Exploring the Riviera Maya- Cozumel

The plan was to leave Cancun in the morning with our friend Jesse and spend the afternoon on Cozumel. Things started out well and we made quick stops at Puerto Morelos and a beach in Playa del Carmen. We then went off in search of the ferry to Cozomel. This turned out to be more of an adventure than we expected. I am a stickler for details and planning so when things do not go as planned it stresses me out.

We headed through Playa towards the docks thinking that we had lots of time based on what theUltramar website had said. If there is one thing I have learned in Mexico (which I apparently hadn’t fully grasped at this point,) it’s that time means nothing and you can not rely on schedules. As we got closer to the ferry terminal wewere approached by men trying to sell us expensive boat trips to the island. When we declined, they informed us that the next ferry wasn’t for 3 hours (which would have been too late for us)! I assumed that they were lying to get sales (as is so common in Mexico it’s almost not worth mentioning) however, after the 5th person told us the same thing, I began to believe it. In the distance I could see that the ferry was still docked so we took off and sprinted towards it. We arrived at the ticket booth with seconds to spare and they said they would hold the ferry if we hurried. Everything was fine until they said they couldn’t accept credit cards! I scrounged around my purse trying to come up with enough cash and just as they were closing the doors I found the last pesos. We grabbed our tickets and squeezed through.

The rest of the trip was thankfully less eventful. We arrived on the island, took a taxi to a nice beach and spent the rest of the day snorkeling. The island reminded me a lot of Isla Mujeres. I imagine that the diving on Cozumel is considerably better, but having asthma I can not dive. Although I did enjoy our afternoon, I would say that for the money I would recommend visiting Isla Mujeres over Cozumel (unless you plan on diving). It’s a much cheaper and shorter ferry ride, it’s easier to get around, and it’s a bit more quaint.
S
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