Playa Azul Golf, Scuba, Spa

a repeat visit for us

by A TripAdvisor Member

We have just returned from our second visit to Playa Azul (and our fourth visit to Cozumel). This is the perfect place if you want to relax. It is close to town but away from the cruise ship traffic. The staff is top notch and the service is attentive without being instrusive. We ate breakfast and lunch at the hotel....who would want to leave the gorgeous beach and went into town for dinner.

Since our last visit, Exclusive rental car has put an office across from the hotel and it makes renting a car a breeze.

We had the standard hotel room which was clean...in fact, the entire place is immaculate...and a very pleasant balcony overlooking the water.

I can imagine that there are hotels that are more elaborate and activity driven but you can't beat the Playa Azul for a place to kick back and relax.

Danger Caution!!!! Read this

by A TripAdvisor Member

I am not normally the complaining type but this was bad. We booked reservations with Playa Azul weeks in advance and three days before our trip we are told that they have overbooked and we have no room, sorry. At this late of a notice I am told by the big on line travel agency that the only room open on the island is at a hotel in town a half mile from the beach. After a day and a half on the phone Playa Azul agrees to take us 3 of the six days that we were confirmed with the chance for more days if they have anyone cancel.
As for the hotel we could find nothing to complain about. It was clean neat safe well maintained no bad surprises. All of which made it harder to leave for a hotel that was our last resort.
Here is the interesting part. When I went to check to see if there had been any cancelations so we could stay. I was calm and nonthreatening. I was asked who I was ,what room I was in, and what it was about. Miriam who is in charge of reservations is not available. More than I can tell here.
There are many hotels on the island that compare to Playa Azul. On our next trip to the island I will remember that the important part in reservations is not taking them it is keeping them. There is much more to this story that due to the conditions of trip advisor I can not tell but I do not want others to have the same problems that we did. We will never stay here again. Remember a reservation and a confirmation # at Playa Azul does not mean anything!

Beautiful Sunsets!

by A TripAdvisor Member

Our daughter was married on the beach of Playa Azul with the deep blue ocean and beautiful sunset as the backdrop. The wedding party was from three continents and several countries, Holland, USA, Canada, Mexico, Chile and took up most of the rooms in the hotel. The 10 days we all spent together were enchanting. The wedding and party in the evening could not have been more wonderful. The staff was attentive, efficient and very friendly, the food supplied by the hotel was delicious.

The men went fishing and brought back enormous fish which they were allowed to cook in the hotel kitchen and serve the wedding party. Daily we would meet for meals in the hotel dining room and the staff would accomodate all of us, moving tables as we desired. During the day many guests went scuba diving and the rest of us relaxed on the beach and snorkled to watch the colorful fish swiming closing to shore. In the evening we sometimes took a taxi and went to town, which is close by, and enjoyed the night life. We rented cars and explored the beautiful island of Cozumel.

We all enjoyed the hotel's beautiful rooms, hospitality and romantic relaxing atmosphere. We are planning to come back to Playa Azul and have a reunion with all who attended the wedding. The hotel provided us with a wonderful setting for a most memorable day!

Great Beach, Strong Drinks!

by A TripAdvisor Member

My husband, our 1 year old and my parents traveled to Cozumel in early January. My parents have been to Cozumel several times, but had not stayed at Playa Azul before. The main reason we choose this hotel was because of the golf green fees inclusion so my husband and dad could go golfing. (They said the golf course was ok - but nothing real special - no holes on the ocean or anything). I was a little nervous about not going to an all-inclusive b/c of having our baby along- at least there you know you can get food any time of day and usually quickly (we've stayed at the Iberostar in Cozueml in the past).

We had a room in the older part of the hotel which was great b/c there was a separate room with our king bed and another room with a couch (which is where we put the pack n play). The only bad thing about the room for us was that there was only a shower - no bath tub - and it's awfully hard to give a 1 year old a bath holding his slippery little body!

We thought the beach at the hotel was great - it is small, but it was never overcrowed when we where there. Most days we went to other public beaches and found that the one at the hotel was one of the best. It was easy to get into and there where lots of waves to bounce in!

