View of Cozumel Rada.

Topographic map of the island.

Located in the Mexican Caribbean, Cozumel is a flat island formed of limestone rock, which comes from the reefs. The most important natural elevation on the island is less than 13 meters away. Cenotes formed by water filtration through limestone for thousands of years can be explored by swimming or through activities such as snorkeling and diving; you can see different marine species.

The island measures about 28 miles from north to south and 9 miles from east to west, making it the third largest island in Mexico after Shark Island in the state of Sonora and the Angel de la Guarda Island in Baja California. Located 20 km east of the eastern coast of the Yucatan peninsula, and 60 km south of Cancun, it has an area of 647.33 km² compared to 1,208 km² of Shark Island and 895 km² of the Angel de la Guarda Island.

Also in Cozumel is the easternmost point of Mexico, called "Punta Molas".

Cozumel has a humid climate with abundant rains in summer and low in winter, with an average annual temperature higher than 18 °C (Institute of Geography, 2007). Surrounded by warm waters of the Caribbean Sea or the West Indies Sea (Wang and Edfield, 2003), as well as by the current of the Yucatan canal, they cause the prevalence of high pressures affecting the northern and northwestern peninsular portion, so in the summer there is enough cloudiness for the deposit of considerable rainfall. Also, Cozumel is constantly crossed by Tropical Waves that generate wind belts causing torrential rains mainly in the summer (Orellana, et al., 2008).'

Cozumel has at least 27 types of endemic vertebrates, some of which are:

• Mapache pigmeo (Procyon pygmaeus);
• Island Coatí (Nasua narica nelsoni);
• Lagartija picastra (Aspidoscelis cozumela);
• Cenzontle de Cozumel (Toxostoma guttatum);
• Vireo de Cozumel (Vireo bairdi);

For a while it was believed that the splendid toad fish (Sanopus splendidus) was endemic to the coast of Cozumel, however, individuals of this species have already been recorded in Puerto Morelos, Cancun and Belize.

Old History

The most recent research indicates that the first inhabitants of Cozumel Island arrived to it around the second century a. C. While not fully identified, it is believed that these individuals were part of Caribbean semi-nomadic groups, engaged in fishing and hunting.

A second, more organized wave of migration came in the third century. It was integrated with Mayan groups identified as coming from the region of the Guatemalan Petén, south of the Yucatan Peninsula, with a cultural level definitely higher than their predecessors, were sedentary, knew agriculture and mastered architectural techniques, as well as remains of their activity in some constructions and remains of pottery found in the northern center of the island, in the area currently known as the area Santa Rita and part of San Gervasio.

The third wave of migration, in the aftermath of the classic Mayan, began its arrival in the 8th century and came from Tabasco and southern Campeche. It was formed by Mayan-chontal groups of the Putun branch, sailors and merchants who on their way to Central America and who made Cozumel an important point of their area of influence. This group introduced to the island new forms of social organization, other architectural styles and new religious cults, among which the devotion to the goddess Ix Chel, deity of the moon, fertility and birth, and which on the island had its main sanctuary, giving rise to a rite of pilgrimage from all over the Mayan world to Cozumel. Chilam Balam of Chumayel recalls the Mayan dispersal on the Caribbean's way:

..."When the crowds of the children of the Earth multiplied, it was the center of Cuzamil, the flower of the Earth, the jiface of the Earth, the first tree of the Earth, the heart of the Earth"..

Chilam Balam de Chumayel ​

The best testimony of high cultural and social organization attained by this group is the numerous archeological vestiges that exist on the entire surface of the island. By 1200, Central America's trade with faraway lands, with Cozumel as its main link, was dominant. It was on this island that all kinds of merchandise came from far away. The items were stored in canoes before being sent to other distribution points.

Cozumel was part of Cortés' route in the conquest of Mexico.

On May 3, 1518, the Spanish captain Juan de Grijalva, was the first Spaniard to discover and land on the island he called of the "Santa Cruz de la Puerta Latina", it was on that trip that days later he went on to visit Cozumel's beaches that the first Christian mass in Mexican territory. One year later in February 1519, Hernán Cortés began the conquest of Mexico by landing in Cozumel, where he incorporated his forces into the shipwreck Gerónimo de Aguilar, who was one of the first performers at the service of the conqueror. Another shipwreck Gonzalo Guerrero refused to return: after eight years, he had adapted to indigenous customs and even married a main lady and had three children, hence he was considered the father of mixed race in Mexico.

