What it's like
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.
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.
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.
Tours that go here
Prices are per person, booked with our partner, Shore Excursions Group.
Punta Sur Eco Park
Punta Sur Eco Park is a reserve and lighthouse at the southern tip of Cozumel. You walk trails through dunes, lagoons and low forest, and climb to the Celarain lighthouse for wide views.
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.
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.
Playa Palancar
Playa Palancar is a white-sand beach club on the quiet west side of Cozumel, reached from the southern hotel zone. Day passes give you a lounge chair and umbrella, with a seafood restaurant and bar on site.
The same kind of day, elsewhere
Ancient sites
