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ISLA MUJERES
Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres (Spanish for "Island of Women") is an island in the Caribbean Sea located eight miles off of the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, near Cancun Mexico.
Get in
Various tour boats will take you there from Cancun, but for a cheaper and more authentic trip, just jump on one of the ferries. Puerto Juarez near downtown Cancun is the cheaper one that the locals use, but can be a bit crowded. Gran Puerto Cancun is located in the hotel zone and is a bit more expensive (150 pesos).
If you're in a hurry and have cash to spare, you can charter a Cessna from the delightfully named Aerobanana (tel. 998 87-25040). Common destinations include Chichen Itza and Playa del Carmen.
Get around
The island is pretty small and it isn't too far to walk from the ferry ports to the main beaches. But to see more of the island, the best way to go is to rent a scooter. Like everything in Mexico, you should be able to haggle a decent price, There are two main roads that run from end to end of the island. Be aware that when driving on the Caribbean side of the island, there are occasional strong gusts of wind that can really take you by surprise on a scooter, as can the many topes, or speed bumps.
Do
Beach Volleyball - Isla Mujeres has several fine stretches of beach. The northern end of the island is Playa Norte which has a wide swatch of sand that is lined with palm trees and also a few beachfront restaurants and bars. The soft white sand and level beach area make for an ideal beach volleyball court. The main volleyball-playing area on Playa Norte in front of Buho's swing bar is now gone, a victim of changing tides and a diminishing beach which locals attribute to the moving of sand from the surrounding ocean floor to build back Wilma-damaged Cancun's beaches. Alas, the big, beautiful pre-Wilma Playa Norte is no longer, though there is hope that it will eventually come back.
Garafon Park on the southern side of the island lacks a sandy beach but offers snorkeling where fish abound and the crystal clear water makes for an enjoyable swim. The reef that lies within the protective buoys has been severely damaged by storms and years of careless treatment by snorkelers, but a revamp of the park several years ago has created a healtheir environment for the coral, and it thrives more with each passing year. Entrance to the park is expensive. Tour boats from Cancun bring hordes of day-trippers who mostly stay within the park, so it can become quite crowded during the peak of the day.
Dolphin Discovery in the northwest side of the island on the Penninsula of Sac Bajo is Dolphin Discovery. It is a small amusement park with cahins in other pasts of the Caribbean (including Cozumel) well known for allowing visitors to interact and swim with dolphins in an enclosed area. The park has...
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Hotels in Isla Mujeres
 | Avalon Baccara  |
Score 8.975 from 3 reviews | | Boulevard Kukulcan KM 11.5 |  |
| Centred in the heart of Cancun's hotel zone, within walking distance to area attractions, this exceptional oceanfront hotel provides direct beach access, spacious accommodations and friendly multilingual services.
The Avalon Baccara provides guests with everything needed for an enjoyable stay, including a large swimming pool, 2 on-site restaurants and 24-hour room service.
Guests can also enjoy free access to the hotel's next-door sister property, which features a full-service spa and fitness centre.
Only a short stroll from the Baccara, guests can discover charming local shops, exciting nightclubs and a variety of restaurants. Endless recreational activities, including fishing, snorkelling and sailing are also only moments away. ... more | | |
 | Mayafair Design Hotel |
Score 6.85 from 10 reviews | | Kukulcan Boulevard Km 8.5 hotel zone | |
| Centrally located in Cancun's Hotel Zone, just steps from beautiful beaches and surrounded by activities and attractions, this unique, design hotel offers contemporary accommodations in a comfortable setting.
Mayafair Design Hotel features guest suites that are of Minimalist design and decorated with graphics that describe the history of representatives of the fashion industry. Guests will enjoy in-suite amenities such as mineral water, satellite TV and DVD players.
Surrounded by entertainment, restaurants and shops, the Mayafair is less than 6 miles from Cancun's city center. The hotel's helpful staff can provide information on local tours and more so guests can experience the best of Cancun. ... more | | |
 | B2B Malecon Plaza Hotel & Convention Center  |
Score 10 from 1 reviews | | Avenida Sayil SM4A, Lote 7 | |
| Located in the Malecon area in beautiful and exciting downtown Cancun, surrounded by restaurants and businesses, this hotel offers convenient amenities and services for a variety of travelers.
