Travel To Well Known Cozumel Island

By Linda Patterson


Dubbed as the Island of the Swallows, the beautiful Cozumel Island is located in the Caribbean Sea. It is the well known island of Mexico and the second most populated region of Mexico. It is famous for a number of things such as the beautiful beaches in the Caribbean with azure waters, coral reefs and the ancient Mayan ruins.

Its city San Miguel is unique because it possess timeless elegance that is featured through the colonial and Pre-Hispanic architectural style, influence and remnants plus it houses the Maya archaeological sites, white sand beaches and many outdoor activities to make a visitor's stay more than memorable and enjoyable.

The island shelters coral reefs which were made famous by Jacques Cousteau in 1960. After that, the island became renowned to American divers and its piers welcomed the arrival of tourist vacation cruises which gave Cozumel global recognition.

Brief History Of Cozumel

Based on research studies, the first settlers were believed to be groups of semi nomadic people that were dedicated to hunting and fishing and arrived around the second century BC.

The Mayans from Guatemala, Peten region comprised the second group of settlers that arrived in the 3rd century AD.

From Tabasco, the 3rd migrant wave of chontal Mayas arrived to the island in the 8th century and they were dedicated traders and navigators. They introduced the worship of the god Ix Chel among the others.

Juan de Grijalva from Spain discovered the island on May 3rd 1518 and named the island Santa Cruz de la Puerta Latina, in English, Holy Cross of the Latin Port and after held the first Catholic mass on the Mexican territory.

Herman Cortes disembarked in Cozumel in 1519 and started the conquest of Mexico where Geronimo de Aguilar joined to be one of the first interpreters of Mayan Language to Spanish.

The island was given the name San Miguel de Xamancab by Francisco de Montejo in 1527 during the colonization however it was abandoned and was left to become a refuge for pirates.

During the mid 19th century, the War of the Casts in 1847 caused families from Valladolid, Saban Tihosuco and Chemas in the Yucatan state to repopulate the island as well as build settlements in El Cedral which was originally known as Oy ib which is situated in the south and San Miguel on the northwest coast.

The Beautiful Celerain Lighthouse

The Celerain Lighthouse is located at the southern tip of Cozumel Island and it is within the Punta Sur, Cozumel's largest ecological reserve. This area is inhabited by a number of plant and animal species. Moreover, you can visit the navigation museum where you can learn Cozumel's history plus the evolution of navigation ever since the ancient Mayan civilization right until today.

The Mayans used El Caracol which is an antique lighthouse or ancestral structure to warn their population about the coming of a hurricane.

Exploring The Island

One of several best methods to enjoy Cozumel is riding a car simply because this enables you to see its long shoreline, which provides an impressive sight of the beautiful beaches.

A lot of amazing attractions await in Cozumel. You can visit the Chankanaab National Marine Park, go on a dinner cruise, take a swim at the beach, go on a deep sea adventure, safari tour, shop for bargains, and enjoy authentic Mexican foods and a whole lot more.




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