Dolphinaris opened in Cozumel two months ago, and in my book it is now the number one attraction in the area.
A short taxi ride from the cruise terminal you'll find an intimate environment where you can get up close and personal with dolphins.
The cove setting on the Caribbean Sea is gorgeous, and they intelligently built the park in harmony with nature.
There are modern bathrooms and lockers, but mostly there are palapas and sea water pools.
Just watching from the shade of the palapas is spectacular enough, and someone less inclined to get in the water can sip a Margarita and watch the dolphins frolic.
Taking nothing away from the much larger Sea World in San Diego, visitors to Dolphinaris will undoubtedly appreciate the uncrowded ambiance here.
Because it is still brand new, there are literally almost as many dolphin trainers as customers.
We didn't come to simply enjoy watching the dolphins from the sidelines, however.
We got in the water with the dolphins.
Each guest gets a very personal encounter, getting a "kiss" on the cheek, shaking hands and petting the dolphins.
The highlight is a belly ride, where the tourist strikes a pose not unlike a hula dancer while the dolphin approaches from the rear.
The well-trained dolphin brings his fins into position where the guest can gently take hold of one and then another fin.
Then the dolphin scoots across the surface for a short but exhilerating ride.
There's more to Dolphinaris than just the dolphin encounter, although that is certainly more than enough by itself.
A snorkel area has been fenced off from the ocean and is the best place I have snorkeled in Cozumel.
There are at least four stingrays that make this area a home along with a lot of other fish.
After snorkeling, we became more passive tourists in the uncrowded palapa bar overlooking the pools where dolphins continued to swim and leap.
There's also a large palapa restaurant with terrific views, so you can definitely make a day of it at Dolphinaris.
A short taxi ride from the cruise terminal you'll find an intimate environment where you can get up close and personal with dolphins.
The cove setting on the Caribbean Sea is gorgeous, and they intelligently built the park in harmony with nature.
There are modern bathrooms and lockers, but mostly there are palapas and sea water pools.
Just watching from the shade of the palapas is spectacular enough, and someone less inclined to get in the water can sip a Margarita and watch the dolphins frolic.Taking nothing away from the much larger Sea World in San Diego, visitors to Dolphinaris will undoubtedly appreciate the uncrowded ambiance here.
Because it is still brand new, there are literally almost as many dolphin trainers as customers.
We didn't come to simply enjoy watching the dolphins from the sidelines, however.
We got in the water with the dolphins.
Each guest gets a very personal encounter, getting a "kiss" on the cheek, shaking hands and petting the dolphins.
The highlight is a belly ride, where the tourist strikes a pose not unlike a hula dancer while the dolphin approaches from the rear.
The well-trained dolphin brings his fins into position where the guest can gently take hold of one and then another fin.
Then the dolphin scoots across the surface for a short but exhilerating ride.
There's more to Dolphinaris than just the dolphin encounter, although that is certainly more than enough by itself.
A snorkel area has been fenced off from the ocean and is the best place I have snorkeled in Cozumel.There are at least four stingrays that make this area a home along with a lot of other fish.
After snorkeling, we became more passive tourists in the uncrowded palapa bar overlooking the pools where dolphins continued to swim and leap. 
There's also a large palapa restaurant with terrific views, so you can definitely make a day of it at Dolphinaris.
