Cozumel is one of the largest islands in Mexico and one of its most popular resorts. It is an international diving center located in the immediate vicinity of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. The reef is not continuous, it consists of more than two and a half thousand small coral islands that are shallow under water.
The coast of Cozumel is covered with mangroves. They are an essential part of the reef world: the growing mangrove islands protect corals and serve as natural filters. Many fish that spend their lives on reefs breed in mangroves. In Cozumel, you can see both the life of mangroves and the life of the coral reefs themselves; for this, divers from all over the world come here.
However, besides diving, there is something to do here: there are several large entertainment centers on the island, two sites with ancient ruins of the Maya Indians and just the longest snow-white beaches with palm trees and clear turquoise water. The tourist season lasts here all year round; you can swim and sunbathe even in January.
Areas of Cozumel Island
The coast of the island is clearly divided into two halves. All the main tourist infrastructure is located on the west coast facing the mainland: there are no strong ocean waves. In the west there are good sandy beaches and all the big hotels are concentrated. We can highlight the city of San Miguel, which is the cultural and administrative center, the western coast of the island to the south of the city, the southernmost tip with its own specifics and the eastern coast, which has only a few hotels.
San Miguel
San Miguel is located on the west coast in the northern part of the island. This is the most popular place in Cozumel, the most convenient to combine sightseeing and beach holidays. The city is decorated with a beautiful embankment. Pay attention to the fountain-monument to the coral reef, erected in memory of Jacques Cousteau, who discovered the Mesoamerican reef - it is very beautiful and original. There is a small port in the city, from where you can take a boat excursion along the entire coast. There is a pearl farm just north of San Miguel. Excursions there are usually combined with trips to Isla Pasion - this is a small island off the northern coast, with a very beautiful beach. Those who crave complete solitude and interesting snorkeling sail there.
In the city itself, you can take a walk in the seaside park. Benito Juarez and a small church from the mid-19th century. In the center of San Miguel, there is a small local history museum that occupies four rooms. The city grew up very close to the grandiose ruins left by the Mayan Indians - San Gervasio. This is a huge archaeological complex that includes temples of the 6th-14th centuries: here was the center of worship of the female Mayan deity Ish-Chel. In addition to temples, you can see the sacred cenote - a karst well, the remains of the palace of the supreme ruler, Mayan frescoes and much more.
San Miguel is perfect for a settlement for those who love city rest. There are not only beach hotels on the coast, but also inexpensive apartments in the depths of the building, which are convenient for independent tourists. The city is home to the main shopping centers. This is a small shopping area Puerta Maya where you can buy any souvenirs and the city food market Mercado Municipal.
It has its own municipal beach, but to the south of the port and the city center is the main beach of the island - Paradise Beach. This is a paid zone with its own infrastructure. It is very conveniently arranged: the areas of snorkeling and sports entertainment are separated from the relaxation areas, and no one bothers anyone. Along the beach there is a promenade with restaurants and souvenir shops.
West Coast
A stretch of coastline south of San Miguel. It is convenient because it is close to the city and its historical sights, and at the same time, it is here that the main entertainment centers of the island are located. The beach closest to the city is called Beach Bum. Next to it there is a planetarium, the main program of which is devoted to the story of the Mayan cosmological representations and their mysterious calendar.
A few kilometers further south, in a small bay is the Blue Project diving center, and next to it is the Discover Mexico Park. Here are collected miniature copies of all the most important sights of Mexico, and you can get around all the most interesting in this country in a couple of hours. There is a museum of Mexican art nearby. There are several specialty shops in the park, for example, a tequila shop. A tequila tasting is included in the admission price. There is also a candy store KAOKAO Chocolates Damarsicheli at a small cocoa processing factory.
The next attraction, located even further south along the coast, is the dolphinarium. Mexico's dolphinariums are celebrated by many as the best in the world. Here are not only the best dolphin shows, but also the best opportunities to swim with marine animals and fish: dolphins, seals, stingrays.
The entire central part of the island is occupied by the Chankanaab National Park. It has a botanical garden, a stretch of coastline where corals are very close to the shore, and a lagoon with mangroves where crocodiles live. A cable car - Zip line stretches over the lagoon, and in the park itself you can see many iguanas and colorful tropical birds.
In this part of the coast, in addition to hotels, there are interesting restaurants and shops - they are mainly concentrated around attractions. And the beach strip itself is the same almost everywhere: it is good sand with a smooth approach and dedicated snorkeling areas. The hotels have their own private beaches with sun loungers, bars, and entertainment pools, there are several hotels with their own water parks, for example, Allegro Cozumel.
Southwest part of the island
The southernmost part of the coast is divided between large five-star hotels. There is nothing on this coast but them. But the hotels themselves have huge territories, with flamingos, peacocks and parrots, beautiful gardens in which orchids bloom, turtles and iguanas roam. Further south of the hotel line, there are several paid beaches with their own restaurants and infrastructure - mainly in areas suitable for snorkeling.
The southernmost part of the island is occupied by another national park - Punta Sur Eco Beach Park. It is here, on the southwest coast, that the main diving is concentrated. If you are interested in this, choose the hotels located here. The best beach for snorkeling and diving is Playa El Cielo. There are not only very interesting and beautiful reefs here, but also very clear water with excellent visibility, so lovers of underwater shooting most often choose this particular beach.
At the southernmost tip is the Punta Sur National Park beach. It is close to state-protected reefs, and next to it is another mangrove lagoon, and you can snorkel near corals and near mangroves. If you live on the mainland, in Playa del Carmen, then you have a great chance to get here for one or several days with the Russian-language diving school Dive Guru Training Center.
The southernmost promontory of the island is decorated with a beautiful lighthouse, which is one of the symbols of Cozumel and appears in all photographs and souvenirs. It has an observation deck and a small national park museum in the caretaker's lodge. But keep in mind that you will need to get to the beaches of Playa El Cielo and Punta Sur Eco Beach Park, there are no hotels very close to them.
Here, in the south, in the national park, there is a popular tourist town - El Sedral. It features a dilapidated Mayan temple half a century older than the San Gervasio complex. In addition, a picturesque Spanish church has been preserved here, which is considered the oldest temple on the island. And most importantly, for the sake of which tourists come here with excursions - the town has its own tequila factory, which conducts tastings and sales. The town is small, not on the coast, but it also has several hotels where you can spend the night in order to explore it at your own pace.
East Coast
There are few hotels on the east coast of Cozumel, but there are several campgrounds and tent cities. The fact is that here the wind almost constantly blows from the ocean, and the waves can be very high: this coast is almost not suitable for a beach holiday or for amateur surfing. There are very strong reverse currents here. Lifeguards are constantly on duty on the equipped beaches; it is better not to swim on the wild ones. Actually, wild beaches are almost not cleaned of algae, so swimming can be simply difficult. But on the other hand, not much can be compared with the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean, so they usually just come here from hotels in the west for a few hours.
The most famous beach on this part of the coast is Playa San Martin. It has its own infrastructure: sun loungers with umbrellas, lifeguard towers, several coastal restaurants: Punta Morena Restaurante in the bay at the beginning of the beach, and two restaurants right next to the beach, where the road leading from the city approaches it - Mezcalitos Restaurant & Beach Bar Cozumel and Senor Iguana.
