The ultimate way to see Cozumel: Cozumel trikes tour

But before I get into everything I enjoyed about Trikes Cozumel, I want to be open with you.

Not that long ago, I didn’t even know trike tours were a thing.

In fact, a lot of people don’t unless you are one of the lucky people who discovered Trikes in the past, or possibly seen them in action while on another tour in Cozumel, or had a friend let you in on this secret.

During a recent cruise on board Carnival Valor, we got the chance to experince a trike tour with Trikes Cozumel.

I’ll tell you all about our experience and how you can book this tour, one of the best tours in Cozumel on your next port stop to Cozumel, Mexico.

This tour was provided to Gallivanting Souls as a Familiarization Experience (FAM trip) free of charge.

Even though the tour operator has given this experience for us to review, please know that my opinions are my own. I cannot be bought. To find out more, read How we make money.

That being said, here is my honest review of this trike tour through Trikes Cozumel.

Where is Cozumel?

Cozumel is located about 10 miles from the Eastern Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo.

Cozumel (CZM) can be reached by airplane, from many direct flights from international gateway cities such as Miami (MIA), Dallas (DFW), Chicago (ORD), Atlanta (ATL), and more US airports. Also, direct flights are available form Mexico City (MEX), Toronto Canada (YTO), Montreal Canada (YUL), and many other international airports.

Cozumel can also be easily reached by passenger and vehicle ferry from Playa Del Carmen. Two ferry companies make this route daily. One way is around @$12.00 USD.

Ferry Companies that service Cozumel

Ultramar

https://www.ultramarferry.com/

[email protected]
+52 (998) 460-3084 Telephone & WhatsApp

Many people arrive in Cozumel each year by cruise ship!

From the  Cancun Sun

The beautiful island of Cozumel is set to close 2022 with more than 3 million tourists from nearly 1200 cruises this year. This represents a 340% jump above its record in 2021, according to the Director of Quintana Roo Comprehensive Port Administration (Apiqroo). 

What cruises stop in Cozumel?

Most cruises visiting Cozumel are on western Caribbean itineraries.

There are three main cruise ship piers in Cozumel. Punta Langosta, International pier, and Puerto Maya are the three main Cozumel cruise ports on the island. Most days of the week at least 8 cruise ships will be docked. 

Punta Langosta is located downtown. International Pier is about 3 miles away south of downtown and Puerta Maya is the furthest away at about 5 miles from downtown.

What Cruise lines visit Cozumel?

• Carnival Cruise Lines
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Royal Caribbean
• Aida
• Mein Schiff
• Celebrity
• Disney Cruise Lines
• MSC Cruise Lines
• Regent Cruise Lines
• Princess Cruise Lines
• Marella Cruises
• Virgin Voyages
• Viking Cruises
• Oceania
• Azamara

What pier will I dock at? Always check with your cruise line to make sure. Some days there are so many cruise ships docked that they may dock somewhere out of the ordinary. 

Punta Longusta-Most smaller ships dock here. MSC, Disney, and NCL also use this pier.

Puerta Maya-Any Carnival Corporation branded ships dock here. (Carnival, Princess,HAL, Aida)

International Pier- Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Azamara, and sometimes NCL dock here.

Exploring the island.

When you arrive in Cozumel by cruise ship, you have many options to get around.

You can join a tour through your ship, walk, catch a cab, rent a car, bike, or scooter, walk, or hire a tour.

Your time is valuable and too short for everything you would like to do so to make the best of your short time on the island. Have a plan before arriving.

Unless you plan on not leaving the cruise port, it is best to take part in part of an organized tour.

There are many tours to choose from. You might be wondering how to pick a tour. Tours in Cozumel are on TripAdvisor. There are so many you might wonder, how to make a decision.

How to choose a tour?

Choosing a tour is the same whether you are in Cozumel or any other place. First, always consider what tours are offered through your ship.

New cruisers or guests unfamiliar with how port stops are handeled, or don’t want to manage time might want to do excursions with the ship for the “Back to the Ship Guarantee”.

For those who are fully independent travelers, you can use resources like reading reviews on TripAdvisor, Google, or Cruise Critic. We have done this numerous times and found many unique tours all over the Caribbean.

Do you have small children who need to be in car seats or someone with mobility concerns? Will the tour be able to provide car seats to provide a safe environment for your precious cargo? If you or a loved one uses a wheelchair, either manual or powered, or a scooter, can the company handle these needs.

Gallivanting Souls found Trikes Cozumel on TripAdvisor,read  reviews, and then looked forward to try out an island tour of Cozumel by Trikes Cozumel.  I can testify, Trikes Cozumel is one of the best tours in Cozumel.

