Cozumel Travel Overview

The Island of Cozumel ("Island of the Swallows") is just 11 miles East of Cancun and is the largest  island in Mexico.  It is famed for its diving, spectacular coral reefs, fishing, and water sports.  But as much as the island boasts things for vacationers to see and do, over 90% remains undeveloped.

It is said that the Maya first settled Cozumel in the early 1st millennium CE, but older artifacts have been found on the island as well.  The island was sacred to the Mayan people, and the temples here were a place of pilgrimage.  There are a number of ruins on the island, including the ruins of San Gervasio.

In 1959, Jacques Cousteau declared the (now famous) Palancar coral reefs as one of the best places in the world to go scuba diving.  As well, a much larger airport was built in the late 1970s, which resulted in much greater tourist traffic to Cozumel.

View Map of Cozumel

What to do outside the resorts:

Chankanaab National Park - Chankanaab National Park is an eco-park that is home to 350 species of flora, and 60 species of coral, and marine life.  Guests can also dive and snorkel here.

San Gervasio - The ruins at San Gervasio were once a sacred site to the Mayan people, and it is the largest of the archaeological sites on the island.  San Gervasio was used to worship Ixchel, the Mayan fertility goddess.

Consular Information

CANCUN, Consulate of Canada Address: Plaza Caracol II, 3er piso, local 330, Boulevard Kukulcán Km 8.5, Zona Hotelera, 77500, Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico Postal Address: Cancún, Mexico Tel.: 52 (998) 883-3360/1 Fax: 52 (998) 883-3232 E-mail: cancun@canada.org.mx   Consular Agent in Cozumel (An extension of the Consulate in Merida Offices 8 & 9 (2nd. Floor, taking the stairs to the right) "Villa Mar" Mall (located inside Juarez Park, which is another name for the Main Square or "Plaza Principal") Between Melgar and 5th. Ave. Cozumel, QR. 77600 Phone: [52] (987) 872-4574 Fax: [52] (987) 872-6662 Mailing Address: Av. 35 Norte No. 650 (entre 12 bis y 14 Norte) Cozumel, QR. 77622 E-mail: usgov@cozumel.net

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