Plan the Perfect 1 Day in Cozumel, Mexico

The island of Cozumel appears on A LOT of bucket lists…and I’m here to tell you that it’s 100% for a good reason. And that reason is that Cozumel is drop-dead gorgeous (and soooo easy to get to via day trip from the mainland or on a cruise.)

I recently spent 1 day in Cozumel and absolutely fell in love with that little slice of paradise. My biggest tip is get away from town and explore on your own! If you’re thinking about booking a trip there, here are 20 photos that prove Cozumel, Mexico is the best ever.

First stop is to pick up a Jeep and explore the island. If you’re not super comfy driving yourself around Mexico, another option is to do a Private Jeep Tour, where you still get to explore the island. In any case, off you go! Fortunately, Cozumel is super easy to navigate since there’s a total of one road that goes around the island.

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Blowhole Beach

Head out of town, and drive down the very boring tree-lined road for a bit until the road hits the water, and then, welcome to paradise! Really, you can stop anywhere that tickles your fancy, and believe me, we had many a stop for photo ops throughout the day. One of my faves was this random blowhole we saw shooting up at the beach. At first, taking photos here was nice and calm…see, pretty photo.

And then when I went to get my picture, it kind of blew up! FYI—Blowhole Beach is just what I ended up calling this spot, there wasn’t any signage declaring its name.

Rocky Cliffs

Continuing on your merry way, you’ll want to stop for some scenic photos on the edge of cliffs.

Is it really even a photo if you aren’t doing something with your hat?

Rocky Beach

The color of the water here was absolutely unreal!! The pictures honestly do not do it justice. It was so blue, I just wanted to dive on in!

Lifeguard Stand

First off, grab a beer from the roadside beer stand across the road. Or you could risk a frozen drink, but after my last experience in Mexico, I was sticking to exclusively bottled beverages when bought on the edge of the road. Once hydrated, hop across the road for views of the beach (duh!) and most adorable life guard stand I’ve ever seen.

There’s also this cute little sign and plenty of beach to explore!

My Favorite Spot

Next up is my favorite spot on all of Cozumel (that I was able to discover). Again, no name, but the most gorgeous little deserted beach.

Plus, how adorable is this spot for photos?

Obviously, we took a number of pictures here, but I’ll let us move onto the next stop.

Tiki Bar

Drum roll for the tiki bar! I came in for the brews, but stayed for the views. You can clamber around on the rocks (safely, of course).

And bonus points if you get to hang out with the lizard. I’m terrified of lizards, so I allowed the man to put the lizard on my hat, but that lizard was not touching my skin!

Coconuts

Alright, this next stop is a unique one and actually has a real name, yay! Say hello to Coconuts. We stopped because the restaurant/ bar is on a cliff and we figured it had amazing views (it does.) But upon walking in, we discovered we were in for a treat…the signs were hilarious. I only took a couple of pics of the inside, but the signs were pure gold. Honestly, it’s worth a trip to Cozumel just to read all of the signs.

Also, they had pretty delicious chicken quesadillas. And as this is a solid week after the trip and I’m still alive, I can attest that they did not make me sick. Yay! And then there were the views…can you really beat a Tecate (Mexican beer) in one hand while gazing out over these cliffs? I think not.

San Gervais

Fully lubricated with Mexican beer, it’s off to the Mayan ruins! Before you get your hopes up, it’s nothing like the pyramids of Chichén Itzá, but the site is interesting in its own right.

Save some time to walk through the ruins, read the history, and absorb some of the Mayan culture.

My favorite part of the ruins may have been this guy just blending in with the rocks. They’re sneaky little suckers!

Senor Frogs

Ruins are hot, so you’re off to Senor Frogs to cool off with some frozen beverages! FYI – I deemed the ice safe here since it caters to tourists, and I’m still standing. The frozen drinks looked too good to pass up!

And honestly, what’s Senor Frogs without a little dancing and a conga line? If you’re at Senor Frogs for your 1 day in Cozumel, you might as well do it right!

Swimming

Last but not least, save a little time for swimming and relaxing in the clear blue waters of Cozumel. Currently, I’m sitting at my desk trying to send myself back through sheer willpower of the mind.

If you’re looking for something a little different than a Jeep tour, I’d recommend considering either Scuba Diving or a Snorkel Experience. Who doesn’t like swimming with the fishes?!

Resources:

Lucky for you, I’ve also investigated Mexico City and have plenty of helpful tips for you there!

• Discover the 10 best foods to try in Mexico City (loved eating my way through there!)
• If you’re looking for a quick trip there, check out my 3 day Mexico City itinerary.

Isn’t Cozumel beautiful? I told you it would be! If you haven’t visited before, you have to add it to your bucket list. If you have, add it on again anyway! Just a quick day in Cozumel is enough to give you a dose of paradise!

Have you been to Cozumel? What were some of your favorite spots to visit on the island? Hit me with your travel inspo in the comments for the perfect 1 day in Cozumel (or bonus points for additional days!)

P.S. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I might make a little extra spending money, at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own. 

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