Cozumel Family Vacation Resorts

Cozumel, a Caribbean island 19 km (12 mi) east of the Quintana Roo coast, is Mexico’s largest island with a territorial extension of 260 square miles. The average temperature is 26º C (79º F) and the climate is warm and humid, with strong rainfall in the summer.

The island is covered with lush jungle vegetation and surrounded by rocky coastlines, white-sand beaches, lagoons and mangroves. The waters encircling the island have an impressive group of coral reefs that are part of the Great Mayan Reef, the second largest reef system in the world.

Marine reserves of great ecological importance, such as Parque Marino Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel (Cozumel National Reef Marine Park) and Parque Natural Chankanaab (Chankanaab Nature Park), were created to protect areas with a wide diversity of marine life, and they have drawn the attention of researchers and marine biologists such as Jacques Cousteau. Moreover, they are great places to do scuba diving and ecotourism outings.

The island’s only town is San Miguel de Cozumel, which has a relaxed Caribbean atmosphere and Mexico’s most important international cruise dock. Tourists flock to Cozumel looking for the peace, quiet and comfort that the island’s hotel zone offers. During your stay, you can also enjoy excellent golf courses, spas, and restaurants serving up a wide array of regional fish and seafood dishes. And of course there’s the thriving nightlife in the bars, where one can drink with new friends under a moonlit sky.

Famous Beaches in the Island

Along the island’s coastline you’ll find white-sand beaches and the beautiful turquoise-blue sea. In the warm waters off the coast of the northern and southern hotel zone, you’ll find numerous places to do various aquatic activities.

Playa San Francisco
Located on the southern coast, 14 km (8.7 mi) from the town of San Miguel. Here you can enjoy a classic Caribbean beach with fine white sand and gentle waves. This beach is a stopover point for glass-bottom boats that tour the coast. These boats give you an excellent view of the coral banks below.

Playa de San Juan
Located in the northern hotel zone, 5 km (3 mi) from the island’s city center. With its white-sand beach and calm waters, this spot is ideal for horseback riding, playing tennis and excursions.

Playa Encantada
Located on the southern tip of the island near Punta Celarain. From its lighthouse, you can take in a breathtaking view of Playa Encantada. About 4 km (2.5 mi) from here lies El Caracol archaeological zone, which probably was once an observatory that the ancient Mayans used to predict the arrival of hurricanes and storms.

Playa Santa Maria
Located in the southern region of the Chankanaab Lagoon, about 25 km (15 mi) from the town of San Miguel. The beach is dotted with palm trees, allowing you to enjoy a relaxing, shady day in the sand and escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Playa Bonita
Located at Rancho Ixpalbarco near the Colombia Lagoon on the island’s east coast. This exclusive private beach has limited access and an isolated cove that invites you to spend a pleasant and peaceful day, far removed from civilization.

Playa Hernan
Located near the ruins of Parador Turistico de San Gervasio. This beach has two small islands off the coast and El Castillo Real, the island’s largest pre-Hispanic construction.

Isla de la Pasion
Located north of San Miguel. This is a small and peaceful island with beautiful beaches and an abundance of birds. Its estuaries are a turtle and crocodile habitat. The coast is accessible if you have a small boat.

Culture

Arts & Crafts:
The crafts you’ll find on the island are similar to the ones you’ll find in other Mayan regions. Local artisans make a wide array of products such as huipiles (blouses with handmade trimming), wood sculptures, handwoven hats, diverse trinkets made from seashells, and imitation pre-Hispanic figurines with stone settings. You can buy these items at the Mercado Municipal in the town of San Miguel or at various shops along the boardwalk

Museums:  
Cozumel has interesting museums in which you can learn more about the island’s and the southeastern region’s history and cultural development.

Museo de la Isla de Cozumel – Located on the boardwalk off Avenida Rafael Melgar, at Calle 6 Norte. This interactive museum has four showrooms with various historical exhibits, ecological displays of the region’s flora and fauna, as well as pieces focusing on the development of ancient and modern Mayan culture. Open daily from 9:00 to 5:00.

