A trip to Cozumel was one of the first things I did on my 1-month journey traveling around the Yucatan Peninsula. The first two nights I got stuck partying in Playa del Carmen before I escaped the hustle and bustle and decided to take a ferry to Cozumel.I rented an amazingcondo at El Cantil Cozumeland after some snorkeling trips I decided to rent a scooter on Cozumelto explore the island in search for deserted beaches.
First I will sum up all the things you should know about renting a scooter in Cozumel including where to rent it, the price of renting a scooter, where to go, places to visit, things to do and more and at the end I will share my own experiences about scooter rental in Cozumel and tell you what I ended up doing and how I liked exploring Cozumel on a scooter. Find out my travel tips while driving around Cozumel on a scooter.
Renting a scooter in Cozumel is a great day trip from Playa del Carmen, Cancun or Tulum. Other day trips worth taking are Selvatica Canopy Adventure, Puerto Morelos, Tulum and Coba tour, Rio Secreto.
Tips for renting a scooter in Cozumel
Honestly saying, I expected more from renting a scooter in Cozumel. There is not much life on the East Coast of Cozumel. Pretty much deserted and not much to do on the other side of the island apart from strolling on deserted beaches, some cool bars and quirky beach clubs.
The complete East coast of Cozumel is deserted in such a way that there is literally nothing, but exactly that is its charm. It was my own fault I actually expected too much, so don't blame Cozumel! In fact it is actually is a hidden gem full of raw nature. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the West coast it is great to rent a scooter in Cozumel and start exploring.
For those traveling Yucatan Peninsula on a budget you can camp out here in the wild. Find a spot and spend the night here for free. If you are traveling to Cozumel on a cruise ship it is a great way to escape the busy crowds of the ship.
Even though the east coast of Cozumel is off the beaten path there still is a phone signal available to stay in touch. But make sure you are connected with the right sim card. Check out my article about the bestthe best sim card for tourists in Mexico. Going off the beaten path is my middle name and after my trip to Cozumel I rented a car and completed this Yucatan itinerary, full of amazing places to see like: Isla Holbox, Costa Maya Mahahual, Rio Lagartos, cenotes around Valladolid, Bacalar and many more amazing places to visit in Yucatan.
11 Things To Know About Renting a Scooter in Cozumel
1. Where to rent a scooter in Cozumel
When taking the ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel lots of touts were already trying to make me rent a scooter or car and on the streets you will find them walking around as well. It is pretty easy to find someone how wants to rent you a scooter in Cozumel, but finding it for the right price is a little harder. I advice you to bargain and ask for prices from a couple guys.
If you are visiting Cozumel by cruise ship you can basically just walk off the terminal take a left and then the first right. This is the street where I also rented my scooter at El Chacal. In this street there are about 4 scooter rental companies and you have a good bargaining position.
If you arrive by ferry from Playa del Carmen you walk to the left and also the first right and there you will find heaps of scooter rental companies. See the above map or just go to Google Maps and type in scooter rental Cozumel in the search bar.
2. Price for renting a scooter in Cozumel
I was offered a scooter for a day on Cozumel between $25 and $75. It comes down to your bargaining skills how much you will end up paying. Try to pay in Mexican Pesos if you can and negotiate in Spanish if possible. Most scooter rental companies in Cozumel charge around $40 USD for a day and they go down to $30 USD. But walk away from those as it is possible to get a scooter in Cozumel for much cheaper.
In the end I haggled the price for a scooter in Cozumel down to 400 Pesos, which is about $21.5 USD.
As I said try to arrange in price in Pesos instead of USD. Are you visiting Cozumel by cruise ship? Then pretend you are NOT and tell them you are from some hotel around. Cruise ship passengers always pay a much higher price for renting a motorbike in Cozumel!
3. Easy to drive
Once you are on the road it is an easy job. The island is completely flat and there is apart from the main street between the ferry and cruise terminals in Cozumel hardly any traffic. Once you drive out of San Miguel de Cozumel you will find deserted roads. When you drive on the beach road there is even less traffic.
4. Wear a helmet
Although driving on a scooter in Cozumel is easy you should always wear a helmet. Not only for your own safety but also because it is mandatory by law. It is an easy way to scam you in Cozumel. When you are not wearing a helmet the police will always stop you and make you pay way more money than necessary. A trip to Cozumel is way more fun without all this bullsh*t.
