Paradise Beach, THE place in Cozumel

[CruiseFever]

This was our third visit to Cozumel but our first visit to Paradise Beach. It surely won’t be our last.

 

On previous calls in Cozumel we’d spent the day at Playa Sol once doing a shore excursion , the Playa Sol Beach Break and another time on our own. Both visits required an admission fee that included use of beach chairs, umbrellas and some of the activity stuff. For an additional fee we got armbands indicating that we could have all-you-can-drink bar service and there was one more higher level option that included food too.

 

The only reason I bring that up is that at Paradise Beach we walked right in and sat right down. There’s no admission fee but if there was it should be called a cover charge much like you’d pay to go someplace that has entertainment because aptly named Paradise Beach is nothing less than a visit to…well…Paradise.

 

If we wanted to use their recreational stuff we could have paid $5 for unlimited use all day. We didn’t. We just wanted to park on the beach and have a relaxing day.

 

We did and they sure do make it easy.

 

Within a minute or two of arrival a member of the staff that would be taking care of our needs today greeted us. He brought us drinks and food as needed (the Chips and Guacamole are to die for), ran a convenient tab that we paid at the end of the day, and had answers to any questions we posed. We ended up spending about $30 for the two of us which included a whole lot of Sol beers for me and a tip to our friendly and efficient waiter.

 

The facilities here are top-knotch. I’m not sure how it works out this way but the beach here was as pretty as any I’d seen in the Caribbean and on a par equal to Sapphire Beach in St Thomas or Bae Rouge in St Maarten. I was surprised and we are beach people, opting a high percentage of the time for a beach experience over anything else.

 

One feature of this place that really slapped me in the face as different were the exceptionally modern and clean restrooms and dressing rooms. I can’t think of any other place we’ve been in Mexico and many other Caribbean ports of call that equaled this place in that area.

 

In addition to all the regular water activities one might expect to find, massages and hair braiding were offered on the beach. What was NOT offered were the sometimes-annoying vendors who rove from chair to chair hawking their wares. There is a store where official t-shirts are available and then some other shops down the beach a ways that offer a nice variety of things you could buy. Personally, by the time I’d made it through the initial offering of shops between the ship and the new (and really nice) taxi stand I’d seen enough to know that it would be easier to buy those souvenirs on the way back to the ship.

 

Like other Cozumel destinations getting there is easy. Clearly posted prices to all the destinations from the pier are per cab, not per person, and they stick to it. For the five of us that went it was $15 to get there. It seemed like about a 15 minute ride there but I can’t say for sure because as we turned into the Paradise Beach park the unexpected beauty of the place caused me to forget to check my watch. Actually the unexpected beauty of the place caused me to forget where I was even.

 

And forgetting, relaxing, renewing is what this place is all about.

 

Today there were 8 ships in port and a variety of different cruise line passengers crowded the beach that did NOT seem crowded for the most part due to the way they’ve got it set up. Before anyone even arrives all the chairs and umbrellas are set out and spaced far enough from each other so even when busy (like today) it did not seem so.

 

We (and several of our friends from the ship) spent the whole day here and could have stayed longer had we not needed to get back before the ship set sail. On previous visits to Cozumel we’d spend the last few minutes before we had to get on the ship at Fat Tuesdays. Like Sharkeys in St Maarten, it’s a great place to meet up with other ship mates and enjoy the last few minutes of the day. On this call we intentionally stayed as long as possible at Paradise Beach.

 

Who wants to leave Paradise right?

 

Finally, there’s one feature of Paradise Beach that I can’t forget to mention.

 

Tom

 

If you’re lucky enough to go at a time when Tom is around you’re in for quite a treat. In much the same way as someone hosting a dinner party might circulate in the room, making guests feel right at home, Tom is right there setting the tone for the whole place. Friendly is the name of the game here and Tom plays it with great skill almost demanding a return visit and certainly spreading good will all around.

 

Reluctantly arriving back at the ship we spent the rest of the day relaxing in our cabin nd on the balcony.

 

[FlorenceItaly]

Dh and I were there for the first time a few weeks ago, and instead of dreading Cozumel on our cruise itinerary in the future, I will now be looking forward to it. When we are in Cozumel, we WILL be at Paradise Beach.

The sandy beach is wonderful. I got a great massage, had a wonderful waiter, everything FANTASTIC all around.

 

Marie

[moondoggie]

Recently off the Century, and my DS and I had a fabulous day in Cozumel. We woke up to light drizzle, but decided to go into town anyway. A hint--take a taxi. We walked the THREE MILES in extreme humidity, but figured this would allow us to chow down on even more Celebrity breadsticks at dinner that night.

