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Cozumel |
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Resorts |
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Quick Facts |
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Shopping |
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Dining |
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Nightlife |
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Activities & Attractions |
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Destination
Weddings |
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The island of
Cozumel was considered by the Mayans to be a sacred shrine. The name comes
from the Mayan words Cuzam, meaning swallow, and Lumil, meaning land of,
which together means land of swallows: Cuzamil. The cult of the Mayan
goddess X CHEL was celebrated there. As the deity of the moon, pregnancy and
childbirth, she inspired religious pilgrimages and Cuzamil became an
important link to long distance trade with the Caribbean and Central
America.
There are 25 archeological sites on the island today, reflecting this rich
Mayan heritage. Cuzamil was continuously inhabited from the year 200 to the
Spanish conquest in 1525 after which its temples and towns were leveled and
the inhabitants were killed by the sword or disease. The Spanish called the
now uninhabited island Cozumel.
 Pirates used Cozumel as a base for many years during the 17th century
including Jean Lafitte and Henry Morgan. Cozumel was finally resettled in
1848. During World War II, American frogmen practicing in the waters
offshore began to tell of Cozumel’s underwater paradise, which culminated
with Jacques Coustaeu’s voice broadcast on TV specials in the early 1960’s.
Since that time, Cozumel has slowly emerged as a world-class diving
destination.
Cozumel’s richest treasure is beneath the surface of the ocean. The beauty
of the amazing underwater formations cannot be overstated. Many of Cozumel’s
reef structures are unique to that area and must be seen to be believed.
For the non-divers and the families of divers, a high-end resort community
has evolved with the advent of spa resorts, a championship golf course,
all-inclusive resorts, fine dining restaurants and heart-pounding
nightclubs. Cozumel is host to more cruise ships than all the other ports in
Mexico and is one of the busiest ports in the Caribbean.
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The busy 2005
hurricane season brought two direct hits: Both Emily and Wilma’s eyes
crossed over the island devastating Cozumel’s buildings and fragile
ecosystem, but not her inhabitants. Their resilience and love of their
island home was evident as they immediately went to work restoring and
rebuilding.
The recovery has been nothing short of a miracle thanks to the help of the
military, the federal government in Mexico City and private industry. The
resorts have reopened with upgraded properties and added value. Restaurants,
shops and excursions have rebounded with great strength. There are as many
reasons to visit Cozumel as before and now with refurbished and updated
resorts to boot.
VIEW THE RESORTS
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Cozumel’s history goes back 2000
years. It is Mexico’s largest inhabited island. What else can we learn
from Cozumel’s numbers?
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Location: |
An island off the coast of the Mexico’s
Yucatan Peninsula directly out to sea from Playa del Carmen In the
state of Quintana Roo |
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Capital: |
San Miguel de
Cozumel |
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Population: |
75,000 (up from
10,000 in 1970) |
| Minutes
by ferry: |
30 from Playa del
Carmen |
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Roundtrip ferry fare: |
About $16 or so
(U.S.) |
| Miles off
the coast: |
15 |
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Size: |
30 miles from North to
South (48 kilometers)
10 miles from East to West (16 kilometers) |
| Length of
coral reefs: |
20 Miles
(Palancar, Santa Rosa and
El Cedral Reefs) |
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Length of entire reef: |
1,000 kilometers |
| World
ranking: |
Second largest reef |
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Underwater visibility: |
to 200 feet |
| Dive
depths: |
30 to 120 feet |
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Species of fish: |
200 |
| Annual
visiting divers: |
80,000 come for the scuba diving alone. |
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Days over 80
degrees Fahrenheit: |
330 |
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Annual Days of Rainfall: |
58 |
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Driest months: |
February to April |
| Wettest
months: |
June, September and October |
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Average temperature: |
Lower 70’s to Upper 80’s Fahrenheit
year round
(20 to 32 Centigrade) |
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High season: |
January to April |
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Low season |
June to November |
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Because of
its abundance of cruise ship traffic, Cozumel has an equal abundance of
interesting shops from which to choose.
The main concentration of shops will be on the main plaza, which is a
pedestrian zone, and along the streets leading from it. Many more shops line
the street from where the ships dock leading along the ocean to the main
plaza.
Cozumel’s shops have the same variety as most Mexican tourist locales. Many
fine jewelry stores are interspersed among handmade craft bazaars, clothing
stores and flea markets. You can buy authentic sharp-toothed shark’s jaws in
the shop next to where you purchase perfect artisan crafted earrings.
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Surrounded by the beautiful waters
of the Caribbean Sea, Cozumel’s obvious dining choice would be a serving of
fresh seafood. There are myriad other international options offered up in
causal cafes, formal dining restaurants and even bars.
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Even though Cozumel is a small quiet island, there is plenty of life
in its night. Dance clubs, discos, lounges, cantinas and bars stay
open late, some even until dawn, and pulse with the beat of various
Latin, Caribbean and world artists including many live performances.
There are also many smaller traditional venues where local music
wafts over you like the Caribbean breeze while you take in the
moonlit sea.
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