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Guide to Cozumel Beaches |
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Cozumel island has three distinct types of beaches:
- Sandy walk-in beaches on the west or leeward side of the island generally have calm water. Snorkeling may be disappointing in the sandy areas since any disturbance on a sandy bottom [waves, walking, jumping, playing] suspends sand particles in the water which decrease visibility and make it very hard for coral polyps to thrive. Without coral for camoflage and protection, one will not see as much marine life.
- Beaches with a rocky limestone shoreline on the west coast are the best for snorkeling or shore dives since less sand is disturbed so visibility and coral growth are better. The more coral growth there is in an area, the more reef critters will take cover there to be seen while snorkeling or diving.
- Sandy surf and large waves alternating with rocky limestone coastlines on the east or windward side of the island are beautiful but can be dangerous. The roaring surf creates strong breakers and undertows. Never enter the water alone. Swimming is not recommended on most of the east side beaches. There are now many areas where flags are displayed showing the level of safety for a particular area. Despite the dangerous swimming conditions, these beaches are stunning and serene for those wanting sunbathing, long walks or playing in the water very close to shore.
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Cozumel Insider Beach Chart | Here is a handy Cozumel Beach Chart with descriptions, photos, hours of operations and amenities! Just click on the names of each of the beaches for complete descriptions. May we suggest our: Do-it-youself Snorkel Tour
Beach Conservation - Do Your Part |
Cozumel has a protected Marine Park area that extends from the southern cruise ship piers southward and all the way around the tip of the island and up the other (east) side to Punta Chiqueros. Inside this area, the taking of ANY items from the SEA OR BEACH is prohibited by federal law and punishable with fines and/or imprisonment if caught. Even shells that wash up on the shore can become a home for some critter so please leave them in place in order to help preserve the natural beauty of the area.
There are many stores and kiosks in town that sell shells however no one really knows the origin of these shells and if they were harvested from a protected area of the island or an open one. So in general, if your desire is to help our conservation efforts, it's best not to purchase shells at all. For this only encourages poaching and illegal harvesting when naturally available supplies are depleted.
I know they are all so beautiful and it is very tempting to say "well it's only one shell so..." But if you keep in mind that according to Carnival cruise lines recently, there will be a couple of MILLION cruise ship visitors this next year to Cozumel, then you can just imagine the impact if each person elects to take just one shell!
Perhaps consider adopting the DIVER'S CREDO when travelling the world:
"Take only pictures and memories and leave only bubbles behind!"
~ Sherri ~ |
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Beach Safety is Important! "SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK" |
Bring life vests for any persons with limited water skills wishing to partake in water activities.
Observe all beach signage and warning flags posted on beaches which indicate current swimming conditions.
While only a few years old, Cozumel's Lifeguard Program now has over 30 Lifeguards on duty daily and continues to develop. Read more here about our Lifesaving Program. With this program, there are lifeguard towers and lifeguards at some beaches but not all of them.
So please be cautious and consider all beaches to be "SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK"
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A few beachy things you might be interested in!
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I wanted to let you know how much we enjoy your publication. We use it as our go-to-source for our Cozumel vacation. So much great information in one place. We are here for the month of April and use your advertisers for many of our adventures. R. & R. King (April 2015) ~ Lincoln, CA USA
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Just wanted to thank COZUMELINSIDER for getting us booked for our activities while we were in Cozumel. The dolphin swim was fantastic! I'd do it again in a minute. We didn't get to do the SNUBA diving ..... we ended up doing the Helmet dive instead for the same price. We plan on visiting Cozumel again possibly next year and will be contacting you to book some excursions prior to our vacation. We saved a significant amount of money booking the excursions through COZUMELINSIDER instead of the cruise line. Thanks again! S.Forgette and G Wichtowski ~ Not Given
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We just got back from Cozumel and the best thing we did was the Sea Turtle Release with FP&M. They were very educational and not just about the turtles. We were so excited to be able to hold the babies and set them free. Watching them bob their heads out of the water to breathe was quite a sight! Digging for them was enchanting, like finding buried treasure! Thanks to COZUMELINSIDER for helping us make this happen! Karen E. ~ Arroyo Grande, CA USA
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Received your info and thank you for your prompt response! Telling friends and family about your services straight away! S. Beemer (March 2016) ~ Charlotte, NC USA
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Had a great time liberating baby turtles ~ Will be back to do it again! D. Stachelski ~ Yorkville, Illinois
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Copyright 2000 - 2024 Sherri Davis, All Rights Reserved. Contributors retain the copyright to their work. Please do not take art or written content without permission. Other graphics and reference materials are used and attributed as per the Fair Use Provision of The Copyright Act and individual terms of use.
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