Is Cozumel a good place to stay in Cancún?

Cozumel is a good base if you love diving, snorkelling or a slower island pace. It's a ferry ride from Playa del Carmen, and the town of San Miguel has most of the small hotels, restaurants and the ferry pier, while resorts and beach clubs line the sheltered west coast to the north and south.

The island is relaxed and green. San Miguel's seafront promenade, Avenida Rafael E. Melgar, is lined with shops and restaurants, and the main square fills with families in the evening. Offshore, the reefs of the national park, including Palancar, are some of the best in the Caribbean, Chankanaab park has easy snorkelling, and the Mayan ruins of San Gervasio are in the jungle inland.

The downside is the journey and the crowds. Getting here from Cancún means a bus and a ferry, the town gets busy when the cruise ships are in, and the shops near the pier can feel touristy. The wild east coast is beautiful but often too rough for swimming.

What makes Cozumel special is the water. You can walk off the beach onto colourful reefs, dive some of the world's best walls and still come back to a friendly town with good, simple food. For divers, snorkellers and anyone who prefers island life to big resorts, it's a wonderful place to stay.