Cozumel

Washed by clear Caribbean waters and cooled by trade winds, an island once revered by the ancients now delivers a unique mix of the modern and traditional.

The coral reefs of Cozumel offer divers an abundance of sea life with turtle and angelfish sightings. Photo: J.S. Lamy/Shutterstock

Overview

Cuzam Lumil – the land of the swallows. In pre- Columbian times pilgrims from all corners of the Mayan empire came to the island now known as Cozumel to pay homage to the goddess Ixchel, the deity of the moon, pregnancy, and childbirth. The island’s fortunes dwindled with the fall of the empire, and for the next thousand years, it languished as a small fishing community. Transformed once more by a modern wave of tourism, Cozumel is a mecca for artists, bohemians, scuba divers, and sun worshipers.

Traditional island life now mixes with cosmopolitan influences on streets where matrons hawk fish tacos from carts just down the way from trending bistros. North-flowing currents nurture some of the Caribbean’s most colorful coral reefs, and waters once plied by Mayan canoes and fishing skiffs are now plied by a recreational flotilla. Vacationers relax at beach resorts and all-inclusive havens scattered along the western shore, while the east remains wild, offering miles of untrodden sand for the adventurous to discover.