Mexico : Safety by City
- Acapulco
- Aguascalientes
- Cabo San Lucas
- Cancun
- Chichen Itza
- Chihuahua
- Cozumel
- Cuernavaca
- Culiacan
- Durango
- Ensenada
- Guadalajara
- Guanajuato
- Hermosillo
- Huatulco
- Isla Holbox
- Isla Mujeres
- Ixtapa
- Juarez
- Leon
- Los Cabos
- Manzanillo
- Matamoros
- Merida
- Mexicali
- Mexico City
- Monterrey
- Morelia
- Nogales
- Nuevo Laredo
- Oaxaca
- Piedras Negras
- Playa del Carmen
- Puebla
- Puerto Morelos
- Puerto Vallarta
- Queretaro City
- Reynosa
- Saltillo
- San Luis Potosi
- San Miguel de Allende
- Sayulita
- Tijuana
- Tulum
- Valladolid
- Veracruz
- Zacatecas
- Zapopan
- Zihuatanejo
Cozumel is an undeveloped Mexican island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel.
The name of the island translates as «Swallow Island».
This place attracts tourists with sandy beaches, a beautiful sea and the possibility of diving.
Cozumel Reef National Park is popular for divers due to the Mesoamerican Barrier Coral Reef and the Museum of Underwater Sculptures.
Chankanaab National Park is famous for its lagoon with underwater caves with dolphins, sea cows, and sea turtles live.
Warnings & Dangers in Cozumel
OVERALL RISK: LOW
Generally, Cozumel is safe to travel. Military and police presence in and around Cozumel to help regulate the area and keep it safe for tourists. To remain safe, make sure that your belongings are secure when you are outdoor.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
It's not safe to rent and drive a moped on the island. If you need a taxi you should take a cab with "sitio" sign on it. It's not safe to catch a taxi right on the street. Cozumel has a city bus service, but safer and convenience is to take a taxi for travel needs.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
Petty theft is always a possibility in popular tourist areas. Things like pickpocketing can take place. Leave your purse or bag locked in the hotel room as much as possible. If you need to have your bag with you, consider using an anti-theft travel purse or backpack.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
Hurricanes and typhoons sometimes affect Cozumel. Before planning to visit that island travelers should check information about natural disasters risks on trip period.
MUGGING RISK: LOW
Cozumel is currently considered to be quite safe, and the strong police-presence helps that remain the case. Taking simple safety actions is important to help reduce mugging risks.
TERRORISM RISK: LOW
Cozumel is located far from where usually there are terrorists attacks. But, terrorism is widespread in Mexico, so you should be on alert even in this place.
SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
The main scams are related to the refueling of rented cars with low-quality cheap gasoline or the sale of "free tours". Be vigilant and purchase the necessary things only in the verified and safe places of the island.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
As in all Mexico, on Cozumel, it is recommended for women traveler don't stay alone at night on streets and beaches, and do not wear provocative clothes.
So... How Safe Is Cozumel Really?
Cozumel has low crime rates that should reduce any fears you have of travel there.
The drug-related crime in Mexico is concentrated on the country’s borders, and rarely affects tourists.
The U.S. State Department does occasionally issue warnings about the crime situation on the island, so you can check it before a trip to be sure is it safe to visit.
Surely you should still take proper safety measures.
For example, avoid being on the beach at night.
Always lock your valuables inside your safe in the hotel.
To alleviate concerns about being mugged, carry as little money as you can, and divide up your cash and cards in different pockets.
State department officials urge tourists to Cozumel to stay with a group, especially at night.
It is also better to refrain from swimming in areas where you see black or red flags — these signify dangerous currents.
Taxi service is safe for travelers if they use cars with official registration “sitio”.
And totally unsafe to drive a moped on Cozumel: there are big amounts of moped-related accidents.
Overall Cozumel has a low rate of crime and high safety index for daylight and night.
Therefore, keep the usual level of security for yourself and avoid unsafe places.
How Does Cozumel Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Cozumel | 85 |
| Playa del Carmen | 69 |
| Cabo San Lucas | 68 |
| Acapulco | 63 |
| Cancun | 71 |
| Guadalajara | 62 |
| Mexico City | 45 |
| Niagara Falls (Canada) | 87 |
| Calgary (Canada) | 82 |
| Buenos Aires (Argentina) | 60 |
| Vancouver (Canada) | 82 |
| Cordoba (Argentina) | 61 |
| Toronto (Canada) | 81 |
Useful Information
Visas
No visas required for tourist proposals to enter Mexico for many countries of Europe, US citizens and so on. You should have a valid passport and a tourist permit. The maximum possible of stay is 180 days. For a longer stay of other options, you should visit the Mexican embassy.
