Buccanos and Playa Azul Beaches

We usually visit Playa Palancar when we are in Coz and want to try something different. Has anyone ever been to Buccanos or Playa Azul to use the beaches? What did you think about it?

We usually visit Playa Palancar when we are in Coz and want to try something different. Has anyone ever been to Buccanos or Playa Azul to use the beaches? What did you think about it?

We enjoy Palancar as well but on a recent land vacation we spent a nice afternoon at Buccanos for a change.

The beach front does not seem as long and open as Palancar and although there is a sandy access I think it is probably more rocky nearer to the shore for shore snorkeling. Also I believe there are some submerged artificial reefs in this area to re-establish marine life after the hurricane damage. I cannot confirm as I haven't snorkeled at either location but there were a lot of groups snorkeling. Also organized stand-up paddle boarding. It seemed like there were several organized excursions and more activities available. This link will give you a good overview of the facilities

Although it seemed as though there was more available if you wanted it, we chose loungers to the right of the property in a quiet area with a palapa. We could see the ocean but not as open because there was small privacy hedge. There were loungers available on the beach front but they were in the usual rows and seemed busier. I appreciated the use of the pool, which isn't available at Palancar. We did not eat but restaurant seemed very popular. Restroom facilities were very good. I enjoyed the facilities, for a change, and would certainly visit again.

I walked along the beach to Playa Azul and it seemed quieter but much smaller than I imagined from photos I had seen.

The one downside to Buccanos seems to be the lack of consistency with information regarding day passes. There have been previous threads on here if you do a search. A day pass costs 100pesos (about$8) and is collected by a security officer before the parking area where the taxi will drop you off. According to the owner, officially, if you are a resident of the Island or staying at a hotel the ticket is exchanged for credit towards food and drink at the bar and therefore there is actually no fee. This is what we did without a problem. If you are visiting from a cruise ship there is a $10 charge which includes use of the facility as well as snorkel equipment. It appears this charge is not waived even if you have your own equipment, or don't want to snorkel. In reality there seem to be mixed reports on the charging procedure. This is why I walked the few minutes along the beach to check out Playa Azul in case we had a problem in the future after we had paid for a taxi from the pier.

Email from Playa Azul had confirmed that with food and beverage consumption I could use bar, restaurant, pool and spa. HTH.

We usually visit Playa Palancar when we are in Coz and want to try something different. Has anyone ever been to Buccanos or Playa Azul to use the beaches? What did you think about it?

Haven't been, but strongly suggest reading reviews over on tripadvisor. Lots of mention regarding rocks and buses bringing tour groups.

Thanks for the info.

We went to Playa Azul on our NCL Getaway cruise. There was very little info on this place on the Cruise Critic boards, and I had a hard time finding specifics on cost, amenities, snorkeling, and whether or not they accept day guests from the cruise ships. I just wrote a review of Playa Azul, our jet skiing adventure, and snorkeling photos in my detailed and picture-laden Getaway review. You can find my review of Cozumel begninning at post #117 at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2331862

To sum it up: they do welcome cruise passengers, loungers and umbrellas are free, the food is good, and the price is good. Snorkeling is fair. You can rent jet skis nearby, and there is an adjacent dive shop if you are interested in scuba diving or renting snorkeling gear.

We went to Playa Azul on our NCL Getaway cruise. There was very little info on this place on the Cruise Critic boards, and I had a hard time finding specifics on cost, amenities, snorkeling, and whether or not they accept day guests from the cruise ships. I just wrote a review of Playa Azul, our jet skiing adventure, and snorkeling photos in my detailed and picture-laden Getaway review. You can find my review of Cozumel begninning at post #117 at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2331862

 

 

To sum it up: they do welcome cruise passengers, loungers and umbrellas are free, the food is good, and the price is good. Snorkeling is fair. You can rent jet skis nearby, and there is an adjacent dive shop if you are interested in scuba diving or renting snorkeling gear.

 

Glad you had a good day. I agree, not too many cruisers make it to the northern beaches.

As reported above we went to Buccanos a couple of years ago and I walked along to Playa Azul to check it out since it was "our" back-up plan if we couldn't get into Buccanos, due to their pricing policy.

It would appear that there is still no admission charge at Playa Azul, as I reported, but I am a little cofused when you say day people are only allowed to the left of the pier? Are you saying that day people can no longer use the pool at Azul, or just that they can't use the beach on that side of the pier?

I noticed your photos of the beach at Buccanos and agree it can get busy with the excursions, although I would add the groups seemed to come and go. The property goes back a considerable distance and we found a quiet area on a terrace and enjoyed the pool area.

Thanks for the info

We went to Playa Azul on our NCL Getaway cruise. There was very little info on this place on the Cruise Critic boards, and I had a hard time finding specifics on cost, amenities, snorkeling, and whether or not they accept day guests from the cruise ships. I just wrote a review of Playa Azul, our jet skiing adventure, and snorkeling photos in my detailed and picture-laden Getaway review. You can find my review of Cozumel begninning at post #117 at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2331862

 

 

To sum it up: they do welcome cruise passengers, loungers and umbrellas are free, the food is good, and the price is good. Snorkeling is fair. You can rent jet skis nearby, and there is an adjacent dive shop if you are interested in scuba diving or renting snorkeling gear.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for this link and review! We are thinking of going there next month. I saw in Jamaica you did a private tour next time your in Grand Cayman and you don't mind paying $$$ for a private tour we did a private tour with Native Way Watersports and it was by far the best excursion ever!! We did a private boat charter for the 5 of us and felt like celebrities at each stop since every other tour looked like it had a hundred people.

You pulled up a thread from almost 2 years ago -- it was originally started in 2014! :eek:

I would search this board and Trip Advisor for more recent reviews before making plans. ;)

As for Buccano's, this is what I received from them earlier in the week:

Hello Pam and thank you for your interest in Buccanos Beach Club. Our entrance fee is $15 dollars per person which includes the use of our facility, snorkel equipment and snorkel guide. We would love to see you on the beach. Have a great week.

You pulled up a thread from almost 2 years ago -- it was originally started in 2014! :eek:

 

I would search this board and Trip Advisor for more recent reviews before making plans. ;)

Thank you and yes I know its old, I just wanted to tell them thanks and recommend the private tour in Grand Cayman since they said they like that type of thing. I have done recent research also.