Martin has learned that Cozumel is Mexico’s third biggest island with the capital city at San Miguel. His vacation is going to be great. The island is located in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Cancun. Cozumel Island is home to more than seventy thousand people, who work hard to maintain island’s main industry – tourism. In Mayan, Cozumel means the Island of Swallows, which explains the presence of many species of swift swallows at this island. Thousands of tourists take vacations with the families to Cozumel to enjoy this quiet and beautiful Caribbean island.
   Martin liked history while being at school. Now he is trying to understand the history of Cozumel, which is tightly interconnected with the history of the Maya. This ancient Mesoamerican civilization has left pieces of its prosperity at this island, including ruins of temple, dedicated to the Mayan goddess Ix Chel. San Gervacio is the name for this archeological site and Ix Chel is a name of Mayan goddess of fertility, which, is believed, Mayan women ought to visit at least once in their lifetime. It is possible for any family to enjoy this island due to its natural beauty, including transparent blue sea, white sand beaches, impassable rain forests, deep underwater caves, sea corals, and rare birds and animals to name a few. French explorer Jacques Cousteau was impressed by the natural beauties of this enchanted island and recommended it right away for other travelers to visit.
   This island has become a major tourist attraction after underwater explorations by Jacques Yves Cousteau, a famous French explorer, engineer, and scuba diver, who claimed that the Island of Swallows was one of the best diving places in the world. Many tourists spend vacation there. It turned out that Cozumel was standing on the second biggest coral reef system on the globe – Great Mayan Reef – which is home to thousands of unique sea organisms. Therefore, since 1960’s divers all over the world come to Cozumel to enjoy the wonders of the this reef, making scuba diving and snorkeling two major tourist entertainments at this island.
   Cozumel is a family-friendly place with innumerable adventures for both kids and adults.