Cozumel History

Mayan Civilization on Cozumel

The Maya are believed to have first settled Cozumel 2,000 years ago. The island was named Cozumel--a Mayan word meaning "Land of the Swallow"--after the indigenous shore birds that can be seen on Cozumel's beaches and shoreline.

From 300 to 900 AD, Cozumel was a major trading port and religious center. During this period, priests were at the top of the social hierarchy, and life revolved around religious ceremonies.

The island was sacred to Ix Chel, the Maya Moon Goddess, and many Maya women desiring fertility made the pilgrimage from Tulum and Playa del Carmen to Cozumel in large dugout canoes to worship in the temples. Remnants of the altar and ceremonial center of Ix Chel can be seen at the San Gervasio ruins, which are located near the center of the island.

By 1200 AD, Cozumel had developed into an important entrepot port for trade throughout Central America. Goods were brought to the island, and then transshipped to other regions.

Spanish Discovery and Pirate Days

On Holy Cross Day, May 3, 1518, Spanish explorer Juan de Grijalva arrived on the coast of the island, having been blown off course during a journey to Cuba. He christened the island "Isla de la Santa Cruz," or Holy Cross Island, and proclaimed the land as property of the king and queen of Spain.

Grijalva ordered his chaplin Juan Dias to celebrate mass in a temple on the island, which was held on May 6. This was the first Catholic ceremony held in Mexico. Upon his departure, Grijalva left a golden statue as a gift to the Mayan authorities on the island; this statue now resides in the San Miguel cathedral in downtown San Miguel.

A year later, the infamous conquistador Hernan Cortez landed on Cozumel, beginning a period of Spanish occupation of the island. While the Mayas accepted Spanish domination more or less peacefully, this was the beginning of the end of their cultural heritage on Cozumel. Not only did Cortez order the destruction of many of the island's Maya temples, but intercoastal trade came to a halt, and the cult of Ix Chel was suppressed.

A prolonged smallpox outbreak, lasting from 1519 to 1570, decimated the local population, which shrank from 40,000 to less than 30 during this period. By 1600, Cozumel was uninhabited.

In the early 17th century, pirates began using Cozumel as a safe harbor. It is said that the English pirate Henry Morgan frequently used Cozumel as a way station during his three decades of plunder. In the early 19th century, French pirate Jean Lafitte used Cozumel as a hiding place. But it wasn't until 1847 that Cozumel regained permanent residents.

Hernan Cortez

War of the Castes

The year 1847 witnessed the beginning of the "War of the Castes," a major civil uprising on the Yucatan peninsula. The war saw the Maya people of the south-east Yucatan rebelling against people of European origin, called the "Yucatecos," who lived in the north-east.

The cause of the Caste War is traditionally thought to have been the execution of three Maya at Valladolid, Yucatan, for planning an uprising which may have been originally intended to be political rather than a race war. The War seemed rooted in the defense of communal lands against the expansion of private ownership, and as a reaction to the economic and political power and the cultural bigotry of the European Yucatecos.

The turmoil caused by the uprising resulted in the emigration of 51 urban middle class Yucateca families and their 86 Mestizos servants from Valladolid to Cozumel. They were later joined by 350 poor Maya, who came from the outskirts of Valladolid, but who felt ideologically connected to the more urban group.

In the first wave, agricultural land on Cozumel was divided and distributed to the new Yucateca immigrants, and the village of San Miguel was divided into lots for homes. In the second wave, the Maya were allotted agricultural land in and around the El Cedral area.

In an interesting side note, a plaque at the Museo Cozumel states that Abraham Lincoln came close to purchasing the the island of Cozumel as a place to send the freed slaves of America. However, the caste war dragged on for over 50 years, and Lincoln scuttled this plan.

Cozumel enjoyed a long period of prosperity, beginning with this emigration and continuing into the 20th century.

Cozumel in the 20th Century

The growing popularity of chewing gum in the United States in the early 20th century had an impact on Cozumel, as chicle, the main ingredient, was harvested on the island for the Wrigley company. However, when synthetic chicle was developed, exports dropped, and the island fell into an economic slump.

The depression of the 1930s was felt in Cozumel, but events related to World War II helped revive the island's economy. The American military established an air base on Cozumel, which was used to hunt U-boats in the Caribbean. The largest Maya ruins on the island were bulldozed to make way for the runway.

Following a 1961 documentary by Jacques Cousteau, Cozumel earned a world-wide following of divers who ranked it one of the top five scuba diving and snorkeling sites in the world. Scuba diving remains one of Cozumel's primary attractions, mainly due to the healthy coral reef marine communities. These reefs are protected from the open ocean by the island's natural geography.

In 1996, the Mexican government established the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, forbidding anyone from touching or removing any marine life within the park boundaries.

The development of a new international airport in the 1970s engendered a boom in the tourist industry. During the 1980s and 1990s, new resorts and hotels were built, and a new deepwater pier was built in the 1990s to accommodate increasing numbers of cruise ships making their way to Cozumel. Cozumel has become the number one destination for cruise ships in the Western Caribbean.

Hurricanes have wreaked havoc on Cozumel in recent years. In July 2005, Hurricane Emily hit Cozumel as a category 4 storm, although surface winds were much less. There was sporadic damage to buildings in and around the island. In October 2005, Hurricane Wilma passed over the island, causing extensive damage. Wilma had winds of 140 mph and was moving very slowly--less than 5mph. Hurricane force winds pounded the island for over 24 hours.

The island has since recovered and rebuilt, and new cruise ship facilities have been put on line.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Today's Cozumel

Cozumel has flourished in its tourist-based economy, having become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Tourists are drawn by Cozumel's temperate climate, cool ocean breezes, the pristine reefs and the island's friendly people.

In 1970, Cozumel had a population of 10,000. Today, the population has grown to over 80,000 residents. Over 2.5 million visitors come each year to explore Cozumel's beaches, reefs, Mayan ruins, and experience its pleasant Mexican ambiance.