DIVE COZUMEL

Planning Your Cozumel Trip

Documents
U.S. citizens need to bring with them a valid passport. Citizens of other countries need to check with the Mexican Embassy. A visa may be required. Certified scuba divers must bring their certification card.

Location
Cozumel is Mexico's largest island, located 10 miles off the Yucatan Peninsula. It is 28 miles long and 9 miles wide. Cozumel follows Central Standard Time.

Language
Spanish and Maya. English is widely spoken.

Airport Arrival
Cozumel has an international airport, fully equipped for both large jets and private planes. International arrivals are expected to fill out a Customs Declaration & a Mexican Tourism Card before the plane lands. You must first clear the Immigration Area, where your passport or proof of citizenship is required.

Mexican Customs & Immigration
After going through Immigration, you proceed immediately to the Baggage/Customs area, which is just beyond the immigration. After you pick up your luggage and present your customs form to the officer, you will be asked to press a button on a machine resembling a stoplight. It flashes, at random, either a green (Go) or a red (Stop) light. Green means your luggage will not be inspected, red means it will be quickly checked. The whole process, from getting off the plane to getting out of the customs takes about 15 minutes, rarely longer than 30 minutes, speedy by U.S. standards.

Airport Transportation
Transfers are not included in your package. Before you exit the airport you need to buy a TAXI ticket approximately $6.50 U.S. per person. Be sure your luggage has been loaded into the Suburban before getting in. Remember the taxi number and keep your taxi receipt. Make sure your luggage is unloaded at your arrival. The ride is only 10 minutes.

Airport Departure Tax
Set aside $20 U.S. per person in cash to pay when you leave. Travelers checks and credit cards are not accepted.

ATM
You can get small amounts of pesos (approx. $100 U.S.) with your VISA and MasterCard credit cards. Be sure you remember your PIN number. You can also get pesos through the local Amex office with your Amex credit card.

Money Exchange
Local currency is Pesos. Travelers checks are accepted everywhere. Personal ID such as a driver's license will be required for cashing Traveler's Checks and payments made with credit card. Bring plenty of $1 and $5 bills. Do not bring bills larger than $20. The official rate varies daily. Exchange hours at the bank are 10 am until 1 pm only on weekdays. On weekends and after hours you can use the Exchange House in town. The hotel front desk can exchange small amounts of money, however their exchange rate is slightly lower. All exchanges are into pesos.

Water Conservation
We would appreciate your help in conserving the fresh water supply. Being an island, we have to rely on underground wells and rain. City water at times becomes so scarce that water has to be trucked in. You can help us by not letting the water run in the rooms needlessly, reporting any leaks or faulty plumbing, and using the rinse tanks for your scuba equipment. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Getting Around
Taxis are plentiful and very cheap. If you need a taxi it is faster to flag one down as they pass by. Always ask how much the fare will be before getting into the taxi. All taxi drivers must carry with them a rate sheet listing the approved fares. Taxi drivers are notorious for never having any change. Try to have small bits handy.

Stamps
Only Mexican stamps can be used for mail from Cozumel. Bring your post cards and letters ready to go, pay for the stamp and the Front Desk will mail them. Be sure all your letters have enough space left to place the stamp (Mexican stamps are twice as big) and be sure all of them have an address, zip code and country. Mexican mail is not very fast, except post cards, and can take at least 4 weeks to be delivered.