Re: Cozumel - Calica - Playa del Carmen

On Sat, 21 Jun 2003 14:17:44 -0400, "NTE2301" <dgarris4@cox.net>
wrote:

>Hi everyone!
>
>I have been subscribing to this NG for a few months now and reading all
>posts about Cozumel, Calica and Carmen Del LaPlaya.
>
We did that cruise a few weeks ago. Here's my experience:

We paid for the dive sponsored by Carnival. Took our own gear. The
diving was good, although I have to admit they were less than
inspired, but the reef was in great condition. We did Yucab and
Paridise South. I was hoping to do Santa Rosa on our first dive, but
the current was "too fast" for our DM's taste. sigh. I would
recommend booking an afternoon dive with Dive with Martin or Dive
Paradise. Hopefully they'll be a little more willing to be
"adventrous". One minor warning (not particularly applicable in CZM
since you sail at midnight) is that they'll hold the boat for
"official" tours that are late, but not for others.

In Calica (Spanish for Calichi pit, I think), we went to Xcaret
(pronounced ish-karet). They offer a dive, including full gear
rental, if you need. It was $55 over the price of admission. We
didn't do it, so I can't give any advice on the quality of the dive.
There aren't a whole lot of other options, Calica is a $10 taxi ride
from Playa del Carmen. Don't know what's available there. Be aware
that you only have until 4pm. They will leave you. We watched three
people pull up 5 minutes after 4 (they say be on the ship at 3:30) and
we were about 20 feet from the dock.

So, great diving available in Cozumel, not much to say in Calica. I
recommend Xcaret in general, it's a pretty neat place. Bring your
mask, snorkel and fins. You can snorkel on their beach and you'll
want to float down the underground river. It was 100 the day we were
there, and the water temp in the river was a delightful 70.
--
dillon

The pen may be mightier than the sword,
but a .sig never beat a SIG

Dillon Pyron wrote:

> In Calica (Spanish for Calichi pit, I think), we went to Xcaret
> (pronounced ish-karet)...
> So, great diving available in Cozumel, not much to say in Calica.

I fish from Cozumel every trip there I make, and the preferred fishing
ground is over next to the mainland south of Playa del Carmen. A few
miles south of PdC, there is a cut through the reef and an inlet where
there is some industrial looking equipment and some very large piles of
what appears to be limestone. Occasionally, we see a cruise ship docked
there. Is that Calica?

A little north of it, there is a huge palapa and a spire next to it that
has a round lift of some kind surrounding it. What is that place? It's
been there 5 or 6 years, I believe.

Gordon in Austin