Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- During high season, several more international commercial flights fly in and out of Cozumel's airport (CZM) than in low season, including a few flights from northern U.S. cities. You might also inquire about buying a ticket on one of the charter flights. Some packagers, such as Fun Jet (www.funjet.com), will sell you just a ticket. But look into packages, too. Several of the island's independent hotels work with packagers.

By Ferry -- Passenger ferries run to and from Playa del Carmen. Barcos México (tel. 987/872-1508 or -1588) and Ultramar (tel. 987/869-2775) offer departures almost every hour in the morning and about every 2 hours in the afternoon. The schedules change according to seasons. The trip takes 30 to 45 minutes, depending on conditions, and costs $11 (£5.50) one-way. The boats are air-conditioned. In Playa del Carmen, the ferry dock is 1 1/2 blocks from the main square. In Cozumel, the ferries use Muelle Fiscal, the town pier, a block from the main square. Luggage storage at the Cozumel dock costs $2 (£1) per day.

The car ferry that used to operate from Puerto Morelos now uses the Calica pier just south of Playa del Carmen. The fare for a standard car is $80 (£40). Marítima Chancanaab (tel. 987/872-7671 or -7504) has four departures daily from Calica at 4am, 8am, 1:30pm, and 6pm. Arrive 1 hour before departure. The schedule is subject to change, so double-check it. The ferry docks in Cozumel at the Muelle Internacional (the International Pier, which is south of town near La Ceiba Hotel).

By Bus -- If you plan to travel on the mainland by bus, there is a ticket office for ADO buses called Ticket Bus where you can purchase tickets in advance. One is located on the municipal pier and is open while the ferries are running. Another is on Calle 2 Norte and Avenida 10 (tel. 987/872-1706). Hours are from 8am to 9pm daily.

Orientation

Arriving -- Cozumel's airport is inland from downtown. Transportes Terrestres provides hotel transportation in air-conditioned Suburbans. Buy your ticket as you exit the terminal. To hotels downtown, the fare is $7 (£3.50) per person; to hotels along the north shore, $10 (£5), and to hotels along the south shore, $11 to $15 (£5.50-£7.50). Passenger ferries arrive at the Muelle Fiscal, the municipal pier, by the town's main square. Cruise ships dock at the Punta Langosta pier, several blocks south of the Muelle Fiscal, and at the International Pier, which is at Km 4 of the southern coastal road. A third cruise ship pier, the Puerta Maya, suffered the most damage from Hurricane Wilma and will be nonoperational for at least another year. The International Pier was also damaged, but one side was working when I was last on the island, and the other side was scheduled to open sometime in 2008. On days when several cruise ships arrive, some of the boats will anchor offshore, and tender boats will ferry passengers and crew to land. It seems to be working smoothly -- I heard no complaints from passengers.

Visitor Information

The Municipal Tourism Office (tel./fax 987/869-0212) has an information booth at the municipal ferry pier, on the main square. It's open 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday. There are other information booths at each of the ferry piers and at the airport.

City Layout

San Miguel's main waterfront street is Avenida Rafael Melgar. Running parallel to Rafael Melgar are other avenidas numbered in multiples of five -- 5, 10, 15. Avenida Juárez runs perpendicular to these, heading inland from the ferry dock. Avenida Juárez divides the town into northern and southern halves. The calles (streets) that parallel Juárez to the north have even numbers. The ones to the south have odd numbers, except for Calle Rosado Salas, which runs between calles 1 and 3.

Island Layout

One road runs along the western coast of the island, which faces the Yucatán mainland. It has different names. North of town it's Santa Pilar or San Juan; in the city it is Avenida Rafael Melgar; south of town it's Costera Sur. Hotels stretch along this road north and south of town. The road runs to the southern tip of the island (Punta Sur), passing Chankanaab National Park. Avenida Juárez (and its extension, the Carretera Transversal) runs east from the town across the island. It passes the airport and the turnoff to the ruins of San Gervasio before reaching the undeveloped ocean side of the island. It then turns south and follows the coast to the southern tip, where it meets the Costera Sur.

Be Streetwise -- North-south streets -- the avenidas -- have the right of way, and traffic doesn't slow down or stop.

Getting Around

You can walk to most destinations in town. Getting to outlying hotels and beaches requires a taxi, rental car, or moped.

Car rentals are roughly the same price as on the mainland, depending on demand. Avis (tel. 987/872-0099) and Executive (tel. 987/872-1308) have counters in the airport. Other major rental companies have offices in town. Rentals are easy to arrange through your hotel or at any of the many local rental offices.

Moped rentals are readily available and cost $20 to $40 (£15-£20) 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 involves a certain amount of risk as taxi drivers and other motorists have become more numerous and pushier. Moped accidents easily rank as the greatest cause of injury in Cozumel. Before renting one, inspect it carefully to see that all the gizmos -- horn, light, starter, seat, mirror -- are in good shape. I've been offered mopeds with unbalanced wheels, which made them unsteady at higher speeds, but the renter quickly exchanged them upon my request. You are required to stay on paved roads. It's illegal to ride a moped without a helmet outside of town (subject to a $25/£13 fine).

Cozumel has lots of taxis and a strong drivers' union. Fares have been standardized -- there's no bargaining. Here are a few sample fares for two people (there is an additional charge for extra passengers to most destinations): island tour, $50 (£25); town to southern hotel zone, $6 to $18 (£3-£9); town to northern hotels, $5 to $7 (£2.50-£3.50); town to Chankanaab, $10 (£5) for up to four people; in and around town, $3 to $4 (£1.50-£2).