Cozumel, Mexico...It's not just for divers
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Cozumel (co-zoo-MEL), Mexico's largest inhabited island, is also one of the country's biggest paradoxes. Serene, laid-back and somewhat undiscovered by Mexico's 20 million annual visitors, Cozumel rivals many Caribbean island destinations when it comes to visitor facilities, activities, and stunning beauty. Yet until recently, the island has been best known as a cruise ship port-of-call and mecca for hard-core scuba divers. Cozumel is now shedding some of its "divers only" reputation and making strides in attracting more mainstream international guests. The majority of the island's visitors are now families, ecotourists, honeymooners, and Yucatan-bound visitors that find nearby Cancún a bit overwhelming. Cozumel's appeal lies with its combination of the best of Mexico (friendly people, affordable prices, great dining/shopping, interesting cultural sightseeing) with the allure of vacationing on a Caribbean island. This mix makes Cozumel one of Mexico's most unique destinations, offering a hard-to-find vacation duality. Cozumel has more than 30 reefs stretching off the coast and hosting the world’s second largest reef. With the multitude of reefs, divers will have to return again and again to explore even a small portion of what is offered. The famous Palancar Reef , with visibility of up to 86 meters, offers about 40 dive spots, each providing a different adventure. One can select from novice dives to challenging dives recommended for experienced divers only. Visitors should take care and help preserve the coral reefs. Divers and snorkelers should keep a safe 3 -5 feet distance from coral to prevent from kicking and breaking coral and hold back the impulse to touch or remove anything from the marine environment. Simply touching coral will kill it. With some corals even touching it can be a painful experience. Cozumel isn't just for experienced divers but also for beginners and snorkelers. Snorkeling is the second most popular sport on the island. For novice snorklers, there is no need to swim far distances or take a boat trip to take advantage of the reefs. Great snorkeling opportunities await even at hotel beaches. Fish feeding is a common activity at some beaches. Also, 100 meters off of La Ceiba pier is a sunken 40-passenger plane serving as a reef to all sorts of colourful marine life, with a visibility of 30 meters. The warm, calm waters with easy access to exciting marine life makes Cozumel an ideal place for families with children. Cozumel offers an underwater paradise, access to all the necessary safe diving equipment and safety programs for divers and swimmers alike. And when you need a break from water sports, there are endless sights to see and activities to do just by taking the ferry across to the Yucatan Peninsula. There is no doubt why Cozumel is one of the world's favorite diving and sun destinations. The Mayan Ruins TULÚM
Cozumel has some interesting Mayan ruins, but if you want to see some truly magnificent pyramids you'll want to visit these sites. Tulm is about a 45 minute ride (by bus, taxi, or rental car) south of Playa del Carmen. The only Mayan city built directly on the sea, Tulum is thought to date from 400-900A.D. After exploring the ruins and enjoying the spectacular view from atop EL CASTILLO. You can take a refreshing dip in the Caribbean from the pristine beach in front of the site. Tulum, in Quintana Roo near the town of El Crucero, is the place to go for ruins on the beach. It is the most visited Maya ruin and is the biggest attraction on the coast. It was the only Maya city built on the coast, possibly having housed 2000 people and once functioned as a trade center...
Cozumel isn't just for experienced divers but also for beginners and snorkelers. Snorkeling is the second most popular sport on the island. The warm, calm waters with easy access to exciting marine life makes Cozumel an ideal place for families with children. Cozumel is located near the Mayan ruins of Tulum, Xel-ha, Xcaret, Chichen-Itza and Coba. Take a short daytrip and visit ruins nestled in the jungle at Coba, or overlooking the Caribbean at Tulum. Visit the natural aquariums at Xel-Ha, or the nearby park at Xcaret. This port city was never conquered by the Spaniards and was one of the last Maya outposts left standing during their revolt against Mexican rule in the War of the Castes during the 1840's. There is no question why Tulum holds great significance to the Mayans. An impressive sight at Tulum is an imposing castle standing on the edge of a 12 meter cliff at the top of the ruins. Visitors may wish to bring a swim suit to cool off in a cove at the bottom of the site but there are no facilities. The area is a prime trekking ground for those who want to experience jungle wildlife living amidst pristine rain forest and unrestored Mayan ruins.
COBA
Cobá, north of Tulum in Quintana Roo, is about a 30 minute ride northwest of Tulum, and well worth visiting, accommodations are available for overnight stays. It was once a stately city which controlled the economy of the entire Maya region. Unlike most archeological sites on the Yucatan Peninsula, Coba is in the middle of the jungle, and a totally different experience. Take some mosquito repellent with you for this one, as the moist jungle environment supports quite on insect population. It prospered between AD 400 to 1100 and in its heyday, 40,000 people lived within its confines. Large temple pyramids still stand above the jungle, one of which is 138 feet tall, the highest in Northern Yucatan. Because Coba is isolated and off the coast, it is not visited as frequently as it should be. Mysterious ancient roads through the jungle radiate out from Cobá leading, it seems, to nowhere in particular. Also bring along some water, as you'll be doing a lot of hiking. What will you see? The highest pyramid on the Yucatan Peninsula, for one thing, (Nohoch Mul). You may see or at least hear, howler monkeys and an incredible variety of jungle birds. The top of the gigantic Temple of the Churches affords a fantastic view of Lake Ma Can Xoc to the east and of Lake Cobo to the southwest. You'll also see many stelae, glyphs, and sculptures, some showing detailed relieves and complicated inscriptions. One stelae is dated November 30, 780 A.D. in Mayan glyphs. CHICHÉN ITZÁ
Chichén Itzá, translates to mean "mouth of the well of Itza", is probably the best known and most visited of all the Mayan ruins, and with good reason. Chichen is the best known, best restored, and arguably most impressive Mayan ruin. Although it's due west of Playa del Carmen, you'll have to go north to Cancun to get the main highway to Chichen-Itza. It's about a three hour ride, so leave early to give yourself plenty of time to explore this fascinating site. We recommend you hire a guide, or at least buy a booklet to better understand what you are seeing. The structures are enormous and awesome. The largest ballcourt in mesoamerica, stone sculptures of gods associated with human sacrifice, steam baths for ritual purification and the 98 foot tall El Castillo all reside here. Chichen had two principal wells, or cenote: one sacred and the other profane. The profane well was used for everyday needs. The sacred well, a largish 195 feet across by 120 feet deep, was used in worship, and offerings were continually made to it. Divers have retrieved skeletons and many ritual objects from its depths. X-CARET
Only 6 km. south of Playa Del Carmen is the Mexican version of Disneyland, X-Caret. X-Caret is a 250 acre ecological theme park with a number of attractions. Archaeologists are still excavating the area and several ruins have been restored. One of the main attractions is the educational Dolphinaruim with workshops and dolphins with whom visitors can swim with for a fee ($60). Another main attraction is the underground river ride that floats visitors past coralline deposits and unusual fish in the river and lasts for about 25 minutes. Other park attractions include a botanical garden, a museum, a turtle farm, a butterfly garden, horseback riding, a lagoon great for young snorkelers and a beautiful beach. The park also has dive shops on site, a restaurant and a gift shop. Park fee is $25. Public transportation is available from Playa Del Carmen but many tour operators offer day excursions to the park.
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