Since my parents know the island well, we rented a car to get us around. I don't know that my husband and I would have felt comfortable doing this on our own-b/c some of the other drivers can be scary. As I said we went to other beaches - Mr Sanchos was our favorite, followed by San Francisco and Chen Rio (on the opposite side of the island, a long but beautiful drive!) We also ate most of our meals downtown Cozumel.

We did eat breakfast every morning at the hotel - I had the continental (stale toast and fruit basically) and my husband ate the buffet - which he liked. They always brought the high chair out for us right away and the wait staff was very friendly. We ate at the dinner buffet once and it was ok - but we had much better meals elsewhere. We did enjoy the outside restaurant on the beach - they had great faijtas and a menu with a lot of choices. The drinks at Playa Azul were great and strong! 1 margarita and i was feeling good - after 2 I'd be out! The Bloody Mary's were also delicious!

Overall, we had a great time at Playa Azul - but you also have to be willing to either take a taxi or rent a car to venture out and see more of the island to truely enjoy Cozumel.

A lovely, restful hotel...

by A TripAdvisor Member

My family (husband & 3 teenagers) and I visited Cozumel for the third time January 29 - February 5, 2005. We love the island. In the past we have stayed at Casa Del Mar and Paradisus (now Melia). We were definitely looking for a smaller hotel and after alot of research we chose to stay at the lovely Playa Azul. We do not regret our decision at all. I can't believe and regret we didn't find this place before! Everything about Playa Azul was to make our stay the best it could be. The staff is friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean and all have a beautiful view of the ocean. Chocolate Kisses on your bed, which has been turned down, when you return at night. We found the beds comfortable and slept easily. The hotel provides a small coffee maker, refrigerator, tv, telephone, safe($1/day) and hairdryer. There is a pool table on the second floor above the lobby that our kids used a couple of times. You can also access the internet for a minimal fee. Green fees are included with the stay at the hotel and they will make the reservations for you. My husband and sons went golfing and had alot of fun. If you want a quiet and relaxing vacation this is the place. No loud music here, just the soothing rush of the ocean and warm sun on your face.

The beach is small, but is clean and beautiful. The surf is calm and snorkeling is good near the pier and in front of the Sol Cabanas. The beach is for hotel guests only, but they will let "outsiders" on if they pay a fee. The locals come to use the beach next door, NOT the beach at Playa Azul and they are quiet and respectful. They DO NOT come by the hundreds as other reviewer(s) have noted. I noticed that is was travelers from cruise ships and other hotels that took over the beach, not the locals. You do have to get down early in the morning to save a chair, but they also have lounge chairs by the pool you can bring to the beach. The pool area is nice, but most people sit on the beach. The bar is right next to the beach and it mixes a delicious drink and serves good, cold beer.

We chose not to stay at an all-inclusive as we like to eat at the many delicious restaurants in and around town. We heard the lobster shack across the street from the hotel has the best lobster on the island. They serve lobster and only lobster. We didn't eat there as 3 in our group don't care for lobster. We did eat at the hotel a couple of times just for breakfast buffet. They will make your eggs, pancakes and french toast to order. They also had fresh fruit, cereal, oatmeal, toast, bacon, sausage and other mexican fare. We were never disappointed with the food. We did not, however, eat dinner at the hotel. We did eat breakfast a couple of times at the restaurant at Sol Cabanas Del Caribe. It was good food and reasonably priced. The rest of the time we ventured away from the hotel to eat.

I hope this helps anyone who is contemplating a stay on Cozumel. I think Playa Azul is lovely and will definitely stay there again when we return to beautiful Cozumel.

Mostly good ...

by TripAdvisor Member Akumal-lover

My husband and I stayed at Playa Azul for 7 days in the end of February. Overall, we liked the place, but we felt that there were some areas they could have improved. Here is our point of view on Playa Azul!

We are a couple in early 30's. My husband loves to play golf, and I love to snorkel. We looked for a hotel, which would satisfy both our desires. That's how we ended up choosing Playa Azul.

