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.
06/30/2025 - Numbers go down a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 15 ships registered to dock as we celebrate Independence Day. This is 2 fewer ships than last week and 5 less than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 21 ships in port during the same week of 2024. An estimated 52,500 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US$ 5.6 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, 3 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 1 ship will dock, 3 ships will dock on Tuesday, 2 ships on Wednesday, 4 ships on Thursday, 2 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
The Ministry Of Environment Says Fourth Pier Project For Isla Cozumel Under Review
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) says the fourth pier project for the island of Cozumel is under review. Federal officials say they have begun the review of the environmental impact resolution issued on December 7, 2021, following a challenge received from island residents. The Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Semarnat) reports that the review is in response to the appeal filed by residents of Isla Cozumel against the resolution document authorizing the “Cozumel Pier, Cruise Terminal” project. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources will conduct a study to assess the project, based on current regulations, the protection of the reef ecosystem and the population’s right to a healthy environment.
On June 13, Semarnat admitted a review appeal after residents questioned resolution SGPA-DGIRA-DG-05859-21, which authorized the project. Consequently, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Semarnat notified the appellants and the promoting company that it initiated an administrative procedure derived from this challenge. The appellants requested a suspension to prevent the project from being executed until the proceedings were resolved. However, the parties involved were informed that, in order to carry out the works and activities evaluated, compliance with the terms established in the Environmental Impact Authorization itself is required, that is, obtaining the corresponding federal, state and municipal authorizations, concessions, and permits that are pending issuance. Semarnat says the appeal has already been forwarded to the superior authority for substantiation, who must decide based on applicable regulations, environmental principles, and principles governing public service.
On June 9, company Muelles del Caribe SA de CV held a press conference announcing the official court ruling in their favor to build the fourth pier. The press conference was led by company representative José Luis Cervantes who reported after three years of litigation, the company will move forward with the construction of a fourth pier to accommodate deep-draft vessels.
Cozumel Parks Reports First Sea Turtle Hatchlings
The Cozumel Parks and Museums Foundation (FPMC) reports that the first sea turtle hatchlings were recorded last Thursday. The hatchlings were located at the Turtle Camp of the Punta Sur Ecotourism Park. The nest belongs to a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), one of the two species that arrive each year on the shores of Cozumel to lay their eggs. The second is the white sea turtle (Chelonia mydas). The season formally began in April with the discovery of the first nest and will continue until October.
The General Director of the FPMC, Juanita Alonso Marrufo, noted that this effort is part of the institutional commitment to environmental conservation. “The birth of these first offspring reminds us of the importance of continuing to rally around our efforts to protect our natural environment. Cozumel is home to iconic species and we work every day to ensure their protection,” said Alonso Marrufo. The Director of Conservation and Environmental Education (CEA), biologist Rafael Chacón Díaz, and the technical manager of the Punta Sur Turtle Camp, biologist Carlos Ricardo Peralta Muñoz, reported that the 2025 Sea Turtle Protection Program is now underway with daily patrols to locate nests. Authorities did not provide figures as to how many nests are currently in the camp, nor did they report how many eggs have hatched to date.
More Than Six Tons Of Processed Plastic Shipped Off Island Of Cozumel
The government of Cozumel has removed over six tons of processed plastic from the island. The processed plastic included items that cannot be compacted. Instead, the more than six tons of old plastic crates, tables and chairs were cut and grouped for recycling.
Cozumel Mayor José Luis Chacón Méndez reaffirms his administration’s commitment to environmental care and a clean island. “This is achieved through concrete actions at the Recyclable Materials Collection Center (CAMAR), which reduces the volume of waste such as black grates, drums, bottles, cans, garbage, and all types of plastics, as well as tires, enabling more efficient disposal of these materials off the island,” he reported.“Last week, a trailer with more than six tons of processed plastic, including pieces of cots, tables and chairs that cannot be compacted but can be cut and grouped for transport, left the island. This is in addition to the 70 tons of tires that have been removed from the island in recent months,” he explained. This material will be sent to the recycling company Tecno Transformación in Cancun, where it will be color-coded and reused as raw material, avoiding polluting industrial processes and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Francisco Alejandro Abad Vázquez, the Deputy Director of CAMAR, explained that this strategy fulfills Mayor Chacón Méndez’s mandate by making the center a transfer space that, in addition to receiving materials, processes them to minimize their impact. “This not only reduces the amount of waste ending up in landfills, but also combats mosquito breeding grounds and promotes a recycling culture in homes, separating organic waste from recyclables such as cardboard, PET, metals and appliances,” he said. These actions reflect responsible management that seeks to preserve Cozumel’s natural environment and ensure a cleaner island for future generations.
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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06/30/2025 - Numbers go down a bit this week in Cozumel as cruise ship arrivals show 15 ships registered to dock as we celebrate Independence Day. This is 2 fewer ships than last week and 5 less than the "20 in port" which marks a "high season" number. There were 21 ships in port during the same week of 2024. An estimated 52,500 people will visit Cozumel this week via these cruise ships leaving an estimated US$ 5.6 million dollars behind in the local economy. 
