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There’s an extensive menu to peruse and a sandy path down to the sea for exploring after lunch. This beach is tucked away on the less popular east side of the island. Here, you can rent a hammock or lounger or use your belongings for sitting privately and spending time alone in paradise.
Cruise and shore excursions
From here it’s a pretty 1,5 mile walk to the city’s bars, restaurants and downtown San Miguel along the nice waterfront promenade. Some of the things to do is the San Miguel Walking Tour and of course shopping should be on your list as well! At about 10 minutes drive you will find the Chankannab National Park as well as several beaches. Car Rentals can be found at 5 blocks from the pier you will find a car rental (Smart Car and Alamo).
Shopping within Walking Distance
Yes, Mexico definitely has problems, but for the most part those violent stories you hear don’t occur in Cozumel. Any harm to cruise ship passengers on the island is very rare. The Two Ports Are SeparateIf you arrive at the International Pier or Puerta Maya Pier, you’ll see that they are right next to each other. Even so, they are separated and only available to passengers on ships in that port. To be honest, they offer similar amenities so if you visit one, you’ll get much of the same experience as visiting the other.
Enjoy a Beautiful Beach Day (best beaches in Cozumel)
Walking from the ship to the port area can be a lengthy walk — especially in the heat and humidity. Essentially a small city is built here to cater to cruise passengers before they head out to the city and before they return back to the ship. Built on the long reputation of Casa del Mar Dive Hotel, the Del Mar Latino Beach Club is a relatively small beach club situated very close to the southern cruise ships. It’s got a huge bar, a full menu, music, great lounge chairs, water and snorkeling access, and a nice pool and hot tub. For the savvy cruiser that has visited Cozumel before and explored the main attractions, Playa del Carmen is a great alternative and easy to get to on a ferry (departures every hour, costing around US $10 each way).
Tulum, a major Mayan historical site, is inland but close enough to explore when cruising (1.5-hour on a ship excursion or 2 hours on your own) and a must see for those interested in archeology. Tulum is around 30-minute drive from Playa del Carmen and you will need to get on a ferry to this beautiful town inland (another 45 minutes) - count with at least 6 hours if you wish to do it on your own. I am the creator of an e-book “Mediterranean Cruise Port Guide“, the most comprehensive guide to 45 Mediterranean cruise ports, & YouTube channel @AdventourBegins.
Puerta Maya and International Terminal
When cruise ships anchor, tender boats will moor at smaller piers next to Puerta Maya or the International Pier. Other popular beaches are Paradise Beach, Playa Palancar, Playa Mia. Cozumel features several great resorts / eco-parks, often included in cruise lines' shore excursion offerings.
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Cozumel is known for its incredible and plentiful coral reefs, and following are a few of the best snorkeling locations in Cozumel and possibly the world. Mr. Sanchos Beach Club, located about 20 minutes from downtown San Miguel, offers an all-inclusive day pass to travelers looking to get the most out of the relaxing beach life in Cozumel. What’s the number one thing you should do when visiting Cozumel? If you’re looking to enjoy a full beach/pool day, there are a ton of beach clubs from which to choose. The farthest port from downtown San Miguel is Puerta Maya, about five miles south. This is where Carnival ships dock and most of their brands dock here, too.
Activities and Attractions Near the Piers
This is also the pier of the ferry’s between Playa Del Carmen and the island. There are plenty of taxis here and you are within easy walking distance to shopping, restaurants and bars. On the mainland side, the ferry docks a 5-minute walk from Playa del Carmen city center and its shopping streets, attractions, bars, and restaurants. Plaza Playacar is the place where you usually meet your tour guides for the mainland tours, and it is located within a 5-minute walk from the main square.
If you want truly spectacular Mayan ruins you can still see them during your cruise to Cozumel, but since they are on the main land of Mexico it will be an all-day event which will require a ferry ride. Chichen Itza (recently named one of the 7 wonders of the world) and Tulum are the main Mayan sites you can see. Even if you just want to rent or bring along some snorkeling gear you will want to check out these pristine waters at one of the many coral reef locations. I recommend grabbing a local taxi right at the cruise port to make sure you’re getting the real deal.
It’s not a huge factory, but you get to see how the chocolate is locally made and then you get to make some yourself. And of course the best part is sampling the chocolate after you are done. The first time I went to Cozumel I brought my own snorkel gear and just pulled over at random places to check out the water.
Exploring beyond the well-trodden paths can lead you to uncover some truly enchanting experiences – from secluded beaches to authentic local taco spots. In other words, Puerta Maya is also very close and within easy walking distance of the Del Mar Latino Beach Club in Cozumel, the Park Royal Resort, Sunset Bar on the waterfront, and all the others listed above. The Atlantis Submarine Cozumel experience is another of the many activities on the island that’s great for families.
Sometimes, ships will have to anchor just offshore if it’s a very busy day with 7 or 8 cruise ships coming in. In these cases the ships will tender passengers to some of the smaller piers near Puerta Maya. There are no large beach clubs in the downtown area, but that doesn’t mean cruise passengers can’t find a nice place to take a quick dip near Punta Langosta. And you don’t need a snorkeling excursion to experience some of Cozumel’s best-known water activities. This actually means you wont be docking at all, but you will tendering.
That can mean tens of thousands of cruise passengers in town on the same day. In front of the terminal, you’ll spot a spacious area featuring a large Margaritaville, usually filled with cheerful people dancing salsa, drinking tequila, or eating delicious Mexican food. There are plenty of tour booths, shops, several bars, and restaurants (Bar Mandy, Senor Frog’s, Bubba Gump Shrimp…) in this area. This is where you meet your tour operators when joining the shore excursions. Normally they hold the signs with tour names, so you can easily spot them. This terminal is located less than a 10-minute drive from San Miguel de Cozumel downtown (around 4 km/2.5 miles).
Instead of having to get a taxi back and forth from the port, restaurants, bars, and shops are all within walking distance. Since Jean-Jacques Cousteau 'discovered' Cozumel's spectacular scuba sites, when he first landed here in 1961, all sorts of water-sports and scuba, in particular, are offered by a plethora of local small business. For those that are not attracted by the wonders of ocean depths, snorkeling, fishing or just sea splashing in stunning beaches are minutes away from the cruise port. Naturally, most of these beaches have bars, restaurants, and activities that range from the most simple paddle boards to para-sailing or jet skiing.
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