Wondering what to do on your cruise stop in Cozumel? You may want to check out Chankanaab Park!
Are you the planner in your vacation group that somehow has to make everyone, with varying interests, happy? That’s me, too! How on earth will I ever find a single place that would thrill our adventure seeking son and his friend, risk-adverse daughter, my husband and his 70-year-old parents? No problem, right?
Cozumel is one of the most established cruise ports in the Caribbean so there are many options to choose from. You can even go and learn how to make guacamole and margaritas! But what would be best for our diverse group of travelers? We decided to give Chankanaab Park a try!
Research Girl at Work.
I worry about everything, it’s just the way I’m made. The way I deal with that is by researching and planning. Through my research, I learned that while at Chankanaab Park you can have a Manatee or Dolphin encounter, go zip lining, swim in a pool, hang out at a few bars, snorkel or lounge at the beach. It seemed like, fingers crossed, I could make everyone happy.
Traveling to Chankanaab Park from the Cruise Port
Chankanaab Park is a very easy cab ride from the port. I believe it was only 10-15 minutes. Our taxi driver asked us if we had reservations which made me worry a bit because we did not…but it all worked out. Interesting to note, at the top of their website, there is a banner that says “We Don’t Do Online Reservations” – But, at the time of this posting, there is a $2 per person coupon on their site!
Arriving at Chankanaab Park
This portion of our day was a little confusing and had my anxiety rearing its ugly head. Upon arriving we were asked again if we had made reservations then reassured that it was absolutely fine that we didn’t. The point of confusion came because we were told that we needed to buy park passes in one area, Zip lining tickets at another and Manatee tickets at yet another. My greatest concern with this process was the fear that we would be in different areas of the park and not able to all be together outside of our specific planned activities. They confirmed that would not be the case (although I was still worried). Once we got the ticket situation taken care of and walked through the entrance we were all good!
TIP: If you purchase the dolphin/manatee experience you can purchase the food/drink option for your entire party for an additional amount(approx. $20 p/p). At the time of our visit, summer 2017, the zip-line and manatee information was available on the Chankanaab Park site, now it appears that information is available at separate sites with pricing. The Dolphin Discovery information is currently available here.
Manatee Encounter
My daughter and I had experienced the dolphin encounter on a previous cruise in the Bahamas. This trip, we were excited to interact with the Manatee (at it was less expensive, approx $55) This time, my mother-in-law joined us. It was hands down one of the most amazing experiences of my life!
As an animal lover, I always struggle with whether these activities are truly ethical. I always observe the treatment of the animals, how they are “contained”, etc. While there is likely no “ideal” situation for animals to be held in captivity, we were assured that both Manatee were rescued years ago and had bonded together. It also appeared to us that the Manatee had bonded with the dolphins! The dolphins who were supposed be having their lunch kept coming over to our group to interact with us and with the Manatee.
Chankanaab Park’s Gentle Giants
It was such a treat. We had 30-45 minutes in the water with the Manatee. We “held” them, fed them and swam with them. They are such gentle giants. We were in love! Also, the trainer thanked us for being so excited about the Manatees. He told us that most people are more interested in the Dolphins. We love them both!
TIP: As with most of these activities in tourist locations cameras are not allowed and the pictures are very expensive. Our group opted to get the full CD which was around $200. Outrageous, I know. But, there were 60+ images of the 3 of us with the Manatee and we were determined to get at least one of each of us which would have been around $60. This was the point where we reminded ourselves that it was a once in a lifetime experience. The photos are available in the large gift shop in the Dolphin area.
Zip-lining at Chankanaab Park
Our high school grads (our son and his friend) enjoyed the zip line adventure (approx. $40). They both reported back that the employees were very friendly and encouraged them to have a great time. Our son, who had zip-lined before in Labadee, Haiti, said that the course was more “entry level” but that he still had a blast and it was perfect for his friend who hadn’t zip-lined before. They both agreed that they would recommend it to anyone who visited Chankanaab and even though it was, in their eyes, entry level…it would have been way too scary for me!
Chankanaab Park – Sea Lion Show
This show was brief but adorable. Was it at the level of Sea World? Not at all. But it was nice to sit, relax and be entertained by the charismatic creature. A separate ticket is not required for this show. It was also a great place for us to regroup after our separate activities.
Beach at Chankanaab Park
There is a nice beach/lounge area at the park with plenty of chairs and shaded areas. However, there is not a beach level entry into the ocean. The ocean access is via stairs. Our son and his friend were Varsity swimmers so they hopped in and swam out to the platforms while the rest of us just relaxed on the beach.
Chankanaab Park – Pool/Bar
The pool, bar and restaurant closest to the Dolphin Experience area is the only facility that honors the all-inclusive food/beverage package. There are several other places to eat, drink and be merry at Chankanaab. This was not made clear to us when we purchased the all you can food/beverage package. However, the pool/bar area was convenient to our activities while we were at the park so it worked out fine for us.
And There’s More…
In addition to our adventures detailed already, our daughter also received a henna tattoo which she was VERY excited about. Her Grandpa took her to get that done and she just loves her Grandpa. We didn’t have time to check out the snorkeling or the super cool foot bath where the little fish nibble on your feet but… we can save those adventures for another day. If you are looking for more adventures from our cruise, check out my review of the Grand Cayman Turtle Centre.
We had a fabulous day together at Chankanaab Park. I took a vote and all 7 in our group would recommend it as a great spot for families that want to be together but not all do the same activity.
I am already looking forward to a quick return to Cozumel! Next time we will be checking out Paradise Beach which also has a ton of great family activities!
Have you been to Cozumel? I’d love to hear what is your personal favorite spot. Please comment below.
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Happy Travels!
Jillian