Maya Goddess Ixchel’s Sacred Journey Explored in Cozumel

Cozumel, Mexico — As part of the "Call of the Goddess Ixchel" program, the Cozumel Parks and Museums Foundation (FPMC) organized a discussion titled "The Goddess, the Journey, and Its Canoeists," featuring Dr. Iván Batún Alpuche, an archaeologist who shared insights into the symbolic and spiritual richness of Maya culture.

The event took place in the auditorium of the Island Museum, where participants who have rowed in various editions of the Sacred Journey offered emotional testimonies about the mystical and transformative experience of crossing the sea in communion with their ancestral roots.

A Community Forged by Tradition

This activity has fostered a deep sense of brotherhood among those who take part in the symbolic pilgrimage to Cozumel Island. Among the attendees were Brenda Itzel García Murillo, Carlos Alberto Meraz Parrales, Claudia Meraz Parrales, Martha Elena Mezquita, and María Fernanda Valdez Mezquita—the latter two a mother-daughter pair who shared how the Journey has strengthened their family bond and created a magical experience that brought them even closer.

The Spiritual and Historical Significance of Cozumel

During his presentation, Dr. Batún Alpuche highlighted Cozumel’s geographical importance for ancient Maya navigators and European explorers, who found refuge on the island. Addressing pre-Hispanic spirituality, he noted that Spanish colonizers encountered a deeply rooted polytheistic religion intertwined with nature.

He emphasized the significance of the goddess Ixchel, associated with fertility, life, and the feminine cycle, as well as the god Ah Muken Kaab (or Ah Mucen Cab), protector of bees and honey—a sacred food and essential resource in Maya cosmology. This topic has been extensively explored in his doctoral thesis.

Preserving Cultural Heritage

FPMC Director General Juanita Alonso Marrufo thanked the archaeologist for his participation and welcomed the cultural activities planned for the event. She stated, "The Foundation’s mission is to protect, preserve, and promote Cozumel’s cultural and natural wealth. Events like this are crucial to strengthening that commitment, as they not only connect us with our roots but also allow us to pass them on with respect and pride to future generations."

These efforts align with the cultural policies of Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama, who advocates for a New Era of Tourism based on identity, community-based tourism, and active participation in preserving biocultural heritage.