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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Note: All translated articles are the property of Cozumel Insider and cannot be used, displayed or reproduced without express written permission from Cozumel Insider.
10/19/2026 - Numbers go up quite a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 21 ships registered to dock as we head into mid-October. This is 5 more ships than last week and 1 more than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 22 ships in port during the same week of 2025. An estimated 73,500 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US $ 7.8 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 9 ships docking there, 5 ships will dock at SSA International pier while Punta Langosta pier will see 7 arrivals and the downtown San Miguel pier will have -0- arrivals with passengers tendering in.
On Monday 2 ships will dock, 3 ships will dock on Tuesday, 4 ships on Wednesday, 5 ships on Thursday, 3 ships on Friday, 4 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
Cozumel’s Reefs Get A 3D Map Divers Can Explore Before Entering The Water
Divers planning a trip to Cozumel can now get a closer look at the island’s underwater landscape before stepping onto a boat. An interactive mapping project lets users explore 3D views of reef walls, coral gardens and the C-53 Felipe Xicoténcatl shipwreck. The team behind Cozumel Coral Reef Maps says it has mapped 15 reefs and more than nine kilometers of underwater terrain. Its site lists familiar dive areas including Palancar, Colombia, Santa Rosa Wall, Yucab and the C-53, with depth ranges for individual sites. For a visitor choosing between dives, that means a chance to see how a site is shaped rather than relying only on a name or a brief description. A guide can use the models to show where a reef drops away into a wall or where a route passes through shallower formations. The maps do not replace a guide’s assessment of currents, weather and conditions on the day.
According to the project’s account of its development, local divers built the tool through repeated dives, photography and digital modeling. The team says the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas, or Conanp, supplied information and support. That makes the project a collaboration with the marine park, rather than a real-time monitoring system operated by the agency. The maps may also help visitors understand why small actions underwater matter. Cozumel’s reefs are part of a national park established in 1996, where diving and snorkeling are central to both the visitor experience and the local economy. The need to protect those sites is more than theoretical. In 2019, Conanp temporarily restricted visits to Palancar, Colombia and El Cielo while responding to coral disease. The agency continues to ask visitors to respect reef-rest periods and use authorized operators. A 3D model can provide a useful record of a reef’s shape and a way to plan surveys or explain changes over time. Establishing whether a particular coral is bleaching or affected by disease, however, still requires current observations and scientific assessment. The public mapping site does not claim to provide live diagnoses.
For anyone headed underwater, Conanp’s visitor rules remain the practical guide: keep clear of coral, do not touch or feed marine life, and travel with an authorized boat and guide. The new maps offer a way to appreciate what lies below the surface before seeing it firsthand.
Cozumel Officials Review Malecón Remodel Plans At Tourism Development Workshop
Municipal and state tourism officials met in Cozumel to align the island’s tourism development program and review plans for a sweeping remodel of its main waterfront avenue. Elias Farah Ceh, the island’s director of Tourism and Economic Development, attended a workshop on the alignment and integration of Cozumel’s tourism development program, joined by representatives of the Quintana Roo Tourism Secretariat (SEDETUR).
State officials presented progress and details on the comprehensive remodeling of Rafael E. Melgar Avenue, along with related projects aimed at modernizing and improving the urban image of the corridor where the island welcomes visitors from around the world. SEDETUR was represented by Omar Govea Hernández, deputy secretary for Tourism Planning, Public Policy and Governing Bodies; Ariel Valtierra Hernández, coordinator of Tourism Planning and Governing Bodies; Jonathan Kevin Salazar Rodríguez, technical director; and Andrés Gerardo Aguilar Becerril, deputy secretary for Tourism Management. The municipality was represented by councilors Lenin Alejandro Mattar Pérez and María Fernanda Vargas González. Members of the Tourism Advisory Council attended as special guests, exchanging ideas, offering final suggestions and raising questions ahead of the start of work on what officials described as Cozumel’s most important avenue. Farah said the workshop, held in the Salón Municipios at the Municipal Palace, was split into several modules designed to create a space for coordination between municipal and state authorities. The goal was to align and integrate Cozumel’s Tourism Development Program, which is guided by the Quintana Roo Sustainable Tourism Master Plan and the National Magic Towns Strategy. He said the approach seeks to move the island away from a traditional model toward one that is modern, competitive and inclusive. The strategy aims to go beyond a purely commercial focus and shift toward regenerative, sustainable tourism that directly benefits the community and ecosystems such as its reefs and jungles, he added.
Quintana Roo’s Beaches Are Disappearing Up To 14 Meters A Year
Coastal erosion in Quintana Roo has caused losses of up to 14 meters of beach per year in different areas, according to the Ministry of the Environment (Sema), which said it is continuing containment projects not only in the northern part of the state but also in Chetumal. The efforts combine emergency actions with an ecological ordinance of the territory. Oscar Rébora, secretary of the agency, said: "We know that beach erosion is an issue not only in the south of the state, but throughout the Yucatán Peninsula, and this phenomenon is becoming increasingly common due to various factors. In some areas of the state, we have seen erosion of up to 14 meters of beach in a single year." In response to this and to contain the advance of the sea, specifically in the capital of Quintana Roo, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has already been requested for emergency and an investment of 1.5 million pesos.
In the north, Rébora noted, there is authorization to restore 33.5 kilometers of beach in four municipalities, with November 19 set as the deadline to deliver the conditional reports requested by the Federation. Alongside coastal restoration efforts, the head of the Ministry of Environment (SEMA) announced that environmental management faces the challenge of urban development. Although federal policy seeks to restrict construction in areas such as Sian Ka'an and Tulum, the state authority warned that the lack of permits does not stop illegal construction, citing the case of Holbox, where no projects have been authorized in nine years, yet construction continues. Therefore, he said, Local Ecological Zoning Programs (POEL) are being promoted to regulate land use with a vision for the future, defining the vocation of each municipality and allowing a formal response to development requests. "That is why ecological planning and POELs are being done, precisely to have a roadmap for planning with a vision for the future, and also to understand the vocation of the territory," he added.
Finally, he confirmed that the National Association of Environmental Authorities has already presented the importance of considering the vision of state governments, who directly know the territorial vocation and conservation needs in their regions.
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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May 29, 2026 (Most Recent) Comprehensive Mexico Travel Warning
Because we are continually asked about travel safety in Mexico and more specifically Cozumel, INSIDER always maintains a condensed version of the U.S. State Department Mexico Travel Warning relating to Cozumel HERE BELOW on our website for traveler convenience.
U.S. State Department Travel Advisory for Mexico Issued May 29, 2026 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 May 29, 2026 from the Department of State can also be viewed in its entirety on the Department of State website.
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10/19/2026 - Numbers go up quite a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 21 ships registered to dock as we head into mid-October. This is 5 more ships than last week and 1 more than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 22 ships in port during the same week of 2025. An estimated 73,500 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US $ 7.8 million dollars behind in the local economy. 
