Mexico #2 - Cozumel Island

Mesoamerican Reef

We've almost grown webbed feet over the past few days! We've had four wonderful days on Cozumel and Julian is almost certain, "It can't get much better than this."

The largely undeveloped Caribbean island of Cozumel offers the most famous and supposedly best diving spots in Mexico. We didn't want to miss out on that!

First CouchSurfing experience

From the ferry, the island has been easy to spot for some time. We are seconds away from booking a hostel for the night when Dana receives a message from CouchSurfing on her phone: "Gerardo has accepted your request." 

CouchSurfing is a hospitality network where you can offer travelers a place to sleep as a host or benefit from free accommodation worldwide as a traveler. It's not just about saving money, but primarily about getting to know the local people, making friends, and better understanding the culture.

For our trip, we decided to use the network and were now about to have our first CouchSurfing experience. Instead of spending the night in a hostel, we will be staying with Gerardo.

Gerardo, a 31-year-old Argentinian, has been living on the island for several years. In addition to his own little house, he is a co-owner of a small hostel where he will let us sleep for free because there are beds available due to the low season.

Turtles, Eagle Rays, and More

Over the next few days, we spent almost as much time in and at the sea as on land. On the first day, we did a diving and snorkeling tour, where we visited various dive sites by boat. In addition to numerous exotic fish, a giant moray eel, and king crab, the absolute highlight was probably the large hawksbill turtles climbing on the coral reef. It was the first time we had seen a sea turtle, so we were extremely excited.

The next day we were also lucky: With a rented scooter, we took a round trip around the island with stops at various beaches. We had only been in the water for a few minutes when a large eagle ray seemed to float past us weightlessly. Several fish were swimming in the escort of its expansive "wings." It disappeared as quickly as it had come, but the moment was unforgettable.

Favorite place 

Our host Gerardo had shared some insider tips with us that we explored on our last morning on the island. So we went snorkeling in crystal clear water at a rocky coastal area. We both couldn't remember ever seeing such beautiful seawater before.

In the afternoon, we took the ferry back to the mainland. Goodbye Cozumel - as much as we liked it, we should have stayed a little longer...

Saludos!

D&J