Thursday, May 30, 2013

Visit The Famous 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.

Cozumel Island And Its History

According to research, it was around the second century BC when the first settlers arrived and they were thought to be a part of semi nomadic groups that dedicated their lives to hunting and fishing.

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.

On May 3rd, 1518, the island was discovered by Juan de Grijalva from Spain and named the island Santa Cruz de la Puerta which means Holy Cross of the Latin Port when translated to English. On the beaches of the Mexican island, the first Catholic mass was held.

Herman Cortes commenced the conquest of Mexico in 1519, in Cozumel and the sailor Geronimo de Aguilar was one of the first interpreters of the Mayan language to Spanish.

It was during the colonization that the island San Miguel de Xamancab which was named by Francisco de Montejo in 1527 was abandonment and eventually became a refuge for pirates.

While in the middle of the 19th century, as a result of the War of the Casts in the year 1847, families from Valladolid, Saban Tihosuco as well as Chemas in the Yucatan state began to repopulate the island and also build settlements in El Cedral which was known as Oy ib.

Celerain Light House Providing A Perfect Lookout

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.

An antique lighthouse or an ancestral structure called El Caracol is used by the Mayans to warn their population about a coming hurricane.

Touring The Island

Among the very best approaches to enjoy Cozumel is riding a car because this will allow you to see its long shoreline, providing a lovely sight of the beautiful white sand 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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