The ferry from Playa del Carmen takes 35 minutes. I stood on the upper deck watching the Yucatan coastline shrink behind me and Cozumel grow ahead — a low green island fringed with white sand, cruise ship terminals poking out from the west coast like industrial piers.
I'd booked four nights at a dive-focused hotel on the north end of San Miguel. No all-inclusive, no resort, just a room with AC, a balcony, and a 2-minute walk to the dive shop. US$85/night. The plan was simple: dive in the morning, explore in the afternoon, eat tacos at night.
The plan worked flawlessly.
Two-tank dive with Deep Blue Cozumel. US$90 including gear. The boat left at 8 AM with 8 divers and two divemasters. Coffee and donuts on the ride out.
The first dive was Palancar Gardens. Cozumel's signature experience is drift diving — the current carries you along the reef wall at a comfortable pace, and the boat follows your bubbles and picks you up downstream. You barely need to fin. It's like flying.
Palancar Gardens has towering coral formations that create tunnels and swim-throughs. I drifted through a gap between two pillars of brain and star coral, emerged into blue water, and a spotted eagle ray glided past about 5 meters below me. Visibility was easily 30 meters. The dive lasted 52 minutes at a max depth of 65 feet.
Second dive: Paradise Reef at 40 feet. Easier, shallower, but densely populated. Spotted moray eels, a juvenile nurse shark, schooling blue tangs in the hundreds. The reef is noticeably healthier than what I've seen at comparable depths in Belize or Honduras.
I rented a scooter from a shop two blocks from my hotel. US$25/day, helmet included. The guy handed me a paper map of the island with an X on it marked "don't swim here" (the east coast). Fair warning.
Drove into San Miguel town center — five blocks inland from the cruise terminal — and found a taqueria with plastic chairs, a handwritten menu, and a woman making tortillas by hand behind the counter. Three fish tacos, each MXN$25 (~US$1.50). Fresh-caught mahi-mahi, cabbage slaw, salsa verde, lime.
I sat there for 30 minutes. These were, and I mean this literally, the best tacos I have ever eaten. Better than Mexico City. Better than LA. Better than anywhere. Three tacos for US$4.50. I went back every day.
Left at 8 AM on the scooter. Headed south through San Miguel, past the cruise terminals, and into the undeveloped southwest.
Punta Sur Eco Beach Park (MXN$240, ~US$14): A nature reserve at the island's southern tip. Climbed the lighthouse for panoramic views. Watched crocodiles in the lagoon. Found a small Mayan shrine dedicated to Ixchel. Snorkeled off the beach for 45 minutes — turtles and parrotfish.
The east coast road opened up after Punta Sur. Wild surf, empty beaches, wind-bent palms. No one. I stopped at Chen Rio Beach — the only safe swimming spot on the east coast, protected by a natural rock formation that creates a calm pool. Ordered ceviche and a Modelo at the beach restaurant. MXN$150 (~US$9) for both.
Coconuts Bar — a ramshackle east coast bar perched on a cliff. Cold beer, ocean views, zero pretension. The kind of place that would get shut down by a health inspector and is infinitely better for it.
Completed the loop by heading north and cutting back to San Miguel through the interior jungle. Total time: 4 hours with stops.
Morning: San Gervasio Mayan Ruins (MXN$124, ~US$7). I hired a guide at the entrance for US$15, which I'd recommend — without context, the ruins are modest stone structures in the jungle. With context, they're a sacred pilgrimage site where Mayan women traveled from across the Yucatan to honor Ixchel. The guide pointed out ceremonial pathways, explained the astronomical alignments, and identified medicinal plants the Maya cultivated.
I was one of maybe 15 visitors. At Chichen Itza, I'd be one of 15,000.
Afternoon: El Cielo boat tour (US$50). A catamaran took us to three snorkel spots and then to the El Cielo sandbar. Knee-deep turquoise water. Starfish — dozens of them — scattered across the sandy bottom like orange ornaments. The colors were almost digitally saturated. I floated on my back and stared at the sky.
Strict rule: do not touch or remove starfish. The boat captain gave a serious speech about this before we entered the water. They die within minutes out of the sea.
Morning: two more dives. Santa Rosa Wall — a dramatic drop-off with barrel sponges the size of armchairs and a Caribbean reef shark that cruised past at depth. Columbia Shallow — a gentle drift over sandy channels with garden eels popping up and down like a living carpet.
Final dive count for the trip: 6. Total diving cost: US$180 (two-tank x 3 mornings). Marine park fee: US$5/day included.
Late lunch at the market in San Miguel: cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork in achiote) in tortillas for MXN$55 (~US$3.25). Then a marquesita — a crispy rolled crepe with Nutella and white cheese — from a street cart for MXN$40 (~US$2.35). Yucatecan street food is its own category and it's exceptional.
Ferry back to Playa del Carmen at 4 PM. The cruise ships were lined up along the Cozumel waterfront, their passengers streaming back aboard. San Miguel was emptying out. The evening version of the island — quiet, local, unhurried — was beginning.
Also worth reading: 21 Tips for Visiting Cozumel That the Cruise Ship Guide for a different perspective on this destination.
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Ferry (round-trip) | US$18 |
| Hotel (4 nights) | US$340 |
| Diving (3 x 2-tank) | US$270 |
| Scooter rental (3 days) | US$75 |
| El Cielo boat tour | US$50 |
| San Gervasio + guide | US$22 |
| Punta Sur | US$14 |
| Food (4 days) | US$80 |
| Total | ~US$869 |
Four days of world-class diving, a Mayan archaeological site, a full island loop, and the best tacos of my life — for under $900. Cozumel earns its reputation.
If you're exploring more of Mexico, Cancun offers a completely different experience worth considering.
If you're exploring more of Mexico, Tulum offers a completely different experience worth considering.
If you're exploring more of Mexico, Isla Holbox offers a completely different experience worth considering.
Already have my dates booked. Different hotel, same dive shop, same taqueria. Some things don't need to change.
