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The Mayans were settled in here way back in the day, starting from AD 300. In the post-classic period, Cozumel thrived
as a trade center and, very significantly, a ceremonial site. Mayan women all over the Yucatán Peninsula and beyond
made pilgrimages here to pay tribute to Ixchel, the goddess of fertility and the moon, at a temple erected in her honor at
San Gervasio, near the center of the island.
Note: Facinating sites such as Chichen Itza with its massive pyramids that rival those at Cheops, and Tulum, the only Mayan city built overlooking the sea, and even Tikal in its lush jungle settings where wild monkeys still can be seen, each are an easy one day excursion from Cozumel.
The first Spanish, Juan de Grijalva and
his men, made their way to Cozumel in 1528. At the time, there were at least 32 Mayan building sites on the island.
A year later, conqueror Hernán Cortés sacked one of the Mayan temples but left the others intact, apparently satisfied with
converting the island population to Christianity. As if that weren't enough, Spanish conquistadors introduced devastating
smallpox to the islanders - the disease wiped out half of the 8000 Mayan population. And the survivors?
All but 200 fell under genocidal attacks by conquistadors in the late 1540s.
A period of virtual desertion on Cozumel
followed, during which the island became a refuge for notorious pirates such as Jean Lafitte and Henry Morgan.
In 1848, Indians fleeing the War of the
Castes found their way to Cozumel, and by the early 20th century its now mostly mestizo population grew, thanks in the most
part to chewing gum. Locals harvested chicle on the island (Cozumel was a port of call on the chicle export route); the natural gum was sugar-coated in America and turned into the ubiquitous Chiclets. The
later invention of synthetic chewing gum meant the need for chicle eventually waned, as did Cozumel's major industry.
However, the economy stood strong for a while because of the construction of a US air base during WWII.
After the US military said adios, the
island hit a real economic slump, and many of its residents moved away. The hangers-on fished for a living. Then
in 1961, everything changed when ocean explorer-extraordinaire Jacques Cousteau produced a documentary about Cozumel's glorious
sea life. Almost overnight, the tourist began to arrive - voilà, a new era.
In its new incantation as one of the world's
most sought-after diving destinations, Cozumel has gone through something of a growth spurt. The islanders now number
over 75,000. Though many of Cozumel's native citizens are friendly - and polite to the point of courtliness - these
days a certain percentageof the populace seems determined to squeeze the last centavo out of the foreign visitor... so whats
new?
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