Renting Cars

How to Rent a Car in Cozumel

You can rent cars for about $50 USD per day. You can rent them directly from the resort. The resort has a small area off the main community center where you can rent cars. They drop the vehicle off at the resort for you with a full tank of gas.

What are the roads like?

The roads in Cozumel are generally in good condition, and driving is relatively easy. They even drive on the right side of the road. There is primarily one road that goes all the way around the island. You should stay away from any gravel roads running into the jungle. There was a lot of fresh pavement when I was there in 2024. The easter side of the island has less traffic and is less developed and repaired.

What is driving like?

Look, I'm a good driver, and I'm pretty good in the worst of the I5 corridor from Seattle to LA, but I'm not a big fan of the idea of driving myself around in Cozumel. The roads are narrow, and the traffic can be unpredictable. The speed limits are generally lower, and there are fewer traffic lights. Pedestrians and cyclists are common on the roads, and the scooter and motorcycle riders do not seem to grasp how squishable they are, much less civil traffic behavior. For that matter, a lot of drivers in downtown Cozumel don't follow traffic rules as strictly as you might be used to, even here.

Out of the city, it's not uncommon to see an American driver pulled over by a local police officer, and I wonder if their fine were more or less than a cab ride. I like to let the locals do the talking and taking the responsibility for driving.

Returning a Rental Car

When you return the car, you will need to fill it up with gas. The tricky part is, gas stations in Cozumel close very early in the evening, and it is common to hear from tourists having to eat the fill-up fee because they returned too late. A good command of Spanish will be helpful locating a gas station.