Cozumel (from the Mayan Cuzamil , "land of the swallows"), lies 12 miles off Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan . Mexico 's largest island (28 miles long and 12 miles wide) is only 3% developed and has but one town, San Miguel. A top resort destination and scuba-diving mecca, Cozumel retains its old-world charm and laid-back feel.
An important ceremonial center in pre-Hispanic times, Cozumel produced salt and honey for trade with mainland Mexico until Cortez landed in 1519 and set about to convert the Indians to Catholicism. Following the Spanish Conquest, the island was an important port until disease nearly decimated the population in the late 1500s. Cozumel enjoyed a peaceful existence for about a hundred years then became a haven for smugglers and pirates in the 18 th century. Soon thereafter, exiled survivors of the racially motivated War of the Castes returned from the mainland and resettled. Boom years followed when Cozumel became a port of call for chicle, used in making chewing gum. When synthetic ingredients replaced chicle and air freight proved more efficient than sea trade, the island entered another depressed phase.
Things turned around when soldiers who had been stationed in Cozumel during World War II began returning for vacations. Undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau helped to spread the word and boosted the island's reputation as a premier dive spot in the early '60s when he filmed part of a TV documentary in Cozumel . Resort development took off in the 1970s and '80s.
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Geography contributed greatly to Cozumel 's destiny as a popular vacation destination. The island's interior is mostly a jungle of thorny scrub and Maya ruins. The soil is thin, the terrain rocky. To say it is unsuitable for farming is an understatement. The land, however, supports a wide variety of wildlife-iguanas, foxes and parrots among its residents. And, in stark contrast to the desolate nature of the jungle, gorgeous beaches ring the island. The sandy beaches on the western (leeward) side face the mainland and are protected. Here the water is calm. Surf pounds the eastern (windward) side and swimming can be tricky and dangerous. Caution is advised. The oft-deserted windward beaches, with their powdery, pale sand against the rocks and turquoise water, are strikingly beautiful and a favorite of sunbathers.
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The island's only town, San Miguel, is a hub of activity. Restaurants, shops and businesses line the main street, Avenida Rafael Melgar, running north-south along the water, and for several blocks west. Avenidas (avenues) run north-south; calles (streets) run east-west. The paved Carretera Transversal, a continuation of Benito Juarez, bisects the island east-west. North of the Carretera Transversal is mostly uninhabited.
A top dive destination for more than 60 years, Cozumel is a popular port of call for cruise ships and paradise for those seeking rest, rejuvenation, and relaxation.
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