Isla Cozumel
Cozumel is the largest island of Mexico (14 km wide and 53 km long), located 19 km east of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is famous for its underwater world and the second largest coral reef in the world with a length of over 700 km. The sandy strip of beach occupies only 3% of the island, the rest of the island is a national park.
Video: Cosumel
Highlights
Cosumel was the spiritual center of Mexico’s next pre-Columbian civilization, the Mayans. It was traveled to from the mainland to worship Ishchel, the fertility goddess.
The first European to visit the island was Juan de Grijalva, the discovery of Cosumel occurred in 1518. The famous Fernán Cortés tried to baptize the Indians of Cozumel and overthrew the “idols” set up on the island.
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The famous diver Jacques Yves Cousteau visited the island of Cozumel more than once. In 1961, he began exploring the richness of the underwater world around the island and called it one of the best places in the world for scuba diving. Since then, the island with a small population has gradually turned into a Mecca for avid divers and one of the most famous resorts in Mexico. Today, the very mention of the island of Cozumel is associated with tropical fish, clear water and a world of beautiful coral..
