You can skip it and never feel FOMO. I wanted paradise, but what I got was... well, Playa Palancar. Yes, it's technically a beach, but let's not pretend every patch of sand in Cozumel is created equal. The Good: It's easy enough to get to, and you can rent chairs, grab food, and say you've been to one of the island's "popular" beaches. The Not-So-Good: Drinks here are expensive -- and when I say expensive, I mean "why am I paying tourist-bar prices for a soda that tastes like pee?" Expensive wouldn't sting so much if the quality matched, but it doesn't. The sand? Mushy. The beach? Leaves a lot to be desired. The vibe? More "crowded pit stop" than "Caribbean escape." 5.00 sodas should not taste like they were brewed in a bathtub. Playa Palancar can be skipped. Cozumel has better, prettier, and more authentic beaches without the overpriced drinks and mushy sand. If you want the Caribbean dream, keep moving -- this isn't it. Playa Palancar proves not all beaches are created Instagram-ready. read more

Playa Palancar - Beaches Near Me

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$20 entry fee per person. Was told we'd each get chairs and umbrella but there weren't any available. read more

Playa Palancar - Beach - Beaches Near Me

This place is AWESOME!!! It has a beautiful beautiful beach, with crystal clear water. We had some mixed ceviche which was fresh and very tasty and some loaded chicken nachos and let me tell you....we didn't have to eat anything else!! And A very special thanks to my server "Henry" who took care of me and my wife the entire day. He was on point!!! read more

Playa Palancar - My sever Henry and I! - Beaches Near Me

Had to rent a scooter to come down to this place. I'd say this place is quite enjoyable. The water is pretty quiet and the beach front is pretty big and spacious. The water is pretty clean and you could see your feet and the sand. The sand is also clean and there isnt to none debris on the surface. Definitely one of the best beaches to enjoy in Cozumel. Kinda sad that this closes pretty early, like 5pm Also, the place isnt public. Its kinda private. I believe its USD $20 per person that can be exchanged to food. And the scooter parking is "recommended tip" Overall, its definitely worth it : ) read more

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We came here with friends. I will say the beach was beautiful and the service was great. The food and drinks however were just ok. But to be fair, I do not have high expectations for most beach clubs on the island in the food and drink area. It's ok for beers but I found the drinks to be super sweet and the food to be a bit bland. I would go back however because I enjoyed the beach so much. read more

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This is a beach on the west coast of Cozumel just south of the downtown cruise port area. Unlike the secluded beaches on the eastern coast, this one is a lot more crowded due to its location. However, it is convenient for those who don't want to rent a car and is just a short cab ride from the port. It was overall a very nice looking white sand beach and there is a beach club with a bar and restaurant where you can rent umbrellas and lounge chairs to sit on the beach. read more

Playa Palancar - Beaches Near Me

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Right out the gate the hostess was uninviting and unwelcoming. She asked if we were using cash or credit and once we told her that we would be using credit she said the credit card machine down. But As soon as we walked in there was a lady paying w a credit card..... that completely rubbed me the wrong way!! They have tables and chairs which is included in the minimum consumption fee which is $10 and beach chairs w l/umbrellas for 12. The service was average and the food was average. The beach is the best part about this place. read more

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When you get there they tell you must spend $40 in service to stay on the beach . I Do not recommend the snorkeling excursions they said the boat ride out is 15 minutes then we will snorkel for one hour then the boat ride back is 15 minutes when we went out to snorkel it was only 30 minutes not one hour for and only snorkeled for half hour not one hour I do not recommend the snorkeling because they will tell you will be out in the ocean snorkeling for a hour and they only snorkel for a half hour they lied . I did confront them they said our watches are off on the time whatever read more

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One of the best beaches in the Island of Cozumel. Clear of sargassum algae, nice sandy beach with crystal blue water and a great restaurant. Off the port of Cozumel it is about a 20 min ride on a taxi that will cost about $25 each way, you can also find right outside the port a tour guide that will wait for you and if possible take you as well to a few other places in the island if you like and will charge you only a few dollars more. To access this beach you have to go to the restaurant, the food is absolutely delicious, simple, not expensive and good, they also rent umbrellas on the beach for $10. Totally recommend this beach spot! read more

