Cozumel Island

Cozumel lies off the eastern coast of Yucatán, separated from the mainland by a channel of Caribbean water. Before the Spanish conquest it was an important Maya pilgrimage centre associated with the goddess Ix Chel. Visitors crossed from the mainland to its shrines, while coastal routes linked the island with other ports. Hernán Cortés reached Cozumel in 1519 during the expedition that continued towards the Mexican mainland.