If you’re vacationing in Cancun’s Hotel Zone or staying in Playa Mujeres/Costa Mujeres north of downtown Cancun, you may want to consider taking a day trip over to Isla Mujeres.  It makes a a great change of pace if you are becoming bored with staying at your resort as well as a way to see a great beach and beautiful water you can actually swim in (the east-facing beach areas in Cancun’s Hotel Zone are often red-flagged making swimming conditions impossible).

The last time I visited Isla Mujeres was before the pandemic, but I imagine not much has changed.  The notable exceptions that I’m aware of have been the closing of Isla Mujeres Palace Resort as well as the continued construction of the new Secrets Impression Isla Mujeres which is supposed to open May 26, 2023.

You have to ferry over from Cancun; there are several ferry companies that do so, but the most popular company is Ultramar.  Once you get there you can rent a means of transportation to get around the small island–most visitors rent a golf cart, so get an early ferry to avoid golf cart sell-outs.  I accidentally found a very friendly local guide advertising a half day excursion, so I decided to have him show me the island since I had not done any research on what the area as a whole was all about.

You can avoid the hassle of transportation issues and just head to Playa Norte which is the most beautiful beach area on the island–it’s where most visitors wind up when visiting.  Playa Norte is a bit of a walk from the ferry terminal, but if you don’t have mobility issues you can just turn left when exiting the ferry terminal and follow the coast until you see all the day clubs; you cannot miss Playa Norte since the beach is filled with loungers and shade umbrellas and the water is a lovely turquoise color.  There will be many people in the water when you arrive, so again try to get there earlier rather than later.

I’ve posted two videos below about Isla Mujeres; the first is on the basics like how to get there, renting a golf cart, and seeing some sights around the island.  The second video will give you a look at what some people might consider to be a tourist trap, but it’s interesting if you’ve never seen it before.  Some of you probably already know I’m referring to the Ice Bar Mexico–everything in it is made of ice, and you get the use of a coat when you enter because of the extreme cold inside.  It’s a fun thing to experience if you’ve never seen it before.  The entry fee is around $18 USD p/person and with that you get several drink tickets (there is a bar inside).

What do you think?  Have you ever visited Isla Mujeres?  Let me know in the comments section below what you thought of the island.