Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel is a beautiful rather large Mexican Caribbean Island that is very well known by cruise and water activity travelers. It is surrounded by a large reef system that is a UNESCO site. There are also shipwrecks and plenty of other activities above and below the sea. There is much more to Cozumel with its Mayan history, pristine beaches, food, shopping and more. We have been to Cozumel multiple times over the years and have tried many different activities and have traveled to the small city of San Miguel. Here are our experiences in Cozumel Mexico!

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Getting to Cozumel and Transportation

The main way most people visit Cozumel is through cruise travel. All the major cruise lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Disney, MSC and many others make Cozumel a port of call. The cruise port infrastructure is large and can handle many ships a day. It’s a quick destination to get to not only from Miami but Galveston, Texas and other Gulf of Mexico ports. From Galveston Cozumel are part of 4 to 7-day itineraries. If you don’t cruise, then you can still get to Cozumel by air. The Cozumel International Airport has flights on airlines like United, American, and Aeromexico year rounds and other airlines like Delta are seasonal. There are hotels and resorts on the island. You also can fly into the much larger Cancun International Airport and visit Cozumel by taking the ferry service from Playa Del Carmen. We took this ferry before to visit the mainland from Cozumel on our very first cruise and time abroad. If you get motion sick the water can be a bit rough sometimes. As for transportation, taxis are available at the cruise port and around the island but do not hail them off the street. You want to make sure they are an official taxi. We took a taxi before, and it worked out well and was not overly expensive as they have rates based on the destination set already. The island is also walkable as we walked from San Miguel to the Carnival Port. Guided tours are also a great option for seeing the island and we took them nearly every time we visited. We found the island to be safe and most sources online and from the US State Department there are no warnings for Cozumel. The cruise port areas are heavily secured. With that in mind, you still should take normal precautions and investigate safety yourself to make sure this is a destination for you.

Click Below for Transportation options on Cozumel:

Transportation Options

Country Information

Most US Citizens won’t need a visa or need to fill out any paperwork to enter Mexico. You just need a valid passport. If cruising to Cozumel, you either need a passport or an official (not a copy) birth certificate and an ID. We really recommend traveling with a passport though as if you need to leave the ship then travel gets very complex. I always recommend checking the US State Department website to check entry information for a country before you go just in case things change. We had no problem getting through after we were asked basic questions. Spanish is the official language but since this is such a heavy tourist area in general English is well known. It will help greatly if you know some basic Spanish when out and about because you cannot guarantee they will know English. Our Spanish was good enough to get us through most conversations. At the time of the writing the Mexican Peso is worth about $.05 dollars so a dollar can go pretty far. Some people will take US Dollars but the Peso is preferred. As with any country situations can change so pay attention to US State Department warnings in a location.

The Port of Cozumel

The main port in Cozumel that we have visited with Carnival and Norwegian is a great area to spend some time in. I know some are concerned about visiting Mexico due to safety but I encourage you to at the very least visit the port area as it is secured. There are many shops in the area with my favorite being the cultural handicraft stores with one focusing on “Dia de Los Muertos” sculptures. There you can get many colorful designs and interesting ones like a scene like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” but in a Mexican style. There are also plenty of good Mexican food restaurants, bars, and spa services as an example of what they have. For Christmas, they decorate the port very nicely including a large Christmas tree. They also have a great area with sand and lounge chairs where you can watch the ships and crystal-clear blue water. It’s a nice area to visit if you have extra time but I absolutely recommend visiting the island itself to truly see the local culture and people!

Cozumel Island Tour - History and Nature

There are several different tours options around the island. Some will visit a Tequilla tasting facility like Jose Cuervo, some are food tours and others visit the historic and natural sites. On one of our trips, we took the historic tour that shared the history and culture of the island. We visited a few memorable spots on the island and spent some time viewing one of the less developed beaches on the island.

San Gervasio Mayan Site

San Gervasio is a small but important Mayan site that is located on Cozumel. It’s Mayan name is Tantun Cuzamil and should look familiar as Cozumel is derived from the Mayan name as many places in the region are. The site was important to the Maya because it was a place that pilgrims (women) would go to make offerings to Ixchel who was the goddess of fertility, birth/midwife and medicine. They would travel there to make offerings for having a healthy child, or for fertility. Today you will find a museum and the ruins of several Mayan buildings. It was the second ancient site we visited in our travels that now spans multiple continents and countries. It’s a nice way to see Ancient Mayan history right in Cozumel without having to leave the island!

