San Gervasio

San Gervasio is the most important Maya archaeological site on Cozumel Island, located in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It served as a major pilgrimage sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Ix Chel, deity of childbirth, fertility, and medicine, attracting Maya women from across Mesoamerica. The site reached peak prominence during the Post-Classic period (1200-1530 CE), with nine temple buildings arranged around an enclosed central courtyard connected by three sacbe roads. Its pre-Hispanic name was Tantun Cuzamil, meaning 'Flat Rock in the Place of the Swallows'. Juan de Grijalva was the first European to visit in 1518, followed by Hernan Cortes in 1519.