Panoramic View Of A Cozumel Sunrise

Cozumel, Mexico is included in the Caribbean Cruise Destinations series because it is one of the main stops on most Western Caribbean Cruise itineraries. And, of the stops in Mexico, Cozumel is the most frequented. Although not included in most books as part of the Caribbean destinations, Cancun, Cozumel, Calica, and Costa Maya all actually border the Caribbean Sea.

It is an island just off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, and lies opposite the Playa del Carmen. Other cities on the Mexican coastal area visited by these cruise lines are Costa Maya and Calica. Calica is only eight (8) miles south of Playa del Carmen, and many cruise ships dock at the Puerto Calica Cruise Pier instead of at Cozmuel. From Calica it is a quick taxi ride into Playa del Carmen.

Mexico is actually bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea in the area of Cozumel. It is at the Northeast tip of the Yucatan Peninsula that the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea come together with a channel separating the two which reaches from Yucatan to Cuba (See This separation on the Map of Mexico which follows below).