Contacting prospective tour companies doesn’t have to be hard. Most of the world uses email as a way to communicate with prospective customers. The benefit of email is that an email can be sent at any time and the receiver will open it when they are ready.  It is easy to translate conversations and can be done automatically. You might not even realize your conversations are being translated unless you get a oddly worded sentence.

Another way to connect to people internationally is through using WhatsApp. You can add WhatsApp to your computer or to your phone and is available where ever you get your apps. What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a way to

Message privately,

Simple, reliable, private messaging and calling for free*, available all over the world.

Good to know

• Local currency. It’s important to be able to identify different denominations of local money. Area tour companies may ask to be paid in cash at the time of your tour. Tour guides who accept US money for payment or tips will expect each bill to be in good shape. They can not deposit or exchange currency that is worn or torn.
• Drugs: Mexico has a zero-tolerance policy for (illegal) drugs. Marijuana may be legal where you live or you may have a medical card, but do not bring any illegal drugs including Marijuana into Mexico. This includes cigarettes, vapes, edibles, or whatever form they come on. At any time, local authorities can board or stop your vehicle. At a minimum, your contraband can be confiscated, but you could be arrested and imprisoned in a foreign country.
• You could miss your ship. Many tour companies or tour operators do not offer a guarantee that you will make it back to your ship on time. Keep this in mind when booking your tour. Know if the time the tour operates is local time or ship time. On many itineraries, ship time and local time may be different. Always keep an eye on the time while on excursions and don’t book tours that cut it too close to the back on board time.

What is the tour

On this scenic sightseeing trike tour around the island of Cozumel, you will make 3 or more stops admiring and photographing some of the area’s most Instagram-able sights. On the final stop of the tour, you will eat at a local restaurant (included).

Is this a private tour? No. This is a tour open to others. You can possibly request a individual tour by making arrangements ahead of time.

 

FAQ’s

Is it possible to get lost on this tour? This tour is done Caravan style. There will be a guide at the front and the rear making it so you can’t get lost.

Do I need a motorcycle license?  Only a regular license is required. A valid unexpired license from your country of orign is required. This will be checked at the time you fill out your paperwork before the tour.

Do I need to know how to shift gears? The trikes are all automatic and don’t require shifting gears.

If this tour sounds like something you would like to do, keep reading.

How to book

You can book through my link below on Viator (a TripAdvisor Company) right now and pay later and can even cancel up to 24 hours before your excursion. No extra booking fees. A satisfaction guarantee is included when you book with Trikes Cozumel.

Book Cozumel Trikes now on Viator

Contact Trikes Cozumel

Website: https://trikes-cozumel.com/

Email: [email protected] 

Phone: +52 1 987 8785126

What’s included in the trike tour?

• Lunch
• Helmets
• Guides
• Entrance fees or permits
• Fuel for trike
• Use of trike
• Candid photos taken by guides posted to their Facebook page
• Satisfaction guarantee

What’s not included: Gratuities/tips

Advice to make your trike ride more comfortable

You will be riding on an uncovered motorcycle. Although the bike is very stable, there is always a chance you could slide off the road and need to put your feet down.  Wear closed-toe shoes.

Since a motorcycle is not covered or protected like a car, you will be subject to the elements. The tour operates in most weather, but if it’s raining hard or continuously, the tour could be canceled.

Long pants are a good idea as your legs may be subject to flying rocks, bugs, or other debris.

Apply sunscreen often to protect your face, ears, back of neck. Consider wearing a long sleeve shirt that will block the sun’s rays. These shirts are not hot, but they do keep you from getting burned easily. You can find one like we wear on Amazon here for women or on Amazon here for men

• Bring a small bag or backpack to hold snacks.
• A windbreaker jacket could come in handy if it rains.
• If you have long hair, I recommend a hair tie to tie your hair back. Your hair will be whipping in the wind. I  wore a bandana on my head. If you have a buff or do rag, this also might help keep your hair from getting tangled or whipping you in the eyes.
• I wish I had thought ahead and borrowed my son’s goggles. Even with glasses/sunglasses, my eyes watered with the wind blowing in them.
• The wind may dry out your lips. Lip balm with sunscreen may be helpful. If your lip balm doesn’t have sun screen, apply sun block first, let dry, then apply your lip balm as usual.
• A bottle of water might be nice to stay hydrated. The passenger can hold this on their lap. There is no cup holder on the rig.

Don’t wear a dress or skirt. Just don’t.

If you opt to wear shorts, don’t forget sun block on your legs! I like this Think Baby Brand sunscreen here from Amazon. If you snorkel,  it is also reef safe and great for sensetive skin!

Where will I meet my tour?

When you get off your cruise ship, sometimes it can be stressful wondering where you will meet your prearranged tour.

Trikes Cozumel made it very easy. The meeting point was listed in the email.

Depending on which pier your ship comes in will determine the meeting point. After reserving your tour you will receive an email asking for the name of the ship, date, and port time.