Currency
The Mexican peso - is the official currency in Mexico. There are one hundred Mexican centavos to every peso. The symbol for the Mexican Peso is $, so you can see MX$ or MN$ in banks and exchange points.
Weather
The best time to visit Cozumel is from March to June. Average temperatures this time of year range from 20 to 30 ℃. The peak season is from December to February. It's the most expensive time to visit.
Airports
There is an international airport on the island - Cozumel International Airport. It handles national and international air traffic for the city of San Miguel, Cozumel and handles hundreds of thousands of tourists during a year.
Travel Insurance
The medical insurance for travelers should be done before starting your trip to Mexico. As well as in other countries, the customs officer can ask you to show travel insurance. Be prepared.
Cozumel Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
| Low °C | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
| High °F | 81 | 82 | 84 | 86 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 84 | 82 |
| Low °F | 70 | 70 | 72 | 73 | 77 | 79 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 75 | 73 | 72 |
Safe and enjoyable.
Cozumel is safe.
We have had great luck with Quatrosamigos rental car.
We dive with Scuba Life Cozumel. JP and crew do a great job getting us to the reef of the day as well as providing nice guidance with safety in mind for all.
Worst place to go
Had a terrible time in Cozumel. Sparkle sea jewelry store sold us fake jewelry. They got us for 3500.00 dollars. No one should go there. He has gotten other people too! The worst vacation ever!!
Why would u spend $3500.00 not knowing exactly what your getting anyways?!
I wouldn’t have spent $3500 on the whole vacation. A little forethought goes a long way.
I love Cozumel and have never felt unsafe. However, the last time I went was in December of 2020, and some of the C-Vid restrictions were ridiculous, which made the trip a bit less than ideal.
Our bags were stolen at the port. Cops didnt do anything and we got ripped off at a beach bar on the east side. Bartender gave us margarita and then said we owed him $40 for it , we had to pay it before he got us the “only taxi available” on the remote side of the island which also ripped us off. Lots of scamming and oportunists taking advantage.
Best place to visit for a Caribbean experience!
Cozumel is amazing. I have been coming here for at least 3 times a year for the last 5 years and even spent a month there at one time. The scuba, fishing, dinning, car rental, taxi, and food are all good, easy, and reliable. Its very walkable. Unlike paris, rome, italy, etc; most people speak less english so google translate and a peso converter app is helpful. I have stayed in hotels, AirBnB, apartments, and houses. Rented cars and mopeds. TripAdvisor is a good app for the best places. Unlike America but similar to other cultures; haggling is part of the process for some street vendors along the seawall but prices are very reasonable. Its incredibly safe to walk anywhere at anytime. If you are looking for deals on watches or jewelry then do some research; ask them to test the diamonds etc. They have tons of pharmacies with generic medications so you probably won’t see the same quality and the prices are not that good. Your doctor is probably your best resource. The backside of the island is off the grid so make sure you have pesos. Most places in the main areas take credit cards, thats a great payment method or pesos. Gas is in liters not gallons. Banks are the best for ATMs. Mega is the most expensive so try to avoid it. They do have dominoes pizza and burger king plus well stocked 7-11 and OXXO stores. All inclusive places are really good if you want to come with no issues. Its my favorite place in the Caribbean! Have fun and enjoy island life while your here!
Tropical unspoilt beauty
I’ve been going to Cozumel since the 90’s and highly recommend it. It’s paradise old style, tropical, beautiful and relatively undeveloped in most parts with stunning beaches and scenery. Hiring a small jeep to explore the Island is cheap enough and safe if you are not driving like a lunatic and careful. We never encountered any problems anywhere and drove everywhere all over, everyone was friendly. Food amazing along the road stop shacks and the town was brilliant for partying, shopping with filled with nice restaurants. You can get the fast ferry over to Playa Del Carmen easy. You can also go into any of the hotels and use the pools which is great. Don’t accept water in a glass, always buy branded bottled water, even to brush your teeth and don’t ask for ice in your drinks or cocktails and you’ll be fine. Yes there is scams everywhere but good bartering in a nice way is always accepted. Be wary buying gems and jewellery that seem like a bargain as it’s probably glass stones set in gold plate. Always ask to see authenticity certificates.