Cozumel Diving Trip

[nannyb]

Hello

We are traveling to Cozumel between Christmas and New Years then spending a few days in Cancun. I was hoping someone has some recent experience with either of these areas and staying gluten free. I have been gluten-free for 3 years so know the basics (in English) anyway. Have the Triumph dining card in Spanish as well but...

We are staying at the Fiesta Americana Dive Resort and have the all-inclusive so hopefully the kitchen can deal with the diet.

Any suggestions for any other dining spots in either town?

Nanny B.

[Deb C]

Hello

We are traveling to Cozumel between Christmas and New Years then spending a few days in Cancun. I was hoping someone has some recent experience with either of these areas and staying gluten free. I have been gluten-free for 3 years so know the basics (in English) anyway. Have the Triumph dining card in Spanish as well but...

We are staying at the Fiesta Americana Dive Resort and have the all-inclusive so hopefully the kitchen can deal with the diet.

Any suggestions for any other dining spots in either town?

Nanny B.

Hi Nanny B-

We are also planning to be in Cozumel Christmas to New Years & are looking for restaurant ideas. I'm new to this site & couldn't see any replies you might have gotten. Have you received any recommendations?

Thanks!

Deb C

[nannyb]

Deb C.

There are some posts regarding Cancun on another thread but nothing for Cozumel on this or any other forum I have found.

I emailed the executive chef at the hotel where we are staying but have heard nothing back. I don't know if that means he didn't get the email or just didn't respond.

I plan on taking plenty of snacks etc with me but don't know how customs feels about bringing in food. I assume it is best in original packaging.

Also I have heard that many restaurants in Mexico add breadcrumbs to their beans to thicken them. Another area to ask about.

Have a great trip I am really looking forward to some sunshine and away from the cold and snow.

Nanny B

[mtraezme]

Hey Nanny B,

I just noticed that you're a Spokie. I too am from Spokane I don't have experiences in Cozumel or Cancun, but I wanted to let you know that you should be able to bring Lara bars, cereal, nuts, and other dry goods into Mexico. You can't bring fresh fruits or vegetables, but you can bring them on the plane and leave any leftovers on the plane when you get off. I always do that and so don't have to declare any fresh fruits. Remember to pack some snacks for the return trip too because I forgot last time and almost starved!

I don't have any experiences with all inclusive places or American owned restaurants, but I can say that you should be able to get lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Veggies that are peeled or need to be peeled are generally safe, as far as I've experienced. If you haven't tried fresh guava before, now is your chance! The seeds are a little weird at first, but the fruit is so good. I'm going to central Mexico on Thursday and my boyfriend is meeting me at the airport with a bottle of water and fresh guava.

Good luck and have fun!

[Deb C]

Deb C.

There are some posts regarding Cancun on another thread but nothing for Cozumel on this or any other forum I have found.

I emailed the executive chef at the hotel where we are staying but have heard nothing back. I don't know if that means he didn't get the email or just didn't respond.

I plan on taking plenty of snacks etc with me but don't know how customs feels about bringing in food. I assume it is best in original packaging.

Also I have heard that many restaurants in Mexico add breadcrumbs to their beans to thicken them. Another area to ask about.

Have a great trip I am really looking forward to some sunshine and away from the cold and snow.

Nanny B

[Deb C]

Hi Nanny B,

Yes, I heard from flight attendants that food items need to be in original manufacturer sealed packaging. Produce & possibly nuts & meats are prohibited items, I think.

The large grocery store Chedrai in town is the best bet for buying some food brands that look familiar.

We'll be diving with Aqua Safari. Will you be diving with them, by chance? It can be a small world! Last year we dived in CZM with some people my husband knew--totally by accident.

Best wishes for your trip!

Deb C.

[brendygirl]

I realize you have the triumph card, but for people who don't have one, here is a FREE

downloadable card- once you're on the website, just click on the language, and it comes in PDF ready to print.

Open Original Shared Link

[tsryder]

Hi Nanny B,

I hope you're still out there.

I just found this site and will be staying in Cozumel the week of Dec 28, 2008.

Did you have any luck finding gluten free options during your stay? I won't be heading to Cancun, just staying on the island.

Thanks,

Ted R

[nannyb]

Ted R.

I am just occasionally around. We stayed at the Fiesta Americana Dive Resort and having purchased an all inclusive package we ate all but one meal at the resort. It was great because we had the same waiters who knew what I needed and didn't need to explain everything each meal. If you have a car you might want to drive out and try them they take walk-ins as well I believe. I imagine that the other resort hotels would be similar. There is a Margaritaville in Cozumel so you may want to check out their gluten free menu before you leave home and double check it when you get there.

The best thing is that it was really very slow during that time last year. I thought Cozumel would be packed between Christmas and New Years but it wasn't. I imagine this year will be the same with the economy the way it is.

We did eat one meal at the Museum cafe in downtown Cozumel. Sorry I can't remember the name but it is the main museum facing the waterfront. They did a good job as well. It is a history /natural history museum with the cafe upstairs overlooking the water.

Sorry I can't be much help. I never did get any responses for Cozumel specifically. Have a wonderful trip. The diving and snorkeling were awesome. Wish I could go back this year.

Nanny B.

[tsryder]

Nanny B,

Thanks for taking the time to reply. That is useful information, for sure.

We're staying at Sol Melia which is All Inclusive as well, but in the past I have always opted out of that and dined in town. That was before this gluten free business however:(

It is a great suggestion to dine in the same place where you will become familiar with the wait staff and cooks.

If I find any tips worth adding after our trip I'll be sure to post a reply.

In the meantime, thank you again.

Ted

[tsryder]

Returned from Cozumel on 1/4/2009.

Great trip and no problems what so ever with the diet, except a slight tinge on Montezuma's revenge.

I only ate at the resort once and that is the only time I felt exposed to gluten. There may have been something in the lobster soup (which was terrible) or something on the bistec.

Otherwise, we ate at local restaurants for lunch and dinner. No problem with salsa, chips, or any meal. It is easy to tell the difference in corn and flour torillas due to size and texture. Most restaurants also make their own chips by quartering corn tortillas (you can tell by placing the chips together and comparing size to a corn tortilla).

At one restaurant I ordered tacos, but didn't specify corn tortillas. When the meal was delivered, it was obvious that flour tortillas were used and the restaurant quickly replaced these with corn tortillas when I asked.

The biggest thing for me is that the terrible itching I have that is associated with DH completely disappeared after a day on the island!

I am crediting swimming in the salt water. Not wearing socks or gloves probably helped too.

After being back in Michigan for only a few days, the itching has returned (no bumps or blisters, just itching on my shins).

I am going to try bath salts to see if those have the same miraculous result of no itching.

[Mtndog]

Returned from Cozumel on 1/4/2009.

Great trip and no problems what so ever with the diet, except a slight tinge on Montezuma's revenge.

The biggest thing for me is that the terrible itching I have that is associated with DH completely disappeared after a day on the island!

I am crediting swimming in the salt water. Not wearing socks or gloves probably helped too.

After being back in Michigan for only a few days, the itching has returned (no bumps or blisters, just itching on my shins).

I am going to try bath salts to see if those have the same miraculous result of no itching.

That's great! So glad you had a good trip- Cozumel will always have a special place in my heart. Learned to dive there!

It will be interesting to see if it was the salt water or something else (diet, weather). For your sake and the horrid itching, hopefully salt baths will do it. Unless you want to move to Cozumel. Sigh.