Playa Azul Cozumel Beach Club
Last Saturday we rounded up our family of nine and headed out to Playa Azur for a few hours of fun. Yes, I said family of nine! The family is made up of husband Charles and I, our adopted sister Sharon, my adopted son Bartolo, his wife Gelmy, grandchildren Julian (11) and Gigi (2) along with Gelmy’s sister Athena and her husband Jimmy. Our unique family dynamics makes us the perfect group to review a location for accessibility, entertainment and value. After feeding our group, there is not much left for an entertainment budget!
Playa Azul Hotel and Beach Club is not far past Buccanos. The hotel is a golf and beach resort, the rates include complimentary golf at Cozumel’s famous golf course. The hotel is absolutely beautiful and has everything right on site to make it a vacation haven for the entire family. There is a dock so guests can be picked up by boats to fish, snorkel or scuba. There is a full service Spa as well as a dive shop where you can rent snorkel equipment or learn how to scuba dive. It is a tropical haven of lush green foliage in the front and beautiful blue sea, sky, and sand in the back. At a glance you can see it was designed with the family in mind, an ideal atmosphere for swimming (pool or sea), snorkeling to enjoy the tropical fish, playing, eating, dancing, and having fun at the beach! There is easy access to the tranquil sea and plenty of sun chairs and sunshade for everyone’s comfort. There is even a sand volleyball court.
To the right of the hotel is the beach club with its own entrance. I was not certain about the accessibility so we brought along both my husband’s wheelchair and walker. Neither the walker nor the wheel chair worked on the main path to the beach, as the stone path is uneven and not accessible. There is a service path on the far right hand side that is a perfect alternative to access the beach club.
Once settled, we had the time of our life! There is no cover charge to get into the beach club. They only require that you purchase food or beverage. We sat in the pavilion since Charles cannot maneuver in the sand and we wanted shade. However, there was a wooden deck extending from this area, had we wanted the sun. There were plenty of sun chairs and chairs with umbrellas to go around. The beach was sandy and beautiful. THE SAND IS RETURNING! The sea is graciously returning the sand it stole during hurricane Wilma and slowly covering up the rocks once again.
It was a beautiful afternoon; the weather was perfect as was the company. The guests consisted of a few local families and some hotel guests. The staff was very personable and attentive and the food was very reasonable. Between us, Charles and I had four rum and cokes, the rest of the family had numerous soft drinks each. In addition, the nine of us shared chips and salsa, two orders of guacamole and two orders of mixed ceviche. Our bill was $72 U.S. without the tip.
I inquired about the Sunday Salsa that Playa Azul used to be famous for. Sadly, they had to stop the Sunday Salsas. Plenty of people showed up to dance for four hours, but there was not enough sale of food and beverage to even pay for the live music. What a Shame! Sundays are now Rock Sundays with a live band called Nightmare that plays from 2:30 p.m.to 5 p.m. I plan on returning with just the adults in the near future to enjoy a Sunday afternoon.
It is difficult for local families on limited income to have access to affordable beaches close to home. The Playa Azul family welcomes local residents with open arms. Playa Azul Beach Club is close, is affordable and it is beautiful! I encourage everyone to stop by and support this beach club so it can remain accessible to the community.
Playa Azul Cozumel Beach Club is Open every day. Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
