It is named after its location in the former san gervasio ranch. Once claimed in the 1950s to be a representation of lehis dream. See all 9 san gervasio mayan archaeological site tours on tripadvisor. D when this urban center was dedicated to ix chel, the goddess.
The yellow guide to the mayan ruins of san gervasio. Mar 10, 2018 i rode 10 miles out to the san gervasio site of mayan ruins on cozumel island, my 1st of the trip. San gervasio is included in many of the tours that operate from cruise ships on the island. The ruins were once a hub of worship of the goddess ix. Cozumel island is the largest island in the mexican caribbean. It was so windy and i actually had trouble riding there.
It is a small ruin site but lots of history and interesting. San gervasio s prehispanic name was tantun cuzamil, mayan for flat rock in the place of the swallows. San gervasio archeological site offers the only temple the maya ever built to the moon goddess ix chel, it is located quite centrally on the island and with a good guide is a fascinating place to explore. Best of cozumel tour cozumel choice cozumel mayan ruins. It is relatively close to san miguel, about halfway across the island on the main midisland road carretera tranversal cross island. Aug 26, 2017 it is the first building you will visit when you go on a cozumel ruins tour at san gervasio. Dec 12, 2019 the mayan ruins, cozumel, called san gervasio, are located in the northern third of the island in the state quintana roo. The book had far more cozumelspecific detail than any of the many books i have found on credible mayan history.
Some are restored the pyramid for instance and some are stones on the ground. A student of mayan history and a believer of the church must not assume that these parallels represent church doctrine or get defensive when evidence points against writings in the book of mormon. The san gervasio cozumel ruins arent as magnificent as the ruins on the mainland. San gervasio is the most important mayan archeological site on cozumel island. But if you are looking to experience a piece of mexicos ancient history while also having time to enjoy other parts of cozumel, the cozumel ruins can be a good alternative to visiting the. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. It was a holy site, dedicated to ixchel, the goddess of fertility. If i wanted the ruins i would definitely go to costa maya.
Maya ruins of san gervasio on cozumel illustration. Maya ruins of san gervasio the maya is believed to have first settled cozumel by the early part of the 1st millennium ad, and older preclassic olmec artifacts have been found on the island as well. While en route to the san gervasio ruins, your local tour guide will recount the history of the maya civilization in the yucatan peninsula. Maya ruins san gervasio ruin on cozumel the history of san gervasio dates back to 300400 ad. Take a tour of the san gervasio mayan archaeological site, mexico to visit historic site in cozumel. If you are interested in the history of cozumel, or factual information about the mayan ruins of tulum, xcaret, or san gervasio, this is the spot. Mayan women would pilgrimage here from all over the country to pray at the temples of san gervasio. Though some of the lesser visited ruins in the yucatan peninsula, the san gervasio mayan ruins are an absolutely fascinating piece of maya history and definitely worth a visit. Cozumel has a rich history, warm people and atmosphere. While many of the other mayan ruins like chichen itza or tulum were dedicated to human sacrifices meant to please the thirteen mayan gods, san gervasio was different. San gervasio is an archaeological site which is nestled in a wooded area. Immerse yourself in the history of cozumel at the ruins of san gervasio, where centuries old structures still stand. A guide to the mayan ruins of san gervasio on the island of cozumel, mexico. Mayan civilization and parallels to the book of mormon.
We visited san gervasio mayan ruins and were given an incredibly informative tour of the archaeological site by a young tour guide who shared with us fascinating facts about the mayan culture and way. San gervasios prehispanic name was tantun cuzamil, mayan for flat rock in the place of the swallows. Go offroading in a dune buggy to the biggest mayan ruins on cozumel at the famous san gervasio park. There are several buildings and structures spread out through the first area or district of san gervasio. Uncover culture with a 1 hour guided tour through the site. Cozumel mexico we were disappointed because of this. It was popular for many mayans to visit once in their lifetime on a type of pilgrimage. It is the first building you will visit when you go on a cozumel ruins tour at san gervasio. You can gain information about the history and culture of the people back then. It was a ruling centre, which controlled all the small island villages around. The second group of european visitors came with the hernan cortes expedition, which stopped by the island on the way to veracruz in 1519. The municipality is part of the state of quintana roo, mexico. If weather andor ocean conditions are not favorable we will change our beach destination for shopping time in downtown.
