A day trip to the stunning island of Cozumel from Playa del Carmen is a popular excursion, offering visitors the chance to explore the beautiful island and its vibrant marine life. While Cozumel has a reputation for being expensive, there are ways to keep costs down on your visit. Here’s a travel guide to help you plan:
THE BEST BUDGET COZUMEL DAY TRIP
COZUMEL FERRY
The ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel departs from the Ultramar ferry terminal located on the coastline of Playa del Carmen. The ferry ride typically takes around 30-45 minutes, offering stunning views of the Caribbean Sea.
Two main ferry companies operate this route: Ultramar and Winjet. Check the schedule and choose the one that suits your itinerary.
This is slightly confusing, but bear with me: The two ferry companies take turns departing on the hour. Days where one of them leaves from Playa del Carmen at 8am, the other one will start at 9am. Whichever one starts earlier will also run later, with the last sailing from Cozumel departing at 9pm. The company that starts at 9am will do its last sailing to Playa del Carmen at 8pm.
Each ferry company only sails once every 2 hours, so if you are worried you might want to go back within that two-hour window, you might want to book only a one-way ticket and see which one is running when you’re ready to go back. The cost will be about the same.
With Ultramar, round-trip tickets for adults cost either 580 MXN ($34 USD) for regular or 680 MXN ($40 USD) for first class. One-way tickets cost 290 MXN ($17 USD) for regular or 340 MXN ($20 USD) for first class ($17 or 20 USD). The options are ‘premium plus’ or ‘first class’, and premium plus are the regular/cheaper ones. You will be given access to a covered bottom deck, a partially covered middle deck, and an open-top deck where you can choose a seat.
With Winjet, round-trip tickets for adults cost 540 MXN or $35 USD. One-way tickets cost 280 MXN ($18 USD) departing from Playa and 260 MXN ($17 USD) departing from Cozumel.
It seems like if you pay with USD you can save some money with Ultramar, but if you’re paying MXN you’ll save with Winjet due to their different conversions.
Both ferry companies have live music performances on the journey across.
GETTING AROUND COZUMEL
The best way to explore the island at your own pace is to rent a scooter or a car. We recommend the place we rented our scooter from: HTL Rentals (the store is no longer called HTL Rentals, but the location is right). For just $25 USD we were able to rent a scooter for the day, and he threw in free flippers and snorkels for the day with it! Helmets are required while riding a scooter on Cozumel, and were included in this rental price, though we have heard other spots may try to upcharge for helmets.
Cars cost anywhere from $70- 100 USD for the day.
Alternatively, there are taxis on the island to take you around. These are more expensive and less convenient than renting a scooter, so we recommend DIY-ing it!
Warning: In the town of San Miguel where you get in, there are many one-way streets! Go slow and check for the arrow signs letting you know which way to go. You’re on vacation, take your time!
THINGS TO DO IN COZUMEL ON A BUDGET
DRIVE UP THE EAST COAST
Unlike the expensive and fancy west coast of Cozumel which generally caters to cruise ship tourists, Cozumel’s east coast stands out for its raw and less developed vibe. It’s all about wild landscapes, rocky shores, and quiet beaches. The southern tip of the island has the Punta Sur Eco Beach Park, featuring a lighthouse and a chill beach (but entry costs $19 USD). The eastern shore is covered with stunning white sand beaches. Although these beaches do not allow swimming due to the strong currents, just relaxing on the beaches and taking in the scenery is incredible. From San Miguel you will be able to cut across to the East Coast of the island and drive down the stunning, quiet highway.
VISIT SOME RUINS
Cozumel is also home to the San Gervasio Archaeological Site, which gives a peek into Cozumel’s ancient history. Entrance into the archaeological site costs 216 MXN ($13 USD). If you’re into a quieter, more natural Cozumel, the East Coast has your back.
CHECK OUT EL MIRADOR LOOKOUT
El Mirador is a viewpoint on the easternmost point of Cozumel, offering great views of the Caribbean Sea. It’s not the most impressive, but the viewpoint is free, and there are plenty of shops, restaurants, and stalls there to browse through on your visit.
SNORKEL THE REEFS
Cozumel is renowned for its exceptional snorkelling opportunities, and many fantastic sites are accessible directly from the shore. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a spot that isn’t taken up by a beach club that charges an entry fee. Technically, all the snorkelling is free if you can find an access point to the water that’s not blocked off by a beach club. For example, we went to Sky Reef and were expected to spend a per person minimum of $15 USD on food or drinks if we wanted to use their facilities and leave our stuff. Other beach clubs are even steeper for entry.
We managed to snorkel Sky Reef for free, by walking just 50 metres past the restaurant and entering the water by a path along this church. We recommend you go to this entry point at Playa Gorda instead though. There are very sharp rocks at the point we went in at, and there is a real sand beach just down the road.
Also, please be mindful of the coral! There is a lot of stunning soft coral on these reefs, and they can be easily damaged or killed if they are touched/kicked/stood on.
CHILL AT THE BEACH
Although many beach clubs in Cozumel charge entry fees to enter their areas of the beach, there are plenty of free beaches along the entire east coast. Chen Rio beach is an absolutely stunning white sand beach on the east coast and is completely free. (Just don’t plan to swim here, the currents are strong and dangerous!)
EXPLORE SAN MIGUEL
Right next to the ferry terminal is the central area of San Miguel. This charming little square has beautiful statues, colorful shops, delicious restaurants, and bustling markets. Make sure to browse through the square before catching your ferry back to the mainland!
Cozumel is the perfect day trip from Playa del Carmen, and you can get the most bang for your buck by exploring the lesser travelled, untouched East Coast of the island. We hope you have a wonderful day trip to Cozumel!
Click here to view our Cozumel day trip gallery
Click here to read about our time in Playa del Carmen & Cozumel