You can skip it and never feel FOMO…read more I wanted paradise, but what I got was... well, Playa Palancar. Yes, it's technically a beach, but let's not pretend every patch of sand in Cozumel is created equal. The Good: It's easy enough to get to, and you can rent chairs, grab food, and say you've been to one of the island's "popular" beaches. The Not-So-Good: Drinks here are expensive -- and when I say expensive, I mean "why am I paying tourist-bar prices for a soda that tastes like pee?" Expensive wouldn't sting so much if the quality matched, but it doesn't. The sand? Mushy. The beach? Leaves a lot to be desired. The vibe? More "crowded pit stop" than "Caribbean escape." 5.00 sodas should not taste like they were brewed in a bathtub. Playa Palancar can be skipped. Cozumel has better, prettier, and more authentic beaches without the overpriced drinks and mushy sand. If you want the Caribbean dream, keep moving -- this isn't it. Playa Palancar proves not all beaches are created Instagram-ready.

This place is AWESOME!!! It has a beautiful beautiful beach, with crystal clear water. We had some…read moremixed ceviche which was fresh and very tasty and some loaded chicken nachos and let me tell you....we didn't have to eat anything else!! And A very special thanks to my server "Henry" who took care of me and my wife the entire day. He was on point!!!

Great stop along the coast to have a cold beverage and/or lunch. The restaurant staff were friendly…read moreand courteous. The food was good. Did not care for all of the little shops nearby. The people were so extremely pushy insisting that we come to their store and or buy their products. Made us very uncomfortable that even as we told them multiple times no thank you they continued to insist.

What can I say about this place other than how gorgeous the views were when me and my wife were…read morehere, as well as how great the drinks and prices were for the souvenirs. We went on a tour of the island during our cruise and one of the stops was to here to stretch our legs and grab a drink and food. There is a little walkway to a nice little photo area that would have some amazing views of the water behind you. The staff that was there was also insanely friendly and very heavy handed with the drinks they made. We got something call coco-loco which was a cut open coconut filled to the brim with rum and other mixers. It was insanely refreshing! There is a nice covered area to sit and get some tacos or other food but we didn't need to eat so we watched other people while they did. The food smelled heavenly while it passed out and looked equally as amazing. I will be coming back her again if I ever am in Cozumel again for sure!

We stopped for a cocktail on the way back to our rental. Drinks, food & service very good. Great…read morespot for snorkeling

Here's a punchier version with more edge and rhythm:…read more **This place is a safety hazard with a side of dead reefs.** Neglected hazards litter the property, the water is a cloudy mess over lifeless coral, and the snorkeling is a total waste. What should have been a relaxing trip turned into a frustrating, risky slog because the staff showed zero urgency when guest safety was on the line. Save your money. Pick almost anywhere else on Cozumel.

This place came highly recommended on social media of moms who have littles in swim diapers. We…read moredidn't book an excursion through the cruise line but found a great option right at the pier before reaching the Cozumel sign. A gentleman had a booth for Playa Mia. You can purchase the $15 day pass to access the beach. There was another package that included food, but it seemed unnecessary since we didn't plan on staying too long. My goal was getting a spot where the kids can play with sand. The weather had been iffy too. It was raining on the taxi ride there, but thankfully it let up by the time we walked to the beach area. Once we arrived, we did have to pay $6 for an umbrella to use with our beach chairs. The umbrella kept closing so we had to get somebody to keep opening it back up. Finally, they told us they had to close the beach umbrellas for 30 minutes due to the wind that was coming. That was my sign to leave since it had already poured on our way there. The bathrooms are located to the left of the open buffet area. They have a feet washing area in front of the bathroom. There are two entrances. The left is for the toilets and the right is for the showers. Inside the shower area they have the baby change table. The beach area itself was clean and well maintained. Once you get there, keep going all the way inside. There were will be stores and excursions you can purchase. The ticket area to show you paid and to get your wristband will be on the left. We purchased a sand bucket that came with a toy from a store there for $10. They offer fun inflatables in the water for the older kids and banana boat rides. We apparently had a server who was helping our area. The gentleman who served us was friendly and attentive. My little one was thrilled to have chicken wings. We asked for the sauce on the side and the wings were crispy. We also tried the fajitas and they were pretty good. The salsa had a nice kick. I would definitely skip on the bean and cheese nachos! Overall, it was a great, affordable way to enjoy some time at the beach without committing to a full day excursion. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a low-key, budget-friendly beach day with the kids.

