Royal PDC: Apr 30 - May 7, 2011 - Page 3

annrawa · 05-20-2011

Great report, sounds like you really enjoy PDC.

Y2YTraveller · 05-20-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by annrawa

Great report, sounds like you really enjoy PDC.

Thanks! What's not to enjoy about PDC?

shadowcat410 · 05-20-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Y2YTraveller

May 4 was the day we had booked a tour of Cozumel. We had an early breakfast at Spice and then strolled down 5th at around 9:00 am to the ferry dock. The temperature was already sweltering by the time we got there, met up with our tour group & picked up our ferry tickets.

Wow, that beach looks amazing. The water so inviting. *sigh*....

burly · 05-20-2011

Great report so far, really enjoying it.

Y2YTraveller · 05-20-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadowcat410

Wow, that beach looks amazing. The water so inviting. *sigh*....

Wish we were still there!

beachmama61 · 05-20-2011

Loving your review and pictures.

Can't wait to be there in June!

Y2YTraveller · 05-20-2011

After arriving at the Cozumel dock, our group piled into an open-air bus for a "Cozumel Highlights" tour which led us to Punta Sur. After the crocodile lagoon, we headed for the southern tip of Cozumel and the 19th-century Celarain lighthouse:

You can climb the 130+ steps up to the top of the lighthouse, climb through a hatchway into the lens room, and then crawl through a 3' doorway to the outer balcony, from which the views are tremendous:

After climbing back down the lighthouse stairs, I grabbed a couple of shots from the shoreline, facing east across the open Caribbean:

The next stop was at a beach club on the southeast side of the island for an hour of snorkelling, followed by a Mexican lunch under the Palapas. Food was quite good, as was the snorkelling. I need to get an underwater housing for my camera......

After a leisurely lunch and quick shower, the bus took us up the wild east side of Cozumel.

More to follow...

beachmama61 · 05-21-2011

aawww - beautiful!! Great pictures.

mocha2 · 05-21-2011

Thanks for sharing! Great pics! We LOVE Playa and have been 10 or so times, but we did discover Cabo this past Christmas. We also stayed at the Playa Grande. We had a great time, enjoyed seeing the whales and "flying" sting rays! Had the best time climbing over Mt. Solmar to lover's beach.

Can't wait to see more of your trip!

sandalgirl · 05-21-2011

This report is informative! We too are planning on going to Cozumel for the first time this trip. We were thinking of just heading over there and taking a self-guided tour. Do you recommend an organized one instead? Thanks for any info...

Y2YTraveller · 05-21-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by mocha2

Thanks for sharing! Great pics! We LOVE Playa and have been 10 or so times, but we did discover Cabo this past Christmas. We also stayed at the Playa Grande. We had a great time, enjoyed seeing the whales and "flying" sting rays! Had the best time climbing over Mt. Solmar to lover's beach.

Can't wait to see more of your trip!

As much as we enjoyed Cabo, Playa is still our preferred destination, even though Cabo is a lot easier for us to get to (4 hr flight vs. 7.5 hr flight). The sand and water in Playa just can't be beat.

We're heading back to the Playa Grande with the kids this October; when we stayed there back in 2009, my wife & I both noticed a lot of similarities in architecture & layout to the RPDC and wondered if they'd been designed by the same architect.

Y2YTraveller · 05-21-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandalgirl

This report is informative! We too are planning on going to Cozumel for the first time this trip. We were thinking of just heading over there and taking a self-guided tour. Do you recommend an organized one instead? Thanks for any info...

Cozumel's a fairly large island (biggest in Mexico), and the most photogenic parts of it require a bit of driving to get to. You can always hop on the ferry and take colectivos or taxis. It's also fairly easy to cycle around since most of the island is dead flat.

From our point of view, the organised tour made the most sense since it allowed us to see more of Cozumel in a fairly short time (about 6 hours), included a snorkelling trip along the reef, and all food & ferry tickets were included. We booked the tour through Best Day (which I believe is affiliated with the Real group) in the RPDC lobby for 1250 Pesos per person, all-inclusive. I'm told that the ferry tickets alone are 350 Pesos per person each way, so it appears to be a pretty good deal. We certainly enjoyed it!

playafool · 05-21-2011

ULTRAMAR $312 pesos round trip / $156 pesos one way
They told you to much on the cost of rhe ferry. The tour looks good, we will check it out.

Y2YTraveller · 05-21-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by playafool

ULTRAMAR $312 pesos round trip / $156 pesos one way
They told you to much on the cost of rhe ferry. The tour looks good, we will check it out.

More likely my memory is faulty!

Even still, it was a good deal, all things considered. Best Day was the booking agent but the tour operator was Explore Caribe.

playafool · 05-21-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Y2YTraveller

More likely my memory is faulty!

Even still, it was a good deal, all things considered. Best Day was the booking agent but the tour operator was Exlore Caribe.

Do they give you time to mess around in town before you head back?

05-20-2011	#31 (permalink)
annrawa life=playa Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 582	tr Great report, sounds like you really enjoy PDC.

05-20-2011	#37 (permalink)
Y2YTraveller life=playa Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 600	Day 5, Part II After arriving at the Cozumel dock, our group piled into an open-air bus for a "Cozumel Highlights" tour which led us to Punta Sur. After the crocodile lagoon, we headed for the southern tip of Cozumel and the 19th-century Celarain lighthouse: You can climb the 130+ steps up to the top of the lighthouse, climb through a hatchway into the lens room, and then crawl through a 3' doorway to the outer balcony, from which the views are tremendous: After climbing back down the lighthouse stairs, I grabbed a couple of shots from the shoreline, facing east across the open Caribbean: The next stop was at a beach club on the southeast side of the island for an hour of snorkelling, followed by a Mexican lunch under the Palapas. Food was quite good, as was the snorkelling. I need to get an underwater housing for my camera...... After a leisurely lunch and quick shower, the bus took us up the wild east side of Cozumel. More to follow... Last edited by Y2YTraveller; 12-20-2012 at 04:18 PM..

05-20-2011	#34 (permalink)
burly way into it Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 241	Great report so far, really enjoying it.

05-20-2011	#36 (permalink)
beachmama61 lost on fifth Join Date: May 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 18	Loving your review and pictures. Can't wait to be there in June!

05-21-2011	#38 (permalink)
beachmama61 lost on fifth Join Date: May 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 18	aawww - beautiful!! Great pictures.

05-21-2011	#39 (permalink)
mocha2 beachaholic Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 258	Thanks for sharing! Great pics! We LOVE Playa and have been 10 or so times, but we did discover Cabo this past Christmas. We also stayed at the Playa Grande. We had a great time, enjoyed seeing the whales and "flying" sting rays! Had the best time climbing over Mt. Solmar to lover's beach. Can't wait to see more of your trip!

05-21-2011	#40 (permalink)
sandalgirl lost on fifth Join Date: May 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 24	This report is informative! We too are planning on going to Cozumel for the first time this trip. We were thinking of just heading over there and taking a self-guided tour. Do you recommend an organized one instead? Thanks for any info...

05-21-2011	#43 (permalink)
playafool life=playa Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 511	ULTRAMAR $312 pesos round trip / $156 pesos one way They told you to much on the cost of rhe ferry. The tour looks good, we will check it out.

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