For diving and snorkeling, there are plenty of dive shops to choose from, including those recommended below. For island tours, ruins tours on and off the island, glass-bottom boat tours, fiesta nights, fishing, and other activities, go to a travel agency. I recommend InterMar Cozumel Viajes, Calle 2 Norte 101-B, between avenidas 5 and 10 (tel. 987/872-1535 or 987/872-2022; fax 987/872-0895; cozumel@travel2mexico.com). Office hours are Monday through Saturday from 8am to 8pm, Sunday from 9am to 5pm.
Scuba Diving -- Cozumel is the number one dive destination in the Western Hemisphere. Don't forget your dive card and dive log. Dive shops will rent you scuba gear, but won't take you out on a boat until you show some documentation. If you have a medical condition, bring a letter signed by a doctor stating that you've been cleared to dive. A two-tank morning dive costs around $55; some shops offer an additional afternoon one-tank dive for $9 for those who took the morning dives. A lot of divers save some money by buying a dive package with a hotel. These usually include two dives a day.
Diving in Cozumel is drift diving, which can be a little disconcerting for novices. The current that sweeps along Cozumel's reefs, pulling nutrients into them and making them as large as they are, also dictates how you dive here. The problem is that it pulls at different speeds at different depths and in different places. When it's pulling strong, it can quickly scatter a dive group. The role of the dive master becomes more important, especially with choosing the dive location. Cozumel has a lot of dive locations. To mention but a few: the famous Palancar Reef, with its caves and canyons, plentiful fish, and a wide variety of sea coral; the monstrous Santa Rosa Wall, famous for its depth, sea life, coral, and sponges; the San Francisco Reef, which has a shallower drop-off wall and fascinating sea life; and the Yucab Reef, with its beautiful coral.
Finding a dive shop in town is even easier than finding a jewelry store. Of Cozumel's more than 50 dive operators, I recommend Bill Horn's Aqua Safari, which has a location on Avenida Rafael Melgar at Calle 5 (tel. 987/872-0101; fax 987/872-0661; www.aquasafari.com) and a PADI five-star instructor center with full equipment and parts in the Hotel Plaza Las Glorias (tel. 987/872-3362 or 987/872-2422); and Dive House, on the main plaza (tel. 987/872-1953; fax 987/872-0368), which offers PADI, NAUI, and SSI instruction.
A popular activity in the Yucatán is cenote diving. The peninsula's underground cenotes (seh-noh-tehs) -- sinkholes or wellsprings -- lead to a vast system of underground caverns. The gently flowing water is so clear that divers seem to float on air through caves complete with stalactites and stalagmites. If you want to try this but didn't plan a trip to the mainland, contact Yucatech Expeditions, Av. 15 no.144, between Calle 1 and Rosado Salas (tel./fax 987/872-5659; yucatech@cozumel.czm.com.mx), which offers a trip five times a week. Cenotes are 30 to 45 minutes from Playa del Carmen, and a dive in each cenote lasts around 45 minutes. Dives are within the daylight zone, about 39m (130 ft.) into the caverns, and no more than 18m (60 ft.) deep. Company owner Germán Yañez Mendoza inspects diving credentials carefully, and divers must meet his list of requirements before cave diving is permitted. For information and prices, call or drop by the office.
Snorkeling -- Anyone who can swim can snorkel. One shop that specializes in snorkeling trips is the Kuzamil Snorkeling Center, 50 Av. bis 565 Int. 1, between 5 Sur and Hidalgo, Colonia Adolfo López Mateos (tel. 987/872-4637 or 987/872-0539). A full-day snorkel trip costs $65 per person, $50 for children under 8. It includes the boat, the guide, a buffet lunch, and snorkel equipment, and it visits four reefs. You can call directly or make arrangements through a local travel agency. Half-day trips are $40 adults, $30 children.
Boat Trips -- Travel agencies and hotels can arrange boat trips, a popular pastime on Cozumel. There are evening cruises, cocktail cruises, glass-bottom boat cruises, and other options. It's worth inquiring whether the trip will be filled with cruise-ship passengers, because trips that cater to the cruise-ship crowds can be packed. One rather novel trip is a ride in a submarine, offered by Atlantis Submarines (tel. 987/872-5671). The sub can hold 48 people. It operates almost 3km (2 miles) south of town in front of the Casa del Mar hotel and costs $76 per adult, $39 for kids 3 to 12 years old. This is a superior experience to the Sub See Explorer offered by Aqua World, which is really a glorified glass-bottom boat.
Fishing -- Travel agents can also arrange fishing trips. The best months for fishing are from April to September, when the catch includes blue and white marlin, sailfish, tarpon, swordfish, dorado, wahoo, tuna, and red snapper. One agency that specializes in deep sea and fly fishing is Aquarius Travel Fishing, Calle 3 Sur 2 between Avenida Rafael Melgar and Avenida 5 (tel. 987/872-1092; gabdiaz@yahoo.com). Or contact the owners of Cocos Cozumel restaurant, who can recommend an experienced guide and boat.
Golf -- Cozumel has a new 18-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus. It's at the Cozumel Country Club (tel. 987/872-9570), just north of San Miguel. Greens fees are $144, including tax. Tee times can be made 3 days in advance. A few hotels have special memberships with discounts for guests and advance tee times; Playa Azul Golf and Beach Club guests pay no greens fees, just the cart cost.
