What Is Cozumel? A Guide to Mexico’s Caribbean Island
One town, one sheltered coast of reefs, one wild coast of surf: how Mexico’s largest Caribbean island fits together.
Cozumel
Mexico’s largest Caribbean island: one town, a sheltered coast of villas and protected reefs, and a wild windward shore.
Cozumel is Mexico’s largest Caribbean island, a flat limestone island off Playa del Carmen with one town, San Miguel, a calm western coast of villas and dive sites, and a wild, largely empty windward shore. The reefs off its southwest are protected as the Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
It is an island for people who want to be in the water: snorkeling from the villa ladder, drift diving along protected walls, or simply swimming in clear sea. Our guides start with how the island fits together, then where to stay, how to get there and how to plan the water days.
Start here
How the island, its town, its two coasts and its reefs fit together, and who Cozumel suits.
Quick facts
- State
- Quintana Roo
- Size
- About 48 by 16 km
- Town
- San Miguel de Cozumel
- Airport
- CZM, on the edge of San Miguel
- From the mainland
- Ferry from Playa del Carmen, under an hour
- Reefs
- Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, declared 1996
- Hurricane season
- June to November
Plan your trip
Where to Stay in Cozumel: Town, North or South
San Miguel for walking, the north for calm condos, the south for oceanfront villas near the reefs: how Cozumel’s areas compare.
Getting to Cozumel: Direct Flights or the Ferry
Fly straight to the island, or land in Cancún and cross by ferry: how to choose, and what each route really takes.
Diving and Snorkeling in Cozumel: A Planning Guide
Drift dives along protected walls, reefs off the villa ladder, and how to plan the water days around the weather.
How Luxury Vacation Rental Rates Work—and What Your Quote Should Include
A price for your dates, a “from” rate or a rate confirmed on request: what each one means for villas, chalets and other luxury vacation homes—and what your written quote should include before you pay.
Staying in a private villa
Browse villas in Cozumel (opens in a new tab)
The publisher has an ownership interest in this rental business.