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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07/06/2026 - Numbers go down just a little this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 19 ships registered to dock as we head into the "Dog Days of Summer". This is 2 fewer ships than last week and 1 less than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 19 ships in port during the same week of 2025. An estimated 66,500 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US $ 7.1 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 6 ships docking there, 6 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 3 ships will dock, 2 ships will dock on Tuesday, 4 ships on Wednesday, 4 ships on Thursday, 3 ships on Friday, 3 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 Targets Record 1,374 Cruise Ship Arrivals In 2026
Cozumel is on track to break its cruise ship arrival record in 2026, with projections showing 1,374 vessels docking at the island, 74 more than in 2025, according to port officials.
Vagner Elbiorn Vega, director general of the Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo (Apiqroo), announced that as of June 17, the island had already received 278 cruise ships, maintaining a positive trend in port operations. “Very good numbers, and the best part is in passenger numbers. By the same date last year, we had received 2.232 million passengers, and this year we are at 2.409 million,” Elbiorn said.The 7.9% increase in cruise arrivals reflects Cozumel’s strengthening position within international maritime routes, he added. Elbiorn attributed the growth to Cozumel’s geographic advantage, particularly its proximity to Florida, a major departure point for North American cruises. This allows shipping lines to reduce transit times and optimize fuel costs, boosting the destination’s competitiveness against other Caribbean ports. The U.S. remains the dominant market, accounting for about 60% of cruise passengers, with the remainder coming mainly from Canada and Europe.
Beyond arrival numbers, the cruise sector continues to be a key economic driver for the island. According to Apiqroo, each cruise passenger generates an average economic spillover of $80 during their stay. These funds directly benefit local businesses, restaurants, artisans, tour operators, and service providers, reinforcing Cozumel’s reliance on cruise tourism as a major economic engine. With these projections, Cozumel is poised to close 2026 with record figures, reaffirming its strategic role in international maritime tourism and its importance to Quintana Roo’s tourism sector.
Cozumel Begins Preparations For 2026 MayanMan Triathlon
Cozumel has begun formal preparations for the ninth edition of the MayanMan Triathlon Cozumel 2026, a sporting event expected to bring athletes, families, and visitors to the island on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
Elías Farah Ceh, director of Tourism and Economic Development for the Cozumel City Council, led the first coordination meeting for the event, which brought together municipal directors and staff from several departments under the administration of Mayor José Luis Chacón Méndez.The meeting focused on the logistics needed to carry out the competition, including security, aid stations, supplies, materials, equipment, and coordination among municipal agencies. Farah Ceh said the participation of local government staff is essential because Cozumel has built years of experience hosting large-scale athletic events. That experience has become part of the island’s identity. Cozumel is widely known as one of Mexico’s strongest sports tourism destinations, hosting triathlons, cycling events, open-water competitions, and endurance races that take advantage of its clear Caribbean waters, flat coastal roads, and scenic routes. Major events such as IRONMAN Cozumel and IRONMAN 70.3 have helped position the island as a serious destination for athletes as well as traditional vacationers.
MayanMan is part of that growing calendar. The 2026 edition will be held at Chankanaab Park, one of Cozumel’s most recognizable coastal attractions. Registration information describes the event as including both triathlon and duathlon options, giving athletes different ways to participate depending on their experience level and discipline. The race combines sport, nature, and local atmosphere. Competitors can expect a Caribbean setting that includes swimming in clear water, cycling along coastal routes, and running in one of the island’s most visited natural areas. For many athletes, events like MayanMan function as a “race-cation,” bringing together competition, family travel, and a short island getaway. Farah Ceh said the ninth edition of MayanMan will help launch Cozumel’s 2026 sports competition calendar. He estimated that the event could attract up to 2,000 people between athletes and accompanying family members or support teams. That visitor flow matters for the local economy. According to municipal officials, the 2025 MayanMan Triathlon generated an estimated economic impact of 4.5 million pesos for Cozumel. Those benefits were spread across hotels, restaurants, bars, transportation providers, shops, tour operators, and other tourism-related businesses. Sports tourism is especially valuable because it often brings visitors for more than one day. Athletes typically arrive before the race to register, train, pick up race materials, inspect the course, and adjust to local conditions. Families and support teams may extend the stay, adding hotel nights, meals, ferry crossings, rental vehicles, taxis, excursions, and shopping.
Genaro Gómez Montiel, general director of MayanMan Triathlon, said local participation is also a priority. Around 15% of the triathletes who compete in the event are from Cozumel. To encourage more island athletes to take part, organizers have established a 30% discount for Cozumel residents. That local incentive helps connect the race to the community, rather than making it only a visitor event. It also gives Cozumel athletes the chance to compete at home, in front of family and friends, on routes they know well.
For city officials, the next step will be continued coordination among security teams, tourism authorities, municipal operations, race organizers, and service providers. Successful sporting events require road planning, crowd control, medical support, hydration points, signage, volunteer coordination, and clear communication with residents and visitors. With planning now underway, Cozumel is positioning the 2026 MayanMan Triathlon as both an athletic challenge and an economic opportunity. For an island already known as the “Island of Sports,” the event is another chance to show that Cozumel’s appeal goes well beyond sun and sea.
Environmental Alliance Protects Sea Turtles In Mahahual
Environmental groups and tourism investors have joined forces to protect sea turtles that nest on the beaches of Mahahual, launching a strategic plan to monitor and conserve endangered species in the southern part of the state. The public-private initiative aims to reduce threats to sea turtles during their nesting and hatching cycles. The program includes nightly patrols of Mahahual’s beaches during peak spawning seasons, as well as the installation of protective enclosures to safeguard eggs from predators and beachgoers.
Biologists and volunteers are collecting scientific data, tracking the hatching success of priority species such as loggerhead and green turtles. Project backers emphasized that the key to these coastal sanctuaries is shielding nesting areas from unregulated urban development and artificial light pollution, which can disorient hatchlings. Beyond beach operations, the alliance is promoting community integration through environmental education workshops for tourism service providers, hotel staff, and crew members of international cruise ships that visit the Gran Costa Maya region. The goal is to establish strict codes of conduct that ensure a harmonious balance between regional economic activity and ecological integrity. Participants said Mahahual has the potential to become a global benchmark for sustainable tourism, demonstrating that marine resource preservation and high-end economic returns can advance together.
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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07/06/2026 - Numbers go down just a little this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 19 ships registered to dock as we head into the "Dog Days of Summer". This is 2 fewer ships than last week and 1 less than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 19 ships in port during the same week of 2025. An estimated 66,500 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US $ 7.1 million dollars behind in the local economy. 
