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Cozumel [Place
of the Swallows] in the rain! 28miles long & 10miles wide, it's
the largest of Mexico's islands situated 10miles off
the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
The
people native to Cozumel are of Mayan descent.
Spanish
Explorers arrived in the C15.
Originally
farmers & fisherman, the economy now relies on tourism after
Jacques Cousteau, in 1961, declared it one of the most beautiful
diving areas in the world. Spanish is the main language spoken. |
We
were aboard the only 'Sun' in Cozumel |
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Carlos'n
Charlie's |
At
8am we docked at the Punta Langosta Cruise Terminal in the centre of
the Island's only town, San Miguel. The terminal is relatively new
and has a walkway across the main road, to a small shopping centre
where taxis are available (all
the rates are pre-set and listed on a board).
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[It
is here you will find Carlos 'n Charlie's and Señor Frog's. A
number of passengers only made it this far, and had to hire one the
'rickshaws' to get them back down the pier.] |
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Our
plan was to have a beach day, at Chankanaab National Park with
its
snorkeling, Mayan ruins, a sandy beach,
restaurant, water sports center, sea lions, dolphins and more. Or so
we have been told......
in the event, this was all we saw of it, through a rain splattered window.
Chankanaab |
Chankanaab
National Park |
We
set off down the pier around 9am with all our beach stuff. Shouldn't
have bothered; we were being too hopeful of the sun appearing. The
rain started before we got to the cruise terminal and it poured. We
spent a while in the shopping centre hoping it would ease off, but to
avail. So decided to hop in a taxi and take a tour of the island for
a couple of hours.
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On
the Beach at Mezcalitos
On
the East Coast |
There
are not very many roads outside San Miguel so most of the tours all
take the same route. For starters we were driven northerly along
Avenue Rafael Melgar, the main road which runs along the shoreline in
San Miguel, to as far as it goes at Punta Norte. The roads were
awash! We passed many nice hotels/apartments and the airport. Back
into San Miguel to take Carretera Tranversal across to the East Coast.
There
are extensive beaches here, and areas of rocky coastline. During
spring and summer turtles nest in some areas where the beach will be
closed to people. There are just a few restaurants and gift shops
about, with few people; however swim only in coves protected from the
open surf as there are potentially lethal rip tides and undertow. |
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We
were driven down to the south end of Cozumel, past Rasta's, a well
known eatery, before turning back north past many more smart looking
hotels and resorts. We had a brief stop at El Cedral, the oldest
Mayan ruins on the island. Ancient Mayans considered the island a
home for the goddess Ixchel, devoted to love and fertility; all the
future wives of that time visited from the mainland at least once in
their life.
2
Photos at El Cedral can be viewed here |
2
Miles to El Cedral |
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Back
towards San Miguel, we passed Chankanaab in the dreary rain,
Carnival's Celebration & RCI's Explorer of the Seas, who were
berthed a fair way out of town at the International Pier. During the
afternoon it continued to drizzle, not clearing up until a couple of
hours before departure, when the sun did shine.
Carnival
Celebration |
The
Int'l Pier from Punta Langosta |
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Calle
1 Sur
By
the Main Plaza |
Dave
remained on the ship most of the afternoon, he'd seen enough! The
children and I walked up and down the streets of San Miguel. Shoppers
Paradise I have seen it described as; Shoppers Hassle & Rip-Off
would be a better term to use in my opinion. You are constantly
badgered to go into the shops by people standing outside. "Come
in our shop", "What you want?", "What you looking
for? We have it", "We have good Diamonds",
"TANZANITE, it's rare" - Not, "All best prices" -
Not! Walk once down the main road and you'll by pass it on the return journey.
Passenger
Ferry Dock
Buy
your little souvenirs on the ship. Certainly they were far cheaper
on Norwegian Sun than in any shop on the island. The Cruise Terminal
Shopping Centre was cheaper for T-Shirts and many other items, than
further down the street. However the 'Ship Passenger & Crew"
only duty-free shop in the terminal was not cheap. Some items were
cheaper elsewhere, but they did have some different things, whereas
most of the other shops all had the same stock. |
Had
the weather been better, had this been our first port of call, had
we been able to avoid the shops and go to Chankanaab, maybe our
opinion of Cozumel would have been different. But as it is, we won't
be making any effort to revisit.
Punta
Langosta as we sailed away
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