Cozumel is a relatively flat island with its hightest natural point being less that 50 feet above sea level. The island is primariy composed of limestone; a sedimentary rock made from grains that are actually skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera. The soluble nature of limestone generally results in a karst topography. Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of layers of soluble bedrock forming subterranean limestone caverns (or sinkholes) that have been carved by groundwater.
In the Yucatan, these sinkholes, formed over thousands of years, are filled with groundwater and called cenotes. But you don't have to travel to the mainland to experience the awe of the cenotes. Cozumel contains a number of underwater caves beneath its surface. The longest of these caves are located on the island's western shore. Both Cueva Quebrada (length: 29,529 ft) and Cueva Aerolito (length: 20,014 ft) release large volumes of fresh water directly to the Caribbean through submerged coastal entrances. One of three cenotes in the Cueva Aerolito system, Aerolito de Paraiso (Paradise Crater) is just five minutes south of town and is packed with profuse life, including juvenile barracuda, sea stars and lobster. You can enter this cenote through a lagoon and with just a slip through a crack you are free to explore its sunny passageways. Cozumel's cenotes are restricted, however. You may only gain aceess to them if you are a qualified cave diver with the appropriate registration. Cueva Quebrada
If you don't have the necessary qualifications to dive the cenotes of Cozumel, you are always able to experience cenotes on the mainland by snorkeling, swimming or diving.
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