During Cortés' stay on the island, a person came before him, who said himself to be Lord of the whole island. After a long talk, Cortés spoke to him about the king of Spain and the Catholic faith, as well as emphasizing his peaceful intentions if all the people on the island were subordinate to Spain. That halach uinik accepted the conditions and ordered to call other batabob of the island. ​ a few days later all the peoples came back to their usual lives, apparently abandoning worship of their gods and worshipping the Christian cross and an image of the Virgin that Cortés installed them. ​ Before leaving and on the advice of Jerónimo de Aguilar, the halach uinik of Cozumel asked Cortés for a letter or safe-conduct describing that the population was not assaulted by future Spanish expeditions to the island, which was granted. ​ On March 4, 1519, the Spanish conquistadores set off Cozumel by nicely firing the Mayans of the island. ​

Around 1525 Francisco de Montejo made a request to the king of Spain to authorize the conquest and development of the island of Cozumel (Montejo was one of the captains who arrived with Cortés nine years earlier). Francisco de Montejo arrived at Cozumel on September 29, 1527 and gave him the Christian name of San Miguel de Xamancab. When the Spaniards became familiar with the Gulf Coast of Mexico, they realized that they didn't have to stop on the island, excluding it as a port of arrival for Spanish ships. At the same time, as an immediate effect of the conquest, the Mayan exchange was nulified and the worship of the goddess Ix Chel was suppressed. The islanders, with no more of their main economic activity, were forced to rely only on agriculture for their survival.

During the colony, the island was virtually uninhabited, as several factors were conjugated that limited the permanence and growth of the indigenous group: the scourge caused by the diseases brought by the Spaniards, the exploitation to which they were subjected, the collapse of their economic system, their social organization and even the collapse of their religion and customs. Faced with the neglect, the island was often a refuge for pirates and pirates who had the Caribbean as their center of operations. They did not have a permanent base on the island, but occasionally they would make landings to stock themselves on water, fresh food and repair their ships. Among these sea robbers in 1571, after the fight between Spanish forces and French corsaries, 10 corsaries died (including the boss, Pierre Chuetot) and 10 fell prisoners on the island, moved to Merida first and then to Mexico, were tried, convicted and executed by the court of the Holy Inquisition.

In the mid-19th century, as a result of the indigenous rebellion on the peninsula, known as Guerra de Castas (1847), a process of resettlement began with the arrival of families from almost all of Valladolid, Sabán Tihosuco and Chemax from the state of Yucatán and found the towns of the Cathedral (formerly Oy ib), al. south of the island and San Miguel on the north-west coast. At first, commercial development focuses on selling Mayan rebels to Cuba as slaves and the smuggling business. Later on, the exploitation of fruits, henequén, chewing gum and copra succeeded in consolidating these villages, each with customs, schools and garrison by the end of the 19th century (municipal government only the second).

Modern History

In the 20th century and especially after the Second World War, the development of communication and service infrastructure opened up the possibility of tourism development, an activity that is now the basis of the local economy. Attracted by the crystal clear waters, diving lovers came to the island and came home with stories of the magnificent underwater views. In 1956, Mr. Rene Cardona revealed the richness of the coral reefs surrounding the island, which made underwater enthusiasts aware of Cozumel's existence. Cozumel's diving and docks have made the island known internationally and have placed it among the world's leading places for ​ cruise arrivals and is the first tourist destination of this type of boat in Mexico. ​ ​}

Top locations

According to figures from the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, there were 79,535 permanent inhabitants in the municipality, of whom 40,357 are men and 39,178 are women. ​

Localities

In the territory of the municipality there are a total of 135 localities, the population of the main ones is as follows:

Punta Morena beach on the east of Cozumel Island.

El Mirador Beach, Cozumel

Cozumel has a minimum percentage of industries, so it depends on tourism to develop. Food and manufactured goods are shipped from land to the island.

The island stands out as a tourist destination, mainly because of its diving sites.

The Cathedral Fair

The Festival of the Santa Cruz and the Fair of the Cathedral, a tradition that dates back to 1848, is one of the oldest celebrations of the Yucatan Peninsula and takes place in the small town of El Cedral, in the south of the island of Cozumel.

