Playa Corona’s reef starts right offshore, and you can rent snorkeling equipment close by. Most visitors spend the day at Playa Corona Beach Club, with plenty of thatched-roof palapas, swaying hammocks, and small restaurants serving fresh seafood and cold drinks. It offers good snorkeling from the shore, and all those hammocks make this a tempting spot to while away the day. Strong swimmers can head out to the much more famous (and expensive) Chankanaab Park, about 328 feet (100 meters) offshore.
Playa Corona is ideal for snorkelers of all experience levels.
Remember to bring sun protection and water, as the beach offers little shade.
Bring cash, as the bars and restaurants don’t accept debit or credit cards.
The beach offers basic facilities, including restrooms and outdoor showers.
Playa Corona sits just south of San Miguel in Cozumel. There’s no public bus service (yet, but ask around to see if this has changed). Unless you rent a car, catch a taxi plying this stretch of Avenida Melgar regularly; you probably won’t have to wait long for a ride back to your hotel.
You can visit Playa Corona year-round. Winter brings large numbers of travelers to Cozumel, and the weeks before and after Easter are some of the busiest. Wet weather is likely from May to October.
Just north of Playa Corona, Chankanaab Park is the island’s best-known water park and part of the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park. The park has a wide white-sand beach and a natural lagoon for swimming and snorkeling. You can also explore a botanical garden with over 350 species of tropical plants, and a nature path with small replicas of Maya ruins.