Recharging in Mexico

Fall is here already, with winter rapidly approaching, but I'm in denial of the changing seasons since we just returned from our summer vacation in Cozumel, Mexico.

This was our first trip to Mexico (and the boyfriend's first time leaving the country) and first time staying in an all-inclusive resort. I was anxious before the trip about the U.S. Department of State's recent travel warning regarding increased crime and murder rates in the region, but by that time everything was booked and paid for so away we went.

Happily, I can report that our fears were unfounded. We had no issues whatsoever and thoroughly enjoyed our trip.

We stayed at the Melia Cozumel. My aunt and uncle have a timeshare there and due to a change in travel plans had an extra room that was going to go to waste, so not only did we get to stay in a great room, but it was an amazing deal for us. It was a lovely, roomy suite with an ocean view, marble tile and a canopy bed. Being an all-inclusive, meant that all food, drinks and most amenities were included. The resort had four restaurants, two pools, three bars including my fave--the swim up bar, and lots of beach front.

My favorite part of the trip was our visit to Chankanaab national park, where we swam with dolphins, met some manatees, watched a sea lion show and enjoyed the best snorkeling of the trip. Entrance to the park is $21 per person but includes park and beach access with free use of chairs and furniture.  Restaurants and swimming with the sea life are extra. It's amazing how many fish we saw so close to the shore at the reef there, such variety and so colorful!

The snorkeling area at Chankanaab [photo: jchessma]

We also took a snorkeling boat trip to a reef and sand bar area, but the crowds (people would literally swim over you) and lack of fish meant that wasn't my favorite.

A small glimpse of the shops in downtown Cozumel.

Downtown Cozumel, where the many cruise ship visitors are dropped off, is full of restaurants and shops that mainly cater to tourists. It also wasn't our favorite because the vendors are fairly aggressive about trying to get you to come in their shops or restaurants. But that's also where Mega, a large grocery store, is located. Think of a Walmart or super Target and you'll get the idea. I love going to grocery stores in different countries and seeing the different and similar foods available. This one had a large, very delicious looking bakery, plus anything else you might need. The exchange rate there for U.S. dollars was the best one I saw and prices were very reasonable for most foods. The only "souvenirs" we brought back were snacks.

We also drove around the island and saw the more wild Caribbean side, which is gorgeous but the water is much rougher since it doesn't have the island for protection like the opposite side where we stayed and swam.

Most of our time was spent in this area of the resort--ahh!

The rest of the time we spent at the resort, mainly in a cabana on the beach which was incredibly relaxing. There's also decent snorkeling in the beach right next to the hotel property and we saw a surprising amount of fish there and even a star fish. There's also the swim up bar, located in the adults-only pool, that we discovered on our last day. So fun!

That's our trip in a nutshell. We had a great time and came back refreshed. Stay tuned for next week's post about what I recommend (and don't) for your Cozumel trip packing list.