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Love it or hate it, Cancun is the most popular destination for Americans heading abroad this winter: for some, it simply can’t be beat for hospitality, with its many luxury resorts, bustling shops and of course the beautiful beach.
That being said, a growing number of visitors seem to have had enough of Cancun– or, to be more specific, the growing crowd – and are now counting on this island paradise is located just off the coast of Yucatán.
It has pristine beaches that run for miles along crystal clear oceans, it feels much more peaceful and unusual, and it offers something Cancun cannot: ancient culture.
Welcome to Cozumel
Cozumel, the largest island off the coast of Mexico, is currently experiencing a well-deserved resurgence in tourism as vacationers leave the crowded Riviera Maya for less busy alternatives––and it doesn’t get more relaxing than a holiday on the island.
According to a new report from Expedia.comit is currently especially popular among young travelers, who do not have children, who fly to Mexico mainly for relaxation and some much-needed quality time in the sun, and who no longer feel that Cancun’s mega-resorts meet their needs.
All you have to do is look at the numbers for both: while Cancun is home to a whopping 189 properties, as listed on Booking.com, Cozumel has 45; Cancun is a coastal metropolis where more than 800,000 people live, while the total population of Cozumel is 88,626.
Last but not least, Cancun hosts more than 10 million international guests annualso it never really feels idyllic, even when you’re lounging on a private beach. Cozumel, on the other hand, gets one average 2 million visitors per year.
Cozumel is perfect for beating the hustle and bustle of the Riviera
Expedia’s report is particularly timely as Cancun gears up for another record season, with the hotel zone already at 90% occupancy. It’s not even December: Great news for the local tourism industry… not so great news for holidaymakers wary of the public.
Luckily for them, Cozumel offers an abundance of untouched nature playas and tourist attractions that are not so busy:
Think Playa Palancar, with its vibrantly colored reefs and soft, white sand, the snorkeling hotspot Playa Corona, or the busy Paradise Beach, a beach club that plays up-tempo beats and serves food and drinks all day.
For families, Playa Mia Grand Beach Park is the place to go wide range of amenitiesincluding oceanfront pools, restaurants and slides for the kids, and if you’re a nature lover, Chankanaab National Park has green areas, jungle trails and secluded beaches.
It costs $29 to enter one of the largest protected reserves in the Mexican Caribbean, and it’s also a popular port of call for cruise ships, so if you want to experience it in all its glory, without the day trippers, we recommend going early or later in the day .
Cozumel has the culture that Cancun doesn’t
Another advantage Cozumel has over Cancun is that it wasn’t built in the 1970s to accommodate American tourists:
It is an island that has been inhabited for thousands of yearsand it has the cultural wealth to back this up, with Mayan ruins scattered across its 184.5 square kilometers, some as old as 800 AD, such as El Cedral, a group of Mayan dwellings in ruins near the city of the same name.
Cozumel’s most relevant historical site is San Gervasio, a ensemble of monuments and temples attributed to a cult of the Mayan jaguar goddess Ixchel – some of the most important structures are Las Manitas, where the local leader Lord Itzá de Cozumel lived, Casa Alta and the Central Plaza.
Even in Chankanaab there are Mayan monuments, or should we say, replicas of them: if you visit the park, be sure to stop by the collection of reconstructed Mayan temples, the famous reclining Chacmool statue and the colossal Olmec heads go.
Looking for unique experiences?
Expedia has noted that there is an increasing preference for more unique experiences among visitors to the Mexican Caribbean.
In other words, lying by the pool all day sipping mimosas no longer satisfies their wanderlust, and they crave more… well, it’s not that Cozumel is short on cultural attractions, with its historic sites, authentic villages and exciting trips:
For example, tourists can choose to visit San Gervasio on a jeep tour, passing unforgettable landscapes and undeveloped jungle on the way to the abandoned Mayan settlement, for $95.34 per person on GetYourGuide.
Small group buggy tours from $143 are also offered in Punta Sur, where some of the island’s most pristine beaches are found, and if you’re a water baby, you’ll love this guided excursion to Cozumel’s Mayan treasures, complemented by free time at exclusive Playa Uvas.
Cozumel is one of the trendiest destinations for the coming year – again according to Expedia.com––and it’s not hard to see why.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