5. Drive carefully
You are on a sightseeing tour in Cozumel so I assume there is no need to rush. But obey the max speed limit of 60 km/h. On my scooter trip in Cozumel I saw a bunch of police, but as I hold on to the speed limit, no one could really say anything. I have rented scooters in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia where police would just stop you for being a tourist, must say they were pretty easy going in Cozumel. Just follow the rules and don’t give them a reason to stop you.
6. Be aware of speed bumps
Damn there are many speed bumps and just as many are NOT very well sign posted. Especially in the center area there are speed bumps everywhere. Just drive slowly and keep an eye open for unexpected speed bumps.
7. Easy to navigate
There are only a couple roads in Cozumel and there is basically only one that is circumnavigating around the island. It is impossible to get lost, but just in case simply use Google Maps. It even works offline if you download the Cozumel map when you have Wifi. The road around the island is 63 kilometers long (39 miles) and easy to complete in a couple hours including stops.
8. Gas is cheap
My whole day around the island cost my like 3L of gasoline which was a total of 60 Pesos so only $3 USD.
9. Great Cozumel day trip
Although there is actually not that much to see on the other side of the island renting a scooter in Cozumel was a great day out. The deserted beaches and the endless beach roads on the Eastside of Cozumel are a great to unwind or skinny dip. The hammocks at the Coconut Bar and the Rasta Bar are totally worth it.
10. Flexibility
Renting a scooter gives your more freedom than renting a car in Cozumel. You can basically stop everywhere and park you scooter, with a car it is much harder to find a place to park, especially on the East side of the island.
11. Where to stop
There are a couple places to visit in Cozumel on a scooter that I would recommend:
Punta Sur Eco Park
Unfortunately they charge a hefty $16 entrance fee otherwise I would have checked it out myself. They claim to use the fee for conservation of the most southern tip of Cozumel, so at least that is a good thing. There is a lighthouse which can be entered and it is possible to climb to the top for amazing views over the Caribbean Sea.
Freedom in Paradise Reggae Bar - Rasta Bar Cozumel
Next to the entrance of Punta Sur Eco Park there is the Rasta Bar and very much recommended to stop for a drink or even have lunch. I had a great time swinging in one of the hammocks. A little further down the road there is Bar Miami, a more basic but a little cheaper.
Playa Punto Chiqueros
The most unspoiled and beautiful beach on Cozumel. Endless white sand and at times massive waves. Not the best for swimming but perfect to sit, back, relax and have the beach for yourself. Visiting Playa Punto Chiqueros to me is one of the best things to do when renting a scooter in Cozumel.
Coconuts Bar
My favorite bar around the island. Super chilled vibes here as the staff is super friendly and funny. They are catered to tourists and know how to entertain them. Coconuts is located at about 70% when you drive the 63 kilometer counter clockwise and for me it was the last stop while driving a scooter around Cozumel.
El Mirador
According to some Cozumel blogs one of the best things to do in Cozumel but I disagree. I stopped there just because I passed by. So when you rent a scooter in Cozumel it is a nice place to visit. There is a massive rock sticking out in the ocean which you can climb. Basically it forms a natural bridge, kind of like a whole in the rock! Sounds exciting, right? LOL. Anyway the waves slamming against the rock are massive and it is fun to climb up on top.
Surf spots Cozumel
If you are a fan of surfing then renting a scooter in Cozumel is totally worth it. One of the best Cozumel travel tips are the surfing spots on the east coast. There is hardly anyone and there are several surf spots. Waves can be pretty massive on this side of the island. There is a surf school at Chen Rio restaurant just before Coconuts Bar and there is a quiet little beach next to this as well.
How to get to Cozumel
When you are not arriving by cruise ship you are most probably arriving by ferry from Playa del Carmen. There also is an airport, but not that many tourist arrive by plane. There are ferries from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel daily at every hour and there are two different companies. Basically a yellow boat and an Orange boat and boat are very modern catamarans. They offer return tickets everywhere in Playa del Carmen, but it is best to just show up and buy your ticket on the spot. It will save you 33%. Return tickets in the ferry terminal can already be bought for around 300 Pesos where they cost 400 Pesos on the streets.
Where to eat in San Miguel de Cozumel
When you get back to the main town in Cozumel I recommend you to eat at La Cuisine Cozumel. They have amazing vegetarian dishes and loads of healthy choices. Food here was so good that I went here 3 consecutive days. Definitely recommended to drive here when renting a scooter in Cozumel.
