"Isla Mujeres, Mexico" a Isla Mujeres Travel Page by SWFC_Fan

Where?

Isla Mujeres is a small island located off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan peninsular.

It is reached by boat from the port of Puerto Juarez, just 3km north of Cancun and it makes for an excellent daytrip if you are holidaying in Cancun.

How to get there?

Isla Mujeres is reached by a frequent boat service from the port of Puerto Juarez. The large yellow catamarans, operated by UltraMar, leave Puerto Juarez every 30 minutes during the day and reach Isla Town (the main town on Isla Mujeres) 20 minutes later.

At the time of my visit, the cost of a return trip on the catamaran was 70 Pesos.

The catamarans carry passengers only, no motor vehicles. If you want to take a car across to the island you'll have to catch a car ferry (several daily) from Punta Sam to the north of Puerto Juarez.

There are also small boats that make the trip from the beaches in Cancun's Hotel Zone to Isla Mujeres.

Prices correct at Feb/March 2006: (1 GBP = 17.5 Mexican Pesos / 1 USD = 10.6 Mexican Pesos).

A few recommendations of things to see and do based on my 1 day on the island:

Beaches

Isla Mujeres has some excellent white sandy beaches with clear turquoise seas. The coast in front of Isla Town is one long stretch of palm fringed beach, culminating in the beautiful North Beach where I opted to stop off for a swim. There is a fair bit of seaweed in some areas, and there are a lot of good diving spots around the island. I arrived mid-morning and the beaches were very busy, both with daytrippers from the mainland holiday resorts and with tourists staying on the island. There is plenty of beachside accommodation on the island and you can enjoy a meal or a drink in one of the many beachside bars and restaurants.

Isla Town

Isla Town is a laid-back, colourful town with a distinct Caribbean feeling about it. An abundance of brightly coloured buildings (oranges, yellows, pinks and blues) line the narrow streets of the island's main town. Small cafes and bars, traditional seafood restaurants and countless souvenir shops give the town a bustling feel. Along its main seafront road, tall palm trees stand overlooking the crystal clear blue sea as tourists motor by in their hired golf carts.

Hire a golf cart

The favoured method of transport for exploring this small island is the humble golf cart. The island is slightly too large for it to be explored in its entirity on foot, but not big enough to require a car. The golf cart (or alternatively, a moped or bicycle) is the ideal compromise for those wishing to see more of the island beyong Isla Town. Each of these transport options can be hired cheaply from numerous places around the ferry port.

Eat fresh seafood

As you might expect on a small island in the Caribbean, fresh seafood is abundant in the host of restaurants in Isla Town. Many simple seafood restaurants serve up fresh fish, shrimps, lobsters and crabs in a wonderful Caribbean setting. I opted for a meal of shrimps in tequila sauce at a restaurant called Brisa Mexicana in the heart of Isla Town.

A few observations from my 1 day on Isla Mujeres:

An escape from Westernised Cancun

While touristy Cancun is a modern, Americanised resort, Isla Mujeres gives you a real flavour of the Caribbean. The town's low rise, colourful buildings stand in stark contrast to the modern architecture found in Cancun. The beaches are excellent (the bright white sand, turquoise seas and palm trees give them that typical Caribbean postcard appearance) and the sea is much calmer than at Cancun. You will encounter relatively few motor vehicles, since the favoured methods of transport are golf carts, mopeds and bicycles. Isla Mujeres makes an excellent daytrip from Cancun or, if you want a more relaxed stay, there is plenty of cheap accommodation to cater for visitors. If I ever return to the region, I'll be staying on Isla Mujeres rather than in Cancun.

Get there early!

Isla Mujeres is a popular daytrip from the mainland holiday resorts. As well as this, it has become a popular place for visitors to stay, with plenty of cheap accommodation. I caught the catamaran from Puerto Juarez to Isla Mujeres at 10am, and at that time of day there were long queues for the boat. I arrived at the island after a 20 minute crossing and the beaches were already busy and the beachside bars and restaurants teeming with people. The shops in Isla Town were doing brisk trade and the roads were busy with golf carts. Despite the crowds, it still felt much more relaxed than Cancun and it was never too difficult to walk a little beyond the centre and find quiet streets. If you want a good place of the beach, I’d advise you to get there early!