Information Courtesy of:
Cozumel
Cozumel ("Land of the Swallow") is a Caribbean island surrounded
by water the color of imperial jade, its shoreline edged with stretches
of white sand and craggy castles of black limestone and coral. The island
rose from the sea in the Pleistocene epoch to its maximum height of 45 feet
above sea level. At 47 km long and 15 km wide, it's the largest of the three
islands off the east coast of Quintana Roo (the others are Isla Mujeres
and Contoy)--and the largest island in the Republic of Mexico. Cuba is 153
km north and Cancún is 48 km northwest. Cozumel was a sacred mecca
for Maya noblewomen who traveled in large dugout canoes to worship Ixchel,
the goddess of fertility.
A calm sea on the lee (west) side of the island makes it ideal for swimming,
diving, water-skiing, sailboarding, beachcombing, or relaxing in the sun.
It's also the developed side, where clusters of buildings in the only town,
San Miguel de Cozumel, house 50,000 residents and visitors. Offices, shops,
banks, markets, hotels, restaurants, and two docks are all concentrated
in this small seaside town. The east coast is another world, with few people
and little activity but dotted with isolated coves and bays, some with placid
water, others with spectacular surf that crashes on the beach and sprays
mist on passing windshields. Clear water and the proximity of at least 20
live reefs make snorkeling a must, even for beginners. Exploring the Maya
ruins in the overgrown interior of the island is an adventure by motorcycle,
bike, car, or foot. The people of Cozumel, in their quiet way, are accepting
and friendly to the growing number of visitors. Although Cozumel is upbeat
with lively discos and a steady influx of divers and cruise ships, it lacks
the jet-set feeling of Cancún--perhaps because it's a real town where
fishing and diving flourished long before outsiders arrived.
Birds
In 1925, Ludlow Griscom from the American Museum of Natural History was
one of the first ornithologists to discover Cozumel's varied and concentrated
birdlife. Since then, Cozumel has been considered a prime birding site;
outside of town, civilization has not intruded into natural habitat. Except
for the network of aboveground plastic water lines paralleling graded roads,
the tangled brush, tall trees, and an occasional abandoned hut all ensure
protected nesting grounds for these exotic winged creatures. If you enjoy
watching birds, get up very early and trek into one of the island's several
swampy areas. One such place is located close to town behind the Sol Caribe
Hotel. Here at dawn you're likely to see flocks of small multihued parrots,
blue warblers, macaws, and spindly-legged white egrets, while listening
to a glee club of sounds echoing through the trees and across the murky
water. Another marshy area that attracts fowl is just south of the junction
where the cross-island road meets the east shore. A large swamp, accessible
by car, parallels the coast behind the Punta Celerain Lighthouse.
HISTORY
Earliest Maya and Spanish
Cozumel's history alternates bursts of activity and years of obscurity.
During the Post-Classic period, Cozumel was a sacred island and important
trading center. Artifacts, especially pottery remnants of the female figure
made in distant parts of Mesoamerica, were left by women who traveled from
all over Quintana Roo to worship Ixchel at shrines throughout the jungle.
At one time during the Caste War, the Talking Cross cult was active on the
island. After that era the island existed undisturbed until 1517, when it
was briefly visited by Juan de Grijalva, on a slave-hunting expedition from
Cuba.
He was soon followed by Spaniard Hernán Cortés, who embarked
on his history-changing course in 1518. Cortés used Cozumel as a
staging area for his ships when he launched his successful assault on mainland
Indians. It was here that Cortés first heard of Geronimo de Aguilar,
a Spanish shipwreck survivor of several years before. Aguilar had been living
as a slave with his Indian captors. One story claims that when he heard
of Cortés's arrival, he swam 19 km from the mainland to meet him.
Because of Aguilar's fluency in the Maya tongue, he became a valuable accomplice
in Cortés's takeover of the Indians. Francisco de Montejo also used
Cozumel as a base in his war on the mainland. With the influx of Spaniards
and accompanying diseases, the Maya all but disappeared. By 1570 the population
had dropped to less than 300.
Chicle
Cozumel again became a center of activity when the chewing gum industry
began to grow in the U.S. For centuries, the Maya had been satisfying their
thirst by chewing raw sap from the zapote tree, which grows on Cozumel and
throughout most of Central America. In the early 1900s, the developed world
was introduced to this new sweet, bringing an economic boom to the Quintana
Roo coast. New shipping routes included Cozumel, one of the best harbors
along the coast suitable for large ships. Several big companies made fortunes
on the nickel pack of chewing gum, while the Indians who cut their way through
the rugged jungle to tap the trees managed only subsistence. Because of
these gum companies, however, obscure but magnificent jungle-covered ruins
hidden deep in the forests were discovered, fascinating the urban explorers.
