican beer. A true locals favorite and we know why.
The next day it was back to diving - and we really went for broke. We did 4 dives, 2 in in the AM and 2 more after a quick lunch on shore. Each dive was nearly an hour of bottom time with each dive shallower than the one before it.
If you look closely, our dive master has his mask on upside down - funny trick! I tried it, my nose is too big and doesn't work.
This was our good old dive boat - Scuba Du II
After a very full day of diving we headed out for a nice dinner. We went to yet another local place that specialized in seafood and shared the seafood platter for 2 for Valentines Day. Complete with Lobster, red snapper, conch, and octopus. It was very possibly one of the best meals we had in Cozumel.
It was another fantastic trip! Great people, unbelievable diving, and fantastic food! We can't wait to do it again!
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