What Not to Miss in Cozumel, Mexico

When visiting Cozumel there are two primary things you should not miss. Unfortunately, both of these things will most likely take the majority of your time in port to do. Cozumel is well known for both of these things and you will not be disappointed with either one! There are many other places you can go to do beach breaks, bar crawls, Jeep adventures and the like but only one place to do these.

Mayan Ruins

The first thing you shouldn’t miss are the Mayan ruins. The Cozumel / Playa del Carmen area is the only place you can go to to visit the spectacular Mayan ruins of either Tulum of Chichen Itza. They are both on the mainland and require that you take the passenger ferry from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen and then a bus to the ruins.

Tulum

Tulum is the closer of the two options and there are some excursion options that bundle other things such as a Cenote swim and lunch with the visit to the ruins. The ruins of Tulum are a spectacular sight and a large walled in complex on the ocean south of Playa del Carmen.

Chichen Itza

When you think of Mayan ruins and the iconic Mayan pyramid, you think of Chichen Itza. A trip to Chichen Itza is only available when cruise ships dock for more than 8 hours in port since the bus trip to Chichen Itza is 2 hours and 15 minutes each way. With a 45 minute ferry ride each way on top of that it allows you around 1-2 hours at the ruins.

Diving / Snorkeling

The second thing not to miss is the fantastic scuba diving / snorkeling in the Cozumel area. The reefs and underwater marine habitat near Cozumel are part of the second largest reef system (Mesoamerican or Great Mayan Reef) in the world and are renowned for their beauty and diversity. The only reef in the world that is larger is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.