ESPAÑOL

Cozumel is the biggest island in Mexico where tradition and flavor come together. It is famous all over the world for its coral reefs; there are plenty of water sports such as diving, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, kayaking and more. It is a tourist center of exceptional beauty with a great variety of flora and marine fauna that can be observed, in addition to archaeological remains of the Mayan culture. The whole coast of the island has sandy beaches crowned with the beautiful turquoise sea color.

The island has incredible diving and snorkeling sites including 25 Km of reefs that are part of the second largest barrier reef in the world, Cozumel is not only a famous diving destination, but it is also the largest cruise ship destination in the world. With two million visitors per year, Cozumel is one of the most important tourist centers in Mexico, in addition to its natural beauties, beaches, sea and reefs.

Cozumel's mostly undeveloped territory is covered by jungle and swampy lagoons, which are home to tiny mammals and endemic birds that have never left the island. Also the island offers all numerous archaeological vestiges of the Mayan culture like San Gervasio.

The name Cozumel means “Land of the Swallow” in Mayan, and was named so due to the indigenous, graceful birds that can be seen regularly patrolling Cozumel’s beautiful beaches and coastline.

The island was a Mecca to Mayan women who made the voyage from Playa del Carmen and Tulum to Cozumel in large dugout canoes to give offerings in Ix Chel altar, the Goddess of fertility. The ceremonial center of Ix Chel can be seen at the San Gervasio ruins.

CANCUN. Visitors to Cancun are often stonished. They discover a city created by man, and sheltered by the Caribbean Sea and the Nichupté lagoon. Given the scope of its development, it is difficult to imagine that in the 1960´s, it was little more than a small fishing village with not more than 100 inhabitants. Nowadays, it has over 25,000 hotel rooms that are visited annually by three million tourists from all over the world. Its natural conditions and state-of-the-art tourist infrastructure make it an ideal site for conventions and social and cultural events.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN. was known in ancient times as Xaman-Há, a site settled by fishermen in the pre-Classic period. Even then, it was the embarkation point for the island of Cozumel, Mayan women made pilgrimages to the shrine of the goddess Ixchel. A few structures from the period are still visible in the town; the tiny temple in Playacar is the most accessible. the town is a lively community of native and foreign residents. Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) is the main street and closed to all but foot traffic for half its length. A colorful enclave of restaurants, dive shops, one-of-a-kind boutiques, smallish hotels and European-style B&Bs, La Quinta is worth a stroll.