Mexico
Yucatan Peninsula
Quintana Roo
Cozumel
Things to do in Cozumel
Playa El Cielo
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Playa El Cielo

See all things to do
See all things to do
Playa El Cielo
4.5
#12 of 126 things to do in Cozumel
Beaches
00:00 - 23:59
Monday
00:00 - 23:59
Tuesday
00:00 - 23:59
Wednesday
00:00 - 23:59
Thursday
00:00 - 23:59
Friday
00:00 - 23:59
Saturday
00:00 - 23:59
Sunday
00:00 - 23:59
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About
This beach is known for its beautiful white sand and crystal-clear waters filled with stingrays, starfishes, and other marine life. Catamaran and snorkeling tours are popular here—the boats usually anchor in the waters so you can snorkel and snap some photos with the wildlife. Pair that with yummy food and boozy drinks on board, and you're in for a good time. The sandbar, in particular, is a great habitat and place to spot the starfish, with shallower waters only reaching up to waist height. Most tours depart from Cozumel, with some even including hotel pick-up service from Playa del Carmen or Riveria Maya. The tours sell out quickly though, so remember to book early. – Tripadvisor
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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Top ways to experience Playa El Cielo
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The area
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
627 reviews
Excellent
509
Very good
64
Average
37
Poor
10
Terrible
7
Elisa S
2 contributions
El Cielo tour
Jul 2023 • Family
Great place to visit, beautiful sea life and friendly people. I was able to see many colorful fish, stingrays and starfish..great tour!! Manuel, Charlie and Capi were super fun and professional!!
Written 24 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melston
Springfield, IL380 contributions
Beautiful but busy
Nov 2022
Just like a lot of very popular places it is popular for a reason. It's stunning - but when we were there there were also about ten other boats.
Written 16 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LawrenceM-Writer
Launceston, UK109 contributions
A short trip to paradise
Jul 2022
The water is here warm and crystal clear, studded with seastars like precious stones; tame Stingrays swim by. The sand is white and soft, while a hot sun burns high overhead. It's a fun place, with music playing from the boats while people stand in the kneehigh depths and enjoy a refreshing beer or soft drink.

The nearby reef is fascinating. Personally, I don't go much for having to use lifejackets but rules are rules and the tour operators make you wear them. The coral was spectacular, an Eagle Ray passed nearby; however, the highlight was undoubtedly the Green Turtle who came close to greet us snorkellers.
Written 21 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sergio c
1 contribution
Scam, just contact a local company. Services are not as advertised
May 2022
This site is basically a scam. All they do is contact you with a local company and they charge you 40% more for the same tour you could've gotten locally.
On top of that they lie about the services provided, like glass bottom boats. family ran business and exclusive access to marine parks (there's ton of companies that can go here).
After reserving through el cielo cozumel I got to my meeting point to find out the local company dind't even know I had a reservation for that day. They ended up picking me up about 20 minutes late. The tour was supposed to start at 9:30 am, but we had to wait till 11:45. Since they didn't know about us they had only scheudled a tour leaving at 11:30 and they had to wait for that group.
Just get your tour with a local company and avoid the over charges and lies from companies like this that all they do is snatch business through alluring sites
Written 16 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Regina J
Fountain Hills, AZ74 contributions
Most beautiful water
Mar 2022
We love going to El Cielo. It is awesome to see and have the stingrays swimming around us. The water is spectacular!!
Written 19 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tomuchtravel
Houston, TX312 contributions
not worth it
Mar 2022
Yes the water is crystal clear and a beautiful Caribbean blue.THis was a stop on our snorkel tour. OK there were about 10 starfish and a manta ray but bunches of folks partying for sure! one catamaran - about 20 people jumped off and were eating guac out of a giant bowl (double dipping) -no masks to speak of. all of these beach areas if you go via the road, you have to pay an entrance fee.

Water waist deep
Written 15 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PK
Naples, FL122 contributions
Where are the sea stars exactly?
Dec 2021
sandy area that's supposed to have lots of sea stars. We saw maybe 10 spread out, certainly not the sea star garden they promise. If you've seen sea stars before this will be a disappointment.
Written 3 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
patrickkZ2315MB
Philadelphia, PA22 contributions
Lol how does this not have 5 stars?
Aug 2021 • Couples
The beach is obviously beautiful, shallow, turquoise, soft sand. Beach chairs with umbrellas and servers will provide you with drinks, food, snorkel mask and fins, kayak, paddle board. I suggest renting a scooter to get there, it’s on a long dirt road from the highway so taking a cab seems impractical, then finish the loop around the island. There isn’t a reef there, but there are fish and stingrays if you’re lucky. Note: the west side of Cozumel is protected from seaweed, which is a big problem along the mainland east-facing beaches. This faces west and is crystal clear
Written 9 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kyra_10
Ypsilanti, MI284 contributions
Cheesy but fun
May 2021
At the end of two of our snorkeling trips, we ended here at the beach. The water is pretty shallow--averaging waist high for a short person--and the boats will drop anchor and let you splash around while they serve you drinks. There is a group of friendly stingrays that will swim among you and say hello .
Written 6 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
launatts@gmail.com
7 contributions
Beautiful!!
Jan 2021
This was our second time visiting Playa El Cielo. It is beautiful and the star fish are amazing! Playa Mia Tours did an excellent job !
Written 17 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PLAYA EL CIELO: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Playa El Cielo
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