Casa del Mar Cozumel Hotel & Dive Resort

Casa Del Mar was a very pleasant dive vacation venue for us. Their generosity to donate a week’s stay through a Diveheart raffle introduced us to their hospitality. The staff we met at the LB Scuba Show graciously greeted us in Cozumel and made sure our stay met all our needs. Staff at all levels were friendly, inviting, and helpful. Our maid even created incredible towel critters for us, including both a whale shark and a lobster. The dining room staff all introduced themselves by name and made it important to quickly learn our preferences from their varied menu. Rather than a buffet, we were able to choose from a very nice made-to-order menu tailored to our preferences. They felt like a part of our family after our week’s stay. The room was basic and comfortable, decorated in traditional Mexican style, and the bed was very spacious and comfortable. As underwater photography aficionados, it would have been nice to have more space and more easily accessible outlets for camera care. More hooks and places to hang things to dry after diving would also have been helpful. The diving was coordinated with Marine World across the main street, but a bridge overpass was available and lockers in the dock area to store and clean our gear. This was our third trip to Cozumel, and I think I love the diving there more each time. The colors are amazing, and I see more everywhere I look. The brightly colored and uniquely shaped sponges tempt me to imagine fairytales. This trip we spent time with many turtles, often “posing” for us along with large barracuda and myriad tropical fish of all sizes and colors. The house reef was truly excellent, allowing long, relaxed, shallow shore dives to photograph arrow crabs, anemone crabs, brittle stars on bright sponges, and even basket stars. The boats of Marine World were spacious and not jam-packed with divers in every corner. They put effort into pairing up experienced divers in smaller boats and seeking dive sites that allowed exploration not specifically timed to a large group. We truly appreciated this attention to making the dives even better. We were able to return to the wreck site more often as one of our favorites and add some afternoon boat dives to the reefs as well. Traveling as a couple and not part of a group, I felt that Casa Del Mar and Marine World did a great job providing a relaxed, very Cozumel experience.

Friends recommended Casa del Mar after an enjoyable experience there. I was traveling with non-diving family and friends and wanted a location not too far from town, where they could take advantage of the amenities a resort has to offer. We stayed in ocean view rooms on the second floor. The rooms are comfortable with standard A/C, TV, mini-fridge, balcony, and safe. We had a king-size bed with deluxe bedding, upgraded towels, and 2 complimentary bottles of water each day. Free wifi is provided in all rooms. They also provide racks for dive gear. The rooms are kept spotless and the grounds and pool are immaculate. We ate several meals at the Coral Reef Restaurant and found the menu to be diverse and the food delicious. We also enjoyed the pool bar, jacuzzi, and a game room. The entire staff was friendly and tried to accommodate all our requests.Diving is offered through one of three associated dive shops. We chose Cozumel Marine World because of their small groups, long dives, and grouping of divers by experience level. They are a professional operation and took us to our favorite dive sites.Bottom line: Casa del Mar is the type of resort that offers all the amenities that both divers and non-divers can enjoy. It met all our expectations and we would return again.