First stop was an open air mall with more upscale shops, but the three 'security guards' really got our attention. They are tall, dashing locals dressed in traditional tight black pants with the silver leg decorations and matching jackets--but with guns on their hips! They readily posed for photos; we went for the customary shot of 'tourist between the guys', but the lady after us got the best shot--she asked them to look over their shoulders while she photo'd them from the back! Everyone, including them, thought it was a hoot!

We continued walking and got to the heart of town, where we bought some small trinkets, but we were exhausted after about an hour, and the weather wasn't cooperating. Grabbing a cab back to the ship, we showered and went to lunch--we weren't sure we would go to Paradise Beach because it was very cloudy.

But, we had to go! So, off to the cab queue, and we were there in about ten minutes. And it was TERRIFIC! Yes, it was cloudy the whole time, but you cannot resist the beautiful beach, the joy of relaxation on lounge chairs, and floating on mats in the ocean. Everyone there was extremely friendly and accommodating, and the drinks were great--I recommend the frosty frozen Island Punch. It was unfortunate that we had already eaten, because we saw people enjoying snacks and meals in the open air restaurant and also right on the beach. I also can attest to the cleanliness of the bathrooms, showers, and changing rooms. They offered massages by the minute right beside the ocean, as well as the usual hair braiding. One other thing to check out--they have great T-shirts for sale at the counter near the entrance--tasteful rather than tacky ones--we bought two. Catching a cab back to the ship was quick and easy.

The Moral of the Story? Regardless of the weather, get thee to Paradise Beach--you will LOVE IT!

[poolgal]

Is the snorkeling any good there? I could lay on the beach the rest of my life but my hubby last's about 10 minutes without snorkel gear on.

[sea-n-ski]

Thanks for the great review Chris...We'll be in Coz in March and I was wondering about the crowds at PB when there are 8 ships in Port on the same day. Thanks for answering my question! Sounds like it's a great plaace to hang out! Do they offer beach volleyball?

 

Laura

[Cozumel_Tom]

Hey Chris!! I'm just getting kicked off the computer here at work (accountant needs it!) so I'll answer tomorrow. Thanx for the great review!

[mk3hawkins]

This is why I LOVE the CC board! You can't get a better review. Host Chris, you should teach a class on how to give good reviews!

[Minnie42]

Chris - thanks for writing such a detailed and great review of Paradise Beach - you have just reinforced the reasons we have decided to visit there on our upcoming cruise!

I have read so many great reviews and we just wanted somewhere to relax and hang out for the day with good food, cold drinks and a beautiful beach! We will be there on Nov. 10th and we can't hardly wait!

Tom - we look forward to meeting you on our visit!

 

Kathy

[Cozumel_Tom]

Chris...WOW! That's got to be the best review I've ever read about us...thank you very much. This one definitely gets printed and goes to the head of our "compliments" file!

It was good chatting with you that day, and I'm glad you and your friends had such a good time...when are you coming back? I think you should hook up with Randy and Graham and just totally take over the beach one day...a huge Cruise Critic blow-out!

Thanx again Chris, HASTA LA VISTA!

 

ExaltHim...thanks so much for posting about your visit...lemme know when you're coming back!

 

moondoggie...Another good one...thanx! Love the moral of your story as well...definitely not crowded when the weather looks threatening!!

 

poolgal...we do have some coral heads that attract some decent fish life, but our snorkeling is more for beginners. It sounds like your hubby is an avid snorkeler, so why don't you let him off at Dzul-Ha on the way to Paradise Beach, and he can catch up to you later after he's all snorkeled out. Dzul-Ha offers the best shore snorkeling on the island and is only about 3 miles north of us. Do a search for "Dzul-Ha" for more info...hasta la vista!

 

sea-n-ski...though we weren't that crowded when Chris was here, remember that Oct. is Low Season. High Season peaks in March/April with Spring Break so plan to come early to grab a good spot!

I'm lobbying hard for beach volleyball (and lockers!) but we don't have it yet, sorry.

 

Minnie42...see ya soon, Kathy!

[Stick10]

Well, I think after reading all the great reviews (no bad reviews that I've seen) me and my family will be there on Dec. 2nd. Can't wait!!

 

Lisa

[DEB010]

Thanks Chris and Moondoggie, Paradise Beach certainly sounds great. We'll be in Cozumel Jan. 14th and now I know where we will be going. Looking forward to meeting Tom if we're lucky. There will be 6 in our group, how much should I expect to pay for a taxi (will we need two? or do they use minivans?)

-Deb.

[wolfganghowell]

We will be making Paradise Beach our first sto off the Rhapsody the first week in December. Looking forward to a few Sols, a massage and a nice comfy lounge chair to eat some guac in! Nice preparation for our second stop - Senor Frogs. Talk about balance! Hope we get to meet you Tom. Mr Wolf is 6'5 so we are easy to spot!

