The Explorean Cozumel All Inclusive

The Explorean is a very small property that sits in the jungle behind the Fiesta Americana (Jungle life is humid and damp, but that is part of life in paradise). It has its own restaurant that is lovely with a very nice changing menu and a wonderful staff. Really enjoyed breakfast with almost individual attention. We were told by more than one staff member, "This is your vacation, just relax." The pool and hot pool/tub are very nice and uncrowded. You have access to all the Fiesta Americana restaurants and bars and I would say they were ok but remember the price point. The excursions were a great added value. At any other resort, you would pay about $200 a person and we were able to take advantage of a few (swimming in a cenote and over a coral reef). You will walk or bike to some of the attractions, but the staff is again wonderful and very attentive. Our guide had a great knowledge and was willing to explain in Spanish and English with towels and beverages always offered. Nice because you are just far enough away from all the cruise ships, but close enough that you could walk/taxi into Cozumel. For those who like to bike, Cozumel is very bikeable with bike lanes/private roads around the entire southern end of the island. We would recommend Cozumel Rent a Bike online to get a road bike delivered to the resort. The whole trip was a nice adventure.

Second time staying, rooms are always damp and predominately porcelain, so slippery throughout the day. Neighbors are very audible. No view, but if you come for the peace and quiet and if your neighbors will align, this should be fine. Substantial walk to the Fiesta hotel, those amenities are included, often staff smoking along the walkway. Explorean Pool is small, but quaint. Unfortunately it is directly next to the restaurant, so again not quiet. 1 daily Excursion is included, our first trip was a great variety, but the second trip was all snorkeling congested areas. Cenote option was basically a swamp, including alligators. The wait staff is spectacular, and attentive. Although, I don't plan to return.

This is our third visit to the Explorean all inclusive resort, and there is a lot to love about being here. First off, the rooms are quiet and secluded. Personally, I love not having a TV and there is still WiFi if you want to watch something on your tablet. The beds are comfortable and the linens are nice. The downside is they have a moisture issue. Most of the rooms smell musty upon entry. I would recommend building in some sort of dehumidifier, but apart from that, I’m not sure of the solution. The service is excellent! We enjoyed the waiters there at Explorean and felt very well attended to. Luis, Edwin, Gabriel and Fermin are outstanding examples of hospitality. The chef let me come back and watch him prepare camarones a la diabla, which were delicious, but an off menu item. Over our five day stay, the best food is in the main Fiesta Americana buffet, the beachside fish shack and the sushi bar inside. All of the other “fine dining” options were relatively disappointing. I feel they need to work on the basics of good food before trying to get too fancy with being gourmet. Multiple times we had to send food back because it came to the table cold. However, the main buffet really shines - in the morning they have a lady making fresh, handmade tortillas and they were outstanding. The fish shack does whole fried fish, and I was there every day for that. Explorean also includes tours and activities, the best being their boat tour to Columbia reef and el Cielo. The snorkeling right in front of the resort is excellent, we would walk up to the Money Bar, jump in and drift snorkel back down to the Fiesta Americana, and we enjoyed seeing lots of fish. Overall, this is a great option in the area that we would recommend.

Came here with my wife for our honeymoon and had an absolutely wonderful time. The place was beautiful, the staff was great, and we never ran out of things to do. The daily activities were very fun, though we didn't do them all (we passed on the longer bike ride). Ariel was our guide for several of our excursions and he was excellent. Friendly, knowledgeable, and very quick with a joke. The food was average; if you've been to an all-inclusive before it's on par. Certainly no Michelin Stars, but for the price I have no complaints. The drinks are great, particular the Mojitos, and the bar staff were super nice (Edwin in particular). You'll also hear about the time share presentation reading through these reviews. At least for us (Costco travel members) the presentation was OPTIONAL. They really try to pressure you into it, but it is not mandatory. Instead, they offered us vouchers for other activities just for going, regardless of whether or not we signed up. We went and the salespeople were pretty pushy, but we signed up for a sales pitch so we knew that going in. Just folks doing their jobs. Said no (many times), then got a voucher that allowed to rent a car. If you're willing to sit through a private presentation that lasts about an hour and a half, you can essentially do a non-Explorean activity for free.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time. Jassiel and Ariel were wonderful. I felt really safe and taken care of the whole time. They were always checking in on us and asking if we’d like drinks or a towel. The food was really good as well. Would do this excursion again in a heartbeat! Beautiful sights and a really great time.

