The Maya Culture Of Isla de la Cozumel : Some History

Museo de la Isla de Cozumel y Ruinas Mayas el Cedral

I Love History ...............

Click on backlinks for more information.

Click on any photo to launch a slideshow of all photos in the post.

_______________

Note: Much of the historical text and some photos for this post provided by other sources.

The Cozumel Museum (Museo de la Isla de Cozumel) sits on the waterfront in downtown San Miguel de Cozumel. Inside the historical building are a wealth of displays, all well signed in both Spanish and English. Its four permanent exhibit rooms offer an overview of the island’s geography, ecosystems, history, and culture.

Small Maya settlements typically had homes with thatched roofs. The aim of these small ecosystems closely tied to the natural world, was to employ less and use materials from the surroundings. The Maya home was actually a piece of land, a broad open space with small areas for specific purposes, such as the house, the kitchen, the well for drawing freshwater, the washing area, the hen-house and the ka’anche, or small raised garden. 

The House

The Kitchen

Raised Garden (right)

The ancient Maya civilization of Central America left behind an intricate and mysterious hieroglyphic script, carved on monuments, painted on pottery, and drawn in handmade bark-paper books (photos below). For centuries, scholars considered it too complex ever to understand—until recently, when an ingenious series of breakthroughs finally cracked the code and unleashed a torrent of new insights into the Mayas' turbulent past.

The building (above and below left) existed on a spot called Mirimar. It was demolished by the US Military to build an airport on the island. It was a temple and fortunately the column representing a female deity (below right) was recovered. 

 

El Cedral is the oldest Mayan Ruins on Cozumel Island, dating back to 800 A.D. This Mayan village was once the capital of Cozumel, and the largest community on the island. It was discovered by Spanish Conquistadors in 1518, who tore down much of the Mayan temple, and then during World War II, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers destroyed more of it to make way for the island's first airport. Today, there is not much of this once significant Mayan temple remaining.

This Maya ruin, a fertility temple, is the oldest on the island. It’s the size of a small house and has no ornamentation. El Cedral is thought to have been an important ceremonial site.

_________________________________________________________

Somewhere in NL CANADA

We're KANOE Tripping 

... follow along, if you like.

Our latest route is included on TRAVELMAP 2020.   

For all posts from this latest adventure click Trip 150. 

All photography is by LOAFin Around, unless otherwise noted. 

And finally, here's a link to our complete Trip 150 Cozumel MEXICO photo gallery. 

Wry and Crusty ... 

________

C A R N I V A L

C  A  R  N  I  V  A  L

Mexicans know how to have fun!

We booked into Hotel Cozumel and Resort the day Carnival festivities began. In the weeks before the main events there is also an exciting program of "pre-Carnival" warm-up events, including the presentation and election of Carnival Kings and Queens, with dancing, performances, and live music from top singers and groups. The main entertainment stretches from February 22-25 this year and culminates with Mardi-Gras on Fat Tuesday (25th).

COZUMEL Island Part 2: SOUTH End

Continued from COZUMEL Island Part 1: NORTH End

_________________
IBEROSTAR COZUMEL

Close to the southern reef dive sites, about 20 kms to San Miguel

Stock photo

Click on the backlinks for more information.

COZUMEL Island Part 1: NORTH End

In addition to our annual CANUSUKair get-together at Hotel Cozumel & Resort, we'll be embarking on an exploratory this winter. 

We hope to locate an affordable casa or condominium for a winter stay of 2 to 3 months.

This is our 7th trip to the island. Our good friends Heather and Randy initially recommended the island for the superb diving and snorkelling available on the nearby Meso-american Reef. We have come to enjoy the friendliness and sincerity of the locals, we've made some new Mexican friends, there is wonderful authentic, (UNESCO recognized) Mexican Cuisine available along some of the back streets and if you venture away from the western coast you can still find quiet beaches on the eastern side of the island. 

This post  (and 2 others to follow) are reviews of our impressions at different locations on Cozumel., that we have not spent any significant time at. 

We are more concerned with  available activities at a location than we are with types of accommodation ... casas or condos, doesn't matter - as long as they are affordable. 

We have a goal of finding an affordable, long-term stay rental on the island for a number of years. Unfortunately we left it too late this winter to arrange for accommodations in a local casa. Instead we've arranged to stay at 2 different hotels at the north and south parts of the east coast. And we'll spend our time in the central part at our regular spot; Hotel Cozumel. We've rented a car for some of our stay and will be gone for slightly more than 8 weeks. We hope the island has enough to keep us interested but if not we intend on venturing over to the mainland where we can complete some day or long weekend adventures.  

Click on the backlinks for more information.