I promised a travel guide a little earlier than today, but here it is!!
Traveling to Cozumel
{Ways to get there}
Fly Directly into Cozumel (CZM) Airport
- Perfectly tiny and easy to get in & out. There were no lines, no big waits and no unexpected hazards when it came to the CZM Airport. The employees are very accommodating.
- From the airport to your hotel get a ticket for the Taxi Collectivo. It is $10 per person for a ticket to a collective van where you tell them your hotel and hand them your ticket. They take you and the others, as a group, to the chosen hotel or hotels. Usually this is much cheaper than taking your own cab. There will be a window you go up to for your ticket once you exit from baggage claim.
- When leaving from CZM, you will have to pay a departure/tourism tax when checking in at the counter. It’s about $20-$30. You pay that at the counter before going through security. They ask this be done by credit card.
Fly into Cancun (CUN) Airport, Take Bus or Taxi to Playa Del Carmen then Ferry over to Cozumel
- If you want to take an extended trip, with maybe staying a night or two in Cancun and then continue your trip by staying on the Island of Cozumel, this would be a good option.
- The bus to Playa Del Carmen from Cancun airport costs $10 per person and takes about an hour.
- The Ferry is roughly $13 (163 Mexican Pesos) one way or $26 (326 Mexican Pesos) round trip and takes about 45 minutes.
Fly into Cancun (CUN), Take local flight to Cozumel (CZM)
- They have flights leaving every hour. On MAYAir you can find a one-way ticket for $63 (US Dollars).
PICTURES OF THE FERRY TERMINAL (San Miguel, Cozumel)
{Transportation Once You Are There}
The main way to travel around Cozumel & San Miguel (only city of Cozumel) is by taxi. Usually, paying in Pesos gets you a cheaper rate.
You can rent scooters, bikes, and jeeps/cars as well.
The insurance for car rentals seemed very sketchy. We had booked a car with Hertz, but then once talking to AAA and purchasing insurance it became more and more complicated and expensive.
{Mexican Pesos or US Dollars}
We discovered that the US Dollar is widely taken. If you are taking a taxi or purchasing souvenirs you will probably get a better deal if you offer Pesos. The restaurant menus displayed pesos, but once you received your bill they had the conversion and what they would take in US Dollars. I would suggest getting some of your cash in Pesos before entering into Cozumel.
They have ATMs available but usually with the fees and your bank fees for the conversion can add up. We did it all at my Chase bank before entering into Mexico.
MUST SEES / EATS
Snorkeling – We went with Chac-Choc Tours. We received a deal through our resort, which allowed us to go for $25 per person which was a great deal. It was incredible! The boat came right to the Occidental Grand dock and picked us up. It was about 2 hours long, we went to three reefs (Ceilo-sand bar with all Star Fish!!-, Colombia, Palancar). We saw everything from sting rays to sea turtles to bright and colorful fish & coral. I sadly don’t have many pictures of what we saw or what the reef looked like. And some advice–go to the bathroom beforehand, you can see the bathroom is at the end of the boat…only #1 allowed, yikes. 😉
Zermatt Bakery – You know I’ll find a bakery wherever I go…This lovely place is on the corner of 4th and 5th Avenue. Just one street back from the main road. It had a nice local vibe, with great inexpensive prices. All the pastries and breads were under a dollar! Payment displayed and made in Pesos.
Catamaran/Sailing – The water is so gorgeous in Cozumel. The average temperature of the water is 80 degrees. I had my first ride on a catamaran and if I could bottle up that feeling I WOULD! This was actually included with our resort, we just had to tip the gentleman who taught us the ropes. If I lived on the ocean, this would be my next big purchase! I wish…
Stroll Around San Miguel – The town of San Miguel is really the main hub of Cozumel. It is definitely small, but it’s so bright and cheery. Maybe try to visit the town when the cruise ships are not in town. There are days when there can be up to 6 cruise ships at the port. But be warned that the shops will close early during the off-days of the cruise ships.
Lobster/Margaritas/Ceviche- You have to have some ceviche and a margarita looking over the bay. We tried these two restaurants. On the left, is El Coctelito and they had great ceviche (far north side of town past the Cinco Del Sol shopping area on the main street of Av. General Rafael E Melgar), on the right, Palmeras overlooking the cruise ship docks. Great location and service, food was decent (also on Av. General Rafael E Melgar).
Hope this helps if you ever find your way to Cozumel! I’m always open to questions too, don’t be afraid to comment below!
Happy Adventures,
Erika
Meyer Lemon & Sage Hot Toddy — by Katie at the Kitchen Door
Scones in the Sky 