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By
Air
The Aeropuerto Internacional de Cozumel, Cozumel's
only airport, is 3 km (2 mi) north of San Miguel. Flight schedules and
frequencies vary with the season, with the largest selection available
in winter. Continental flies twice daily and three times on Saturday
non-stop from Houston, and nonstop of Saturday from Newark. Delta flies
nonstop from Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday. United Airlines flies from
Chicago on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. US Airways flies nonstop
daily from Charlotte, North Carolina, and nonstop from Philadelphia on
Saturday. Mexicon Airlines has nonstop flights daily from Dallas.
Aerocaribe flies between Cozumel and Cancún six times daily and twice
daily from Mexico City. At the airport, the colectivo, a van that
seats up to eight, takes arriving passengers to their hotels; the fare
is about $7-$20. If you want to avoid waiting for the van to fill or for
other passengers to be dropped off, you can hire an especial --
an individual van. A trip in one of these to hotel zones costs about
$20-$25; to the city it's about $10; and to the all-inclusives at the
far south it's about to $30. Taxis to the airport cost between $10 and
$30 from the hotel zones and approximately $5 from downtown.
By
Boat & Ferry
Passenger-only
ferries
to Playa del Carmen leave Cozumel's main pier approximately every hour
on the hour from 5 AM to 10 PM (no ferries at 11 AM, 1, 7, and 9 PM).
They also leave Playa del Carmen's dock about every hour on the hour,
from 6 AM to 11 PM (no service at 7 AM, noon, 2 PM, and 9 PM). The trip
takes 45 minutes. Call, or better yet, stop by the ferry pier, to verify
the times. Bad weather sometimes prompts cancellations. The traditional
car ferry leaves from Puerto Morelos. The trip takes three to five
hours. The fare starts at about $60 for small cars (more for larger
vehicles) and $6 per passenger. Another car ferry travels between Calica
south of Playa del Carmen and Cozumel three times daily. The fare starts
at about $55 for small cars (more for larger vehicles) and $5 per
passenger. ContactsPassenger-only ferry from
Playa del Carmen (PHONE: 987/872-1508 or
987/872-1588,
Car ferry from Puerto Morelos (PHONE:
987/872-0950). Car ferry from Calica (PHONE:
987/872-7688).
How do I get to Cozumel ?from the USA or Canada
Mexicon Airlines, United, US
Air, Continental, Delta and Air Canada all have regular service to
Cozumel. There are also numerous charter flights at economical prices
but are mainly during high season, November through April. Contact the
dive travel agency of your choice for charter flights. It is also
possible to fly to Cozumel and take land/ferry transport to Cozumel. All
the same airlines also fly to Cozumel along with some newer and more
econonomical airlines such as Spirit Air & USA 3000.
How do I get to
Cozumel? from Europe
KLM, British Air, Easy Jet, Air
Europa, Air France, Aeromexico, Northwest, US Air, Delta, Continental
and Mexicon Airlines all offer service to Cozumel, and some fly to
Cozumel. For current information contact the dive travel agency of your
choice.
Travel documents
that need to get into Mexico
For citizens of the United
States the best document is a passport. A certified copy of a U.S. birth
certificate, a naturalization certificate, a Consular Report of Birth
Abroad, or a Certification of Citizenship accompanied by a picture ID
will also suffice. More stringent requirements may apply if you are
traveling with minors. Remember these requirement are apply to US
citizens. US residents can find information from the United States State
Dept
Getting Around
Cozumel.
Fist
of all we would suggest you to get a map of the island from
www.Cozumelmap.com this will be a great help for you if you get this in
advance and spend sometime checking it over, its got the best
description of the island compared to most of the maps of Cozumel that
we have seen before. If you are already on your way to Cozumel and did
not have a chance to get a map then do not worry, Cozumel is a very easy
to move around town and safe as well.
The island of Cozumel has one only town (city) called San Miguel, then
when you hear about San Miguel you don’t have to be worry you are still
in the island!!! If getting through airport there is a transportation
company that will give you the service to take you to your hotel/house
where you will be staying, of course you have to know the address, make
sure you get this info correct before you get here, I have heard of
people coming over to the island with reservations and once they land
here they have no clue of where they are supposed to go and the taxi of
course is not a magician to find out that for you. If coming by boat
from the mainland or a cruise you will find several taxis at the exit of
the main pier or the cruise terminals, same you will let them know where
you want to go and they will do they job with pleasure.
Once familiar
with the island, a good suggestion is to rent a car,
this will save you lots of money and of course time. If you decide to go
to the beaches on a taxi, specially if staying on the island for several
days, by the time you realize you will have your pockets empty but if
you are just coming for a day (cruise ship case) then a taxi would be
your best bet in order to save time.
Tips for driving around
The island has
paved roads all around and has in most cases the traffic signs (please
note this) but being aware at all times is a good thing since most of
locals drive around scooters and bicycles, don’t get surprise if you get
to see a family of four on a scooter!! Also you have to be aware of
tourists usually driving those scooters under the influence of alcohol.
The town it’s
divided in south and north and this happens on Juarez Avenue, this is
the road the stats from the town ferry pier and goes across the island
to the east coastline. Then North streets will always be numbered as
pairs and South streets will be numbered odds.
Avenues, in San
Miguel most of the avenues go parallel to the ocean meaning you have the
right of way, the exception would be when you get to find a double
circulation avenue that goes transversal to the ocean.
