Friday, June 21, 2013

Exciting Things To Do In Cozumel

By Linda Patterson


Cozumel or also known as the Island of the Swallows is an island in the Caribbean that possesses natural beauty. This well known island of Mexico is the second most populated as well as the third largest in Mexico. It is popular because of its coral reefs, white sand beaches, and azure waters of the Caribbean and for housing the ancient ruins left by the Mayans.

San Miguel is the name of its unique city which is well known for its timeless elegance through having colonial and pre-Hispanic architecture, influence and remnants, Mayan archaeological sites, tropical beaches and outdoor adventure activities that will make any visitor's stay more than enjoyable.

In 1960, Jacques Cousteau made the beautiful island's coral reefs well known to the world. From that point on, the island became famous to American divers and its piers welcomed the arrival of tourist luxury cruises which gave Cozumel worldwide popularity.

Cozumel Island's Brief History

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 second group of settlers arrived in the third century AD and they were made up of the Mayas that came from the Peten region of Guatemala.

The chontal Mayans were the 3rd migrant waves that arrived the island of Cozumel in the 8th century and were dedicated navigators and traders. 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.

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.

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

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.

Island Exploration

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.




About the Author:



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...