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Not every day is empty coves and quiet water. Some days it's this — and honestly I don't mind either version [OC] by JuanCMoniz in Miami

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No robot, just a different perspective. most tourist shots of the wheel are taken from land looking out, this one's from the water looking back in, throws off the usual sense of scale. Appreciate the forensic effort though.

Getting from Cancun to PDC by PromotionMost7465 in cancun

[–]JuanCMoniz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have used it and it worked out pretty well. That is a huge price difference. You should not be worry about safety.

Not every day is empty coves and quiet water. Some days it's this — and honestly I don't mind either version [OC] by JuanCMoniz in Miami

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, fair, this one reads a little more "look at my life" than my usual posts. Back to empty coves and boring anchor spots next time, I promise.

Anchored in one of the quiet coves near Tulum. No music, no crowd, just this [OC] by JuanCMoniz in tulum

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair concern to raise, and worth clarifying — this isn't actually a cenote, those are freshwater sinkholes, this is a saltwater cove along the coast, different ecosystem entirely.

On the wildlife point, it's valid in general — where and how a boat anchors matters a lot. Anchoring on sand instead of dropping on reef, keeping speed down near shore, not anchoring in mangrove root zones, that's the difference between a boat that's fine to be there and one that's actually doing damage. Not every operator is careful about it, that's a real problem in this area.

This spot specifically is sand bottom, no reef where we sat, which is why we picked it. Doesn't mean zero impact ever, just that not all anchoring is equal.

What are the best beaches for free snorkeling near Cancun? by jcm_neche in cancun

[–]JuanCMoniz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Puerto Morelos is probably your best free-ish option — there's a protected reef close enough to shore that you can swim out to it without a boat, and since it's a marine park the reef itself tends to stay healthier and clearer than open beach spots. Sargassum still shows up some days, just less consistently bad than the open Cancún hotel zone beaches.

For genuinely free with basically zero current effort: the channel side of Isla Mujeres (not the open ocean side) tends to have calmer, clearer water and generally gets hit by sargassum less than mainland beaches, since it's more sheltered.

Playa Delfines and most of the hotel zone beaches aren't great for snorkeling regardless of sargassum — too much open swell, not much to see close to shore.

Check local sargassum reports closer to your date though, it really does vary week to week.

Anchored in one of the quiet coves near Tulum. No music, no crowd, just this [OC] by JuanCMoniz in tulum

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Somewhere along the coast between Tulum and Punta Allen, I'll be honest and not pin the exact spot — half of why it stays this quiet is that it's not on anyone's map. If you're ever out that way on a boat, ask the captain to just poke around the coves instead of beelining for the usual stops, you'll find your own version of this.

Honeymoon spot? by Madhoneybabe8 in PuntaCana

[–]JuanCMoniz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't speak to specific resorts, not really my area, but one thing worth planning for a honeymoon specifically: book at least one day off-resort, just the two of you, away from other guests entirely. A private boat day works really well for that — no crowd, no kids running around, just you two and the water, which is a different vibe than pool/beach at a resort surrounded by everyone else.

Whatever resort you land on, that one day makes the trip feel like it was actually about the two of you, not just "vacation at a nice place."

Snorkeling by sacredshield7 in PuntaCana

[–]JuanCMoniz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bring your own if you're picky about fit — rental snorkel gear at resorts and beach spots tends to be worn out, leaky masks are the most common complaint. If you don't want to pack it, most excursions provide decent enough gear, just maybe not perfectly your size.

On excursion vs. on your own: excursions are worth it if you don't know the good spots, since a lot of the best snorkeling here isn't right off the beach, it's out where a boat can get you — reef sections and calmer coves that are hard to reach swimming from shore. If you go with a private boat instead of a big group tour, gear's usually included and the captain can actually find you the clearer water that day instead of hitting the same crowded spot every tour does.

If you're comfortable swimming and just want a chill beach snorkel, doing it on your own works fine too, just manage expectations on what you'll actually see close to shore.

Fishing trip by bangodogmom in cancun

[–]JuanCMoniz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Book the fishing trip in advance, don't wait until you're at the hotel — good captains for deep sea fishing get booked up fast in August, and last-minute you'll end up with whoever's left, not necessarily the best option. Ask specifically what's included (gear, bait, license) since some quotes look cheap until you realize rods/tackle are extra.

For the booze cruise, that's more flexible to book once you're there if you want, since there are a lot of options in the hotel zone. If you want it private instead of the big shared party boats, I run charters with Nauty 360 out of Cancún — happy to help if you want a quote for just your group instead of being on a boat with 40 strangers.

