Active Pursuits

For diving and snorkeling, there are plenty of dive shops to choose from. For island tours, ruins tours on and off the island, evening cruises, and other activities, go to a travel agency. I recommend InterMar Cozumel Viajes, Calle 2 Norte 101-B, between avenidas 5 and 10 (tel. 987/872-1535 or -2022; fax 987/872-0895; cozumel@travel2mexico.com). Office hours are Monday through Saturday from 8am to 8pm, Sunday from 9am to 5pm.

Scuba Diving

Cozumel is the number-one dive destination in the Western Hemisphere. Don't forget your dive card and dive log. Dive shops will rent you scuba gear, but won't take you out on a boat until you show some documentation. If you have a medical condition, bring a letter signed by a doctor stating that you've been cleared to dive. A two-tank morning dive costs around $60 (£33); some shops offer an additional afternoon one-tank dive for $15 (£8.25) for those who took the morning dives. A lot of divers save some money by buying a dive package with a hotel. These usually include two dives a day.

Diving in Cozumel is drift diving, which can be a little disconcerting for novices. The current that sweeps along Cozumel's reefs, pulling nutrients into them and making them as large as they are, also dictates how you dive here. The problem is that it pulls at different speeds at different depths and in different places. When it's pulling strong, it can quickly scatter a dive group. The role of the dive master becomes more important, especially with choosing the dive location. Cozumel has a lot of dive locations. To mention but a few: the famous Palancar Reef, with its caves and canyons, plentiful fish, and a wide variety of sea coral; the monstrous Santa Rosa Wall, famous for its depth, sea life, coral, and sponges; the San Francisco Reef, which has a shallower drop-off wall and fascinating sea life; and the Yucab Reef, with its beautiful coral.

I've seen a number of news reports about reef damage caused by hurricane Wilma. Almost all of it occurred in the shallower parts, above 15m (50 ft.). In deeper areas, the currents produced by Wilma actually improved matters by clearing sand away from parts of the reef, and in some cases exposing new caverns. Wildlife is plentiful. In the shallow parts it will take a year or two for things such as fan coral to grow back. The greatest impact here is to the snorkeling.

Finding a dive shop in town is even easier than finding a jewelry store. Cozumel has more than 50 dive operators. I know and can recommend Bill Horn's Aqua Safari, which has a location on Avenida Rafael Melgar at Calle 5 (tel. 987/872-0101; fax 987/872-0661; www.aquasafari.com). I also know Roberto Castillo at Liquid Blue Divers (tel. 987/869-2812; www.liquidbluedivers.com), on Avenida 5 between Rosado Salas and Calle 3 Sur. He does a good tour, has a fast boat, and keeps the number of divers to 12 or fewer. His wife, Michelle, handles the Internet inquiries and reservations and is quick to respond to questions.

A popular activity in the Yucatán is cenote diving. The peninsula's underground cenotes (seh-noh-tehs) -- sinkholes or wellsprings -- lead to a vast system of underground caverns. The gently flowing water is so clear that divers seem to float on air through caves complete with stalactites and stalagmites. If you want to try this but didn't plan a trip to the mainland, contact Yucatech Expeditions, Avenida 5, on the corner of Calle 3 Sur (tel./fax 987/872-5659; www.yucatech.net), which offers a trip five times a week. Cenotes are 30 to 45 minutes from Playa del Carmen, and a dive in each cenote lasts around 45 minutes. Dives are within the daylight zone, about 40m (131 ft.) into the caverns, and no more than 18m (59 ft.) deep. Company owner Germán Yañez Mendoza inspects diving credentials carefully, and divers must meet his list of requirements before cave diving is permitted. For information and prices, call or drop by the office.

Snorkeling

Anyone who can swim can snorkel. When contracting for a snorkel tour, stay away from the companies that cater to the cruise ships. Those tours are crowded and not very fun. For a good snorkeling tour, contact Victor Casanova (tel. 987/872-1028; wildcatcozumel@hotmail.com). He speaks English, owns a couple of boats, and does a good 5-hour tour. He takes his time and doesn't rush through the trip. You can also try the Kuzamil Snorkeling Center, 50 Av. bis 565 Int. 1, between 5 Sur and Hidalgo, Colonia Adolfo López Mateos (tel. 987/872-4637 or -0539). Even though you won't see a lot of the more delicate structures, such as fan coral, you will still see plenty of sea creatures and enjoy the clear, calm water of Cozumel's protected west side.

Boat Trips

Travel agencies and hotels can arrange boat trips, a popular pastime on Cozumel. There are evening cruises, cocktail cruises, glass-bottom boat cruises, and other options. One novel boat ride is offered by Atlantis Submarines (tel. 987/872-5671). The sub can hold 48 people. It operates almost 3km (2 miles) south of town in front of the Casa del Mar hotel and costs $81 (£45) per adult, $47 (£26) for kids ages 4 to 12. This is a superior experience to the Sub See Explorer offered by Aqua World, which is really just a glorified glass-bottom boat.

Fishing

The best months for fishing are March through June, when the catch includes blue and white marlin, sailfish, tarpon, and swordfish. The least expensive option would be to contact a boat owner directly. Try Victor Casanova, listed above under "Snorkeling." Or try an agency such as Aquarius Travel Fishing, Calle 3 Sur 2 between Avenida Rafael Melgar and Avenida 5 (tel. 987/872-1092; gabdiaz@yahoo.com).

The Beaches

Along both the west and east sides of the island you'll see signs advertising beach clubs. A "beach club" in Cozumel can mean just a palapa hut that's open to the public and serves soft drinks, beer, and fried fish. It can also mean a recreational beach with the full gamut of offerings from banana boats to parasailing. They also usually have locker rooms, a pool, and food. The two biggest of these are Mr. Sancho's (tel. 987/879-0021; www.mrsanchos.com) and Playa Mía (tel. 987/872-9030; www.playamia.com). They get a lot of business from the cruise ships. Mr. Sancho's is free, while Playa Mía charges from $12 (£6.60) for simple admission to $42 (£23) for the full all-inclusive package. Quieter versions of beach clubs are Playa San Francisco (no phone), Paradise Beach (no phone, next to Playa San Francisco), and Playa Palancar (no phone). All of these beaches are south of Chankanaab Park and easily visible from the road. Several have swimming pools with beach furniture, a restaurant, and snorkel rental. Most of these beaches cost around $5 (£2.75).

Once you get to the end of the island, the beach clubs become simple places where you can eat and drink and lay out on the beach for free. Paradise Cafe is on the southern tip of the island across from Punta Sur nature park, and as you go up the eastern side of the island you pass Playa Bonita, Chen Río, and Punta Morena (not yet back in business on my last visit). Except on Sunday, when the locals head for the beaches, these places are practically deserted. Most of the east coast is unsafe for swimming because of the surf. The beaches tend to be small and occupy gaps in the rocky coast.

Golf

Cozumel has a new 18-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus. It's at the Cozumel Country Club (tel. 987/872-9570), just north of San Miguel. Greens fees are $165 (£91) for a morning tee time, including cart rental and tax. Afternoon tee times cost $99 (£54). Tee times can be reserved 3 days in advance. A few hotels have special memberships with discounts for guests and advance tee times; guests at Playa Azul Golf and Beach Club pay no greens fees, but the cart costs $25 (£14).