Playa Palancar - Delicious food! - Beaches Near Me

When going to Cozumel Palancar always on the list. It has everything needed scuba diving, secluded beaches, great food and friendly staff. It's located about 15 from cruise ships and recommend Taxi ride. Approx $25 US. Bring exact bills. Often cab drivers don't carry extra cash and difficult to make change. Wasn't thinking this morning so cab driver received $8 tip. When entering the complex doesn't appear to be much. Surrounded by trees and rough dirt road. They do have parking for cars or scooters. Large covered i bar/food area with small shopping if desired. Dive shop is on location and highly recommend diving even if first time. One of my first dives uncertified was here. The staff took great care in helping feel comfortable and helped every step of the way. In fact that's why back today. Cruised via Royal Caribbean taxi right off ship and heading to dive. One thing to add staff extremely friendly and accommodating. Waiters serve drinks/food directly to your chair on the beach!! Best service around!! read more

Playa Palancar - Entrance sign - Beaches Near Me

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Opens at 9. If you want a lay out bed then I recommend going earllyyy if not you'll sit on a table with shade. Which isn't bad either. The drinks were okay. This Beach does have sams which is nice other resorts don't and the water is very blue. read more

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We're here at Playa Palancar on a cruise stop and are very glad we came. I picked this beach based on other Yelper reviews. Thanks folks for suggesting this place. Cab ride from International Cruise terminal was very easy. Posted rate is $25 one way for up to 4 people in cab. Ride was shorter than expected based on some reviews. Once here we rented lounges and an umbrella. $15 for 3 lounges and an umbrella. Seems like the going rate based on other Caribbean stops. Staff very friendly and attentive but not overbearing. Fish tacos and chicken tacos came within about 15 minutes of being ordered. Might not be the best tacos ever but we're on a friggin' beach with a beautiful ocean in front of us with better than decent food and ice cold beer. Yes, there are a few rocks in the water when you get in. (Water socks left in our cruise cabin on the ship might have been a good idea). Yes, with the current it's not quite as clear as the water on other Caribbean beaches. But come on already. To complain that it's not perfect just seems downright wrong. When there are so many problems in the world, being grateful for nice things we're fortunate enough to enjoy seems at the very least the right thing to do. Take the cab ride here and enjoy. And order the fish tacos. read more

Playa Palancar - Right in front of Playa Palancar restaurant - Beaches Near Me

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The food took a long time to come out and when it did it was cold. The staff only came to our table right after they dropped off the food and just sat around talking with other members of the staff until I asked for the bill. Once I did that they were very eager to take care of us and make sure they got to their tip ASAP. I had high hopes as this place had very good reviews. It is just another tourist trap with sub par food. read more

We visited here with the kids on a port day in April. We had no specific plans and ended up renting a Jeep, driving and found this beach. It was exactly what we were looking for! Super chill, not crowded and touristy, reasonably priced and had 2 lounge chairs right on the beach at waters edge for $10. We didn't want the day to end! From driving through the jungle down the long road, to snorkeling, to having the breeze go by, the view and a beer in one hand and ceviche in the other. I can't wait to visit again! read more

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Nice enough beach. Lots of seaweed and debris in the water the day we were here so it smelled a little bad but I'm sure that was just to do with the currents. We were hoping to snorkel but the visibility was terrible. You can rent a reclining beach chair with umbrella and the waitstaff is very nice and efficient. The michelada's and fajitas were really yummy! There are a few peacocks wandering around and a pretty domestic raccoon that bit me but it was my fault for offering it my hand. read more

Playa Palancar - Look but don't touch. I learned the hard way - Beaches Near Me

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Laid back beach with chill vibe. You tip the main entry guy on your way out for watching your car. Not pushy people at all. Keep an eye out for raccoons as there are several. Super cute!! The food is on the touristy price and taste, but better than the locations that are targeting Americans. We got a table and enjoyed a full day here. Snorkeling was good also. We brought our own gear. This place is waaaaay better than Punta Sur. read more

