We had Cozumel on our spring cruise itinerary. Rob and I were there in 1993, but had just finished grad school. It was a budget cruise. We just wandered around the shops in and near the port. This time we decided to go on one of the most exciting Cozumel excursions.
I researched the Celebrity Cruise excursions but none of them quite met my needs. I looked at independent cruise excursions to find the best Cozumel excursions.
My family doesn’t appreciate the effort that goes into planning this perfect vacation!
That’s not entirely true. They still appreciate me even if don’t understand my situation!
Back To Cozumel…
It is important to choose a company with a good track record when booking independent shore excursions. To explore the options, I contacted Island Marketing, Ltd., with whom I had previously worked. The company offers beach holidays, ATV tours in Cozumel and glass bottom boat tours among other options. Omar’s Cozumel VW Buggy Island Tour was at the top of my list.
Omar’s VW Buggy Tour offers a little bit of everything, including snorkeling, shopping in small towns, swimming, and a beachside lunch. What’s the best part? The best part? We get to drive around the island in a cute, little car! Rob was thrilled — he hadn’t driven stick in years and the cars were adorable! I contacted my contact at the company and, yes, blogging can have some great benefits! They provided a free tour to me for this review.
You’re still reading, dear reader! YAY!
You will receive an email confirmation when you register for Omar’s VW Buggy Tour. You’ll get another email when the cruise is nearing. This will confirm your departure time and explain where to meet. This is not a cruise-ship sponsored shore excursion. It meets offsite, at the Diver’s Memorial. A cab ride of $8 (for up 4 people) will be required. The email explains all of this.
You may have noticed that we don’t ride in a VW Bug. But there’s good reason. Continue reading.
Cozumel Cruise Port: What you need to know
Cozumel has two cruise ports. The small but still functional old port is located in San Miguel de Cozumel at Quintana, Mexico. The new cruise terminal is located in PuertaMaya. This development has more than 50 outlets, restaurants, bars, and entertainment. The pier is large enough to accommodate multiple cruise ships, which can mean thousands of people.
The taxi stands are located in the shopping center, and the signage is easy to read. It took us 45 minutes to travel from the ship to the meet-up spot. You will need 5-10 minutes depending on your speed to walk to the taxistand (or to shop) and 5-10 minutes for the taxi to arrive depending on the number of people and the length of the queue. Allow 15-20 minutes to reach the meeting place.
If you give yourself 30 minutes to spare, you’ll be fine. Allow 45 minutes if you want to avoid stress and you can enjoy a coffee at a local store if you arrive early.
You can take a taxi to a nearby beach or to shop in the port if you haven’t booked a shore excursion. You should explore this beautiful island!
Omar’s Cozumel Shore Excursions: Back to Cozumel
Tell the driver the location of your meeting. We chose the Diver’s Memorial, which is not a name that locals are familiar with. It was located at Calle 2 Norte & Rafael Melgar. Check your meeting place again, as it may have changed. The intersection is the only thing you need to reach the Diver’s Memorial.
While we waited, we explored the nearby shops. Omar then came to greet us.
We walked for a short distance until we reached the parking lot. Omar provided Ellie with a dune bug on a VW chassis, as I had expected. The buggy was great fun, even though I was disappointed that we didn’t get to ride in the VW Bug.
Omar gave drivers a few instructions on how they should drive their old stick-shift cars. He then offered everyone a water bottle and we set off on our journey. Rob is driving the car in this YouTube video.
Rob enjoyed driving his buggy even though it had a tendency to jump out of gear more than once between second and third. The cars are not brand new, sleek vehicles, but VW bugged. The tour can be frustrating for those who don’t feel comfortable in a stick-shift car. My husband, who is a professional, really enjoyed the tour.
First Stop: Cozumel Snorkeling Tour
Our first stop was to snorkel at a beautiful cozumel beach. All snorkels, fins, and life jackets will be provided. Omar was very patient with Ellie, who had never snorkeled. We explored the waters near the dock until Omar was sure that we were all comfortable with our equipment. He pointed out fish, coral and an octopus in the rocks as we swam.
It’s so frustrating that my camera isn’t working. I don’t have any photos. BUMMER! Omar took the camera from me, so that I could explore freely. I really appreciated it.
It’s not one of the best snorkeling spots. It’s great for those who are willing to try it, like us. Omar, our guide, is an excellent guide. The water is clear and calm. We returned to the shore after about an hour and took a shower. Omar gave us another drink, and we continued on to our next destination.