I want to caveat this review straight away - we visited on a pretty quiet day. We came in on a…read moreDisney cruise and I checked before booking and only 1 other cruise ship was in port on the day we visited and that ship was a more adult oriented cruise line. Because of that I was fairly confident Playa Mia would not be overly full and I turned out to be correct. After doing some research before going there are other offerings that are better for pure adult visitors and Playa Mia strikes a good middle ground for everyone. We picked this beach park because it was the only one that didn't nickel-and-dime you on every little add-on: for example the obstacle course/water park is included with the all-inclusive package we bought. As I mentioned, we did get the all-inclusive package including travel. Some of the other guests were not on all-inclusive visit and most opted for their own travel. Having already been once, next time I may handle travel myself as I am an experienced traveler and the taxi's were very friendly, however with a young one in tow I must say the friendliness and helpfulness of the people who met us and arranged our travel in both directions was amazing and I absolutely do not regret paying a little extra for the included travel. Ultimately they did just put us in a taxi that they paid for but they met us super close to the boat exit and walked us all the way to the taxi stand and dealt with telling him where to go, etc. That was nice while we dealt with our hyped up kids in a new environment. I can't speak to the non all-inclusive experience but if you don't plan to drink a lot (including water/soft drinks for the kids) I think it can be a bargain. However, with the full package we bought, the only thing I ended up paying for was a deposit on the towels that we ultimately got back. I did tip our server (Alberto was awesome) decently well because of how much work he did during the almost full day we were there - so tipping is an additional expense that happens in any kind of place like this. One note, I did go for the top level all-inclusive package and with that the adults got a Tequila tasting and the kids got a chocolate tasting. Obviously the intent of these is to sell some goods but don't skip out on these if you get them - both tastings were delicious and even though we never buy anything at these things, in retrospect we still wish we had picked up some coffee Tequila. Because the day we visited wasn't super crowded, we had such a great time. The facilities are on the older side and the landscaping isn't perfectly manicured but it's on a beautiful beach and there was at least a little something for everyone: from 5 years old to 40. If it were considerably busier, that might pose an issue but they have a lot of room for people to spread out so except for the buffet being busy, I think it would take a lot of people for it to ruin your day.

If I could have given zero stars I would, but I had to give at least one star. Me and my husband…read morewent to Cozumel and rented a scooter and rode around the island and stopped in San Martin to get bottled water and the gentleman in the beach shack/ tiki hut charged us $119 on our credit card for two bottles of water and the ladies trying to sell their junk in the huts behind the beach shack are rip offs and scammers. Do not buy anything from any of these places. They are all thieves.

TRAVEL MEMORIES…read more Since I first began traveling, I have always preferred the off beaten paths. The blood of an explorer must run through my veins, which makes me sort of an anomaly in my family. NO ONE in my immediate bloodline of cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents or siblings does any real traveling outside of a hundred miles or so from their homes. While I have yet to visit Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the great canyons of the West or Alaska; I have ventured from Niagara Falls to the Panama Canal and Hawaii to St. Thomas. Cozumel, Mexico has been one of our most visited destinations. Since my very first visit, my absolute favorite thing to do is rent a jeep and just drive, stopping wherever the wind blows me. When we first arrived on the island back in 2003, it was our honeymoon, albeit 5 years after we'd gotten married. Everything south of the cruise ship ports back then was pretty undeveloped. The current cruise ship terminals did not exist and all you could see for several miles was thick brush! But drive long enough and suddenly it would give way to cozy pocket beaches and quiet ocean views along the narrow and poorly maintained 2 lane highways. Ahhh, it felt so free to break away from the touristy shops and just roll out like it was my own personal island. Our now 14-year-old was only 2 back then and I'm pretty certain we came home with his brother as a souvenir starting to bake in the oven after that trip. Fast forward to 2008 when we returned to the island with the kids and rented a 4 door soft top Jeep. So many memories from that visit, but one of our favorites was Playa de San Martin. Not so much for the beach as for the cozy little food stand across from it where a guy had a Mexican raccoon known as a coati for a pet. He was so friendly, and even climbed a nearby coconut tree and sliced two open for us to drink. One for the kids and one for us adults with a little rum added for flavor... LOL! It was the first time we ever had fresh coconut milk and to this day my youngest still loves it, although he doesn't quite remember why. On our most recent visit, the highway had become more developed and the touristy crowds had begun to follow our lead and find their way down this awesome Mexican highway, but it is still an enjoyable ride and far less crowded than the areas near the cruise port. The stand where the guy cut open the coconut had been paved over to make this once sleepy 2-lane road into a 4-lane highway. Replacing it is a restaurant by the name of Andale Bar & Grill. I'm happy for the progress, but I miss the little hidden gems that are slowly but surely disappearing. Below are links to view this same area on google maps 6 years apart. Google images of how it was then (street view 2009) - https://www.google.com/maps/@20.3664625,-86.8871167,3a,75y,322.43h,65.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1st6fHtdSQJcqf3HLfyOsxiw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 and how it looks now (street view 2015) - https://www.google.com/maps/@20.3665093,-86.8872736,3a,75y,298.53h,73.94t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgwpZmv0EskWvh4DuVnsHag!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 FINAL THOUGHTS If I've had no other impact on yelp, I hope I have encouraged families to spend more time together traveling. Take the off beaten path, get away from the touristy hot spots and find a new tradition. So much awaits you in this world we live and you can gather a basket full of memories if you'll just drive! 2016/61