For our Carnival ship, we met directly across the street from Puerto Maya at the Pemex 7-11. Our guide met us there and then paid for a cab to take us to the office where the rest of the guests would get their Trike.

Who’s this tour for?

This trike tour is for anyone looking to do something different. Anyone looking for a fun, exciting experience.

Who should not do this tour?

Although there are seatbelts for the passengers, I (personally) would not bring any child small enough that would normally ride in a car seat or booster seat.

I used the seatbelt as the passenger in the rear. I was unable to tighten the belt tight enough, but I also did not ask for help with this.

I do believe that the tour company says tour is for six and older, but use your judgement if bringing young children. Keep in mind their size and ability to sit still and follow directions.

How long is a typical tour? Tours are usually around 4 hours unless otherwise arranged.

What’s the best time to visit Cozumel and do a Trike tour? You can do a trike tour with Trikes Cozumel any time, but keep in mind that August is the warmest month with temperatures around 82 degrees F and September is the wettest month with over 9 inches of rain, which is still hurricane season, and weather can be unpredictable in the Caribbean.

Our trike tour experience-trip report

While cruising on Carnival Valor to the Western Caribbean, we had the opportunity to experience a tour with Trikes Cozumel.

From our very first contact, the information was clear and all questions were answered.

We met our tour guide, Gabriele. He was on time and very friendly. He told us that he would be getting us a cab, that it was paid for, and that he would meet us there at the office where we would get hands-on training on the trike. He hailed a cab, paid, and we were off.

When we got to the location where the bikes are parked, we met Ara Solice, one of the owners of Trikes Cozumel. She gave us the paperwork and waiver to fill out.

Gabriel came back and took Mike for the orientation of the trike. I sat at a table with a friendly couple from Germany. Twenty minutes or so later, the last guests arrived from other cruise ports and completed the same steps.

Soon it was time to go. We got into our shiny grey trike and all headed off in our caravan of trikes.

There were seven or so trikes in our tour group. Ara led the caravan and her husband/owner, William followed at the back. Our other guide was Jorge.

Each member of the Trikes crew was attentive, friendly, and focused on safety. Even know we had never driven a motorcycle or a trike before, or driven in Cozumel, the staff made us feel very comfortable.

At no time did we feel unsafe or stressed. We never felt that we would be lost or left behind.

We drove around the island, seeing the other side, the rugged and beautiful side. At each stop, Ara would hop out and take lots of photos. Unlike many tours, Trikes Cozumel shares the photos free on their Facebook page. They don’t try to nickel and dime you with extra charges like photo packages or tell you that taking your own photos or videos is not allowed. Someone is taking photos of you. Great candid photos, so you can relax and enjoy the view.

About halfway around the island, we stopped at the Welcome to Miami Restaurant and Beach Bar for a break. Here, for around thirty minutes, you could purchase drinks or snacks, or just stop and enjoy the beautiful ocean view. We did not get any refreshments here. We just sat in a hammock and enjoyed watching the crashing surf.

As we continued on down the road on our trke, we had the crystal blue Caribbean Sea on our right. I enjoyed sitting on the back of the bike snapping photos and watching others enjoy the beach and blue water as we flew by.

Everywhere we went people waved at us like we were celebrities. I started waving to people too! It was a fun feeling.

Several times I felt sand or pebbles pelting my bare legs. It didn’t do any damage, but I still felt it.

I  wore Capri length pants. I thought they would be good enough and not have to worry about my legs being sunburned. I didn’t consider debris pelting me. I think that if I had worn long pants, I would have not noticed it at all.

Along the route, I saw all the beach bars and snorkeling spots that are mentioned every day on Cruise Critic, TripAdvisor, and Facebook groups. Seeing all the people lined up with loungers almost touching at the beach clubs made me feel good about my decision to book this tour.

I also could see all the people snorkeling in just a few spots and I was glad that we snorkeled in Roatan and didn’t have to worry about being kicked by another swimmer.

Our lunch stop was at El Galeon Del Caribe. The lunch was good and included in the cost of the tour. This restaurant was two levels up wooden stairs.

I was impressed when I noticed our crew carrying one of the guests in her wheelchair up the stairs to have lunch with the rest of the group.

Nothing about this restaurant is accessible, but that did not stop the employees of Cozumel Trikes!

When lunch was over, they carefully carried the woman back down to her trike to join her husband and continue the tour.

Back on the road, we passed more pretty scenery. It was exciting whizzing past slow-moving scooters, and bicycles,and those on foot. I saw wildlife run across the road or into the bushes. We even stopped a couple of times and the staff pointed out a few animals that we had never seen before.

Our final stop was at Reyes Tequila Shop for the Mi Mexico Lindo Tequila Tour. We have been there before, so we just relaxed, but at this stop you are schooled on the art of tequila making and given plenty of samples of tequila.