Second Stop: Traditional Town in Cozumel
We drove along coast for some time before turning inland towards town. We parked our cars in the center of the town. Everything was decorated for a festival in the town. There were banners, flags, and flowers everywhere. Omar brought out his iPad and showed us videos from previous festivals. Cozumel is also a tourism-driven economy.
We explored the shops and Mayan ruin after watching an artist demonstrate how he carves items from petrified Coral. This stop was disappointing and I felt almost obliged to buy something. We had no extra money, so I did not shop. However, it felt a bit awkward.
We were glad to have seen the town. We like to learn about other cultures and the town has fewer shops that cater to tourists.
Lunch is the Highlight of The Tour
We headed back to the beach road for lunch after touring the town!
The smell of fish from the ocean wafted in as we followed Omar. We drove down a dirt track and parked next to a shack which looked like it might fall at any moment.
I was apprehensive.
Omar is a seasoned professional. The “restaurant” is really a beach shack that serves fresh food and delicious drinks. While Omar made fresh pico de Gallo and guacamole, we relaxed in hammocks while enjoying the breeze from the ocean. He invited us to his secret method.
Lunch was then served: roasted poultry, rice, corn tortillas, pico, guacamole, cheese, and extra tortilla chips. Everyone got seconds. This chicken? That chicken?
Before heading to the next location, we settled our bar tab and used a porta-potty.
Final Stop: Swimming Beach In Cozumel
Omar will sometimes include swimming during the lunch break, but this time there were a lot more seaweeds washing up on the shore. This is a sign that rain is coming, according to Omar. We decided to head a few miles further down the beach, where we found another great swimming spot. This spot has a wide, sandy beach and sheltered swimming area.
The two families in our group decided to skip the tequila sampling after the beach and return to their respective ships.
Returning to the Cozumel Cruise Port
We returned to the town where we parked our cars. Omar had tried to call a taxi for us, but the driver refused and pointed us to the Diver’s Memorial where we could get a cab ourselves.
We were fortunate to be seasoned travelers, because the following few minutes were not pleasant.
The diver’s monument is near a taxi stand and ferry terminal. The line was long when we arrived, just after the ferry had unloaded. We flagged down a taxi, but all of them were heading to the ferry taxi station so we could not get anyone to stop.
No Uber in Cozumel, according to the other couple.
After a few minutes of discussing our options, we decided to catch a taxi going in the opposite direction. We flagged down a cab a few moments later. Despite only having space for four passengers, the driver agreed to drive us back to port, with Ellie, 14, sitting on Rob’s shoulders.
We were reminded of a crazy, similar cab ride we took in China years ago… But that’s another story.
The taxi driver brought us safely to a taxi stand at the cruise port. After saying goodbye to our fellow travelers, we made our way back to the cruise ship.
If you’re not a traveler with experience or you get easily stressed in these situations, let your guide (Omar) or a member of his staff know to call cabs for you. Allow more time to return to the port than you think is necessary. We had enough time because both families wanted to return to the ship as soon as possible. It could have been a problem if we hadn’t skipped tequila.
Island Marketing, Ltd. offers a guarantee in case you miss the ship due to an excursion. This includes food, accommodation and transportation to the following port.
What is the ID Check Area?
Make sure to check the queue for your ship. Celebrity Cruises had its own queue, which was shorter than the Royal or Carnival lines.
Bring your photo ID card and cruise seapass card. You will not be allowed to pass without your photo ID and cruise seapass card.
Don’t even take bottled soda back to the ship! You cannot bring food from the ship back to the vessel. The amount of food and drink confiscated at the checkpoint was astounding.
What did we think of our Cozumel Shore Excursion?
We enjoyed Omar’s VW Buggy Tour Cozumel. This would have been one of the most enjoyable excursions in Cozumel if we had not had difficulty getting a taxi back to the port. Omar may be able arrange a meeting place closer to the port one day.
This tour is great for those who want a little adventure. This tour was perfect for our needs as it provided an easy introduction into snorkeling. We were exposed to the local culture, great food and fun.
VW buggies or dune buggys aren’t in perfect condition but that adds to the fun. The buggies are a bit tricky to drive, but the traffic is low and Omar was a great guide. This part of the journey was great! Rob said that this was his favourite day on the cruise. Ellie enjoyed it, but sea days were her favorite.
This is a great option if you want to book your own shore excursions. Omar is a great choice for independent cruise excursions.