Punta Morena - Where the Island Turns Wild

A stop on Cozumel: San Miguel and the Island, a free self-guided tour.

Cross to this side of the island and everything changes. The west coast you left is sheltered from the trade winds and fringed by reefs. Here the open Caribbean rolls straight in from the east, with no reef to break it, and the shore is jagged limestone, wind-bent scrub and pockets of sand.

That is why this coast still looks almost empty. There is no town, only a few beach restaurants scattered along the road, and long stretches where yours is the only car. In summer, loggerhead and green sea turtles haul themselves up these beaches at night to lay their eggs, and island turtle camps watch over the nests. If you see a marked nest, keep your distance.

The beaches are public, as all beaches in Mexico are, but swimming here is often dangerous. Surf and currents are strong, and you should not count on a lifeguard. Wade only where the water is protected and calm, obey any flags, and enjoy the spray from the rocks.

Getting here: Return to the cross-island road and continue east until it meets the coast road. Turn right and head south a short way to Punta Morena.

Did you know?: Cozumel's turtle camps patrol tens of kilometers of this eastern shore during the nesting season, which runs from roughly May through September.

Photo op: Walk out onto the rocks a safe distance from the waterline and frame the waves breaking against the dark limestone, with the coast running south.

More on Wikipedia: Cozumel · Loggerhead sea turtle · Green sea turtle

Punta Morena - Where the Island Turns Wild

Stops on this tour