Famous as the site of Jacques Cousteau's first documentary, the sea around Cozumel is teeming with coral and marine life. Visibility extends up to 200 feet, and there are three major reefs that call to divers from the ocean--Palancar, Santa Rosa and El Cedral. Even if you have never picked up a diving mask, you just cannot visit Cozumel without slipping below the surface of the waves. Dive shops abound, and there are excursions for everyone from experts to neophytes, even those who cannot swim.
To soak in the culture and nature of Cozumel, pay a visit to Chankanaab Park, a Mexican National Park. Admission is $16 for adults and $8 for kids ages eight to 12 in 2009, and includes use of most of the facilities. Visitors can enjoy a beautiful beach, botanical gardens, a Mayan cultural center with reproduction ruins, a sea lion show and the use of endless cabanas and hammocks. Lockers and snorkel equipment are available for rent, and the reefs just off shore are an excellent introduction to underwater sightseeing.
Adjacent to the park, visit Dolphin Discovery for the opportunity to swim and interact with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Packages start at $77.80 per person, and they offer everything from a waist deep meet and greet to surfing the waves atop one of the mammals.
If playing in the sun is at the top of your agenda, head down to Paradise Beach. Admission is free, and you can use the lounge chairs and umbrellas as long as you order drinks or food from the restaurant. For $10, you have unlimited access to snorkel equipment, floating mats, beach toys, water trampolines and floating climbing wall.
For those who don't want to get wet, there are plenty of shops in Cozumel to keep you busy. While the shops are the International Pier are highly commercialized and full of generic junk, the more authentic shops on the main drag are a must for a bargain hunter. You can find authentic vanilla, exceptional leatherwork and beautiful silver jewelry, along with woven goods. Shopkeepers expect you to bargain, so don't be shy about negotiating a fair price.
