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Road Trip Around Cozumel

Road trips are a fun way to explore a new, or even old, destination. And a road trip around Cozumel off the coast of Mexico is a great way to see more than just its famous beaches. With a town bustling with tourist traps, Mayan ruins, a lighthouse on the southern tip, and an eastern coast that would make pirates reconsider a life at sea, Cozumel was the perfect place to get out and explore on an island road trip.

Tom and I prefer to set our own path and discover places in our own way. I had my heart set on exploring the entire island of Cozumel (or at least what’s been paved), so we boarded the ferry from the mainland, landed in San Miguel, the major town of Cozumel, and headed to the car rental place for our own island adventure.

 

We rented a compact car for the afternoon drive. Compact is exactly what we got. No power steering, power windows, power locks… No power at all. Tom had to drive because I couldn’t turn the wheel. Not that I complained. It means I get to look at the scenery. We headed south around the one main road of the island.

Compact car equipped with….nothing.

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West Side

Most of the west coast of Cozumel is occupied by resorts because of the calm waters and white sandy beaches. The west also has some of the best dive sites in the world with crystal clear waters almost 90 feet deep. One of the best nature parks I’ve ever visited, Chankanaab National Park has fantastic snorkeling, beautiful beaches, wild iguanas plus a dolphin encounter. A 15 minute taxi ride from San Miguel and $21 entrance fee is all it takes for a great day of fun. It’s well worth it!

Hat salesman on Cozumel's west side beaches.

Central

Always looking for the road less traveled, we drove into the central part of the island looking for Mayan ruins. The paved road ended, and we followed a packed dirt road into the interior, past local houses and kitchy souvenir and food stands. It was obvious it was set up for ATV tours. There weren’t any signs, so after we reached what looked like the central meeting center, we followed the most worn road further on.

And then it rained.

Not just pitter, patter. This was a downpour. The road turned to rivers of mud, and as badly as I wanted to keep going, the car was not going to make it. Doing a U-turn on a one lane dirt road with deep ditches on either side in the rain was our workout for the day. We had to get out several times and push the car to get it unstuck. After an hour, we were back on the paved highway, and more than happy to stay there. Obviously, no Mayan ruins for us.

South Point

Lighthouse at the Southern tip of Cozumel island

The Southern tip of the island was what really intrigued me to take this little road trip. Punta Sur Eco Beach Park encompasses the entire Southern tip of Cozumel, and is home to a crocodile swamp and sea turtle nesting area. There’s a beautiful and well-kept lighthouse, Faro Celarain that we climbed for spectacular views of the park and sea. The lighthouse also houses a museum on the Mayan and pirate history of Cozumel.

Museum display of old Mayan temple and boat transportation at the lighthouse in Cozumel.

Though I was intrigued by this area, once I got there, I was very disheartened. If I have to pay to go into a park, I expect the sea turtle nesting beaches to be free of debris. Unfortunately, all the sea garbage gets swirled into the southern tip by the the two bodies of water coming together.

Trash on the beach in Cozumel, Mexico

 

 

East Side

The east side is nothing like the west side. While the west side is choked with resorts capitalizing on the calm waters, the east side is wild, rocky and undeveloped.

Rocky coastline on the east side of Cozumel, Mexico

We stopped for lunch at Coconuts, a colorful place on a small incline looking out over the blue sea. T-shirts, license plates and scribbled notes covered the roof, pillars and any other possible surface. The food was good, what you would find at any beach bar. The water crashing against the rugged coastline was spectacular.

Coconuts Restaurant on the east side of Cozumel, Mexico

Funny Story

When we first pulled in to the restaurant parking, there were two men directing the cars on where to park. This was a scam. We followed their point, and ended up burying the front tires halfway in soft sand. We looked at each other and knew we had been had. One of the guys said, “don’t worry, we will help you get out.”

After lunch we came back and guess what? His cousin was there with a cart full of souvenirs. “Take a look. My cousin give you great deal.” We knew we had to buy something, so I picked a cascade of shells and Tom chose a stone shaped like a gator for a friend. True to his word (after we bought stuff), he helped push the car out of the sand and we were on our way. Our cascade of shells now hangs proudly in our bathroom as a reminder of a our local interaction.

Shell decoration we were conned into buying in Cozumel

North

The paved road back to San Miguel was a straight shot across the island. The north side has more Mayan ruins, and a few tourist traps like the Tequila Factory. After our little off road fiasco ealier in the day, we weren’t really feeling adventurous.  A 4-wheel vehicle or boat would be better options to explore the true northern part of the island.

Our little excursion took less than half a day. If you don’t stop anywhere, it takes 45 minutes to drive around the island. Our adventure including getting stuck in the interior, exploring the southern point, lunch and being tricked into buying useless souvenirs took less than 4 hours, which left plenty of time to explore San Miguel.

San Miguel, Cozumel

San Miguel ferry entrance in Cozumel, Mexico

Cozumel is best known for snorkeling and diving its coral reefs and clear waters, but if you choose not to go in the water you can still enjoy the land activities on the island.  Many excursions are offered such as ATV and jeep tours. The town itself has grown from a few bars into an exuberant tourist mecca filled with chain and specialty restaurants, souvenir shops, a serene park square and an endless line of hotels and boat tours.

Shopping street in Cozumel

Cozumel can be reached by a 45-minute ferry ride from Playa del Carmen.  It also has its own airport and is a major cruise ship port.  There’s only one taxi company on Cozumel and they have a rate chart to different destinations on the island.

If you decide to rent a car and explore on your own, let me know what you experienced. There’s definitely areas I would like to explore more!

 

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5 Comments

  1. Cozumel looks like a wonderful adventure, Tiffany. The photos you included were so nice! The inclusion of how to get there with the ferry ride from Playa del Carmen and the taxi information is super helpful information as somebody that hasn’t visited and is not too familiar with transportation and getting back and forth in Mexico.

    Oh no! that’s too bad about the scam, but definitely something I could see myself being prone to too, and at the very least it sounds like you at least came out with a story from it! The shells are a cute touch, and I’m glad the vehicle did get out of the sand safely.

    The South side and the beautiful lighthouse as well as the East side of Cozumel in particular and the rocks and water look so beautiful! I think you really did a good job in explaining the differences of the area to somebody with as minimal knowledge of this area as myself. Great post, Tiffany, and wonderful photos!

    1. Thank you, Kara! There’s plenty to see around the island and the differences are amazing! If you get a chance to visit, don’t forget to go snorkeling or diving, or if you are not a water person, a glass bottom boat tour. The reefs on the west side of Cozumel are some of the best in the world!

  2. I’ve done this twice and planning a 3rd day trip in September, stopping at places I missed the other times. My tentative list is:
    Playa Palancar – beach time
    El Mirador blow holes in rock & beach-quick photo op stop
    Playa Bonita Mayan Ruins – Snorkeling
    Restaurante Chen- lunch
    Coconuts – for a drink and the view
    Playa Tortugas – beach is known to have sea glass
    Mega Store If we need supplies, and have time

    1. Sounds like a a great trip! What other places have you seen on the island? Did you get a chance to see the Mayan ruins?

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