What To Do?
Activities in Isla Mujeres Mexico.
An island that has managed to preserved its bare-foot vibe.
Isla Mujeres Mexico -- a place to slow down, lie in a hammock and get some sand between your toes. Isla Mujeres remains laid-back -- most people get around by foot, bike or golf cart -- but hugging up on a scooter bike is also really fun. Must-do activities are simply Rest & Relax: Kick around the narrow colorful streets of the tiny downtown, laze at the beach while enjoying a eye-catching panorama, enjoy the latest Best-Seller, hold hands with your special someone, reconnect with yourself; then pick a place to settle into and watch the unforgettable sunsets.
Isla Mujeres Activities.
Choosing a place to dine is a major pleasure, as even informal eateries serve up excellent ceviche, lobster and fish, much of it caught that day by the island’s fishermen. Legend has it that the romantic, and now ruined, Hacienda Mundaca, on the island’s south side, was built by a pirate to win the heart of an island beauty. Further south, the national reef park at Garrafon, with sundecks, zip-lines and roped-in snorkeling area, offers amusement park-style fun. Couples might also consider making like the Maya with a pilgrimage to the well-preserved temple of the goddess Ixchel, at the island’s extreme south-eastern tip.
Award-Winning Beaches in Isla Mujeres.
Isla Mujeres beaches were recently awarded among "The Top 25 Beaches in the World" according to TripAdvisor '2011 Traveler Choice Awards'.
The most popular beach in town, and the best for swimming, is Playa Norte. It's a long stretch of beach extending around the northern tip of the island. This is perhaps one of the world's best beach -- awarded with -- a wide swath of fine white sand and calm, translucent, turquoise-blue water. The beach is easily reached on foot from the ferry and from all downtown hotels. Watersports equipment, beach umbrellas, and lounge chairs are available for rent. Areas in front of restaurants usually cost nothing if you use the restaurant as your headquarters for drinks and food, and the best of them have hammocks and swings from which to sip your piña coladas.
Snorkeling in Isla Mujeres.
One of the most popular places to snorkel is Garrafón Natural Reef Park. Manchones Reef, off the southeastern coast, is also good. It's just offshore and accessible by boat. You can snorkel around el faro (the lighthouse) in the Bahía de Mujeres at the southern tip of the island. The water is about 2m (6 1/2 ft.) deep. Boatmen will take you for around $250 pesos per person (US$22.) if you have your own snorkeling equipment or 300 (US$27.) pesos if you use theirs.
Scuba Diving in Isla Mujeres.
Cuevas de los Tiburones (Caves of the Sleeping Sharks) is Isla's most renowned dive site -- but the name is slightly misleading, as shark sightings are rare these days. Two sites where you could traditionally see the sleeping shark are the Cuevas de Tiburones and La Punta, but the sharks have mostly been driven off, and a storm collapsed the arch featured in a Jacques Cousteau film showing them, but the caves survive. Other dive sites include a wreck 15km (9 1/4 miles) offshore; Banderas reef, between Isla Mujeres and Cancún, where there's always a strong current; Tabos reef on the eastern shore; and Manchones reef, 1km (a half-mile) off the southeastern tip of the island, where the water is 4.5 to 11m (15-36 ft.) deep. The Cross of the Bay is close to Manchones reef. A bronze cross, weighing 1 ton and standing 12m (39 ft.) high, was placed in the water between Manchones and Isla in 1994, as a memorial to those who have lost their lives at sea.
Birdwatching.
A day trip to Isla Contoy is for the birds -- mostly Boobies, but more than 60 other marine species are also known to nest on this uninhabited sanctuary located 15 miles north of Mujeres. Most tours include an unforgettable day of snorkeling as well as a cookout of freshly caught fish on the beach. Check weather conditions before you go; it can get bumpy, so you may want to take precautions if you’re prone to seasickness.
Serious Yoga in Isla Mujeres.
Increasingly, Isla Mujeres Yoga is becoming popular among yoga enthusiasts. The trend began at Hotel Na Balam, which offers yoga classes under its large poolside palapa, complete with yoga mats and props. The hotel also offers yoga instruction vacations featuring respected teachers and a more extensive practice schedule.
