The Island of Cozumel, whose ancient name is Cuzamil means: “nest of swallows” in the Mayan language.
Cozumel was a very important settlement for the Mayan culture in the years 900 AD, since it was the temple of the Goddess Ixchel, Goddess of Fertility and the Moon. Mayan women made pilgrimages to bring offerings and pray to the Goddess Ixchel.
Cozumel was a very important port for the exchange and commercialization of the Mayas, they commercialized coffee, corn, rice, jade, among other things.
Approximately 500 years ago, in 1518 was the first arrival of the Spaniards to the Island of Cozumel under the charge of General Juan de Grijalva, also came Gonzalo Guerrero who became the Father of the Mestizaje when he married Zazil-Ha (Mayan princess), from there was born the mixture between Spaniards and Mayans.
Sometime later, the mestizos and Mayas left the Island of Cozumel, leaving it uninhabited until 1848. A group of mestizos escaping from the war of castes in the Yucatan Peninsula arrived in Cozumel and thus once again founded the now world-famous Island of Cozumel.
At that time the inhabitants of the island were dedicated to fishing and agriculture, one of their main activities for the economy was the export of wood: the Cedar, from which the population survived for many years.
History of Cozumel in the 20th Century
In 1950 the first steps of the tourist development of the Island of Cozumel began to be created, receiving guests from the East coast of the United States, the growth of the Hotel Industry in Cozumel arrived shortly after the Cuban revolution in 1959.
The first 5-star hotel was the Hotel Presidente, which is still rated as a 5-star hotel today.
In 1968 the first Arianne cruise ship arrived, which had fixed routes in the Caribbean, and with time Cozumel became the most important cruise port in the world. Today it is still the most important.
Tell us, did you learn about the history of Cozumel?
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