Cozumel Great Values

Whitewashed walls and comfortable sitting nooks distinguish this pretty guesthouse in a quiet section of town. Four rooms and two full apartments open onto a small garden. The rooms access a shared kitchen – but don’t pass up the delicious breakfasts.

This hotel caters squarely to divers with a dive shop on premises, plus a pool and protected wade-in area for training. The 22 rooms are large and simply furnished, with balconies facing the sea.

The only hotel on Cozumel’s east side runs entirely on wind power (that means no a/c, but the steady breezes make up for it). The 16 enormous rooms all overlook the ocean and just north is a wide beach that is perfect for sunbathing.

The game isn’t just for kids at this clever course (watch out for the waterfall – as well as the iguanas); adults can order beer and pick their favorite music while they’re playing.

The hammock is native Yucatan technology – so you can count your seaside nap as a cultural experience. For classic palm tree scenery, head to the quieter beach clubs on the southwest coast.

Set in an old-fashioned wooden house, this little bohemian restaurant serves a bargain set-price...more

San Miguel’s main public market is crammed with the freshest produce, fish, and meat. In the surrounding shops, you can also pick up non-perishable gifts, such as colorful plastic kitchenware. Go early in the morning for the best selection and liveliest crowds.

The Yucatan peninsula is studded with freshwater sinkholes called cenotes. Snorkeling in them is otherworldly, as you’re suspended in perfectly clear water above elaborate stalagmites. Hidden Worlds park contains some of the most dramatic of these watery caverns.