culture Archives - The Cabana Beach

LA TUMBA DEL CARACOL

Cozumel one of the ten municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo is a Mexican island, the third largest and the second most populated of the country in the Mayan language Cozumel means “Island of the Swallows”, rich in archaeological monuments, product of the Mayan culture, has incredible places for tourists the most relevant are San Gervasio, El Cedral, Miramar, Punta Molas, Celarain and Cinco Puertas on the island of Cozumel and Xel Ha, has historic buildings such as the Public Clock, the boardwalk, the Esplanade of the Flag, the main park, monument to the snail, monument to the diver and the statue of the Virgin submerged in the sea, in June is the religious feast of St. Pedro and St. Pablo, in September that of St. Miguel.

In June is the religious feast of San Pedro and San Pablo, in September is the feast of San Miguel (the name of the municipal capital is San Miguel de Cozumel), in February or March is the carnival and in May is celebrated in El Cedral the feast of the Holy Cross.

The name of the ruin “El Caracol” was given because of the snails that ornament the small dome that crowns the roof of this small temple, hence the name. It is also known as “Tumba del Caracol”, because of its small size, which resembles a burial mound.

It is certain that this pre-Hispanic complex was built during the late Postclassic period (1200 – 1500 A.D.) and although it is believed that this archaeological site is dedicated to and was built in honor of the Mayan goddess Ixchel, there are no remains to prove it.

The ruin of the Caracol has a west-east alignment towards the islet “Celarain” 550 m. away and you can see the sunrise in alignment with it, on February 22 and October 20. In addition, the observation of celestial movements was of great importance to the ancient Maya.

That is why they developed calendars of great precision used in agricultural and religious activities, and transferred the knowledge to build their cities in harmony with the cosmos and worship the deities that inhabited the celestial vault.

The main temple is the one that gives name to the zone and it is a miniature temple of vaulted roof and four doors, that later was wrapped in three of its sides by a bigger construction.

On the roof it has a small square temple, with four openings and an upper hole, where a snail-shaped top was placed, decorated with four rows of natural snails embedded in the stucco.

One of the legends that embrace this archaeological zone is that people believe that the wind makes the snails whistle, and that the ancient Maya related it to hurricanes and the cult of the wind.

The singular decoration of the roof of this building is unique in the region. This makes it highly recommended for a visit, which includes an exceptional view of the sea at the southern tip of Cozumel Island.

The Caracol group is located at the southern tip of the island of Cozumel, on the dirt road leading to the Punta Celerain lighthouse, where there is currently a small museum which is in charge of the Foundation of Parks and Museums of Cozumel.

The site is located within the ecological reserve of Punta Sur, administered by the same foundation. From the city of San Miguel de Cozumel, it can be easily accessed by following the perimeter road to the south of the island.

Services available in the area:
The archeological site does not have any. To access the park’s services, the corresponding access fee must be paid.

Hours:
Visits are scheduled upon request to the INAH Center. The park is open from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 16:00 hrs.

Recommendations:
Wear comfortable shoes, water, insect repellent and biodegradable sunscreen.
Since INAH does not have permanent staff at the site, visits should be requested at least five days in advance.

How to get to the site:
It can be easily accessed by following the perimeter road to the south of the island.

A Wonder of the World close to your vacation in Cozumel

Chichen Itza is not technically located in Cozumel, but many consider it one of its cultural secrets, as most tours to Chichen Itza depart from Cozumel.

The ruins of this ancient Mayan city have been certified by UNESCO to be included in its famous World Heritage List, and it is also known as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Chichen Itza is one of the most important Mayan ruins.

So, if you are looking to take a tour, only schedule one where the tour guide is certified as an expert, as this is the only way you will experience the wonders of this most famous site.

For centuries there has been speculation about the significance of the pyramid of Kukulcan in particular since, according to recent indications, it could be a kind of calendar given the importance of time changes for the Maya.

This pyramid is 24 meters high; each side has exactly 91 steps plus one more at the top that leads to the upper temple which, added together, would be 365, exactly the same as the days of the year.

When can the feathered serpent be seen?

During the equinoxes, the so-called descent of the feathered serpent is observed.

Starting from the snake heads, the shadows of the platforms are projected, creating an optical illusion that looks like the body of a snake moving, crawling down the stairway.

Scholars of Chichén Itzá believe that it was a way for the Mayas to symbolize the mandate of the gods to go to the agricultural work before the imminent rainy season.

El Caracol

Chichén Itzá offers a myriad of charms such as the Observatory, also known as El Caracol because of the spiral shape hidden inside, a place where the Mayas studied the stars.

