Cozumel was our final stop on our 3 week stay in Mexico. Safe to say that it was one of our highlights thanks to the amazing snorkeling and scuba diving the island has to offer.

We truly enjoyed every second we spent on this island (and below sea-levels 🙂 ), and are hoping for another visit in the near future.

Getting from Playa Del Carmen to Cozumel

Getting from Playa Del Carmen to Cozumel is a 30 minute ferry ride. There are 2 ferries (Winjet & Ultramar) that transport people back and forth between Play del Carmen and Cozumel. A ferry from either company runs every hour so we decided to purchase our tickets for the next available ferry (in our case it was Winjet) at the ferry station in Playa del Carmen. We had no problem getting on the next available ferry, but if you’re sure of your departure time, you can purchase your tickets in advance.

Tickets cost MXN 235 each (one way). 

Snorkeling in Cozumel

Snorkeling in Cozumel was made extremely easy for us through the rental of a scooter. Having a scooter allowed us to move around easily and hop from one spot to the next. 

Our hotel receptionist arranged the rental of our scooter. It cost us MXN 400 for one day which included roadside assistance but no insurance.

Money Bar

Money Bar was our first snorkeling stop in Cozumel. The beach club has a restaurant and a terrace with deck chairs right on the seafront. While entrance was free, we felt it was only fair to eat at the restaurant. Food was OK but snorkeling was great! Crystal clear waters, coral reefs, and a lot of marine life is all you can really ask for, and this spot offered it all. It wasn’t crowded or super busy either.

SkyReef

SkyReef was another snorkeling spot which certainly did not disappoint. Similar to Money Bar, SkyReef is a restaurant / bar with easy access to the beach – the atmosphere is nice if you just want to have a drink by the beach too. Deck chairs are available to use for free as long as you purchase something at the bar and/or restaurant. Snorkeling was great! Beautiful coral, sea fans, sponges and various types of tropical fish made this spot an awesome stop. 

Scuba Diving in Cozumel

Our center of choice for all our dives in Cozumel was Barefoot Dive Center. We went on a total of 4 dives over 2 days. Our days typically started with us showing up at the dive center at around 08:45, picking up our gear, transportation to the dock, and boarding our boat which would take us to our dive sites.

How much does it cost to scuba dive in Cozumel?

2 dives per day cost us MXN 2,271 each excluding tip. This includes gear, instructors, transport, lunch, and 2 boat dives.

Dive sites in Cozumel

The 4 dive sites we visited over 2 days were:

• Palancar Bricks (26 meters)
• Yucab Reef (17 meters)
• Palancar Gardens (22 meters)
• Tormentos Reef (17 meters)

Our first dive started off on the right foot as we spotted dolphins on the way to the dive site. We stopped and were allowed to jump in and snorkel with the intention of getting a better look. Got a quick glimpse of the dolphins but yeah, they’re fast!

During our dives we saw a variety of marine life including a Spotted Eagle Ray, Stingrays, a turtle, lobsters, groupers, and more. Time spent underwater ranged from 40 minutes to 52 minutes (this of course depends on the experience levels of the group you’re diving with).

All dives were incredible, and the photos do not get close to doing them justice.

Things to do in Cozumel

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling were certainly our highlights. There are however other things which we enjoyed in Cozumel. Again, having a scooter did make things easy for us as we drove around the island.

Bar Miami

This little bar was unfortunately barely operating when we visited due to high winds. Despite not getting the full experience, it was extremely evident that this bar offered a laid back and rustic vibe. The bar is in fact quite popular with visitors who want to get away from the main and popular spots. 

El Mirador

El Mirador is a cool scenic point on Cozumel’s south-eastern coast. It’s worth the stop especially if you’re driving the island loop. A few souvenir selling vendors can be found here.

Playa Chen Rio

This was also a quick stop along the island loop. Playa Chen Rio is a public beach on the East side of the island which is also popular with people coming off cruise liners. It was too windy to really spend any significant time here but worth a stop.

Coconuts

Coconuts bar is another popular island loop destination. We really didn’t see what the whole fuss was about to be honest. If it wasn’t for the views, we’d pretty much compare the service and vibe to any other bar in Playa Del Carmen.

Benito Juarez Park

This wasn’t part of the island loop but rather a park which we visited close to where we were staying. This is one of the attractions closest to where cruise liners disembark so it’s as touristy as it gets. Souvenir stores, shady restaurants and bars aside, it’s a nice park.

Where to eat in Cozumel

Aquí + Ahora Coffee

This was our favorite spot. Vegetarian Ramen, Veggie Poke Bowl and their Chocolate Chip Cookies were the best!

Cocinando Experiencias

Try their Coral Burger and sweet potatoes.

La Monina

Go there for the sunset views, stay for the pizza.