This was the beginning of a large-scale interest in the Maya ruins by outsiders
that continues into the present. At one time the only route to Cozumel was
by ship from the Gulf of Mexico port of Progreso. Cozumel's shipping income
dwindled gradually as airstrips and air freight became common on the Peninsula.
In addition, synthetics replaced hard-to-get chicle and are now used almost
exclusively in the manufacture of chewing gum.
WW II and Cousteau
In 1942, as part of their defense network guarding the American continent,
the U.S. government made an agreement to protect the coastline of Mexico.
The American Army Corps of Engineers built an airstrip on Cozumel where
the Allies also maintained a submarine base. After the war, the island returned
to relative obscurity until 1961, when a TV documentary produced by oceanographer
Jacques Cousteau introduced the magnificent underwater world that exists
in and around its live reefs. Since statehood in 1974, Quintana Roo (including
Cozumel) has enjoyed (or suffered) a rebirth into the world of tourism.
The Mexican government is making progress developing its beautiful Caribbean
coast. For years it was believed that Cozumel itself would always maintain
its pleasant small-town ambience, with just a smattering of tourism to add
spice to the small island, and would never grow into a high-rise city; the
water supply cannot support an enormous increase of people, and goods must
be shipped from the mainland. But now the word is out, and the historical
"Land of the Swallow" has a new desalinization plant and several
new hotels.
SAN MIGUEL DE COZUMEL
Cozumel has only one city: San Miguel. Though it's no longer a sleepy fishing
village, it still has a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere, a good selection
of restaurants from budget to gourmet, and hotels in every price range.
Grocery stores, curio shops, banks, a post office, telegraph office, dive
shops, and anything else you might need are available. The main street,
known either as the malecón ("seawall") or Av. Melgar,
depending on which map you're studying, extends 14 blocks along the waterfront.
The main dock is at the foot of Av. Juárez, in the center of town.
Plaza del Sol, the large central plaza, boasts modern civic buildings and
an imposing statue of the late Mexican president Benito Juárez and
a great general named András Quintana Roo. The surrounding streets
are closed to vehicular traffic, making it a pleasant place to stroll, shop,
and enjoy the tranquility of Cozumel. In spring, masses of orange flamboyán
(poinciana) flowers bloom on the surrounding shade trees under which local
townspeople gather for festivals, religious celebrations, or friendly chats.
Cafes and gift shops surround the plaza.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
Cozumel was one of the most important ports-of-trade for the Post-Classic
Putún Maya seafarers. The island was a major producer of honey and
contained the most important pilgrimage destination on the Peninsula's east
coast. Women from throughout Mesoamerica traveled to Cozumel to worship
at the shrine of the Ix Chel, "She of the Rainbow," the goddess
of childbirth and medicine. Twenty-four sites have been discovered on the
island, which was occupied from A.D. 0 on. It grew significantly after A.D.
800 and reached its peak in 1400. During the Post-Classic, the Putún
built inland warehouses on raised platforms that were connected to the water
by raised causeways. Many Maya structures were destroyed by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers when they built Cozumel's airport during WW II.
Three building groups are visible at San Gervasio; these are connected by
trails that are built along the old Maya causeways. The structures are mainly
small temples and shrines built on platforms around a plaza. In the middle
of one causeway you come to the Temple of Ix Chel, a small but well-preserved
building that was probably a shrine, although the connection to the goddess
is not certain. Archaeologists at San Gervasio have recently found a grave
containing 50 skeletons and some Spanish beads, leading them to believe
that these were victims of a European disease brought by the conquistadors.
Most ruins on the island are of the "oratorio" type: small square
buildings, low to the ground, with short doors that convinced early Spaniards
the places were once inhabited by dwarfs (a myth no longer believed). El
Cedral is the exception; though the temple is small, major ceremonies were
probably held on this site.
El Cedral
Just beyond San Francisco Beach on the main highway leaving town, a 3.5
km paved road takes off to the left and ends at El Cedral. Small and not
enormously impressive, this is the oldest Maya structure on the island.
Amazingly, it still bears a few traces of the paint and stucco applied by
the original Maya artist, but deterioration indicates hundreds of years
have passed. A tree grows from the roof, with thick, exposed roots interminably
tangled in and around stones of the ancient structure. Fat iguanas with
bold black stripes tracing their midsections guard the deserted, mold-covered
rock structure; sounds of cows blend with the songs of countless birds and
the resonant buzz of unseen insects. Located in what is now a small farm
settlement, El Cedral was used as a jail in the 1800s. Nearby is a rustic,
modern-era stucco church painted vivid green. Go inside and take a look
at two crosses draped with finely embroidered lace mantles--a typical mixture
of Christianity and ancient belief, which some believe is associated with
the Talking Cross cult.
San Gervasio
San Gervasio is a well-preserved and recently reconstructed group of structures.
