5 Best Things To Do In Cozumel, Mexico
If you’re looking for peace, adventure, and beautiful nature, Cozumel, Mexico is the place to be. After spending time Mérida and then Valladolid, Mexico, I found myself longing for the ocean but wanting to avoid large crowds and relentless party people. Passing through Playa del Carmen, I hopped on the ferry and made my way over to a gorgeous island in the Caribbean Sea. There I discovered some of the best things to do in Cozumel, Mexico.
🇲🇽👉️Traveling through Mexico? Check out my guides to Mérida and Valladolid!
Ferry From Playa del Carmen to Cozumel
Before we dive into the best things to do in Cozumel, we must talk about the ferry ride there. If you’re already traveling Mexico, it’s your best transportation option. My partner and I took WinJet because it was a bit cheaper than some of the other ferries but still reliable.
Cozumel Ferry Cost
One ticket per adult person costs 220 Mexican Pesos, or around $10.57 USD. You can buy them at the ferry dock or here online ahead of time. If you know you’ll be in a rush or want to make sure you catch the ferry at a specific hour, I highly recommend getting your tickets online a head of time. The ferry port is a busy and sometimes hectic area. It’s entirely possible to get there day-of and tickets are all sold out! Once you board the ship, the travel time from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel is about 40 minutes.
Looking to stay connected along the way? eSIMs are easy to use and can make planning your travel easier outside of your home country. Take Truely, for example. This eSIM company offers unlimited data in Mexico while using the best local networks. It takes about two minutes to download their app and get your eSIM up and running before you hit the island.
Where To Stay In Cozumel, Mexico
We booked a stay with a local woman that was simple yet complete. She was kind, welcoming, and helped us figure out the best things to do in Cozumel. After splitting our accommodations two ways, each night only costed each of us $10 USD, proving that Cozumel can be budget-friendly.
For those traveling solo or wanting something even cheaper, be sure to check out the various hostels on the island through HostelWorld. For those wanting something more luxurious, compare prices and amenities here for Cozumel through Booking.com. Staying closer to the port means more tourists and higher prices. Staying further away means a quieter and more local experience.
Best Things To Do In Cozumel, Mexico
1. Snorkel “El Cielo” In Cozumel
Cozumel is known for its snorkeling and diving. The great thing about Cozumel is that you can easily rent or buy your own snorkel gear from just about anywhere and head straight to the beach. Most beaches have incredible reefs and sea life bustling very close to the shoreline. But we highly enjoyed a guided tour that took us out to “El Cielo” and other places we wouldn’t have reached on our own.
Guided Snorkel Tours In Cozumel
Our tour was ran by a local company called Compadre Tours and had a fantastic time. When you arrive to Playa del Carmen or Cozumel, you’ll most likely be rushed by folks offering snorkeling/diving tours. To choose in confidence, ask your host or a local which company is best. Speaking Spanish can help you get a more local price, but online you can easily compare snorkeling options and book here ahead of time.
On our snorkeling adventure we ended up seeing dolphins from the boat and stingrays, starfish, fish, and other aquatic beauties in the water. Our day on the sea ended with the sighting of a double rainbow as we pulled back into the dock. A day on the water is a day well spent!
2. Tour Cozumel By Bike
I would honestly go back to Cozumel just experience the bike loop again. Besides my bike tour (partly) across the USA in 2015, I casually bike here and there for fun. So I was a bit nervous about a 40 mile loop on the island. Besides being a little sore afterwords, I felt refresh, energized, and relaxed on our two-wheeled adventure. The famous Cozumel bike loop starts in San Miguel, cuts through town to the other side of the island, and takes you down the glimmering and untouched east coast before bringing you back to the beginning.
If you’re able to bike the loop, do it. It affords the best views of the ocean and coastline with a relaxed and self-paced schedule. The biking trail is right off the coastline, while the regular motorist road is further away and cut off from stunning views of the coastline.
We biked the route on a cloudy day and started around 9:30, leaving a lot of open roads and empty beaches for us to enjoy. Doing the bike loop takes a little bit of planning and it is important to note that in some parts of the East coast of the island there is no running water, cellphone signal, or electricity. Friendly shops, cafes, and restaurants dot the coastline so you are never quite alone and there is almost always a place to hydrate and grab some food nearby.
