Getting there
San Gervasio
Taxi or rental car is the way to reach San Gervasio from the port, since Cozumel has no public transit out of town.
San Gervasio
San Gervasio is the most important and best-studied pre-Hispanic site on Cozumel, a small ceremonial center in the northern part of the island. You walk its paths through jungle, past plazas and temples.
About San Gervasio
San Gervasio is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the northern third of Cozumel island. Its pre-Hispanic name was Tantun Cuzamil, meaning Flat Rock in the place of the Swallows. The name San Gervasio comes from the former ranch that once held the land.
The site was a sanctuary and pilgrimage center for the goddess Ixchel, the deity of childbirth, fertility, medicine and weaving. Maya women were said to try to make the journey here at least once in their lives. Today it is the most important and best-studied pre-Hispanic center on the island, and a visit is a walk among its plazas and temples through jungle.
- Six architectural groups Architectural groups at the site
What you can do at San Gervasio
Trips that go to San Gervasio
Booked with our partner Shore Excursions Group. Prices are per person.
Getting there, cost and time
Taxi or rental car is the way to reach San Gervasio from the port, since Cozumel has no public transit out of town.
An entry fee to the archaeological zone is paid on site; transport is paid separately by taxi or car.
Good to know
- San Gervasio is open in the morning and early afternoon, so plan the visit within those hours.
- There is no public transit out of town, so plan on a taxi, a rental car, or walking.
- Pair the ruins with a visit to a cenote for a fuller picture of Cozumel's pre-Columbian history.
Near San Gervasio
Cozumel Museum
The Cozumel Museum is a museum in a 1930s former hotel on the island's southern hotel zone. Four permanent exhibits and two temporary rooms cover island history, nature and culture.
Downtown San Miguel
Downtown San Miguel is the town center of Cozumel, with a main square, shops, and restaurants around it. It is the island's main town, and most of what visitors come for sits within a short walk.
El Cielo
El Cielo is a shallow reef and sandbar off Cozumel, reached by boat and used for snorkeling and time on the sand. Boats and catamarans leave from the island for the trip.
Chankanaab Park
Chankanaab is a natural park on Cozumel's south coast, with a sandy beach, a shallow snorkel area and a lagoon. Visitors snorkel off the sand, swim with animals or try a reef dive from here.
Sailings that stop in Cozumel
1,478 sailings on 19 cruise lines call here in the next twelve months. Totals are for two guests, taxes included.
Margaritaville Islander
Disney Fantasy
Norwegian Epic
Sources: Cozumel municipality · Cozumel Parks · Cozumel Parks · Mexican Caribbean · Museos México · San Gervasio (Maya site), Wikipedia
Photo: Puchku, CC BY-SA 3.0