Travel east on Av. Juárez, then left (north) on a dirt road (look
for the San Gervasio sign) for approximately 10 km until it dead-ends at
the entrance to the site. The silence of these antiquities looming in the
midst of dense brush, with only birds singing in the tall trees, overwhelms
the visitor with an image of what it must have been like centuries ago when
only the Maya visited. San Gervasio is open 0800-1700, US$3.50 entry fee.
Guides will offer their services for about US$10 for two people, a bit pricey
when you can do just as well in this small area by getting solid information
at Cozumel's downtown museum first and then buying the green map, usually
available at La Concha.
SCUBA DIVING
If you've always wanted to learn to scuba dive, here's the place to do it.
A multitude of dive shops offer instruction and certification. Offshore
fringing reefs provide fairly simple dives for the neophyte. Caves and crevices
line the shore, and coral heads rise to within three meters of the surface.
Some experienced divers prefer wall diving, while others find night diving
more exciting. The clear waters around Cozumel allow outstanding photographs;
some dive shops rent underwater cameras.
Note: Touching the delicate coral reef kills it--take care not to
scrape your equipment or push off from the coral with your feet. These delicate
creations of nature take millions of years to build.
Dive Spots
Chankanab Caves and Reef: For good easy-access snorkeling or beginning
diving, go to Chankanab Lagoon. A series of three caves on the shoreline
provides a unique experience. Along the shore, steps are carved from coral
for easy entry into water that surges into large underground caverns. Within
seconds, you're in the first cave filled with hundreds of fish of all varieties.
Striped grunt, snapper, sergeant majors, and butterfly fish are found in
all three caves. Dives average 5-12 meters.
A boat is needed to dive Chankanab Reef, several hundred meters offshore
south of Chankanab Lagoon (sometimes referred to as Outer Chankanab Reef).
There's good night diving here in depths of 8-15 meters, where basket starfish
hang out with octopi and jail-striped morays. At the drop-off, stunning
coral heads lie within 10 meters' depth; coral is often within three meters
of the surface. Coral heads are covered with gorgonians and sea fans; striped
grunt and mahogany snapper slowly cruise around the base.
Tormentos Reef: This is a medium-depth reef with innumerable coral
heads in 8-12 meters of water. The heads are decorated with fans, gorgonians,
and sponges. In still water you can get excellent photos. Along the sandy
bottom are great numbers of invertebrates: flamingo tongue shell, arrow
crab, black crinoid, coral shrimp, and sea cucumber. When the current is
going north, the farthest section of the reef drops to 21.5 meters, where
you'll see deep-sea fans, lobsters, and immense groupers.
Yucab Reef: One km south of Punta Tormentos, Yucab Reef is fairly
close to shore, shallow (good for beginners), and alive with such beauties
as queen angelfish, star and brain corals, sponge, and sea whip. The coral
reef is about 120 meters long, with an average depth of nine meters, and
coral heads about three meters from the floor. The current can be two or
three knots.
Santa Rosa Wall : This sensational drop-off, which begins at 22 meters
and just keeps going to the black bottom of the Caribbean, really gives
you a feeling for the ocean's depth. Strong currents make this a drift-dive,
a site for experienced divers only (watch your depth gauge). You'll discover
tunnels and caves; translucent sponge; stony overhangs; queen, French, and
gray angelfish; white trigger fish; and many big groupers.
Palancar Reef: The reef most associated with Cozumel Island is actually
a five-km series of varying coral formations about 1.5 km offshore. Each
of these formations offers a different thrill. Some slope and some drop
off dramatically into winding ravines, deep canyons, passageways, or archways
and tunnels with formations 15 meters tall--all teeming with reeflife. Startling
coral pinnacles rise to 25 meters from the sloping wall. Much deeper at
the south end, the top of the reef begins at 27 meters. Horseshoe, considered
by some to be the best diving in the Caribbean, is a series of coral heads
that forms a horseshoe curve at the top of the drop-off. The visibility
of 66-86 meters, plus a solid bronze, four-meter-tall, submerged modernistic
sculpture of Christ, make this a dramatic photo area. The statue, created
especially for the sea, was sunk on 3 May 1985, with great pomp and ceremony
and the presence of Ramón Bravo, well-known TV reporter and Mexican
diver. The much-discussed reef lives up to its good press.
Maracaibo Reef: At the southern tip of the island, this reef is an
exhilarating experience. For the experienced only, Maracaibo is considered
by most to be the ultimate challenge of all the reefs mentioned. At the
deepest section, the top of the wall begins at 37 meters; at the shallow
area, 23 meters. Unlike at many other reefs, coral formations here are immense.
Be prepared for strong currents and for who-knows-what pelagic species,
including shark. Dive boats do not stop here on their regular trips and
advance reservations are required for this dive.
(c) Copyright Chicki Mallan 1996
