I thought I knew all the great beach spots to visit in Cozumel until I kept seeing people recommend a beach club I'd never heard of before.
Cozumel is known for a great beach day, and I've sampled plenty of them.
On a recent visit to this island in Mexico, I wanted to try something different and I was enticed by the overwhelming recommendations to try Buccanos.
I joined a Facebook group that's dedicated to all things Cozumel, and I was surprised by how many people consistently recommend Buccanos over places I had heard of (and been to) many times before.
Part of the reason I didn't know about Buccanos is that it's located on the north end of the island, closer to the hotels. Most cruise ship visitors opt to go to the beaches on the southern side of the island.
But it seemed all the recommendations were coming from people that live in Cozumel, and that caught my attention.
Getting there takes a few minutes longer
If you're visiting Cozumel on a cruise ship, a taxi will get you to any beach club.
Except for Del Mar Latino Beach Club or El Cid, you're probably taking a taxi to find a beach spot.
To get to the north side of town, the taxi will go through downtown and past the airport. There's not usually much traffic, so it took us about 15 minutes each way. The cost of the taxi for 3 of us was $20 each way.
Buccanos is pay as you go instead of all-inclusive
The first thing I noticed was unlike so many of the popular beach clubs in Couzmel, it wasn't all-inclusive.
All-inclusive pricing is great if you're a big eater and drinker, but sometimes I'm not in that mood. Plus, I feel my kids never eat or drink enough to break even on their cost.
The entry cost is 400 mx per person, which is about $20. That cost goes towards any food or drink you order while there.
There's a pool and beach, with seating around both. Most of the seating is centered near the beach, but the distance between the beach and pool is perhaps 20 steps.
Seating is on a first-come basis. I arrived right at opening, so I could have any spot. Because we were there in January when it wasn't very hot, the club never got too busy and there were seats available.
The vibe is very much chill and enjoy being on the beach
Very quickly it became apparent that this place was all about relaxing.
Every beach club in Cozumel that I've been to has a different style to it, and Buccanos is more mellow than others. There are no inflatables to climb in the ocean, there's no DJ or party music, and it's not a massive operation either.
Kids are allowed here, and the few that visited on the same day I did were in the pool because the surf was a little rough.
There's waiters who come by your chair periodically to see if you need anything, but it's very much about relaxing and enjoying being in or around the water.
The food quality was amazing
If there's one thing I was really impressed by at Buccanos, it was the presentation of the food offered.
Everything is priced a la carte, so you only pay for what you order. I started off with guacamole, and because I was feeling peckish, I also ordered the avocado toast.
Most beach clubs have decent food, but it's not going to be sit down restaurant quality. This was served as if I was at a resort restaurant.
Both plates were huge and well beyond what I expected in terms of quality.
We also ordered a bucket of beers to share, along with a bloody mary to have in the morning.
The prices aren't super cheap, but at least the food quality matches what you pay. I've been to resort day passes in other countries where you definitely overpay for what you get.
At lunch, we opted to eat at the nearby restaurant instead of at the beach. This was because the bird situation was too annoying for my taste. If you turn your back for a second, a bird will swoop in to get your food.
Since we were in Mexico, we ordered fish tacos and shrimp/beef burritos.
Once again, great quality of food. Our lunch order took a while to come out, but I suspect it was because everyone else was trying to eat lunch at the same time too and the food isn't mass produced.
In total, we paid $132 before tip for 3 people to enjoy a bucket of beers, one cocktail, guacamole, avocado toast, tacos, 2 burritos, and a soda.
Buccanos is a good spot for a beach day without much else
I enjoyed our visit to Buccanos, and quickly saw what all those locals liked about it.
To be fair, I think the locals prefer Buccanos because they can drop in for a bite to eat, beer, and sit by the water. Perhaps they aren't investing all day like one might at another beach club.
Without a doubt, the food quality was better at Buccanos than any other beach club I've been to in Cozumel.
The fact it's priced a la carte means you could stop in for half a day, allowing some time downtown to shop and then head to the beach to cool off.
If you're looking for a party vibe, adults-only experience, or lots for kids to do, this isn't the spot for you. This is where you want to go to have beer, admire the view of the ocean, and top it off with a great lunch.
