Cozumel Trip Recap February 2021

Words and Pictures by Tim Yeo

Even with the pace of vaccinations for COVID-19 starting to pick up, most exotic dive destinations like Raja, Fiji, and Palau remain closed to international travel. In order to get our dive fix in, we decided to embark on a week-long dive trip to Cozumel, Mexico.

Travel was easy. The flights were barely full and most of us had the entire row of seats to ourselves on the plane. We had to wear a mask for the entire duration of the flight, but it was well worth the inconvenience to travel again. For some of us, this was the first time traveling since the pandemic started almost 12 months ago!

Conditions were not great when we arrived in Cozumel, and the harbor was closed so no boats could go out on the water. But the weather report indicated the rest of the week was going to be nice and calm with little wind. So we spent the day at the pool and on the beach, enjoying the sun and getting to know each other over drinks.

We were staying at the all-inclusive Iberostar Cozumel, a 4-star resort on the southern end of Isla Cozumel, and close to some of the best dive sites around the island, including Palancar and Punta Sur. The Iberostar’s grounds were built to make guests feel like they lived in the middle of a lush tropical rainforest, with winding paths through jungle foliage and animals roaming the grounds.

Meals at the Iberostar consisted of buffets with a wide array of food including small plates, entrees, and desserts. The theme for the buffet changes daily and ranges from Italian, American, Mexican, and Asian. Each guest was also allowed 2 dinner reservations at an a la carte restaurant. There was a steakhouse, an Asian restaurant, and a Mexican restaurant.

The first day of diving started off slow. We had to wait 2 hours for the harbor to open so our dive boat could come to the Iberostar to pick us up. But when we jumped in for our first dive, we were rewarded with excellent conditions. There was barely any current, and visibility was over 100 feet. The water was a constant 78-79F and most of us were comfortable in a 3mm wetsuit.

December through March is spotted eagle ray season in Cozumel and one glided by us on the first dive welcoming us to the Mesoamerican Reef stretching from Mexico down to Roatan in the Caribbean. The Mesoamerican Reef is the 2nd largest reef structure after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

We had an unlimited diving package which allowed us to do 4-day dive, or 2-day dives and a night dive with the on-site dive operation, Dressel Divers. Dressel is a great dive operation with multiple boats that go out every day. The boats are large and comfortable, and since the Iberostar is located close to many of the best dive sites, there is no need to sit on a bumpy speedboat just to get to the dive sites and back. The boat rides to the dive sites ranged from 3 to 20 minutes, and the boat could either stay out for 2 dives or come back to the resort in between dives.

Overall, Cozumel was an incredible diving experience! The combination of warm water, incredible marine life, easy access to dive sites and fantastic service made for a perfect diving getaway. We will definitely be back again for more diving adventures!