Museo de Instrumentos Musicales – This museum houses an important collection of Pre-Hispanic and mestizo musical instruments, as well as other instruments from other parts of the world. It also has an audio library and an extensive collection of books. Open daily from 10:00 to 6:00. Located on Calle 2 Norte.

Museo del Buceo – This diving museum has an interesting display of photos depicting the island’s beautiful underwater world. There is also an exhibition of objects related to scuba diving and a shell collection of different sizes and shapes. Open daily from 10:00 to 6:00. Located in Parque Natural Chankanaab, 9 km (5.5 mi) from San Miguel.

Archeology:
Cozumel has beautiful archaeological sites that are well worth visiting, including one that was once an ancient Mayan ceremonial center.

Parador Turistico de San Gervasio – Located 17 km (10.5 mi) east of San Miguel. This Mayan archaeological zone has various groups of buildings that were built in distinct eras. The structures were used for housing, religious and political purposes. Currently, only three groups of buildings are open to the public: Manitas, Plaza Central and Murcielagos. Open daily from 7:00 to 5:00.

Reserva Ecologica Parque Punta Sur – Located on the island’s southern coast, 30 km (18 mi) from the town of San Miguel. Has virgin beaches and wonderful jungle landscape, such as mangroves, marshes and dunes. Here you can visit the archaeological ruins of El Caracol, which were ancient Mayan worshipping grounds. You can also see an observatory that was probably used by the island’s villagers to predict the arrival of hurricanes and storms.

Entertainment & Dining

Shopping:
Like any top-notch tourist zone, Cozumel offers various places to go shopping. If you’re looking for a traditional market for souvenirs or more expensive items like jewelry, we recommend that you visit the Mercado Municipal, located five blocks from the pier. You’ll also find numerous shops along the boardwalk offering their merchandise at the best prices, such as Cinco Soles. On Avenida Melgar, you’ll find stores selling swim wear and accessories for water sports, as well as other shops that have crafts, perfumes and other merchandise at reasonable prices

Dinning:
In Cozumel, much like in the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula, the cuisine is widely diverse thanks to the blending of indigenous and European influences. The traditional fare in the state of Quintana Roo is fish and seafood dishes, such as sea bass, red snapper, lobster and sea snails. The dishes are prepared with various spices and chili peppers commonly used in Quintana Roo cooking. During your stay, you can also try delicious Yucatecan favorites such as cochinita pibil (a marinated pork dish), chocolomo (a seasoned veal dish) and papadzules (enchiladas bathed in pumpkin seed sauce).

For several decades now Cozumel has been considered an ideal place to scuba dive. In its waters you can see countless schools of angelfish and parrotfish, as well as sponges and manta rays that inhabit the Great Mayan Reef. The reef system is the second largest in the world, spanning from Isla Mujeres to Costa Rica. In Cozumel’s National Reef Marine Park you’ll find 25 reefs where you can scuba dive, some of which are excellent spots for novice divers due to the calm waters.

Main Reefs in the Cozumel

Palancar - Located in Parque Marino Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, 13 km (8 mi) south of San Miguel and 2 km (1.2 mi) off the coast. It has one of the island’s most visited reefs with depths ranging from 6 to 37 meters (20 to 122 feet). Here you can also do cave diving, as it has some spectacular caverns and impressive abysses that will put your endurance to the test and let your imagination run wild.

San Francisco - Located in Parque Marino Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel on the southern part of the island, 11 km (7 mi) from San Miguel and 2 km (1.2 mi) off the coast. One of the main sights at this place is a vertical wall encrusted with coral and large, yellow, tube-shaped sponges. For the best view, the recommended depths range from 18 to 37 meters (60 to 122 feet). As you follow the wall downward, it begins to slope gently and it becomes bright green, at which point you might be able to spot some large manta rays.

Santa Rosa - Located in Parque Marino Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, 9 km (5.5 mi) from San Miguel and about 2 km (1.2 mi) off the coast. Here you can scuba dive at average depths of 15 to 24 meters (50 to 80 feet). At one point, the reef here drops off into a huge abyss. As you descend, some of the wall’s apertures provide shelter from the currents. Along the wall, you’ll find various caves that house sea fans and large sponges.

