Cozumel, Mexico is considered to be Mexico's largest island, located in the Caribbean Sea just off the coast of eastern Mexico. The island is covered with lush green forests, majority of the population lives on the island's western shore. There are two different popular ways to travel to this tropical island, visitors usually flying to Cancun and take a water taxi or fly directly to the airport here at Cozumel. I would highly suggest the later method if flight transfer isn't too complicated. This is the second time I have visited Cozumel, first time was via cruising, and I spent the day exploring downtown, this time I'm staying at the beautiful InterContinental Presidente Cozumel Resort Spa. The drive from the airport to the resort takes approximately 15 minutes.
InterContinental Presidente is the only resort at Cozumel that is located right on top of a coral reef, which makes this a popular site for snorkeling and diving around the area. The resort is stretched along the coastline, offering half a mile of white sandy beaches for guests to enjoy. This resort is recently renovated in 2016, with over 200 rooms available, you will never feel crowded, all the rooms are well spread out with easy access to the beach. #InterContinentalLife
Food & Dining
There are 3 restaurants available for guests to choose from, and all of them are located next to beach.
- El Caribeño, located right next to the main pool, serves Regional, Mexican, and international cuisine. Opens for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Le Cap, located right on the beach, serves contemporary Mediterranean food for lunch and dinner. Also my favorite restaurant, they make the best daily speciality drinks here!
- Trattoria Alfredo, just few steps away from the beach, offers a great selection of Italian food, and it's famous for its authentic Fettuccine Alfredo! The restaurant is named Trattoria Alfredo, because they actually got the original Italian recipe from the chef who invented the dish! It only opens for dinner, so don't forget to make reservation.
Spa and Fitness
InterContinental Presidente is the only resort on the island that offers an on site traditional Mayan Temazcal Ceremony as part of their spa treatment program. In the Mayan culture, Temazcal is used to cleanse, purify, detox, and to celebrate new beginnings. It is essentially a wet sauna steaming experience inside a circular dome that's made of volcanic rocks and cement. In the ancient times, this ritual was used to purify one's body after battle, heal the sick, improve health, and to get women purified for marriage and before conceiving a child. The Temazcal ritual was definitely an interesting experience for me. For those who are adventurous and are NOT claustrophobic, and can handle being in complete darkness in a secluded room, I would suggest for you to try this ceremony with your friends and family. This experience is definitely not for everyone, but I'm glad I've tried it and got purified! Besides the Temazcal Ritual and body massages, there are also many different treatments available, such as Facial, Medicare and Pedicure, Hair Styling, etc...
Activities and Sightseeing
Cozumel is located on top of the world's second largest coral reef, water sports and activities including snorkeling and diving are the most popular amongst the visitors. Besides enjoying the beautiful beaches and swim with colorful fishes, visitors can also explore the famous historical site left behind by the Mayans. San Gervasio, an archaeological site of the pre-Colombian Maya civilization, it's located approximately 30 minutes away from interContinental Presidente. From which, experienced guides can take you around the archaeological site, and give you more in-depth information about the Mayan culture. This is one of the most popular attraction on the island besides water sports activities.