Cozumel Facts

Mexico's largest island, Cozumel, is a heady mix of cosmopolitan restaurants, hotels and shops set amidst astounding natural beauty. It has become famous for its superb scuba diving, and also as a cruise ship destination where stylish amenities are offered in a simple island atmosphere.

San Miguel de Cozumel

Cozumel's only town, San Miguel, has a laid back elegance combining the charming remnants of colonial Mexico with the conveniences of modern life. Its heart and soul is the center plaza, known officially as Parque Benito Juarez, but often referred to as the zocalo, or simply as Plaza Central. Shops, restaurants and hotels surround the plaza, and since the whole area is blocked off to traffic,...

...consistently ranks among the top five dive destinations in the world. Tall reefs line the southwest coast, creating towering walls that offer divers a fairy-tale landscape to explore. For nondivers, Cozumel has the beautiful water of the Caribbean with all the accompanying watersports and seaside activities. The island gets a lot more visitors from North America than Europe for reasons that probably have to do with the limited flights. It is in many ways more cozy and mellow than the mainland -- no big highways, no big construction projects. It's dependable. And one of my favorite things about this island is that the water on the protected side (western shore) is as calm as an aquarium, unless...