Self-Guided Tour Around Cozumel

Driving the loop around the island of Cozumel, was one of my top experiences during our trip (second only to scuba diving, read more here)! We had the opportunity to see so many beautiful sights in a short time-span, including beautiful beaches, beach-front restaurants, shops, and more. In this post, I’ll tell you how to experience the best self-guided tour around cozumel, so you can see these gorgeous sights as well!

Quick Tips:

• How Long to Allow: The loop can take approximately 2-3 hours to complete, depending on stops and exploration time. If you have a full day to allot, you’ll be able to experience most of the stops on this trip. We started mid-afternoon, around 1pm, and still had a great time, but didn’t hit everything we wouldve if we had started earlier.
• Where to Start & End: Begin your journey in San Miguel, the main town on the island. You can explore the town’s shops, restaurants, and attractions before or after hitting the road. Complete the loop and return to San Miguel. If you have time, explore more of the town or enjoy an evening stroll along the waterfront.

Getting to Cozumel

By Air:

• Cancun International Airport (CUN): For the best prices & nonstop flights, flying into Cancun International Airport is usually your best bet.
  • After landing in Cancún, you’ll need to transfer to Playa del Carmen, which is the primary departure point for ferries to Cozumel.
    • From Cancun Airport you have several options to get to Playa Del Carmen:
      • Rent a car & drive yourself – this will require you to bring your car over to Cozumel on the car ferry.
      • Hire a private transfer
      • ADO bus – this is the most affordable option, and in my opinion, the best option. ADO buses run very regularly between Cancun and Cozumel and are very clean and convenient. This allows you to take the ferry to Cozumel without worrying about a car, and you can rent a vehicle once you’re on the island.
      • Taxi – While possible, this tends to be a pricier option.
    • Busy Bee Tip: We took the ADO bus and found it to be the easiest & cheapest option. The buses are nicer & cleaner than most greyhound buses in the USA, and usually play some type of movie during the ride. They also have restrooms on board.
    • Busy Bee Tip: If you plan to take the ADO bus, make sure to prebook your tickets the day before, as the buses do fill up. Their website is completely in Spanish, but the mobile app is easier to navigate, in my opinion.
• Cozumel Airport: Cozumel does have its own airport. If you can find affordable flights into Cozumel Airport, this would be your best bet. Unfortunately, since Cozumel Airport is smaller, there are less direct flights & they tend to be more expensive than flying into Cancun.

Ferry from Playa Del Carmen

The ferry is the only way to reach Cozumel from Playa Del Carmen. If you’re not flying directly into Cozumel, this is what you’ll need to do to reach the island.

Ferry Companies

• There are only two ferry companies that go between Playa Del Carmen & Cozumel – Winjet & Ultramar. BE VERY CAREFUL and make sure to only buy from their specific ticket counters. There are several other booths selling ferry tickets and they can even look similar to the real ticket counters, but you’ll want to avoid those.

• The companies alternate hours – so Ultramar has a ferry every 2 hours & Winjet has a ferry every 2 hours.

Ferry Tickets

• Purchase your ferry tickets at the terminal. Both companies charge $290 MXN (~$17 USD) per ticket with discounts for locals and children.
  • Busy Bee Tip: Do not buy your tickets in advance. Since the companies rotate hours, if you prebook with one company and arrive before the other company is leaving, you could end up waiting around 2 hours for the next ferry. It’s better to book when you arrive and just buy a ticket from whichever company is leaving the soonest.
  • Busy Bee Tip: Do not book a roundtrip ticket, book just a one way. Similar to the reason above, with the companies operating on alternating schedules, buying roundtrip tickets could end up causing you a long wait.

Cozumel Ferry Departures & Run Time:

• Ferries run regularly, with departures approximately every 30-60 minutes.
• The journey takes around 30-45 minutes.

Bring Luggage, Snacks, Etc on the Ferry:

• Before boarding the ferry, your luggage will go through a security belt. You will also walk through a metal detector. You will keep your luggage with you until you board the ferry. They will hold your luggage in storage on the ferry and give it to you when you disembark.
• Unlike an airplane, liquids are allowed on the ferry. You are allowed to bring your waters & snacks with you. They also have a concession stand with various items on the ferry itself, for purchase during the trip.

Arriving in Cozumel:

• The ferry arrives at Cozumel’s main ferry terminal in San Miguel, the island’s largest town.
• From the terminal, you can easily access various transportation options to reach your accommodation, such as taxis or rental cars.

Additional Ferry Tips:

• They take your luggage and store it during the trip – so remember to grab anything you want with you before boarding (ie: headphones, snacks, water, etc).
• The ferries can be very motiony from the waves. If you’re prone to seasickness, pack some Dramamine or try these Seasickness Armbands from Amazon.

Getting Around Cozumel

Getting started on your Cozumel adventure involves renting either a car or scooter, providing you with the freedom to explore the island at your own pace. You can also opt to hire a taxi for the day. Be sure to ask for their rates up front! We liked having our own car to travel around at our own pace though.

