Annual Cozumel Adventure

The video (best viewed landscape) is 7:30 minutes long.

My annual trip to Cozumel, Mexico was a week later than normal this year. Earlier in the year when I was booking this trip, I could not find ANY flights from Minneapolis to Cozumel even with connections. Our local air carrier, Sun Country, scheduled direct flights starting Saturday, December 7 and when I found out that worked for my travel companion, Jenny, then the deal was done.

It was Sun Country's season inaugural flight not that they did anything special. But two really nice things were it is direct flight, and it wasn't full, so we had plenty of room.

Jenny and I arrived on Saturday before check-in time so headed to the pool/beach for a welcome to Cozumel beverage. No need to go into any details because we pretty much did our usual stuff.... snorkeled every day, ate delicious food, relaxed, worked crossword puzzles, and did I say we snorkeled every day(?).

The one new adventure as renting bikes for the week. We went to actual bike rental place in town instead of using the hotel bikes. These were way more comfortable and cheaper! We rented from Monday to Friday for $60 each! For reference we rented from Best Bikes Cozumel. The business is owned and run by a guy from Canada. While the website says your bike needs a license plate and his has them, apparently you do not and his don't 🫤

Cozumel is very bike friendly. There are marked bike lanes on most of the streets and a dedicated separate bike lane south of downtown. We had anticipated riding to the east side of the island but it was very windy most days and decided we didn't want the extra effort. We did take advantage of the bikes and only took a cab on the days we didn't have them. We also biked to a two nice beach clubs for snorkeling adventures.

Money Bar Beach Club

Cozumel Thanksgiving

Going to make this kinda short because the video is kinda long. Please take a serene few minutes to watch the video recap of the trip here.

Two weeks in Cozumel over Thanksgiving and the week after. Jenny Batten flew down with me and stayed 10 days.

Jill Rendall joined us after Thanksgiving and stayed until our departure on December 3rd.

This was a totally stress-free vacation. We didn't rent a car and mostly stayed at the Coral Princess where the snorkeling was off the charts good. Water was crystal clear. When it rained, it rained over night or briefly. I got in several runs and even had Jenny running with me a few times. And she gave me swimming pointers.

We went to a new-for-us beach club, Buccanos, that was so fantastic. The food was amazing and the beach and water were crazy nice.

We hit our favorite spots...Hotel B, Casa Denis, key lime pie store, Casa Mission, Guido's, and Pancho's Backyard.

Jill and I took a snorkel sailing excursion with an amazing group of women. The photos and some videos of jib flying are here.

Cozumel vacation

Here are some more photos from this year's Cozumel vacation.

Amy and I had a great time not doing very much. It was hot and humid with lots of mosquitos and rain sometimes. But nothing ever prevented us from enjoying the beautiful water, food, drink and people.

We had to trade hats

A type of hydrangea perhaps

Not a trick of the camera lens. This rainbow just appeared.

Shimmering pool tiles

One of many amazing sunrises

A mural off the beaten path

Sailing away

Cozumel vacation in photos (2) swimming with fish

We only snorkeled off the hotel but it is all we needed to see big and small fish, coral and amazing sponges.

One of my favorites - angel fish.

Jill swimming with the fish.

A pair of green moray eels.

A very large snail eating a starfish.

A man-made reef.

The 'wall'. So many different colored sponges.

Jill swimming with fish.

A tube sponge.

Cozumel vacation in photos (1)

Another great post-Thanksgiving vacation in Cozumel, Mexico. The weather was fantastic. My vacation mate, Jill, and I relaxed, ate, drank, snorkeled, walked (and Jill shopped).

My amazing friend, Jill, and I photo-bombed by an iguana.

Beautiful weather.

Sailing is a new option at Coral Princess. We didn't.

Super moon over the Caribbean.

Took some time but captured this photo of sparrow-sized yellow bird.

Cozumel Ironman. This guy is the leader and eventual pro male winner.

Drama

So much fun with crosswords.

I did get stung by two fire ants. Just two but very painful and lasted all week!

Cozumel, Mexico

I am back in Cozumel for my annual after Thanksgiving holiday. Arrived Saturday afternoon after a very early departure from Minneapolis. My friend Dave is with me again this year. This is trip three for him.

We connected via Miami. There were maybe 12 people on the flight! JT and Linda are also here again this year. They took United through Chicago and landed about an hour before us. They greeted us in the Coral Princess lobby.

Last year's  construction project is nearly complete. I say 'nearly' because they were installing the outdoor showers yesterday and this morning a jack hammer was tearing up something.

The WiFi is very sketchy. Everyone has a smartphone or other WiFi device so I think the system is just overloaded.

The Ironman competition was Sunday again. We watched and cheered on and off all day long. Dave and I got to see the lead competitors finish  the 112 mile bike leg and transition to the 26.2 mile run. The weather was hot and windy. These athletes are such an inspiration. It is also great to see the support that the local community provides to all the competitors.

new beach umbrellas

JT and Linda. And the palm tree wall.

Iguana for Alisha

Boat captains!

The construction

Uploading these photographs so I that have a record of what the construction project looked like when I am at Coral Princess for my next vacation.

The construction project provided an endless number of stories between mostly the vacationing men. The general agreement was that it would not be done the way it was in US.

Start of the week.

End of the week. Controversial canopy.

End of the week. New wall and bar area nearly complete.

End of the week. Lots of tiling completed. Lots of tiling to go.

Random photos

Feeling much better. Dave and I ent for a long walk up the road to Barracuda, a beach side sports club and bar. I think they are set up for the cruise shippers but no one was there except for 5 staff, Dave, me and two alligators (cocodrillos in Spanish).

Because the beach access at Coral Princess is closed, we go to Hotel B just up the street. They have a nice cabaña area, pool, hot tub and veranda. Access to the ocean is very easy too.

A very blue cow fish

look closely to see Jill's favorite fish - blue with blue spots

This is the sunset using the reflection setting on my camera.

This is the sunset using the dramatic setting on my camera.

two guys and a bougainvillea

I think it is a blowfish.

A cold in paradise

For the second trip in a row, I have managed to get a cold. My trip to mom's in November and now this trip to Cozumel. This cold is worse though. I spent the nearly an entire day in bed but when you can hear the ocean out your bedroom window, it isn't all bad.

Before the worst of the cold, we did get some festivities in. This year I am joined by Dave, who came last year, and JT and Linda, who also have a timeshare at Coral Princess.

Sunday was the Cozumel Ironman. We went downtown for dinner at Casa Dennis and to cheer on the competitors. It is such an amazing thing to watch these men and women push themselves to physical and emotional places even they could not imagine.

The reconstruction bug has caught on downtown as well as the Coral Princess. The main square, plaza major, is being rebuilt -- again.

It is a construction zone

We were warned that there would be construction at the Coral Princess and is there ever. From the entry to the lobby to the restaurant and out to the pool and beach.

The dolphins are wrapped in plastic tarps because they will be remaining. I'm not really sure what they are doing that is different in the entry.

The pool and pool deck are the big projects. The pool is getting and infinity edge. The hot tub is gone and cinder block walls are being constructed at that end. Rumor is that the property where the hot tub and massage tables were is not part of Coral Princess though it was being used by the Coral Princess.

The pool bar is still there but is getting a new roof. The workers start around 7am so sleeping in isn't really an option.

Some more Cozumel photos

Had another wonder-filled trip to Cozumel, Mexico.

Feliz Navidad

 

Dave enjoying the view before heading to the airport.

The view.

Very large hibiscus blossom 

A beautiful leaf gleeming in the sun