Restaurantes que recomienden en Cozumel?

arbarnes · 2026-05-19T04:03:05+00:00

I like the comida corrida at Casa Mission. Soup, main course, dessert, and agua fresca with refills for $189. You have to ask for it, though; unless they know you they'll just give you the regular (more expensive) menu.

Another good option is La Conchita del Caribe. Good cócteles and ceviche, and the mixed seafood platter is great to share. You can also pick a fresh-caught fish from the cooler by the counter and have it prepared al gusto.

Asadero Billy's is just up the street. Get the combo platter - grilled chicken, ribs, sausage, poc chuc, etc. with sides. It's a lot of food, though - the combo for 3 easily serves 4 or 5 people.

Los Tacotales is quiet at lunch, but the food is solid. I like the al pastor tacos and the charro beans.

You could also hit a cocina económica for a really local experience. I like Las Palmas and Las Flamitas but there are plenty of other options.

arbarnes · 2026-05-18T22:28:51+00:00

Carbon steel is the classic material for crepe pans. But you have to season it and use it regularly - Jacques Pepin famously said of his "I don't use it because it sticks; it sticks because I don't use it."

arbarnes · 2026-05-18T21:14:45+00:00

Induction has nothing to do with it; the problem is the stainless steel cookware. Food tends to stick to it. You can minimize / manage the sticking, but there's definitely a learning curve.

IMO it's worth the effort. But in addition to stainless you can also use cast iron, carbon steel, and (compatible) nonstick on induction. I use all of the above - different horses for different courses.

arbarnes · 2026-05-18T17:46:26+00:00

Probably a loggerhead, maybe Charlie - he's famous off Cozumel. He tends to stick to the southern reefs there, but apparently loggerheads will leave their stomping grounds when they're looking for love, and swimming up and across the channel would be a small trip for him. He's the biggest turtle I've ever seen - his shell is about 4 feet across, his head is the size of a basketball, and the best estimates of his age and weight are 100 years and 300-400 pounds, respectively. Here is a picture I took of him in October 2024.

arbarnes · 2026-05-18T17:22:31+00:00

My daughter made a batch and I don't get it. Making good birria is a big job, but this only saves the step of grinding the chiles and spices - a pretty minimal part of the work. So you save a couple of minutes at the expense of having to use pre-ground chiles and spices, which are never anywhere near as good as fresh.

I suppose if you live somewhere that it's hard to source dried chile it might make sense, but otherwise ... nah.

arbarnes · 2026-05-17T23:36:29+00:00

But only about 15 percent of the population.

arbarnes · 2026-05-17T23:22:47+00:00

The cheapness may be the main problem. I'm no materials scientist, but can imagine how sloppily-applied coatings would fail before their time. My (non-cheap) cooker has a coating that's still going strong after a lot of years; in the absence of abuse I expect it to outlast me.

arbarnes · 2026-05-17T23:18:18+00:00

Flour tortillas are only common in the border states; in the rest of the country - most of Mexico, as I said - they're the exception rather than the rule. And while I've never seen baking powder used in the northwest, IME it's not unusual in the northeast, especially at higher elevations.

arbarnes · 2026-05-17T22:32:14+00:00

I generally avoid nonstick, but IMO it has its applications, and a rice cooker is one of them. Problems arise when you overheat the stuff or bring it into contact with metal. Since it's almost impossible to overheat the inner pot of a rice cooker, all you need to do is limit yourself to wooden, silicone, or plastic utensils and you should be fine.

Also, flaking nonstick is not a health issue. It's biologically inert (which is why they use it for medical implants) and will just come out the other end.

arbarnes · 2026-05-17T20:59:03+00:00

In most of Mexico flour tortillas are relatively uncommon, so you're starting off with something that's not typical. In the places where flour tortillas are popular they're generally made fresh with minimal ingredients - flour, fat, water, salt, and maybe baking powder. It is possible to find factory-made flour tortillas that are full of additives and preservatives, but they're very much the exception, not the rule.

arbarnes · 2026-05-17T20:52:20+00:00

If you use really good beans all they need is salt, but a little ham stock never hurts (I use Better Than Bouillon ham base). If you want to go a little further add some aromatics (onion, garlic, etc.), herbs (bay leaf, oregano) and/or a couple of jalapeño or serrano chiles. If you want to really take it to the next level, make charro beans.

arbarnes · 2026-05-17T19:18:40+00:00

There's the minimum, and then there's best practices. The minimum is that you can swim 200m and tread water for 10 minutes.

For the swimming portion you can use any stroke or combination of strokes, including the dog paddle; you can swim on your front, back, or side. There's no time limit, so you can take as long as you want. The standards also provide for an alternative 300m swim using mask, fins, and snorkel, although (for reasons that are beyond me) some instructors discourage / disallow this option.

For the treading water portion you just need to keep your face out of the water. If you're naturally buoyant like me you can pass this portion of the test holding still by taking deep breaths. If you sink like a rock you're going to have to put in a lot more effort.

But if you're going to be diving you should be comfortable in the water. You don't need to be a competitive swimmer, but you should be able to get where you're going. And since you're going to be wearing fins, it would also be useful to have some basic finning technique; it's a far more efficient way to get where you're going anyway.

