Isla Mujeres History

   In 2014, while excavating under the old monkey cage at the Mundaca Hacienda, the foundation of a Mayan temple to Ixchel was discovered. During the construction of  walls and pathways around the former Hacienda, they also found an abundance of Mayan relics, which were mostly religious offerings, as well as some human skeletons, and eight underground cisterns built by the Maya to ensure that worshipers didn't go thirsty. Mundaca's Hacienda covered about 40% of the island in the mid 1800's, and stones from the Mayan structures were used in its construction, according to Isla Mujeres historian, Fidel Villanueva Madrid. Foundation of temple to the Mayan goddess Ixchel, located inside the Mundaca Hacienda. Photo from Diario de Q Roo, Larry Parra, May 14, 2014 .      The caption for this video says that the Mundaca Hacienda dates back to 1860, when its creator, the pirate and slave trader Fermin Mundaca Marechaga, took refuge in Isla Mujeres from the Bri...

1866 Map.   Description: Scarce separately issued Spanish Sea chart of the Coast of Mexico, from Santander toYucatan . Highly detailed, including soundings and lighthouses. For sale at this LINK,where it can be enlarged digitally .        In 1865, the Mexican Imperial Government, led by Maximilian of Hapsburg, ordered an official census. People were required to remain at home for five days, and those who could not, had to leave their personal information and signature with a proxy. Failure to comply could result in a fine of one to 25 pesos or twice as many days in jail. The census taker was to warn people of these consequences and the natives would be warned through their leaders and employers. The census taker received a one peso payment for each person recorded, a one peso fine for each one omitted, and two days in jail for each peso he was fined and couldn't pay.      The questions were: Name, nationali...

Link to source of this map . Every August, Isla Mujeres celebrates the founding of the town & the original Decree is read. In this article, our town historian Fidel Villanueva Madrid, explains some of the circumstances surrounding this document:       "The town was founded in 1850 under special conditions because of the critical situation that existed in the state of Yucatan as a result of the Caste War. The villagers, who were escaping from the horrors of the war, were mostly farmers who came from different parts of the peninsula, and not fishermen as some writers have mistakenly reported. The Decree itself is clear about this because it orders the settlers to till the land of the island for six years, and it does not refer to fishing at all. As for the indicated time of six years, at the end of that period, they would be entitled to the land which they had worked without interruption.      I must add that the capt...

This is Part II of the interview with 80 year-old islander "Chocolate" Garrindo by historian Fidel Villanueva Madrid, original article in Spanish is below. HUNTING CROCODILES      Although crocodiles are a protected species today (as are sea turtles), for centuries they were a source of income for the inhabitants of this area. The price of the skins depended on the size of the catch. Perpetuo Socorro Garrido Tuz, better known as Chocolate, was a crocodile hunter for several years, in the Nizuc lagoon and its estuaries that are bordered by mangroves. Here are some of his experiences...       "Sometimes, to make a few more centavos, on dark nights we would go out hunting for crocodiles in the waters of Nichupté. We were in a chalana (small boat) being very stealthy. There were two of us, one rowing and moving the small boat forward, and another finding and harpooning the crocodiles. We took turns because sometimes luck was w...