Bikes are one of the best ways to get around Cozumel. That is why Villa Montecito offers 3 of them to our guests.

With the island being flat, and San Miguel being relatively dense, we find we can get nearly everywhere we need to go within 15 minutes on a bike.

Here are a few tips for biking on Cozumel:

Wear a helmet.

We offer them to our guests. Use them. Wipeouts can happen.

Slow & steady is the name of the game.

We noticed right away that locals tend to ride at a steady pace. I think a lot of this has to do with giving cars and scooters some predictability. They can weave around you safely if you are not erratic and competing for speed. Plus, it gives you some time to look for opening doors on parked cars.

Use the bike lanes.

Over time, we’ve learned to map our routes along the streets with bike lanes. These include some of the one-way secondary corridors going through San Miguel such as Av. 10 (going north) and Av. 15 (going south). The main corridors such as Av. 35 lack bike lanes and tend to be too congested with cars.

Biking on the waterfront is difficult in San Miguel until you get just south of city. Right around Dolpinaris, where Villa Montecito’s street meets the water, is the start of a 2-way bike path that goes for miles to the south. It’s a wonderful ride; no worrying about cars, plenty of pit-stops along the way for a swim, a drink or a view.

There’s also a nice path that starts to the north of San Miguel, right after the port.

Lock it up.

Common sense just about everywhere around the globe — lock up your parked bike. Villa Montecito provides combination locks to our guests. And if you ride to the local Chedraui to get groceries, there are helpers in the lot that will help you park your bike and give you a tag to identify it as yours. You can still lock it up. Oh, and tip them on your way out.

Be safe, and enjoy.