I spotted the first one from the taxi — a giant sea turtle wrapped in a fishing net, painted across the side of a faded yellow building. By the time we reached the town square, Lily had counted seven more murals, each one louder and more urgent than the last. Cozumel’s street art isn’t just decoration. It’s the result of a 2015 project called Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, which brought 44 artists from 13 countries to paint 35 murals across San Miguel de Cozumel. Every single one tackles a real ocean issue — shark finning, coral bleaching, overfishing, plastic pollution — in a way that’s hard to ignore and easy to talk about with kids.
This guide covers the best murals to find on foot, what each one is actually about, and how to turn a walk through town into a conversation about the ocean. It’s for anyone who wants more from a port day than a margarita and a souvenir shot glass.
44 artists from 13 countries painted 35 ocean-conservation murals across Cozumel in 2015 — and they’re all still here, free to see.
You can see the best of Cozumel’s Sea Walls murals in a two-hour self-guided walk through downtown San Miguel. The catch? Some are faded, a few are on side streets you’d never wander down otherwise, and no single map marks them all. That’s why this guide exists.
Cruise passengers with a port day
Families with school-age kids
Travelers who want culture without a museum
Below is a quick-reference table of the murals covered in this guide, organized so you can pick your route based on what interests you most.
| Mural | Artist(s) | Theme | Time Needed | Key Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shark Fin Soup | Caratoes, Celeste Byers | Shark finning | 5 min | Look for it near the waterfront — the shark’s jaw is the giveaway. |
| We Are Coral | Ahmyo, HIMED, Luis Sanchez, Reyben, Sens | Coral reef conservation | 5 min | Collaborative piece; each artist painted a different section. |
| Plastic Fantastic | Bicicleta Sem Freio | Plastic pollution | 5 min | Bright colors make it easy to spot from a block away. |
| Forever Dolphin Love | Aaron Glasson, Jesus Benitez, Ever | Dolphin captivity | 5 min | On a side street near the main square — check the alley walls. |
| Power Hunger | The London Police, Tristan Eaton | Capitalism & overfishing | 5 min | Large-scale piece; best viewed from across the street. |
| Protect What You Love | Jason Botkin | Ocean food chain | 5 min | Includes a quote from Jacques Cousteau — read it slowly. |
Shark Fin Soup — Caratoes & Celeste Byers
This is the mural that stopped Ethan cold. A massive shark, mouth open, rendered in bold black-and-white linework against a deep blue background. The title — Shark Fin Soup — makes the message plain. Roughly 100 million sharks are killed each year for their fins, often sliced off and dumped back into the water while the animal is still alive. The artists don’t soften it. That directness is exactly why it works for kids old enough to ask questions.
Head toward the waterfront on Avenida Rafael Melgar, near the cruise ship pier. The mural is on the side of a building facing the main road. 5 minutes to walk from the plaza.
The artists are Caratoes (Mexico) and Celeste Byers (USA). The piece is part of the Sea Walls project, which uses public art to communicate ocean science without being preachy.
Ask kids why they think the shark is shown so large. The scale is intentional — sharks are apex predators, and their removal collapses entire ecosystems.
If you’re short on time, this is the one mural I wouldn’t skip. It’s the most visually arresting and the easiest to explain in one sentence.
We Are Coral — Ahmyo, HIMED, Luis Sanchez, Reyben, Sens
Five artists collaborated on this one, and you can see each hand in the different sections — stylized coral branches, abstract polyps, human figures woven into the reef. It’s a reminder that coral reefs house roughly one-third of all marine fish species at some point in their life cycle. The mural is on a wall near the corner of Calle 3 Sur and Avenida 20, a few blocks inland from the waterfront.
This one is worth a slow look. The detail rewards close inspection, and the collaborative nature of the piece makes it a good conversation starter about how conservation requires many people working together.
Plastic Fantastic — Bicicleta Sem Freio
Bright, almost cartoonish, and completely unsettling once you read the title. Plastic Fantastic shows marine animals surrounded by plastic debris — bottles, bags, six-pack rings — rendered in vivid primary colors that contrast sharply with the grim subject. The Brazilian artist collective Bicicleta Sem Freio is known for this kind of visual bait-and-switch. It’s on Avenida 10 between Calles 1 and 3, easy to spot from a block away.
If you’re walking with kids who’ve done a beach cleanup before, this mural will hit differently. It connects the abstract problem of ocean plastic to the tangible stuff they’ve picked up themselves.
Forever Dolphin Love — Aaron Glasson, Jesus Benitez, Ever
Tucked into a narrow alley off the main square, this mural shows a dolphin swimming through a dreamlike seascape. The theme is dolphin captivity — how keeping dolphins in tanks harms their social structures, restricts their natural swimming range of up to 60 miles a day, and shortens their lifespans. Aaron Glasson, a New Zealand artist, has painted similar themes in other Sea Walls locations around the world.
