Cozumel

Cozumel, Mexico

Dubbed "the crown jewel of the Caribbean Sea", Cozumel is sought after as a breezy holiday destination away from the everyday. Known for its magnificent coral reefs and white sandy beaches with pristine waters, this sun-kissed Mexican island offers plenty of outdoor activities: snorkelling and scuba diving take on a whole new dimension here.

Population:

86,215 (2015)

Currency:

Mexican peso ($ / Mex$)
1/100

Mex$1 = USD0.051

Emergency Numbers:

Emergency Number: 911/066

Opening Hours:

Shops generally operate Monday to Sunday from 8am to 7pm with variations by individual shop. Banks run Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.

Cibanco ATM Cajero has a 24-hour ATM just a few strides from the city centre.

Newspapers:

Cozumel 4 You (Newsletters)

The Island

Just south of Cancun and opposite Playa del Carmen, Cozumel is the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean as well as an important cruise ship port. Home to the second-largest barrier reef in the world - the Mesoamerican Reef - Cozumel is a paradise for snorkelling and scuba diving enthusiasts. White, unblemished beaches stretch north to south, east to west, leaving travellers taken with the island's seemingly endless swathes of sand.

The city of San Miguel de Cozumel is the largest city on the island and the right place to get a peek into the mystical Mayan culture and catch a glimpse of Spanish colonial architecture.

Do & See

The fascinating island of Cozumel is a treasure trove for snorkelers and divers who come here to admire the beauty of its underwater world. Boasting 500 different species of fish, 65 different corals, pristine waters, archaeological sites, and white beaches, Cozumel is undoubtedly a must-visit leisure destination in Mexico.

Read on to find out about the best places to snorkel and dive around Cozumel.

Dining

While the main attractions are underwater, Cozumel has much to offer on dry land, too. The cuisine here is mainly a mélange of Mayan/Aztec and Spanish influences, but the tourist boom of the last decades has opened up new horizons and many international chefs have made the island their home, making Italian and French cuisines easy to come by.

Cafes

Mexico is the eighth-largest coffee producer in the world, with much of the coffee harvested in the coastal region of Soconusco in Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala. Coffee plays a significant role in daily life on the island too, with major coffee roasters scattered throughout San Miguel.

The list below shows the most noteworthy coffee shops on Cozumel, where one can savour the exquisite taste of the best Mexican coffee.