Cozumel was declared one of the most spectacular dive locations in the world when famed underwater oceanographer Jacques Cousteau happened upon it.  With an average temperature of 76 degrees, Cozumel is a tropical destination that offers beautiful beaches and long stretches of sand on this 30-mile-long, 10-mile-wide Island.  The town of San Miguel welcomes 3 million cruise ship passengers annually and the island feature the world’s second largest coral reef system just minutes away from the shopping and open-aired restaurants of San Miguel.

 After Hurricane Wilma, Cozumel has gone through many renovations to restore it to its previous beauty.  Two of the three cruise ship piers have reopened, The International Pier reopened last May, and Punta Langosta Pier welcomed ships last September, the Puerta Maya Pier looks to be completed in the next year.  Also, the island’s 50 hotels have gone through about $80 million in renovations.

 The best beaches of Cozumel are found on the southwestern part of the island, but there are 37 dive sites strewn along the beaches.  here you can dive and discover tropical fish, marine life, multicolored coral reefs, and limestone caves and tunnels, particular to this area.  Some popular dive sites are Palancar, Tormentos, where you will find moray eels, and Chankanaab Park, where you can swim with the dolphins.

 If you look to adventure on land, you can visit the restored ruins of Maya-Toltec, or visit the Museum of the Island on Cozumel.  You can visit Punta Sur Park ecological reserve, which features tours, a beach area, a lighthouse, a maritime museum, a small Mayan ruin, and a free catamaran ride through mangroves.  Cozumel also offers a four-hour “Jeep Jungle Tour” along remote beaches, this trip includes a Mayan ruin visit, snorkeling at Micro Atolls reef, and a picnic lunch.  This tour usually runs for $80 per adult, and $55 for children.  There is also a four-hour “ATV Jungle and Beach Tour,” for ages 16 and up.  This tour offers some of the most scenic nature views of Cozumel and some tours include kayaking and snorkeling.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 12:02 pm and is filed under Mexico, Diving, Cozumel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.