I haven't tried any of the others but this was a really great little public beach on the opposite side of the island from the port. The sand was perfect, the service was attentive without being annoying, water was clear, and cocktails and food were excellent. I highly recommend visiting this little gem. read more

Great beach spot in Cozumel. Food and drinks good. Beach very nice and very clean. Best part are the folks that work here. Most of all the crew that runs the snorkel excursion to El Cielo reefs. Pedro and his crew did a great job and the sights were outstanding. Pedro was great at explaining what we were experiencing. My daughter's apple watch fell off during a snorkel stop. We figured adios to the watch but lo and behold while we were relaxing on the beach with a margy and lunch Pedro found us and he found the watch on a later excursion. What an effort! Cannot recommend these guys enough. Until next year. read more

I'm really not that hard to please. I want some sand, some sunshine and some large body of water to float in and I am an extremely happy camper. As such, this beach made me plenty happy. No icky water when I was here, by the way. Just beautiful shades of turquoise, a couple of little boats anchored close to shore and some dive groups and snorkelers enjoying the underwater world. With exception of some prickly plant ball things that I kept stepping on, this beach was pretty perfect. No jellies, no urchins, just some pure water and white sand. No entrance fees either and parking is free (if you don't count the tip which is expected). There are some places to eat/drink, and you can rent snorkel gear and/or go on a dive boat departing from this beach. There's showers, bathrooms and changing facilities along with some touristy stores and some random, but cute, peacocks. read more

Playa Palancar - Beaches Near Me

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Best place to swim! No big waves and clear water to see many fish . I wish we would have drove straight here to enjoy the beauty this place holds. We only had a short time here but we made the most of it! read more

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We visited this beach during a private island tour. This is one of the few beaches that you can get into without having to pay an admission fee. The waters here are a beautiful blue color. This beach isn't very large, and it doesn't need to be. There is a restaurant with a full bar and also places to get some souvenirs and trinkets. Once you get to the beach area, it wasn't very busy. I think it's one of those places that would be considered a "hidden gem". Of the people out there in the water, some of them were snorkeling and such. There are places there to rent such equipment. I didn't stay here too long, as I wanted to be able to visit other places on the island as well, but the water was a nice, blue color and warm. There are chairs and loungers available as well. It was a nice spot to relax for a little bit. Overall, if you're in Cozumel and looking for a nice beach, this is definitely a place to go. If I come back to Cozumel and have more time on the island, I would make this another stop on my itinerary. read more

Two part review coming here, but don't get scared. I thought Playa Palancar was awesome overall. Part 1, FOOD. Got their ceviche and it was absolutely amazing. Very very fresh loaded with flavor. Prices are high, but maybe this is just normal for Cozumel. Mildly disappointed that they did not have any fresh squeezed juices, but the canned juice was not bad. Part 2, BEACH. Although I did not actually swim at Playa Palancar, the beach seemed pretty nice. People were doing snorkeling. Now, it's a bit too many people for my taste on this beach and the stretch of sand is fairly small. One thing I did not like is they rent out the jet ski's right next to the beach area where people swim and we almost witnessed a jet ski hit a person who was swimming in the water. There is a small rope barrier, but still very close proximity of the swimming and the ski areas. There you go, my first two part review! read more

What an absolutely beautiful beach! I recently took a cruise that stopped in Cozumel, and wanted to find a beach that wasn't overrun with other cruisers (sorry, guys). I did a bit of research online ahead of time, and found out about Playa Palancar. It was maybe about a 20 minute or so drive from the cruise terminal. We rented a car from one of the companies just outside the duty free/shopping area, but I'm sure you could take a cab as well...I'm just not sure how easy it would be to get a cab back. Despite the fact that we came in on a boat with about 3,000 of our new best friends, this beach was quiet and peaceful. It's not a huge area, but there were MAYBE another 15-20 people there, if that. Lots of beach chairs available, and tons of tables by the bar as well. Unlike some of the other beaches in the area, they don't charge an admission fee. The bar only takes cash (note: this is the case for just about every bar and restaurant we stopped at on our drive around the island), and a Dos Equis was $3.50. They also rent snorkel gear and towels. read more