Explore cozumel in style while you drive your jeep to 3 of the best attractions in cozumel. Then go to tequila beach or tortugas snorkel center for a fun and sunny beach day. During your visit you can walk along limestone roads through the vestiges of mayan construction as your guide shares fascinating and myths and the history of. Youll hear about the importance of the san gervasio site to the maya, as well as interesting facts about cozumel. It is situated in what is now the state of quintana roo, mexico. Exploring ancient mayan ruins on cozumel, mexico san gervasio. Sadly a lot of it was destroyed by its namesake, and that is why the locals are trying to rename it back to its authentic name tantun. Cozumel was a witness of key events happening in the mayan history such as when the city of caracol belize defeated tikal guatemala in 562 bc, or when teotihuacan started to decline. San gervasio is the largest and most famous mayan ruins site on cozumel, dating back to 300400 a. Your first stop will be a guided tour of san gervasio archaeological zone, the largest of the mayan ruins of cozumel.
The archaeological site of san gervasio is the most important and well studied prehispanic site of all the documented settlements in cozumel island. The excrusion to san gervasio was very nice, we got to learn a lot about the islands history, got so see some beautiful sights after the ruins tour took a wonderful ride along the coast0 and got the beach break as well. Take the opportunity to explore the nearby archeological site at san gervasio, the islands largest and bestpreserved mayan ruins, and uncover the history of this longlived culture. San gervasio mayan archaeological site cozumel 2020. Mar 10, 2012 for a selfguided tour, as well as the true history of the ruins, a guidebook is available at the first ticket counter as well as several of the souviner shops near the entrance. Discover cozumels natural treasures as you explore ancient mayan ruins, experience an authentic tequila tasting, visit punta sur ecobeach and snorkel. Cozumel ruins san gervasio are quite small and in my opinion somewhat insignificant. Feb 24, 2015 exploring the mayan ruins of san gervasio in the middle of the island of cozumel, mexico in the caribbean sea.
San gervasio mayan ruins san gervasio is the most important mayan archeological site on cozumel island. It houses several remains of various architectural designs that date back to precolumbian mayan civilization. Cozumel is a small island just off the cost of mexico. Guide to san gervasio mayan ruins on cozumel, mexico. Remnants of maya ruins at san gervasio, mexico illustration. The island was sacred to ix chel, the maya moon goddess, and the temples here were a place of pilgrimage, especially by women desiring fertility. The san gervasio ruins are a mustsee for culture and history buffs. We visited san gervasio mayan ruins and were given an incredibly informative tour of the archaeological site by a young tour guide who shared with us fascinating facts about the mayan. Exploring the san gervasio mayan ruins in cozumel koox. Pilgrims from the whole maya area the so called mayab traveled to cozumel. And while unable to compete with the size of some of the structures built at chichen itza, tulum, ek balam or coba, the mayan ruins cozumel are no less impressive in terms of their historical significance. Mar 14, 2018 by james blake wiener published on 14 march 2018 this photograph shows some maya ruins from the san gervasio archaeological site, which is located on the island of cozumel in mexico. Another guidebook is also available from amazon books as either a kindle ebook or a paperback, entitled guide to the mayan ruins of san gervasio, cozumel.
Discover the maya ruins of san gervasio park and blaze along cozumels offroad trails aboard a dune buggy on this 4hour tour. Hit the rugged offroad trails of cozumel, and snorkel in the crystal clear waters of national marine park, the second largest barrier reef in the world. The guide begins with a description of cozumels early history, starting with the earliest premaya inhabitants, continuing through the mayan period of occupation and the islands subsequent discovery and conquest by the spanish. In san gervasio, walk through the oldest maya city on the island, learning about its archaeological importance along the way. Tuluum is much larger but is down the coastline a ways and is loaded with tourists. A sanctuary of the maya goddess ix chel used to be located at this location, which drew pilgrims from across the maya world. San gervasios gray, mossy stones retain the shape of the mayan community that once thrived there.
