Iberostar Resort – Cozumel

Iberostar Cozumel MexicoThere are many reasons I love the Iberostar Resort in Cozumel, Mexico.  As scuba divers, we love the amazing reefs and fish that cannot be beat in the Caribbean.

Here are some reasons you should give the Iberostar a try:

  • Great dive operation through Dressel Divers on site dive shop
  • Located on the south side of the island so close to the reefs!
  • Reasonable prices
  • Cute bungalows – not a big hotel look and feel
  • All inclusive
  • If you don’t want to go to town to shop or party – this place is the place!
  • Beautiful gardens

SCUBA Diving in Cozumel Mexico

We love to go diving in Cozumel because, for us, it’s  about  a 4 hour flight out of Denver and we are there!  You can catch flights in the morning and enjoy a beverage on  the beach at sunset that same day!

We have found the diving in Cozumel to be incomparable.  Even as we talk to people that dive all over the world, Cozumel is compared only to The Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Red Sea in Egypt as some of the most spectacular reefs and variety and size of sea life.

Hotel

The Iberostar is our choice because it is a great value for the money.  We are hooked on all-inclusive resorts and this meets our needs every time.  It’s close to the reefs so you don’t have 1 hour +/- boat rides to and from the dive sites.  Some are as close as 5 minutes straight out from the dock.  Their on-site dive shop – Dressel Divers  does a great job.  They have a very professional staff, nice boats, good equipment and are a joy to converse with as they are from all over the world.

The food is pretty good.  We tend to go there in either April or November just before or after peak season, when the resort is not full.  This means that not all restarurants are open at all times and the variety of food is not as great as when they are filled to capacity.  Is this a big deal?  Certainly not!  We don’t go there for the food – we go for the diving!

The rooms are also nice.  These little 4-plex bungalow type units give the place a smaller resort feel.  No need for elevators as they are only 2 story.  The beds are comfortable, the rooms are clean and there are plenty of units with a nice view of the water.  Always ask about the location and if there is a view of the ocean.  If they aren’t full they might just move you to a better view!

Iberostar Cozumel Mexico

The grounds are very tropical.  After getting nearly wiped out a few years ago due to a major hurricane hovering over the island for 3 days there wasn’t much left for flora and fauna.  I want to give the Iberostar 5 stars for a very quick rebuild of the buildings and gardens.  We were there 6 months after it being nearly destroyed and we were touched that this Iberostar chose to *not* wait for insurance  money to arrive.  They fronted the money, kept their staff employed and were up and running in just a few months – way ahead of most of the other resorts.

We’ve stayed at other places in Cozumel – but his is our place.  So

Around the island of Cozumel

much so, that when we retook our wedding vows a few years ago.

we chose the Iberostar for this event.  We brought our son who was about 24 at the time and he loved this place, too. Check out the Iberostar in Cozumel.  If you love to dive and love a casual atmosphere, this could just be your place!!!

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Exuma Islands 2009

DSC_8745On our trip to the Bahamas this year, the resort offered an offshore excursion to the Exuma Islands through Island World Adventures.  We were a little skeptical at first because of the price, but that all faded away once we saw the islands.

Saddleback Cay(one of 365 islands that make up the Exumas) is about a 1 hour fast boat ride from Nassau.  As you approach the gathering of small islands (cays).  The anticipation builds as you glide through the variegated shades of blue and green Caribbean waters.  As we pull in towards our first destination we are warned about the sharks on *this* side of the island and complete lack of them on the other side.  Sufficient warnings were given as we pulled in towards the dock and we could see the sharks gliding through the water – very close to the DSCN0405boat!  We learn very quickly that the sharks inhabit this side of the island and we will get a chance to feed them after lunch!

As we disembark the speedboat I feel like I’m on a Swiss Family Robinson type of escape.  There are wood walkways that weave among the trees.  There are covered picnic tables, a makeshift bar, a restroom, and a very rustic ambiance to the whole place.  We had a great lunch with ice cold drinks and any leftovers were thrown over the rail at the awaiting sharks and sea gulls.

The lagoon is as pristine as advertised in their brochure.  It was surreal to see is vacant cove with a white sand beach and water that can only be described as Caribbean blue (and that doesn’t even do it justice).  While walking on the beach someone notice a rather large black object swimming in our direction.  We called immediately to the captain and he comes over and identifies our guest as a stingray.  As it comes closer he runs up to the food area and runs back down with a bigDSC_8789 handful of fish.  The ray is immediately interested in our captain as he runs a hand through the water with a bit of fish in it.  Sure enough, the ray ate right out of his hand.  He showed us how to repeat this up close and personal experience.  We lined up, opened our hand with a little fish in it and this ray just floated from person to person for his lunch.  Just so you know, when it eats the food out of your hand there is a gentle sucking sensation.

We took a quick trip out to a sandbar with the hope of finding shells, but the pickings were slim.  They also took us out for snorkeling and we were met with great marine life.  A huge ray sails over in our direction, stops to pose for a couple of pictures and takes off.  We find a huge and brilliant red starfish that I had never seen the likes of before.

On the way back we stopped at Leaf Cay which is home to about 500 iguanas.  What a hoot!  We put grapes on the end of sticks and they were very quick to take their treats!

When we signed up for this trip we choked a little at the $200 per person price tag.  In our opinion it was worth every penny!  The staff was fun and provided great service.  The destination and ammenities were fun.  Everything that was promised was delivered.  This is a day trip that we will recommend to all our friends!

Check out Island World Adventures, Nassau, Bahamas

 

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