Cozumel Vacation - Side Trip to Coba/Tulum or Not
 

End of March/early April have 7 nights booked at IC in Cozumel. Goal was a beach/Caribbean vacation. Flights from California to Cozumel were easier and the IC gets rave reviews (using points, Amb weekend cert etc.). We have 5 full days, plus 1/2 day on each end travel days. Thinking of taking the ferry, maybe staying in Tulum 1 night, and visiting Coba or Sian Ka'an, Muyil ruins. Too ambitious? Will add that we're "not as young as we used to be" (knee needs to be babied), so won't be climbing to the top of anything. Stay put or worth the travel time?

There's no need to spend the night on the mainland to do any of those, though Sian Ka'an is a bit farther. I dare say you could do Tulúm and Cobá in one day, maybe with a stop for a cenote swim and snorkel.

Don't overlook the archaological zone at Cozumel. People came from many miles away to honor Ixchel or ask for fertility.

Particularly given the "not as young as we used to be", I wouldn't try to do 2 ruins in one day. The ferry ride can be rough and the heat and humidity, exhausting. See if you can get YucaTreks to meet you at the ferry in Playa Del Carmen and take you on the excursion to Coba/cenote. Public transportation would be harder (timing). Maybe one of the two ruins each day, staying in Tulum, and either a cenote or the beach in the afternoon. Lots of walking at Tulum ruins. Hire a bici-taxi at Coba. Sian Ka'an is fun for floating down Maya dug canals and more.

10 Days and Counting
 

Thank you both for your replies and suggestions. Kicking myself for not booking a couple more nights on this trip. Did some reading on Cozumel and it seems like there may be enough to keep us occupied for 6 days, given how we now like to sight see at a more leisurely pace. Will play it by ear, that way we can make sure the weather's good when/if we venture to the mainland. Purchased Bonine for the ferry ride!

When we reach Playa del Carmen, thinking a guide will save us time in getting to the sites. Plus the trip's always more meaningful when there's dialog with a local person. Did that in Costa Rica (as far as a driver taking us to/from a couple of locations) and had a great experience.