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Article DetailsThe Island of Cozumel, Mexico |
| Date Added: July 01, 2008 01:32:00 PM |
| When one thinks of Mexico rarely do they ever consider Islands however a visit to the island of Cozumel would quickly change many mindsets. Cozumel is one of Mexico's largest islands. It is comfortably located a mere 12 miles from the Yucatan Peninsula coast. The island is 28 miles long and only 10 miles at its widest point. It proudly boasts of beautiful sandy white beaches and a fantastic view of the surrounding Caribbean ocean. The native population is derived from the Mayan civilization of Mexico’s ancient past. As most students of Mexican history will relate to you, the Mayan civilization was composed of a vast culture consisting of farmers, avid fisherman and brave warriors. This civilization for 2000 years ruled the area from Campeche to as far as Guatamala prior to the influx of the early 15th century Spanish Explorers. History and artifacts have shown that these people were very advanced and they left vast amounts of knowledge and culture in the form of massive cities which they had built. A lesser known site remaining from the legacy of the Mayan’s is located here at the island and known as San Gervacio. This site is now a preserved park and is continually under restoration in an effort to preserve as much of the Mayan culture as possible. This particular site was at one time a sacred location where the Mayan women would journey in order to worship the Mayan goddess of fertility known as Ixchel. Nearby you can witness several other prominent site like Chichen Itza where you can view massive Mayan pyramids which rival the best found at Cheops. Tulum represents one of the only cities built in Mexico that overlooks the Caribbean Sea. Not far away you find Tikal with its lush jungle vegetation and its families of wild monkeys. All these locations are within easy reach of the island of Cozumel. Prior to 1961, Cozumel was a quiet little fishing community. Along came the famous Jacques Cousteau who declared the area to be the most stunning scuba diving facilities in the world and the island began to grow by leaps and mounds. Since that time the authorities have constructed the underwater marine park in order to provide protection for the local coral reef and the vast number of tropical fish in the area. Known for its underwater wildlife and its clear clean water one does not have to participate in scuba diving to actually view the teeming wildlife activities under the sea. With its 200 foot visibility glass bottom boats have become extremely popular in the area. So if you plan a visit to the Yucatan area you owe it to yourself to visit the Island of Cozumel. You will be glad you did. If you would like more information and travel links, visit our Travel Directory at http://vacationsurfer.net/ This article brought to you by http://akumalvacation.com/ |
