Mayan myth claims that Cozumel was home to the gods. Truly Cozumel is a place fit for the gods, with its dazzling white-sand beaches, ruined Mayan temples, exotic jungle wildlife, and crystalline waters teeming with tropical fish. Just offshore lay Palancar Reef, considered one of the most spectacular coral formations in all the Caribbean. Of course, the gods weren’t the only individuals attracted to this terrestrial paradise: during its long and colorful history, Cozumel has been home to pirates, buccaneers, and freebooters, including Sir Henry Morgan and Jean Lafitte. Today’s traveler will discover the same ravishing beauty and relaxation that entertained gods and pirates alike.

The sleepy fishing village of Mahahual is your gateway to Costa Maya. Here in the dense tropical forest and mangrove thickets of the southern Yucatan flourished the great Mayan civilization. During the Classic Period (200 – 1000 B.C.), the Maya erected elaborate stone cities of stepped pyramids, plazas, and palaces. Keen astronomers, they also developed a sophisticated mathematics, a highly accurate calendar, and a complex system of writing. Then, this fascinating culture literally disappeared as the Maya deserted their city complexes for the jungle interior. Today, visitors to Costa Maya can explore the ruins of the once great cities of Kohunlich, Dzibanché, and Chacchoben.

Located at the base of the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize offers travelers a wealth of attractions. The country’s dense rain forest is dotted with Mayan ruins. The forest is also home to a wide range of tropical wildlife, ranging from jaguars and ocelots to keel-boated macaws and howler monkeys. Offshore, the world’s second largest barrier reef offers some of the finest diving in the world. And Belize’s easygoing ways, a legacy of its past as a British colony, feels far more akin to a small Caribbean island than a Central American republic.

Roatán is an island in the Caribbean, about 65 kilometres off the northern coast of Honduras. It is located between the islands of Útila and Guanaja, and is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras. The island was formerly known in English as Ruatan and Rattan.