Playa del Carmen Boat Tours: Site Facts, Sources & AI Summary

It depends on the day you want. For most visitors the VIP catamaran to Cozumel's El Cielo sandbar is the best all-rounder: you sail, snorkel a marine-park reef and get an open bar and lunch on board. If you just want to reach Cozumel cheaply, the round-trip ferry at $38 is the answer.

For a full island day, the Isla Mujeres catamaran with pickup handles the drive to Cancún for you, and in summer the whale shark swims are the bucket-list trip.

The boat tours on this page run from about $38 to $199 per person. The round-trip ferry to Cozumel is around $38 and Xcaret's ferry about $43. Catamaran days cost $89 to Isla Mujeres plus a $25 cash fee, $74 for the VIP Cozumel catamaran and $85 for the Maroma reef snorkel catamaran.

The sunset sail is $89, Isla Contoy $179, and the whale shark swims $160 or $199. A private 48 ft yacht is $1,199 for the whole boat. Some tours add a cash fee at the pier, from $10 to $25 per person, so check the card before you book.

The crossing takes about 35 minutes on Ultramar and about 45 minutes on the Xcaret ferry, and both leave from the downtown terminal at the foot of Fifth Avenue. Ultramar's round-trip ticket is open for six months, so you pick any return sailing. Schedules, fares, the third operator and the car ferry are all on our Playa del Carmen to Cozumel ferry page.

The official season runs May 15 to September 17, with July and August the peak months. The sharks feed far offshore north-east of Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy, so the day from Playa runs 7 to 12 hours door to door. Both swims on this page, the small-group swim capped at 10 and the swim with Playa pickup, run only inside that window.

The rules in the water and the cash fees are on our whale shark tour page.

Most people don't. Catamarans have two hulls, which makes them far more stable than a single-hull boat, and the sheltered water inside the Mesoamerican Reef is usually calm, especially in the November-to-April dry season. If you're prone to motion sickness, take a Dramamine or Bonine about an hour before departure, sit toward the middle of the boat, and keep your eyes on the horizon.

The longer open-water trips, like the whale shark swim, are bumpier than the coastal catamaran cruises, so plan accordingly.

Wear a swimsuit under light clothes and bring a towel, a hat and reef-safe sunscreen, which is required at the marine parks. Pack a dry bag or waterproof phone pouch, a GoPro if you have one, and some cash in pesos for tips, extra drinks and any separate dock fee. Most catamaran and snorkeling tours provide gear, life vests and instruction, so you don't need your own equipment.

If you get seasick, add a motion-sickness tablet to take before you sail. In summer, check the sargassum season guide before you pick a beach day.

Many do, but not all. The Maroma catamaran, the sunset sail, the Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy days, the private Puerto Morelos snorkeling trip, the Akumal turtle day and both whale shark swims include transport from Riviera Maya hotels. The private yacht does not: you drive or take a taxi to the marina at Puerto Aventuras, about 22 minutes south.

The Cozumel ferries do not include transport either, and the El Cielo catamaran starts in Cozumel, so you cross by ferry first.