Cozumel History

Cozumel beginnings

Cozumel holds a vivid history that begins with two major influences: the ancient Mayan culture and the Spanish force. The sole name of Cozumel derives from the Mayan words Cuzam (swallow) and Lumil (land of), which form the word Cuzamil (land of swallows). With the Spanish conquest “Cozumil” was changed to Cozumel.

The Mayas dwelled on the island of Cozumel 2000 years ago, and there is evidence that the classic period 300-900 A.C. represented for the Mayas a time of religion supremacy, time in which Cozumel served as an important sanctuary for their goddess of fertility Ix Chel. Due to its favorable conditions and proximity to the sea, it also became an important Mayan trade harbor of the era.

The Mayas reigned in Cozumel and benefited from the natural treasures of the area for centuries. In 1518, the Spanish explorer Juan de Grijalva discovered the coast and he proclaimed one of the islands of the region as property of the Spanish crown.

Cozumel: First spot of the Spanish Invasion

The intervention of Juan de Grijalva is known as a peaceful exchange of goods among the Mayas and the Spaniards. However, the following year, Hernan Cortez and his army arrived in the island and made Cozumel the initial spot of their conquest.

In 1525, Francisco de Montejo, a captain under Cortez rule, requested the King of Spain authorization to conquer the island. In 1527, he gave the town the Christian name of San Miguel de Cozumel. The Mayan Emperor surrended after a 4-year period of isolated small battles and the massive destruction of what had been the glorious Mayan civilization.

First, the Mayan trade was nullified when the Spaniards started using the harbor for their ships, and the locals were forced to live on agriculture for their survival. Eventually, the cult of the goddess Ix Chel was suppressed and most Mayan temples were turned into ruins. To worsen the situation, a smallpox epidemic broke out soon after Hernan Cortez and his men had left the region and the population of the island was cut down to less than 300 inhabitants by 1570.

In 1583, Cozumel became dependent upon the Yucatan church, ruled by the King of Spain. The island continued to suffer the deaths of its people until 1700, when it was left totally uninhabited.

Cozumel in the pirates’ time

In the 17th century, pirates such as Henry Morgan and Jean Lafitte used Cozumel as a base of operations, and there are records that the island was resettled by 1848. Then, English and Dutch pirates came to capture Indians and Spaniards as slaves.

Cozumel in the Caste War

The caste war, was a struggle of the Mayas to avenge the wrongs that had been inflicted to them by the Spaniards, and caused for mestizos to flee to the island, where they found San Miguel as a refuge, and for Mayans to root at El Cedral.

Cozumel’s development

From mid-19th century to the beginning of the 20th, Cozumel’s port represented the most relevant part of the economy of the island. Then, World War II gave Cozumel the opportunity to grow, mainly when the U.S. built an air base for planes hunting U-boats in the mid-Atlantic.

But the milestone for Cozumel’s development happened in 1960, when the renowned oceanographer Jaques Cousteau praised the richness of the coral reef surrounding the island. Cousteau’s declaration drew scuba divers worldwide, and Cozumel became the most visited scuba diving spot. The port of Cozumel acquired international recognition and now it is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world.