Punta Sur Eco Beach Park, Cozumel

Overview

Punta Sur is the southern tip of Cozumel, also known as Punta Celarain. It is protected as the Punta Sur park, an area of about 100 hectares (247 acres) of beach, reef, lagoon, mangrove and low forest, and its reefs form part of the Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park. The park is run by the Cozumel parks and museums foundation, and entry fees go to its conservation work.

It is the least developed part of the island that visitors can reach easily. Inside the park are the Celarain lighthouse, whose former keeper's building houses a small nautical museum; Laguna Colombia, a mangrove lagoon home to American crocodiles, which can be seen from observation towers and on boat tours of the lagoon; and the Tumba del Caracol, a small Maya structure of the Postclassic period. Its dome was once covered in shells that sounded in strong wind, and it is thought to have served as a storm warning. Part of the park's long sandy beaches is protected for sea-turtle nesting.

Our current condition score for this beach is .

Photo summary of last month

Position relative to the Atlantic sargassum belt

Sargassum reaching the Mexican Caribbean crosses the tropical Atlantic, enters the Caribbean and is carried north along Quintana Roo by the Yucatán Current. On Cozumel, the east coast faces that flow directly while the west coast is sheltered by the island, and the state monitoring network's reports regularly show the difference: low levels on the west coast and far heavier ones on the east.

Punta Sur is where the two coasts meet, so conditions within the park are not uniform. The point itself, Punta Celarain, is exposed to the open sea and has been among the most affected sites on the island in the monitoring reports, while the beach on the more sheltered side can be considerably cleaner on the same day. The photographs above and the live map show which side a recent view comes from.

The sargassum season

The regional season runs from roughly May to August, with the heaviest arrivals usually in June and July, and the coast is generally quieter from late autumn into spring. The wider picture is set out in our Riviera Maya sargassum season guide.

Swimming conditions and safety

The beach area has a restaurant and bar, toilets, showers and changing rooms, with loungers, palapas and hammocks, and snorkel gear can be rented. The water off the beach is shallow for a long way out. The reef is a long swim from the sand and the current can be noticeable, so shore snorkelling suits confident swimmers. Reef-safe sunscreen is required in the marine park.

Swimming and snorkelling are in the sea at the park's beach area, not in the lagoons: Laguna Colombia is crocodile habitat, and visitors should keep to the boardwalks and towers. The beach is open to the sun for much of its length, so water, a hat and cover are worth bringing. As elsewhere in the national park, coral should not be touched or stood on.

Choosing where to stay

There is nowhere to stay inside the park. Punta Sur is a day trip from San Miguel or from the hotels along the west coast, which are concentrated in the zones north and south of town.

Access and getting there

Cozumel is reached by passenger ferry from Playa del Carmen to San Miguel or by air to Cozumel International Airport. From San Miguel the Carretera Costera Sur runs south along the west coast to the park entrance near the southern end of the island. Inside the park, the lighthouse and the beach area are several kilometres from the gate along an unpaved road, rough in places but passable in an ordinary car. Taxis serve the route, and cars and scooters can be rented in town.

Entry is by fee, and the opening days and hours are set by the park and have varied, so both are best confirmed directly before a visit.

Check live conditions before you go

On the live map we track Punta Sur with dated photographs and a current condition score, which makes it a useful point of comparison between the sheltered west coast of the island and its exposed east coast.