I am writing this review because I believe Paradise Beach needs to seriously address a safety issue…read moreand the way my concerns were handled by management. I have been to Paradise Beach before and understand how the all-inclusive package works, including the alcohol service. My concern is not that alcohol is available -- my concern is what happens when guests are drinking to the point that their safety may be compromised. My 25-year-old daughter is currently visiting Paradise Beach with her boyfriend and a female friend. Based on videos posted online, they were taking shots and participating in the "rainbow" drink challenge over approximately five hours. In the videos, they appeared severely intoxicated. They were impaired to the point that I was genuinely concerned they may not have been able to make safe decisions for themselves, especially while in another country and participating in activities such as water excursions. A person who is extremely intoxicated around water or in an unfamiliar environment can be at serious risk of injury or even death. This is not a minor concern. What concerns me even more is how my safety concern was handled by the manager, Manuel. I called the beach club because I was frightened for my daughter's safety and wanted someone on-site to be aware of the situation. Instead of listening, showing concern, or acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, Manuel was rude, dismissive, and told me that I am her mother and she is my responsibility and can drink as much as she wants. That response was extremely disappointing. I understand that adults are responsible for their own choices, but an establishment that promotes unlimited alcohol also has a responsibility to recognize when a guest may be dangerously impaired and vulnerable. A manager's response to a legitimate safety concern should be compassion, professionalism, and a willingness to help -- not dismissal. At the time of writing this, I do not even know whether my daughter made it safely back to the cruise ship, and I am left worried about her well-being. Paradise Beach needs to review both its alcohol service practices and the behavior and training of its management staff. The issue here is not simply that someone drank too much -- the issue is that a safety concern was raised and was not taken seriously by the person responsible for managing the facility.

10/10 recommend!…read more Service is on point. I have never been disappointed! Omar, Roberto, and Julien, gracias! Food and beverages flow like it's the way it was intended! Cabanas are via reservation and they are super useful for groups and those that need an afternoon nap! I absolutely love this place!

Akumal beach is such a great beach for exploring the sea turtles and snorkeling! Not great if you…read moreare looking for white sands and no shells though. Weather is always amazing and so many things to do with the little town and dive shop there. Also several restaurants to eat.

Beautiful white sand beach, turtles in the water, minimal seaweed, what more could you ask for!…read more I understand why people make this beach their home base for their Quintana Roo vacation.! I'm not entirely sure one must pay for the guided tour to get in the water and see the turtles. I want to support the local economy, but perhaps there's a trick to enjoying this beach without paying for guided tour, think life jackets, and locker rooms. There is a restaurant on site, and my friend and I just gave a really big tip to the waiter so he would let us leave our bags at the table for 15 minutes while we snorkeled with our own gear to see the turtles. kind of hush hush, we did it very discreetly and quietly and quickly. I attached the screenshot I showed to the taxi driver upon arrival to get us to the restaurant without going through the Disneyland style entrance line and fee. I'm not sure I recommend this method, however, as I can imagine multiple ways this theory could have gone wrong. Side note, perhaps we were off season in late may, but we actually saw no turtles. maybe we should have paid for the guided tour after all.

This is one of the beaches along the highway of the east coast of Cozumel. It is definitely an off…read morethe beaten path kind of place. The beach was almost completely empty. There were only two other people there. There is not much around either - just a restaurant/bar and a couple of souvenir stalls. It is worth a stop if you want a good secluded beach with clear blue water to relax on.

$65.00 for three can cokes and shrimp nachos is really outrageous!! I figured things would be a…read morelittle expensive but never thought I would get robbed !!