Beach:
We loved the beach! The water is crystal-clear, and it looks just like what you see on the Web site. The size of the beach is small, but it wasn't a big issue with us as we don't spend much time walking on the beach. I am usually in the water swimming or snorkeling!!! I saw lots of sea life while snorkeling there ... barracuda, trumpetfish, parrot fish, stingray ... and lots of others I couldn't even identify. The first day there, some time around 17:00, I saw two dolphins swimming by!!! That was great! Try snorkeling north toward the beach restaurant owned by the next-door hotel. That's where you'll find a lot of fish.

Hotel Room:
It was always kept clean. We loved having a refrigerator in the room. We recommend you to take a cab to a grocery store once you settle into your room and stock up on your drinks. That's what we did! On the first day, we went to Chedraui, which is located in the south end of the town. We later found a smaller grocery store in the north end and used it more often as it was more convenient to walk threre after having a dinner in downtown and catch a cab there to go back to the hotel. The name of the store is Sedena. The store is small, but has all the basic necessities of life.
We stayed in a regular hotel room, which is on the smaller side. It didn't bother us because we didn't stay there much. We loved getting out on the balcony and having a drink there. And at night, we shut off the air conditioner and kept the windows open. It was great to fall asleep while listening to the sound of waves. Don't worry! They have a screen door to keep mosquitoes out.

Food:
We mostly had breakfasts there and only one dinner, so we can't comment much about the food. For the breakfast, you have two choices. You can either have a buffet or a continental breakfast. We had a buffet once, but felt it wasn't worth paying that much money, so after that, had a continental breakfast. It was plenty enough for us, and you know what, it's included in your room rate (we didn't even know it until we tried it)! So, we just needed to leave a tip. They had a Mexican buffet night while we were there, and we tried it. It was okay, but nothing spectacular.
There are lots of different restaurants in town, so unless you really want to, you don't have to be stuck with the hotel food. Try the Lobster House restaurant across the street from the hotel. It's a little bit pricy, but my husband and I had one of the best lobsters we've ever had! The ambience of the restaurant is really nice as well. We also trid Casa Denis and Prima. Both were pretty good, but we liked Prima better and went back for the second time. The Snora Grill was also good. My husband had a filet mignon, and that was surprisingly good with a delicious sauce on it!

Golf:
My husband and I both play golf, so Playa Azul was a great choice for us from that perspective. We just needed to pay for the power cart every time we played. We recommend you to bring your own clubs if you plan to play many times. We did and loved the fact that they offered a club storage service for free! We lost lots of balls as many of them disappeared deep into the jungle. Bring lots of balls! We thought there would be someone selling lost balls, but no such luck. We ended up buying lots of extra balls, and they can be expensive. Try reserving a tee time early in the morning. On many days, we started playing around 6:30, and we were done by 10:00. That way, you are done before it gets extremely hot.
You'll also see lots of wild life there. We saw crocodiles, wild pigs, iguanas, and even saw some flamingoes flying by. All in all, we thought the golf course was in great shape. We especially loved the greens.

Service:
It was okay, but this was the area we felt they could improve. On some occasions, we requested something very simple, and they were reluctant to say yes. I didn't understand why. Maybe they were just understaffed ...

Day Trips (nothing to do with Playa Azul):
We rented a car on two occasions. You can easily do so across the street at Executive Car Rental. We went around the island twice. It's worth travelling to the east coast. The view is totally different. The water is really rough, so you wouldn't be able to swim or snorkel there. Try having a lunch at one of the beach restaurants. We tried Playa Bonita and Chen Rio. Both were good. I had a mixed seafood cocktail at Chen Rio, and that was delicious!
Other spots we visited on the island are Chankanaab, Punta Sur, and San Gervasio Ruins.
The view of the ocean and lagoon from the top of the lighthouse at Punta Sur was gorgeous.
We also took a day trip by ferry to the main land to visit a town of Akumal. That's where you'll find sea turtles feeding even this time of the year. You can swim with them just by snorkeling!

All in all, my husband and I liked the hotel. Especially since we both play golf, Playa Azul was probably the best choice for us in Cozumel! Because of the golf deal and the beautiful ocean right in front of it, we would definitely consider going back to Playa Azul if we were to travel to Cozumel again!!! Have fun and you'll love Cozumel!!!

