Cozumel Beach recommendations

[Mobbane]

Anyone know of any free/cheap beaches in Cozumel we can just take a taxi to for a few hours? We don't need a giant water park all-inclusive adventure, just somewhere quick where we can enjoy the sand. Thanks!

 

[xQuizx]

On our upcoming Merry Time cruise we plan on going to Paradise Beach. It's a $3 cover and a taxi ride away.

 

[starvenger]

I think the taxi is about $17 to paradise. I’ll try to remember to take a picture of the price list (for taxis) when I’m there in a couple of weeks.

 

[KashasMom]

We loved Paradise Beach. Beach is very nice, pool is fantastic, and food was very good.

 

[starvenger]

@KashasMom so my understanding is that everything is a la carte there. Can you give us an idea of food/drink prices and what the $3 covers? For example is there an extra charge for an umbrella etc.?

 

[Trera]

We did Nachi Cocum and it was really nice and quiet. They limit the amount of people per day to keep their beach less crowded and it is a one price all inclusive experience.

 

[All about me]

Tripadvisor has reviews on Paradise Beach and a lot of them mention various pricing.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract...Paradise_Beach-Cozumel_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

I read up on a lot of Cozumel's beach clubs, including Paradise Beach, when looking for info on 'A Mexican Halloween and Beach Adventure' (CZ91) and debating between that and just going to a a beach club for the day, and I strongly advise checking out the 'terrible' reviews for forewarning on some of the less ethical practices that abound at all of them. If I had gone with a beach club, any beach club, I would have planned for using cash as opposed to a credit card, avoided mixed drinks and carefully gone over any bill before paying it.

 

[aggiedog]

We went to Paradise Beach 2 Christmases ago on our Merry Time cruise. I'm pretty sure cover was a bit more, but not much. It's inclusive of any chair/umbrella you want. There is a lot of choices, lots of sun, lots of shade (as a family of red heads this is important to us) on the beach and around the pool. You pay extra for a wrist band that lets you on the giant inflatables (which are further out in the water, so not "in your face" if you're on the beach), the paddle boards, snorkeling, etc. Honestly, unless you are 20 or ridiculously fit, don't even try for the inflatables. They are huge, slippery, and an orthopedic injury waiting to happen for the rest of us adults. LOL Food and drinks were not outrageously expensive. $10-15 for huge nachos or a burger with fries. The staff were very friendly and our server was great. It caters to cruise ship folks, so gets very busy by mid day then clears out by 4:00pm. If you want your pick of chair location, I'd plan on getting there by 10:30 at the latest.

FWIW, we used our CC without a problem.

The taxi stand by the pier has set prices to all the beaches/clubs/resorts listed. No need to haggle.

 

[starvenger]

We did Nachi Cocum and it was really nice and quiet. They limit the amount of people per day to keep their beach less crowded and it is a one price all inclusive experience.

This is where I am headed, but since OP mentioned free/cheap Paradise would probably be more the direction they want to go.

I read up on a lot of Cozumel's beach clubs, including Paradise Beach, when looking for info on 'A Mexican Halloween and Beach Adventure' (CZ91) and debating between that and just going to a a beach club for the day, and I strongly advise checking out the 'terrible' reviews for forewarning on some of the less ethical practices that abound at all of them. If I had gone with a beach club, any beach club, I would have planned for using cash as opposed to a credit card, avoided mixed drinks and carefully gone over any bill before paying it.

I love reading 1 and 5 star tripadvisor/yelp reviews. Not because they're helpful. More because they're unintentionally funny. I stick with the 2-4 star reviews to get a more balanced survey of the properties.

Honestly, unless you are 20 or ridiculously fit, don't even try for the inflatables. They are huge, slippery, and an orthopedic injury waiting to happen for the rest of us adults. LOL

Agreed. I've actually got my chiropractor on speed dial, just in case of, well, anything that kills my back.

 

[DaddysPrincess]

Chen Rio is my absolute favorite spot in Cozumel. It's actually a restaurant but they have a nice beach area that's fairly private. You can just get chips & guac and have access to a beautiful, secluded area. Here's a little video I found of it but the beach wasn't nearly that crowded when we were there.

 

[DaddysPrincess]

Agreed. I've actually got my chiropractor on speed dial, just in case of, well, anything that kills my back.

those inflatable parks are traumatic for me because my bf was stung by a stingray hiding out beneath it. Obviously it was a total freak thing and it was prime stingray season but still...
This was at Fury Beach, in Cozumel, which is operated by the Fury Catamaran Company and they were amazing. They made sure my bf got to the hospital and even paid the bill -- forever grateful. But we still will never go on one again lol

 

[All about me]

I love reading 1 and 5 star tripadvisor/yelp reviews. Not because they're helpful. More because they're unintentionally funny. I stick with the 2-4 star reviews to get a more balanced survey of the properties.

As a person who often travels alone with young children, I want to know of any possible risks beforehand so I read 1 star reviews religiously. I haven't often chosen not to do something based solely on 1 star reviews but I have modified plans and saved myself grief.

 

[starvenger]

What I find with 1 star reviews is that they're often overly dramatic. Everything is bad, or one thing was so bad that it completely prejudices their opinion of something.

5 star reviews, on the other hand, have a permanent rose-coloured filter attached so everything was perfect and nothing was bad.

But 2-4 reviews are generally more balanced, giving you pros, cons, and reasonable explanations for why something was good or bad.

Just my opinion on starred reviews though.

 

[ktate82]

We have been to playa mia and paradise beach. We enjoyed playa mia, but due to the excursion, did not have much time there. They have inflatables, but they were pretty far out in the water, and it took some physical work to get up on them. Paradise Beach has been our favorite. It's $3 per person to get in, and they ask that you spend $10 per person on food (not hard). The nachos are huge and really good. If you want to do any of the inflatables, paddle boards, or such, it's $17. DH, the kids, and I pay the $17 while SIL and MIL just paid the $3 when they went. When we arrived, we told them we wanted to be in the shade all day, and they showed us a spot in the trees with a nice view. They have a very nice pool as well.

 

[momof2n2]

I have been at Playa Mia and Nachi Cocum and the part about both that I hated was how coarse the sand is. Think prickly sesame seeds. I want to try something on the northern edge of the island next time to see if we have a softer experience. Otherwise Coz is a port I will stay on the ship for anymore.