Evenings
Cozumel after dark: what else to do
Evening options in San Miguel de Cozumel beyond the pirate ship: the Sunday plaza stage, restaurants and bars, a lucha libre show and the waterfront.
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San Miguel de Cozumel has restaurants, bars, outdoor stages and a plaza with a fixed stage where locals and visitors gather for music and dancing on Sunday evenings. A separate operator also sells a lucha libre show of about two hours. The pirate ship cruise is the one night that puts show, dinner and drinks on a single ticket, so it pairs well with a quieter evening in town.
San Miguel after sunset
San Miguel de Cozumel is the island's main town, home to most of its people, and the hub where the shops and restaurants are. The town has many restaurants with a variety of cuisines, along with several discothèques, bars, cinemas and outdoor stages. The main plaza is surrounded by shops. If you only have one free night, a walk through town costs nothing, and the tourism board says island life here still runs at its own pace.
Sunday evenings on the plaza
In the middle of the main plaza is a fixed stage where the people of Cozumel, the Cozumeleños, and tourists celebrate every Sunday evening with music and dancing. It is the free option and it is local by design. If your trip includes a Sunday, it is an easy way to see the town at its most social, and it leaves the other evenings free for something ticketed, such as the pirate ship.
The waterfront
The seafront promenade, the malecón, runs along the town's shore. Cozumel's tourism board notes that the Punta Langosta cruise terminal sits in the town centre, within walking distance of the malecón. It is the natural place to walk off dinner. Take care at night as you would in any town, and keep your belongings close. It is also where visitors from the Punta Langosta terminal meet the town, because that terminal sits within walking distance.
A lucha libre night
A separate operator sells a Mexican lucha libre show, with luchadores performing in colourful masks and high-flying acrobatics at the Barriecito venue, in front of Puerta Maya Pier. The ticket lasts about two hours and includes a welcome margarita and entrance to the venue. It takes place in a shared arena with other attendees, and guests must be 18 to drink alcohol. It suits a shorter evening than the pirate cruise.
What to eat
Cozumel's tourism board says lionfish, an invasive species, is fished and cooked on the island and is the island's dish. If a menu offers it, you are eating a fish that the reefs are better without. Beyond that, San Miguel has restaurants with a variety of cuisines, so you can eat well before or after a night out. For the pirate ship evening, dinner is part of the ticket, so you can skip a restaurant meal on that date.
Festivals worth planning around
The Cozumel Carnival is one of the most important carnival celebrations in Mexico. It begins the week before Mardi Gras, in February, and fills the streets with parades. In late April or early May, the Festival of Santa Cruz and the El Cedral Fair take place in the town of El Cedral, in the south of the island, for several days. Dates change from year to year, so check local listings before you plan a trip around either event.
Fitting the pirate ship into your week
The pirate ship cruise lasts about 3.5 hours and starts at the time the booking calendar shows for your date. That is a full evening. Pair it with a lighter night in town, such as a Sunday plaza visit, and leave a margin before any early ferry or flight. Cozumel is also considered one of the best scuba-diving destinations in the world, so many visitors fill their days with the reefs and keep the evening for something social.
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