Family with teen ... quiet beach ... snorkeling ... clean, safe & basic amenities

[Dogstar]

Family with 13-yo teen ... quiet beach ... snorkeling ... clean, safe & basic amenities. We do not need a resort, all-inclusive amenities, swimming pools, water toys, excursions, or any of the usual add-ons that drain $$$ from our pockets. We carry our own snorkeling gear so rentals are not required. Lounge chairs & umbrellas, if available, are a bonus but sand & palm trees work just fine, too. ;)

 

For us this is why we cruise, to briefly experience various destinations & cultures, cost-effectively & safely. And to dry/thaw out from the North We(s)t Coast winters!

 

Some of our fondest shore days are from venturing out on our own away from the typical cruise ship pax taxi/shuttle/tour "drop points" to the less-frequented "locals" hideways, beaches & the like for mere pennies of what the typical Tourist Tours cost. Consider the "far side" of a Caribbean island soaking in the sun at a near-deserted bay, sampling some local fare at the community snack hut while intermingling with the few local families out enjoying their day at the beach. Or dining like royalty at a gathering of Les Roulottes in French Polynesia. Aaahhh, memories.

 

So many choices, so little time in Cozumel. As usual I'm reading through printed travel guide books, message boards, etc. gathering ideas in advance of our arrival. Thoughts? Suggestions? Hints?

 

Thank you. Dogstar.

[World Gallery]

In Cozumel, if you want to snorkel from the beach, you will be limited. You need a place that has a reef right off of the beach. The ones I know of are Punta Sur Eco Park (beautiful place) which is $10 to get into the area and Chankanaab park which is about $20 to get in. There is probably others so maybe someone will recommend. Most of the beaches that most people go to (Nachi Cocum, Mr. Sanchos, Paradise Beach) do not have snorkeling from the beach. They may rent the gear and say that they do, but there are no fish. We have tried snorkeling at them and didn't see a single fish.

[Dunn1951]

Dogstar, We did Paradise Beach three weeks ago and it was a great day at the beach. The cab ride was $13 and it was $2 to rent a lounge chair with an umbrella. The beach was nice and they have a new large pool. You can buy drinks and food if you like. I did snorkel form the beach and I did see some fish. www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com

[nowendy]

Dogstar, We did Paradise Beach three weeks ago and it was a great day at the beach. The cab ride was $13 and it was $2 to rent a lounge chair with an umbrella. The beach was nice and they have a new large pool. You can buy drinks and food if you like. I did snorkel form the beach and I did see some fish. www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com

 

How crowded was it? DH does not like crowds. He loves Nachi but have some non drinkers coming this time so we are looking for a quiet beach that we can all go to.

[JohninDC]

Even with several ships in port PB is not crowded - or at least you can escape the crowds by not grabbing a lounger next to the new pool or in one of the prime spots by the water.

 

Good food, great service, updated facilites and a fun, relaxing beach & pool. Nice way to spend a relaxing day. Good luck! :)

[World Gallery]

In regards to PB crowds, it depends on the day. We have been twice and it was crowded, not overly crowded, but by no means a "quiet" beach. It has a very different feel from places like Nachi Cocum. There are a lot of things in a small area (inflatables, jet ski rentals, rows and rows of chairs, kayaks, etc.).

You may want to try out the East side of the island or the tip, which is Punta Sur. These places are less "touristy" and quiet, which sounds more like what you are looking for.

[hfitzger]

We have spent our past 4 port days in Cozumel at Chankanaab National Marine Park.

 

It is uncrowded and a peaceful way to spend the day with snorkeling off the reef, a lagoon with native flora and fauna, replica mayan ruins, and hammocks off the beaten path of other visitors. There is an open-air restaurant and a bar for drinks and a booth to rent snorkel, snuba gear, but it is still a low-key environment.

 

The entrance to the park is shared with the Dolphin Discovery facility where there are more people doing dolphin/manatee excursions, but they tend to not linger in the park or leave that immediate area so the rest of the park is very quiet. We've never seen a crowd in our 4 visits.

 

We tried Paradise once, and saw lots of loud music/drinking and row after row of lounge chairs and turned right around and took a taxi back to Chankanaab. Paradise Beach would definitely have more amenities though... Perhaps if we walked more through their facility we would have found a quieter area, but we were taken aback by the initial impression.

 

This time we are going to try Nachi Cocom based on the glowing reviews of being a quiet, relaxing environment as well as the sandy beach for our kids to be able to wade in the water without the rocky deeper water found at Chankanaab.