by procsilas

Cozumel Mexico is one of the great dive spots in the world and only 6 hours from Seattle.  I have vacationed in the Yucatan a few times, primarily Cancun, but had never taken the ferry from Playa Del Carmen across the bay to Cozumel Island, an east 40 minute trip.  Cozumel is just off the east coast of the Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and is Mexico’s largest island,  around 300 square miles, but the town with less than 100,000 residents may receive as many as fourmillion visitors each year.  Unlike Cancun, Cozumel is not a touristy location. 
In recent years some tourist shops have sprung up to feed the hunger of the cruise ship guests, but two blocks from the town center and you’re in avery quaint and a wonderful old world area.

The beach is the main attraction in Cozumel. The clear warm waters of the Caribbean are perfect for a wide range of aquatic activities from swimming, to snorkeling, to sport fishing, and finally to diving. Cozumel is also home to the second largest coral reef in the world which attracts divers from all over the world, and with amazing beautiful blue rich water with 100
feet of visibility on an average day anyone will cherish diving in Cozumel.

Most of the dive sites are rocky teeming with plenty of rich, beautiful Coral.  Large and small sea fans are present everywhere and the area is home to more than 200 species of tropical fish representing every color in the rainbow.  It’s simply bursting alive with huge schools of fish; Turtles, large Surgeonfish, Barracuda, Blue and Gold Snapper, Triggerfish, Moorish Idols, bright blue butterflies, and huge Parrotfish.  I was also fortunate enough to get a shot of
a Dolphin passing by on my first visit, but that is very rare.  I have captured shots of morays; Green, Jewel and Stripped Morays.

A very appealing time to dive for me in Cozumel is twilight.  Many of the nocturnal creatures begin to hunt and present themselves for great photographic splendor.  I have taken many night shots of small to large octopus, lobster and varieties of crab.

Snorkeling is a popular activity and small underwater scooters are available for rent to
help you cover the miles of reef which make Cozumel famous. There are also numerous opportunities to swim with dolphins, manatees or sea lions.

The ungles of Cozumel can be a fun way to spend a day also.  Whether guided tour by jeep or a rugged ATV on our own, there is much to see in the Jade Caverns.  You will encounter dramatic waterfalls and ool lagoons for swimming as well as ruins from the Mayan civilization.

Cozumel s a great spot to charter a fishing boat too. The waters around the island are
an excellent spot to catch Sailfish and Blue Marlin. If fishing is not for you, there are glass bottom boats and submarines that will take you out to let you see the beauty of the area.

When I am in Cozumel I will only dive with Aldora Divers.   This dive charter company
not only has the reputation of being the most professional and the most knowledgeable, but they also provide steel 120 tanks on each dive, much larger than a typical dive company.   Everyone from Memo Aldora himself to Steve who manages the Villa, to the Dive Master’s like Javier, Raul and Liang who will take you to the best places to dive.  Palencar Reef is the main attraction on the south west side of the island.  But most other dive companies
will only dive a few of the more shallow areas repeatedly.  Aldora DM’s are so familiar with the reef; they know where to dive, even if it’s a few hundred feet north or south.  They want you to explore the less traveled, but more interesting areas.   I cannot say enough about the Aldora, they are simply the best dive company providing wonderful professional service in a
beautiful place to dive.

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by Michael Sarver

Cozumel, one of prime Mexican tourists destination is located about 40 miles off the shore of the Yucatan Peninsula. It was created by the gradual trapping of sand and mud behind an ancient reef system. It is Mexico’s largest island; 29 miles long and 12 miles wide. It’s an ideal destination for Romantic vacations, Adventure enthusiasts, Kids friendly destination, Cruise Ship visitors, Scuba Diving lovers, or simply those looking to relax along Mexican Caribbean.Beach lovers from across the worlds take flights to Mexico to tour beaches of Cozumel Island. It is a paradise for visitors where tradition, flavor and joy come together. It is such a wonderful place that everyone is guaranteed of getting something here. There are two ways to take a tour to the island one is slow boat and other is a fast boat. Fast boat is slight costly as compared to slow boat coasting on one side.