Streets, most of
them go transversal to the ocean and in this case you have to make your
STOP every time you get to a corner. No matter what’s the case, if
driving on an avenue or street we suggest you to always be caution of
other street users and dogs!
Most of the
island roads are paved on the exception of the roads that go to the
southern and northern Lighthouses (Celarain and Molas) and to the lagoon
areas in the northwest. Driving on the northern lighthouse road of Punta
Molas requires expertise driving on sand and if your goal is getting to
the end you will need a four wheel drive vehicle for sure. Other that
this last you will be able to move around on any kind of vehicle.
The Island, also
divided on North, South, East and West will be a good reference to
understand as you move around. Most of the beaches that are recommended
for Kiteboarding are located either North, East or South East due to the
predominant winds.
FERRY
TO AND FROM COZUMEL - PLAYA DEL CARMEN
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With their new fast
boats, regular schedules and convenient service you can be
in Cozumel in 30 minutes departing from Playa del Carmen
starting as early as 4:00 AM to as late as 11:00 PM.
You may buy your
tickets right before you depart, or they can be bought in
advance. Space on the boats is enough for the demand of
passengers so you do not have to worry about availability.
The approximate cost for a round trip Playa del Carmen-Cozumel-Playa
del Carmen is about 16 USD per person.
During the ride you
will be able to watch TV ads of Cozumel and Playa del
Carmen, which contain useful information on both places, and
in most boats you can also sit outside and enjoy the
scenery. |
FERRY SCHEDULE
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Playa del
Carmen - Cozumel
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Cozumel -
Playa del Carmen
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6:00 AM
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5:00 AM
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8:00 AM
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7:00 AM
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9:00 AM
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8:00 AM
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10:00 AM
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9:00 AM
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11:00 AM
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10:00 AM
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12:00 PM
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12:00 PM
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1:00 PM
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1:00 PM
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2:00 PM
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2:00 PM
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3:00 PM
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3:00 PM
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4:00 PM
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4:00 PM
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5:00 PM
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5:00 PM
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6:00 PM
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6:00 PM
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7:00 PM
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7:00 PM
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8:00 PM
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8:00 PM
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9:00 PM
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9:00 PM
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10:00 PM
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10:00 PM
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11:00 PM
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TIP: This schedule may
change without notice, we suggest you check schedules with the
local agency or at their office phone number 872-15-08
 Since
you're entering a foreign country, you'll need proof of who you are
to receive a visa. A current passport is your best bet. But if you
don't have one, a copy of your birth certificate with a raised seal,
(not a photocopy), will do in addition to a photo ID like a valid US
driver's license.
If
you're traveling with children and one parent is not on the trip
with you, you'll need a signed and notarized letter from the parent
who is not traveling with the child. (This authorizes the traveling
parent to bring the child into a foreign country.) You will likely
be denied boarding privleges by your airline if you don't have this
so plan ahead!
On
the last leg of your journey to Cozumel or Cozumel the flight
attendant will hand out customs forms for you to fill out on the
plane. This form is to be handed to the Mexican customs agent who
will briefly examine your entry papers once you've landed.
You are allowed to bring in up to $300 US
worth of personal possessions duty-free and without declaring it.
(Laptops are not included in this amount). So unless you're bringing
in a pile of stuff to sell in Mexico or you're carrying more than
$10,000 in cash, check the "nothing to declare" or "O" option on the
form. Also be sure to sign the bottom of the back of the form in
addition to filling out the front. Many people don't realize they
have to sign the bottom of the back and it slows things up for
everyone going through immigration at the airport.
Once
your plane has landed, you'll deplane and join one of the lines
waiting to go through immigration ("immigracion"). In Cozumel these
can really get long but be of good heart, they move people through
quite fast. If you fly in to Cozumel's small but completely modern
airport you shouldn't have to wait more than 10 minutes to clear
immigration.
When
it's your turn at the immigration desk, present your passport or
birth certificate plus the customs declaration form you filled out
on the plane.
Next
proceed to the luggage carousels and collect any baggage you didn't
bring on board with you. If you've got more stuff than you can
handle yourself, signal for a porter to give you a hand. (They're
everywhere.) Tip them around $1 US per bag to carry your stuff
through customs and out to whatever means of ground transportation
you plan to take.) Note: if you're coming into Cozumel, they have
free push carts you can use to get your luggage and wheel it all the
way up the exit door of the airport. You will need your luggage
checks to get your bags, however. Not so in Cozumel where things are
a lot more informal.
Once you
have all your luggage in tow, shuttle it over to the exit. There
you'll see a large stoplight. Yes, you read that right. Looks just
like the ones you see hanging above intersections in your own
country but in this case, it's sitting on a pole--at eye-level.
When
it's your turn, push the giant button on the pole. If the light
turns green, you can go whisking through and out to ground
transportation. If you happen to be the one in 5 to 10 people who
get the red, just haul the stuff over to the table where a couple of
pretty young girls will take a quick, unmeticulous look through one
or two of your bags. They'll take away food sometimes if they see
it. And, if you're traveling with a large amount of pills they might
query you about that-Just bring a copy of your prescription in that
case.
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Be sure and hang on to the visa stub the immigration official hands
you, by the way. Stick it in with your airplane ticket as you'll
need to show it to the agent before leaving the country at the end
of your trip.
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