Called Cuzamil – “island of swallows” – by the Mayans, Cozumel Island is a peaceful oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. The main town, San Miguel de Cozumel, lies on the west side of the island, about 20km from Playa del Carmen, while the east coast is the “wild side,” with large waves and wide, endless beaches bordered by thick vegetation.
Its unparalleled reefs were discovered by Jacques Cousteau and highlighted in his documentaries from the 1950s. The reefs are made up of soft and hard corals, gigantic sponges that can reach several hundred years, and have made Cozumel world famous.
In 1996, a little over a 100km2 of the island’s reefs, the entire southwest part, obtained the status of a national park guaranteeing divers an underwater world alive and vibrant with diversity. To protect this natural heritage, which forms part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, we strive to use and teach the most eco-responsible diving practices possible to ensure the longevity of these coral reefs.
There is a reef to suit every diver in Cozumel. The Palancar reefs offer huge coral formations with a series of tunnels and swim throughs which allow you to swim through these ancient formations. If we’re lucky we may spot the occasional black tip shark swimming around. Further north, our shallower reefs such as Yucab offer the chance to see a lot of sea life; these reefs are home to parrotfish, turtles, nurse sharks, huge lobsters, hundreds of species of fish, and of course nudibranchs and macro life in every nook and cranny!
