Cozumel Mexico is one of the most popular tourist destinations to visit outside of Cancun. This is an island known for its prestigious beautiful sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and plentiful excursions.
Many tourists visit here, often from cruise ships or ferries and even small Catamaran boats. It is not accessible by car or taxi alone.
In many ways, it is similar to La Isla De Mujeres in the sense that it will require either a Ferry ride or Catamaran boat to visit the Island which is a nice 45-minute boat ride from the port of Playa Del Carmen to the island of Cozumel.
San Miguel De Cozumel – A Visitor’s Guide to Cozumel
San Miguel De Cozumel is Mexico’s main town in the small island of Cozumel. This is the main drop off point for all the cruises and ferries coming into Cozumel. It is also the older part of the island, the main hub where all the touristy shops and restaraunts are located. Here, you will find
Top Travel Guide to Cozumel Mexico – An Overview of Attractions & Activities
- The Malecón: This is the main area close to the port where you will walk around on the main strip. It is a very scenic waterfront walking path lined with open-air restaurants, shops, and outdoor art. You’ll want to stay within 1-2 blocks of the
- Benito Juárez Park: The heart of downtown, featuring a historic 1910 clock tower and local community gatherings.
- Cozumel Reefs National Park: Crystal-clear offshore waters ideal for world-famous snorkeling and scuba diving.
- San Gervasio Mayan Ruins: A peaceful, historical jungle site tied to the Mayan moon and fertility goddess Ix Chel
Getting Around the Island of Cozumel Mexico
Once you arrive to Cozumel, you can traverse the small island by foot if you want to stay in close geographical proximity to the dock or you can rent a taxi or moped. By the time you arrive to the port of Cozumel, you will have the local vendors asking if you want to rent a moped, buggy or taxi.
Also there will be stands offering various excursions ranging from snorkeling, deep sea diving, to ATV and buggy’s, to a special tour bus to take you to the “good side of the beach” and island, maybe even a monkey or animal zoo or “park” and much more.
These are typically off-site excursions that place at some location around the island of Cozumel. It is important to verify all the details prior to agreeing to the excursion. I generally stick with the excursions offered by the hotel and resort, although vetting the local charter tours are also important. Many of the merchants on the actual dock itself are at least somewhat vetted.
Most of the shops and restaurants are within walkable distance of the port as well, however if it’s peak summer season it is important to bring a change of clothes, water, and even sunscreen if you plan to take a dip in the beach in Cozumel.
It does get quite hot in Cozumel, Mexico especially during the summer time! I walked a few blocks around Cozumel exploring the shops prior to writing the travel guide, and I was completely drenched in sweat in the heat. I was about to get a heat stroke!
Rocky Beaches in Cozumel Mexico
One of the things that surprised me was that the beaches in Cozumel Mexico were how rocky the beaches were by the port. It was on the side of the main roadway too. I had envisioned that every beach had crystal clear sand and beautiful blue waters. But here, on the roadside beach which didn’t seem to have a name, was a rocky and slippery beach that was difficult to get into!
I finally made it in, but it wasn’t a smooth clean beach and there were sargassum present. Of course, there was always a kind gentleman acting as a local vendor offering to take us to the “nice beach” for a small fee – only I had to go talk to him and sign up for an excursion tour that it was a part of. Although I did not partake.
The locals on the island told me that there are nicer beaches in Cozumel, Mexico particularly on the other side of the island but I would either have to walk a few miles away from the port, book or taxi or rent a moped to get there. None of which I was fully prepared to do on my trip that day – so I just stuck with the local shops and restaurants nearby and looked around there.
A Traveler’s Guide to Exploring the Shops and Stores in Cozumel Mexico
The shops around Cozumel Mexico are plentiful around the port of Cozumel, most of them catered to tourists and vacationers alike. There is something for everyone sold here, and you will find anything from your generic souvenirs like key chains, t-shirts that say Cancun, swimwear, magnets to more elusive merchandise like hand-woven handbags, custom made outfits, masks that represent the Mayan culture and other homemade goods like pottery, artwork and unique bracelets and other jewelry you won’t find elsewhere.
Most everything made for sale in Cozumel, Mexico at these shops are negotiable and not every item has price tags, encouraging you to negotiate with the shop keepers. You won’t find any large chain or department stores here, they are all “mom and pop” shops or “tiendas” which are operated often by families and their relatives. It is apparent how hard working these people really are, and judging by the age of some of these buildings these little shopkeepers likely have been running their shops and selling their crafts for many generations.
Everything can be found here, including faux-designer handbags and other merchandise, and even imitation watches. There was a mini “flea-market” in the Central Park area that was a little bit run down where a shopkeeper even wanted to sell me a imitation Rolex that really looked like the real thing for $40 USD.
Cozumel Restaurants Guide
Benito Juárez Park in Cancun
This area houses a historic clock tower dating back to 1910, and the park is named after
This is the main downtown area where you will find the an open-air park and market place. Around the park, you’ll find local vendors selling their local goods and trinkets along with authentic Mexican merchandise in various stands situated in the park. Around the park on all 4 corners is a variety of different vendors and gift shop as well. You can also occasionally vendors selling ice cream, light refreshments and other knickknacks too.
However, if you want to relax under the shade away from the sun for a little while – this is also a great place to cool down and relax in between your shopping and your food options all around you.
The heart of downtown, featuring a historic 1910 clock tower and local community gatherings.
Pharmacies Everywhere in Cozumel Mexico
Later on, I’ll be writing a guide on navigating all the different intricacies of the various pharmacies around Cozumel Mexico however the amount of pharmacies I saw around Cozumel was incredible. I could literally do a consultation with the front desk clerk, and have my medication in hand often in a few minutes. It seems like buried in between all the shops and restaraunts around Cozumel, one could almost find a pharmacy at every street corner – sometimes side by side right next to each other.
At one point, I became extremely nauseous because of the heat and possibly heat exhaustion. I simply walked into the pharmacy, explained I had nausea and the clerk grabbed a zofran from the back shelf and offered to sell it to me. I was shocked, because in the United States – everything required prescriptions by a licensed doctor.
Form of Currency Accepted in Cozumel Mexico
The main form of currency used and accepted on the island is both dollars (USD) and Pesos. Though most shops did offer their pricing in dollars first, as they may be used to tourists only having dollars as opposed to pesos. Same concept here applies, where the shopkeepers are more than happy to convert their prices from either pesos to dollars and vice versa, but there will often be a hidden exchange fee set by the vendor and may be slightly inflated than if you were just to present the money in their local currency.
I always make it a point to exchange my currency to Pesos prior to traveling and carry a bit of both forms of cash just in case to avoid any exchange rate fluctuations or gouging when the vendor converts their prices to your available currency.