People sometimes worry about
"Turista" or "Montezuma's Revenge", medically known as
Traveler's Diarrhea
It can be multifactorial, and not always due to
contaminated water or poor food safety
Factors can include: dehydration, overuse of
alcohol, overeating, sun overexposure
Sports drinks such as Gatorade are NOT very good
at preventing dehydration due to diarrhea
Rehydration drinks such as Pedialyte ARE good at
preventing dehydration due to diarrhea
Pedialyte is readily available on the island
Water Concerns
City water from the
tap is actually fairly safe, but doesn't taste good.
Purified water is better.
Locals drink only bottled water
Water ordered at a restaurant will come in a
bottle or was poured from a carboy and is safe
At Villa Zaztun, fill the carafe in your
bathroom with purified water
When going out, you can fill bottles with
purified water from the dispensers at Villa Zaztun
All ice served in
any restaurant, at street stalls, or anywhere else
is made with filtered water and is fine
Only use purified water from the dispenser
to make ice at Villa Zaztun
Drinks made with water are always made with
purified water and are safe
Food Concerns
Food in restaurants
Food safety is a priority to owners of restaurants
as well as to local residents
Local restaurants are very safe to eat in
Street food
We have never had any problem with street food on
the island
Food stalls rely very heavily on repeat local
business and food safety is a key to this
Sunburn
Sun protection is a must
Tropical sun is quite intense year-round
Without protection, you can get severe sunburns
surprisingly fast
Sunburn is still easily possible if the sky is overcast
White T-shirts are only SPF 6 when dry, and practically
useless for sun protection when wet
Local shops have a wide range of high-SPF sunscreen
Don't forget to reapply sunscreen per package
recommendations
Mosquito-borne Illness
Malaria is not endemic on the island and prophylaxis is
not necessary
If you plan to travel away from the coast on the
mainland, you should check with a travel medicine
doctor for recommendations
Dengue is a possible problem here with several cases per
year
Mosquito repellent is
necessary
The U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends applying a
repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil
of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), PMD, or IR3535
The US EPA characterizes the active ingredients DEET
and picaridin as “conventional repellents” and OLE,
PMD, and IR3535 as “biopesticide repellents,” which
are derived from natural materials
Medical Care
Cozumel has some very good hospitals, clinics, and
doctors by US and Canadian standards
Pharmacies on the island carry most of what's available
"back home", including brand names
Prescriptions are required for antibiotics
Prescriptions are required for medications that are
controlled substances in most countries
Prescriptions are usually not required for other
medications
Medication is not especially cheap
in Mexico - bring enough from home for your entire trip
.