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San Gervasio and Beach Tour

Posted by Panchita on 06/03/03

you can get a taxi driver to take you out there for a couple of hours (yes, they are happy to wait for you for a fixed price).  The ruins at San Gervasio are about 2/3 of the way across the island and are easily accessible via automobile.   it's a nice site, but not as large as some on the mainland, so when your done it's nice to combine with a stop at some of the east side restaurants to take in the view and something refreshing.  
If you have time, log onto www.cancunmap.com and get the map of Cozumel - it's got everything marked clearly and with pictures and information and will make your adventure much easier.
No matter how much fun they look, many tourists are hurt badly by mopeds in Cozumel.  When you combine the roads, the taxis, the tourists, the pedestrians, the dogs, the margaritas, and the poor maintenance on the mopeds themselves, etc., you have a recipe for disaster - please reconsider the moped idea and go for your own car or hiring a taxi driver to act as your chauffer - we've done this before and had a great time.
Have fun!

Posted by jeanniejo on 06/03/03

There is only one tarred road around the island-so if you rent a vehicle of your choice, just head in any direction around the island and you will see the signs to San Gervaisio-it is well marked.  The fasted way is to head north to the transversal part of the road to the east coast and you will see the signs about 1/2 way to the other side.  

Posted by Ron Lee on 10/31/02

The only one I have seen in Coz is San Gervasio.   One option is to rent a taxi to take you there.   I think it closes at 5 PM.

If you have excursions to Tulum or Chitzchen Itza on the mainland, those are great places.

Posted by ljcoz on 10/31/02

castillo real which is only accesible by atv, or jeep tour it is one of the remote sites on the island. san gervasio is very cool as well. lj

Posted by Chris on 08/22/01

We were not brave enough to rent a car....the way the people drive there was enough to put us off! Besides, a rental car costs around $75 a day, and with 6 of us, we would have needed something big! We went to the concierge at our hotel and asked him how expensive it would be to get a taxi to take us to the San Gervasio ruins. He called a friend of his who drives a taxi, and his friend was wonderful. His name is Jaime (pronounced "hi-may"), and his taxi is #11 (which is air conditioned!) His English was excellent, and he was very friendly. He showed us pictures of his children and talked about his family while he gave us a tour of the town of San Miguel. He showed us the tourist areas, as well as the areas where the people actually live. He took us through several neighborhoods, showed us where the children go to school, the university his son attends, and some of the oldest homes in the city. During out tour, he described how the lives of the people there have changed since the tourist industry has brought so much more money into the area. It was an excellent learning experience for our 4 sons. He then took us out to the ruins and negotiated with the government people there so that we only had to pay 3 entrance fees....allowing our younger sons, aged 7, 9 and 10, to get in for free. He waited for us while we toured the ruins, then made another stop in town so that we could pick up some gear we needed, and returned us to our hotel. He charged us $70 US, which was less than the cost of car rental, we didn't get lost, and we got a tour guide in the deal. If you're planning a trip to Cozumel and don't want to worry with a car, we would highly recommend Jaime.....and please tell him we said hello!

^~~^....Chris

Posted by Jim Forte on 07/07/01

There is one major archeological site on Cozumel Island, San Gervasio, it is between the town of San Miguel (which is what the developed area actually is) and the East coast, on the only cross island road.  It is a minor ruin, by technical standards, but very well done, from a viewing standpoint, and the guides there are really helpful.  It is well worth it if you want to stay on the island.

There is a smaller ruin at Cedral, which is a site south of town, there is only one significant building at Cedral (if I remember correctly, and it's been a few years since I went there), plus it has been "developed" recently, so I am not exactly sure what is there now.

There is one more "on island" ruin, actually just a single building, on the road to the South Lighthouse (see my post below called "East and South"), which supposedly was a Mayan lighthouse.

The major "ruins" sites are on the mainland, as noted elsewhere.

Enjoy!

Posted by Ron and Robin on July 3, 2000

Rent a car and visit this site!!!  It is located on the cross island road halfway across and is marked by a sign where to turn, then on down another narrow road for a few miles to the end.  Entrance fee is only a few dollars per person.  The site  is very well marked so you don't need a guide, however, there are guides available at the entrance for a small fee ($10 per group I think).  There are many buildings and signs with arrows make your way as you walk through the jungle amidst iguanas and turtles.  No huge pyramids here like Coba or Chichen Itza, but great examples of a Mayan culture.  There are stores back at the entrance as well as nice clean restrooms.

Ron & Robin

Posted by Alan on June 5, 2000

I admit that the ruins at San Gervasio are not on a scale with those at Tulum but they are no less interesting. This is an archeological site which served as a religious center, a worship site of X’chel, a Mayan goddess of fertility whose principal sanctuary was in Cozumel. Women from all over the Mayan world made pilgrimages to her temple at least once in their lifetime to assure an abundance of offspring. All of the ruins are well researched with time lines and accompanying descriptions which made for a very interesting trip

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