The Villa Maya reserve was initiated as a conservation project that evolved into a successful research and eco-tourism project, focusing on the ethical protection of the island’s natural beauty.
The different tours allows for a wide range of participants, especially those with a passion for the outdoors. Reasonably good physical condition and an interest in learning about the tropical environments are important.
Villa Maya offers the unique opportunity to visit Cozumel's main archeological site, the magnificent jungle environment – with its different vegetation communities, and the eastern coast of the island in one single trip.
The expeditions are educational and entertaining way to take in the scope of the cultural heritage that the ancestors have left us, in addition to the experience of interacting with the natural habitats of Cozumel which are usually unseen by the casual island visitor. It is also the safest way to visit the tropical dry forest, at the ecological reserve of “Villa Maya”.
History of Cozumel Island
In 1900, the population totaled 971 people.
Several of them had managed to get big pieces of land along the coast for the exploitation of coconut. More than seven decades later these territories would be the base of a new thriving industry: tourism.
From 1905 to 1930, the economy of the cruise ships was created. In 1922 the first hotel was built: named Hotel Louvre.
In November 1927 the aviator Charles Augus Lindberg came to the island. One year later there were international flights with amphibian-planes, controlled by the USA, to Belize, Cuba, and Miami.
In the 1940s the United States built an international airport. The connection by boat with other big harbors, such as Veracruz, in
Mexico, and by plane with the United States, enabled the development of tourism.
In 1950 there was a population of 2332 inhabitants.
In 1974 the State of Quintana Roo was initiated. The state was divided in seven municipalities (today there are eight). One of them was Cozumel.
In 2000 the island officially counts 60,025 persons,
of which 30,927 are men and 29,098 are women. The population now consists of descendants from the groups of migrants who repopulated Cozumel in 1847, people from the Yucatan Peninsula who
moved here later because of the growing tourism,
and an additional minor percentage of foreigners. 19.76% of the population conserves the indigenous Mayan language in their families.
Since the present population and tourism increase faster than ever and get more demanding, modern society has a much bigger effect on the island¢s environment in a short period of time than the relatively small-scaled old Mayan community has
had in centuries.
There is more need now than ever to
protect the island.
SAN GERVASIO
The biggest and the most extensive pre-Hispanic site on the island is San Gervasio. It consists of six different architectural groups, each of which belong to separate periods of Mayan occupations in an area of approximately 3 km2. Here only the central square plus surrounding groups will be discussed.
In the last period of occupation, the Post-classic Period (approx.1200-1600 AD), groups I, II, III and V – linked by a net of interior stone roads – were built. Also at this time, a series of regional white roads were constructed which link San Gervasio with other sites on the island. Other peculiarities on the island are the low pre-Hispanic walls which were already discussed. They are distributed in different locations throughout the island. They have also been found in areas of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Group I, “Central Plaza” of San Gervasio, is formed by 10 typical Postclassical structures. The plaza functioned as a site for meetings with priests, political leaders, or as a marketplace.
The name of Group II, “Manitas” (little hands),
is derived from a mural depicting red hands.
The temple Nohná (big house) is located here.
After the arrival of the first inhabitants (416-435 AD), Cozumel became an important religious center that revolved around the God of Wisdom, Itzamná and his wife Ixchel, Goddess of Fertility. San Gervacio was the main religious, political and commerce center of the island.
With the arrival of the first inhabitants, and their conception of the island as a religious sanctuary, Cozumel was converted into one of the most important ceremonial centers, with a culture and religion that revolved around Itzamná and Ixchel.
Itzamná was the God of Wisdom, represented by the sun. His wife, Ixchel, was represented by the moon. Being the Goddess of Fertility, she held a great importance in the Mayan people¢s lives. Her prime sanctuary was San Gervacio.
San Gervacio was the main center of Cozumel, which was an autonomic political entity with its own leaders. From here, White Roads – Sacbés or Sacbeoob in Mayan (sac, white; be, road; y oob, plural) – led to the other settlements. Other roads that have been reported in the region are those in Cobá and Xel-Ha.
After the fall of Cobá (in 1200 AD) as a commerce center, Cozumel took its place and connected the coastal Mayan communities as a center of commerce. An intensive trade of cotton products, colored feathers, salt, honey, wax, and cacao was instituted with the Caribbean.
One of the main activities that the tropical forest provides is the traditional agriculture or milpa, which is the agricultural mix of corn, pumpkin, and beans. A milpa can contain corn (Zea mays), one or two species of pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris); tubers (Ipomoea batatas); some species of chilies (Capsicum sp.), yuca (Manihot esculenta), and other root plants such as macal (Xantosoma yucatanense).
Firewood and materials for the construction of housing were obtained from the tropical forest. Plants also played an important role in providing food, medicine, ink, fodder, etc. The diet was protein rich thanks to the abundance of wildlife and fish. Mayans ate wild fruit, and used honey for the production of an alcoholic drink called “Balché”. A lot of the resources that the ancient Mayans used many centuries ago are still being utilized today.
After America was discovered, it took another 26 years before the Spaniards discovered Cozumel on May 3, 1518. Since the Mayans saw the island as a sacred place, they always received the Hispanics with demonstrations of peace. Nevertheless, the island was plundered and Cortés destroyed the statues of religious idols and replaced them with the Christian altar and cross. The Spanish had not taken hygienic precautions, and the Black Plague instantly developed in alarming proportions. The Mayans, to whom the horrible disease was unknown, knew there was no use in searching for an herb that could cure the sickness. The entire population was nearly wiped out. Additional causes of depopulation were the ongoing plundering of Cozumel and the slavery initiated by the English and Dutch.
Apart from a single escaped pirate and his family, the island was uninhabited for almost three centuries.
For more information and reservations
please contact us at:
Cecilia Díaz sales@villamayacozumel.com
Sergio Suárez reservations@villamayacozumel.com