lifestyle, travel This is Cozumel

The dust from thousands of hooves and dancing revellers' feet has finally settled after the Festival of El Cedral in Cozumel, last weekend.

Events included rodeos, bullfights, riding displays, music, dancing, horse racing, roast meat feasts and more, all based at the old village of El Cedral in the island's south.

This annual local event is thought to be over 160 years old and started by an early settler to the island who was fleeing war on the mainland.

Legend has it that the tradition was first established by Casimiro Cárdenas, one of a band that fled to the island during the War of the Castes after seeing many of his companions killed in a vicious attack on his village of Saban on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Running from the slaughter, Cárdenas is said to have escaped to Cozumel whilst clutching a small wooden cross and vowed to honor the crucifix's religious strength by founding an annual festival wherever he settled.

With the official title of the Festival of El Cedral and the Fiestas of Santa Cruz, the celebrations are open every year to locals and visitors alike.

Nowadays, rowdy revellers enjoy traditional Yucatecan and Mexican feasts and parties, as well as music, dancing, competitions, rodeos, bullfights and plenty of ice cold Mexican beer.

See our Google+ El Cedral Album from 2014 or visit our Tourist Information section for more Cozumel Events.

Photos courtesy of Cozumel Municipal Government.

You can also see the town of El Cedral at any time on the following excursions:

Cozumel Taxi Tour.

Cozumel ATV Tour.

ATV Jungle Snorkel Combo.

Xrail Jungle Buggy Madness.