Great Family Getaway

by TripAdvisor Member maid

We went in Nov. so we had the beach and motel almost to ourselves.
We loved it, friendly and clean, all rooms are oceanview, a small sandy beach so the kids could swim and snorkel. The food was great, I recommend the Chicken Enchiladas.
There are only 50-52 rooms so it's great, if you want to get away from the crowd. There is a car rental across the street, Avis or Interprise can't remember,don't go with an off rental company, us American. It's cheaper than a taxi everytime you want to go into town. Add it up. $50.00 rental car. 2 trips a day for 4 people is $8.00 one way
$64.00 for a day we made several trip into town. If you forget something jump in the jeep no waiting on a taxi.
Anyway, we loved Playa Azul and we will stay there again.
Great place for families, beach and pool for kids, husband dives and the boat picked him up off the pier and the mom, me, laid on the sandy beach and absorded all the vitamin D and rest I could get.

Above averge

by TripAdvisor Member Nimby

We just returned from a 5 night trip to Playa Azul on Feb. 28, 2005. The hotel was wonderful! The rooms, while not luxurious, were clean, and the staff was very nice and attentive. Each room had a porch or balcony overlooking the pool and/or beach. The hotel has its own source of treated water which they use for ice and food, so you don't have to worry about ordering iced drinks or food. The tap water is for bathing only, and they recommend that you brush teeth with bottled water. Every day, the staff provides the room with a large bottle of water for brushing teeth, and if you run out, you can just ask for another. We heard from other reviews that the locals take over the property, but we didn't see this at all. The only negative comments we had were that the beds were hard and not the most comfortable, and the soap is tiny, so make sure that you bring a large bar of soap. We loved the smaller size and location of the hotel- close to town, golf and airport. Don't miss their home-made limeade, lunch next door, and paella (only served at Sunday lunch).If you golf, bring your clubs and enjoy the wildlife! We saw crocodiles and many iguanas on the course, and another family saw a wild boar on the course.

Como Mexico No Hay Dos

by realde14

"My trips to Mexico"

I have been to Mexico more than a dozen times, and ever since my first trip in 1994, Mexico is a very special place to me that I hold very close to my heart.

Mexico City might have the worst traffic of any place in the world, and there is probably no bigger tourist trap than Tijuana, but apart from that, Mexico is probably one the most rewarding and diverse countries in the world to visit. From old colonial towns like Guanajuato, San Miguel or Zacatecas, to the beautiful beaches of Oaxaca, the architectural treasures from Mexico's pre-colombian past, the exceptional food and great music, there is something for everybody. And above all, its about the people: you will be hard-pressed to find sweeter and more hostpitable people than the Mexicans. Que viva Mexico, cabrones!

Several of my visits to Mexico were month-long backpack trips, others much shorter business travels. Needless to say that I prefer the longer stays.

Here are some of the places I visited:

- Mexico City
- Taxco
- Cuernavaca
- Puebla
- Oaxaca
- Zipolite
- Puerto Escondido
- Acapulco
- Guanajuato
- San Miguel de Allende
- Patzcuaro
- Uruapan
- Playa Azul
- Zuihatanejo
- Real de Catorce
- Monterrey
- Veracruz
- San Cristobal
- Palenque
- Playa Del Carmen
- Tulum
- Cancun

... and many more that I deliberately omitted (you know the magical places you want to keep to yourself).

SURFING IN MEXICO

by pedroebc

"SURFING"

"SURFING SPOTS I"

Rosarito
Bufadora
todos los santos , Isla Todos los Santos (Baja)
san miguel (825 km south tijuana)
punta abreojos (958 km south of tijuana)
alacran bay
Zipers,Monumentos,Cabo Real (los cabos)
isla natividad (795 south tijuana)
bahia matachen, santa cruz (san blas, Nayarit)
zicatela (puerto escondido) november international championship
canons and lupes (mazatlan)
bahia de matachen(281 km south mazatlan)
Stoners, punta mita ( near puerto vallarta)
boca de pascuales,tecoman (colima)
boca de apiza ,las pe?as,la ticla, nexpa,lazaro cardenas (michoacan)
los llanos, las gatas (ixtapa-zihuatanejo)
princess, revolcadero (acapulco)

www.surfer.com.mx

www.planetasurflarevista.com
www.squalo.com

www.surf-mexico.com/surfing
www.mexpipe.com.mx
www.centralsurfshop.com

"SURFING SPOTS II"

******************************************************
Playas**Fondo**Lado de quiebra**Epoca de rompimiento**
***************************************
Beach** Deep** Broken side **Broken seasson**
***************************************
Note: ...ano means year.....

