Punta Sur Eco Park
Jose was the tour guide and his voice would beckon from the jeep for the next four and a half hours. The tour takes visitors to the Punta Sur Eco Park in Cozumel. Punta Sur is the largest ecological sanctuary in Mexico and consists of over 240 acres of beach, ocean and desert. It is also home to birds, mangroves, lagoons, alligators and turtles.
Participants in the tour are promised a "Mexican Massage" and soon learn that it's not your typical massage!
There are no air conditioned buses and no spas. Guests divvy themselves up into groups of fours and are given their own jeep to drive. The tour leaves from San Miguel very near where the cruise ships dock. Tour participants are given the keys to the jeeps after signing an insurance waiver and are instructed to listen to the Guide leader over the loudspeaker in their jeep for instructions and alerts for the road ahead.
The tour leads the jeeps through some dry creekbeds and rough terrain but it's all part of the four wheeling fun. This part is the "Mexican Massage". Driving over small boulders and thru gulleys and dips it is reminiscent of a massage of sorts!
Jeeps are left at the entrance to the sanctuary. The Mexican government prefers that traffic be kept to a minimum and the park provides double decker trucks that will take you throughout the park.
Mayan Ruins, Celarain Lighthouse and Snorkeling
First stop in the Punta Sur Sanctuary is the Columbia Lagoon. Observe Big Daddy, a 21 ft saltwater alligator lives who lives here as well as a wide variety of local and migratory birds.
There are also stops at a small Mayan Ruin, called Tumba del Caracol and the Celarain Lighthouse, where to climb the 120 steps to the top, you must sign a waiver. There is a small musuem and restaurant at the Lighthouse.
Finally, it's on to snorkeling. All snorkel gear is provided and it's follow the leader again. Participants will swim out approximately 2 blocks to the reef and then swim another 4 blocks up the coast, then back to the beach. The reef is the largest outside of Australia and contains an amazing variety of fish and snapping turtles. Sometimes the current is strong so it is best that snorkelers are experienced swimmers. For those that do not wish to snorkel, there is plenty of white sand and beach chairs to just sit back and relax.
No, this excursion definitely isn't your typical massage but it's an unforgettable experience!
For more information contact:
http://www.cozumel-watersports.com/Tours/CozumelJeepSnorkelTour.htm
http://www.can****oursonline.com/cozumel_tours.html
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