Welcome to Cozumel! My sole purpose of coming here was to go scuba diving and scuba diving is what I did! With crystal-clear waters, a rich ecosystem, and some of the best coral reefs in the world, it’s no wonder why divers from all over the globe flock to this stunning island. The diving in Cozumel is unparalleled, offering an underwater wonderland that you won’t find anywhere else. Explore a variety of marine life, from colorful tropical fish to majestic sea turtles and even the occasional eagle ray or nurse shark. With great visibility year-round, warm waters and a range of depths and sites suitable for all experience levels, Cozumel is a diver’s dream come true. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, you won’t be disappointed with the diving in Cozumel.
Table of Contents
How to get to Cozumel
Tulum to Cozumel
I took the ADO bus from the Tulum bus station to the Playa del Carmen Turistica bus station. The buses leave very often from Tulum and can cost from 50 to 120 pesos one way.
There is also a colectivo from Tulum that goes to Playa del Carmen, however, I wasn’t sure where the stop for the colectivo was and was also in a bit of a rush due to last minute planning. So I opted for the trusty ADO bus, even though it may have been slightly more expensive.
From Playa del Carmen, there are two ferry companies that go to Cozumel: Winjet and Ultramar, with Ultramar being slightly more expensive at $10 USD vs $7 USD for Winjet. The ferries from each company go at alternate hours (i.e. Ultramar at 9am, Winjet at 10am, Ultramar at 11am, etc.) so I think it’s best to not buy your ticket until you get there so you know which company to buy the ticket from. Once you get to the Ferry Terminal you’ll be able to see the ticket booths for Ultramar and Winjet very easily. There are also small booths pretty much everywhere in the area, so I’m sure you’ll be able to find it. Once you have the ticket you will have to go through a security check before boarding the ferry. The ride is typically 45 minutes unless you take Ultramar’s fast ferry which will take 20 minutes.
Cancun to Cozumel
From either the Cancun Airport or from downtown Cancun, you are able to take the ADO bus to Playa del Carmen. From there take a ferry, similar to as described above, to Cozumel.
Where to stay in Cozumel
There’s a couple hostels in Cozumel, mostly in the main town area surrounding the ferry terminal and cruise port. I stayed at Hostel Auikyani and cannot recommend it enough. I booked directly through their website at this site. Sometimes booking.com or Hostelworld might be cheaper so check them all before you book for the best price.
Hostel Auikyani is within walking distance of the ferry terminal and is in close proximity to restaurants, bars, and shops. The rooms might be a little small but there was air-conditioning and it was very clean. The bathrooms were also very clean. There is a kitchen but it doesn’t have a stove. There is, however, a microwave, fridge, oven and toaster. Overall, I only stayed here for 2 nights and thought this was a nice spot for a short stay.
What to do in Cozumel
Scuba Diving in Cozumel
Cozumel is a diver’s paradise, plain and simple. With crystal-clear waters, a rich ecosystem, and some of the best coral reefs in the world, it’s no wonder why divers from all over the globe flock to this stunning island. And this is exactly why I came to Cozumel.
When I was in Playa del Carmen waiting in line to buy the ferry ticket, I was approached by a nice man who was advertising for a dive shop in Cozumel called Diving Tours Caballito del Caribe. He offered a 2 tank dive with all rental equipment for $90 which I thought was a decent deal. I also hadn’t booked a diving excursion in advance so I just took his deal and paid him in cash on the spot. He gave me a voucher that I had to take to the dive shop the day before my dive.
While at the dive shop I had to show them my dive certification and they let me know what time to meet them at the dive shop the next day. The next day I went back to the dive shop, they had a van to take us to the boat, we paid the 90 peso fee to enter the marine national park, and then we took off!
I got to dive Palancar Gardens and Colombia reef, both were spectacular dive sites. We also made a short 30 minute stop at Playa el Cielo to enjoy all the sting rays swimming around the area. The water was incredibly clear and warm, this may have been the best diving conditions I have experienced. I now understand the hype around diving in Cozumel. Can’t wait to come back!
Here’s a quick list of dive sites I would like to visit on my next trip:
- Santa Rosa Wall
- Columbia Deep
- the rest of the Palancar reef (Horseshoe, Bricks, Caves)
- La Francesa Reef
- San Francisco
- San Clemente
- C-53 Shipwreck
Snorkeling around the island
In addition to many of the off shore snorkel sites that you can take a tour to get to, there are a couple spots to snorkel from right off the beach. Luckily my hostel was letting us use their snorkeling equipment for free. So I was able to grab a snorkel and a mask (no fins :() and walked along the main coastal road to a few spots.
I walked a bit past the Hemingway restaurant somewhere around here, and walked out to the water. There is a restaurant nearby and you have to be a paying customer to use their chairs and tables. I kept my towel and flip flops under a tree nearby and asked a nice couple at the restaurant if they would be able to watch my stuff while I snorkeled. From there I got into the water and swam up to a point parallel to this wall. There’s a small reef there and I saw an eel, some small fish, and a small barracuda. I was also able to catch sunset from the water and it was beautiful!
Another spot is along Playa Caletita closer to the lighthouse. There’s a nice sandy spot with some corals and reefs.
Where to Next?
Scuba diving was my primary reason for visiting Cozumel, and it was amazing! I quickly had to move from Cozumel to my next destination because I had another friend from home visiting me. My childhood best friend was visiting me in the paradise island of Isla Mujeres! Join this next leg of my journey in tropical island paradise where I explored the island and swam with the gentle giants of the sea.
I visited a lot of website but I think this one has something special in it in it