Beginning in December 2002, Insider was proudly the first website to provide readers the Cozumel News in English.
Articles are slected from local newspapers which we feel will be of interest to our diverse audience. These articles are then translated into English. We cannot always investigate the veracity of a particular article but offer these translations as a reflection of the Cozumel community news just as reporters write it for Por Esto, Diario de Quintana Roo, Novedades and El Seminario and many other sources.
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08/31/2026 - Numbers decrease again just a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 18 ships registered to dock as we leave August behind. This is 1 less ship than last week and 2 less than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 15 ships in port during the same week of 2025. An estimated 663,000 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US $ 6.7 million dollars behind in the local economy.
High season for cruise ship arrivals typically runs from November 15 - April 15 each year with the remaining 7 months of the year considered "low season." This week Puerta Maya pier will be host to 5 ships docking there, 7 ships will dock at SSA International pier while Punta Langosta pier will see 6 arrivals and the downtown San Miguel pier will have -0- arrivals with passengers tendering in.
On Monday 3 ships will dock, 2 ship will dock on Tuesday, 4 ships on Wednesday, 3 ships on Thursday, 4 ships on Friday, 2 ships on Saturday and Sunday will see 0 ships in port. To see a complete list of this week's ship arrivals, please visit Insider's Weekly Cruise Ship Schedule
Sea Turtle Hatchlings Emerge Among Beach Furniture In Cozumel
Several sea turtle hatchlings surprised tourists at Mr. Sancho’s beach club on the island’s southern end when they emerged and crawled through a beach area filled with tables, chairs and loungers.
Video recorded by visitors and shared on social media shows the tiny turtles moving across the sand between beach furniture occupied by tourists, who pull out their phones to capture the moment. Some of the furniture sits close to the hatchlings’ path as they make their way toward the sea. Other footage shows the turtles reaching the waterline while visitors stand nearby, watching and recording. The area appeared to have no tape, stakes, netting or other markers to cordon off the section of beach where the hatching took place. It remains unclear whether the nest had been previously identified or registered, or why furniture was still set up on that part of the beach at the time of the hatching.
Sea turtle protection and nesting areas are regulated in Mexico under the official standard NOM-162-SEMARNAT-2012, which establishes requirements for protecting, recovering and managing sea turtle populations in their nesting habitat.
Cozumel Plans 116 Million Peso Modernization of Malecón and Rafael E. Melgar Avenue
Cozumel’s familiar waterfront could look and feel considerably different under a major modernization project planned for Rafael E. Melgar Avenue and approximately 1.3 kilometers of the downtown Malecón.
The proposal includes better lighting, clearer signage, safer pedestrian crossings, wheelchair-accessible ramps, new benches and street furniture, restored fountains, historical information displays and a children’s park. Officials are also considering the recovery of small beaches and sandy areas that have disappeared from sections of the downtown shoreline. For people who visit Cozumel regularly, the changes could make the waterfront easier to enjoy after a day of diving, shopping or touring the island. Improved lighting and pedestrian access may be particularly noticeable in the evening, when the Malecón becomes a popular place for walking, watching the sunset and visiting downtown restaurants.
The work is being developed through the Fideicomiso para el Bienestar del Turismo Crucerista, or FICQROO, the state trust created to direct cruise-passenger contributions toward infrastructure, security and tourism projects in Cozumel and Mahahual. The most recent presentation to Cozumel’s Tourism Advisory Council placed the project at approximately 116 million pesos. However, other state and municipal presentations have cited figures ranging from 136 million to 139.2 million pesos. That difference may reflect changes in the project’s scope or different phases of work, but authorities have not yet released a final public budget clearly reconciling the amounts.
