@auntlynne did you do Cabana Beach Chankanaab?
https://thecabanabeach.com We have one of those Cabana's reserved as of now. At first I was put off by the lack of a "true beach," but the great reviews, the overall look and feel of the place + the great snorkeling won me over.
Would love to hear your experience.
I don’t remember even hearing about this place. (Possibly opened in December 2021). For years, the same names have come up - Mr Sanchez the most mentioned. I made a split decision to do Chankanaab after I was told the Paradise Beach excursion was cancelled (Feb 2020 cruise).
To get an idea where I am coming from:
We have gone to Cozumel on ~4 cruises. For the most part, I could just punt the Western Caribbean. But I do have some good memories in the area. But I typically find going to Mega to buy Mexican Fresca to be the highlight of this port.
Once, I took the ferry to the Yucatán peninsula for a Tulum excursion. I really enjoy Mayan ruins; this was another enjoyable location. The crossing was rough. Lots of green faces. My niece did her snorkeling qualification one cruise (beach near the ship).
While staying in Cancun, we went down to Playa del Carmen area for Xcaret. That was a fun day of water activities, including an underground River. I have seen it offered as a shore excursion from Cozumel in various cruises.
I believe if I kept exploring, I would find that sweet spot where I would say, ”so this is why you go to Cozumel!” I am not a diver (I think that was the original tourist draw), but I would be interested in El Cielo for snorkeling (Only boat accessible - not from land).
It would also help if I could experience Cozumel without rough seas.
And I don’t want to just stand around in a watering hole (pool) while people drink. (There was a pool like this at Chankanaab). I like to play or swim in a pool. And walk on a beach with compact, clean sand. (I love the walk on Hilton Head.). I love the various bays on St Thomas USVI for playing in the water. St John for snorkeling. And, of course, Castaway Cay, especially the calm, clear, shallow water of Serenity Bay. Water in HI is usually too cold; same in Bermuda in early September. But seeing a sea turtle swim past you is worth the chill.
Chankanaab Park also has a dolphin and sea lion show. Typical, but entertaining. I have enjoyed them at SeaWorld (FL & CA) and sea lions at Fisherman’s Wharf - I am not above these things, despite my years beyond childhood.
I just turned to my usual go-to for travel advice: TripAdvisor. Those who have been to the Cabanas definitely give it a thumbs up. The stairs into the water, and the water itself, look like a nice way to enter the water and snorkel. The beach in this area seems to be man-made, claiming land by shoring up with rocks, then putting clean sand on top. It makes for easy walking around. Just not the damp sand needed for sand castles.
At the Park, there was an area for kids to easily enter the water, over near the dolphin enclosure (I had forgotten about that. This is another of my novellas, so it takes a while and things come to memory as I type.) My overarching memory is sitting at a picnic table, drinking free coke, utilizing my phone access (free in Mexico, thanks Mint Mobile), watching the sea lion show and taking photos of other people in front of the COZ MEL letters. (The only thing missing is U). It was a lovely day, weather wise, while it was getting cold at home.
(I don’t tend to book cabanas, as it’s usually me or me + 1. Makes much more sense with a family. The times we have had cabanas in Castaway Cay, it did up the enjoyment.)
They do mention the Cabanas area as being peaceful - with no loud music nor screaming children. You might be an outlier by bringing your younglings. Sounded like mainly couples. I’m betting yours will be okay.
