Destination: Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel is a wonderful place, far more exciting that I originally thought. As you can tell by our previous posts, Jenny and I love to travel but we like to do things in a less touristy fashion. We, as most people, arrived in Cozumel by cruise ship. I was extremely impressed at how large the port of Cozumel was, there were six ships anchored which is the most I've ever seen outside of the port of Miami at one time.

Disembarking from the ship was a breeze and we were guided down a long walkway to the main cruise terminal entrance and exit. You'll be happy to note that there are many cool shops and liquor stores as soon as you arrive in the plaza, as well as a Senior Frogs. I think it's apparent that both Jenny and I are drinkers, and the large water slide that winded it's way from the 2nd floor of Senior Frogs into the ocean (yes, the ocean) was a pretty big lure for us. Unfortunately when we walked into Senior Frogs it was quiet and uneventful, we moved on.

The first thing we did was look for a way to tour Cozumel on our own. As you wind through the shops toward the exit there are many scooter and car rental salesmen who attempt to sell you on a rental, these are great options for getting around but remember to bargain! You also want to make sure that the price they are giving you includes insurance and tax - Jenny and I spoke with several salesmen and opted for a scooter at $30 for the day as opposed to a jeep for $50/day plus insurance. A few things you should note:

1) Cozumel is MUCH larger than anticipated. We drove around the island and it was a far ride, at least 40 miles. A scooter is NOT ideal if you plan to see everything, pay the extra money and get a jeep.

2) Remember that they're trying to get the most money they can out of you, there are several rental companies so if you don't like the deal move on to another. Use your bargaining skills and get a lower rate.

Now you may be asking yourself, Now that I have a Jeep (or scooter) what do I do? Jenny and I opted to see the land as oppose to shop in the touristy areas, we took off! There is basically one main road that goes around the entire island, so you really cannot get lost. We headed south and quickly noticed there were many beaches, each one had a cool setup and we decided to stop and check them out. What we found to be extremely cool was that most of the beaches had private businesses that had lounge chairs, umbrellas, bars, kayaks and cool water toys that were free to use, as long as you ordered drinks from them. If you're looking to lounge in the sun and have a few drinks this is certainly ideal as well as cheap. Unfortunately we were looking to explore so we rode on.

I will say that the first 10-15 miles is pretty boring. You continually pass hotels and beaches but nothing truly scenic until you hit the east coast. Here the road rides right along the shores and cliffs as you watch some amazing waves smash into jagged rocks. It really is quite a scene, especially if like Jenny and I, you are used to the Gulf of Mexico which is extremely calm. As you make your way north along the roadway we found several cool little side stands that offered trinkets to passerby's. We opted to stop at one of the little shops right around 12pm and were fortunate enough to have found one that sold cold Corona's. I can tell you that this is one of the highlights of my trip, sipping a cold Corona (they cost $1/ea USD) and walking along an awesome rock formation on the shore - I doubt you'll find an experience like that on a cruise line expedition!

Next Jenny and I continued north and we were amazed by a large cliff bar called "Coconuts". Considering we were attempting to manage our time we shouldn't have stopped, but who could pass up a bar on a cliff? We parked, walked up the long and steep stairwell into Coconuts. This was an amazing bar and even if you decide not to eat or drink here (we didn't) I recommend you check out the view. Tables lined the sand near the cliff and watched out over the breaking waves below, if we had more time I can assure you we would have hung out for a bit more.

As Jenny and I continued we finally found the Mayan Ruins in Cozumel at San Gervasio. I figured if I was going to be in Mexico near Mayan ruins I had to go, so we did. The cost is $6.50/person to enter and there is a long walking path which covers about 15 structures, most of which are pretty destroyed. If you've ever been to Mayan ruins like Tulum this can certainly be skipped, but if you're like Jenny and I and would like to be able to say that you have seen a Mayan ruin then you should go. Overall, to say I went was worth it, but I wouldn't go back to this specific site.

After we finished at San Gervasio we rode back into Cozumel and returned the scooter. We had several hours left at port and we wanted to party, considering there was a Margaritaville in Cozumel we opted to head there. Margaritaville, and most of the main bars and restaurants, were surprisingly not close to the port. They were about 2.5 miles from the terminal so we opted to take a taxi at a cost of $7 USD. When we arrived at Maragritaville we were impressed with the layout - A large open indoor area followed by a large deck on the water with cool wooden swing chairs. Unfortunately the Margaritaville lacked an party/vibrant atmosphere so we decided to leave (See Margaritaville Reviews for More)

When Jenny and I walked outside we asked one of the taxi drivers where we should go to find a party, they pointed us to Carlos N' Charlie's about two blocks north. If you are not familiar with Carlos N' Charlie's it is a Mexican based restaurant/bar that is infamous for their party scene. They have about 50 locations throughout Mexico and the surrounding Caribbean and they sometimes are combined with Senior Frogs like this location. When we arrived at Carlos N' Charlie's we found what we were looking for - an electric atmosphere fueled by the young Spring Breakers who inhabited the bar at that moment. Most of the 75 or so customers were hammered, dancing all over the place, taking tequila shots and having a good time. We joined in and grabbed some yard drinks quickly becoming severely inebriated.

Please note that Carlos N' Charlie's was unlike most of the bars we go to. We enjoy partying but this particular party was younger and more wild than our usual locations. The restaurant was dirty, the floors covered in alcohol and at one point, someone puked right in the middle. We had an amazing time, but we were ready to go crazy. If you're looking for a more laid back party scene this probably isn't the location for you.

After partying for a few hours and consuming a $100 worth of alcohol we headed back to the ship where we passed out for the evening. Overall, Carlos N' Charlie's was what we needed at the time and I have no regrets. It was a tad pricey considering we were in Mexico, but $100 for about ten yard drinks wasn't too bad.