Cozumel Island

Cozumel Island

"Cozumel" (Island of the Swallows in Mayan language) is an island in the Caribbean Sea just off the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, opposite the Playa del Carmen, and near the Yucatan Channel. The Cozumel Island is approximately 30 miles (49 km) long and 10 miles (16 km) wide. Cozumel Island is one of the 8 municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo (where also Cancun is located). Cozumel Island is a popular tourist destination especially known for scuba diving and snorkeling. The main town on the Cozumel Island is San Miguel. There is only one big city on Cozumel and although the name of the city is San Miguel, most simply refer to it as Cozumel. Cozumel is the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean. It is also the most populated island in Mexico with an estimated population of around 100,000.

Cruises are one of the most popular ways to travel to the Cozumel Island. A typical Cozumel Island travel usually involves a cruise ship tour of Cozumel and other spots along the Yucatan Peninsula. The Cozumel Island also has its own airport, which actually makes your Cozumel travel pretty convenient. Depending on the location of your hotel and your specific Cozumel vacation plans, you may want to rent a car at the Cozumel airport. If not, there will be plenty of taxis waiting to take you wherever you need to go.

A typical Cozumel Mexico vacation can include anything from simply lying on the beach and sunbathing to touring the Cozumel forest. Ancient Mayan civilizations still exist in their primitive form and tours to the ruins are always available. Note that most tour companies are not open on national holidays, so you may want to book your tour before to be sure you will have an empty spot. Another popular Cozumel tour takes place in the water. Dolphin Discovery Cozumel gives its’ guests a chance to swim with the dolphins. For a small fee, guests will be allowed to swim amongst, touch, and play with the dolphins. Although there are strict age requirements, the dolphin swim program is an excellent choice for a nice Cozumel family travel.

Cozumel's mostly underdeveloped region at the center of the island is covered by a thick forest and lagoons which are home to small mammals and birds. Worth to visit is the Chankanaab National Park, a Cozumel symbol, and the Punta Sur Ecological Reserve Park. This huge protected region at the south of the Cozumel Island includes Punta Celarain and its historical lighthouse, as well as the famous Colombia Lagoon, a shelter for many of the island's endemic species, as well as other endangered forms of life, such as marine turtles and their nesting areas.

Diving in Cozumel

Famous in the world for its beautiful coral reefs, there are plenty of water sports such as diving, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, kitesurfing and more in Cozumel. Scuba diving is still one of Cozumel's most popular attractions mainly due to the healthy coral reef marine communities in the shores of the island. These coral reefs are protected from the open ocean by the island's natural geography and are the second largest reef system in the world.

In 1996, the Mexico government established the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park and forbids anyone from touching or damaging any marine life within the park boundaries. Despite the importance of healthy reefs to Cozumel's tourist industry, unfortuately a deepwater pier was built in the 1992 for cruise ships to dock, causing damage to the reefs, and it is now a regular stop on cruises in the Caribbean.

History of Cozumel

The Cozumel Island derives its name from the ancient Mayans who once lived there and regarded the island as a sacred region. In Mayan language, Cozumel translates to "land of the swallows," indigenous birds that inhabit the island. There are a number of Mayan ruins on the Cozumel Island, most from the post classic period. Unfortunately the largest Maya ruins on the island were demolished to make way for an airplane runway during World War II. The ruins of San Gervasio are located approximately at the center of the Cozumel Island and are the largest remaining ruins.

The first Spanish visitor to the Cozumel Island was Juan de Grijalva in 1518 and in the following year Hernan Cortes came with a big fleet and destroyed most Maya temples. Some 45,000 Mayans lived on the Cozumel Island then but the smallpox disease killed most of them and by 1570 only 30 Mayans were left alive on the island. By 1600, the island was absolutely desolate. Soon after the abondance the Cozumel Island's various coves provided safe protection for Caribbean pirates. In 1848, the Caste War of Yucatan Peninsula resulted in the resettlement of the refugees. A plaque at the Museum of Cozumel states that Abraham Lincoln as the American President came close to purchasing the island to be used to send the freed slaves. The continued war in the region caused him to change his mind. During the Caste War the Cozumel Island was reclaimed by the Mayans and used as a sanctuary for those seeking refuge from the world war.

Slowly the island was reinhabited and in 1917 the Mexican Revolution resulted in land reforms and freedom for the Island locals. The first hotel, the Louvre, opened in 1924, followed by the Yuri in 1932 and the Playa in 1938.

In 1959, famous discoverer and documentarist Jacques Cousteau discovered the extent and beauty of Palancar, the coral reefs at the south of Cozumel Island and publicized it as one of the best places to go scuba diving in the world.

By 1970, Cozumel's population quickly grew to 12,000 and with the effect of tourism, this once abandoned island became the jewel of the Mexican Caribbean.