Another Post-Wilma Review

Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:06 am

We got back yesterday from almost two weeks in Cozumel and Xcalak, plus an unexpected extra day in Cancun. So, I'll pass on a few comments here and probably more extensive ones on the Xcalak board. This is our third or fourth trip to the area so maybe I can make some comparisons.
First, there is lots of damage to the vegetation. Palm trees gone or with their crowns totally stripped off. A lot of the lower trees and the mangroves are tangled and stripped of leaves. But it's the tropics and things are starting to grow back.
Playa del Carmen seems to be in pretty good shape! We only walked around a little but it actually seems a bit better (near the pier) than it was the last time we were there. Maybe some of the tackier shops got blown away? I don't know...but it is in pretty good shape. The beach seems a bit smaller but perhaps that is my imagination.
Cozumel is kind of suffering. Though I would say that this is an excellent time to visit. Most of the big hotels are still closed and there is lots of work being done on them. We stopped (on a jog) and talked to the guard at the "El Presidente" and he told us that they were going to take advantage of the down time to remodel. They won't reopen until Fall. I also heard that there are insurance issues with the big hotels and it may be a little slow. And the cruise ship piers are totally trashed. Cruise ships still come in, with the passengers offloaded on launches. But it's nice (to me) that there aren't nearly as many cruise ship passengers around. And the people were generally as friendly as they ever have been and service is even better because they are looking for business. My advice, tip heavily to add to the economy and enjoy Cozumel as it was some years ago.
The snorkeling is pretty good. I was amazed at how little damage the coral near shore had suffered. However almost all of the beaches on the West side of the island were stripped of most of their sand. So, getting in and out of the water in the better snorkeling places is a little tough. It looks like most of the dive shops are open. We did a two tank dive and I don't think that it was as good as our dives of a few years ago. It looked to me as if a lot of sand had been deposited on the reef. But it might have been the exact spots we dove. I suggest that you have a long discussion with your dive shop manager and carefully pick your site. The water was clear (as usual).
We stayed at our favorite bed and breakfast (Amaranto/Tmarindo) and were told that some of the in town places were repaired within days of Wilma. Jorge said that he had suffered a lot of water all over and some destruction of the thatch but that was about it. Once they cleaned up and dried out they were in pretty good shape. Their high speed internet is even working up to par. The trees were pretty much stripped but overall the vegetation seems to be starting to return.
South of Playa things start to get better and better! Our only serious problem was the fact that our car rental agency had overbooked and when we returned to the mainland from Cozumel there was no car for us. All of the small agencies with cars were taking advantage of the situation to raise their prices. Eventually the gentleman in the Hertz office was able to get us a car. But it took a couple of hours and some frustration. However, he was bien simpatico so I wasn't too frustrated. This just demonstrated the fact that the people are really going the extra mile to help tourists out. I suspect that the overbooking is a Christmas Vacation glitch but I'm not at all happy with Hertz for doing that to us!!
I'll comment about everything South of Playa on the Xcalak board where it is more appropriate.
Lastly, we had a minor problem getting home. Arriving in Cancun to fly out we found that our flight had been cancelled. Actually, it was cancelled months ago and we were never told. But Mexicana put us up for the night in an all inclusive hotel and got us out the next day. So, an extra day of vacation. Cancun still looks pretty rough. The beaches are almost gone. A lot of the hotels are not open and those that are look like they are only half (or less) open. Stores seem to be about up to 70 or 80% open and the area is recovering very fast. Cancun isn't really my style but the service was good...better than usual.
So, my advice, Take advantage of the fact that the area is looking for tourist business and that service is excellent and the people are even more friendly than ever. Don't expect cheaper prices...things look about the same as before. And tip heavily to start to get the economy back on its feet!