We stayed at the Explorean Cozumel in late August, 2025. We throughly enjoyed the relaxing, friendly atmosphere of this boutique all inclusive. The rooms were clean and comfortable, the food was great, and the service exceptional. We appreciated the included tours that gave us insight into the island of Cozumel. There are a few people we would like to mention specifically. Gabriel was at the pool bar and provided excellent service with great conversations. Isabel checked us in at the restaurants on the Fiesta side and was always sweet and remembered our names. Manuel provided great service with a wonderful sense of humor at the pool bar and restaurant. Alejandra, at the breakfast buffet, always asked about our day and after only one visit could refer to us by name and room number. Fermin, at the pool restaurant and bar, was always ready to greet us by name. Alejandro went above and beyond to deliver chicken soup one day when I was sick. He always was ready and willing to go the extra mile. Thank you again. Jesseil, Ariel, and Geraldo were excellent tour guides. We would like to thank those mentioned about and everyone, including housekeeping, maintenance, and front desk staff for a wonderful and memorable vacation.

Great location for an all inclusive hotel on the island of cozumel. Lovely access to the sea, 2 pools and diverse choice of restaurants due to explorean guests having access to fiesta Americana services. The weakest bit of the explorean is the rooms. Our room had a smell of damp, which was clear because nothing ever dried during our stay (swimwear etc). A daily experience is included in your stay. They are hit and miss. The snorkeling - great fun. However some not so much, you also have to have a lot of patience as with group excursions there's a lot of faffing... We were happy to look past it as so many other elements were great. You never had to fight for a sunbed by the sea of the fiesta Americana pool, however the explorean didn't have enough beds available.

We chose the Explorean because of its paired location with Fiesta Americana. We had the quiet of the Explorean casitas (yes, there are 4 units per building) and facilities, but ready access to the shore and restaurants at Fiesta. Most of the staff were super nice and tried hard to be helpful - nobody was rude. Rooms were clean and comfortable. We liked having the always available Explorean restaurant close by, but some of their dishes were hit and miss (unexpected combinations of ingredients, some dishes not hot). It was nice to have the daily activities included. I did the cenote bike ride and the snorkeling excursion. We opted out of the self-drive "buggy ride" to the east shore. It was a 4-hour trip that started at 3 pm, which would have meant an hour or more of driving in the dark in unfamiliar territory in an unfamiliar vehicle. No thanks. There was also pretty good snorkeling right in front of the Fiesta. Many varieties of colorful fish. Some reviewers seem shocked that there is no sandy beach, but that probably enhances the snorkeling. You can either wade in gradually from a rocky area by some steps, or descend one of several wooden ladders by the beach chairs. Just wear reef shoes instead of flippers. Do not snorkel to the left of the dock since excursion boats pull in and out there. We experienced few bugs while there, but take insect repellent. My wife got a few ankle bites one evening during dinner. All-inclusive is the way to go!

Let me begin my rave review with the service. The people on the island of Cozumel are SOOO nice. The people we encountered in the airport, the people at the resort, housekeepers, everyone in between were crazy nice. It was more than refreshing coming from the States. The resort was awesome, it was behind la fiesta Americana and we got alllll the amenities from that resort with the Explorean. The Explorean Cozumel offered free excursions, like buggy's, snorkeling, biking, and more. Apparently the people at Fiesta Americana didn't have that included, so we really lucked out with them being included. The food and drink was good, small selections at the Explorean, they have one restaurant and one main bar, which closes relatively early, we were back in our rooms by like 1030 or 11 because they stopped serving and the pools closed. Absolutely bring bug spray and extra sunscreen, it's hard to access a convenience store without a car and the onsite convenience store is obviously price hiked.