The Malecón project is part of a larger package approved for Cozumel. In April, Mayor José Luis Chacón said the cruise-tourism trust had authorized more than 170 million pesos for island projects, including the waterfront renovation, new firefighting vehicles and a feasibility study for restoring beaches along the island’s western shoreline. The municipality outlined that wider package following the first Tourism Advisory Council session. The trust is funded through a charge collected from cruise passengers. Those funds have already been used to purchase 21 police and emergency vehicles for Cozumel, representing an investment of approximately 25 million pesos. The state government delivered that equipment in April. Officials have emphasized that Rafael E. Melgar Avenue will retain its existing two lanes in each direction. The large flagpole overlooking the waterfront will also remain in its present location. Those assurances appear intended to address concerns that the project could substantially alter traffic circulation or remove familiar elements of the city center. The plans call for improved rather than reduced vehicle and pedestrian movement, including new crossings, ramps and more organized public spaces. Historical displays would also be added to help visitors better understand Cozumel’s past rather than experiencing the Malecón only as a strip of shops and restaurants. However, the complete engineering plans, construction phases and street-closure schedule have not yet been made public. That information will be important for travelers arriving by passenger ferry, as well as businesses, taxi drivers and residents who rely on Rafael E. Melgar every day.
The Malecón is the first part of the island seen by most passengers arriving on ferries from Playa del Carmen. It also connects the downtown ferry terminal with restaurants, dive shops, stores, hotels and the Punta Langosta cruise pier. Better crossings and accessible sidewalks could make it easier for visitors to explore San Miguel on foot, especially families with strollers and travelers who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility. New lighting could also encourage more activity after sunset, when the downtown waterfront is quieter than it is during cruise-ship hours. The proposed park and shoreline areas could give families more reasons to linger downtown without having to purchase an excursion or enter a private beach club. That matters to local businesses. Cozumel received approximately 4.7 million cruise passengers aboard more than 1,300 ships in 2025, according to the municipal government. Yet many passengers remain on the island for only a few hours, and a large share of their spending is concentrated around the cruise piers or within prearranged tours.
Officials hope a more attractive nighttime waterfront could eventually persuade cruise companies to keep some ships in port later or schedule overnight stays. That could benefit restaurants, bars, musicians, taxis and locally owned shops that currently see business fall sharply when ships depart in the afternoon. However, a renovated Malecón will not by itself produce overnight cruise calls. Cruise itineraries are planned well in advance and depend on port capacity, operating costs, security, passenger demand and schedules throughout the Caribbean. Chacón has acknowledged that the island would have to begin promoting the new experience to cruise companies after the work is completed, with itinerary planning generally occurring at least a year ahead. The proposal has generated debate in Cozumel, including calls for public demonstrations against the remodeling. Some residents have questioned the cost, the priorities behind the work and whether the final design adequately reflects the needs of people who live on the island.
Chacón said the project resulted from more than 10 meetings with business representatives and promised a broader presentation for community organizations and residents. State officials say the plan remains in a consultation and “socialization” stage, meaning some details may still change before construction begins. The Tourism Advisory Council includes representatives from government, tourism businesses and civil society. During its latest working session, officials said the project had been reviewed by state departments responsible for tourism, public works, finance, environmental protection, mobility and government oversight. The current proposal includes ramps, pedestrian crossings, lighting, historical elements and restored public spaces.
For frequent visitors, the Malecón renovation has the potential to produce a safer, more attractive and more walkable downtown waterfront. The unanswered questions are when construction will begin, how long it will last, which sections will be closed and what the final project will cost.
Cozumel Could Become Home To Latin America’s First Dolphin Sanctuary
The Quintana Roo Department of Ecology and Environment has begun initial technical studies, in partnership with civil groups, to create the first dolphin sanctuary in Latin America on the island of Cozumel.
Oscar Rébora Aguilera, the department’s director, said in an interview on the island that the sanctuary would be a significant step for animal welfare in the region, prioritizing rehabilitation and semi-wild care for the species. He said officials are reviewing several places on the island, including some dolphinariums and natural sites, where the sanctuary could be set up or built. Rébora noted that Cozumel has both the natural and infrastructure conditions to host a facility that would be the first of its kind in Latin America. He stressed, however, that no start date has been set, as further studies are needed to select the right location. “We believe Cozumel can be a great option. However, we are waiting to begin the studies; we have to look at some sites, we have to find the ideal place,” he said. The project will be developed alongside experts and environmental organizations, Rébora added. He described the sanctuary as a potentially international model and one of the current state administration’s flagship animal-protection initiatives.
The announcement comes about a month after PETA Latino launched an urgent petition asking the Quintana Roo government to create Mexico’s first coastal dolphin sanctuary, with the goal of moving cetaceans out of captivity and tourist shows. The petition remains open on PETA Latino’s official channels.
