Planning our next trip to Mexico this time:

[papabou]

as previously indicated several trips to cancun but NEVER rented a car. concerned about liability risks for third party bodily injury. always rent in usvis after verifying my auto liabilty covers me there, not the case over a few miles into mexico from us border.

i know many folks rent in mexico (and all over europe). does anyone know if you can can get adequate liabilty coverage on the rentals in mexico and other places?

papabou

[ihochman]

I highly recommend Isla Mujeres. It's an island off the coast of Cancun, about a 20 minute ferry ride. It is very laid back. You get around the island in golf carts and the beaches are beautiful We stayed at a place called
Playa Media Luna. The beach there is too rough but beautiful and the great swimming beach is around 5 minutes walking from the hotel. We loved it and we love St John ( will be in St John in Feb) so if you like one I think you'll like both.

[Terry]

I 2nd Akumal. Our teens love snorkeling and had a great time in the bay.

A great site for renting is: http://www.caribbfan.com/

Stay away from Cancun. Trouble for teens, not relaxing for adults.

Cozumel is a fun island. Beaches are not at all like STJ. Best beach is Chakanab State Park, but very crowded, especially by cruise ship folks. Our favorite is Plaza Las Glorias, I believe now known as Cozumel Palace. Dive shop on site, great snorkling off rock wall with ladder. Better snorkling than off sandy beaches where it can be cloudy. Sand area for sun bathing. Suites are great with teens. Grocery store within walking distance. Not too far from "town".

All in all, Akumal is still our favorite.

Enjoy!

[snorkeler525]

Thank you!!

Right now I am pouring over the information that you have given me and researching.

I agree that Cancun isn't what I am looking for. I will get back to you asap.

Since we are going AI should we rent a car?? We do like to get away from the crowd so maybe that is best.

In our past two trips there have been great books to help us. For instance; St. John off the beaten path or Pam's; or in Maui the book Maui Revealed helped us find some great hiking, secluded beaches, etc. Is there a book like that for Mexico?

TIA

Gina

Rental car - I wouldn't do one for the whole trip but you can always rent on for a day at any of the resorts. Taxis and collectivos are easy to find and can get you to most places without the hassle of a rental car. The worst bit about a rental car is getting petrol - every gas station tries to scam you.

Books - can't think of one but check on Amazon. There are some good maps however here http://www.cancunmap.com/.

[savvy]

We had never stayed at an all-inclusive before last year, but we only had 5 days and thought it would be simpler than coordinating a lot of "stuff" ourselves. It WAS easier and we were pleasantly surprised with our choices. We stayed at the Riu Palace Mexico in Playa del Carmen. It is a short taxi ride from downtown and there is a small shopping area just down the street that has handmade linen bags and clothing, silver and gold jewelry and fine watches and stones, and the usually touristy stuff. It was handy for picking up magazines, books of local interest, and sunscreen, besides being cheaper than the shop at the hotel. We arranged day trips through the hotel (reps from tour companies keep hours in the hotel lobby). We went to Tulum (excellent trip, other than the bus ride there and back, which got rather long with lots of stops to accommodate other passengers) and to Maroma for a snorkel. The snorkel trip was also good, although the guide did engage in feeding the fish, which is frowned on by many people, including me. However, it did give us the opportunity to see (up close) a moray eel that was very passive. Huge head on that sucker! At the hotel, the restaurants were fine - we ate dinner at the Japanese restaurant several times. The waiters in the buffet dining room got to know us after the first 1 1/2 days, so we chose our table for each meal based on who was working that shift. The complex was beautiful and well kept. The beach had been destroyed by a hurricane 1 1/2 years prior to our visit, but they were working on rebuilding it and it really didn't interfere with water activities. It just didn't look so great with the giant beached-whale -like sandbags. It may have recovered a bit more by now. Anyway...sorry this got so long, but we are actually considering returning there this year since we only have 5 days available to us again. Have you considered the Pacific side of Mexico or are you only interested in Caribbean? We REALLY enjoyed Puerto Vallarta a couple of years ago, too. Good luck!

[XOXO]

Pete (Mr. Marcia), when are you going?? Maybe I should look in Cozumel?? Thank you for the link to the pictures of Cozumel. They really do look nice! When are you going?

Papabau: was Club Med too big?? We will be going over Christmas week--it is busy everywhere--so I am trying to be careful of places that make you feel like a number and crowded. And does the lagoon really have crocodiles? No, surely not, right? Also, I will get back to you if I find out anything about liability coverage.

Bubblybrenda; it sounds like you had a nice trip in Mexico. So, how cold was the water?? I thought the water was warmer than St. John. I know for sure Maui was so much colder--if it weren’t for that and the long flight we would like to see Maui again.

Cocosmom: did you like staying in a condo? I think we just want to do something a little different (AI) but I am so concerned with Christmas Week making it too busy. Maybe it would be smart to get a condo and some relief from crowds? I don’t know.

Snorkeler Sharon and Terry: I did check into Akumal Bay and it looks great. The reviews make it sound like it isn’t overly stuffy and the snokeling is fantastic. I am seriously considering Akumal. I assume you fly into Cancun. What is it like after that? Is it easy getting a taxi? How long is it to Akumal? Is it a scenic drive? I know we will get off resort and explore. Someone mentioned that we could rent a car for a day--that would be perfect!

Icochman: I will check into Isla Mujeres--it sounds wonderful. Do you fly into Cancun? What is it like after that to get to Isla Mujeres?

