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.
04/13/2026 - Numbers go down quite a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 26 ships registered to dock as we return to our pre- holiday activities. This is 6 fewer ships than last week and 6 more than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 21 ships in port during the same week of 2025. An estimated 91,000 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US $ 9.7 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 8 ships docking there, 10 ships will dock at SSA International pier while Punta Langosta pier will see 8 arrivals and the downtown San Miguel pier will have -0- arrivals with passengers tendering in.
On Monday 3 ships will dock, 4 ships will dock on Tuesday, 5 ships on Wednesday, 6 ships on Thursday, 5 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
First-Ever Nesting Of Coastal Rail Recorded At Punta Sur In Cozumel
Biologists have recorded the first-ever nesting of Coastal Rail birds at Punta Sur on Cozumel Island, marking a significant ecological discovery for the region. The observation, made by the Conservation and Environmental Education Directorate (CEA) of the Cozumel Parks and Museums Foundation (FPMC), documented adults accompanied by their chicks, confirming successful reproduction during the spring season.
Rafael Chacón Díaz, a biologist and director of CEA, explained, “The chicks remain under adult care and stay protected within dense vegetation, highlighting the need to conserve these ecosystems with minimal disturbance.” The Coastal Rail, a species associated with coastal wetlands, selects areas with thick plant cover for shelter, feeding, and reproduction, and this record underscores the importance of Laguna Colombia as a critical habitat. Juanita Alonso Marrufo, general director of FPMC, emphasized the value of sharing these findings to raise community awareness about the island’s natural richness and encourage active participation in conservation efforts. This discovery reinforces Punta Sur as a priority area for biodiversity preservation in Cozumel and supports the ongoing biological monitoring conducted by FPMC.
Mexican Environmental Agency Rejects Pedestrian Walkway Project In Cozumel
Mexico’s environmental agency has rejected a proposed pedestrian walkway that would have connected shopping areas between the International Cruise Terminal and Park Royal hotel in Cozumel, citing environmental regulations. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) announced that its General Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk (Dgira) denied approval for the “Pedestrian Connectivity between Commercial Plazas of the International Cruise Terminal and Park Royal in Cozumel” project.
In a resolution dated April 5, 2026, officials determined the project “is not viable” based on environmental laws. The decision cites Article 35, Section III, subsection a of Mexico’s General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection, along with Article 45, Section III of related environmental impact regulations. Project proponents had argued the walkway was needed because the area serves as a major tourism and commerce hub in the Mexican Caribbean, with evolving visitor consumption patterns and preferences. The proposed connection would have run beneath a municipal roadway, linking two commercial facilities that already have separate environmental permits. Despite these arguments, Dgira denied the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) for the project. The resolution states that “with this determination, the administrative procedure established for the environmental impact evaluation of the project is concluded,” and orders the case file to be archived. Authorities must also notify the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) in Quintana Roo and inform the general representative of SSA México SA de CV through legal channels.
Cozumel Inaugurates First Pollinator Garden to Protect Monarch Butterflies
The island of Cozumel inaugurated its first municipal pollinator garden; an initiative focused on protecting monarch butterflies and fostering environmental awareness among local families.
Judith Argüelles, the municipal ecology subdirector, announced that the event took place on Saturday, April 4, at 10 a.m. on Félix González Avenue between Juárez and 3 Sur. The project formed part of a broader push led by Mayor José Luis Chacón to strengthen community participation in environmental protection and sustainability efforts across the island. The garden will include the planting of approximately 80 Curassavica shrubs (Asclepias curassavica), commonly known as tropical milkweed. This plant is essential for monarch butterflies, as it serves as both a food source for caterpillars and a nectar source for adult butterflies. Argüelles noted that the Alas Mayas organization recorded the first monarch butterfly sighting on the island in January, where the species’ full life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to adult which was successfully observed and documented.
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are known for one of the most remarkable migrations in the natural world, traveling thousands of kilometers each year between Canada, the United States, and central Mexico. Most overwinter in the high-altitude forests of states like Michoacán and the State of Mexico, where they cluster in massive colonies. Their presence in Cozumel suggests that the island may serve as a secondary habitat or stopover, or even a potential breeding ground under the right conditions.
Across Mexico, monarch populations have faced increasing pressure due to habitat loss, climate change, pesticide use, and the decline of native milkweed species. National conservation efforts led by government agencies and organizations such as CONANP, focus heavily on protecting overwintering forests. However, equally important are local initiatives like pollinator gardens, which help rebuild fragmented habitats along migration routes and in emerging regions like the Caribbean coast. Curassavica is protected under Mexico’s NOM-059-SEMARNAT due to its ecological importance. Beyond monarchs, it supports a wide range of pollinators including bees, hummingbirds, ants, and other butterfly species, all of which play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity and food systems. Pollinator gardens themselves are a simple but increasingly important conservation tool. By planting native or pollinator-friendly species, these spaces provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds in urban and semi-urban environments where natural habitat has been reduced. They also serve an educational purpose, helping communities, especially children, understand the direct connection between plants, insects, and healthy ecosystems. In Cozumel, where tourism development continues to shape the landscape, small-scale projects like this offer a way to balance growth with environmental stewardship. Creating pockets of habitat within the urban environment can have an outsized impact, particularly for migratory species.
While modest in scale, the project represents a meaningful step. If successful, it could serve as a model for additional pollinator corridors across the island, helping ensure that monarch butterflies and other species continue to find refuge in places where, until recently, they were rarely seen.
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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04/13/2026 - Numbers go down quite a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 26 ships registered to dock as we return to our pre- holiday activities. This is 6 fewer ships than last week and 6 more than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 21 ships in port during the same week of 2025. An estimated 91,000 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US $ 9.7 million dollars behind in the local economy. 
