Cabo Catoche or Cape Catoche, in the

Mexican state The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named Mexico, United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a sepa ...

of Quintana Roo, is the northernmost point on the Yucatán Peninsula. It lies in the municipality of Isla Mujeres, about north of the city of Cancún. According to the International Hydrographic Organization, it marks the division point between the Caribbean Sea to the east and Gulf of Mexico to the west. The name is believed to be a corruption of the Mayan word ''cotoch'', meaning "our houses, our homeland". "Cotoch" is the name used by Diego de Landa to refer to the region in 1566.Landa, Diego "Relación de Yucatán". Linkgua, s.l., 2008, p. 11. Catoche was the location of the first intentional landing by Europeans in the territory of modern-day Mexico, during the Córdoba expedition, on 4 March 1517. The Spanish were invited into the native town with "''Cones catoche, cones catoche'', which means: 'Come to our houses'." On the way, the Spaniards were ambushed, suffering thirteen wounded to the native's fifteen killed. The Spaniards captured two natives, baptized as Julian and Melchior, who became interpreters on future Spanish expeditions, before Melchior turned against the Spaniards at the

Battle of Centla A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and forc ...

.Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, This is also the site of the first known ''accidental'' landing, a shipwreck in 1511, in which Gerónimo de Aguilar and Gonzalo Guerrero survived. Directly west of Cabo Catouche is Holbox Island and Yalahau lagoon, where the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico converge, creating a rich environment for an abundance of marine life. These waters are home to the largest gathering of whale sharks in the world for about five months out of the year. Because of the mixing of these waters and the white coraline sands, clear turquoise and emerald waters are found. This island is a protected area and the sands are an important hatchery for sea turtles and a host of bird species. The Yalahau Lagoon is a fresh water lagoon and so deep that the water appears to be black. In satellite photographic images the lagoon appears to be a black hole.

References

{{reflist Landforms of Quintana Roo Catoche