I have a lot of work to do and really appreciate all of your help. Thank you!

[jp]

Not STJ but nice. A must have map can be found on the Loco Gringo forum. I can't remember the exact name but it was from "The Map Chick". It was very helpful.

Took our teens and rented a villa in Akumal. Never gave an AI a thought. Lots of great rental options can be seen on Loco Gringo. Good people to work with from our experience.

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

We will be there in June...should be nice and hot then.

[Terry]

Since it's been over ten years since we took the kids, I'm not so sure I'd rent a car. Back then, things were not so built up and renting a car from the Cancun airport and driving down was a snap.

Check with the folks at the site I gave you earlier, they are a wealth of knowledge on Akumal. Ironically, they are located here in Loveland, CO. They've been in business for a very long time.

There are a few small grocery stores and a few small restaurants on Akumal. I'm sure by now there is a rental car agency there too.

[cocosmom]

Loved the condo, but it is a family owned not rented, first class right on the beach. More like a home. We shopped at Cosco & Super Walmart & cooked most meals this time. We just like grilling/cooking & sitting on the patio watching the ocean in comfy clothes at the end of the day or for every meal actually. Food prices were good & wine/ beer prices are good also. Cab drivers will bring you, wait & return you to Hotel zone for $30. Not bad. We did eat out 2 dinners & both were nice. You do need reservations. It was Xmas week & it was busy by STJ standards but not as bad as summer or spring break when the buses are packed.I would not drive a car in Cancun, don't know about other parts of Mexico. Police like to stop rental cars for NO reason and basically you hand over your money or go to jail. This from the condo owners that have been there for years. There are lots of condos for rent right on the beach for reasonable prices.

[snorkeler525]

[
Snorkeler Sharon and Terry: I did check into Akumal Bay and it looks great. The reviews make it sound like it isn’t overly stuffy and the snokeling is fantastic. I am seriously considering Akumal. I assume you fly into Cancun. What is it like after that? Is it easy getting a taxi? How long is it to Akumal? Is it a scenic drive? I know we will get off resort and explore. Someone mentioned that we could rent a car for a day--that would be perfect!

Yes, fly into Cancun (only airport in that area other than Cozumel) but arrange transportation ahead of time. I've been happy with Cancun Valet - http://www.cancunvalet.com/. Looks like $165 r/t for a private transfer. Close to 1.5 hours now given traffic in Playa del Carmen. Not scenic but interesting to see all the mega resorts along the way and all the old VW Beetles. The driver will happily stop to let you get some beverages for the journey.

In addition to the bay, you are also close to Yal-Ku Lagoon which is another nice snorkeling spot.

ABR as it is affectionately called is pretty basic and expect hard beds. Its location is its top draw. And, if you get tired of the AI food, it is a short walk to get to other places such as the Lol-Ha, which is a meet-up spot for people over on locogringo.com. Have fun - we've gone 4 times and are heading back in February - easy travel destination and not overly expensive. Plus, the Mexican people are very gracious hosts (other than the guys at the Pemex gas stations!).

In December, the daytime temps will be low to mid-80s but nights can be cool (high 60s) so bring a light sweater or jacket for evenings. The water temps might be slightly cooler than St. John but we've never felt the need for anything other than normal snorkel gear.

[papabou]

gina,

cm covers a large area that spreads things out so never crowded (kind of lonely in sept at about 40% occupancy). tallest building 3 stories and a lot of open space. place has a small village feel and we enjoyed our daily walk to our fav rest for lunch on the water near tennis courts for a kind of "big ship wreck landing" feel.

if you haven't been to resort web site do so. the pics make place look a little hockey with all wild colors but has much better "feel" on site than appears. here's link for part of web site that lets you click on a google aerial view http://www.clubmed.us/cm/resorts-north- ... ac-vh.html

cm is the entire end of island including the island into the lagoon where there are rooms, tapeze and ski boat activity. i skiied in sept BEFORE i saw how big at least one of gators was - maybe 10+ft. saw him crusing around most evenings in sept didn't see in dec. resorts been there 30+ yrs and they say, never a problem.

bride likes because it's easy flight from atl, short trip from airport and while there she's a kept woman on a sunny beach with good loungers and shade and a variety of walkable views and food and drink whenever with no prep or cleanup.

papabou

[sea-nile]

I will be going to Cozumel in April. I heard it is better than Cancun. I can let you know about it after April 18th.

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

I will be going to Cozumel in April. I heard it is better than Cancun. I can let you know about it after April 18th.

Where are you staying? As you may have noticed from my previous post, we'll be there in June with the kids. I would be interested in hearing your impressions.

[RickG]

In the 80s and early 90s I used to go down to Quintana Roo a couple times a year and stay very cheap on the beach in a palapa hut with not much more than a hammock. Getting out of the way of the hustle meant going further south every year. Now, if you want to get out of the way you pretty much need to get to Punta Allen, Coba, Sian Ka'an (World Heritage site).

Akumal is a pretty good area, and one I would consider worth staying at. Isla Mujeres is closer to the St. John experience.

I stopped going to the Mexican Caribbean coast as it got overdeveloped and I discovered the allure of Caribbean islands. I also had trouble finding a lady who would spend a couple of weeks with me in a hammock!

I know your looking for the AI experience. The Playa del Carmen area has a lot of that going on. I miss the authenticity of the town from 20 years ago, but that's how it goes.

Cheers, RickG