Where to stay in Cozumel
If you are up for an adventure while on your Cozumel trip and want to stay somewhere off the beaten track then have a look at Ventanas Al Mar. This is the one and only hotel on the East Coast of Cozumel and literally next to Coconuts Bar. The name translates to Windows to the Ocean and since the sunrise is on this side of the island I bet it is one of the most romantic places to stay on Cozumel.
Rent a scooter in Cozumel travel blog
We decided to rent a scooter in Cozumel after we googled some cool spots on the island and we wanted to escape the crowded and touristy side of Cozumel where all the cruise ships dock. We thought there must be much more to do in Cozumel but after all I am all about going off the beaten path and exploring.
On our quest to find a cheap place to rent a scooter in Cozumel we ended up with a local on the side of the street who took us to his rental place after we bargained a good price. As we just wanted to drive around the island and explore a little bit we only needed the scooter for about 6 hours so our bargaining position was pretty good. We ended up paying 400 Pesos ($21.5 USD) and the guy was pretty flexible about the drop off time.
The scooter came with a full tank of gas and the guy from El Chacal was very helpful as he pulled out a map and explained us all the highlights of Cozumel. There are a bunch of Maya ruins on the island, but all of them charge heavy entrance fees ($15 - $20 USD). Kind of the same price as Chichen Itza, one of the 7 world wonders just a stone throw away on the main land of Yucatan. Therefore we decided to skip all the Mayan sites. All we really wanted was to find cool places to visit on the other side of Cozumel.
We headed South from San Miguel de Cozumel, pretty much the center of the island where all the cruise ships and ferries from Playa del Carmen arrive. On our way South we took the beach road instead of the main road, it was very quiet and we passed groups on e-bikes. Renting an e-bike over a scooter would also be an option. But to go around the island is 63 kilometers, so may be a little too much even on an e-bike.
The southwest coast was not that spectacular apart from the multiple beach clubs we passed. Probably like 5 to 8 of those really big and touristy beach clubs where you can even get all-you-can-drink packages. May be cool if you are with a taxi, but not when you rent a scooter on Cozumel. After all drinking and driving is also prohibited in Mexico.
We skipped all the beach clubs and got to the most Southern tip of the island where we found the Rasta Bar and Punta Sur Eco Beach Park. We wanted to have a look around, but they charge an entrance fee of $16 per person.
An easy decision as I think this is something for someone looking for a day trip on Cozumel. We walked into Rasta Bar a much better decision. When you walk in here you understand straight away it is one of the coolest places to visit in Cozumel. It is all about the relaxed vibe, the music and the people in here. This is what I was looking for in the Caribbean.
After a drink we continued our scooter trip in Cozumel and headed northeast to the our next stop: El Mirador. It was just nice to stop and see it, but I wasn’t impressed that much to be honest. We climbed the rock sticking out in the ocean, took some photos and jumped back on our scooter again towards another highlight of Cozumel:Playa Punto Chiqueros beach.
This beach is considered the best beach in Cozumel and really long and of course deserted. This is the perfect place to park your scooter on the side of the road and feel young, wild and free again. There is literally nothing around here for endless kilometers. You can also find some surf classes along the East side of the island.
Later we ended up in Coconut Bar, a lovely bar and our favorite on our Cozumel scooter trip. We stopped in several other beach bars, but Coconut Bar was our favorite. This is also a great place to grab lunch. We hang out quite some time here as we liked it a lot and then continued our way back to the San Miguel de Cozumel to complete our loop around the island.
I drove the circumnavigating road around the island counterclockwise. These are the prices for drinks and food on the east coast of Cozumel: tourist prices of course.
I hope my scooter rental Cozumel tips were helpful for planning your trip to this island. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Please help me in return by sharing this link somewhere on the internet. Every share on Facebook, tweet on Twitter or pin on Pinterest is very much appreciated. Thank you very much in advance.
Enjoy as many Coronas as you can in Mexico!I definitely had too many on my Yucatan road trip. Curiouswhat I think are some amazing places to see in Yucatan then click on the link for all my recommendations and travel tips for this fabulous peninsula.For amazing sunsets travel to Isla Holbox, one of my favorite Yucatan Peninsula tourist destinations, although I also really liked the Valladolid cenotesand Merida.
Enjoy your trip to Cozumel!
