Cozumel

Cozumel is a island in the east of the coasts of the peninsula of the Yucatán and one of the 8 municipalities of the State of Quitana Roo. Cozumel attracts many tourists in particular for the Plongée underwater.
L' island extends on approximately 48 km from north in the south and 16 km from west in the east. Cozumel is to approximately 20 km of the continent and 60 km of the town of Cancún. Almost all the inhabitants of the island live in the village of San Miguel (which gathered some 90 thousand inhabitants in 2003), located on the Western coast. The remainder of the island is covered with a dense vegetation.

It is thought that the Mayas settled in Cozumel starting from the beginning of the first millenium after Jesus-Christ. One also discovered objects manufactured by the Olmèques during the preclassical time.

For the Mayas, Cozumel was the crowned island of Ix Chel, the goddess of the the Moon. The Mayas, and more particularly the women who wished to have children, there went in pilgrimage and visited the temples of Cozumel. Ruins dating mainly from the post-traditional period remained, even if a great part were shaven with the bulldozer to create runways for the planes lasting the Second world war.

Juan de Grijalva was the Spanish first to visit the island in 1518. Hernán the Cortes there was made the year following and destroyed with its fleet of many temples. At that time, approximately 40 000 lived in Cozumel, but an epidemic of Variole devastated the island in 1570 and left only 30 alive people. In the years which followed, the island was almost given up by the survivors. The Pirate S made use of it then from time to time as bases. The war of the castes of 1848 brought many people who sought a refuge of the violence which prevailed on the continent.

In the Years 1960, Jacques-Yves Cousteau discovered the beauty of the coral reef of Cozumel and attracted many plungers. Cozumel became one of the greatest center of deep-sea diving in the world.

At the end of the Years 1970, a large airport was built (code AITA: CZM), which allowed the arrival of larger planes and international flights. Thus, tourism increased on the island.

Today, Cozumel is a stopover for many cruisings in the Caribbean, but it is deep-sea diving which still attracts the most tourists.

See too

Geography of Mexico;
Lists of articles on Mexico.

External bonds

Official site of the island
www.cozumelmycozumel.com

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