Cozumel Bar Hop Tour
If you haven’t visited Cozumel’s east side, I highly recommend it. This side of the island is largely uninhabited and totally different from the port and surrounding areas. The reason for this is the east side beaches are where loggerhead and green turtles lay their eggs from March through November.
Bright lights on the shore can cause a mother turtle to turn away and dump her eggs in the ocean rather than nesting on the beach. For this reason they do not have electricity on the east side of the island. Some countries have problems with poachers who collect turtle eggs to sell. This is why, apart from the guests of Hotel Ventanas al Mar, nobody is allowed on the east side at night.
One of the easiest ways to explore the east side is the Cozumel Bar Hop Tour. For one price this tour provides transportation from Senor Frogs to four east side bars and back to the cruise port. The price includes a T-Shirt and a welcome shot at each bar.
The meeting place for the Cozumel Barhop Tour is Senor Frogs which is across the street from the Punta Langosta Pier. I arrived at the Puerta Maya Pier which requires a short taxi ride to Senor Frogs.
Puerta Maya
The tour leaves at 10:15am. My plan was to leave the ship no later than 9:30. At 9:30 my room safe malfunctioned and I was unable to retrieve the money I had set aside for the excursion. I didn’t have time to wait for someone to fix it so I scrounged together what money I could from various pockets and headed out
Once I was off of the ship, I raced through Puerta Maya.
The cab stand had a long line I didn’t care to wait in so I walked down to the Permex gas station on the corner and caught a cab that had just gassed up. We were rolling at 9:50. It was a $10 ride to Senor Frogs. We arrived right at 10am.
Senor Frogs
They have a couple of barhopping people out front signing everyone in.
After everyone had checked-in we headed to the bus which was parked out back.
Colleen was our tour guide. On the way to the first stop she gave us the history of the tour and the island.
She also passed out T-Shirts.
This is the shirt you get your first time on the tour.
They had a different shirt for returning hoppers or FO-HOs (former hoppers) as they call them.
Punta Morena
Our first stop is Punta Morena. They have swing bar seats, a nice beach, and vendors.
The tour includes a shot at each stop. The shot here was called the Mayan sacrifice. It is made with pineapple juice and a Mayan liquor called Xtabentun.
I do like the swing bar seats here.
If you get food you want to order it immediately so you have time to eat before hopping to the next bar. I wanted to get lobster here but since I had the safe issue, I’m on a limited budget.
One of the vendors had a parrot.
This bar is also a beach club so there are plenty of hammocks and loungers available.
After walking around and taking some pictures I returned to the bar for a beer.
While sitting at the swing bar a vendor wouldn’t leave me alone about getting a massage. She wanted to give me a free one and all that. I just wanted to be left alone.
This couple from my group was also at the swing bar. I told her the guy, we’ll call him boats, was looking for a massage. So she goes and messes with boats and leaves me alone. Boats informs her he does not want a massage and it ends. But that was only the beginning.
We get back to the buses and I’m thinking the bus was bigger when we got off it.
It turns out they had a second barhop tour after ours and that van was for them. Our bus was still there.
Coconuts
The second stop was coconuts. This right next to a hotel that was built in 1970 for a secret meeting between Fidel Castro and the Mexican President.
The hotel was abandoned for 30 years and is now the only hotel on the east side. The only people allowed to stay on the east side at night are the people staying in that hotel.
To get to the Coconut bar you have to make it up some steps.
The steps are pretty small.
The free shot at Coconuts is called the Tequila Slammer. This one has tequila, grenadine, and sprite in it.
They had some wildlife at Coconuts.
Just outside of the bar area you can catch some good views.
Once everyone got settled in at the bar I decided to sneak away to take a peek at the Fidel Castro hotel.
After the recon mission I headed back to the bar.
I was able to get a seat at the end of the bar by the parrot. I’m sticking with Sol.
You have to take the tour to see the pictures in these books. They are filled with things ladies have done or shown in the bar.
There was a couple, not in our group, that was sitting next to me at the bar. They had a bunch of food and drinks. This guy brings their bill over and says it’s 42. She asked “42 pesos?” He says “No, 42 dollars” and walks away.
I hear them talking about how they don’t have 42 dollars and they didn’t realize it was that much money. “We’ll just give him 22 dollars,” the husband says. When the waiter returned they tried to give him 22 dollars. He says “it’s 42” and walks away again. The husband says he wants to get rid of pesos so he has the wife go over and give the guy 700 pesos and they walk out. I think that’s still short. I want to say that’s about $35.
After that couple left I slid down and found myself next to “boats” and wife. Our guide stopped by and gave us a 10 minute warning. Up by the bathroom there’s a massage table and sign that says “massages by Nacho.” I tell boats 10 minutes is enough time to get one of those massages by Nacho. Boats laughs and we head back to the bus.
El Pescador
Colleen mentioned the place that used to be the third stop is now closed. They have a different third stop now, El Pescador.
The welcome shot here was called The Blue Lagoon. I was busy talking and forgot to take a picture but it was blue. The Blue Lagoon had Tequila and Curazao Azul in it.
Here I was able to catch up with a reader who was on a different ship and here with her family.
When I went out to take pictures of the area, “boats” and his wife had just wrapped up an extensive photo session at this Tiki. In passing I made sure I pointed out the massage area to boats.
Rasta’s
The fourth stop was a place called Rasta’s. This one is known as the Bob Marley bar. I unintentionally captured “boats” and wife in this picture.
Our free drink a Rasta’s was called the Iguana. The Iguana has mezcal, rum, melon liquor, coconut cream, and pineapple juice.
They make and sell peanut butter tequila here. I recommend ordering it as soon as you arrive. They sell out fast and I wasn’t able to get one. Boats’ wife offered me some of hers. “If you don’t mind drinking after me,” she said. I do mind. It was nice of her to offer though. They say it’s really good if you like peanut butter. If you don’t want to go all the way to Cozumel to try the peanut butter tequila, you can order it. Here is their card.
I’m still sticking with Sol.
Next to Rasta’s is a very small chapel. Our tour guide, Colleen, gave me a personal tour. She said it can be used for weddings and renewing wedding vows. Apparently the Cozumel Barhop Tour has organized such events if that interests anyone.
I know I parked a bus out here somewhere. Has anyone seen it?
On the ride back most tours have quiet time and the tour guide takes a break. In this case Colleen remained engaged and tried to keep it fun with interactive songs like YMCA.
They dropped us off right in front of Puerta Maya so no cab ride back required.
After the long ride back I needed to use the restroom. I go take care of that and when I walk out guess who is leaned up against the wall with his back to me? Boats! He’s alone and I assume waiting on the wife. I walk up behind him and say “do you know where I can get a massage around here?” He turns around and busts out in laughter.
Seems legit.
I was back at the ship well before our all aboard time.
I enjoyed the tour. If you haven’t done it you should. I’ve been to Cozumel ten times but this was my first time on the east side of the island. I’m sure I’ll go on the tour again in the future. If you want to book it you can do so at www.cozumelbarhop.com.