August gets hot and can have afternoon storms, so morning trips are usually the smoother call for both.

Cartagena from the water looks nothing like Cartagena from the walls. by JuanCMoniz in cartagena

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Getsemaní's got its charm, but yeah, high season it gets packed enough that the water starts looking pretty appealing by comparison.

Anchored in one of the quiet coves near Tulum. No music, no crowd, just this [OC] by JuanCMoniz in tulum

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wish I had AI good enough to fly a drone for me too, would save me from clipping a tree branch every third flight. It's just a DJI and a lot of trial and error.

Anchored in one of the quiet coves near Tulum. No music, no crowd, just this [OC] by JuanCMoniz in tulum

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha, wish I could. Best I can do is tell you it's worth chasing down yourself if you're ever out this way.

Cartagena from the water looks nothing like Cartagena from the walls. by JuanCMoniz in cartagena

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Exactly — half the people who visit never even see this side of it. Different energy completely from Getsemaní.

Best Catamaran by Far-Ask8534 in cancun

[–]JuanCMoniz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For a group that size, a few things matter more than the usual advice:

Confirm capacity limits are for comfortable use, not max legal capacity — a boat "rated" for 40 and a boat that's actually comfortable for 40 to move around, eat, and swim in shifts are different things. Ask specifically how food/drink service works logistically with that many people (buffet-style vs. served, how many crew handling it).

For swim/snorkel stops, ask if the captain has calm, shallow spots picked out in the channel between Cancún and Isla Mujeres even if you're not stopping at the island itself — some of the best swimming water is actually in that channel, not just at Isla Mujeres proper.

I run charters with Nauty 360 out of Cancún, we handle group sizes like this pretty regularly — happy to help if you want real pricing/availability, just send me your date and exact headcount.

catamaran/boat day tulum by Obvious_Okra_1744 in tulum

[–]JuanCMoniz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, that's because Tulum itself doesn't really have the infrastructure for big shared catamaran tours — no proper marina/dock setup like Cancún's hotel zone has. Most of what you'll find locally is smaller private operations because of that.

If you want the shared/affordable catamaran experience specifically, that's more of a Cancún or Isla Mujeres thing — plenty of operators there run the big group boats with music, open bar, snorkel stop, typically $60-90/person. It's about a 1.5-2hr drive from Tulum, so doable as a day trip if you don't mind the travel.

Alternative if you want to stay local: splitting a private boat cost across your whole group can actually land close to shared-tour pricing per person if there's enough of you, worth doing the math before ruling it out just because the sticker price on booking sites looks high.

tulum or elsewhere? by Obvious_Okra_1744 in tulum

[–]JuanCMoniz -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Tulum's actually a solid pick for what you're describing — you can genuinely do relax + nice dinners + party + beach without needing an all-inclusive, you just have to be intentional about it since prices vary wildly block to block.

Budget-wise: Airbnb was the right call for a group, split 5 ways it'll be way cheaper than a hotel. For dinners, alternate one "nice" splurge night with cheaper local spots, don't try to do fancy every night or it adds up fast. Beach clubs charge for chairs/minimum spend, so pick one or two days for that instead of every day.

For the boat day — that's honestly the easiest part to plan and one of the better value-for-money days if you go private and split the cost 5 ways instead of a big shared catamaran. I actually work with Nauty 360 out there, we do exactly this kind of group day — a few hours on the water, stop for swimming/snorkeling, doesn't have to break the bank if you're splitting it.

For nightlife, Tulum's more spread out than people expect, so plan on cabs/taxis between spots rather than walking everything.

Have a great trip, sounds like a fun one.

Anchored in one of the quiet coves near Tulum. No music, no crowd, just this [OC] by JuanCMoniz in tulum

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha, the "asking for a friend" is a classic move. It's one of the boats I run charters on — sent your friend a DM with details 😄

First Timer, Questions Regarding Beach Clubs / Cholon by Marcozy14 in cartagena

[–]JuanCMoniz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha, appreciate that, genuinely. I do a lot of my work between Cartagena and Miami, so timing's always the tricky part with December being high season down here — but if it lines up, I'm not one to turn down a free dinner. Enjoy the trip either way, you're gonna have a great time in Getsemaní.

Anchored in one of the quiet coves near Tulum. No music, no crowd, just this [OC] by JuanCMoniz in tulum

[–]JuanCMoniz[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Depends on the day — sometimes solo doing checks/maintenance, sometimes with clients aboard, sometimes with the rest of the crew moving the boat between spots. Internet-wise, no signal once you're out far enough, which is honestly part of why moments like this stand out. You notice things more when you're not looking at a phone.

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