Star Escapes: Why A-listers like Sofía Vergara and Justin Bieber are flocking to Cozumel

March 16, 2020

This piece was adapted from HELLO! Canada issue 703

By Suzanne Wintrob

Need a place to get away from it all? Isla Cozumel awaits.

With five natural reserves and only two main roads, the 143-year-old island on the Caribbean Sea offers endless stretches of pristine beach and lush inland jungles that both intrigue and entertain.

Ever since French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau visited Cozumel in 1961 and promptly declared it the most spectacular diving site in the world, underwater enthusiasts have been flocking there in droves. In fact, more than eight million tourists (most disembarking from 1,300 cruise ships) visit each year – no wonder that 95 per cent of the island's 80,000 residents are in the tourism business!

Naturally, Hello! Canada couldn't wait to check out the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean.
Scroll through the gallery (or click through if you're on desktop) to join us on an island tour!

Photo: Tanya G. Burnett/Quintana Roo Tourism Board

<h2>EXPLORE</h2>
<p>Rent a bicycle or a coloured jeep and head to Punta Sur Eco Beach Park (pictured), a sprawling nature reserve on the island’s southern tip that's home to crocodiles, flamingos, dolphins and 230 species of birds.
<p>Be sure to climb the 133 steps of the Celarain Lighthouse – designed by the Eiffel Tower's architects! – for breathtaking views of the turquoise sea below.
<p>Photo: © Quinatna Roo Tourism Board

Snorkellers and divers will dash to the island's 30 legendary offshore reefs (ranging from 4.5 to 27 metres deep) to mingle with moray eels, sea turtles, sharks and the endemic Cozumel Toadfish while manoeuvring through limestone caves, underwater cliffs, narrow caverns, shallow idyllic reefs and black coral forests.
<p>Columbia Reef and Palancar Reef are especially popular as is El Cielo (appropriately meaning "heaven"), a shallow water oasis famous for its seabed of starfish.
<p>Photo: © Quinatna Roo Tourism Board

To get away from it all, hop on a jet boat to the white sands of Isla Pasión (Passion Island) and unwind with a swim, a stroll and an ice cold cerveza.
<p>History buffs might opt for a full-day trip to the famous Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzá – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ancient walled city of Tulum (pictured) atop a 40-ft. cliff is also fascinating. Be sure to check out Tulum's beaches, where buddies <strong><a href=/tags/0/reese-witherspoon>Reese Witherspoon</a></strong>, <strong><a href=/tags/0/leonardo-dicaprio>Leonardo DiCaprio</a></strong> and <a href=/tags/0/alessandra-ambrosio><strong>Alessandra Ambrosio</a></strong> have all hung out.
<p>Photo: © Quinatna Roo Tourism Board

<h2>TASTE</h2>
<p>Soak up the vibe on the garden courtyard of Pancho's Backyard, where traditionally dressed waiters dish authentic Mexican staples like tamalito de res (a steamed tamale wrapped in banana leaf and stuffed with seasoned ground meat) and flavourful margaritas. Or hide out at peaceful Anémona de Mar Beach’s tiki hut-inspired eatery in Punta Sur park, a hidden gem serving up mouth-watering guacamole, a flavourful fish-shrimp-octopus ceviche and the tastiest mint lemonade ever!
<p>Photo: © Suzanne Wintrob

Romance calls for a table overlooking the sea at El Palomar (situated in a doctor’s house dating back to 1903), where lovers bask in the sunset while feasting on spicy red snapper soup followed by a plate of seafood broth rice with shrimps and clams. Nightlife belongs to the Metropolitan Social Club’s DJ and Hemingway Lounge's live bands.
<p>For something completely different, daredevils race to The High Experience (pictured) in Chankanaab Adventure Beach Park to break bread at a table for 22 that’s raised 45 metres above the sea, complete with waiters and live music (and seatbelts, of course!). A drone films the action so you won't miss a social-media beat.
<p>Photo: © Instagram/@cozumelparksofficial

<h2>INDULGE</h2>
<p>Hola duty-free! On the waterfront's busy Rafael E. Melgar Street in San Migeul – the island's only city – support local artisans at Viva Mexico, where jewelry, artwork, tableware and pretty Talavera pottery abound.
<p>Be sure to pop by Nativo – the island's exclusive distributor of intricate colourful beaded art made by Mexico's Indigenous Huichol tribe – to watch artists at work and learn how their pieces reflect shamanistic traditions.
<p>Photo: © Instagram/@nativohuichol

When it's rub-down time, seaside massages abound at the island's numerous beach clubs and hotels. Try a hot stone massage at Anémona De Mar Beach, where expert hands and oils combine to work out your kinks as the waves lull you to sleep.
<p>For the ultimate in lux pampering, the 1,300-square-metre Secrets Aura spa (pictured) offers an aromatic Chocolate Body Wrap flowing with white chocolate, mint and cocoa guaranteed to release endorphins.
<p>Photo: © Secrets Aura Spa

<h2>STAY</h2>
<p>If you're not on a cruise stopover, hotels are plentiful. Among the island's newest is the 15-storey Westin Cozumel, with 152 rooms all facing the sea. Like everywhere on the island, vistas rule so be sure to take in the glorious sunset while soaking in your balcony's very own hot tub or in the pool on the rooftop lounge (considered one of the island's best views).
<p>Photo: © Westin Cozumel

Down the road, the new adult-only Hotel B Unique beckons with 27 airy rooms plus extra-special relaxing touches such as hammocks suspended over the sea, daily morning yoga classes and a healthy juice bar. For something completely different, try an overnight stay at family-owned Cozumel Pearl Farm, offering lessons in cultivating pearls followed by homemade pizza and bottle of wine by a cozy bonfire and your very own private tent under the stars.
<p>For something completely different, try an overnight stay at family-owned Cozumel Pearl Farm, offering lessons in cultivating pearls followed by homemade pizza and bottle of wine by a cozy bonfire and your very own private tent under the stars.
<p>Photo: © Hotel B Unique

<h2>TRIP TIPS</h2>
<p><li>Time your visit with Cozumel’s exciting Mardi Gras-style Carnival (February), turtle season (May-October) or international sports events featuring golf, cycling and Ironman (September-November)
<li>With Cozumel's strong commitment to the environment, only biodegradable sunscreen is allowed on most beaches
<li>Trivia: Cozumel's sapodilla trees provided the chicle, or gum, for the very first popular chewing gum, Chiclets, back in the late 19th century!</li>
<p>Photo: © Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images