Guests at the B2B Hotel & Business Center can go for a swim in the refreshing outdoor pool. The modern and stylish guestrooms at the B2B Hotel feature various amenities such as free wireless internet and a spacious work desk.
From this hotel, guests can enjoy spectacular views of the city and surrounding gardens. Restaurant, spa, gym and room service will be available soon. ... more | | |
 | ME by Melia Cancun |
Score 8.625 from 18 reviews | | Boulevard Kukulkan, km. 12 | |
| We have a Mediterranean restaurant where you can enjoy Mediterranean and Haute Mexican Cuisine for breakfast, lunch and fine dining. There is also an Asian bistro and bars.
... more | | |
 | Great Parnassus Resort & Spa - All Inclusive |
Score 7.925 from 2 reviews | | Boulevard Kululcan Km 17 Zona Hotelera | |
| ***Extra person charge***
***Extra person is charge 50% of the price of double occupancy.*** ... more | | |
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| | | More hotels in Isla Mujeres |
Tortugranja (Turtle Farm)
Tortugranja is a small turtle farm located on the beach where turtles come to lay their eggs. It was created to prevent poaching of the turtle eggs, and to help repopulate the turtle population. It consists of a small "aquarium", a building which contains the smallest of the turtles, surrounded by circular concrete tubs of turtles in graduated sizes. There is also an area of sand fenced off, holding incubating turtle eggs. Inside, in size, it's closer to a small pet store than an aquarium. It's not really a "tourist attraction", in the sense that it’s quite small, more like an interesting place to visit.
There is a small admissions booth on the outside, but if it's empty, you can pay your 10 pesos to the guard just inside the door of the aquarium. It seems if you don't pay the admission fee, you can still walk around the building and look at the turtles in the different pools. If you love turtles, or are driving around the island on your own, it's worth a visit. If you're not really keen on turtles, and have to take a taxi to get there, it may not be worth your time and effort.
| type: | Palaces |
| openings: | 9am to 5pm ( more like 4:30pm ) |
| Riviera Maya Dolphin Encounter Program |
1 hour |
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The perfect way to discover dolphin's best kept secrets in and safe and fun-filled environment!
You will be surprised by the great intelligence and friendliness of these wonderful marine mammals.
Learn all about this amazing creature in an environment that is ideal for children of all ages!
You will have the opportunity to hug and kiss the dolphin, and the dolphin will respond with a friendly kiss on the cheek!
Watch the dolphins as they perform a series of amazing tricks and marvel at their astonishingly entertaining behavior!
They will make you tingle with excitement!
Click here for more information and Booking Details
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Isla
Photos of downtown Isla Mujeres and the beach.
| Tulum and Xel-Ha from Riviera Maya |
12 hours |
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TULUM - the 'Walled City' is mounted high on the edge of a cliff, this abandoned city towers above the deep turquoise of the Caribbean and a beautiful white sandy beach. The city within the walls was only inhabited by the nobles, high priests and esteemed citizens such as astronomers whereas the lower classes lived in simple wood and thatch huts beyond. The buildings in the city were originally covered with brilliant paintings and carvings stark white, deep red or vibrant blue, but only faint remnants of these now remain.
A guided visit of the site takes about 45 minutes and then some time at leisure to take photos of the picturesque views.
Then continue to XEL-HA (pronounced shell-ha), a large area of protected inlets and lagoons, Xel-Ha is a beautiful natural aquarium, home to many varieties of colorful tropical fish. Here visitors can learn to snorkel and enjoy observing the fish at an arms length or simply sit in one of the beach chairs and soak up the sun! Xel-Ha is 15 minutes north of Tulum, ideally located to combine the day with a visit to the ruins. There are several restaurants in the park giving the option of arranging a group lunch in one of them or guests can be at leisure.
Click here for more information and Booking Details
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