Where To Rent A Bike In Cozumel
We rented bikes from Best Bikes Cozumel, but you can also check out these e-bike tours by Viator, a trusted travel activity provider. I feel like we hit the jackpot with Best Bikes Cozumel because the bikes were sturdy, comfortable, and affordable. We needed bikes that would hold up and support us on the 40 mile loop, but didn’t need the most expensive rides with fancy gear. Best Bikes Cozumel helped us find bikes that fit us well and the staff members were easy to communicate with. We paid $25 USD for 2 bikes, locks, and helmets for about 8 hours. Be ready to pay in cash and be sure to check the prices online as they are subject to change. Your total cost for the day is dependent on which type of bike you rent. You can also rent snorkel gear to take with you from the shop.
The Top Highlights Of The Bike Loop
My favorite parts of the bike tour included the endless vistas of crystal-clear ocean waters, Bob Marley bar, a wild boar sighting, swimming/snorkeling at Playa Chen Rio, and seeing the crocodiles who reside just across the road from Playa Chen Rio. The cherry on top of the whole day was when we realized that there is a 100% vegan restaurant right across the street from Best Bikes Cozumel that is open until 9 PM. Be sure to stop over and grab a bite after returning your bike and a full day of biking! And with that, let’s explore the food at Cozumel.
Explore The Cozumel Loop By car
If you can’t or don’t want to explore the loop by bike, I highly recommend renting a car, motorbike, or scooter. You can also hire out a taxi for the day to drive the loop, stopping as you please. The East side of the island is unlike anything that I’ve ever seen; the jungle hugs the road and the coastline glitters in a way that ushers in feelings of elation. It was the best part of my Cozumel visit!
3. Tour The Island With Locals
Supporting local businesses is a must, especially in places like Cozumel that are becoming more and more dependent on tourists. Two small tours that are offered on the island are the Mayan cultural tour and Mayan bee tour. We took the “stingless bee” tour in another part of Mexico, and as ethical vegans we still found it fascinating to learn about the current native bee populations and what locals are doing to help support them. (You can always opt out of the honey tasting.)
4. Experience Cozumel’s Lucha Libre Preformance
Experiencing a Lucha Libre performance by authentic Luchadores is high on my bucket list. During your time in Cozumel you can pump up the volume by attending one of their shows. Their energy is electric and costumes vibrant. During the performance you’ll get to know the mythology behind the characters and understand story that binds them together.
5. Explore Cozumel’s Vegan Food
Cozumel is surprisingly vegan-friendly when it comes to food. Although the island can start to seem small after multiple days of adventure, the plant-based food options are expansive. Exploring the vegan-friendly food is a great way to experience local culture, support small businesses, and take your taste buds on the ultimate adventure.
Paradise Vegan
Paradise Vegan was our favorite restaurant on the island. The restaurant is a small space just off of the street with two plastic sets of tables and chairs. The meals are home-cooked, delicious, healthy, creative, and extremely affordable.
There is a different menu each day and one meal usually cost $65 Mexican Pesos, or $3.12 USD. While many places in Mexico serve smaller portion sizes than those in the USA, I never left Paradise Vegan without feeling fully satisfied. In addition to the ‘meal of the day,’ the restaurant also offers fresh juices, horchata, and has a smaller consistent menu that offers things like burritos and burgers.
Cocinando Experiencias
Cocinando Experiencias is the restaurant that I mentioned earlier that is right across the street from the bike shop. From the street you can see a circular sign with the vegan “V”. Take the stairs up and you’ll find yourself in a hostel, but turn left and you’ll see exactly what you’re looking for. This restaurant offers a fun atmosphere and delicious food. They have various sandwiches (they make the plant-based meat and cheese in house – yum!), burritos, smoothies, juices, desserts, and more. I only ate here once but was very glad that I tried cheese sticks as an appetizer.
Nirvana Foods
Nirvana Foods is a 100% vegan grocery store ran by some lovely folks just down the street from Paradise Vegan. The shop owners will even deliver groceries to your door and were very warm with each visit. The grocery store is stocked with specialty vegan meats, cheeses, dry goods, treats, chocolates, nut butters, and more.
They even had a wonderful section for low-waste body products that are hand-made by a local Mexican woman. I bought the face soap and hair conditioner and was extremely impressed by how well they both worked.