[mad4cruising]

Tom, we will be going to Chankanaab for the morning for snorkeling. After that we would like to visit you for lunch and some more fun in the sun. Could you estimate the traveling time and taxi fare from Chankanaab to PB?

 

Thanks.

[yankeegirllost]

Add me to the list of believers in Paradise!

 

We were on the Enchantment of the Seas last week. We docked in Cozumel on Wednesday and grabbed a taxi (my husband, his best friend and his best friend's wife) to Paradise Beach.

 

We landed a friendly taxi driver that chatted with us about his son and his work. A short ride later, we were there. We each paid the $5 for the wristbands (who knows - we might get motivated and play some!) and were immediately met by Chi (I dont' know how to spell his name but it was pronounced Kye) who helped us find chairs and umbrellas together. He made sure we were settled and took our drink order. He ran a tab for us and though he never hovered, he was always there when we needed him.

 

We used the floats, climbed the iceberg and I even jumped on the water trampoline, earning a solid "10" for my aerobic dismount from my co-travelers (okay, they were being kind). The bathrooms were very clean to my delight (and to my friend's delight since she is pregnant AND a germ-phobic), the food was excellent - what they say about the nachos is true - simply the BEST (get the chicken) - and the beer was cold and plentiful. I think we ended up with a tab of about $75 - and we drank a lot of beer!

 

It was not too crowded, not loud, the beach was beautiful and the water was, too. We really enjoyed our stay there and the next time we're in Cozumel, we will definitely head back!

 

Thanks to everyone here who raved prior to our trip. YOU are the reason we chose Paradise Beach!

[tattydog]

My husband and son (14) and daughter (12) will be arriving on Splendour on 30 th December. Your beach offers every we could want, loungers and drinks for Jonathan and myself, and inflatables for the kids . Great see you then.

Lesley, England

[Volman]

Is there a place on the beach that has lockers? If possible I would like to lock up my camera that will be in a book bag while I am swimming. Any thoughts?

[sea_u_onboard]

Tom posted on another thread that they are working on lockers - but for now they have "cubbies" behind the bar where you can store your items.

[boxer_mommy]

Thanks Chris and Moondoggie, Paradise Beach certainly sounds great. We'll be in Cozumel Jan. 14th and now I know where we will be going. Looking forward to meeting Tom if we're lucky. There will be 6 in our group, how much should I expect to pay for a taxi (will we need two? or do they use minivans?)

-Deb.

Deb...we were there in June traveling with 6 in our group. They do have minivans and the cost was $15 one way. Have fun. :p

[Peyton6]

We went to Paradise Beach in March and had the BEST DAY EVER! I really recomment the nachos - they were huge and our group shared them! The strawberry maragaritas are wonderful, but I don't suggest drinking them through a straw - that was my downfall! :) I agree about the bathrooms - VERY VERY clean... and the staff was friendly and fun-loving - made our day! We'll be back in January and can't wait!

[MizzouMary]

Hi. My DMIL is scheduled to have the Dolphin Encounter at 2:45 p.m. (island time) at Chankanaab Park in Cozumel. We need to be at the park at 2:15 p.m. We will be in Cozumel from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Does anyone know how long the Dolphin Encounter lasts and if we would have time to go to Paradise Beach either before or after? We want to spend some time at the park and possibly snorkel. We also wanted to do a little shopping. Also, does anyone know the cost of a taxi for four from Chankanaab to Paradise Beach or vice-versa?

 

Any help or suggestions would be most welcome.

 

Thanks!

[nightingail]

Well we were going to book a shore excursion, the Fiesta Party Boat, but after reading these boards, I feel we can't miss Paradise Beach........I am afraid I will regret it if I don't go and experience this for myself!....We will be there next week, Nov. 10th......Just one question.......are taxi's readily available to return us to the ship?.....Looking forward to a bit of Paradise!.....Nightingail.

[wild4trvl]

After reading all the wonderful reviews, our group has decided we must see this place! There are 9 of us and 3 have birthdays that week. We will be on the NCL Sea week of Nov 13th.

 

Anyone know about what time the sun is going down this time of year?????

 

Beach time and sunshine is a precious commodity to us up in the great Northwest!!

[yankeegirllost]

nightingale,

Taxis are plentiful to get you back to the ship. Believe me! We walked off the beach, through the reception area, down the steps and there were several waiting for us. That was about 3 or 3:15 PM in the afternoon - long before we were due back on the boat!

 

Be sure to go - you'll be glad you did.

[nightingail]

Yankeegirl.......I see the Enchantment was hit by a barge and the hull was damaged this morning.......that's the ship we were trying to book for next week and couldn't............I am really excited.....leaving Sunday, a day early. Can't wait for that warm sunshine!.....Nightingail.