At the end of the presentation, you are encouraged to purchase and given several offers. They also sell chocolate here.

Before we knew it, our time was up. We ended our trke tour at the Mega Super Market.

William took us back to our pier and we still had plenty of time to do some last-minute shopping.

Next, I’ll sum up and give final scores.

Each area will get a score. Scores can range from 1 being poor to 10 being excellent.

Pre-tour communication 10/10.

I got an email the same day as the booking telling me all the important details of the tour. The questions that I had were answered in a reasonable time.

Meeting our guide 10/10

Our guide was on time and where the email said we should meet. 10/10

Pre-drive instructors and teaching how to use Trike 10/10.

When we arrived at the office, our guide asked who would be the driver and took my husband out to teach him how the bike worked, and how to use the horn and turn signals. A quick road test. Helmets required and provided.

Safety 10/10

Trikes Cozumel is very focused on safety. At busy intersections, the guide would get out of the follow car and stop traffic so that the group would not get separated.

They gave clear instructions on what to do if we did get separated from the pack. We were told when we were going to be driving down the highway at faster speeds to make sure our helmets were extra tight. This was helpful because the helmet actually moved quite a bit

Going the extra mile: Making accommodations for physically challenged guests 10/10 

A member of our tour group who I do not know uses a wheelchair for mobility. Trikes Cozumel went out of their way so that this lady could have a good time in the tour in spite of her mobility equipment.

During the cycle ride this woman rode on the back, just like I did. At each stop the staff would bring her chair around to see and experience all the sights like everyone else. When we arrived at the lunch stop several of the staff picked up the chair with the woman in it. They then proceeded to carry her in the chair up around two flights of stairs.

You mihy be wondering,I use a motorized wheelchair or scooter. Can I be accommodated?

I doubt it, but contact Trikes Cozumel and find out. The crew were able to transport a fold down, travel type wheelchair. Scooters and electric wheelchairs can way hundreds of pounds making it impossible for the average person to lift or transport without special equipment.

When lunch was over, they carried the passenger back down the stairs and to the trike.

From my prospective this guest had a memorable tour. I heard her husband exclaim,

if the bike were equipped with hand controls, my wife would be the one driving, not me!

Stops on the tour 8/10

We had three official stops,but aslo stopped as needed to view wildlife. One stop was at the Welcome to Miami Restaurant.

For thirty minutes we chilled at this pretty spot where we could purchase drinks or snack. You could also buy souvenirs here.

The other stop was where we had lunch with a good view called El Galeon Del Caribe.  We also stopped at Reyes Tequila Shop.

I would have liked to see more, but in reality, you can only see as much as you have time for. Much of our ride was on highway with lush foliage on either side. The parts that had ocean views were very spectacular. These sights kept us wanting more.

Food on Tour 7/10

Lunch was provided and on this day we had the choice between chicken or beef fajitas. I don’t recall if there was a vegetarian option. The main dish was provided , but anything else like appetizers, drinks, or dessert you paid on your own. It was totally ok by us to only have the main dish included in the tour fare. Many people would be taking advantage and ordering lots of alcohol.

The lunch food was typical tourist Mexican food. Nothing special, nothing great. Food was barely warm, but no plates were left with food on them. The seating wasn’t very comfortable. Our guides moved several tables together to let us all be seat together. Where I sat, my chair was at a corner of the table. Not much room.

One member of our group (Rolf from Germany with his wife Christine) was celebrating  a birthday. A Mariachi Band sang Happy Birthday and Feliz Complianos to him and he was given a free shot of tequila.

Final thoughts

Even know we hopped off a cruise ship and weren’t sure what to expect, the team at Trikes made us instantly feel comfortable and safe like we had been riding motorcycles for a lifetime and this trike tour made for some of our best travel memories to date.

Do I recommend Trikes Cozumel. Yes! We had an exciting day with the wind blowing in our hair visiting the other side of the island.

We had a unique experience that wasn’t your typical beach day. This was our first time trying out a trike tour and it won’t be our last. So, I bet you are wondering if we come back to Cozumel again and have the chance, will we do another tour with Trikes Cozumel? Yes, we would really love to do another tour. Maybe next time we will have more time and can do a private tour with them and see more of what Cozumel has to offer.

Are you visiting Aruba or Saint Maarten? They have Trike partners there too!

Planning a cruise? Start here:

How to choose the perfect cruise for your family

What’s a formal night like on a Carnival Cruise?

How to make a travel emergency kit

Featured videos:

Trikes.Cozumel around the Island

https://youtu.be/LhjPC1ixhyw 

10 things to do in Cozumel

https://youtu.be/KS7cf-YTaFw 

Where to Eat in Cozumel 

https://youtu.be/sM07is2wxGk