Playa Palancar - Beaches Near Me

MUST GO HERE!!!! PLAYA PALANCAR!!!!!!!!!!!! Rent a scooter from Roosters Rentals. Drive down to PLAYA PALANCAR, you will not regret it!!! Rent an umbrella from the waiter (usually about $10/$15 and two lounge chairs). White sand beach, turquois waters, clear, calm, no waves, so BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Wife and I stayed there for about 4 hours, we ordered fajitas (which we shared), had two beers and it was the most relaxing part of our trip!!! Afterwards we got back on our little scooter and continued to drive on the east side of the island, where the waves are bigger, but OMG!!!!!!! So, so gorgeous!! read more

Service is really good and the beach is beautiful. Margarita was really bad, besides that everything was good!

I don't know where the other reviews come from but I had a terrible experience here. I took a taxi to go to Paradise Beach and was told by the driver that there was a much better beach that is free to enter. He said that Paradise beach costs $12 to enter. It really costs $3.00 per person. The water at the beach ( at least on March 12, 2016 ) was brown colored, actually pretty ugly. Sort of like Orchard Beach in The Bronx. The taxi cost me $50.00 usd to go about 25k round trip. I hate getting ripped off but I guess I have a hard time learning or perhaps, more of a hard time getting other people to accept what I'm saying. I could have paid $20.00 usd round trip to Paradise Beach and $3.00 to enter the beach. Instead I paid $50.00 to go to a crappy beach and sit here pissed off. Watch for cruise ship passenger rip offs in Cozumel. Know the real deal before you go. read more

Playa Palancar - Beaches Near Me

I give it a 2 my husband a 3.5. The server was kind of rude. I ordered a fruit plate, which in Mexico should be pretty tasty right? Well some of the fruits were not ripe and too sour: Husband ordered the veggie fajitas which he liked. The view is pretty. Accept US dollars too. read more

What a nice beach and restaurant. We recently explored this gem in Cozumel while cruising. It's about a 10 - 15 minute drive from downtown. The restaurant had great drinks for a reasonable price, but the best part was the beach. We walk about a quarter mile away and found a peaceful, exclusive hangout without interruptions. The water was clear and best of all, not that deep. Great spot. The butterfly shrimp tasted great. Say hello to Michael, the little raccoon type creature by the gift shop. read more

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My husband and I rented a car for the day to beach hop, see different parts of the island, and eventually make it to Punta Sur. (On a side note: I highly recommend renting a car/scooter for the day to get away from the all inclusive resorts, cruise ships, and downtown bars. It ended up being a highlight of our trip.) Now back to Playa Palancar, as we were driving around Cozumel we decide to make a quick one hour stop at a beach and then leave to get lunch at a place we found that had good ratings. (We didn't use our cell phones unless we had free WiFi so we planned our meals before we left our hotel.) We turned at the sign and began driving on a gravel road through a palm tree jungle. The beach is about a quarter mile off the main road. Once we parked in the parking lot we were greeted and offered a picture with sombreros (no thanks...) and we made our way to the beach after walking on a short trail through the jungle past the restaurant, flush toilets, and massage area. The beach was calm, had very little seaweed and seemed to be a great snorkel spot (people were just snorkeling right off the beach. There were beach chairs and loungers to use at no additional charge and they provided beach service. We ordered a round of Dos Equis (they were a reasonable price but not cheap) and began to enjoy the jungle in the background, the calm warm sea, and the sun... One hour goes by... "Well maybe we should just stay a little longer than we planned..." 30 more minutes drift by... "Are you hungry??" "Yes, but we didn't check the reviews!! What if the food is bad or makes us sick?!" Based on the amount of people ordering food around us we decided to take our chances and order food to our lounge chairs on the beach. Both the nachos and quesadillas with pico de gallo and guacamole were delicious. We would definitely return to spend more time at this quiet beach and eat here again. In fact, if it wasn't over 2,000 miles away I would return to Playa Palancar for lunch and the beach today. read more