Friday, September 27, 2024 we arrived Cozumel, Mexico. As we approached our resort, The Explorean Cozumel, I immediately knew we were sold a lie. The overall presentation while approaching the property was less to be desired. Once we checked in, we were informed our rooms wouldn't be ready until 3 pm, so we arrived around 1:45 pm. So, we met up with our group, had lunch at the restaurant across the street, and waited. Returning to the Explorean at 3:05 pm, we had to wait another 40 minutes before we were given a key to our rooms. Upon entering our rooms, I immediately noticed a free-standing, crooked, miniature refrigerator exposed to the details of the room, no television, foggy windows, an L-shaped curtain rod above the bathroom area, curtains to conceal the bathroom area, holes in the curtains, dirt on the walls, dirty ceiling fan, rusty table lamps and low water pressure in the sink and shower. While exploring the property, I noticed the advertised pool had been completely gutted and blocked off for reconstruction. The advertised beach was not a beach at all. There was no access to the Explorean property or the adjoining property to the beach. There is sand leading up to a cement wall, and beyond the cement wall is drop-off, proceeding with bulldozer rocks and then the ocean, however, there is no access to the ocean. How is it that the amenities that the hotel, Vacations Express, and the travel agent advertised aren't available or accurate? According to your site, Vacation's Express sends someone to verify the validity of each property. When was the last time someone verified this property and its "beach"? According to the dictionary: "Beach - noun - a strip of land covered with sand, pebbles, or small stones at the edge of a body of water, especially by the ocean" At this point, it appears as if Vacations Express is willing to say anything including lying, to make a buck. On Saturday, September 29, 2024, our group decided to participate in the Nexus excursion. Today's excursion entailed tequila tastings, seal watching, and a lounge at a beach. Upon meeting the tour guide, he told our group the excursion was a quick 10-minute walk, hesitant we were, we agreed to the 10-minute walk. The "10-minute" walk turned into a 30-minute walk in 90-degree temperatures, a guest getting stung by a bee, a guest falling and breaking his thumb, along being stuck in a downpour of rain and wet undergarments and clothing. Instead of walking 30 minutes back in the heat, the group requested a taxi back to the resort. Unfortunately, the taxi had to make 2 trips to pick up the entire group up. According to Vacation Express, "assign hotel star ratings based on several factors, including our opinion regarding location, amenities, and facilities relative to the general standards of the destination, as well as feedback from customers and staff. These ratings may differ from other published ratings. Our hotel star ratings are not a representation or promise of any particular feature or amenity." What's interesting is, that The Explorean Cozumel recognizes itself as not a 5-star hotel as it displays the rating of Trip Advisor. How is it, that the Explorean promotes itself as a 4.5-star resort, which is generous, yet Vacation Express falsely advertises the property as a 5 Star Hotel? Is this how Vacation Express and its affiliates, travel agents, do business, by fabrication?...

