The Cozumel we Know and Love

Cozumel, the Island of Sparrows, is one of our favourite places for scuba diving. Although diving has brought us here several times, we always learn and experience something new with each visit. For instance, this time we found out that Cozumel can be cold. In fact, during our first week, a weather warning was issued that was calling for strong winds and cold temperatures. The port was closed and diving was suspended for two days. As Canadians, one would think that we could handle cooler temperatures, especially those that were issued in the warning with lows reaching 22 degrees Centigrade! As divers, this happened to be quite devastating, especially after one of our dive outings.

The day started out sunny, but windy. This is not unusual and our first dive was lovely. As we sat on the boat and slowly made our way to the second dive sight, the wind started picking up and the water was getting a little more rough. No bother, our group started our second dive by happily backrolling off the side of the boat and drifting along the reef for about 50 minutes. When we surfaced, the situation was completely different. The ocean and sky turned into a churning tempest with persistent wind and cold, driving rain. Because we had to go north to return to the resort, we were stuck in the storm the whole way, freezing as we went. The captain, Campeche, was amazing as he faced the storm head-on without the benefit of a barrier to protect him. When we arrived, his eyes were red and he was as ready to get us off the boat as we were. It might have been 22 degrees, but I had to put on a sweater with long sleeves, something that is unheard of in all our visits to Cozumel.

We returned to Blue Angel Dive Resort for this trip. This is a resort made for divers. If you are expecting an all inclusive resort, you need to look elsewhere. The rooms are comfortable and there is a dive shop and restaurant on site. Our package included breakfast and all meals are ordered off a very well curated menu. The servings are generous and, if you have a smaller appetite, you should inquire about a smaller serving or consider sharing. For us, sharing the cheeseburger was a necessity.

The dive shop at Blue Angel is operated by staff that are extremely friendly and helpful with a high standard of professionalism. We rented gear this trip and were treated to valet service by Alfredo who ensured our gear was on the boat and cleaned at the end of each dive trip. The divemasters are knowledgeable and very accommodating, ensuring that all divers' needs are met. Last, but not least, the boat captains are skilled, helpful and strong. We are constantly amazed at their knowledge of the sea and trust them with our lives.

Our main transportation, Jibara.

One last bonus with staying at Blue Angel is that they provide live music five days a week from 6:00pm-8:00pm. The acts are so talented. Because we stayed for two weeks, we were treated to amazing music several times. We appreciated the time slot as it accommodated early morning dive times, giving everyone the best of live entertainment without feeling tired in the morning.

We have some favourite restaurants on Cozumel including Tacotales Tacos Y Pozole (tacos and stew). This is a humble restaurant away from the tourist zone and fully worth a visit. The homemade tacos and other menu items are delicious and we always make the effort to go there whether we just need a beer and a quick snack or a more complete dinner.

To learn more about Cozumel, we took advantage of an offer presented to us and attended the Food and Walking Tour with Julio. This was a three hour tour beginning in the Benito Juarez Square downtown. Julio provided us with interesting facts about the island's history and took us for a walk to view some superb street art. The tour included stops at local restaurants with authentic cuisine. The food is delicious and filling. Bring an appetite, you will need it!

We know we will return to Cozumel but, for those of you who may be new visitors to the island, we would like to share a few recommendations to help you get started.

• Blue Angel Dive Resort: a resort for divers.

• Food and Walking Tours with Julio: do a search in Google to get in touch with Julio and schedule your time.

• Tacotales y Pozole: for delicious, authentic tacos.

• Sereno restaurant: a beautiful rooftop restaurant with a view and an original menu.

• Kondesa: a fine dining experience nestled in an outdoor garden with great food.