Need a LEGAL U.S. Notary Service? THIS is your solution!
It has happened to ALL of us U.S. Citizens who spend significant amounts of time living / working in Cozumel: reading the dreaded words on a document from back home: "Notarized Signature Required." It's such a simple thing and no one wants the added expense of travelling back to the U.S. just to have their signature notarized but there are many legal processes in the U.S.A. where nothing BUT a notarized signature will be accepted.
Some common documents that U.S. Citizens need notarized while living abroad are: Real Estate Deeds or Mortgages, executing Wills, Powers of Attorney, requests for Birth / Marriage / Death Certificates, Permission for a parent to get a minor’s US Passport, banking / insurance / bonding documents, permission for a minor to travel without parents or application for duplicate or replacement vehicle titles just to name a few.
In the past, the most common solution was for a U.S. Citizen to make their way to the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy where notaries are always available but the fees involved can be quite expensive. In addition there is the cost of actually travelling to the Consulate and who knows if appointments will even be available especially if the notarized signature is needed urgently. Plus from Cozumel that Consulate visit includes the cost of a ferry round trip to get to Playa del Carmen. All of these complicating factors just create more of a headache for something that is supposed to be relatively easy and inexpensive.
Another option frequently used has been that of a U.S. Notary operating outside of their country and jurisdiction. While this option is usually easy and cheap (often free or for a donation), it is one of those situations where "you get what you pay for" because technically these U.S. Notaries are operating ILLEGALLY as they are outside the legal jurisdiction for which they are authorized to notarize documents. In theory an illegal notarization could be attacked and challenged in the future and nullified causing legal issues with the documents signed. A fraud challenge to a Notary operating outside of the USA, simply involves a court asking the Notary to present their passport to the judge. Immigration stamps inside the passport will prove the Notary's whereabouts when documents were signed and if this was done inside the Notary's legal jurisdiction or illegally outside their authorized jurisdiction.
So do yourself a favor and avoid any future Signature Notary problems by utilizing an ON-LINE NOTARY SERVICE. Thanks to remote online notarization (RON), you can notarize a document from anywhere in the world, using your computer or mobile device and the internet. It takes only 10 minutes and is quite an easy process right from the comfort of your own home or office any hour of the day or night.
All you need to do is click this link 24/7 Online Notary Service To use this service, the fee is $25 USD and you must have a device with audio- visual capabilities (like a smart phone, tablet or PC) and proof of identity (a valid US Government-issued photo ID such as a Driver’s License or Passport). You can then access and meet with a licensed Notary Public who will notarize your papers in a matter of minutes. The process is easy, quick, efficient and AVAILABLE 24/7 online!! So WHY take a chance doing it any other way?!
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September 6, 2024 (Most Recent) Comprehensive Mexico Travel Warning
U.S. State Department Travel Advisory for Mexico Issued SEPTEMBER 6, 2024 shows the Mexican State of Quintana Roo (includes Cozumel, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and Tulum) to be a LEVEL 2 Advisory - Exercise Increased Caution (Level 4 Advisory is Highest Risk):
There are "NO RESTRICTIONS" on U.S. government employees for travel to "ANY PARTS" of Quintana Roo state, which includes tourist areas such as: Cozumel, Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Tulum. However, U.S. government employees are advised to exercise increased situational awareness and caution after dark in the areas of Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen, and to remain in well-lit pedestrian streets and tourist zones.
U.S. citizens should as always exercise increased caution and be aware that according to Government of Mexico statistics, criminal activities and violence, including homicide, remain a concern throughout the State. While most of these homicides appeared to be targeted, criminal organization assassinations and turf battles between criminal groups that have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens. Bystanders injuries, while rare, have occurred. While not directed at tourists, shootings between rival gangs have killed or injured innocent bystanders. Additionally, U.S. citizens have been the victims of both non-violent and violent crimes in tourist and non-tourist areas.
The Mexico Travel Warning dated September 6, 2024 from the Department of State can also be viewed in its entirety on the Department of State website.
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08/31/2026 - Numbers decrease again just a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 18 ships registered to dock as we leave August behind. This is 1 less ship than last week and 2 less than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 15 ships in port during the same week of 2025. An estimated 663,000 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US $ 6.7 million dollars behind in the local economy. 