Okay so I'm a little late on this review as I went for my B day last year. My ex took me as my b day present and I'm so grateful she did because I had a great time! I've never been to Cozumel and as we all know Mexico is very very affordable. We were debating on staying at Fiesta Americana (FA) but I liked Explorean better because it was smaller and the guest at FA couldn't go to the Explorean. The resort is right on the beach but the Explorean is in the woods which I liked because you got the best of both. I did like the Explorean better though because the food and no kids were allowed. There was also excursions that you could do if you stayed at the Explorean but you couldn't do if you stayed at FA. Yes FA does have beach views but for me I was very happy at the Explorean. My room was very nice but it wasn't anything crazy fancy and it did have a patio. Being out in the woods definitely had its negatives one being the bugs so make sure you have Off bug spray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you forget you can buy some there for some crazy amount$$$$$. Would I come back to Explorean? Absolutely!!!!!! For one it's very affordable, two it's all inclusive, three it's pretty much right on the beach and four it's just a nice little vacation spot!! This is an all inclusive resort so you can eat pretty much whenever you want and how much you want. I was impressed with the food and the drinks also you were able to pour your own drinks which I thought was strange but cool too. The staff was very friendly and worked very hard for our American dollar so make sure you show the staff some love when it comes to tips! I love the Explorean and can't wait to come back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We really wanted to love our visit and there were some aspects that were terrific. First impression was that the resort was not operating at its full potential. The pond/fountain right at the entrance of the Explorean was completely drained and not functioning and remained that way the entire time. The pool at the Explorean was clearly intended to be an infinity pool and had drainage set up around all edges, however, the pool level was at least 18 inches lower than the infinity level and there was zero filtration other than an employee who would use a net to scoop out leaves a couple of times a day. It did not seem sanitary at all and we did not feel right swimming in it. We were also very sad that the entire oceanfront portion of the Fiesta Americana resort across the street was not in use and that we were not informed prior to making our reservation or our arrival. It was depressing and absolutely affected our vacation. At one point during our stay, my husband became sick with upper respiratory symptoms and I had to ask 3 different people for help getting some hot water and honey. Then I had to juggle the hot water, honey, and my personal drink all the way to the room bc there wasn't an employee willing to help me. Our shower drained the opposite direction of the drain and flooded our entire bathroom areas every time we showered. There was no fix for this, it was obviously a flaw in the actual level/construction of the shower. We were also asked/pressured several times to sit through the vacation club presentation. Since we are already members and know how long those can be, we refused every time. That definitely detracted from how much we enjoyed our stay. Now for the positives.... Our room was very clean and the air conditioning worked well. We loved getting the fresh coffee delivered to our room each morning, such a treat! All of the staff were extremely polite and worked hard. The food at the Explorean and next door at the Fiesta Americana was delicious and reservations were very easy to make. The pool area at the Fiesta Americana was clean and lively and the nightly entertainment was lovely. We had an excellent experience at the spa and enjoyed using the gym facilities. Would not return to this resort again in the future overall.

Very beautiful property. Beds are comfortable for the most part. The showers take a long time to get hot. Pools are nice, but the jacuzzi is not warm at all. The food at all the restaurants leaves a lot to be desired, but overall everything is nice. Everyone is super friendly, just no TVs in the rooms.

I just ended a week long stay at The Explorean resort in Cozumel. I had a wonderful time with a very attentive staff who helped with everything they could. However, one person stood out above the rest. The nighttime bartender, "Pepe" or Jose Roberto, was one of the kindest and most attentive staff members i've ever met, at any given place. Not only was he simply fun to talk to, he kept us guests entertained with games and made me laugh everytime I talked to him. Frankly I am writing this review simply to commemorate him. Pepe if you ever read this, thank you for making my trip that much better! Sincerely, William Stoner

I love this hotel due excellent customer service, and delicious food. I recommend this hotel to anyone who wants to visit Cozumel. The best ever!!!

Returned for our 3rd time to The Explorean Cozumel and just as enchanted this visit as previous! The resort is beautiful, tucked away in the jungle behind the Fiesta Americana. This way you have the best of both worlds - private, quiet, secluded area with a private pool and restaurant; but you still have access to the party which is Fiesta Americana. The activities included at the Explorean are always fun - jeep tour, snorkeling trip, paddle boarding, "Discover Mexico" tour, we enjoyed them all very much. The staff at the restaurant and bar take such wonderful care of the guests! We truly enjoyed talking with Roberto, Alfonso, Fermin, Javier and Juan. It's special that they take the time to know and remember your preferences - by the end of a week there, they make excellent recommendations for food and drink. It was great! The desk staff were also welcoming and always wanting to make sure you have what is needed. Marco, Victor, Guillermo, Darwin - all making our visit top notch! The island of Cozumel is beautiful and the resort in a very easy location. You can quickly hop in a cab and head downtown for about $6 if you crave the busier atmosphere. We were happy to enjoy the beautiful resort and spend days on the ocean snorkeling and diving. Highly recommend The Explorean in Cozumel!

This hotel is very comfortable and its also all inclusive. I had no idea where all the other restaurants were but I didn't care. I was just happy the place a comfortable bed the was actually dry and had soft sheets. The staff was very nice, they let me check in early and leave my stuff there while I went out to explore playa del carmen. I wasn't able to check in to the room since I t wasn't cleaned yet but by the time I got there it was good to go.

