Question 1

Cozumel on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Cozumel is simple to do without a tour: a morning in San Miguel and an afternoon at a beach park or snorkel spot on the west coast fits easily into a port day. Taxis link everything, because there is no public transport out of town. San Miguel on foot: The main square is ringed by shops, and on Sunday evenings residents and visitors gather there for music and dancing. A west-coast afternoon: Chankanaab, a park about 9 km south of town, has a beach and snorkeling, and Playa Palancar, farther south, is a quieter beach. Both are a taxi ride. Ignore the touts: People at the piers push rentals and tours, and some are selling timeshare presentations, so say no and keep walking. Skip the scooter: Most traffic accidents involving visitors on Cozumel are on rented scooters, and potholes are often unmarked. Watch the clock: Quintana Roo stays on the same time all year and does not use daylight saving time, so for much of the year it is an hour behind US Eastern time. All-aboard is given in ship's time, so set your watch by the ship, not your phone. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Do not take the ferry to Playa del Carmen on a port day unless you have hours to spare, since the crossing alone takes about 45 minutes each way.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Taxis are the way to get around Cozumel on a port day, because there is no public transport outside San Miguel. Agree the fare before you get in, including for the ride back. Taxis accept US dollars, but at a poor exchange rate, so pesos go further. Jeeps, open-sided cars and scooters are rented in town. Rental prices can usually be bargained, even when posted. Scooters suit only experienced riders: roads are not always in good condition, and many visitor accidents involve them. The island's east side is mostly undeveloped and takes a car or a taxi to reach, with beach restaurants every few kilometers along the road.

Question 3

Food and Drink

Accepted Answer

San Miguel has plenty of restaurants around its main square. Lionfish, which are invasive in these waters, are fished on the island and often turn up on menus. Some restaurants in the center serve dishes from the Yucatán alongside everyday Mexican food such as tacos and seafood. Convenience stores and supermarkets in town sell water and snacks for the day. Do not leave food or drinks unattended in bars and restaurants. There have been deaths in Mexico from alcoholic drinks containing methanol, which cannot be tasted or smelled, so drink in established places and seek medical help quickly if anyone feels unwell after drinking.

Question 4

Tipping in Mexico

Accepted Answer

The currency is the Mexican peso, and some businesses in tourist areas take US dollars, usually at a lower exchange rate. In Mexico a tip of 10 to 15 percent is usual at sit-down restaurants. Staff at small, inexpensive restaurants usually do not expect a tip. Taxi drivers are not normally tipped, unless they are giving you a tour. Adding a service charge to the bill without the customer's agreement is not allowed under Mexican consumer law.

Question 5

Culture

Accepted Answer

Cozumel was sacred to Ixchel, the Maya goddess of the moon, childbirth and weaving, and Maya women crossed from the mainland to make offerings at her sanctuary. San Gervasio, in the forest in the north of the island, is what remains of that sanctuary. San Gervasio is in the interior of the island, about 7 km east of San Miguel, and is made up of six groups of buildings, each usually centered on a single temple. Its Maya name was Tantun Cuzamil, which means "flat rock in the place of the swallows." Punta Sur, at the southern tip of the island, has a lighthouse, a lagoon with crocodiles and a Maya temple called El Caracol. The Festival of El Cedral, with fairs, music and rodeos, takes place over about five days at the end of April or the start of May in the village of El Cedral.

Question 6

History

Accepted Answer

People have lived on Cozumel for well over a thousand years, and by the time the Spanish arrived it was a crowded island of traders and pilgrims. Disease and pirate raids emptied it, and the island was resettled in the 19th century by refugees from war on the mainland. A small beginning, about 300 AD: San Gervasio was founded as a small community and grew quickly after about 600. Port and pilgrimage, from about 1250: Cozumel sat on a sea trade route along the Yucatán coast and drew pilgrims to Ixchel, and San Gervasio was the island's largest settlement. The Spanish, 1518 and 1519: Juan de Grijalva's expedition reached Cozumel in 1518, and Hernán Cortés stopped there with 11 ships in February 1519 on his way to the mainland. Smallpox, 1520: As many as 10,000 Maya lived on the island in the early 1500s. Smallpox arrived in 1520, and by 1570 only 358 people were left. Pirates and evacuation: Raids by pirates led to islanders being moved to the mainland in 1650, and most of the rest were taken inland in 1688. Resettlement, 1848: Refugees from the Caste War of Yucatán settled on the island in 1848, and the town of San Miguel de Cozumel was recognized by the Mexican government in 1849. The marine park, 1996: Mexico created a national marine park around the reefs in 1996, and touching or taking any marine life inside it is forbidden. To learn more ashore: The Museo de la Isla de Cozumel, on Avenida Rafael E. Melgar in San Miguel, is housed in the island's first tourist hotel, built in 1930, and covers Cozumel's geology, reefs, history and archaeology.

Question 7

Traveling with Kids

Accepted Answer

Cozumel is a good port for children who like the water, because the west coast has calm, shallow spots where they can see fish with just a mask. Plan on taxis between places, and keep the day to one or two stops. Younger children: Chankanaab park has a beach, walking trails, a lagoon with many iguanas and a crocodile enclosure, which gives small children things to see out of the water. School age: Snorkeling from the shore on the west coast works for confident swimmers, and a glass-bottom boat shows the reef to anyone who would rather stay dry. Teenagers: Many dive shops run introductory scuba sessions for people who are not certified, and the lighthouse and crocodile lagoon at Punta Sur make a longer outing. Ask the dive shop about its minimum age before you book. Reef rules: Inside the marine park, children and adults must not touch or take anything from the reef.

Question 8

Shopping

Accepted Answer

San Miguel's main square is surrounded by shops, and silver jewelry is what many visitors buy. Silver is often cheaper here than in the United States, but check what you are paying for. Look for the .925 stamp on silver, because some shops sell imitation pieces. A small magnet is a simple test: real sterling silver does not stick to it. Several banks with cash machines are in the town center, including one near the Playa del Carmen ferry pier.

Question 9

Beaches and Reefs

Accepted Answer

Most of Cozumel's sheltered west coast is rocky rather than sandy, so the places to swim have been made into small beach parks. The reefs offshore, part of the Mesoamerican Reef, are what most visitors come for. Some beach parks charge for entry, which usually includes a lounger, an umbrella and showers. Others are free and ask you to buy food and drink instead, so check what is included before you go. Stretches of rocky limestone shore on the west coast give the clearest water for snorkeling, because less sand is stirred up. The east coast has open beaches and big waves, but the undertow makes swimming there dangerous. To protect the coral, the marine park closes some reefs in rotation, so the site a boat takes you to may change. Visitors are asked to keep sunscreen out of the water around reefs and marine life, even the biodegradable kind; a long-sleeved swim shirt is the alternative.

Cozumel

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