| The island of Cozumel is only 12 miles | | | | staying in Cozumel. |
| (19 km) off the Mexican Yucatan | | | | Most of the hotels and resorts are south |
| Peninsula's east coast and 44 miles (71 | | | | of San Miguel and are not within walking |
| km) south of Cancun. For years, Cozumel | | | | distance. However, there are numerous |
| was a quiet sleepy island that didn't | | | | white taxicabs that are readily |
| get many visitors until Jacques Cousteau | | | | available. The larger and more |
| did a documentary on it after | | | | luxurious resorts tend to be even |
| discovering the world class scuba diving | | | | further south of town along the |
| at the Palancar Reefs nearby. Since | | | | southwestern shores. This is actually |
| 1961, Cozumel has been known as one of | | | | not surprising since most of the best |
| the best scuba diving destinations in | | | | scuba diving sites are southwest of the |
| the world. In fact for decades since | | | | island. An easy way to see the 33 mile |
| that time, the only tourists visiting | | | | (53 km) by 9 mile (14 km) island is by |
| the island have been primarily scuba | | | | renting a scooter or a 4x4. I once |
| divers. Mainstream tourists went to the | | | | rented a scooter and zigzagged along |
| resort intensive Cancun in the mainland | | | | most of San Miguel's streets to see the |
| instead. However, Cozumel became a | | | | neighborhoods. Then I went on the main |
| regular cruise ship port of call in | | | | road leaving town and went south. After |
| recent years and today it is one of the | | | | passing by the larger resorts and going |
| busiest with two separate terminals. It | | | | around the southern tip of the island, I |
| is common to have five or even six | | | | found the beaches along the southeastern |
| different cruise ships at port on any | | | | shores. The shores near San Miguel |
| given day. I've been to Cozumel twice, | | | | along the crowded west coast are not |
| the first time staying several days on a | | | | known for beaches but the southeast part |
| scuba diving vacation and the second | | | | here have some really spectacular ones. |
| time for a day via cruise ship (also | | | | Even better is that there is very little |
| scuba dived during my second visit). | | | | traffic here so the beaches are pretty |
| As a result of the cruise ship boom, | | | | quiet. Sometimes people can park their |
| there has been lots of retail | | | | scooters and enjoy a beach all for |
| development along the main waterfront | | | | themselves. There are a few stops with |
| road of Avenida Rafael Melgar in the | | | | refreshments and more souvenirs at |
| island's only town of San Miguel de | | | | prices even better than in San Miguel. |
| Cozumel. There are countless jewelry | | | | After traveling north again, there is a |
| and t-shirt shops most with staff | | | | road about halfway up the island that |
| standing in the entrances enticing | | | | goes across and takes you back to San |
| visitors to enter their stores. Both | | | | Miguel entering the town's east side. |
| silver and liquor can be good bargains | | | | My scooter tour of the island took just |
| here. There are also some nice Mexican | | | | over 2 hours and cost $25 US for the |
| crafts shops too. The one problem that | | | | rental. Cozumel has several ancient |
| we found was that after about 4 jewelry | | | | Mayan ruins but they are not nearly as |
| shops, they all started to look the | | | | large or spectacular as the ones on the |
| same. It was almost a retail overload. | | | | mainland. After seeing some photos of |
| For those who came for a wilder time, | | | | them in advance of my trip, I didn't |
| there are some bars such as Carlos 'n' | | | | even bother to see the ruins. |
| Charlie. The town's main outdoor | | | | Cozumel is a nice port of call for |
| square, Plaza del Sol, is just opposite | | | | cruise ships as there are many shopping |
| the main ferry dock to the mainland. | | | | opportunities. Passengers who scuba |
| There are usually street vendors and | | | | dive or snorkel can easily book directly |
| artists in the Plaza as well local | | | | with the many dive shops in San Miguel |
| entertainment during some evenings. The | | | | without going through their cruise ships |
| artists do some amazing artwork with | | | | which will cost much more. For cruise |
| spray paints and their prices are very | | | | ship tourists who do not intend to do |
| reasonable. San Miguel's main tourist | | | | any water sports and have some time |
| area can be very busy during the day | | | | after shopping, it is highly recommended |
| when the cruise ship passengers are in | | | | to rent a scooter or 4x4 to tour the |
| town but since most ships depart at | | | | island. This is also a nice way to |
| dinnertime, the evenings are actually | | | | spend the last day of a scuba dive |
| very quiet. The only tourists left at | | | | vacation in Cozumel. |
| night tend to be the scuba divers | | | | |