Caveat: I'm not sure I'm their demographic, being vegan and not really sold on all-inclusive resorts to begin with. To put things into perspective, this was my second time in 10 years at an all-inclusive. I had high hopes for the Explorean because of the whole chef made-to-order meals thing that probably sets this place in a higher league than similarly-priced resorts. If you have no special needs, then there's a pretty wide range of choices for you (you have access to the Fiesta Americana's restaurants right next door, in addition to the pretty open air restaurant at the Explorean). For a vegan or anyone with a limited diet, I can tell you with 100% confidence you will not think the price is worth it. I ate at the Explorean restaurant twice and although they kindly tried to accommodate me, what they brought me was pedestrian: plain mushroom tacos with nothing else inside, a fruit plate over Nutella of all things, which I wiped off so as to not waste the fruit, and for dinner, yet more tacos with "steamed vegetables" coated in oil, spice-free and sauce-free. Who wants to eat like this, no less on vacation?! You'd think you could get avocado to liven things up a bit, but I was told they were out. So strange. I found myself next door at the Fiesta Americana daily, which had a buffet... and if you know me, you know that I hate buffets, but at least here I could get plain lettuce and the occasional bit of guacamole, which I only saw once on the buffet. You can get guac at the ceviche place down the beach, however! This was pretty much the saving grace for me, because the food was so unappealing to me. There was a day when there were rosemary roasted potatoes with olive oil. That was a good day. Oh and their salsas were on point (I'd hope so, being that we were in Mexico). Besides the food, these were the standout mishaps: 1. Lacklauster excursions: you do not get to choose these. We only went on two of them, snorkeling, which was dangerous if you weren't a strong swimmer, and while I was out there, I saw several people having to be "rescued" and escorted back to shore, thanks to the current changing. We also went to explore the Mayan ruins. Unfortunately I couldn't understand the well-meaning guide at all, so I would have been better off grabbing a book and exploring them myself. 2. check-in issues: (do yourself a favor and do not book through Expedia. My friends' reservation was lost and mine had me signed up for two twin beds. We arrived after 10 (I was sick thanks to a tumultuous ferry ride) and in no mood to wait for them for 20 minutes to get my room ready, but we had no choice unless we wanted to sleep Lucy and Ricky-style. I was told we could have a handicapped room with a King bed and the "only difference" would be that there wouldn't be a step down into the room. That was a lie. You'd think she might have mentioned the open bathroom without a door (some things are sacred! A door is necessary! I tried not to let this ruin my trip). 3. Related to this, I had issues with the managing staff's "confusion" and "language barriers" that felt more like deliberate underhandedness and incompetence (if you're appealing to non Spanish speakers, your managing staff and reception need to be fluent in English at the very least). Example: we were told that every room had a set-up where the bathrooms didn't have doors. My friends told me the next day that their bathrooms had doors. WTF? On a positive note, the service staff is incredibly awesome! I wish I had the names, but the ceviche stand had a lovely man who went out of his way for us, as did the Mexican and Italian restaurants upstairs in the Fiesta Americana. They made this vacation bearable for me and we took care of them generously (Pro Tip: ALWAYS TIP your service staff! Bring singles & fives because you can't get change here). Loved the bartenders too! 4. The pool at the Explorean is intimate and beautifully landscaped. It is not heated, though there's a hot tub at one end of it. This is where we were content spending a little time with a cocktail until day 3 when a large family with wayward children descended upon us. The parents didn't GAF and went to sleep in the sole cabana as we had to fend these children off. This happened two us 3 different times! The hot tub would be empty and no sooner were we in there for 10 minutes but those kids joined us in the hot tub. It was almost comical. Almost. We had thought this was going to be a 21+ over resort. "That was changed a year ago. We now allow children," (there's that shifty management again). WTF? My friends booked a year ago when it was child-free. You'd think guests would be notified of such a big change. 5. gym is tiny/an afterthought Although I'm probably forever anti-AI, I did look up resorts that pay special attention to vegan and vegetarian diners. These resorts are twice the price. I'd rather pay twice the price and stay half the time if it meant I'd have access to good food.

