The island Cozumel is with 477 km ² (45.3 km long, 16.6 km wide) in terms of area, the third largest and with a population of about 90,000 inhabitants in terms of population, the second largest island in Mexico and is located 15.8 km from the mainland (Playa del Carmen / Riviera Maya) ,

It belongs politically to the state of Quintana Roo and geographically to the Yacatan Peninsula

To reach is Cozumel about

• by air (international airport with daily direct flights from USA and Canada) or

• via Cancun (flight to Cancun), bus or taxi from the airport to Playa del Carmen (about 1 hour drive), then by ferry to Cozumel (regular ferry service with 2 lines on the hour)

• purely by sea from Playa del Carmen (s.o.), or from Caletta (south of Playa del Carmen) by car ferry.

Cozumel is the epitome of water sports of all kinds, especially for diving:

The Cozumel reef system is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second largest coral reef system in the world. Although almost the entire island of Cozumel is surrounded by coral reefs, the Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park only covers the reefs on the south side of the island.

In 1955, Jacques Yves Costeau produced a documentary of the underwater world (Le monde de silence - the world of silence), which was not filmed on Cozumel. This film won a Palme d'Or in Cannes in 1956 and in 1957 the Oscar for Best Documentary. Inspired by this film was the black and white film: Un mondo nuevo by Rene Cordonas shot, which was published in 1957 and was released as a TV movie in the United States in 1958 under 'The new world'. In the same year (05/1958), an article in Holiday Magazine about Cozumel under the title 'Bargin paradise revisited', which was the starting signal for the tourist - especially the diving boomer.

The first cruise liners on Cozumel landed in the 70s. At that time, much smaller and more irregular in their capacity, they brought about 100 guests to the island - once a month. At that time, about 15,000 people lived on Cozumel.

Today there are 3 cruise piers (Puerta Maya, Punta Langusta, SSI International Pier) that bring tourists to the island as part of a Caribbean cruise.

- Cozumel has 1 state - and 4 private hospitals (keyword: medical tourism)

- Ironman (every November), since 2009 and Half Ironman events

- Kitesurfing / -boarding: in the northwest of the island

- Carnival on Cozumel will be in 2019: 145 years old

- 18 hole golf course designed by Nicklaus Design Group

History of Cozumel:

Historians assume that there are three waves of migration to Cozumel. The people around 100 BC BC were Caribbean semi nomads and hunters and fishermen. The second wave of migration was Maya from Guatemala and came around 400 AD. They were culturally more developed, settled and knew the art of architecture. The third and for the history of Cozumel most important migration wave reached Cozumel 800 AD by Tabasco and Campeche

Centralization of social structures of the Maya with trading and transhipment centers.

The cultural flowering of Cozumel is closely linked with that of Chichen Itza, ie between 800 AD. - 1,200 AD

Cozumel was consecrated to the goddess IXCEL (Mayan goddess of fertility), in gratitude for erecting temples for her worship, the goddess sent the swallow to CZM (her favorite bird), hence: to Maya: KUSAMIL (from KUSAM - swallow and IL place ), hence also: Isla de las Golodrinas (Isle of Swallows)

All Mayans (extended kingdom: parts of Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, San Salvador, Costa Rica and Mexico), should make a pilgrimage to Cozumel, thus pilgrimage site (compare with Mecca and co.)

Cozumel became an economic and religious center of geopolitical importance whose importance did not end until the arrival of the Spaniards (early 16th century).

The first Holy Mass on Latin American soil took place on Cozumel (6.5.1518)

When the Spaniards arrived, about 30,000 Maya lived on Cozumel. Unfortunately, a member of the crew of Cortes had the smallpox, a disease that had not existed in America so far. The ensuing epidemic survived only a few hundreds

From the middle of the 16th century, the island of Cozumel was often attacked by pirates and it became increasingly dangerous to live on a Caribbean island.

From about 1650 Cozumel was abandoned, the survivors (about 400) were evacuated because they could not protect them from the pirates

For the next two centuries, Cozumel remained uninhabited, with the exception of pirates who used Cozumel as the base for their operations. Among the more famous were Henry Morgan and Jean Laffite. Special anxiety arose for the Spanish crown of the Welsians Sir Henry Morgan. Morgan found the island of Cozumel ideal for its cenotes and caves, and the remains of the Mayan sites provided excellent hiding places. He probably planned some attacks on Central America and the Caribbean from here and used Cozumel as an ideal retreat.

Cozumel's re-populating began in 1847 when Casimiro Cardenas and 21 other families founded El Cedral.

WELCOME TO PARADISE !!!