Cozumel was a well-known diving spot before Cancún ever existed, and it has ranked for years among the top five dive destinations in the world. Tall reefs lining the southwest coast create towering walls that offer divers a fairy-tale landscape to explore. And for nondivers, it has the beautiful water of the Caribbean with all the accompanying watersports and seaside activities. What's more, Cozumel has the definite feel of a small island -- short roads that don't go very far, lots of mopeds, few buses and trucks, and a certain sense of separation. The island is 45km (28 miles) long and 18km (11 miles) wide, and is 19km (12 miles) from the mainland. Most of the land is flat, undisturbed scrubland. The name of Cozumel comes from the Maya word Cuzamil, meaning ``land of the swallows.'' Today, it remains the home of two species of birds found nowhere else: the Cozumel vireo and the Cozumel thrasher.

The only town on the island is San Miguel, which, despite the growth of the last 20 years, hasn't become so big that it can be called anything more than a small town. It's not a particularly attractive town, but it's an agreeable place and its inhabitants are an agreeable people (agreeable because they know how good they've got it living on a Caribbean island). Staying in town can be fun and convenient. You get a choice of a number of restaurants and nightspots. Because Cozumel enjoys such popularity with the cruise ships, the waterfront section of town is wall-to-wall jewelry stores (many more than you would think demand could support) and souvenir shops. This and the area around the town's main square are as far as most cruise ship passengers venture into town. Elsewhere you find mainly offices, restaurants, small hotels, and dive shops.

Should you come down with a case of island fever, Playa del Carmen and the mainland are a convenient 45-minute ferry ride away, weather permitting. In fact, some travel agencies on the island can set you up with a tour to see the major ruins on the mainland, such as Tulum or Chichén-Itzá, or one of the nature parks such as Xel-Ha and Xcaret.

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City Layout

San Miguel's main waterfront street is called Avenida Rafael Melgar and runs along the western shore of the island. The town is laid out on a grid, with avenidas running north and south, and calles running east and west. The exception is Avenida Juárez, which runs from the passenger-ferry dock through the main square and inland. Juárez divides the town into northern and southern halves.

Heading inland from the dock along Juárez, you'll find that the avenidas you cross are numbered by fives: Avenida 5, Avenida 10, Avenida 15. North of Avenida Juárez, calles have even numbers: 2 Norte, 4 Norte, 6 Norte. South of Juárez, calles have odd numbers: 1 Sur (also called Adolfo Rosado Salas), 3 Sur, 5 Sur.

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Island Layout

The extension of Avenida Juárez becomes the Carretera Transversal, which runs past the airport and the ruins of San Gervasio to the deserted eastern coast of the island. North of this highway there are mostly dirt roads and a scattering of small, badly ruined Maya sites, from the age when ``Cuzamil'' was a land sacred to the fertility/moon goddess Ixchel. There is a paved road leading to San Gervasio, the principal ruins on the island. After getting to the coast, the highway turns south and follows the coast all the way down to where it meets the road that descends from town along the western shore.

The most inexpensive hotels are in the town of San Miguel. Moderate to expensive accommodations are north and south of town. Many cater to divers. South of the city is Chankanaab National Park, centered on the beautiful lagoon of the same name. Beyond Chankanaab are Playa Palancar and, offshore, the Palancar Reef (arrecife). At the southern tip of the island are Punta Celarain and the lighthouse.

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Visitor Information

The State Tourism Office ([tel]/fax 9/872-7563) is located on the second floor of the Plaza del Sol commercial building facing the central plaza and is open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm and 6 to 8pm.

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Getting Around

You can walk to most destinations in town. However, getting to outlying hotels and beaches, including the Chankanaab Lagoon, requires a taxi or rental car.

Car rentals are roughly the same price as on the mainland, depending on demand. Avis ([tel] 9/872-0099) and Executive ([tel] 9/872-1308) have counters in the airport. Rentals can be arranged by your hotel tour desk or any local travel agency and can be dropped off at your hotel.

Moped rentals can be had all over the village and cost anywhere from $15 to $30 for 24 hours, depending upon the season. If you rent a moped, be careful. Riding a moped made a lot more sense when Cozumel had less traffic; now it's a risky activity as motorists have become pushier. Moped accidents easily rank as the highest cause of injury in Cozumel. Seriously consider renting a car instead. Before renting a moped, give it a careful inspection to see that all the gizmos are in good shape -- horn, light, starter, seat, mirror -- and be sure to note all damage to the moped on the rental agreement. If the moped vibrates at cruising speed, it's probably due to an unbalanced wheel, and you should return it. Most important, read the fine print on the back of the rental agreement, which states that you are not insured, that you are responsible for paying for any damage to the bike (or for all of it if, it's stolen or demolished), and that you must stay on paved roads. It's illegal to ride a moped without a helmet (subject to a $25 fine).

Here are a few sample taxi fares: island tour, $60; town to southern hotel zone, $5 to $15; town to northern hotels, $3 to $5; to Chankanaab from town, $7. Call [tel] 9/872-0236 for taxi pickup. Fares on the island are fixed with little variation and generally are not open to negotiation. Taxis charge extra for more than two passengers.

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Weather

From October to December there can be strong winds all over the Yucatán, as well as some rain. In Cozumel, wind conditions in November and December can make diving dangerous. May to September is the rainy season.

High season is August and from Christmas to Easter.

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