Living up to its heavenly name, El Cielo's shallow turquoise waters are ideal for snorkeling and swimming among starfish, stingrays and small fish. Located on the island's southwest side, it's only accessible by boat but all the dive shops make trips there.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Tulum Ruins
28.05 MILES
Tulum is one of the most visited archaeological zones in Mexico and for good reason: it’s sublime. The ruins sit on seaside cliffs, high above turquoise…
SFER IK
29.78 MILES
Wandering barefoot through the contemporary art museum at Azulik hotel, you feel like you’re in a giant cocoon. Nature surrounds you, inside and out:…
Tankah Tres
27 MILES
At the end of a sand road is the hamlet of Tankah Tres (aka Tankah Bay), a seaside community of vacation homes and small hotels in Mexico, all facing a…
Parque Punta Sur
3.18 MILES
For the price of admission to this park, you can visit a lighthouse, a small nautical museum and a Maya ruin. The park road leads past an observation…
Playa Palancar
2.68 MILES
About 17km south of San Miguel, Palancar is a great beach to visit during the week when the crowds thin out. It has a beach club renting snorkel gear (US…
El Cedral
3.82 MILES
This Maya ruin, a fertility temple, is the oldest on the island. It’s the size of a small house and has no ornamentation. El Cedral is thought to have…
San Gervasio Ruins
16.38 MILES
This overpriced Maya complex is Cozumel’s only preserved ruin. It's thought to have been the location of the sanctuary of Ixchel, goddess of fertility,…
Nearby Isla Cozumel attractions
1. Playa Palancar
2.68 MILES
About 17km south of San Miguel, Palancar is a great beach to visit during the week when the crowds thin out. It has a beach club renting snorkel gear (US…
2. Parque Punta Sur
3.18 MILES
For the price of admission to this park, you can visit a lighthouse, a small nautical museum and a Maya ruin. The park road leads past an observation…
3. El Cedral
3.82 MILES
This Maya ruin, a fertility temple, is the oldest on the island. It’s the size of a small house and has no ornamentation. El Cedral is thought to have…
4. Sea Walls
13.72 MILES
Local and international artists backed by the PangeaSeed foundation created 36 large-scale public murals in 2015 to raise awareness about ocean…
5. San Gervasio Ruins
16.38 MILES
This overpriced Maya complex is Cozumel’s only preserved ruin. It's thought to have been the location of the sanctuary of Ixchel, goddess of fertility,…
6. Paamul
18.39 MILES
Paamul, 87km south of Cancún, is a de facto private beach on a sheltered bay. Like many other spots along the Caribbean coast, it has signs prohibiting…
7. Xpu-Há
19.34 MILES
Xpu-Há (shpoo-ha) is a beach area about 95km south of Cancún that extends for several kilometers. It’s reached by numbered access roads (most of them…
8. Cenote Azul
19.61 MILES
Conveniently located right off the main highway, Cenote Azul is one of the easiest Riviera Maya cenotes to visit. It’s also one of the region’s most…