Located just off the Yucatan Peninsula, Cozumel is a popular destinations for scuba diving and snorkeling. The underwater world around Cozumel was discovered by Jacques Cousteau in 1959 who called it one of the best diving areas in the world. Since that time Cozumel has become a National Marine Park to protect the delicate balance of it’s beautiful coral reefs and amazing variety of tropical fish.
Cozumel (Spanish pronunciation: [kosu'mel], Yucatec Maya: Kùutsmil) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatán Channel. The municipality is part of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
The economy of Cozumel is based on tourism. There are a number of visitors to the island's balnearios, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel.
Geography
The island is located in the Caribbean Sea along the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula about 82 km (51 mi) south of Cancún and 19 km (12 mi) from the mainland. The island is about 48 km (30 mi) long and 16 km (9.9 mi) wide. With a total area of 477.961 km2 (184.542 sq mi), it is Mexico's largest Caribbean island, largest permanently inhabited island, and Mexico's third-largest island, following Tiburón Island and Isla Ángel de la Guarda.
The majority of the island's population lives in the town of San Miguel (pop. 77,236 in 2010), which is on the island's western shore. The municipality, which includes two small areas on the mainland enclaved within the Municipality of Solidaridad with a land area of 10.423 km2 (4.024 sq mi), has a total land area of 647.33 km2 (249.93 sq mi).
The island is covered with mangrove forest which has many endemic animal species. Cozumel is a flat island based on limestone, resulting in a karst topography. The highest natural point on the island is less than 15 m (49 ft) above sea level. The cenotes are deep water filled sinkholes formed by water percolating through the soft limestone soil for thousands of years. Cozumel's cenotes are restricted to qualified cave divers with appropriate credentials.
7 BEST THINGS TO DO IN COZUMEL, MEXICO
As summer approached, I was craving a weekend getaway to somewhere with sand between my toes, a view of gorgeous blue waves, and a tropical drink in my hand. When Carnival asked if I’d be interested in going on a cruise, my immediate response was, “Um, YES! When can I go!?” I picked the 7 day Western Caribbean cruise that sails to Cozumel, Mexico, Belize, and Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan. I invited my mom to come with, and it so happened to be Mother’s Day that weekend. We departed from the Port of Galveston (about a 3.5 hour drive from Austin, 4 hours with traffic) on Sunday, and set sail towards Mexico!
Upon boarding the ship we were greeted with so many different cuisine options (Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, and more). The first two days spent at sea were filled with lots of eating, relaxing at the spa, watching stage shows, and swimming in the pool. So much for doing work…
Cruise, Day 3: Welcome to Cozumel, just off of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula! The Caribbean island is perched atop a coral reef, making it one of the most popular spots for beaches, diving, and eco-parks. Here are my top picks on what to do in Cozumel.
Reference:
1. touropia
2. wikipedia
3. carnival
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