Gelina and Dave's Adventures

This was our first trip to Cozumel. The island lies just off Mexico's Yucatan coast, and makes up the north end of the Sistema Arrecifal Mesoamericano, the largest reef system in the Americas that runs for another 500+ miles south. This makes it one of the primo snorkeling and diving destinations in the world.

As a tropical islands go, it's got it all - palm trees, deep blue skies, crystal clear water, miles of beaches, excellent snorkeling, and the beach bars open at 9am - who could ask for anything more?

Our first attempt to vacation here was nixed by hurricane Mitch. It hit the day before we were supposed to leave and shut the island down for almost a week. Good thing for travel insurance. We were so happy to finally get there that we made it one of our lay-on-the-beach-and-take-it-easy vacations.

We snorkeled, did a little shopping, rented a car and toured the island, but mostly we just pretended that we were human sundials. It was great!

Dave takes it easy in the shade. We stayed at the Allegro on the southwestern end of Cozumel. It's the sister resort to the one in Playa del Carmen where we honeymooned.	A typical day at the beach: "Honey, would you please bring me another Tequila Sunrise?" How could I say no? For an all-inclusive, it was a great resort. We really like their two-story, thatched-roof villas much better than the big-hotel-on-the-beach design that you see so much of.
The beach right after a storm and the grounds keepers hadn't been out the sweep it yet.	Miles of sand. The beaches around on the west coast of Cozumel are some of the best on the island.
You won't see a road sign for El Mirador. It's just the local name for the first of a handful of beach bars that dot Cozumel's undeveloped eastern coast. We rented a little rag-top 4x4 (some of the roads aren't quite roads) and had a blast.	G on a remote beach. Most of the beaches on the eastern side are too rough to swim, but they are great for sunbathing and beach combing.
Funky rasta bar at El Mirador.	Gelina tries to pet a fish.
San Gervasio is a Mayan ruin that has mostly small temples and shrines to Ix Chel, the goddess of fertility. Mayan women would put offerings of flowers on small altar in the center of this archway.	We saw a monster iguana. He was huge and orange. I couldn't get close enough to get any decent photos of him because Gelina was afraid he would run up and bite me.We found out later that the locals eat them like chicken (only you get four legs, no wings). Next time we're getting photos and lunch. This is what the iguana would have looked like had I gotten close enough for a photo.
El Parque de Chankanaab is an inlet from the Caribbean that has been turned into a national park. In additional to the outstanding snorkeling, there's a botanical garden with lagoons, lilly ponds, and Mayan ruins. Here's a lifeguard station in paradise.	One of the many lagoons in the park.
This is part of Chankanaab's extensive archeological park. Here Gelina is menaced by the goofy bird god.	The Mayan kitty-cat god.

Our Adventures in Cozumel