Overview: The island of Cozumel is Mexico’s largest island, and is
located 12 miles (19km) off the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan
Peninsula, opposite the resort Playa del Carmen. It has exceptional
coral gardens and spectacular reef drop-offs offering legendary
snorkelling and the best diving in Mexico, ranking as one of the
top five dive destinations in the world. The west coast of the
island is where the majority of development has taken place and is
where the town of San Miguel is situated. Due to the island’s
popularity with wealthy day visitors from the passing cruise ships,
the town is packed with pricey shops, restaurants and bars, as well
as the dozens of dive shops. Cozumel is a favourite destination for
divers and non-divers alike, offering some good beaches, crystal
clear water and plenty of sunshine. Its ease of access to the
mainland also makes day excursions to some of the popular Mayan
sites, like Chichén Itzá, possible.
Shopping: San Miguel is a duty-free zone, and there are hundreds of stores
selling most things. The cruise ship passenger terminal at Punta
Langosta Pier has a variety of shops, but these are among the
islands most expensive, catering to day visitors with little time
and lots of money. Prices decrease the further away from the docks
one ventures. The waterfront shopping zone stretches to La Plaza
behind which there is a craft market. For groceries, there are a
few food stores, as well as the Cozumel Market on Adolfo Rosado
Salas where one can buy fresh seafood, spices and fruit and
vegetables.
Restaurants: Cozumel offers food of every kind from local Mexican, to
international and fast food franchises like Burger King. Casa Denis
is one of the oldest and most popular restaurants in town featuring
a variety of Mexican cuisine, and La Choza Restaurant and El Turix
are other authentic Mexican food favourites. For seafood try
Conchita, Shrimp Bucket and Acuario Restaurant, which is on the
water, or Guido's and Alfredo di Roma for Italian. Fresh gourmet
French cuisine can be had at Especias Restaurant on 5 Street.
Nightlife: Although there is a wide variety of night time entertainment on
offer, things tend to begin and end earlier in Cozumel compared to
the rest of Mexico. The most popular disco is Neptuno, while
Carlos´n Charlie´s is popular with party animals.
Lounge bars include Tequila Lounge and Ambar Lounge where drinks
can be enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere.
Activities: Diving and snorkelling are Cozumel's main attractions and its
surrounding reefs and clear waters have earned it the reputation as
one of the top dive destinations in the world. Hotels offer a
variety of watersports, and activities such as deep sea fishing and
swimming with dolphins are also available. Tours to the Mayan ruins
of Chichén Itzá and Tulum on the mainland are also
popular.
Negatives: Cozumel is a cruise ship destination, and is popular with
wealthy day visitors, which has driven the prices of shops,
restaurants and bars to among the highest on the Yucatan Peninsula.
The island becomes swamped daily by day visitors from passing
cruise ships and San Miguel can be quite crowded.
Attractions
ChichénItzá : The Mayan people are most well known for their advanced
knowledge and brilliance regarding astrology, as well as for their
incredible resilience. The stone remnants of their civilisation can
be found spread throughout Mexico and Central America.
Chichén Itzá, with its famous pyramids and temples,
is the Yucatán's most visited ancient Mayan site, set in the
jungle and said to have been inhabited for more than 2,000 years.
It was the centre of political, economic and military power, and
controlled trade in the region. The main attraction is the Pyramid
of Kukulkán (the plumed serpent god), or El Castillo, a
grand pyramid topped by a temple that dominates the site. Each side
has a stairway and the top affords excellent views over the area.
Inside the pyramid is a smaller pyramid, the inner sanctum,
containing one of the greatest finds on the site, the brilliant red
jaguar throne with jade spots, inlaid eyes and real jaguar teeth.
During the spring and autumn equinoxes (21 March and 21 September)
an exceptional spectacle occurs, lasting for a few hours, that
leaves crowds open-mouthed with wonder as the rippling shadows form
the illusion of a snake slithering down the staircase. The shadows
seem attached to the great serpent's heads at the foot of the main
stairway. Another building of interest is El Caracol (The Giant
Conch Snail), an observatory with slits in the dome aligned with
certain astronomical appearances at specific dates. On the far side
of the site, reached by a causeway, is the Sacred Cenote, a huge
natural well into which human sacrifices and other offerings were
thrown to please the gods. Many other temples, platforms and an
impressive ball court, are components of the ancient city, a site
of enormous proportions, featuring many columns and intricate
carvings, statues and reliefs.
Transport: Bus services from Cancún or Playa del Carmen (2.5hrs by bus);
Opening time: Daily from 8am to 5pm
Travel Companies
Guerba specialise in hiking and overland adventure travel in
Mexico. UK departures only.
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