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Having visited San Gervasio archaeological site twice in the past, it was a place about which I could have said, “Been there, done that”.
Not me…
I love ruins and architecture. So why would I not go back?
The largest and most important archaeological site on Cozumel is a sanctuary to Ixchel, the goddess of fertility and love. Located in the center of the island in the middle of a lush jungle, populated with iguanas, flowers and foliage, the site’s name was taken from the agricultural and cattle ranch, San Gervasio, founded by Mr. Gervasio Novelo on September 14, 1858.
The site’s original name is unknown, but its long history dates back to 100 BC and it continued into the late 16th century, with the arrival of the Spaniards.
For the duration of San Gervasio’s existence, women have made the obligatory pilgrimage to pay tribute to Ixchel, “She Of the Rainbows”, deity of midwifery, fertility and women.
The site’s entrance is well-marked on Transversal Road, but once turning from the main road, the drive is long and narrow and marked with a speed limit that I think the iguanas could outrun.
A decent parking lot is available for those with rentals and a nice, attendant will keep an eye on your car…be sure, he will remember you and be standing nearby for his tip!
When entering the complex and paying your entrance fee of $4.50, you will first encounter a courtyard, with a few souvenir shops. Since, I only had a rain slicker, we were trying to purchase a small umbrella for my son. The shops only carried the long, curved handle type, for $10, which would have been impossible to bring home. One of the shop owners, offered to lend us one, for a tip…actually a good deal for us and a smart move on her part. How many times has this umbrella paid for itself?
Another tip I learned later was about bug spray…definitely bring your own. My son is a mosquito magnet and I did not think of picking up some while in town. The shop vendors were more than willing to sell us a very expensive can, which we did not purchase due to the size and cost. Later, I learned that we could have asked for a spray down for a tenth of the cost of the can…something we should have definitely done for my son.
It is in this area that you can hire a guide to take you throughout the complex and the price for the both of us was $20, though we opted not to use this service. Restrooms are also located here and I recommend using the facilities before entering the site.
Before entering the actual archaeological site, you encounter another ticket counter. I don’t understand the logic here…would you seriously pay just to enter the courtyard? Anyway, here we paid $5 each and received our tickets.
The site is very well laid out, well marked and has sturdy paths to lead you from one area to the next in the front of the complex.
One of the first buildings you encounter is the The Little Hands Structure, so named because of the red colored hand prints that mark the wall. The temple is comprised of two rooms in which a small temple was built in the interior of one of them.
Another small house-like structure is located nearby, although it is almost certain to have had a ceremonial use. A small temple is also located in the center of the structure.
As we continued on, we encountered other small structures, but an impressive arch-like structure, which marked the intersection of two ancient roads or sacbés, caught my eye. In pre-hispanic days, The Arch Structure, was the entrance or exit of the central part of San Gervasio. Pilgrims and traders would reach the famous sanctuary of Ixchel to make an offering at the altar that lies in the middle of the vaulted passageway. It was here that many statues to Ixchel were found and are still being discovered. One of the statues, a large ceramic image of Ixchel was believed to have delivered oracles spoken by a hidden priestess for pilgrims with questions.
From this point, we chose one of the two roads to either Pozo or Nohoch Nah. The paved paths ended here and the road was rocky and a bit muddy from the recent rains.
Nohoch Nah, also known as the the Big House Structure, was quite an impressive one. An altar in the middle of the enclosure, in which offerings were placed can be seen through the grated metal that covers the doorways. Most archaeological sites prohibit you from standing on or climbing the structures, however, this one allows for climbing the stairs and walking around the formation giving you a distinct understanding of how the Mayans felt when they utilized the structure.
After a long and drizzly walk through the jungle, complete with massive puddles blocking the path, we soon arrived at Murciélagos y Pet Nah. The Muciélagos and Round House Structures were the most important buildings in the Late Classic period in San Gervasio. The principal center of the site was located here and it was also here that the Overlord resided. The Round House was named as such due to the unusual rounded platforms and its altar which is also round. Again, we were able to climb to the top of the rounded platforms giving us a different perspective of Murciélagos.
After another long and muddy walk through the jungle, we soon arrived at the final area of San Gervasio, complete with four distinct structures. The Palace Structure contained colonnaded halls most of which can still be seen standing on the foundation. Though you were not prohibited from climbing the other structures, here, signs inform you that it is not allowed.
In this wide, grassy area, another structure, is the Ossuary, The structure was aptly named after numerous human remains were found inside during exploration of the building. The temple no longer exists, but originally had masonry walls and a a roof.
Another smaller structure also stands here in this area, Structure 25B, which was also another colonnaded hall with a masonry roof. Different from other colonnaded halls, it only had three pillars with square bases and three columns with round bases.
Back to the smooth, paved walkways, we made our way toward the front of the complex returning our umbrella along the way.
Though San Gervasio is not quite as large as Chichen Itza or many of the other massive ruin sites in the Riviera Maya and has not had a lot of restoration, the numerous structures that can be viewed at close range amid the beautiful natural setting makes the off-the-beaten trek, worthwhile.
So…grab your sunglasses, umbrella and bug spray and your sense of adventure…head on over to San Gervasio.
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San Gervasio
- http://www.inah.gob.mx/es/zonas/101-zona-arqueologica-san-gervasio
- Address: Kilómetro 7.5, Carretera Transversal, Centro, 77600 Cozumel, Q.R., Mexico
- Hours: Monday thru Sunday, 0800-1630
- Admission: $9.50
- How To Get There: By car, head north on Transversal Road from downtown Cozumel. The entrance is well-marked. If you are arriving by cruise ship, many taxis will take you to the ruins and wait for about $70 and return you to San Miguel or the cruise ship’s dock.
A central plaza spread before us with a large, covered pavilion, lined with brightly covered flags. A nearby covered structure contained a large number of inscribed benches and there were a few vendor’s storefronts as well as the Hacienda Tequila Museum, which offers tequila tastings.
