Cozumel - A Caribbean Jewel (Part 1)

So this spring I am gearing up for another adventure.  This time I am leading my dive club to the island of Cozumel, Mexico.  So let’s get set to go, and have some fun doing that by learning a little about Cozumel before we jet off to this beautiful destination.

ISLAND OF THE SWALLOWS

Nestled in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, just off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, is an island situated atop the second largest barrier reef in the world.  The word Cozumel means the "Island of the Swallows" in Mayan, and back in the days before Spanish occupation, Mayan women would make pilgrimages to this island at least once in their lifetime in order to pay homage to Ixchel - the goddess of fertility.  Cozumel grew to be one of three important Mayan ceremonial centers - the others being Izama and Chichen-Itza.  Archeologists have found more than 40 sites around the island, and today still uncover small dolls that were used as offerings in fertility ceremonies.  The fascinating ruins of the Mayan civilization are just one reason to visit Cozumel, but there is so much more.

Jacques Cousteau declared in his first
documentary Cozumel to be one of the
most beautiful scuba diving areas of
the world.

Part of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Cozumel lies just 12 miles off the mainland across from Playa del Carmen.  A laid-back, easy-going island, most of its population lives in the town of San Miguel on the western shore.  Cozumel was just a quiet little fishing community until it caught the attention of the famous ocean explorer and pioneer of marine conservation, Jacques Cousteau, who declared in his first documentary Cozumel to be one of the most beautiful scuba diving areas of the world.

THERE ARE THREE MAJOR REEFS ENCIRCLING COZUMEL

There are three major reefs that circle Cozumel -- Palancar, Santa Rosa and El Cedral.  Palancar, on the southern side of the island, is what captured Cousteau’s attention in 1960.  The geography of the island protects these reefs from the open ocean and provides an ideal situation for dive sites.  The reefs are easily accessible, with coral plateaus starting in less than 30 feet of water.  The most popular sites are located on the west coast, just south of San Miguel.  The warm water averages temperatures between 75°F in winter to 85°F in summer.

The government of Mexico established the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park in 1996 to protect this treasure.  It is prohibited to touch or remove any marine life within the confines of the park.  These waters are filled with color from the wide array of marine life and corals.  Don’t forget to be on the lookout for such favorites as sea turtles.

THERE'S MORE TO COZUMEL THAN JUST ITS WATERS

White-Nosed Coati

Cozumel is heralded as the original Caribbean destination in Mexico and is a top port of call for cruise ships.  Despite this, Cozumel remains an island that has an easy-going attitude with a laid-back personality and pleasant Mexican hospitality.  Surprisingly enough, this island is only 3% developed and still has vast stretches of pristine jungle and uninhabited shoreline.  It is home to a number of endemic species including birds like the Cozumel Thrasher, Cozumel Great Curassow, and Cozumel Vireo, and mammals such as the Cozumel Island Racoon and the Cozumel Island Coati.  Other species not native to the island include the American Crocodile and the Black Spiny-Tailed Iguana.

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