Blessings from an altar boy amid the sound of chanting monks is not how I expected to begin my first-ever three-star Michelin restaurant experience.
13.01.2025 - 12:17 / lonelyplanet.com / Isla Mujeres
Jan 12, 2025 • 5 min read
A 15-minute ferry ride away from Cancún, you’ll find Isla Mujeres an elongated tropical paradise just five miles long and half a mile wide.
This laid-back Caribbean island owes its name to Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of fertility, love, pregnancy and birth – mujeres meaning women in Spanish. Legend has it that when the Spanish arrived at Isla Mujeres, they discovered a sanctuary dedicated to worshipping the goddess.
In time, the island is said to have become a refuge for pirates and smugglers and later morphed into a fishing village.
These days, Isla Mujeres is a Pueblo Mágico – a designation given to the most picturesque of Mexican towns – and its sandy shores are visited by millions each year.
Whether you’re after a relaxed holiday steeped in Mexican hospitality or are drawn to it for its proximity to the Mesoamerican Reef – the second-largest coral reef system in the world – Isla Mujeres is sure to charm you.
One of the best things about Mexico is that its beaches are warm year-round. You should note, though, that June to November is hurricane season, so you might want to avoid traveling then – despite the alluring low prices.
High season runs from January through April, so expect to pay top dollar if you’re planning a trip during this period. Overall, the best time to visit Isla Mujeres is from December to March, when the weather is at its most pleasant.
If swimming with whale sharks is on your bucket list, the best time to go to Isla Mujeres is between June and September – with July being peak whale shark season.
Its small size makes it easy to visit Isla Mujeres on a day trip from Cancún – you can walk from one end of the island to the other in approximately two hours.
However, to truly get a feel of the island – including its serene beaches and buzzy nightlife – it’s best to spend a couple of nights there.
Isla Mujeres is easy to reach by ferry from the ferry terminals in Puerto Juárez, Cancún and the Hotel Zone. Ferries leave every 30 minutes or every hour, depending on the time of day. Keep the timetable handy, especially if visiting on a day trip.
Once in Isla Mujeres, you can walk almost everywhere – or you can rent a golf cart to drive from the more developed Playa Norte to the rugged south of town in style.
MUSA, the Underwater Museum of Art, is one of the most interesting museums you’ll ever come across.
Located off the southern coast of Isla Mujeres, it features over 500 life-size sculptures designed to promote the recovery of natural reefs. You can explore this underwater wonder by snorkeling, scuba diving or taking a glass-bottom boat tour.
One of the most popular modes of transportation in Isla Mujeres is a golf cart. Not only is this a practical way of getting
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