You can get from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel by ferry / boat. Playa del Carmen and Cozumel are separated by 18 km (11 miles) of Caribbean Sea and coral reef.

The ports of departure and arrival are really easy to get to, and the ferry between Playa and Cozumel takes only 40 minutes.

Historically, Playa del Carmen has been the gateway to Cozumel, and in fact, Playa del Carmen’s initial growth was down to the popularity of this route.

The fastest and cheapest way to get from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel is by ferry. You can also get there with your car or motorbike by taking a different ferry, but it’ll cost you more.

Here, we’ll give you all the info you need about this very common journey in the Riviera Maya.

Content hide
1 Transportation
2 Schedule
3 Prices
4 Location
5 Distance
6 Crossing to Cozumel by car
7 Tips
Related

Transportation

There are 3 companies offering transportation: Ultramar, Winjet and Barcos Caribe.

Online bookingYesYesYes
Official Siteultramarferry.comwinjet.mxbarcoscaribe.com
Emailservicioalcliente@ultramarferry.cominfo@winjet.mxcontacto@barcoscaribe.com
Telephone number(998) 460-30849878721588Not provided

All companies use the same ports and are open every day of the year.

Kids under five don’t pay for a ticket.

The cheapest way to cross to Cozumel is with Barcos Caribe, but Ultramar offers a slightly more comfortable experience.

Schedule

Puerto de Playa del Carmen. C.C. Foto de Daryl Mitchell.

Playa del Carmen port. CC. Photo by Daryl Mitchell.

The schedules change according to the season and the company, but basically the 3 companies offer trips every 30 or 60 minutes from 6:45 am to 11:00 pm from Playa to Cozumel and from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm from Cozumel to Playa.

The schedules for each month can be consulted on each company’s website.

Prices

The cost of the ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel is around $13 USD ($250 Mexican pesos) for a single trip on Ultramar.

Adult$290$280$135
Child$230$190$70

Location

Playa del Carmen – Maritime Terminal

It is located on Calle 1 Sur and the beach. It can be reached via Quinta avenida, very close to Paseo del Carmen, the ADO bus terminal or Parque fundadores (Founders Park).

Mapa. Muelle de Playa del Carmen.

Mapa. Playa del Carmen Pier.

Cozumel – Maritime Terminal

It is located right in downtown Cozumel.

Muelle Fiscal, Cozumel.

“Muelle Fiscal”, Cozumel.

Cozumel. Photo by Thomas Shahan.

Distance

The distance between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel is 18 kilometers (11 miles) and takes 40 minutes by ferry.

Crossing to Cozumel by car

It is possible to cross to Cozumel by car using the ferry services of Transcaribe departing from Calica port. Prices start at $500 Mexican pesos ($25 USD).

Tips

  • If you’re planning on buying your tickets directly, steer clear of the travel “agencies” near the port – the prices are way higher and they tend to give false information about schedules.It’s best to go straight to the port and buy them at the ticket office just before boarding.
  • If you’re not sure about your return time, it’s probably better to just buy a single ticket, because the savings on a round-trip ticket aren’t that great. It’s not worth waiting more than an hour or missing the ticket if the company’s trips are already sold out.
  • If you’re sure about which day you’ll visit Cozumel, you can look for discounts by booking early online.
  • If you are a Quintana Roo resident, all 3 companies offer a special discount.
  • Remember that tickets are only valid for the company you bought them from.