Mexico (Cozumel)
Trip Summary
One of the most beautiful spots in Mexico! With clear waters full of amazing marine life, cheap prices for lodging, airfare, and food, and sun year-round, Cozumel had been on our travel list for a while. However, we also wanted to see several nearby parts of Mexico, too, (Playa del Carmen and Cancun), so when we finally visited over the summer, we decided to visit them all, and it was one of our favorite vacations!
When we flew into Cozumel, it was a gorgeous day, and the flight’s descent into the airport was totally Instagram worthy! We didn’t have window seats to take pictures, so we jealously watched the approaching turquoise waters and white beaches over the shoulders of the passengers across the aisle (so if you are flying to Cozumel, sit on the right side of the plane and get a window seat!).
The Cozumel Airport is also not very big, so debarkation was easy. You are given an immigration form on the plane to fill out and give to the officers who check your passport. However, they are strict about you not bringing in any food into the country. I had kept some beef jerky in my purse but had eaten it before we landed, but the German Shepherd near the passport stand was quick to point me out as suspicious! He sat next to me and licked his lips while giving me a hard stare, but after his handler checked through my purse and gave me the all-clear, I was free to go. My husband and I had a laugh about it, because we had barely made it into the country, and here I was already getting in trouble!
After getting our bag, we took a taxi to our first stop…Suites Bahia in San Miguel de Cozumel. After scouring Hotels.com (my go-to site for hotels, because when you have an account, you can collect stays for a free night, and the longer you have been a member, the more discounted your rates will be), I had found a great rate for this place (while the hotel is simple and not too fancy, it is unbeatable for the price and location). It was close to the ferry, and walking distance to all the places we wanted to see.
We had booked a standard room, and it was quiet and comfortable. Some of the ratings on TripAdvisor had complained of noise, but even though we brought ear plugs just in case (always good to bring on any trip!), we didn’t need them. One of the passengers we met on the plane ride to Cozumel was even a frequent visitor of Suites Bahia and assured us we picked an excellent place for the money. One of the biggest perks of the place is that they offer you admittance to a sister hotel down the street, Casa Mexicana, for a free breakfast buffet (a very impressive buffet-style meal with lots of hot and cold options), and free access to their pool. The pool isn’t extremely big, but has a small waterfall, has a bar nearby, and was a great place to relax and people-watch (it overlooks the street out front).
For the price, location, and included amenities at Casa Mexicana, it gets a high score!
Suites Bahia: A
However, the day wasn’t over yet! It was time to explore, so we walked along the beach and admired the statues along the shore.
There is a lot of shopping downtown with all kinds of stores selling everything from souvenirs to watches and jewelry. One store we passed was the Breitling store (now before you make fun of us, we don’t luxury shop, so we had no idea what watches like these cost). We walked inside to look (and let’s face it, enjoy the air conditioning—we went in August when it was extremely hot). The salespeople eagerly welcomed us and showed my husband some watches. He tried one on—a simple one—and casually inquired about the price. “$800,” she said. We could barely contain our shocked reactions when my husband asked, “For the watch?” “No, for the band,” she said. I don’t think I have ever seen my husband take something off so fast! Shopping was definitely not in the cards, so we quickly went back outside to resume our exploring.
The best was yet to come! We wondered away from the touristy part of downtown, following a map I had printed out beforehand of what TripAdvisor had named the #1 place to eat in all of Cozumel—the Crazy King Burrito. After going up a few run-down streets and wondering if we had gotten lost, we saw it! It’s a small, little corner shop with only two tables out front, but believe me, the food here will change your world (and it’s cheap which always wins points in my book!).
They make everything fresh, and you can pick all kinds of options for your burrito. I picked the chicken burrito with rice, and it was heavenly. It’s also a family-owned business, and they are extremely friendly. They sat us outside with our meals, a Sol (a light Mexican beer) for each of us, and a bottle of their mild and hot sauce. Now, the hot sauce is VERY hot, so I stuck with the mild, but both tasted very good. My husband loved the hot sauce so much that he asked to buy a bottle and even though they don’t normally sell it, the owner was happy to oblige (and every time we had the hot sauce afterwards when we got home, we were reminded of this great place!).
For its cheap prices, delicious food, and fantastic hospitality, a high rating!
Crazy King Burrito: A+
The next day was going to be a fun one, so we went to bed early, and in the morning, caught a taxi to Fonatur Marina.
