Cozumel Smart Splurges

Built in 1969, Cozumel’s first luxury hotel is still one of its best, with 220 sleek, modernist rooms, all facing a perfect semicircle of protected bay. There’s a lavish spa as well.

Playa Azul’s 50 breezy, wicker-furnished rooms have a Caribbean-hideaway feel, with all the perks of a larger resort like multiple restaurants and access to the nearby golf club. The beach here is small but pretty.

Of all the reefs around Cozumel, this section is probably the best for both divers and snorkelers – a vast patch of lush corals and sponges harbors gem-colored fish, eels, and even rays.

Luxe ingredients, a seasonally changing menu, and excellent service make this candlelit...more

This open-air spot right on the main plaza, opposite the ferry dock, is more a restaurant than a bar, but it’s a great place to sip a piña colada, complete with paper umbrella, and watch the street scene or the sunset.

This massive, main-drag standout stocks crafts from all over the country – its pewter serving dishes and other housewares are particularly nice, if a little pricey.

One-of-a-kind paintings and photographs by island artists line the walls at this space, which also sells select craftwork and jewelry from around Mexico.

A visit to this ancient Mayan city and its massive stepped pyramid – one of the new seven wonders of the world – is only feasible as a day trip from Cozumel if you sign up for a chartered plane tour.