Isla Mujeres is a newer resort destination off the Mexican coast from Cancun. The short ferry ride takes you a world away from the hustle and bustle of Cancun to a laidback island with beautiful waters and tropical restaurants and bars. Don’t worry. Even though the name is “Ladies’ Island, everyone is welcome!
The first thing that my husband, daughter, granddaughter, and I noticed was the lack of cars. The primary mode of transportation, in fact, is golf carts. My husband, who was the only one who had never driven a golf cart, was the only person who had carried his driver’s license so he was the driver. We needn’t have worried; our cart never went over 10 miles per hour, even when everyone else was honking and passing!
Isla Mujeres is home to an amazing underwater sculpture museum by artist Jason deCaires Taylor who is the founder of MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte/Underwater Museum of Art). The sculptures are design to be overgrown by coral and marine life to counteract the effects of climate change. The project is ongoing and can be seen by snorkeling or scuba diving. One part, Silent Evolution, can also be seen by glass bottom boat.
You can opt to swim with dolphins or whale sharks, although we decided not to do either of these options since we were only in Isla Mujeres for the day. The island is home to numerous dive centers and tour agencies where you can arrange multiple types of day trips.
We chose to visit the beautiful beaches instead. You can wade out a long distance on Playa Norte where the sand is soft and white, and the sea is beautiful blue. All along the beach are bars that provide beach chairs and umbrellas, for a fee, of course. These bars provide outside dining of all levels of service, from counter service to sit-down dining. As long as you don’t mind a little sand in your food, a necessity at a beach as far as I am concerned, the dining options are great. After eating, our granddaughter was able to play in the sand with other children while we sipped another piña colada.
Options for staying the night or nights are numerous and vary from hotels to resorts, to condos, to B & Bs. The Isla Mujeres website offers a great overview of food, drink, and lodging.
