Cozumel Jeep tour where you drive your own Jeep, Good or bad idea?

[LaVerne2003]

First question is how safe is this and is it a good idea.  I have 2 kids 8 and 6 and I have read conflicting reviews on doing this type of excursion.  If you don't believe it to be a safe idea, What do you recommend we do in Cozumel?  

Next question if you do see it as a safe option and a good idea to do this excursion where do you trust to do it?  Royal does not have an excursion listed on their website at this point.

Thankyou. 

[Cactus527]

You could do it, but here's my observation: we did a private jeep tour with a guide through Viator when we were in Cozumel. The northern part of the island is undeveloped and you really, REALLY don't want to drive up there. There are many parts of the island that have questionable roads too (think dirt roads, muddy roads, giant potholes, etc.). Mexican drivers also have different customs of doing things on the roads than Americans, which is something that throws me off every time I'm in Mexico (e.g. no left turn on green, unless there is a green arrow). So, personally, I don't like/want to drive in Mexico.

As for the safety part, I was very surprised at how relatively safe Cozumel is compared to Cancun, for example. In Cancun, you have drug cartels having open warfare with each other in the tourist areas. I asked our jeep driver about how Cozumel is able to maintain such a different way of doing things (versus mainland) and he said that there's apparently just not enough resources for the cartels to be growing things there, and then the distribution is costly because it's 12 miles from the mainland, etc., etc. He even said that his parents had moved their whole family from central Mexico to Cozumel when he was a teen because it was safer. I'm sure there are areas of Cozumel that are questionable, but I was honestly surprised how much safer it felt/looked than what I'm used to (Nogales, Ensenada, Rocky Point). 

Hope this helps a bit.

[LaVerne2003]

Cactus527 Thankyou for your comments...  Still trying to decide on this.   These are very good points.

[smokeybandit]

I drove one in Aruba and would do it again. I'm not sure I'd want to do the same in Cozumel.

[ChessE4]

An alternative is to the Mayan ruin at Cozumel, perhaps with a beach visit. San Gervasio. No need to ferry to mainland. When kids are older try the mainland Secret River.