FEBRUARY 2024
We absolutely love the Caribbean Sea, so we knew we had to visit an island as part of our November Mexico trip. We have previously visited Tulum and Isla Holbox and were looking for a different destination. I decided to book a few days on Isla Mujeres. Isla Mujeres is located right in front of Cancun and therefore really easy to get too, you just have to go to the ferry terminal and within an hour you can be settled into your hotel. But is Isla Mujeres really that idyllic?
Where we stayed
We booked three nights in hotel Posada Del Mar, which is located a 10 minute walk from the ferry docks, in the heart of the town and opposite Playa Centro. We paid € 90 a night for a room with two double beds, which is really affordable for Isla Mujeres. Posada Del Mar is a bit run down and in the process of being renovated, it certainly isn’t perfect but it was fine enough for us. I read that the rooms were really damp, but it wasn’t as bad as expected. In November the pool area wasn’t too crowded and we could find sun beds most days. I can imagine this being different during the high season. Posada Del Mar has some restaurants and a bar, which were convenient and well priced. Some afternoons they had a band playing, which we really loved. The location is very good, within a few minutes you can be at the public beach, a beach club or trendy restaurant. Most hotels in this area are much pricier, so in the end we were satisfied with our stay.
Is Isla Mujeres worth it?
When you get off the ferry to Isla Mujeres, you will arrive to a very busy Main Street. Isla Mujeres is not a car-free island like Isla Holbox, so I was a bit taken aback by the traffic at first. The streets are packed with golf carts, taxis and scooters. There definitely is more of a party vibe than at Isla Holbox. Isla Mujeres has a bigger city center than Isla Holbox and it draws more crowds. The bar scene certainly is vibrant and it reminded me a bit of the Florida Keys. However, when you start walking you will quickly find that not all streets are as busy as the main road and you can easy into holiday mode.
Though we were a bit overwhelmed once we arrived, we ended up loving our time in Isla Mujeres. There are a lot of pretty beaches to choose from and the restaurants serve delicious food. You will spot lots of colorful murals and houses, just overall good vibes. In November it wasn’t insanely busy, we didn’t have to make restaurant reservations for example. Some beach clubs are still free, once you have lunch there. We also found Isla Mujeres much more child friendly than Isla Holbox. You can easily get around with a stroller, there even were some stroller lanes to the beach, making your time that much easier. All restaurants had baby seats. The sea is quiet and warm, so Hugo loved having a swim. So, though Isla Holbox is much more idyllic, it is more of a hassle to get to and Isla Mujeres has its own perks!
The best activities in Isla Mujeres
Beach: We loved the vibes at Playa Centro, where you can do lots of people watching. Playa Norte is the prettier beach, with cute beach clubs, Instagram opportunities and more picturesque palm trees, but both are great for swimming! The swings at Las Hamacas are really cute. If you come before 10AM you will have them to yourself. Las Hamacas also doesn’t ask for an entrance fee, you can use the facilities there if you spend some money at the bar. They even have a little pool and playground for kids.
Rent a golf cart: You cannot visit Isla Mujeres and not hire a golf cart. We hired our golf cart at Rentadora Joaquin. Prices online do not seem to be current and we paid way more than we read in reviews. I think we paid about $ 40 for two hours of driving, which is insane. Prices in Mexico really inflated compared to last time we visited. Still, it is a lot of fun and you should definitely hire a golf cart. If you do not want to make too much stops, 2 hours is sufficient to explore the island.
Drive to Punta Sur: We used our golf cart to drive to Punta Sur, the coastal drive is beautiful! We didn’t pay the entrance fee to Punta Sur as we found that we could see sufficiently without entering. We also made a stop at the rainbow stairs, which are located in the middle of the island, and are difficult to get to without your own transport.
Enjoy the street art: Just walking around the center trying to spot all the colorful street art is fun enough and you can spend hours doing this. Don’t forget to visit the colorful basketball court in the middle of the tow, some of the most beautiful parts of the town are located here.
Join the food scene: The food scene in Isla Mujeres is great. It is on the pricy side but the quality and portions generally were really good. Our favorite restaurants were Cafe Mogagua (breakfast and coffee), Coco restaurant & beach (Ceviche) and Xantolo (tuna tostadas). The street Miguel Hidalgo is a pedestrian street and you will definitely find a good restaurant there!
