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This author relishes the other side of Cozumel, Mexico: a place to turn your family vacation into a cultural exploration.

Cruise ships still ply their ways to the port and disgorge their human cargo for a day of sightseeing and raucous evening entertainment, especially at Carlos' and Charlie's, a drink-saturated night spot reminiscent of college fraternity parties and adolescent coming-of-age rituals. But in the spaces between the crowds seeking trinkets and saturnalias, the proud, quiet culture of the indigenous people, the Mayans, is being further discovered and, yes, even promoted. The tourism authorities realize that today's travelers are interested in the roots and routes of peoples from whom they can learn.

Center Of Mayan Culture

The name itself, Cozumel, comes from the Mayan goddess of love and fertility, Ixchel (Ishel), who made her home here. Religious temples were dedicated to her, and, in return, she sent her favorite bird--the swallow or cuzam--as a sign of gratitude. Since the Mayan world for "land of" is lumil, the island was called Cozumil or "land of the swallows."

In the Museo De La Isla De Cozumel (Museum of Cozumel), which should be every visitor's first stop, you'll also learn that when the Spaniards invaded Cozumel in 1518, there was a complex and advanced culture of 2,000 Mayans. Two years later, when the Europeans left, there were only 40 Mayans left alive--the others had succumbed to various diseases and maltreatment. This is more than a twice-told tale, one not usually told in these parts, where sun and surf are the twin gods of life today, and nobody wants to dig too deeply--literally and figuratively.

When I first visited the island 20 years ago, there wasn't even a museum. Today, the Museo is a clean, attractive, well-designed building managed with care and sensitivity. The exhibits are explained in three languages: Mayan, Spanish and English. The fragile ecosystem of the island and its striking reefs are nicely covered, and throughout there is a passionate emphasis on the need for conservation and respect for the environment. A model Mayan home with a Mayan calendar, foodstuffs and domestic utensils is a nice touch, especially the craftsman weaving hammocks by hand in the ancient tradition.

The vibrant colors of the local art on the walls captures the whimsical style of many Latin American painters. I especially appreciated the mischievous child on a bright rocking horse in the middle of the very blue ocean, and the charming girl gazing at the viewer with a slightly perplexed but captivating smile. It's called "Porque?" or "Why?" The shaded tables that dot the open-air café on the second floor are perfect places to enjoy a light lunch or good cup of coffee and watch the pelicans swoop along the water's surface a few feet away. I'm sure few tourists visit this café or the museum, or even know they are here. Located on the main drag in San Miguel, the only town on the island, it's a real find.