The alley location means it’s easy to miss. Look for the side street between the main plaza and the waterfront, near the Museo de la Isla de Cozumel. It’s a quiet spot, which makes it a good place to pause and talk without crowd noise.
Power Hunger — The London Police & Tristan Eaton
This is one of the largest murals in the collection, covering a full building facade near the intersection of Avenida 15 and Calle 2. The London Police (UK) and Tristan Eaton (USA) collaborated on a piece about how industrial fishing rights, sold to large conglomerates, push small-scale fishing communities out of work and deplete fish stocks faster than they can recover. The style is graphic and bold — blocky characters, sharp lines, a lot of visual weight.
Stand across the street to take it in fully. Up close, you lose the composition. From a distance, the message about power imbalance becomes clear.
Protect What You Love — Jason Botkin
Jason Botkin, a Canadian artist, painted a human figure submerged in the ocean food chain, surrounded by fish and plastic. A quote from Jacques Cousteau runs through the piece: “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” The mural is on Avenida 5 between Calles 2 and 4, near a small park with benches.
This is the most philosophical mural in the group. It works best for older kids or adults who want to sit with the idea for a minute. If you’re rushing, give it a glance and move on — the others are more immediately readable.
Practical Tips for Your Self-Guided Mural Walk
San Miguel de Cozumel is walkable, but the murals are spread across several blocks. Here’s what to know before you set out.
| Approach | Time | Best For | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfront loop | 45 min | Cruise passengers with limited time | You’ll miss murals on side streets |
| Full grid walk | 2 hours | Anyone who wants to see all 35 | Requires a map and comfortable shoes |
| Scavenger hunt style | 1.5 hours | Families with kids | Slower pace, more stopping |
When to Go
Morning is best, before the heat and the cruise crowds. Cozumel is the fourth-largest cruise ship port by traffic, handling around 3.3 million passengers annually. On days with two ships in port, the streets fill up fast. Start by 9 a.m. and you’ll have most murals to yourself.
What to Bring
Comfortable walking shoes, water, sunscreen, and a phone with Google Maps. There’s no official Sea Walls map distributed locally, so save the mural locations before you leave your hotel or ship. A wide-brimmed hat helps — the sun reflects off the pale buildings and pavement.
How to Keep Kids Engaged
Turn it into a game. Ask each kid to pick one mural and explain what they think the message is before you read the title. Lily guessed “don’t throw trash in the ocean” for Plastic Fantastic before she saw the name. Ethan thought Shark Fin Soup was about “people eating sharks” — close enough to start a real conversation.
Some murals have faded significantly since 2015, especially those on sun-exposed walls. A few are partially obscured by parked cars or street vendors. Don’t judge the collection by the most weathered ones — the ones in shaded alleys or on north-facing walls have held up much better.
Before You Go: Cozumel Street Art Questions Answered
Are all the murals still visible?
Most are, yes. The Sea Walls project painted 35 murals in 2015, and the vast majority are still on the walls. A few have faded or been painted over, but the core collection is intact and publicly accessible.
Do I need a tour to find them?
Not at all. The murals are spread across downtown San Miguel, and you can find them on foot with a basic map. No guide or ticket required. That said, a local guide can add context about the artists and the science behind each piece.
Is it safe to walk around San Miguel?
Yes, in the tourist and central areas. The streets are busy during the day, and I never felt unsafe walking with my kids. Stick to main avenues and well-lit streets, and use the same caution you would in any unfamiliar city.
What if I only have an hour?
Hit the waterfront first for Shark Fin Soup and We Are Coral, then cut inland to Plastic Fantastic and Forever Dolphin Love. That’s four strong murals in under an hour, with time for photos.
Is this worth it for people who don’t care about art?
Maybe not for the art alone. But if you care about the ocean, or if you want your kids to understand why coral reefs and sharks matter, the murals deliver that message faster and more memorably than any aquarium exhibit.
Why These Murals Matter More Than Most Souvenirs
Back on the ship, Lily asked if we could skip the gift shop and go find more murals instead. That’s the thing about art that carries a real message — it doesn’t just decorate a wall. It changes what you notice. Cozumel’s Sea Walls project turned a port town into an open-air classroom, and the lessons are still there, free to anyone willing to walk a few blocks. For more on what else Cozumel offers beyond the beach, check out our three-day Cozumel itinerary that pairs street art with turtles, ruins, and tacos.
References
PangeaSeed Foundation. “Sea Walls: Cozumel, MX.” Sea Walls, 2015. ↗
I’ve Been Bit. “Cozumel Street Art: A Must-Do in Cozumel.” I’ve Been Bit, 2024. ↗
Deviating the Norm. “Street Art Sight-Seeing by Foot in San Miguel, Cozumel.” Deviating the Norm, 2024. ↗
If you’re planning a longer stay, the guide to Cozumel’s best dive walls pairs naturally with a morning mural walk — many of the same reef species you’ll see underwater appear in the paintings above ground. For families weighing costs, the Wyndham Cozumel review breaks down budget-friendly lodging that keeps you close to the action without the resort markup.