Are you looking to learn more about the beautiful island of Cozumel? You have came to the right place!
Royal Caribbean Harmony Of The Seas – Cozumel, Mexico
Our final port stop on our Royal Caribbean Harmony Of The Seas cruise was in Cozumel, Mexico. The weather was rainy when we arrived at port but we decided to explore the area anyway. This was our third visit to Cozumel.
Where is Cozumel, Mexico? The island is located in the Caribbean Sea along the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula about 82 km (51 mi) south of Cancún and 19 km (12 mi) from the mainland. The island is about 48 km (30 mi) long and 16 km (9.9 mi) wide. With a total area of 477.961 km (184.542 sq mi), it is Mexico’s largest Caribbean island, largest permanently inhabited island, and Mexico’s third-largest island, following Tiburón Island and Isla Ángel de la Guarda. (Wikipedia)
The majority of the island’s population lives in the town of San Miguel (pop. 77,236 in 2010), which is on the island’s western shore. The municipality, which includes two small areas on the mainland enclaved within the Municipality of Solidaridad with a land area of 10.423 km (4.024 sq mi), has a total land area of 647.33 km (249.93 sq mi). (Wikipedia)
The island is covered with mangrove forest which has many endemic animal species. Cozumel is a flat island based on limestone, resulting in a karst topography. The highest natural point on the island is less than 15 m (49 ft) above sea level. The cenotes are deep water filled sinkholes formed by water percolating through the soft limestone soil for thousands of years. Cozumel’s cenotes are restricted to qualified cave divers with appropriate credentials. (Wikipedia)
The economy of Cozumel is based on tourism. There are a number of visitors to the island’s balnearios, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel. (Wikipedia)
Cozumel Shopping
We started off our day exploring the shopping area in Cozumel. There were many different shops at the port. The Mexican people were very friendly and eager to have us stop in their stores. We thoroughly enjoyed our shopping experience in Cozumel.
The Mexican people are very proud of their tequila as well. While shopping, we did observe free tequila tastings stations as well. We did have the opportunity to do some taste testing, which enhanced our shopping experience or you may say, “Shopping with a smile.”
They offered a large variety of tequila which included, coffee, chocolate, peanut butter, mango, orange, lime, mint, and chili pepper. The peanut butter tequila was hard to come by.
We had tried some tequila on our last visit to Cozumel but decided not to purchase it. This time we knew what tequila we were looking for but to find it was a challenge. Only one shop had it and since they weren’t open for business yet all the other tequila shops were wanting our business.
The thing is only one shop owner would tell us where the shop was. So we waited and we scored on the peanut butter tequila as soon as they opened. They also had a tequila similar to fireball that was very good and so smooth. Maybe that will have to be for next time.
Panchos Backyard
We then took a taxi to a restaurant that Nancy has wanted to check out for years, Panchos Backyard. Panchos Backyard had a wonderful Mexican feel as soon as you walked into the restaurant.
The restaurant was beautifully decorated with mexican style accents and the food was delicious as well. I enjoyed the filet Mahi-Mahi fish with a pina colada and Nancy enjoyed a tamale dish with a strawberry Margarita.
Panchos Backyard is a hidden gem. The front is just a store like any other that you see on the street. As you enter the store front and move through to the back the restaurant appears.
We had heard about Panchos for years from friends and have really wanted to check it out. I’m so glad we where able to. It was definitely worth the trip and a wonderful dining experience.
After enjoying our lunch, we did a little sightseeing and more shopping before we returned to the ship. Our overall experience of Cozumel was good. We still had a great day even though it was rainy. We definitely would return in the future. Happy Travels.
