Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- There are fewer international commercial flights in and out of Cozumel than charter flights. You might inquire about buying a ticket on one of these charters. Some packagers, such as Funjet (www.funjet.com), will sell you just a ticket. But look into packages, too. Several of the island's independent hotels work with packagers. Flight availability changes between high season and low season. Continental (tel. 800/231-0856 in the U.S., or 987/872-0596) flies to and from Houston and Newark. US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322 in the U.S., or 01-800/007-8800 in Mexico) flies to and from Charlotte. American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S., or 01-800/904-6000 in Mexico) offers nonstop service to/from Dallas. Mexicana (tel. 800/531-7921 in the U.S. or 987/872-0157) and Aeromexico (tel. 800/237-6639 in the U.S., or 01-800/021-4000 in Mexico) fly from Mexico City.

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 (£6.05) 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 (£1.10) 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 (£44). 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 $5 (£2.75) per person; to hotels along the north shore, $7 (£3.85), and to hotels along the south shore, $8 to $15 (£4.40-£8.25). 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. 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, with the exception of 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 of the island, where it meets the Costera Sur.

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 (£11-£22) 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/£14 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, $60 (£33); town to southern hotel zone, $6 to $18 (£3.30-£9.90); town to northern hotels, $5 to $7 (£2.75-£3.85); town to Chankanaab, $9 (£4.95) for up to four people; in and around town, $3 to $4 (£1.65-£2.20).

An All-Inclusive Vacation in Cozumel

Booking a room at an all-inclusive should be done through a vacation packager. Booking lodging directly through the hotel usually doesn't make sense, even with frequent-flier mileage to burn, because the discounts offered by most packagers are so deep. I include websites for you to find out more info about the properties, but don't expect to find clear info on rates. The game of setting rates with these hotels is complicated and always in flux. All these beach properties made significant upgrades to the rooms when they made repairs after the hurricane, so expect such things as new mattresses and extra amenities.

Two all-inclusives are north of town: El Cozumeleño (www.elcozumeleno.com) and the Meliá Cozumel (www.meliacozumel.com). Both occupy multistory modern buildings. Both have attractive rooms. El Cozumeleño is the larger of the two resorts and has the nicest hotel pool on the island. It's best suited for active types. The Meliá is quieter and offers golf discounts for the nearby golf course. The Cozumeleño has a small beach that was lost with Wilma, but the hotel brought in sand to replace what was lost and is back to normal. The Meliá's beach is long and narrow and pretty, but occasionally seaweed washes up, which doesn't happen on the rest of the island's coast. The advantages of staying in these two are the proximity to town, with its restaurants, clubs, movie theaters, and so on, and the fact that most rooms at these hotels come with lovely views of the ocean.

Of the all-inclusives to the south, my favorites are the two Occidental properties (Allegro Cozumel and Grand Cozumel; www.occidentalhotels.com) and the Iberostar Cozumel (www.iberostar.com). These are "village" style resorts with two- and three-story buildings, often with thatched roofs, spread over a large area at the center of which is the pool and activities area. The Allegro is older than the other two and has the plainest rooms, but these were completely remodeled after the hurricane. Before the hurricane this hotel had the broadest beach, and all three of these properties gained beach from Wilma. The Grand Cozumel, next door to the Allegro, is the newest property. Its rooms are larger and more attractive than the Allegro, and staying here gives you access to both Occidental resorts. Like the Occidental chain, Iberostar has several properties in the Mexican Caribbean. This one is the smallest. I like its food and service and the beauty of the grounds. The rooms are attractive and well maintained. The added sand from Wilma improved the resort a lot. The advantage to staying in these places is that you're close to a lot of dive sites; the disadvantage is that you're somewhat isolated from town, and you don't have the lovely views that the taller buildings in the north give you.

Of the other all-inclusives, I've heard several complaints about the service at the Reef Club (unless you stay in the VIP section), and I think the rooms are too closely set together. The Costa Club is on the inland side of the road in a crowded section of the island.