Cozumel, Mexico

Part 3 of 3 – Part 2 can be found here:  https://thezestytraveler.com/it-was-unbelizeable.html

We left Belize behind in the setting sun, and set a course for Cozumel, Mexico. I’ve been to Cozumel before, but it has definitely become even more touristy than it was before. To be frank, I try to avoid Cozumel as a port of call because it is too commercial for my taste.

Our initial plan was to visit Tulum, which I’ve done before but it’s a cool place built on a cliff overlooking the ocean. However, after doing some searching online before we booked our excursions, I noticed that the ruins were going to be largely off limits due to further archeological exploration. While it would be cool to see an active dig in process, it didn’t seem worth the cost of the tour. I also read that the once quaint stands set up to sell various wares had turned into full on tourist trap shopping. The appeal was completely gone for me at that point.

Instead, we opted for one of the combination tours and it turned out to be really cool. We started by walking to the lot full of four person Polaris RZR‘s where we first watched a safety video and collected the necessary gear. We proceeded to take our four-wheelers out onto the open road for awhile with a few cultural stops along the way over to our “off roading” location. Trust me, the quotes are warranted! It was really a network of old paver stone access roads from who knows what or when that are somewhat overgrown. We did pop out onto a strip of beach to putz around but we blinked and found ourselves back on the roads again.

After the “off roading” extravaganza, we stopped at a beach side place with a pool, hammocks, and food for purchase. It was a nice little respite before our last stop for some snorkeling!

At first I was disappointed in where they took us. I’m used to going out in the middle of nowhere on a boat to snorkel, but they were taking us right down the old boat ramp and along the sea wall. My disappointment quickly faded when I realized it was still a pretty great spot with tons of sea life. We were the only experienced snorkelers in the group, which surprised me, but it meant the guides gave us a bit more freedom the explore than the others. There were tons of lobsters, skates and rays, and plenty of cool fish including a puffer! After they called us out of the water, we were given time to dry off and grab a beer before driving the four-wheelers back down the crazy streets of Cozumel to the ship.

The next day of our cruise was our last and it was spent at sea where we relaxed on the upper decks for some much needed R&R.