Activities:

There is plethora of activities to do at Cozumel.Activities caninclude anything from lying on the beach, to touring the jungle. By taking Mexico flights from UK you are welcomed to; beaches, shops,scuba diving, snorkeling,  jungle adventures,  natural parks, kite boarding, museums, ruins, massages, mini-golf and much more. These flights reservation can be made with any reliable travel company like mexico flights You may enjoy water sports at its trendy beaches, or dinning out Mexican food at world class restaurants, or shopping pottery, jewelry, carvings, art, silver, clothes and artesania. Scuba Diving is most popular activity and is the main reason behind Mexico flights. In addition to Scuba diving one may see more than 60 rare species of reef fish including; southern stingray, squirrel fish, spotted eagle ray, spotted moray, green moray, pork fish, bar jack, yellowtail snapper, French grunt, Bermuda chub, angelfish, Creole wrasse, butterfly fish, and stoplight parrot fish at Reefs National Marine Park after taking cheap Mexico flights.

Important information for Scuba Diving:

Scuba diving may be dangerous if precautionary measures are not taken. It is safer to dive in the calmer waters of the southwest and leeward coast. It can be dangerous to the inexperienced drift diving, which dominates in Cozumel’s waters, and Cozumel’s marine life as the bifurcated current produces secondary currents of varying strengths. Although it is a year round tourists destination but one must know the best time of diving before reserving flights to Mexico. April and May are best months for calm water and sunny, moderate weather. You may search for reservation of Mexico flights from UK.

descargando sobre Cozumel by procsilas

by DigiDragon

I was planning a vacation in one of these places with my husband, and he would like to go scuba diving (I don’t have the license). Anyway, I was wondering if Cozumel is much better than Playa del Carmen for that purpose.
Thank you!

Doug Niedermiller Photography: View my video slide show put to music by Jimmy G’s song “Confrontacióspañ”: http://bit.ly/9o7Tkb

by pasujoba

Off the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Cozumel is located. It is a Caribbean Sea island too. Scuba diving in Cozumel with much interesting sights has been loved by divers. This used to be home to Mayan goddesses and a hideaway for pirates.

Today it is better recognized for its beautiful barrier reef that is the second largest in the world. Divers are presented with some of the best scuba diving anywhere too. Ranging from wildlife to wrecks, there are so many different things to explore. To safeguard all the natural resources there, the government of Mexico developed a National Park across a 25-mile area of the reefs.

Most of the divers that come to Cozumel are attracted by this park. They love to explore the caves and wrecks, along with the marine creatures that thrive in the water around all of Cozumel. These interesting things draw all levels of divers to do scuba diving in Cozumel.

Learner divers delight in the coral found in the shallower areas close to shore. Tunnels and the labyrinths in the coral pinnacles attract the divers that are a bit more experienced. Heading for the areas that have the drop offs and the high walls excites the expert divers. Let’s examine these areas more to know why the divers like them so much.

Santa Rosa Wall is one of the places that attract the expert divers. The drop off into an abyss that is quite deep that in some places is about 100 feet. You have to familiarize your diving to dive in this area though. The currents are too tough for the novice divers. Intermediate divers could also dive here. From the large sponges to the tunnels and caves, there is much to see.

Intermediate divers likely set out toward areas like Palancar Horseshoe. The coral labyrinths reach as high as 100 feet and go down to 20 feet under the surface. Scuba diving through the tunnels, caves and the various other features renders for the extreme in dive experiences. Exciting quests like this bring people scuba diving in Cozumel.

Learners can find the coral gardens near the shore. As shallow as 30 feet are the reefs in some areas. The currents are not as tough so it is manageable for the divers who are just learning or without much experience. These divers can encounter star corals, sponges, moray eels, and more in these clear waters.

Diving at night should not be missed when you visit Cozumel. After dark, the underwater environment takes on a mystical feeling. You are still about to see more activities as well.

In Cozumel, there is much of history to unearth. You can drop in on the local Mayan ruins and an old historic lighthouse. Next to this, there are the dazzling sunsets, beaches, and the blue waters that are crystal clear for a plunge.

Now doesn’t scuba diving in Cozumel catches your interest? Whether you are exploring the tunnels or the coral reefs and caves, you will have an intense experience. To spend another great time, you can also go night diving or just stroll on the beach. Start planning your diving trip today for an enjoyable, satisfying break.