Cozumel has three separate cruise piers. Punta Langosta is walkable to downtown San Miguel; International Pier and Puerta Maya are about three miles south and require a taxi. Chankanaab park publishes admission of $31 adult and $22 child, and snorkelling is included with entry if you bring your own gear.
Cozumel comes up on almost every Western Caribbean itinerary, which means a lot of people end up there repeatedly and never quite work out what to do with it. I genuinely enjoy this island, and my day has looked completely different at different stages of life.
Every time, we took a cab to Chankanaab. It was not very expensive, and it is a nice park — dolphins if you want to pay extra for them, good food, and an easy day where nobody had to be brave.
The thing worth knowing: snorkelling is free with your entry if you bring your own gear, and you can rent if you need to. We brought ours.
It was just an overall nice day, every single time. When you have little ones, "reliable" beats "exciting," and that is what Chankanaab gave us.
My husband and I took a tour I really enjoyed. There were tequila tastings. We went to a part of the beach with large rocks where the water was beautiful crashing into them. We shopped in a village in the middle of the island, and we saw a native tour.
It was really great, and it was nothing like the beach days we had been doing for years. If you have "done" Cozumel four or five times and think there is nothing left, go inland.
Check your pier before you plan anything
This is the single most useful thing to know about Cozumel and most people find it out on the day.
There are three separate piers. Punta Langosta is downtown and you can walk into San Miguel from it. International Pier is about three miles south and used mostly by larger ships. Puerta Maya sits immediately next to International. From those two, town is a five to ten minute taxi, not a walk.
Celebrity publishes terminal-to-downtown taxi fares of roughly $8 to $15, with fares posted at the terminals, and advises settling the price before you get in. No official municipal tariff exists anywhere I could find, so posted plus agreed is as good as it gets.
The parks, with real published prices
Cozumel's parks are run by a public foundation that actually publishes prices, which is rarer than it should be.
| Chankanaab | $31 adult, $22 child 4 to 12, under 3 free. Monday to Saturday, 8am to 4pm. Entry includes parking, bathrooms, changing rooms, showers, beach chairs, hammocks and a life vest. Cards accepted. |
|---|---|
| Punta Sur | $25 adult, $17 child. Monday to Saturday, 9am to 4pm. Cash only. |
| San Gervasio ruins | 210 pesos, or 105 for residents of Mexico. Cash only. |
How I would pick your Cozumel day
- Small children, first visit: taxi to Chankanaab. Pack your own snorkel gear. Do not overthink it.
- Docked at Punta Langosta with limited time: walk into San Miguel. You are already there.
- Fourth or fifth visit and bored: take an inland tour. Tequila, the rocky coast, a village in the middle of the island. It is a different island up there.
- Want a free beach walk-off: this is not that port. Read on.
The beach question, answered straight
No official source publishes a free public beach within walking distance of any of the three piers. The water here is superb and the reef is world class, but a lot of the coastline is rock rather than sand, and the good beach clubs are a taxi ride out.
If your plan is a free walk-off beach day, Cozumel is not the port for it. A park or beach club, one taxi each way, and staying put is the better day.
Money
Mexican pesos. Dollars are widely taken in tourist areas, but paying in pesos usually gets you better value, and both currencies use the $ sign — so a price tag reading $200 means very different things. Look twice.
Questions I get asked
Is Chankanaab worth it with older children or adults?
It is an easy, pleasant day rather than an adventure. With teenagers or adults who want more, I would look at an inland tour instead.
Should I bring my own snorkel gear?
Yes. It is free to use with park entry, it packs flat, and it pays for itself in one trip.
Can I walk into town?
Only from Punta Langosta. From International or Puerta Maya it is a taxi.
Are the dolphins included?
No, that is an additional cost on top of park entry.
Do I need cash?
For Punta Sur and San Gervasio, yes — both are cash only. Chankanaab takes cards.
The full sourced detail is in the Cozumel port guide.
Where these facts come from
Ports change their rules and their prices. Check the official pages above before you sail.
Independent tours usually cost less than the ship's, and are often run by the very same local operator. Look for a listing tagged Worry-Free Shore Excursion — Viator backs those with what it calls a "Back to Ship Guarantee," which is the bit that takes the worry out of booking on your own.
- Viator publishes 400,000+ travel experiences
- Full refund on most experiences cancelled at least 24 hours ahead
- Back to Ship Guarantee on Worry-Free listings
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