SixHicksfromtheSticks

We did snorkeling in Cozumel at Money Bar Beach & Resort. Free snorkeling at an amazing reef other people were paying $60/head to be dropped off by boats; right next to us, and we spent $0! Money Bar Beach also has AMAZING food with huge portions and very cheap. Its a hidden gem and not widely advertised so its not crowded or overran by tourists. SO relaxing. Only a $10, 3-5 minute taxi ride from the port. Not a sand beach like you can find in Progreso or other places in the Gulf of Mexico, this is a Snorkeling/reef area, so rocky coastlines with tons of reefs and sea life.

Hello!

My cruise in March stopped in Progreso and I wondered the same thing; Why are we the only ship in port while yesterday in Cozumel we were ship number 7 in port? We asked our tour guide, and he told us that Progreso is relatively new to tourism and they don't have the funding for more docks right now. And actually the United States helped them build their 3 mile long pier to get their tourism kick-started.

Now, I personally LOVED Progreso because I thought it was genuine. Cozumel made me feel safer but you could tell it was geared toward tourism and they were used to having half a dozen ships in port nearly every day. Progreso was REAL Mexico. It was dirty, crowded and hot. The vendors were more aggressive in trying to sell their items but I enjoyed haggling over prices with them. A man looking for tips walked up to my 8 year old son and handed him his 12 pound iguana. Just out of the blue. It was awesome. :) I felt like I could really see and enjoy their culture without it being watered down. My husband was terrified of Progreso lol but I would go back.

I should also note that this was OUR first cruise too! And we were travelling with our 5 year old daughter and 8 year old son and were VERY nervous about the taxi ride as well. Side note: The driving in Cozumel is helter-skelter at best, They "take turns" on who is driving on what side of the road at what time. Not sure how they make sense of it all. Our taxi driver was friendly but certainly...."pro-active" in driving...but aren't they all??? :)

Hello!

My family and I just got back from cruising to Cozumel in March of 2018. We took a 3-5 minute cab ride to Money Beach Bar & Resort. It is very close, not overly crowded by tourists and we felt really safe. There is no entry fee and we snorkeled for free right there and they have a rental shop (pretty cheap prices) If you need to rent equipment. Their food is AMAZING! And very reasonably priced. My family of 4 ordered the Chicken Nachos (HUGE portion), Chicken fettuccine Alfredo (ENORMOUS portion) with a HUGE side of french fries and it was only $40. They have a sandy area and many lounge chairs. Waiters attend to your every need and the bathrooms were super clean. Cab ride was $10/each way. I highly recommend this resort, especially if your a first time cruiser.

If you don't want to take a taxi, there is a beach right off to the side of the pier where your ship docks. You may be bothered by vendors trying to sell their wares, but really, we thought the vendors were very laid back and not aggressive at all, especially compared to Progreso; so you may be fine. There are many shops to walk around and through in that area too.