Playa Palancar - Nachos + quesadillas = Yum! - Beaches Near Me

Nice enough beach, nothing special. A LOT of seaweed, slightly rocky at first but waves aren't big. We went on the two-hour snorkeling tour and paid just over $100 for three people, which is way cheaper than any other tour we looked at, but you get what you paid for. It's a pretty crowded tour, but overall okay. The places we visited were beautiful but BRING YOUR OWN MASKS. Guides are fine. They have bathrooms and showers and changing rooms and lockers. There are peacocks and raccoons. read more

Stayed in PDC but took a day trip to Cozumel. This is by far the best beach in the area. Free of seaweed and really clean! Not very much coral but lots of fish and very clear water. Felt very safe and had amazing views. Umbrella rental is $10 but not necessary. Drinks are delicious and strong. We'll definitely be back! read more

Went to this place last saturday the beer was cheap and the shrimp tacos were to die for

This beach seemed just okay, we arrived at 4:15, the beach restaurant/bar closes at 5, and it was too late to rent a chair or get any food. The beach was pleasant but a little rocky and honestly just not mind blowing. Maybe this is normal for beaches on Cozumel? I'll admit that I am a bit of a beach snob, having visited some truly incredible beaches in Costa Rica, Cuba and the Virgin Islands. If you're on Cozumel and this is just what the beaches are like, then this is probably a totally decent place, there was ample seating and lots of space to enjoy either the restaurant or the beach. read more

We were only visiting Cozumel for the day and traveled from el dorado royale near Puerto Morelos. We rented a jeep and cruised the island. The city driving was stressful but once you leave there didn't seem to be any traffic around the rest of island. After we made a few stops for pictures and some quick snorkeling; we made it to this dirt road and decided to head down to playa planacar. After being greeted immediately we sat down to enjoy some beer and a few awesome fish tacos! (Definitely recommend trying them) During lunch this gorgeous peacock came up to us from outside the open portion of the restaurant! Awesome pictures, great food, but due to the weather and the odd 65 degree day we couldn't snorkels this location :( But the beach views and sand were amazing! Seating was more than adequate, with a number palapas and lots of beach chairs. I can't wait to come back when the weather is nicer and fully enjoy this partially hidden gem on Cozumel. read more

Fun, peaceful beach with prices reasonable, but just high enough to keep it from getting overrun with families/children. The water is gorgeous, and there is some good off shore snorkeling. Keep your eyes peeled. There's lots of land-based wildlife to observe too. We even saw a large croc. read more

We absolutely are in love with this place. I've been to beaches on the Atlantic, the Pacific, and about 8 countries in the Caribbean. This is definitely one of my absolutely favorite places. We rented a Jeep from and drove all along the coast of Cozumel. (Which is a nice pretty ride btw- we stopped and played in tide pools and little blow holes). Based off reviews here on Yelp we decided to try Palancar. I'm SO glad we did. We went July of '17, before school started back, and Cozumel was packed. At Palancar there were maybe 4 other cars? You drive down a long crappy road, and end up in paradise, basically. There were 10-15 of us total on the beach, the whole time. Servers were amazing. We didn't eat, but the beer came quickly, were cold and cheap, and the guitar guy was amazing. You do have to order to use a table, just to note. The water is absolutely stunningly beautiful and the feels amazing. There is a floating dock about 30 yards out and makes for great diving. The water stays pretty shallow for a perfect distance and I have no complaints at all. I love to swim, my fiancé doesn't, and we all loved it. Watch where you put your feet. It's shallow and you can see. My daughter took off running and instead of taking off after her, we were like "what?" A second later, my fiancé steps on a skate and freaks out. Same as she had just done. It was the greatest thing ever (probably because it didn't happen to me) and it's the best story now. It's a sea. There are animals. This in no way detracted from our trip. I would and recommend this place to anyone wanting to get away from the crowds to a private little jewel for next to nothing. Also to note, when you're in the water, shuffle your feet. Don't pick up and step. I tried to warn them! If you shuffle, like an old lady in her slippers, you warm the marine life that you're there, and they move out of your way. read more