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A Caribbean island off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Cozumel is a sunny, exciting destination to explore! Between its beautiful beaches and crystal-clear ocean water, the range of fun activities available is endless! Fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving are among the most popular things to do when visiting this island escape. One of the biggest attractions to Cozumel is the discovery of beautiful underwater life. While often being compared to the popular destination of Cancun, Cozumel’s neighbor, Cozumel continues to stand out as the most popular cruise stop in Mexico.

Cozumel Pictures

Things to do in Cozumel

When staying at an all-inclusive resort in Cozumel, they typically offer snorkeling, scuba diving, sport-fishing, windsurfing, and all other exciting water activities. The main town and most dive operations are located on the west side of the island, which is much more developed than the east side. A few fun things to do include a dune buggy tour, a personal mini submarine tour, swimming with the dolphins,and a glass bottom boat tour. Aside from great things to do on the water, golf, tennis, and horseback riding are also available in Cozumel. In addition, you can see fascinating Mayan archeological sites located a bit inland at San Gervasio, El Cedral, and Parque Punta Sur.

Nightlife in Cozumel

Every Sunday evening at Plaza del Sol, town residents get together for live concerts, dancing, and authentic food, so this is a great way to bond with the locals! If you are looking for wild nightlife, head to downtown San Miguel, where there are more than one hundred restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and discos. A few popular places worth checking out include Senor Frog’s, La Pura Vida, and Neptuno. The Havana Club is known for live and local Cuban bands.

Dining in Cozumel

You can find many good restaurants located around the downtown, main square area of Cozumel. The theme of most restaurants is informal and relaxed, so prepare to be comfortable and casual. Some specialties of the region include seafood and Yucatecan cuisine, so these are worth tasting. Often, meals come with habanero-pepper sauce on the side, which is made from the hottest pepper in the world- so be careful. Some noteworthy restaurants include Casa Mission, with a great Mexican setting, La Choza, El Capi Navigante, and Senor Frog’s, which is a laid back dining area, bar, and lounge.

Shopping in Cozumel

A very popular place to shop, Cozumel is a great place to purchase nearly anything, but especially jewelry and alcohol. Head to the Avenida Melgar, a great shopping spot, where you can buy hammocks, ceramics, jewelry, and handcrafted Mexican commodities. Silver is cheaper in Cozumel than the U.S., but make sure that it is actually genuine silver. Almost all stores accept U.S. dollars in addition to pesos. Keep in mind that bargaining is expected in most markets, so never settle for the price that something is marked.

Cozumel travel tips

• Be careful that you are not getting scammed when paying to rent cars or scooters to travel around the island.
• A scooter is a great way of exploring the island, but it is important to be very careful when riding them.
• If you have the time for it, venture out of the tourist areas and explore the colorful back streets of San Miguel.