Rental Agencies: Cozumel has several car rental agencies, including both international and local options. Well-known companies such as Hertz, Avis, and Alamo operate on the island.

In-Person Rentals: If you prefer spontaneity, you can also find rental agencies in downtown San Miguel or near the cruise ship terminals where you can rent on the spot.

Scooter Rentals: Scooter rentals are popular on the island, and you can find numerous local shops offering these services. Do some research into safety and be sure you’re comfortable driving in the crazy Cozumel traffic. We opted for a car, rather than a scooter, as I read the amount of scooter accidents for tourists was rather high.

Scams / Things to Be Aware of:

Let me prefice this by saying, these things obviously do not happen to everyone. Some people might go and explore without any issues. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case though, and being aware of the things that can happen is one of the best ways to prevent issues.

Gas Station Scams:

• Before fueling, ensure that the pump is set to zero. This prevents any issues with incorrect readings or overcharging. (This exact thing happened to us. We didn’t check to ensure the attendant zeroed the pump out first, and ended up getting significantly overcharged).
• The “switching bills” cash scam is a deceptive practice where the attendant attempts to trick you by swapping the currency you handed over. You may give him a $20 & he says you only gave him $5 and you owe him more, etc.
• The “declined credit card” scam. If the attendant tells you your credit card was declined and you must pay with cash, ask for a receipt for proof that your card was not charged. There are reports of this happening to customers and their cards were charged, even though the attendant said it wasn’t.
• Keep an eye on the meter as your vehicle is being fueled. Ensure that the meter matches the amount of fuel dispensed and that you are charged the correct amount. Keep an eye on the hose as well, and make sure it does not leave your gas tank.

Other Scams:

• Stolen car battery: I am specifically including this because it happened to us and caused us a bit of a headache on our last day in Cozumel. Driving around the island in adorable, Volkswagon Convertible Slug Bugs is pretty common for tourists, so this is what we did. We absolutely loved driving our slug bug around for the majority of the trip. Unfortunately, the car battery in these vehicles is stored underneath the cushion of the backseat, with no protection. These cars have no option to put the top up for safety either. Our car was parked on the street at our hotel, in a nicer, private area, and someone stole our car battery directly from underneath our backseat. We had to buy a new battery and the rental company treated us very terribly. I do not say this to scare anyone, just to make people aware. Those convertibles can be fun and are adorable, but maybe look for a car with a top on it.
  • Many people recommened Isis Rentadora to us for our rental car on the island. This is who we went with and did not have a good experience. We later learned that the previous owner (Margarita) was the reason for all the great reviews and recommendations. Margarita has since passed away, leaving her business to her nephew.
• Other things to be aware of include: inflated taxi rates for tourists, pickpockets (consider using a crossbody bag or sling bag), street performer scams (don’t take pictures of anyone without paying them), fake tickets or tours, skimming devices on ATMs (only use ATMs at banks and read reviews first).

Navigating the Loop Around Cozumel

• The loop is a well-marked road that circles the island. Follow the signs or use a navigation app to guide you.
• The loop is approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) long, and it offers stunning coastal views.
• As you leave San Miguel, the main town, you’ll encounter directional signs pointing towards different parts of the island. These signs often guide you along the loop and highlight key attractions or beaches.
• Both Google Maps and Waze are reliable navigation apps that can guide you along the Cozumel loop. Simply input your destination or select “Carretera Costera” as your route, and the app will provide turn-by-turn directions.

Guide to Scuba Diving in Cozumel

Points of Interest When Driving the Loop:

The Cozumel loop is a scenic drive that offers a variety of attractions, beaches, viewpoints, and historical sites. Here’s a breakdown of the loop into sections, along with key points of interest in each:

Additional Tips When Visiting Cozumel

• You will need pesos – a lot of places in Mexico do take credit cards now, but a fair amount still don’t. It’s best to keep pesos with you just in case.
• Use reputable ATMs to get pesos. We found the best way to get pesos was just by withdrawing money from our debit card at ATMs. *Make sure you decline the DCC option on the ATM for the best exchange rate.
  • ATMs at banks tend to be safest from credit card fraud. We also had good luck at several grocery store ATMs.
  • You can actually find reviews about ATMs on google maps.
  • Choose ATMs that are well-lit and in populated areas to avoid muggings. Most bank and grocery ATMs feel super safe. A lot of the bank ATMs are enclosed and well-lit & grocery stores are always busy enough to feel secure.
• Bring a change purse or plastic baggy to carry around the coins. Peso coins are so frequently used, and you’ll want somewhere to put them! We had to keep throwing our coins in random bags and pockets because neither of our wallets have coin slots anymore.
• Bring a Visa credit card. Most places throughout Mexico, including the touristy areas, don’t accept American Express, and very few accept Master Card.
• Tell your bank you’ll be travelling to Mexico. This will let them know that the purchases you’re making are real purchases & not fraud. Some banks will freeze or lock your card if they notice suspicious charges, and you don’t want this to happen while you’re on vacation! If you give them a heads up on where you’ll be, this typically won’t happen.
• Learn some Spanish. This probably goes without saying, but atleast try to learn a bit of the language before going.

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