There, we met our Cozumel H20 group for the snorkeling tour, and they divided up everyone into various boats. Our group only had the driver, tour guide, and two other couples besides us, so it was a nice small tour (and one of the reasons we booked with them—they had the best reviews!). As we traveled to our first stop—El Cielo at the bottom of the island—our tour guide laid out a map on the boat floor and showed us all the snorkeling areas near the island. There are a number of snorkeling spots on Cozumel, but the tour guide tries to visit them when the sites will be least crowded and the marine life most abundant.
As our boat quieted and we drifted into El Cielo, we saw why it means “Heaven.” It is beautiful with crystal clear waters, white sands on the sea floor, and huge starfish everywhere you look. We could stay here as long as the boat could drift in the area (boats aren’t allowed to use their engines so that the starfish can be better protected), so we quickly donned our snorkel gear and started swimming.
Afterwards, we headed to the Colombia Shallow and Palancar Gardens, and that is where we saw why Cozumel is world-renown for its snorkeling. Everywhere we turned, we were surrounded by fish of all colors, jellyfish (within a safe distance), sea turtles, and all kinds of coral.
It was absolutely amazing, and every time something new would get in sight, our guide was quick to get our attention and point us to it.
For our last stop, we had a choice of which place we wanted to go to last (the tour also goes to Casa Blanca, Santa Rosa Wall, and Dzul-Ha and decides based on wind speeds, water conditions, and today—the vote of the passengers). A lot of the passengers wanted to see the Santa Rosa Wall, so we spent the last part of the day there, and following our guide closely (there is a strong current over the edge of the wall that you want to avoid), we eased our way over the sea floor and over the wall’s ledge. It was a cool sight to see the sea depth change so dramatically, though, if you go on this trip, I might suggest picking one of the other snorkeling sights instead if you are given a choice. You couldn’t see too far down over the wall because the water got dark and murky, and the sea life wasn’t near as abundant here. In any case, though, it was an excellent tour, and we were so impressed with all the beauty we saw under the water.
For the excellent tour guide, small tour group, and care in picking the best snorkeling spots, a great score!
Cozumel H20 Snorkeling Tour: A
When we got back, we collected our bag from Suites Bahia (they were nice enough to keep it behind the counter for us as we had to check out that morning). Then, we walked to the ferry (a quick and easy walk—one of the reasons we booked Suites Bahia!) to get our ferry tickets to Playa del Carmen. There are several ferry companies that all have comparable prices, but the leave times are staggered, so when you get your tickets, be sure to look at all the stalls to make sure you get the ferry that leaves next. We found this out as we were getting ready to buy tickets to one ferry but the company at the next stall had a ferry that was leaving 20 minutes earlier, so we quickly moved over to the right stall!
The ferry itself is a scenic ride. It takes a good 45 minutes to get to Playa del Carmen, and the ferry has two levels (an open upper level and an enclosed bottom level), so we settled in a seat and enjoyed the ride. Playa del Carmen awaited!
Favorite Experiences
Snorkeling with CozumelH20 at Colombia Shallow and Palancar Gardens. I thought El Cielo would be my favorite, but there is nothing like swimming through massive schools of fish and seeing all that life under the sea. So incredible!
What I Wish I Knew
I wish we brought a box to buy a ton of the sauce from Crazy King Burrito and shipped a bunch of it home. We weren’t sure if even one bottle would keep well in our luggage, but in hindsight, we could have shipped some home, and it would have been fine. We haven’t been able to find such good sauce since!
I also wish I knew that Santa Rosa Wall would be underwhelming to snorkel. It would be better for a scuba dive trip, but after an absolutely amazing day full of color and life, the wall was almost a let-down when wrapping up the tour. Definitely, pick one of the other sights, and that will lead to better pictures and scenery for the end of the tour!
Lastly, I wish I knew beforehand that the ferry schedule was staggered. Though we found this out last-minute, it would have avoided confusion and the awkwardness of moving between the stalls of competing ferry companies. The bottom enclosed level of the ferry gets pretty stuffy, too, so the best area to ride it is up top (we eventually went up there, but we started off on the bottom level).
Some of the sites I found helpful when planning our visit to Cozumel was Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor. I always wish I read more forums, so be sure to peruse these before you go! They are full of good tips if you decide to do the tours we did or tours of your own.
I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:
TikTok: @touristyteacher
Instagram: @touristyteacher
Facebook: @touristyteacher
Happy travels!