Paraiso Bajo - Located in Parque Marino Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, 3 km (nearly 2 mi) from San Miguel and about 2 km (1.2 mi) off the coast. This barrier reef begins at the Caleta Lagoon in the north and runs parallel to the coast until reaching the Terminal Maritima del Sureste pier. Here you can scuba dive at depths ranging from 20 to 30 meters (66 to 100 feet).

Paraiso Norte - Located in Parque Marino Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, 2 km (1.2 mi) from San Miguel and about 2 km (1.2 mi) off the coast. At this spot you can dive at a maximum depth of 14 meters (46 feet), making it ideal for beginners. Here you’ll find long reefs that run parallel to the coast with coral, sponges measuring 2 meters (6.6 meters) in diameter, and schools of bright blue fish.

Paraiso Sur - Located in Parque Marino Nacional Arrecfies de Cozumel, 5 km (3 mi) from San Miguel and 2 km (1.2 mi) off the coast. This spot has two barrier reefs, each stretching about 500 meters (1,650 feet). In these waters, you can spot angelfish, longspine squirrelfish and sea cucumbers. It has a maximum depth of 14 meters (46 feet), which is ideal for novices.

Balones de Chankanaab – Located in Parque Marino Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, about 9 km (5.5 mi) from the city center and 2 km (1.2 mi) off the coast. This reef, which is more than 14 meters (46 feet) deep, gets it name (The Balls of Chankanaab) from the many round coral formations found in its waters. Here you’ll find crags measuring 4 to 10 meters (14 to 33 feet) with abundant cavities full of marine life such as lobsters, eels and manta rays. Maximum depths range from 18 to 21 meters (60 to 70 feet).

Parque Natural Chankanaab - Located at the Chankanaab Lagoon on the southeastern part of the island, 9 km (5.5 mi) from the town of San Miguel. This protected area has a body of water that is connected to the sea by an underground tunnel. At this place you’ll find numerous coral reefs and an underwater statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Offered as part of the park’s services, you can take diving classes with licensed instructors. You can also do snorkeling, which allows you to explore underwater gardens at a shallow depth. Open daily from 7:00 to 5:00.

Reserva Ecologica Parque Punta Sur - Located on the island’s southern coast, 30 km (18 mi) from the town of San Miguel. Has virgin beaches and wonderful jungle landscape, such as mangroves, marshes and dunes. At these reefs you can find coral formations such as the so-called Tormentos and you can spot sea bass and eels at depths ranging from 10 to 18 meters (33 to 60 feet). Here you can also see the famous Garganta de Diablo, a cave that lies 15 meters (50 feet) below the surface and leads to an incredible abyss that is 40 meters (132 feet) deep. Open daily from 9:00 to 5:00.

GOLFING

In Cozumel you’ll find world-class professional golf courses surrounded by the island’s unique natural beauty. All of the courses offer fine services, comfort and exclusivity.

Cozumel Country Club – Located at Km 6.5 off the Costera Norte Highway. Designed by the Nicklaus Design Group, this country club has a 10-hole, par-72 course. Tel. (987) 872-9570 www.cozumelcountryclub.com.mx

Playa Azul Golf and Beach – Located at Km 4 off the San Juan Highway in the northern part of the hotel zone. Designed by the Nicklaus Design Group, it has a 10-hole, par 72-course. Tel. (987) 872-0033 and (987) 872-0043 www.playaazul.com

Melia Golf and Beach – Located at Km 5.8 off the Costera Norte Highway. Designed by the Nicklaus Design Group, this club has a 10-hole, par-72 course. Tel. (987) 872-9870

Minigolf Cozumel – Located at the corner of Calle 1 and Avenida 15. This is an 18-hole miniature golf course. Open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm and Sunday from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Tel. (987) 872-6570

BOATING

Cozumel has a port with optimal infrastructure and top-rate services for boating. Not only does it receive cruise liners coming from South America, North America and Europe, but it also provides docking for yachts, sailboats and other private boats that navigate off the Caribbean coast in search of adventures.