The Eastern Coast Beaches

Most of the development on Cozumel is on the Western side of the Island that faces the mainland of Mexico. The Eastern side is much less developed with many untouched beaches and landscapes. We stopped by a small, thatched roof bar to enjoy the views and a Mexican Sugarcane Coca-Cola. The East Coast is beautiful and worth going to see!

San Miguel de Cozumel

On Cozumel Island there really is only one city and where most of the islands nearly 90,000 people live. It is where most of the resorts are and many restaurants and shops. On our first tour we drove through the city to see the local and tourist areas of the city. On a subsequent visit we went to the Museum of Cozumel that goes over the natural and historic aspects of the island including Mayan artifacts, how the island was formed and about the natural life on the island and in the sea. We also went to the small square typical of so many Mexican cities. We visited some nice shops as well that sold local handicrafts. It’s a nice small Mexican city That we found to be safe (do take normal precautions). We walked with a lady who was alone walking back to the ship and all worked out well other than the tropical downpour on the way.

Click Below for Island, History and Cultural Tours:

Island Tour Options

Atlantis Submarine

On one of our trips to Cozumel we decided to try something completely different. Over the years we have traveled on the common methods like plane, train, automobiles, buses, cruise ships, ferries, balloon and helicopter. We wanted to add a submarine to our list, and we did so in Cozumel! In Cozumel you can take the Atlantis Submarine to experience traveling by submarine. It dives a little over 100 feet deep and can carry just under 50 people not including crew. While people now days might think of submarines as scary and risky after OceanGate’s Titan disaster at the Titanic, this is a completely different boat to be in literally. It has been diving off the coast of Cozumel for over 25 years and has had over 1 million people on board. Its made over 40,000 dives and counting with one being our dive. We felt safe going on board. Each person gets their own window, and they have a depth counter to tell you how deep we were at. We saw plenty of fish and coral in the beautiful area and as we went deeper the area got darker until we could see the major drop off into the depths of the ocean. We also visited a shipwreck sitting on the ocean bottom. After about an hour we went back to the floating platform where a boat was waiting for us to take us back to Cozumel. It was an awesome experience and one I would like to have again someday on another island as they have them in several other Islands.

Atlantis Submarine Tickets:

Atlantis Submarine Tickets

Chankanaab Park

On another trip to Cozumel, we headed to the Chankanaab Park for a full day trip. The park has a wide variety of activities on land and on the sea. We got a nice Mexican food buffet lunch and then headed into the park. The park has activities like replica Mayan Ruins, participating in a Mayan healing/cleansing ritual (extra cost), a pavilion for Tequilla tasting and a museum about the production of Tequilla and agave. You can also relax with a spa, and plenty of beach to listen to the ocean. There are also plenty of snorkeling, snuba, diving and other water sports. There are gardens to walk through, shows such as the sea lion show and wildlife to see. When we visited the sargassum (seaweed) was unfortunately thick, so we did not go on the beach but did swim in the pool there. For snorkeling they have statues sunk under the water to explore and if you want to shop there are plenty of vendors there. We enjoyed our time at the park and did most of the activities there was to do there. It’s a great park to visit and I would like to visit again someday!

Ferry to the Mainland

There is an opportunity to visit the mainland by ferry and do a variety of activities and then head back to Cozumel in one day. Some cruise lines offer day trips as well to the mainland. We took a day trip from Cozumel to visit the Ancient Mayan City by the sea, Tulum. We have been to Xcaret while in Cancun but it’s relatively easy to get to from Cozumel as it’s not far from Playa del Carmen where the ferry docks (you will need transportation). It does make for a long day but its nice to also be able to visit some of the great activities on the mainland from Cozumel! If you are on a cruise, be sure to look at the length of the tour and consider the ferry and other times as you need time to get back to the ship before booking a tour. If you aren’t booked with the cruise line, they will leave you in Cozumel if you are late.

Mainland Tour Options - Check before booking as a cruise passenger for the timing

Mainland Tour Options (Click Here)

Conclusion

Cozumel is a popular and great destination in Mexico that you most likely will visit by cruise but there are plenty of options for flying in and enjoying the island. There are plenty of unique activities like a Mayan site, a submarine ride and many water activities! This is a tropical destination in the Hurricane zone so watch the weather before heading there during Hurricane Season (June -November). Also be prepared for rain, especially during the hurricane season time frame but in the tropics most of the time a storm pops up in the afternoon and is gone after an hour or two. The cruise port we have been to is very nice, but I encourage you all to spend some time outside of the port to learn about the culture and history of the island. Do stay hydrated as it is hot year-round in Cozumel. Cozumel is a great place in Mexico to visit to get a taste of Mexican culture and was our first stop in Mexico many years ago. If you get the chance head to Cozumel and enjoy the adventure!