**Baja California Norte **

Rosarito
Barra de arena Ambos lados
Todo el ano

Calafia
Piedra Derecha

Teresitas
Piedra Derecha

Baja Malibu
Barra de arena
Ambos lados

San Miguel
Piedra Derecha

California
Piedra

Isla Todos Santos
Piedra Derecha Invierno

Isla Natividad
Barra de arena Ambos lados Verano


***Baja California Sur **
Playas, Fondo, Lado de quiebra Epoca de rompimiento

Punta San Juanico
Barra de arena Derecha Verano

Punta El Conejo
Piedra Izquierda

Todos Santos

San Pedrito
Piedra Derecha Todo el ano

El Pescador
Piedra Derecha Todo el ano

Cerritos
Piedra Derecha Todo el ano

Los Cabos
Monumentos Piedra Izquierda Verano

Zipers
Piedra Derecha Verano

Cabo Real
Piedra Derecha Verano



****Mazatlan, Sinaloa ***
Playas, Fondo, Lado de quiebra Epoca de rompimiento

El Camaron
Piedra y Arena Izquierda
Todo el ano

El Canon
Piedra Izquierda
Todo el ano

Escollera
Piedra Derecha

**San Blas, Nayarit ***
Playas ,Fondo, Lado de quiebra Epoca de rompimiento

Matanchan
Arena Derecha
Todo el ano

Stoners
Piedra

Santa Cruz
Piedra Izquierda

Punta Mita
Piedra Derecha

Sayulita

***Jalisco ***
Playas ,Fondo, Lado de quiebra Epoca de rompimiento

Barra de Navidad Piedra y arena Ambos lados

***Colima ***
Playas ,Fondo, Lado de quiebra Epoca de rompimiento

Boca de Pascuales
Barra de arena
Ambos lados

Tecoman
Barra de arena
Ambos lados


****Michoacan ****
Playas ,Fondo, Lado de quiebra Epoca de rompimiento

Ticla
Piedra izquierda

Rio Nexpa INCREIBLE LUGAR!!!
Arena Izquierda

Playa Azul
Arena Ambos lados

Lazaro Cardenas
Arena


****Guerrero ***
Playas ,Fondo, Lado de quiebra Epoca de rompimiento

Princes
Arena,Ambos lados
Todo el ano

Revolcadero
Arena

Copa Cabana
Arena

Bonfil
Arena

Zihuatanejo ***

Playas ,Fondo, Lado de quiebra Epoca de rompimiento

Playa Las Gatas
Arena, Zurda ,Todo el ano

Ixtapa
Arena ,Ambos lados


***Oaxaca ***
Playas ,Fondo, Lado de quiebra
Epoca de rompimiento

Puerto Escondido
Arena ,Ambos lados
Todo el ano

**** Quintana Roo **
CANCUN AND COZUMEL

recently surfers discovered some waves to ride near these palces..

Playa delfines (el mirador)
playa bonita
playa morena
playa chac mool

*
http://www.surfline.com/surf-forecasts
*
*
*
*
*
*

enjoy!!!
surf the nice waves in BAJA

www.surfermag.com
www.surfline.com
www.reef.com
www.billabong.com
www.rusty.com
www.ripcurl.com
www.hurley.com
www.mauiandsons.com
www.isasurf.org

"FOR SATELITE WEATHER."

http://wavewatch.com/Surf-Forecast-Region.php?RegionID=22

http://smn.cna.gob.mx
http://maps.weather.com/images/sat/mexsat_440x297.jpg

www.cira.colostate.edu/RAMM/Rmsdsol/main.html

http://deutsch.wunderground.com/global/MX.html
http://espanol.weather.com/weather/local/MXDF0132

OR TRY THE LINK www.puertoschool.com for satelite and spanish school and SURFING SCHOOL in PUERTO ESCONDIDO, OAXACA.
www.puertoschool.com/surfingservices.html