Also the Temple of the warriors with its impressive group of columns or the Ball Game court in which the two rings through which the ball had to pass are preserved.

How to visit Chichen Itza?

There are several ways to get here and the most common are excursions that take you to the site and also offer you a guide who will explain the secrets of the site.

However, Chichen Itza can also be visited on your own, since there are several buses from the nearest cities, such as Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Tulum or Merida.

Before the arrival of the coronavirus, there were tours to Chichen Itza at night that were highly recommended, with a narrative reproduction of lights and sound over the great pyramid of Kukulcan.

At the moment these tours are suspended until further notice. It should also be noted that, after its reopening, the capacity of Chichen Itza is limited to 3000 people and its schedule is from 8 am to 5 pm, with the last visit at 4 pm.

El Cenote Sagrado de Chichén Itzá

Also, while you are in Chichén Itzá it is important not to miss the sacred Cenote.

With about 60 meters in diameter, it is believed that this impressive opening was used by the Maya to make human sacrifices, in fact it has a platform that seems explicitly designed for it.

As a curious fact; at the beginning of the 20th century a person found out that the Mayas used to throw maidens into the cenote, so he bought the property believing that inside he could find remains of the ladies’ jewels.

He dredged the cenote and found a number of objects that he later sold until 1926 when the Mexican government expropriated the land and sued him. After years of trial, the great majority of the pieces were returned to museums in the country.

Luis Fernando

Tagged Cozumel island culture culture Cozume mayan secrets near to cozumel tourism aroun the island tourism in cozumel

Cozumel and its cultural secrets

Beyond its spectacular beaches, Cozumel also has cultural secrets to offer you.

When we go on vacation to a paradisiacal destination like the Caribbean
we have in mind to enjoy the sun, sand and sea,
we believe that we only need these three elements of nature to be happy,
but there are also destinations that have to do with culture.

Cozumel not only has the most impressive natural beauties,
it is also developing activities that are linked to culture.

That is why we want to highlight the cultural activities in Cozumel,
after a few days on the beach tanning, you can go to three
spectacular places that will make you reconnect with the past, present and future.

The first is the ruins of San Gervasio, a mystical, millenary site full
of beautiful iguanas that guard this sacred place.

San Gervasio, Cozumel

San Gervasio is the largest archaeological zone on the island of Cozumel,
where there are ancient structuresthat frame the remains of the Mayan civilization
and serve as a sanctuary for the goddess Ix-chel.

Upon entering we will feel an energetic atmosphere.

The road is made of stone, as this was the way to know how to get to this or that place,
and this reminds us of the natural intelligence that the Mayas had
to develop their cities and communication routes.

San Gervasio served as a strategic point for the political and economic development of its time.
Most of the structures were used as altars, shrines and for meetings of government officials.

El Pueblo del Maíz

A park that connects us with the Mayan ancestors, and where their way of life is explained,
the daily activities they had and a choreographic representation of their rituals is offered.

Where we will learn that fresh water comes from subway wells, from the liquid that accumulated
from the rainwater and that was accumulated by the surrounding nature.

The Maya also discovered that chicle, a gum extracted from the bark of a tree,
allowed them to stay hydrated while chewing it,
which they did when they had to walk for several hours or days.

There is also an explanation about the goddess Ix-chel,
who was known not only as an entity that intercedes for fertility,
but also for abundance in the Maya land.

We are given a copal bath to get rid of bad vibes and then we enter the pre-Hispanic universe,
where we are told that cocoa was used as currency to buy food,
we are taught how to grind corn to make dough and then we end up
making a tortilla to which we add a delicious pumpkin seed sauce.

Then there is the procedure for making chocolate,
which explains how the cocoa bean is obtained.

These seeds are put in the sun to dry and then roasted on the comal,
and then ground in the metate, without a sweetener, the flavor is similar to coffee,
the Mayas used honey so that the ground cocoa had flavor and became chocolate,
with which they also prepared beverages.

Later there is a choreographic representation of a ritual,
among other cultural activities worth appreciating.

El Planetario

Another of the cultural activities in Cozumel is for lovers of astronomy and anything to do
with space and the environment, there is an ideal place to learn about the past,
present and future: “The Cha’an Ka’an” planetarium, which has state-of-the-art technology.

Thanks to the geographical position of the island, the telescope has been able to see stars,
planets and even galaxies.

Tagged Cozumel island cozumel mexico cozumel secrets culture mayan ruins planetarium quintana roo