El Cedral

El Cedral is on Cozumel, 8 miles south of San Miguel. El Cedral is believed to be an important ceremonial site. It is the oldest Maya site on the island (700 AD) and it is the most accessible. Once the hub of Maya life on Cozumel, was the first site found by the Spanish in 1518 and where they celebrated their first mass in Mexico. The Spanish destroyed most of the site and the U. S. Army Corp of Engineers leveled all but one structure completing World War II airfield. All that remains is a small structure with an arch; be sure to look inside to see the faint traces of paint and stucco. Nearby is a green and white cinder block church, decorated inside with crosses shrouded in embroidered lace. In the early 1900s it saw use as a jail. Cedral became the islands first official city in 1847. Today, the area is occupied by a small farm settlement. Cedral hold an agricultural fair each May. The history of this city is explored every year at the Festival of El Cedral. For more than 150 years this event has been held in El Cedral annually in the month of April. The event was first introduced by Casimiro Cardenas, a member of a group of survivors who fled from a mainland village called Saban to El Cedral after the War of the Castes. Legend has it that Cardenas survived a brutal attack that saw the deaths of many villagers all the while holding a wooden cross. This led him to start the annual festival to honor the power of the crucifix. There is a Holy Cross Festival, which makes up part of the El Cedral Festival. The fair includes traditional feasts, rodeos, bullfights, live music and numerous competition. The El Cedral Festival is a village celebration that lasts about five days.