Fishing on this coast is sold by the boat, not by the person, and that single fact explains most of the confusion. Four hours out of Cancún with Kianah's SportFishing are $780 for a boat that takes up to six; four hours out of Cozumel are 15,880 MXN, about $790, for a boat that takes up to eight. Neither number tells you what you will pay until you know how many of you are going and what is added at the dock.
- What each boat costs, and for how many guests
- Per head: from how many anglers a private boat beats a shared seat
- What is inside the price and what is paid on the day
- Why four hours on the rate card is not four hours of fishing
- How Cozumel's day is shaped by the cruise schedule
Important
Every figure below is from the operator's own page, checked in September 2026. Cozumel Snorkel Center prints its price in pesos and publishes no dollar figure; the dollar equivalents here are our own conversion at a round twenty pesos to the dollar, and they are approximations, not the operator's price.
Cancún: the whole boat for up to six
Kianah's SportFishing charges $780 for four hours on a 35-foot Bertram out of Sunset Marina on Kukulkán Avenue. The rate is for the whole boat, from a single angler to a maximum of six, and 16% sales tax is already inside it.
The same rate card climbs by hours rather than by people: six hours of sportfishing are $880, eight hours $980 and twelve hours $1,180. The operator also lists other hulls in its fleet, from $380 up to $1,320 for a Tiara 3800 Open.
What comes with the boat is generous and specific: captain and two mates, high-end rods, reels and lures, two fighting chairs and belts, live well and tuna tubes, an enclosed head, a case of beer, twenty-four mixed sodas, bottled water, snacks and two t-shirts. The crew cleans and fillets whatever you want to keep, and the fish is yours. Cold-cut croissants, fruit and snacks appear on the eight- and twelve-hour charters, which also list transportation.
Cozumel: the whole boat for up to eight
Cozumel Snorkel Center charges 15,880 MXN, about $790, for four hours on a thirty-foot dual-console Pursuit with room for up to eight guests, a full bathroom on board, fresh water and a bluetooth stereo. The crew are described as six-time fishing tournament champions, and the staff speak English and Spanish.
Inside that price the operator names all the necessary equipment, ice-cold drinks and freshly made Mexican food, and full insurance for the duration of the trip. Nothing is quoted as payable at the dock.
What it comes to per person
Divide each boat by the guests it is allowed to carry and add whatever is paid on the day. For Cancún that is the $10 fishing licence and the $5 dock fee, per person. For Cozumel there is nothing to add.
| Boat and party | For the boat | On the day | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kianah's, four hours, two anglers | $780 | $15 each | $405 |
| Kianah's, four hours, four anglers | $780 | $15 each | $210 |
| Kianah's, four hours, six anglers | $780 | $15 each | $145 |
| Kianah's, eight hours, six anglers | $980 | $15 each | about $178 |
| Cozumel Snorkel Center, four hours, four anglers | 15,880 MXN, about $790 | nothing | 3,970 MXN, about $199 |
| Cozumel Snorkel Center, four hours, eight anglers | 15,880 MXN, about $790 | nothing | 1,985 MXN, about $99 |
Now the useful comparison. A shared four-hour fishing seat on the Cancun Scuba Center rate card is $150 per person, and six hours are $180. A full private boat at Kianah's works out at $145 a head for four hours and about $162 for six — so the private charter undercuts the shared seat from six anglers, and above the shared price with five or fewer.
Cozumel's boat is dearer as a lump but carries two more people, so at full capacity it lands near $99 a head — the cheapest line in the table, and the only one where the extra seats do the work rather than the price.
What is added at the dock
Kianah's is explicit about the three things outside the rate: transport to and from the marina, which can be arranged at a round-trip flat rate depending on distance; tips; and the $10 fishing licence with a $5 dock fee, charged per person. It takes no prepayment.
Cozumel Snorkel Center publishes no dock-side charge at all, and asks instead for logistics: be there thirty minutes before departure, use coral-safe sunscreen only, and remember that quoted times are Cozumel local time rather than ship time. Changes and cancellations are free up to 24 hours before departure, and if the Cozumel Port Authority closes the port the refund is full.
Hours on the rate card, hours on the fish
The clock starts at the dock, not at the fishing grounds, and that is the single most useful thing to know before choosing a duration. Kianah's four-hour charter is also described as bottom fishing only; sportfishing starts at the six-hour line.
Cancún's target list is the reason people buy the longer charters: white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, mahi mahi, tuna, amberjack and snapper, with techniques from heavy trolling and light-tackle sailfishing to vertical jigging, bottom fishing, live baiting and chumming. Fly fishing is the one thing the boat does not do.
Cozumel runs on ship time
The island's fishing day is shaped by cruise arrivals. Departures are at 6, 7 and 8 in the morning and at 2 p.m., every day. Boarding is at Asta Bandera, the monument beside the ferry terminal and a short walk from the Punta Langosta cruise terminal; at Marina Asipona, which needs a taxi; or from a private hotel pier, where extra terms and fees may apply.
The boat is wheelchair accessible with conditions, has toilet facilities aboard, and does not take infants under four. Cozumel Snorkel Center also asks guests with back, heart or cardiovascular problems, recent surgery or pregnancy to sit this one out.
Questions people ask before booking
Is a private boat worth it for two people?
Not on price. Two anglers on the Cancún charter pay $405 each against $150 for a shared seat. A private boat for two buys the schedule, the crew's attention and the choice of technique — not a lower bill.
Which is cheaper, Cancún or Cozumel?
Per boat the two are close for four hours. Per person Cozumel is cheaper when you fill it, because the same hull takes eight instead of six; with four aboard it is the dearer of the two.
Do I need a fishing licence?
In Cancún it is charged at the dock: $10 per person, alongside a $5 dock fee, and Kianah's names both in its «not included» list. The Cozumel operator does not publish a separate licence line.
Can I keep the fish?
Kianah's says plainly that the fish is yours to take and that the crew will clean and fillet anything you want at the end of the trip.
Where can I compare the rest of the charters?
The Cancún boats are in fishing charters in Cancún, and the island's own are in fishing charters in Cozumel.
