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Guide to Cozumel Beaches |
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Cozumel island has three distinct types of beaches:
- Sandy walk-in beaches on the west or leeward side of the island generally have calm water. Snorkeling may be disappointing in the sandy areas since any disturbance on a sandy bottom [waves, walking, jumping, playing] suspends sand particles in the water which decrease visibility and make it very hard for coral polyps to thrive. Without coral for camoflage and protection, one will not see as much marine life.
- Beaches with a rocky limestone shoreline on the west coast are the best for snorkeling or shore dives since less sand is disturbed so visibility and coral growth are better. The more coral growth there is in an area, the more reef critters will take cover there to be seen while snorkeling or diving.
- Sandy surf and large waves alternating with rocky limestone coastlines on the east or windward side of the island are beautiful but can be dangerous. The roaring surf creates strong breakers and undertows. Never enter the water alone. Swimming is not recommended on most of the east side beaches. There are now many areas where flags are displayed showing the level of safety for a particular area. Despite the dangerous swimming conditions, these beaches are stunning and serene for those wanting sunbathing, long walks or playing in the water very close to shore.
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| Cozumel Insider Beach Chart | Here is a handy Cozumel Beach Chart with descriptions, photos, hours of operations and amenities! Just click on the names of each of the beaches for complete descriptions. May we suggest our: Do-it-youself Snorkel Tour
| Beach Conservation - Do Your Part |
 Cozumel has a protected Marine Park area that extends from the southern cruise ship piers southward and all the way around the tip of the island and up the other (east) side to Punta Chiqueros. Inside this area, the taking of ANY items from the SEA OR BEACH is prohibited by federal law and punishable with fines and/or imprisonment if caught. Even shells that wash up on the shore can become a home for some critter so please leave them in place in order to help preserve the natural beauty of the area.
 There are many stores and kiosks in town that sell shells however no one really knows the origin of these shells and if they were harvested from a protected area of the island or an open one. So in general, if your desire is to help our conservation efforts, it's best not to purchase shells at all. For this only encourages poaching and illegal harvesting when naturally available supplies are depleted.
I know they are all so beautiful and it is very tempting to say "well it's only one shell so..." But if you keep in mind that according to Carnival cruise lines recently, there will be a couple of MILLION cruise ship visitors this next year to Cozumel, then you can just imagine the impact if each person elects to take just one shell!
Perhaps consider adopting the SCUBA DIVER'S CREDO when travelling the world:
"Take only pictures and memories and leave only bubbles behind!"
~ Sherri ~ |
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| Beach Safety is Important! "SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK" |
 Bring life vests for any persons with limited water skills wishing to partake in water activities.
Observe all beach signage and warning flags posted on beaches which indicate current swimming conditions.
While only a few years old, Cozumel's Lifeguard Program now has over 30 Lifeguards on duty daily and continues to develop. Read more here about our Lifesaving Program.
With this program, there are lifeguard towers and lifeguards at some beaches but not all of them.
So please be cautious and consider all beaches to be "SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK"
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A few beachy things you might be interested in!
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Sherri, I did receive both email confirmations. Thank you again for your great customer support and service in getting these activities scheduled for me. I will recommend your site to all of my friends who visit the island. Thanks again!! A. Washburn ~ Not Given
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Hello Sherri ~ I met you back in 2001 (12 years ago!) when my husband and I along with another couple were involved in a wreck and you were behind us and helped us out as to our rights in the matter. A motorcycle ran into the side of us pretty bad if you recall. I believe you said you lived in Addison, Texas like us. I have booked a trip and will be in Cozumel next Tuesday. Any recommendation on vehicle rental you can suggest for me? LATER: My date and I had a blast in Cozumel. He loved the island. It was a very short trip. I am including a photo of us on the cruise. He would like to go back and stay for a few days at your place. Hope you are doing good, please keep in touch. C Bronstad ~ San Antonio, TX
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I want to take a moment to thank you at COZUMELINSIDER for all of your help. This is the first time I have ever booked activities such as these online and was very nervous about how it all worked. You took the time to answer all of my questions and even followed upwith a phone call to make sure you had all the information you needed to book the perfect vacation fun for my family. Thanks so much for making this a great experience! I can hardly wait to get there and enjoy all of these wonderful things! S. Daggett ~ Woodland Park, CO
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Less than an hour ago, I booked a dolphin swim package through your website. You have already confirmed my order with exactly what we wanted! I was really in a panic because when I tried to book directly through the Dolphin website, they said there was nothing available. I had read great things about your company on the on one of the popular message boards. I have to agree they are true! Thanks so much for your prompt service! I know this experience will be a great memory for my kids! L. Walker ~ Crosby, TX
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We will be leaving tommorrow for 2 week stay at Islamar villas and diving with Dive Paradise. All of this along with a car rental was booked through you guys. Not only did you have a professional attitude through all the e-mails in booking the original dates but at the last minute I extended my stay. You and your staff were especially kind through all of this. You got the car extended and went way out of your way to make sure everything was taken care of, not to mention letting me borrow your personal roller bag to go to the market. You extended everything with ease and you are a great asset to Cozumel and Mexico. This will be my 12 th trip and I will never work with anyone else from now on. Thank you Sherri. Jack J. Marshall ~ Enid Oklahoma, USA
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Copyright © 2000-2013 Sherri Davis, All Rights Reserved. All website content is the property of Cozumel Insider unless otherwise attributed and cannot be used, displayed or reproduced without express written permission from Cozumel Insider.
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