How to Get from Cancun to Cozumel: The Ultimate Guide

Cozumel is the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean, situated off the coast of Playa del Carmen. If you’re in Cancun or have chosen to stay in one of the Cancun hotels, and you want to explore Cozumel before your vacation ends, stay with us because we’ll tell you right now how to get to Cozumel from Cancun.

Getting to Cozumel from Cancun: The Ultimate Guide

Your starting point is Cancun, right? You’re probably wondering if you can reach Cozumel by a flight or if there’s a ferry from Cancun to Cozumel, and why not, can you even cycle there? The possibilities are endless when you have an active imagination.

But that’s not the case, is it? Well, let’s dive into all the information you really need to know about the ways to get to Cozumel from the beautiful city of Cancun.

Getting to Cozumel from Cancun

Private Jet

Did you see this one coming? Cozumel, being a “large” island, has a small airport within its territory. This small airport allows access to small aircraft, and of course, a private jet is one of these aircraft.

You can hire this type of air transfer service from Cancun Airport. As you can imagine, it’s very fast but expensive. Moreover, this option provides the advantage of direct arrival on the island without the need for transfers.

Private Jet cancun to cozumel

Public Transportation

While there isn’t public transportation service from Cancun to Cozumel per se, many travelers have referred to the federal intercity transportation service as public transportation. Playa Express is the company that provides this shared ground service, and it’s located in front of the ADO terminal in Cancun.

This is a shared land service that costs 55 MXN per person. However, it does have “departure and arrival points.” The starting point is from downtown Cancun, and the route goes through the entrance of Puerto Morelos, Playa Paraíso, and finally arrives at the center of Playa del Carmen.

In other words, it drops you off very close to Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen, and from here, you’ll have to walk about 15 minutes to reach the ferry terminal in Playa del Carmen.

At this terminal, you can purchase a ticket to board the Ultramar Ferry or Winjet, depending on your preference.

 

ADO Bus

The ADO bus service is similar to intercity transportation, but it can be a van or a bus, depending on your choice. Additionally, the advantage of ADO is that it drops you off less than 200 meters from the ferry terminal.

Therefore, it’s also a “non-direct” transportation option to Cozumel. The process is the same: the bus drops you off at the ADO terminal in Playa del Carmen, which is just 200 meters from the ferry terminal.

At the ferry terminal, you can purchase your ticket to board the Ultramar or Winjet ferry, depending on your choice.

ado cancun to cozumel

Private Transportation

ADO and public transportation are “budget-friendly” services, but they are not private, and they have scheduled departures. If they fill up, you’ll have to wait for the next departure. Additionally, ferries also have “departure schedules,” creating a “race against the clock.”

This is where private transportation services come in as one of the best options for getting from Cancun to Playa del Carmen and, subsequently, to Cozumel. You get to choose the pickup time, and if you want to reserve it right away, you can do so here.

private transfer playa del carmen

Conclusion

The only direct way to reach Cozumel from Cancun is by a private jet. The second-best option is through private transportation, although keep in mind that this method only takes you to the Playa del Carmen ferry terminal.

Lastly, the budget-friendly options are intercity transportation (which some consider as public transportation) and the ADO bus. Choose wisely how you want to reach your destination and enjoy your visit to Cozumel.