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The Ruins on Cozumel Island |
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Yes! You CAN get a glimpse of the ancient Mayan culture without traveling to Mainland Mexico!!
 Why come to the island of Cozumel and not enjoy what it has to offer?
Cozumel island is home to numerous ruin sites both excavated and non-excavated. Among these sites are San Gervasio, Castillo Real and El Cedral. Obviously, there are glamorous, trendy, touristy parts of Cozumel but by visiting these quaint yet important ruins sites one gets a better sense of the ancient history and culture of the island. 
By understanding the history of the inhabitants of the island one can see that there is still plenty of rich Mayan culture left here on the island that needs to be preserved for the enjoyment of generations to come.
Cozumel was one of the most important ports-of-trade for the Post-Classic Putun 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 through out Mesoamerica traveled Cozumel to worship at the shrine of Ix Chel ("She of the Rainbow"), goddess of childbirth and medicine.
 Twenty-four archaeological sites have been discovered on the island which was occupied by the Maya from AD 0 on. The island's indigenous population grew signicantly after AD 800 and reached it's peak in 1400.
Most ruins on the island are of the "oratorio" type: small square buildings, low to the ground with short doors that led early Spaniards to believe the places were once inhabited by dwarfs (a now discredited myth).
 In terms of importance in the Mayan culture, Cozumel's San Gervasio Ruins are a more significant site than Tulum. Tulum was simply a coastal "watchpost" if you will where as San Gervasio contains the temple built to honor the godess X'cel. Experience first hand the mysteries of Mayan culture here at the largest archeological site on the island.  A strategic location from both a commercial and political point of view, San Gervasio was also a sacred place for the Maya women.
Xcel is the Mayan godess of fertility and rain. In ancient times, every Mayan woman was expected, at least once in her lifetime, to make the journey to Cozumel from the mainland to make offerings to X'cel for her family's fertility and crop sustenance. Inhabited from 200AD to the Spanish conquest, San Gervasio was the sanctuary of the Goddess X'chel as well as an important commercial, political and cultural center. Engravings at the site relate to events all over the Mayan world.
| Castillo Real - Area closed due to current environmental conditions |
We also have our own coastal watchtowers around Cozumel that served the same purpose to the Mayan warriors as Tulum: keeping watch for approaching enemy tribes. Castillo Real is one coastal watchtower that has managed to survive hundreds of years despite the decline of the Mayan rule over the Yucatan peninsula. Castillo Real is located on the northeast shorline of Cozumel.
Due to the sand road access and recent environmental controversies, it's only possible to see this site as part of a buggy or jungle jeep tour IF AT ALL. Since all rental car contracts forbid going off-road or down sand roads on the island, the jeep tours offer the most practical and safe way to see this remote part of the island.
Once the hub of Maya life on Cozumel, this was the first site found by Spanish explorers in 1518, and the first mass in Mexico was reportedly celebrated here. These days, there's little evidence of its past glory. It is believed to be hundreds of years old and faint traces of the original paint and stucco are evident. El Cedral is different in shape from the typically small and low structures found on the island, suggesting it was used for major ceremonies. Nearby is a green and white cinderblock church, decorated inside with crosses shrouded in embroidered lace.
During the 1800's, El Cedral was used as a jail. Today, the area is occupied by a small farm settlement. Every May there is a fair here called Festival de Cedral Read More About Cedral, with several nights of dancing, music, bullfights, and a cattle show. |
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Hello Cozumel Insider - Just wanted to thank you very much for organizing the tour to Coba and Tulum and the snorkel at Akumel for our family on December 27th. We had a wonderful day and would like our appreciation for our driver and guide to be noted. We understood our tour was for 8 hours and after spending too much time at the sites of the ruins (they are amazing and, with our daughter who is in her 3rd year of archaeology, spent longer than most visiting Coba) our day was running a bit short of time. We thought we would have to forgo our planned snorkel at Akumel, but both our driver and tour guide agreed to put in an hour and a half extra to allow us to swim.
We truly appreciated this - Mexico is a beautiful country with many diverse treasures and to have people so eager for us to see and enjoy them made them all that more special!!
Thank you!! Julie Bose Family ~ Salmon Arm, BC Canada
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