We seriously cannot remember staying at any hotel where the staff have been so accommodating, helpful and charming! (specifically, a HUGE thank you to Marcial, Mario, Miller, Felipe and the Chef!!!). No request was too much trouble, including a couple of early mornings when we took day trips to the mainland... My wife is mainly vegetarian, so every night they cooked her something different to the 2 courses available to everyone else... My wife is also addicted to chocolate and every evening they made her a chocolate dessert :-) :-) which was fabulous for them to do :-) We have never done all-inclusive, but for personalized service this was quite an experience! We don't usually do tours but did sign up for 2 tours and both were fun and the tour staff were fabulous - especially the snorkeling trip to El Cielo. We got the feeling that the hotel invest quite a bit in organizing the tours, as, if you were doing this yourself it would cost you a small fortune (as an example we rented a Jeep and it was not far off $200 for the day!!!!). You can also use the facilities at Fiesta Americana, by far the best of which is the use of the double cabana beds overlooking the sea (gorgeous!!!) and the fish taco's and ceviche at the Cevicheria (also on the beach), which far surpassed the buffet lunch at the restaurant ;-) All in all a fabulous experience and we would not hesitate to recommend! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g150809-d6721790-r458784743-The_Explorean-Cozumel_Yucatan_Peninsula.html#

The explorean is an amazing resort. I can not brag enough about it. Stayed here for 5 days and 4 nights with my 2 girlfriends for a getaway. The best parts: made to order meals. I mean everything made to order with different specials and choices every night. No buffet. Did I mention this is ALL INCLUSIVE ? Next, excursions pre planned and also included. Not just things on the beach full blown planned day trips. Again, did I mention this is ALL INCLUSIVE ?! The service was impeccable anything you want or needed they made sure you had it. Perla, Alejandro, Ferman, Milano, Luis, and Mike all made our experience more than amazing each and everyday. I more than recommend the explorean I advise that you stay absolutely no where else in Cozumel except here!

This place is awesome. Every single worker I encountered was so polite and accommodating. Roberto, a bartender, was our favorite. Joshua worked with excursions and was so kind and the best snorkel instructor. Arturo was one of the many great servers. I can't wait to come back to this serene oasis.

We were lucky enough to get our concierge at Fiesta Americana to get us reservation for dinner here. The food was outstanding and the service was top notch. We will be staying here next time instead. Very peaceful and calm atmosphere and you can take advantage of the amenities at Fiesta Americana as well. Five star experience, highly recommend!

My husband and I took a three day trip to Cozumel and decided to stay at the Explorean. It was my first time at an all-inclusive resort and it was FABULOUS! The staff went above and beyond, the excursions were just right, and the food was always fresh and excellent. The resort is peaceful and quiet. The excursions were interesting and informative. Every day we went to the taco stand on the beach for fish tacos...so good! I can't say enough about the staff, they personalized things for my husband and I, knew our preferences, and made us feel special. I hope to be back!

No coffeemaker in room. No room service. I talked to several people who would get a basket at their door with coffee and pastries. I have yet to get one. I even asked at the front desk. Staying here 2 weeks. Staff NOT attentive to your needs

Was very excited to stay at this resort because of the great reviews, but was very disappointed by our experience. When we arrived, we let them know that we wanted to visit the pyraminds. They offered us a car rental for free, but only if we sat through a sales pitch the next morning. After we declined several times and said we'd pay for a car, they never arranged the car rental for us. We tried to reserve a car again at the Fiesta Americana office the next day, but when we arrived to pick it up, they'd never made us a reservation. We spent a couple hours getting a rental arranged and ended up having to pay over $100 for the day rental, although other guests said theirs was only $41. Our last night there, we asked to be seated on the empty balcony for dinner and were told we had to buy a bottle of wine to sit there. After dinner we found out that we could only pay with pesos or credit and my husband had to go back to the room for a card while I was made to wait until he paid. Had other issues trying to check out snorkel equipment, get beach towels, long waits for drinks at the bars. The coffee delivered every morning was usually cold and no room service was available, although the ajoining hotel had free 24-hour service. We did have good experiences at the small restaurant just for Explorean guests. The room was clean, the jungle setting very peaceful, although quite a long walk to the main facility. Overall it was a not a great experience and we would not recommend it.