Isla Mujeres is one of the best beach towns in Mexico and one of the 135 pueblos magicos (magic towns). It is considered seductive for its unique folkloric ties to Ixchel and its immense tropical beauty.
Isla Mujeres is one of the best beach towns in Mexico and one of the 135 pueblos magicos (magic towns). It is considered seductive for its unique folkloric ties to Ixchel and its immense tropical beauty.
Isla Mujeres offers many activities for adults and kids.
Located on the island’s north side, Playa Norte’s palm trees, soft sand, and bright water have made this place one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico and even the world, according to travel journalists and bloggers.
Playa Norte is the main and most popular beach in Isla Mujeres. Playa Norte can get crowded with resorts, beachside bars, and hammocks, but it’s still an amazing place to spend a day in Isla Mujeres.
Dive into the inviting water to cool off, swim with a drink in your hand or splash around with little ones; then relax in a lounge or hammock with an ice-cold beverage and a good book; your beachside options are endless.
If you want to stay far away from the crowds of Playa Norte and not feel isolated, head to a beach resort. There are actually two amazing beach resorts in Isla Mujeres: From laid-back, no-frills beach resorts like Garrafon Natural Reef Park to full-on adventure parks like Parque de Los Sueños. There’s no shortage of ways to hit the water in Isla Mujeres.
Garrafon de Castilla is a spectacular setting with soft sand, lounge chairs, and the right number of amenities. This place is perfect for swimming, enjoying the sun, snorkeling, and relaxing.
Here, jump into the water to snorkel and swim as much as you want, or simply relax on the provided lounge chairs. In addition, you can use the facilities and lockers and enjoy lunch at a delicious restaurant.
DO NOT CONFUSE THIS with the Garrafon National Reef Park
This oceanfront park on the southwest coast of Isla Mujeres gives the feeling of being at both a water park and an all-inclusive hotel for the day.
You can be as active or as lazy as you like here. Anything you can do for fun at the beach or in the ocean can be done here. Snorkeling, swimming, infinity pools, swim-up bars, rope swings, rock climbing, water slide, ziplining, paddleboards, and Kayaks are some of the activities you can do at Parque de los Sueños. Snorkeling is excellent right off the park’s pier, with many tropical fish to admire.
The park is a resort open to the public (for a fee). Your day pass allows you to spend all day using the facilities, including everything from lockers to towels. Food and drink are available for purchase. This is a fantastic place to spend a long day enjoying the warm water of Isla Mujeres.
The Cancun Underwater Museum, also known as MUSA, which stands for Museo Subacuatico de Arte, is a unique artificial reef created by the British sculptor Jason Taylor and five other sculptors from Mexico. It is one of the top tourist attractions in Mexico and a must-see Cancun site for those interested in water activities and marine life.
MUSA was opened in 2010; it houses over 500 sculptures, all submerged at different depths in the ocean. MUSA has been a hot spot for snorkelers and scuba divers from all over the world and a safe haven for many different species of marine life. The artwork was created with pH-neutral (non-acidic) and environmentally-safe concrete and then anchored to the ocean floor so that coral, algae, and seaweed could grow and develop on it easily. The statues also consist of holes, allowing marine life to colonize and feed off the coral.
Though also beautiful, the primary purpose of the art at this underwater museum in Cancun is conservation. The nearby reefs were being damaged by over-tourism. The art installations serve as an attraction for the divers and snorkelers to visit and a new habitat for marine plants and animals.
Eventually, nature will overtake the sculptures, and the artwork will be covered with coral that you will barely see the original pieces. The creators of MUSA expect the sculptures to become new art created by nature in the future.
There are many tours available to visit this fantastic underwater museum. You can choose to dive, snorkel, or even take a glass-bottom boat to be able to see and enjoy this fascinating place.
The Temple of Ixchel is located on the southern tip of Isla Mujeres. Ixchel (pronounced ik-shell) is a Mayan goddess associated with the moon, childbirth, medicine, fertility, and midwifery. Ixchel is the reason why Isla Mujeres is named the Island of Women. Given that it sits on the highest elevation point in the entire Yucatan Peninsula and at the edge of the sea, historians say this structure functioned as a lighthouse more than a ceremonial center.
Today, Punta Sur is a sleepy tourist attraction, with a few souvenir shops and some restaurants. Also, there’s a giant iguana statue and some real ones.
Although Playa Norte is an excellent place to watch the sunset, make sure to catch a sunset or two at Playa Sol.
Playa Sol is located at the northwestern tip of the island, next to Playa Norte. Playa Sol is said to be the best beach to watch the sunset.
The Whale Shark is on the endangered species list, so having the opportunity to swim with these magnificent creatures will leave a strong impression. An adult whale shark can reach 12 m long and can weigh up to 20 tons, making them the largest known fish, and baby whale sharks are very playful and known to play with swimmers.
The Yucatan peninsula is one of the places where you can swim with these large harmless creatures.
Tortugranja is a government-owned Turtle Sanctuary and hatchery for endangered sea turtles.
The hatchery helps breed turtles and rehabilitates sick or injured turtles and other marine animals.
If you visit Isla Mujeres between May and July, you might be able to spot a few loggerhead turtles laying eggs on the protected beaches around the island.
Located in downtown Isla Mujeres, Avenida Miguel Hidalgo is a pedestrian-only street and the heart of tourism on the island.
Here you will find shops selling every kind of souvenirs, sizzling sounds and delicious smells coming from the many restaurants in the area.
Isla Contoy is a bird watcher’s paradise. The small protected National Park sanctuary North of Isla Mujeres is home to more than 100 species of birds and four species of sea turtles.
The tropical breeze and bird spotting complete this amazing tropical heaven. Once here, you can relax and take some wildlife pictures before picking up your snorkeling gear and diving into the clear waters.
Isla Contoy can be reached via an all-inclusive cruise. However, tourists have to follow very strict rules and pick up after themselves to keep the inhabited island in pristine condition.
The beautiful, vibrant town of Isla Mujeres is covered in beautiful street art, from its well-known sea wall murals to intricate paintings on everything you see around.
First thing first, rent a golf cart or a mountain bike so that you can ride around the island. It’s only about 21km to completely circle it, and it’s 4km wide. So you can drive around the entire island in 30 minutes if you don’t stop.
Golf cart rental is very common on the island because you cannot rent a regular car and because driving around on Golf carts is much more fun.
The rental companies are generally in town close to the ferry pier.