Cozumel is Mexico's original Caribbean playground. The Maya, its first inhabitants, named it Cuzamil, meaning "Land of the Swallows." However, it was the goddess of fertility, Ixchel, that they worshiped here and the remains of centuries old Mayan temples and ceremonial centers still dot the island.

This is where Europeans first stepped on Mexican soil, and a plaque on the beach marks the spot Catholic mass was first celebrated in Mexico. But the Spanish explorers didn't stay. Fresh water was in short supply and the mainland natives were hostile, so the conquerors pushed on in their search for El Dorado. Cozumel was largely forgotten, except by pirates, such as Jean Lafitte, who frequented the island. Popular legend notwithstanding, no buried treasures have been found to date.

After a visit to the island in 1962, oceanographer Jacques Cousteau even proclaimed Cozumel to be one of the finest diving sites in the world. The island is home to the world's second-largest coral reef and is ringed by some 30 dive sites. The abundance of reefs plus the transparency of the Caribbean have made Cozumel a major diving destination.