Cozumel: between History and Exotism

Jewel of the Caribbean , appears a small scale version of the history of the Americas.  

Enjoy Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Inhabited first by Mayans, later on by colonists, pirates and buccaneers, and today by a multitude of races, this island, 12 miles off shore has retained its mysteriousness from time past.  

Until today the shadows of the Mayans haunt the island. To them Cozumel was a sacred shrine, a place to worship Ixchel. Especially women came here as pilgrims offering small dolls as sacrifices. First Spanish arrivals left no traces. 

Juan de Grijalva landed shortly in 1518 on his way to Cuba taking in new supplies and the first sight of Caribbean beauty. At Hernan Cortes arrival in 1519, the islands population had grown to an approximate 40,000. Years later, as this infamous explorer left, Mayan temples lay in ruins, villages in ashes, and an outbreak of smallpox swept the island thoroughly. 

By 1570 the population had dwindled to a mere 300, and consequently the island was abandoned 30 years later. history of Cozumel is moving and lest us admire this tough island which today has become one of the most visited tourist and diver’s destinations in the Caribbean.

Mom´s Hotel Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico.