ABOUT COZUMEL
International destination since 1961
How to get to the Island of Cozumel?
We have an international airport with direct flights from the US, Canada, Europe and Mexico.
It is also possible to get via ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel. There are currently two shipping lines that offer trips every hour.
Some airlines that fly to Cozumel:
HOW TO GET TO THE HOTEL
Private or shared taxis can be taken from the airport or the pier. It is also possible to rent a car.
COZUMEL
Named Ah-Cuzamil-Peten (Island of Swallows) by its first inhabitants, Cozumel is the largest and most populous island in Mexico, immersed in tranquility and charm that makes it the best destination for diving.
Documentary filmmaker Jaques Cousteau put its magnificent first-class reefs on the map, making it an international diving destination since 1961. It is literally a pool of ideal diving sites — nearly 100 locations have been identified around Cozumel, and at least a dozen of them are low enough for snorkeling.
Great news! Isla Cozumel has received the Safe to Travel seal, granted by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). This seal certifies that our Island has global health and hygiene protocols. What are you waiting to visit us?
ORIENTATION
Isla Cozumel, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, measures 53 kilometers (33 mi) from 14 km (9 mi) and is 71 kilometers (44 mi) away south of Cancun. It is also 19 km (12 mi) off the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The only town on the island, San Miguel de Cozumel, is easy to explore on foot. Your way in front of the sea is Avenida Rafael Melgar, along with it, to the south of the main ferry dock (the “Fiscal Dock”), you will find a narrow sandy beach. Plaza del Sol, the island’s main square, is right in front of the pier.
The ancient Mayan ruins, located in the north and south of the island, are worth visiting. The best beaches, Playas San Francisco and Palancar start 14 km (9 mi) south of San Miguel, while the coral reefs are off the southern coast of the island. Much of the eastern and northeastern region is s4WD territory, thus offering a great opportunity for a getaway that is as full as it is peaceful.
ATTRACTIONS
PALANCAR REEF
This reef (Palancar Reef) has impressive formations and a horseshoe of coral heads provides some of the deepest depths with the most spectacular visibility: 70m (230ft).
These features make underwater photographers delight and an unparalleled opportunity to document the reef’s natural beauties. The surrounding water is approximately 24 m (80 ft) deep, ideal for deep-sea diving professionals. In addition, the north end of the reef, called Jardines de Palancar also offers unrivaled beauties, for example its caverns and various brilliant creatures of the colored sea.
The Palancar reef areas are very popular, so its highly praised coral is always vulnerable to attack, so it must be preserved and protected among all. To get to this paradise, which is more than a kilometer offshore, you can sign up for a one-day trip or rent a boat from a travel agency.
EL CEDRAL
In the century XIX this building was a prison; They are the oldest ruins on the island, dating back to 800 AD. C. Although not visible at first glance, it is the most accessible of the ruins of Cozumel, it is 3.5 kilometers (2 mi) along a paved road that heads one or two kilometers south of the highway to the left. access to Playa San Francisco.
The old structure is the size of a small house, so keep your eyes open and you will discover it. El Cedral is also believed to have been an important ceremonial center, today there is a small stucco church next to it.
CHANKANAAB
This park offers snorkeling of the highest quality and sea diving and swimming in a pool or in the sea with dolphins, good food, exotic drinks and much more. It is located 9 km south of the island of Cozumel. It is the largest monument to nature, designated as a national park in 1980 for the protection, refuge, and protection of marine flora and fauna.
Chankanaab Park lagoon has an interesting very ancient history, once occupied by Mayan settlements and possibly a haven for pirates. The word Chankanaab comes from the Mayan words, Han (small) and Kanaab ( sea or ocean ). Visitor services include parking, customer service, wheelchairs, sand, toilets accessible to people with different abilities, showers, lockers, beach volleyball court, hammocks and deck chairs to relax, children’s area, playground, and the covered beach areas to enjoy the sand and the pristine sea, free snorkeling guided every hour through our dealers, free guided tour of our pre-Hispanic area every hour as well as a dolphin observatory.
SAN MIGUEL DE COZUMEL
The only town on the Island of Cozumel is San Miguel de Cozumel, where you will find restaurants, bars, duty-free shops, handicrafts, travel agencies, banks, and other amenities. Perfectly equipped to cope with the global influx, you can enjoy the gastronomic offer that ranges from seafood, Mediterranean food to local food such as the grilled chicken-mesquite dish.
The Avenida Rafael Melgar boardwalk, generally full of cruise ship tourists, offers a vibrant ride for its visitors. Plaza Del Sol, the main square of the city, is a popular place to go out and observe passers-by, especially on Sunday nights, when all the inhabitants come out to soak up the atmosphere of joy.
COZUMEL ISLAND MUSEUM
Conceived as an ecological information and education tool, the museum provides young and old with knowledge about preserving the balance of its fragile ecosystems. A geographical overview of the history of Cozumel is offered in four exhibition rooms. Services include bilingual guides, permanent and temporary exhibition hall for local and international artists, bookstore, library, restaurant with ocean views, Wi-Fi and sanitary services.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Royal Castle
About 17 km (11 mi) from the Transversal Highway – along the same road that leads to Punta Molas – are the Mayan ruins known as El Castillo Real. The archaeological site, as well as the Hike-in ruins a few kilometers from Aguada Grande, are among the oldest in the region.
The Celarain Lighthouse, the Ecological Reserve
Located 27 km down the road south of the coast, this destination is an ecological reserve that contains a wide variety of natural wonders. It is about 1,113 hectares that offer the conservation and preservation of 5 ecosystems. The Celarain Lighthouse was originally the lighthouse keeper’s home. Currently, it is a museum dedicated to navigation with five exhibition rooms that show both Mayan navigators and sea buccaneers, as well as accounting for various navigation signs and has a sample on the way of life of the lighthouse keepers in the 1930s.
The highlight of this park are the beautiful beaches, home, and sanctuary of sea turtles, as well as to relax in deckchairs or hammocks, the Colombia Sur lagoon is ideal for birdwatching and mangroves, it has internal transportation to learn the history from Cozumel and reach the crocodile observation towers.
Services include access to the interior of the lighthouse and its top to enjoy panoramic views of the area, transportation, and a walk along the 40-minute catamaran ecological reserve to meet and appreciate the flora and fauna of the region (subject to climatic conditions), bilingual guides and health services.
San Gervasio, Mayan archaeological site
We invite you to witness the Mayan culture and its mysteries at the most important site on the Island of Cozumel: San Gervasio. Originally it was a sacred sanctuary offered to the goddess Ixchel, goddess of fertility and love, a mandatory destination for Mayan women, who had to visit it once in their life. During the post-classical period (1200 to 1500 years) it became the largest and most important site on the island for trade and politics in the area.
The original name is believed to have been “Tan Tun” (meaning on rock ) found in a specific part in Chilam de Chumayel.
It takes its current name from agriculture and the San Gervasio cattle ranch, founded by Don Gervasio Novelo, on September 14, 1858. In the central square, there are the most important temples, nine buildings that form a closed courtyard with the roads connecting with other squares.
