Page 29 - Flipbook

ISLAND TIME: (from above) Cozumel takes the beachfront bar concept as far as it can go; Mayan ruins add a sense of history to this holiday island; Great diving and snorkelling right of the beach; fresh tacos after a day on the beach... perfect.
Rarely do you hear Cozumel in a sentence without hearing cruise and for good reason. Since the early 1990s, this popular Mexican destination’s tourism industry has depended on the daytime business of visitors from cruise ships. Up to a dozen vessels stop here each day. It’s exciting to see a new side of Cozumel slowly emerging, one that’s reinvesting in its impressive nature reserves. Less than 10% of the 490 square kilometre island is developed. It has unparalleled marine life and a low key local culture. But this secret side of Cozumel won’t stay secret for long, so here are some tips on what to do on this tranquil island off the Mexican coast.
On the water
The coral walls off Cozumel’s western coastline mark the northern border of
the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the world’s second largest after the Great Barrier Reef. Unlike what you find on Australia’s Gold Coast, it’s possible to snorkel right off the shores of Cozumel, including within a few recreational parks, such as Chankanaab (Carr. Costera Sur km 9.5; 52-987-872-0914; cozumelparks.com; admission, $22).
For a more exclusive experience, you can book a private boat and sail away from the crowds to relatively empty diving spots. Deluxe Private Boat Tours (52-987- 114-0927; rentaboatcozumel.com; four- hour tours from $384 for four) arranges tailored trips in its plush seven seat ski boat. Sail to El Cielo (“the sky”), a crystal blue breeding ground for large starfish off the island’s southwestern coast. Close by,
explore colorful mazes of reefs covered with electric blue sea fans, brain corals and pastel sea anemones. Schools of queen angelfish, parrotfish and black and yellow striped damselfish swim within an arm’s length. Also keep an eye out for elusive stingrays gliding along the sandy bottom.
Back on Land
In 1996, Cozumel’s entire southern tip
was set aside as nearly 2,500 acres of ecological reserve, Punta Sur Eco Beach Park (Carr. Costera Sur km 27; 52-987- 872-0914; cozumelparks.com; admission, $13). Today its lily pad topped lagoons and thick mangroves are teeming with wildlife. Green and loggerhead turtles, whose nesting and hatchling season stretches from April to November, are a park success story. Twelve years ago close to 1,200 nests were counted with the number tripling to 6,000 last year.
M E X I C O
CANCUN
COZUMEL
PLAYA DEL CARMEN
TULUM
ENDLESS VACATION 27