Cozumel, meaning Island of the Swallows, is a Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea east to Mexico. The main settlement of the island is San Miguel de Cozumel, which is a popular tourist resort.
The area of the island is roughly 500 square kilometers and is about 20 kilometers from the eastern shore of Mexico. It is the largest Mexican island in the Atlantic, and the third largest after Isla Angel de la Guarda and Tiburon Island.
Some artifacts found in Cozumel show that it has been inhabited since the first millennium AD. The most important evidence is San Gervasio. In this archeological site today, seven different buildings are viewable. This is a popular tourist attraction, with thousands of visitors annually.
Despite the natural beauty of this island, it wasn’t popular among tourists until the mid 20th century. After Jacques Cousteau discovered the Palancar in 1959 Cozumel became popular among divers. The Palancar is a coral reef near the island. This beautiful location became so popular; that even a new airport was built on the island, even if the old one was capable of handling even international flights.
With 14 international and two domestic services, the Cozumel International Airport has significant increase of passengers from year to year. In 2007 more than half a million passengers were handled at one of the six boarding gates. The terminal was expanded in the year before and proved a good investment.
The natural geography of Cozumel protects the coral reefs from the open ocean, this way the healthy corals are unique in the area. The island became a regular stop since the 1990s for cruise ships in the Caribbean. To protect the beautiful sea life the Mexican government included much of the coral reefs in the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park in the mid 90s.
Because tourism became the main pillar of the island’s economy, numerous facilities opened in recent years to serve the visitors. Today more than 100 restaurants are in Cozumel, where you can taste the best of both the Caribbean and international cuisine. Numerous hotels were built and many of them have swimming pools and even private docks. Because of the fanciness of the island, it is a very popular wedding place. It is also popular among honeymooners.
Cozumel’s largest city is located on the northwestern side of the island. This is San Miguel de Cozumel. Most of the hotels and restaurants of the island are situated here, the city being the center of the local tourism. In the city you can find many attractions, most of which are situated on the Avenida Rafhel Melgar. This is the main street of the city running along the coast. One of the most popular places here is the Museo de la Isla, also known as the Museo de Cozumel. Here you can find exhibits about the island as well as of the beautiful marine life surrounding it. Like in the capital of Mexico, you can find here a Young Heroes’ Monument, commemorating the six teenage soldiers who gave their lives to defend the Chapultepec Castle in 1847.
Just a block away you can find the Convention Center, where numerous events are held throughout the year. This city is also famous because of the large variety of silver jewelry and crystal you can choose from.
There are two very popular hotels in San Miguel: Hotel Plaza Cozumel and Villablanca Garden Beach Hotel. Both have pool and wireless internet. Jacuzzi, scuba diving, car and bicycle renting, canoe, fitness center and a tennis field are also available.
Regular ferry services ensure the connection of the island with the mainland. Because of this, the Xel-Ha Water Park is easily accessible. This water theme park situated on the Riviera Maya is very popular among tourists. The amusement park and the inlet of Xel-Ha are the main attractions. Protected by shark fences visitors can choose from scuba diving, snorkeling and “swimming with the dolphins”. Those who choose scuba diving can enjoy the beauty of the grottos and caves eroded in the limestone as well as the rich water life of this natural aquarium. Tropical fishes and turtles are present here in large numbers.
The largest annual event held in Cozumel is the Festival of El Cedral. According to the legend, it was first held in the mid 19th century to honor the power of a wooden cross, which saved the life of a small group during the War of the Castes. Over the years, the festival became a five-day long celebration and the original Holy Cross Festival is only a part of it. Because of this, the island is the home of bullfights and rodeos in every April or May each year. Fairs, sport competitions and concerts are also featured.
Because of the high temperatures at noon, the siesta is present in this Caribbean island. The streets become crowded instantly, but the real high-hour in the city is when the weather cools down in the evenings. There are many great places to visit. Because of the high demands, you can see restaurants staying open even at 1 am. One of the best restaurants of the city is the Acuario.
If you would like to sit in a comfortable chair and enjoy the beautiful bay, than the Ambar’s and the Havana Club are the places for you. If you change your mind and you are looking for some fun you should try the Fat Tuesdays, Carlos and Charles or the Senor Frog’s. There are three bars, which are very popular mainly among the youth of the city and the tourists, where you can dance even to music played by live bands. These are the Moby Dick’s, the Viva Mexico and the Neptunos. Two gentlemen’s clubs are also operating in the city, the Caribbean Queen and The Green House.
San Miguel de Cozumel, as well as the whole Cozumel is a perfect holiday destination for everybody who loves the sea and wants to spend a few days in a spot, which has the traditional Caribbean feeling.