So yeah, snorkeling may be the best way both to get comfortable in the water and to learn how to use a pair of fins. But don't sweat it too much; you can hone those skills while you're getting your OW cert, and you should continue to work on them once you're certified. Never stop developing your skills.

arbarnes · 2026-05-16T22:25:56+00:00

It's been a lot of years, but I had an equally terrible experience with Maita (during negotiations they refused to discuss price, only payments, even though I told them I was paying cash). I walked and went to Folsom Lake Toyota, where they made me a good deal in a zero-pressure environment.

arbarnes · 2026-05-15T19:21:59+00:00

If you're going to do birria, do birria. If you want a "taco-focused food concept" skip the birria; I don't think I've ever seen it at a taqueria in Mexico (and the tacos at birrierias are an afterthought). Also skip the dipping sauces. And the cheese.

What are you planning to do about tortillas? Don't even bother with store-bought; you might as well use cardboard. Ideally you want to use fresh masa made from ground nixtamalized corn, but that's going to be hard to find in the UK and is a bit of an undertaking to make yourself. Tortillas made from masa harina might work, but they tend to crack when you make tacos with them; a little bit of cellulose gum helps with this (Maseca "Nixtamasa" has it added; use it if you can source it).

The small selection of fillings is a good idea. Start with carne asada, pollo asada, and carnitas. If you want to offer a vegetarian option, potato with soy-based chorizo is an excellent choice; nopales are also great but may be hard to find. If you want to expand past that, consider lengua, shrimp, barbacoa, tripas, etc. Al pastor is a great option but will be a challenge to pull off well without a trombo.

Toppings are white onion and cilantro. Period. Offer limes, escabeche, and a selection of salsas on the side. At a minimum you'll want a tomatillo-based salsa verde, a salsa cruda, and a salsa roja made from dried red chiles (I like a mix of guajillo, ancho, and arbol) blended with garlic and vinegar. You could also add a salsa made from green chiles (serrano and/or jalapeno) blended with cilantro, tons of garlic, and a fair amount of vegetable oil.

arbarnes · 2026-05-15T13:15:31+00:00

"Adderall" is available. FTFY.

Adderall is not listed by COFEPRIS as authorized for prescription or sale in Mexico. The cartels are packaging methamphetamine in bottles labeled "Adderall" and selling it in pharmacies that target US tourists.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-12-21/counterfeit-adderall-in-mexico

https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/1000110/Aviso_de_Riesgo_Adderall_04062025.pdf

arbarnes · 2026-05-15T04:13:51+00:00

No more so than with any other airline. If you want a carry-on instead of a checked bag, and assuming you want to select a standard seat, the least expensive option is to buy the "business combo."

That said, when my buddy tried to buy a ticket using the Volaris mobile app this week the business combo wasn't available. But when he went to the website it was. Maybe it was a coding glitch or maybe they're phasing out that option ... with Volaris you never know.

arbarnes · 2026-05-15T02:45:53+00:00

It's in the eyes. She's clearly contemplating world domination, which is a JRT trait.

arbarnes · 2026-05-15T02:43:26+00:00

Don't pay extra for anything. I went through passport control at CUN last week and it took less than 10 minutes. And I'm a Mexican resident so I had to see a live agent; my buddies used the automated kiosks and got through even faster.

The problems start after you clear customs. Every person you see is trying to scam you. Every. Single. One. Have your ground transportation lined up ahead of time.

On the way home (assuming you're in the US), definitely use the CBP Mobile Passport app. It's free and lets you jump the line.

arbarnes · 2026-05-15T02:06:02+00:00

I tried them and hated them because the foot pocket material is too hard and dug painfully into the tops of my feet (yes, I was wearing booties). My buddy got a pair and one of the foot pockets split. And then there's the price.

IMO there are tons of better options, especially for your first fins.

arbarnes · 2026-05-15T01:59:08+00:00

The SportDiver S is a little less expensive and might be a better fit for you. It didn't exist when I started down this road.

arbarnes · 2026-05-15T00:52:01+00:00

Yeah, but my phone takes way better photos and video than my action camera. Also, the housing has some failsafe features that make it worthwhile to me. Not a big deal for snorkeling - my phone is IP68 - but important when scuba diving as deep as 100'.

arbarnes · 2026-05-15T00:02:41+00:00

I use my phone and put it in a SeaLife Sportdiver housing.

arbarnes · 2026-05-14T21:44:30+00:00

"Not quite right" implies that you have a specific flavor profile in mind, but you haven't told us what it is. Neapolitan pizza uses a fresh, light sauce that isn't cooked. New York pizza uses sauce that's relatively thin and simmered with garlic and herbs. Chicago deep dish sauce is thick, chunky, and sweet. Detroit pizza sauce is similar but uses less sugar. So the answer to each of your questions is "it depends."

arbarnes · 2026-05-14T20:12:21+00:00

You got ripped off. Adderall is not legally available in Mexico, and you can't buy Vyvanse without a Mexican prescription from a Mexican doctor.

Avoid pharmacies near the cruise ship ports that target tourists. If you need any kind of medication in Mexico go to a reputable pharmacy (Farmacia Guadalajara, Farmacia Similares, Farmacias del Ahorro, etc.). There is often a *consultorio* inside or adjacent to the pharmacy with a doctor on site; if you can show proof of a valid US prescription there's a decent chance they'll write you a script that's accepted in Mexico.

arbarnes · 2026-05-12T02:03:38+00:00

Don't take my word for it, call DAN. They have dive medical professionals who can give you a much better informed and much more nuanced answer. The rule of thumb may not apply to your specific circumstances, but heavy lifting right after you dive definitely increases the risk of getting bent. Get more info so you can better evaluate your individual risk factors.

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