Good to know
Good to Know
- Carnival dates vary yearly as they follow the lunar calendar leading up to Ash Wednesday—plan trips several months in advance as the island fills up quickly.
- Event dates often change year to year, and while organizers do their best to keep the Cozumel calendar current, it's recommended to contact local sources for up-to-the-minute information before planning your visit.
- Most public celebrations are free or low-cost; major venues (downtown waterfront Malecón, Benito Juárez Park, Quintana Roo Park) are central and within walking distance of the island's main town San Miguel.
- Day of the Dead municipal public celebrations are open to the public and everyone is invited.
Signature Events
February
- Admission
- Free (parades along Malecón and events at Quintana Roo Park); ticketed events at Moby Dick Entertainment Center and APIQROO Carnival Terrace
- Dates 2026
- February 11–18, 2026 (main event Feb 14–17)
- Event Name
- Cozumel Carnival (Carnaval de Cozumel)
- Cultural Significance
- It is one of the only carnivals in the Yucatán Peninsula that has preserved traditional expressions of historical value and has become an event of heritage for the state of Quintana Roo, distinguished by its long history, cultural aspects, organization, and family character.
- Description
- Cozumel Carnival is one of the top carnivals in Mexico and celebrated its 150-year anniversary in 2024, making it one of the oldest in the country. The Pre-Carnival features cultural events, voting nights, free concerts, and traditional carnival parades. Fat Tuesday concludes events with dazzling technicolor processions along Cozumel's downtown oceanfront, with costumed revelers battling in dancing competitions and bands playing live music around the city, and people lining the street dancing with performers and catching gifts. The Wednesday after Fat Tuesday features the closing ceremony with the traditional burning of Juan Carnaval.
April–May
- Dates 2026
- Early May 2026
- Event Name
- El Cedral Festival (Festival of El Cedral and Fiestas of Santa Cruz)
- Traditional Dances
- Traditional dances performed on May 3rd Day of the Holy Cross include the 'Head of the Boar' and 'The Ribbons.'
- Cultural Significance
- A more than 150-year-old tradition, the fair at El Cedral commemorates the Day of the Holy Cross, honoring the safe passage of the 11 founding families of El Cedral, who fled the mainland to Cozumel in 1848 to escape the violence of the Guerra de Castas (The Caste War).
- Description
- This is one of Cozumel's oldest traditions, dating back more than 150 years, and originally commemorated the first Catholic mass in Mexico, which was celebrated in El Cedral. During the first week of May, the town of Cedral abounds with food stands, games, dancing and shopping, with exhibitions, races, bullfighting and other events.
Late May
- Dates 2026
- Late May 2026
- Event Name
- Sacred Mayan Passage (Mayan Crossing)
- Cultural Significance
- The Sacred Mayan Passage takes place at the end of May.
- Description
- 26-foot canoes, crewed by 4–6 participants, will travel from Xcaret on the mainland to the island of Cozumel and then back in a three-day event that reenacts Mayan pilgrimages undertaken by the original Yucatan inhabitants. Beginning with a trip to Xcaret, pilgrims engage in rituals to honor the goddess Ixchel in an overnight celebration, and at the first rays of the sun, the canoes enter the water en route for Cuzamil, upon arrival more offerings are made to the goddess, and the canoes return to Playa del Carmen bringing the goddess' omens of good fortune.
September
- Dates 2026
- September 15–16, 2026
- Event Name
- Mexican Independence Day (Día de la Independencia)
- Description
- On September 15, local residents and visitors congregate around the City Hall to participate in the traditional 'grito', or cry for independence, led by the Mayor of Cozumel from the balcony at City Hall at 11:00 p.m. with the cry 'Viva Mexico', followed by an impressive fireworks display and other festivities including traditional foods and musical and folkloric dance performances. On September 16, Independence Day, the celebrations continue with a parade through Cozumel's downtown waterfront, and throughout the week residents and visitors visit a fair near the City Hall that includes food stands, games, dancing and shopping.
September
- Dates 2026
- September 21–29, 2026
- Event Name
- Feast of San Miguel (San Miguel Arcángel)
- Description
- This event commemorates the patron saint of Cozumel, with the celebration beginning on September 21, featuring colorful processions that start from the church of San Miguel and go throughout downtown. On September 28, the statue of Cozumel's patron saint is carried by a procession of decorated boats to the north point of the island during the San Miguel Archangel Fiesta, with garlands of flowers tossed into the water in remembrance of lost seamen.
October–November
- Dates 2026
- October 31–November 2, 2026
- Event Name
- Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)
- Cultural Practices
- In this part of Mexico, traditions can be observed from Hanal Pixan, the local Mayan pre-Hispanic tradition, which existed well before the Catholic traditions arrived with Spanish invaders. Special altars are made offering the deceased relatives their favorite items from when they were alive.
- Traditional Elements
- The three-day fiesta is filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; pan de muerto (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations.
- Description
- Cozumel islanders celebrate Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, along with the rest of Mexico, held on the first and second day of November each year. The event remembers and celebrates the lives of ancestors and other deceased members of the family—a time to celebrate relatives' lives, not mourn their passing away, with the belief that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life. Cozumel has organized events to celebrate 'Day of the Dead' and pre-Hispanic traditions that are open to the public and everyone is invited.
December
- Dates 2026
- December 1–12, 2026
- Event Name
- Virgin of Guadalupe Day (Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe)
- Description
- The celebration begins on the first day of December with a pilgrimage lead through the island by a variety of religious and nonreligious organizations to the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Thousands of people join processions in Cozumel for this event, celebrating one of Mexico's largest religious events, with pilgrims honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, an icon of the Catholic Virgin Mary who is said to have appeared near Mexico City over 470 years ago. On December 11, adults and children participate in a walk, or race around the island to show their devotion.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this signature annual events research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Cozumel
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.