From Playa del Carmen to Cozumel can be reached via 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 very accessible and the ferry ride between Playa and Cozumel takes only 40 minutes.

Historically Playa del Carmen has been the gateway to Cozumel and in fact, Playa del Carmen owes its initial growth to the popularity of this route.

The fastest and cheapest way to get to Cozumel from Playa del Carmen is by ferry. You can also get there with your car or motorcycle via a different ferry but it is more expensive.

Here we are going to tell you all the details of this very common journey within 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 operate every day of the year.

Children under 5 years old do not pay ticket.

The cheapest way to cross to Cozumel is using the Barcos Caribe service; but a slightly more comfortable experience is using Ultramar.

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 are going to buy your tickets directly, do not do it in travel “agencies” near the port, their prices are much higher and they usually lie about the schedules. You’d better go directly to the port and you can buy them at the ticket office just before boarding.
  • If you are not sure of your return time, better buy a single ticket. The savings on a round trip ticket is not that great and it’s not worth waiting more than an hour or missing the ticket if the company’s trips are already sold out.
  • If you are sure on which day you will 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 where they were purchased.