Cozumel: San Miguel and the Island
Photo: prayitnophotography on Flickr, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
Cozumel is Mexico's largest Caribbean island, about 48 kilometers long, with one town, San Miguel, on its sheltered west side. This tour starts in the plaza by the ferry pier, walks a few blocks to the church and the island museum, then makes a loop of the whole island: across the middle to the Maya site of San Gervasio, south along the empty, wave-battered east coast, around the lighthouse at Punta Sur, and back up the calm west shore past El Cedral and Chankanaab to the waterfront.
Plan on most of a day. The town stops are walkable, but the loop needs wheels: a taxi hired for the day, a rental car, or a scooter if you are comfortable riding in traffic. The perimeter road is easy to follow. Bring water, a hat and reef-safe sunscreen, and carry cash for park entrances. If you came by cruise ship, keep your all-aboard time in mind and skip a stop rather than race back. Beaches in Mexico are federal land, open to everyone, but the east coast is often unsafe for swimming.
11 stops on this tour:
Plaza del Sol - Where the Island Says Hello
Iglesia de San Miguel - The Archangel Who Hid
Museo de la Isla - The Island in One Building
San Gervasio - Pilgrims of the Moon Goddess
Punta Morena - Where the Island Turns Wild
Chen Rio - A Pool the Rocks Built
El Mirador - An Arch in the Surf
Punta Sur - Lighthouse at the End of the Island
El Cedral - The Village of the Vow
Chankanaab - The Little Sea and the Reef
San Miguel Waterfront - Sunset Over the Channel
Plan your visit
- Route: 11 stops · about 56 miles · walking, plus a ride for the longer legs
- Time: about 6 hours at an easy pace, with stops
- Start: Plaza del Sol (directions)
- Cost: free tour
- Audio: narrated - tap ▶ Listen at the top of any stop
Stops on this tour
- Plaza del Sol - Where the Island Says Hello
- Iglesia de San Miguel - The Archangel Who Hid
- Museo de la Isla - The Island in One Building
- San Gervasio - Pilgrims of the Moon Goddess
- Punta Morena - Where the Island Turns Wild
- Chen Rio - A Pool the Rocks Built
- El Mirador - An Arch in the Surf
- Punta Sur - Lighthouse at the End of the Island
- El Cedral - The Village of the Vow
- Chankanaab - The Little Sea and the Reef
- San Miguel Waterfront - Sunset Over the Channel
More tours nearby
- Cancun: Downtown and the Hotel Zone (46 mi) - From the town square locals love to the Maya ruins and open-sea beaches of the 22 km Hotel Zone, a city built from scratch since 1970.
- Isla Mujeres: Town to Punta Sur (53 mi) - From the ferry dock and the little town to Playa Norte, a pirate's hacienda, turtle conservation and the cliffs where Mexico greets the sunrise.
- Chichen Itza Self-Guided Tour (106 mi) - Ball courts, sky-watching towers and a pyramid that plays with sunlight - a walking loop through the great Maya city at your own pace.