By Elisa Mala
Nineteen kilometers off the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, Cozumel offers sundry excursions above and below the surface. Home to more than 40 Mayan ruins, ecological parks and reefs that charmed Jacques Cousteau, this one-town island is anything but sleepy. Among the most biodiverse on the planet, it teems with countless wildlife species and lots of lively locals.
With a love of the Caribbean and a surname that means "bad" in Spanish, NEWSWEEK's Elisa Mala was thrilled to traverse both the wet and dry parts of the island.
Explore the cerulean waters of Chankanaab National Park ($16 per adult and $8 per child, cozumelparks.com). The name of this sprawling nature reserve derives from Mayan: "Chan" means "small" and "Kanaab" means "sea or ocean." It lives up to its name: Befriend colorful fish, urchins, crabs and submerged statues of Jesus and Mary without having to venture far from the shoreline. With a good eye, it's possible to spot barracudas, eels and small octopuses. Swimming with dolphins is also a possibility, though special arrangements need to be made. On land, iguanas, small lizards and birds find a home within the towering trees that crop up all over the lush, manicured gardens. Divers can explore the Felipe Xicotencatl shipwreck, which is located just offshore, before heading into deeper waters.
Though turtles, crocodiles and coral reefs live at Punta Sur ($10 per person; cozumelparks.com), the 1,000 hectares ecological reserve is an ideal playground for landlubbers. A whitewashed lighthouse greets visitors at the entrance and contains a museum dedicated to navigation -- it profiles buccaneers, explorers, Mayans and lighthouse keepers. Unless an hours-long hike in high heat is the intended goal, plan to bring a car or use the internal transportation system to coast through the park's five ecosystems, which include dunes and mangroves. A 40-minute catamaran ride along Columbia Sur lagoon is available for an extra $3.
Climb the steps of the San Gervasio ruins (cozumelparks.com), which served as the worshiping grounds of Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of fertility. Its name stems from a nearby cattle ranch founded by Gervasio Novelo on September 14, 1858. Even though the stone structures are replete with ancient etchings, no one is quite sure of what the Mayans called it.
Stroll through San Miguel de Cozumel, the island's sole town, to mingle with locals and get a true sense of life. Near the piers and shops along the main road, Avenida Rafael Melgar, the four-room Museo de la Isla de Cozumel provides a thorough account of the region's history and biodiversity (52-987-872-1475).
Dance if you dare at All Sports Bar (52-987-869-2246), which doubles as a salsa club after 10 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. On Sundays around sunset, locals gather in the center of town to mingle and sashay the night away.
Relax in seclusion under palm trees on the white-sand beaches of Isla de Pasión, a private islet off the coast of Cozumel that is accessible by a 10-minute boat ride (isla-pasion.com). The stunning scenery of this little-explored hideaway has served as the backdrop for many a wedding, but even the most hardened soul can find something to love.
