70km (44 miles) S of Cancún; 19km (12 miles) SE of Playa del Carmen

Cozumel was a well-known diving spot before Cancún ever existed, and it has ranked for years among the top five dive destinations in the world. Tall reefs line the southwest coast, creating towering walls that offer divers a fairy-tale landscape to explore. For nondivers, it has the beautiful water of the Caribbean with all the accompanying watersports and seaside activities. The island is 45km (28 miles) long and 18km (11 miles) wide, and lies 19km (12 miles) from the mainland. Most of the terrain is flat, undisturbed scrubland.

The only town on the island is San Miguel, which, despite the growth of the last 20 years, can't be called anything more than a small town. It's not particularly attractive, but the place and its inhabitants are agreeable -- on Sunday evenings, everybody congregates around the plaza to be sociable and have a good time. Staying in town can be fun and convenient. You get a choice of a number of restaurants and nightspots. Because Cozumel enjoys such popularity with the cruise ships, the waterfront section of town holds wall-to-wall jewelry stores and souvenir shops. This and the area around the town's main square are as far as most cruise ship passengers venture into town. Elsewhere you find mainly offices, restaurants, small hotels, and dive shops.

Should you come down with a case of island fever, Playa del Carmen and the mainland are a convenient 25-to-45-minute ferry ride away, weather permitting. Some travel agencies on the island can set you up with a tour of the major ruins on the mainland, such as Tulum or Chichén Itzá, or a visit to a nature park such as Xel-Ha or Xcaret.

The island has its own ruins, but they cannot compare with the major cities of the mainland. During pre-Hispanic times, Maya women traveled by boat to the island to worship the goddess of fertility, Ixchel. More than 40 sites containing shrines remain around the island, and archaeologists still uncover the small dolls customarily offered in the fertility ceremony.