Cozumel (Mayan: Island of the Swallows) (Kùutsmil in Modern Maya) is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is one of the nine municipalities (municipios) of the state of Quintana Roo. Cozumel is a tourist destination for its scuba diving and snorkeling. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel.

Geography

The island is about 30 miles long and 9.9 miles wide, and it is Mexico's largest Atlantic island. It is Mexico's third-largest island, it lies some 12 miles from the mainland, and some 37 miles south of Cancún. The vast majority of the population of Cozumel lives in the town of San Miguel which is on the island's western shore. The rest of the island is low, flat, and densely vegetated. The island, including offshore islets, has a land area of 184.542 sq mi. The two areas that are on the mainland are the Calica limestone quarry, near Playa del Carmen and Xcaret, and the Xel-Há Water Park, near the Xelha archaeological ruins.

Modern History

In 1959, Jacques Cousteau discovered the extent and beauty of Palancar Reef, the coral reefs at the south of Cozumel and publicized it as one of the best places to go scuba diving in the world. Although the original airport was a World War II relic and was able to handle jet aircraft and international flights, a much larger airport was built in the late 1970s. This resulted in much greater tourism to Cozumel.
Scuba diving is still one of Cozumel's primary attractions, mainly due to the healthy coral reef marine communities. These coral reefs are protected from the open ocean by the island's natural geography. In 1996, the government of Mexico also established the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, forbidding anyone from touching or removing any marine life within the park boundaries. A deepwater pier was built in the 1990s for cruise ships to dock and it is now one of the most important and a regular stop on cruises in the Caribbean.

The Carnival

The Cozumel carnival is one of the most popular in the entire state of Quintana Roo. It's a colorful, fun and lively festival with many different costumes, processions, dances and parades with local people actively involved regardless of social class. Organization and planning are important and it's committee begins planning it months before the festival actually starts to make sure the event is always a success. Thousands of people around the village enjoy along the Rafael Melgar Avenue(Cozumel's waterfront)this regional party and admire the lively parade that is presented every night for several days. The Cozumel Carnival takes place in mid-February as most of the world's carnivals. In the main square you will find something to drink, food, handcrafts, souvenirs and more.