It is the biggest island in Mexico. It measures 64 km in length and 16 km in width. It is located in the Caribbean sea, on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, 18 km from Playa del Carmen and 70 km from Cancun. You can arrive by plane (at the international airport) or by ferry from Playa del Carmen (50 min trip). San Miguel, the capital, with 90.000 inhabitants is the only town on the island. |
Around the year 1.000 AD, during the post classic Mayan period, Cozumel was an important commercial and religious center. It is situated in the Mesoamerican maritime route. The great canoes loaded with feathers and Jade from Honduras, as well as honey, cotton and salt came from Tulum.
The Mayans came in pilgrimage to the temple dedicated to Ixchel, goddes of fertility and the moon. From the 30 Mayan sites on the island, only that at San Gervasio is well preserved.In 1565, the island had less than 300 inhabitants, Mayans and Spaniards. It remained almost deserted until the end of the 17th century.
At a certain time, it lodged the most famous pirates, like Jean Lafitte and Henry Morgan. Their brutality eliminated whatever population was left.In the beginning of this century, it repopulated thanks to chicle, a natural resin grown on the island used in the manufactuting of chewing-gum. |
During the second world war, the americans built a military base and an important economic expansion for the town started. But it was only provisional for when the americans left the economy collapsed relying only on a few fisherman that stayed on the island.