The Cathedral is typically celebrated from April 29 to May 3 to commemorate Santa Cruz Day. During the "Caste War" in 1848, the inhabitants of Sabán, a small land town in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, were expelled by the natives who attacked the population and massacred part of their inhabitants. Casimiro Cárdenas, one of the survivors, wore a wooden cross when he woke up, believing that it was the cross that had saved his life. Once guarded in Cozumel, Casimiro Cárdenas and other refugees took the oath to honor the Santa Cruz. They agreed that if they were saved from torment and disease, they would celebrate God's grace on the same date every year for the rest of their lives and the lives of their descendants. In the atrium of the chapel of the Cathedral is a replica of the so called Cruz de Cozumel or Cruz de la Conquista. It is a sculpture carved in stone of 8 dm height containing in relief the image of Christ Crucified, which rests on a basement in which stands out a plaque containing the descriptive text of the important piece of colonial sacro art. It was erected at the behest of the Cozumel City Hall after a thorough investigation and localization of the original piece, carried out by the Arq. and historian Raúl Alcalá Erosa, who oversaw the sculptural work of faithful reproduction as well as its transfer and location. The blessing of this historic stony crucifix was presided over by the Prime Archbishop of Mexico Cardenal Norberto Rivera Carrera in solemn mass held on May 6, 2003. Another version of the same work was sent to Cozumel in 2012, by Arq himself. Alcalá Erosa, who is at the altar of the Corpus Christi Church. Sources: Book "History and Vestigios de la Ciudadela de San Benito".Raúl Alcalá Erosa, 1998. Diary of Yucatán, Section Image of Culture. 22 September 1988. Book: "La Cruz de Cozumel", April 2003,H.Municipality of Cozumel. Magazine: "El Boletín", informative organ of the Autonomous University of Yucatán.No. 46.2003.

Cozumel Carnival

Cozumel's Carnival is one of the oldest in Mexico and the most important. It is a mixture of various cultural expressions, dances and rhythms of the Yucatan Peninsula and the Caribbean.

Originally from 1874, it is a tradition initiated by migrant families from Yucatán, Campeche and other places, who found a new home in Cozumel. Cozumel being a small town for more than 100 years, his carnival was an important element of family coexistence and a hallmark of peaceful and joyful island life.

Recognized in 2007 by CPTM as one of the 8 most relevant carnivals in the country, a distinction he shares with Veracruz, Mazatlán, Campeche, Mérida, Tlaxcala, Morelos and Oaxaca. ​ In 2015 he was invited as a member of the Caribbean Carnival Network, representing Mexico and a founding member with 10 other ​ countries.

Cozumel Island is the main geographical constituent of the municipality of Cozumel, which is composed of two small enclaves on the continent as well: Calica and Xel-Há have been in this territory since 1993. Previously, since 1974 when it was created, the municipality of Cozumel was also composed of a part of the territory of the municipalities of Solidaridad and Tulum. The municipal government is made up of a municipal council composed of a municipal president and the council consisting of nine councilors, six elected by a relative majority and three by the principle of proportional representation, all elected for a three-year period not eligible for re-election for the following period. All of these officials enter office on 10 April of the election year. ​

In 2016, the Peruvians elected by electoral vote the first female president of the island, the panist Perla Cecilia Tun Pech from the PAN-PRD UNE coalition who got 22,684; 14,667 votes went to the PRI-PVEM-PANAL coalition by their closest contender Gina Ruiz. ​

Legislative representation

For the election of local deputies to the Quintana Roo Congress, and of federal deputies to the Chamber of Deputies of the Congress of the Union, the municipality is integrated into the sig. Electoral districts as follows:

Local:

• XI Quintana Roo Local Electoral District with head in San Miguel de Cozumel.

Federal:

• I Federal Electoral District of Quintana Roo with head in Playa del Carmen. ​

Municipal Presidents

• (1975-1978): Germán García Padilla
• (1978-1981): Carlos Antonio González Fernández
• (1981-1984): Fausto Leonel Villanueva Marrufo
• (1984-1987): Juan José Calzada Marrufo
• (1987-1990): Jorge Martín Angulo
• (1990-1993): Luis Alberto González Flores
• (1993-1996): Germán García Padilla
• (1996-1999): Víctor Manuel Vivas González
• (1999-2002): Félix González Canto
• (2002-2005): Carlos Rafael Hernández Blanco
• (2005-2008): Gustavo Ortega Joaquín
• (2008 - 2011): Juan Carlos González Hernández
• (2011 - 2013): Aurelio Omar Joaquín González
• (2013 - 2016): Fredy Marrufo Martín
• (2016 - 2018): Perla Cecilia Tun Pech
• (2018 - 2021): Pedro Joaquin Delbouis

• San Miguel de Cozumel.
• Cozumel Carnival.
• Archeological area of Cozumel.
• Punta Molas.
• Punta Sur (Cozumel).
• Ekab.
• Caribbean Sea.
• Cozumel Reefs National Park.