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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08/24/2026 - Numbers decrease again just a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 19 ships registered to dock as we head towards the end of August. This is 1 less ship than last week and 1 less than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 16 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 10 ships docking there, 2 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, 4 ship will dock on Tuesday, 2 ships on Wednesday, 6 ships on Thursday, 1 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
Cozumel-Playa del Carmen Ferry Route Sets Record Passenger Numbers In July
The ferry route between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen posted its best month on record in July, with the three companies operating the crossing selling 353,715 tickets. According to the Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo (Apiqroo), the total surpassed every other month in 2026 as well as the same month in previous years. It also topped January’s 341,200 passengers and March’s 337,452.
The three carriers : Ultramar, Winjet and Xcaret Xailing ,run services between Cozumel’s San Miguel pier and the Navega dock in Playa del Carmen. Officials credited the results to coordinated promotion by federal, state and municipal governments and the private sector, along with the daily work of tourism employees. Cozumel’s city government said the passenger flow confirms San Miguel pier remains a key part of the island’s economy and the main gateway for visitors and residents. “Its activity drives tourist, commercial and social exchange with the mainland, strengthening the economic development of Cozumel families,” the government said in a statement.
Officials Strengthen Pink Conch Monitoring In Cozumel Reefs
Environmental authorities and marine specialists have completed the first pink conch (Lobatus gigas) monitoring survey of the season in the Cozumel Reefs National Park, a key step in assessing the state of the protected species’ population and strengthening its conservation.
The survey was organized by the Cozumel Community Surveillance and Monitoring Committee and funded through the federal Program for the Protection and Restoration of Ecosystems and Priority Species (PROREST). During the survey, researchers recorded pink conch specimens in the process of mating, a positive indicator in the middle of the closed season, which runs from May to October. The monitoring effort provides data on the pink conch’s population density and helps identify juveniles and adults in seagrass meadows and sandy-bottom habitats. This information is essential for evaluating the species’ recovery and guiding future management strategies. The pink conch plays a critical role in the Caribbean’s marine ecosystems by controlling algae growth and supporting the health of seagrass beds and coral reefs. Its preservation also supports biodiversity and nature tourism, a major economic driver in the region.
Authorities renewed their appeal to residents and visitors not to buy, capture, or consume pink conch during the closed season. The species is protected, and its conservation is considered vital to maintaining the natural heritage of Cozumel and the Mexican Caribbean.
Monarch Butterflies Now Breeding In Quintana Roo
The monarch butterfly is no longer just a winter visitor in the Mexican Caribbean. The conservation group Alas Mayas confirmed that the species is reproducing in multiple parts of Quintana Roo and is now mapping the areas where monarchs settle and complete their life cycle.
Cecilia Álvarez, the organization’s environmental education coordinator, said that over the past year monarchs have been documented in Isla Mujeres, Holbox, Cozumel, and the Nichupté lagoon. But more importantly, she said, researchers have found sites where the butterflies lay eggs and where caterpillars, chrysalises, and adults develop, evidence that the population is breeding locally. “It’s surprising to see monarchs arriving from the Caribbean Sea, since traditionally this species is associated with the forests of central Mexico,” Álvarez said. “Witnessing their entire reproductive process in Quintana Roo is a discovery of great value for conservation.” The effort builds on research from 2023 that showed the monarch’s migration route includes the Yucatán Peninsula and northern Quintana Roo. That prompted a citizen science project in which people can report sightings through Alas Mayas’s social media accounts and the iNaturalist platform. About 200 people have submitted observations so far; Quintana Roo has generated the most reports, followed by Yucatán and Campeche. One notable case was a group of roughly 300 monarchs documented on the island of Holbox.
Álvarez said a dedicated monarch sanctuary or protected areas could be created in the future, but first the organization needs to finish identifying the sites where the butterflies concentrate and reproduce. That information will be key to protecting the species which faces conservation threats, and to preserving its role as a pollinator of native plants. Some conservation measures are already underway. In Cozumel, the municipal Ecology Department has created pollinator gardens, launched public information campaigns, installed signage, and held awareness activities to promote the care of monarch butterflies.
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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08/24/2026 - Numbers decrease again just a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 19 ships registered to dock as we head towards the end of August. This is 1 less ship than last week and 1 less than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 16 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. 
