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Car Rentals |
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You can't buy the coolest cars on Cozumel Island. And only rarely can you rent them. Your best chance of driving one is to take a Dune Buggy Tour.
The coolest cars on Cozumel Island are the buggies made and rented by Rentadora Isleña. They are handcrafted in a custom design, specifically to hold four or five people comfortably, and keep a couple of cases of beverages cold, too, in the built-in ice chests.
Dan Withington always wanted to build a dune buggy, and Cozumel was rich in raw material. As an engineer, he saw weaknesses in the way they were traditionally built, and came up with a few ideas of his own. His educated expertise, combined with his local crew's ability to make beautiful things out of almost nothing, resulted in vehicles that are ingeniously well-adapted and comfortable. The design has evolved and improved over the past few years to the point that even the inventor of the original dune buggy — Bruce Meyers of Meyers Manx fame — was duly impressed upon seeing them.
These buggies are built up from Volkswagens that were only a couple of years old to begin with, which is to say mid-'90s models. And here in Mexico, where Beetles are still manufactured and sold, the Beetle your Dad drove is a pale reminder of what's happening now. These newer models are fuel-injected. To most of Isleña's, turbochargers have been added. These babies are hot. And cool.
Dan, Francisco, and some of the car-builders |
Making a new one at the shop |
Going diving? These buggies are designed to hold four scuba-cylinders on the running boards, staying out of the way of the passengers.
Where, you might wonder, did Bruce Meyers see these wondrous vehicles? In Baja, where two of them were driven to participate in the annual Manx Club Rally preceding the Baja 1000. Two buggies were driven across Mexico from Cozumel, the long way (is there another?), through flood and fire, to participate. In 3,000 miles of Mexican-highway driving, they performed flawlessly. Then they drove 500 miles through the deserts of Baja, and then they were driven home. All the way performing flawlessly. If you'd like to see a few photos from the trip to Baja, click here.
The superior performance of Rentadora Isleña's buggies is attributable to Master Mechanic Rafael. Rafael has been a Volkswagen mechanic for 12 of his 31 years, and was trained at the Volkswagen factory in Puebla. He is a joy to watch. He wastes no moves, knows exactly what he's doing, settles for nothing but perfection, and can repair any problem with a pair of vise-grips and a screwdriver.
The same attention is paid to Isleña's fleet of regular VW Beetles. All are road-ready, reliable, and a great nostalgia flash if it's been awhile . . .
Special discounts are available to our guests, so don't miss an
opportunity to drive the best cars on Cozumel, and to get out and see all
the beautiful things to see — in comfort and style.
Rental Rates
| VW Beetles | $45 per day for less than three days |
| $35 per day for three days or more | |
| Jeeps | $65 per day for less than three days |
| $50 per day for three days or more |
Reservations for Buggies are not taken. You'll have to stop by Rentadora Isleña and take your chances. Ask Dan about getting one when you first arrive. Your chances will improve if you're staying in one of our houses, but it's strictly first-come, first-served.
Click here to inquire about availability of your rental vehicle.
