On my recent celebrity cruise, we stopped in Cozumel Mexico. I have never been to Mexico before so I was a little nervous about the accessibility as someone in a power wheelchair, but looking back, this may have ranked up to be my favourite Carribean destination thus far! 

My family and I booked the Private Accessible 5-Hour Cozumel Shore Excursion with Accessible Travel Solutions. This wheelchair accessible Cozumel shore excursion was a perfect way to experience so much of the island in the short amount of time that we had there. We had the opportunity to learn about the rich Maya heritage at an interactive cultural exhibit, saw Mayan Ruins, did a tequila tasting and even had a lunch break at a fabulous beachfront restaurant. I loved that this accessible tour offered something different than the run-of-the-mill driving tours you typically get offered as a disabled traveller — it was exciting, informative, and most of all adventurous!

So if you’re curious to hear all about my AMAZING day on this wheelchair accessible Cozumel tour, keep reading!

Please note that all opinions on my own. This tour was booked and paid for on my own, and I am not associated with ATS or any of the other businesses mentioned in this post.

Our Wheelchair Accessible Transportation in Cozumel, Mexico 

Finding accessible transportation is always my biggest stress wherever I go — I cannot transfer out of my power wheelchair, so finding a vehicle that can accommodate this is not always the easiest depending on the destination. Luckily, booking with Accessible Travel Solutions meant that we had a fully accessible vehicle, and private driver, that stayed with us all day.

The driver and our tour guide, Erika, picked us up right at our cruise port. They had a wheelchair accessible van that had a hydraulic lift in the back. I had plenty of space in the vehicle, and although I didn’t count, I believe the vehicle could hold about 5 other passengers. There was quite a bit of space behind me once I pulled in, so you could definitely also fit a second (foldable) manual wheelchair if needed. 

The only downside for me was that there was not any tiedowns or seatbelts to secure myself / my chair into the vehicle. This seems pretty typical of most Caribbean islands that I’ve been to, but it always makes me feel a little nervous, especially when navigating bumpy roads. Thankfully our driver was very cautious and was great about slowing down over bumps, so I did not slide around too much.

Pueblo Del Maiz – Cozumel’s Fully Wheelchair Accessible Cultural Experience

Our first stop on our wheelchair accessible Cozumel tour was Pueblo del Maiz, which is an interactive, cultural experience where you can actively participate in day-to-day activities from the Maya civilization. We spent the whole morning here learning all about their rich heritage, dating back to thousands of years ago. It was a really good mix of listening and learning vs. also partaking in hands-on experiences. We had the opportunity to make our own tamales, grind up fresh cocoa beans to make our own chocolate, and experience a cultural ceremony. 

Our tour guide was SO FUNNY, and to my surprise, he spoke many different languages so was able to converse quite well with other people in our group that were not English speakers.

In terms of getting around, everything was very accessible with paved pathways throughout, while still reflecting the architectural and cultural nuances of the Maya civilization. There were, of course, some parts that were a little bit bumpy, but it was nothing that was too troublesome and tour guide was incredible at going at a pace that was comfortable for me. 

Ancient Ruins & Tequila at El Cedral

After spending a couple of hours at Pueblo Del Maiz, we got back in the van and headed to our next stop  — an ancient ruin and a tequila tasting. 

El Cedral is the oldest Mayan Ruins on Cozumel Island, dating back to 800 A.D (it was discovered by Spanish conquistadors in the 16^th century). Tourists are not permitted to go inside the ruin, but you can get quite close to observe from the outside. There is also a beautiful 1840s Catholic Church right next to it, which is still used today (the church did have a single step to get inside). 

There was a tequila factory in the same complex, so we headed there next. To be honest, I wasn’t particularly looking forward to the tequila tasting because I am not a tequila drinker myself — in fact, hard liquor of any kind is a no-go for me (I typically opt for a fruity, super-sweet cocktail when given the choice). But let me tell you, this tequila was LIFE CHANGING! We got to try so many different flavours and bought some to bring back home (I picked the coffee flavoured one which I’m so excited to pair with my iced coffee’s this summer).

Beachfront Lunch Stop at Sky Reef

After getting mildly tipsy on our tequila tour, we were ready for food. Luckily our wheelchair accessible Cozumel tour continued with a beautiful scenic drive along the coast line, with time to stop at Sky Reef – a gorgeous beachfront restaurant. The oceanfront view was absolutely spectacular and we truly had some of the best food and margaritas that we have ever had (I can’t recommend the coconut shrimp enough — I think I will be craving that forever!) 

After an incredible 5 hour tour, it was time to say goodbye to our phenomenal tour guide and driver from Accessible Travel Solutions. They brought us back to our cruise port with plenty of time to spare to get back on the ship (we were even able to stop by Margaritaville at the cruise port to try some watermelon Jell-O shots before getting on the boat!) 

Overall we had a fantastic day on our wheelchair accessible Cozumel shore excursion. I wish we had a little bit longer there, but I guess that means I have to book another trip to come back!