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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Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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.

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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.

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

Rocky Cliffs

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

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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!

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!
Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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.

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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.

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!
Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

Plus, how adorable is this spot for photos?

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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).

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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!

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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.

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!
Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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.

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!
Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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!

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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!

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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.

Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!
Plan the perfect 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico! These photos will show you why this paradise needs to be your next vacation!

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!

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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18 Comments

  1. We stopped in Senor Frogs when we visited Cozumel too and had a great time. This is such a cool little island to explore! Hope to return one day to visit Coconuts Bar and spend some time in those beautiful blue waters too!

  2. This really sounds like the perfect day! Cozumel looks gorgeous. I’ve been to Playa Del Carmen, but didn’t get the chance to go to Cozumel. I definitely need to go there one day!

  3. These ideas seem so great! I am hoping to visit the coast while in Mexico next time. I have heard much about Senoir Frog from all my cruise ship friends. Seems to be a highlight not to miss.

  4. What beautiful, clear water — and the coastline is so lovely. The blowhole is great — what a surprise! This reminds me of Monterey in California. Looks like a wonderful place to visit!

  5. I can see why 1 day in Cozumel was enough time to fall in love. The views are stunning. I love the idea of getting away from town and exploring. That gray lizard on the gray rocks–I don’t think I would have seen it if your caption hadn’t pointed it out! Amazing!

  6. I am definitely looking to book a photographer for my trip to cozumel in August. Is there a way you can assist me with this? I have been looking everywhere!

    1. Hi Kelaiah! I’m not actually sure where you might find a photographer for Cozumel – I just used my boyfriend as mine haha 🙂 Have you tried looking on getyourguide.com or viator.com? I’ve seen photographers posted in other locations, but haven’t looked in Cozumel. Good luck finding one! And have a great trip!

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