The archaeological site of san gervasio is situated near the center of cozumel and can be accessed by a paved road that turns north off the carretera transversal the eastwest road that leads to the eastern side of the island. San gervasio mayan archaeological site cozumel 2020 all. The mayan ruins, cozumel, called san gervasio, are located in the northern third of the island in the state quintana roo. San gervasio is the largest mayan ruins site on cozumel, and also the most significant. As you tour the ruins in this lush rainforest setting, youll see a variety of ancient fragments of the temples and sculptures, as well as the ruins of nine buildings connected by three roads. It seems that san gervasio on the island cozumel was the main place of worship for ixchel. Guide to the mayan ruins of san gervasio cozumel, mexico. In the center, one sees the niches structure, which was once composed of miniature shrines that were built on the sides of a stairway. Cozumel private san gervasio mayan ruins and beach. During the period of 1200 ad, the itzas dominated cozumel, from which point they controlled the trade between yucatan and the region.
Mar 15, 2018 the ruins of san gervasio located on the island of cozumel in mexico were once an important site of pilgrimage to maya people who lived from c. Upon arriving at the site, you will take a 45minute guided tour of the ruins. San gervasio ruins, punta sur ecobeach and chankanaab marine park in this fantastic combopackage deal. This archaeological set has been considered the center of pilgrimages where the mayan worshiped the goddess ixchel.
At the time san gervasio was being created, mayan artists started to use more representations of the female figure in the historic monuments. San gervasio, cozumel ticket price timings address. Ric hajovskys books and articles on these subjects are meticulously researched and provide views into the past that you cant get from tour guides or. Immerse yourself in the mayan history at san gervasio ruins archaeological site and enjoy the flavors and beauty of cozumel. The maya culture that built san gervasio and other postclassic sites on cozumel were seatraders who plied their wares far and wide. Cozumel highlights and mayan ruins adult only tour disney. Mayan ruins of san gervasio ric hajovsky our books. Visit san gervasio mayan archaeological site on your trip. Located in the center of the island, the ruins were once a hub of worship to the goddess ixchel, the mayan goddess of midwifery and fertility. You can get there by taxi, rental car, rental motorbike, or by a guided tour either in a fortypassenger tour bus, or a ten passenger van. The ruins were once a hub of worship to of the goddess ix chel, meaning she of the rainbows. San gervasio costs there and back cozumel cruise critic. The first thing to note about the ruins are the name, san gervasio is actually the name of a man who explored the ruins extensively, unfortunately, he used dynamite to do so and so destroyed a large part of them in the process. The religious center was built as sanctuary to the goddess ixchel.
Prior to the influence of the spanish, san gervasio was called tantun cuzamil, which translates to flat rock in the place of the swallows. Mayan ruins and chocolate tasting in cozumel, mexico one. For a selfguided tour, as well as the true history of the ruins, a guidebook is available at the first ticket counter as well as several of the souviner shops near the entrance. Both groups were received well by the maya of cozumel. A guide to the mayan ruins of san gervasio the surprising history that lies buried under this famous mexican theme park all you need to know to travel in spain in high style, but at a budget price whether you are looking to move to cozumel permanently, or just part time, this is the book you need to read. Book your tickets online for san gervasio mayan archaeological site, cozumel. Located on cozumel island, the largest island in the mexican caribbean, it was still a functioning religious site at the time the spaniards arrived in the 16th century. San gervasio is an archaeological site of the precolumbian maya civilization, located. We recommend booking san gervasio mayan archaeological site tours ahead of time to secure your spot. The ruins are spread throughout the jungle, so plan to do plenty of walking. Like the rest of cozumel, many aspects of the san gervasio ruins are a mystery that began with the maya and remain today. The ruins represent an important part of the islands past.
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