On the final day of my February 2020 Cancún trip, we were off to Isla Mujeres, an island off the coast of Cancún. However, before we headed to the island, we went on a snorkeling tour.
Snorkeling Adventure
As with the rest of this trip, we had a lot to fit into our final day in Cancún, so we were up early. We booked a 7:00 a.m. snorkeling tour through Total Snorkel Cancun. If you want to have a private snorkeling tour, but not the price, I highly recommend the earliest tour of the the day. We were the only ones on the 7:00 a.m. tour, which meant we had a private tour and got to watch the sunrise over the ocean.
With face masks, snorkels, fins and life vests in hand, it to was time to head to the boat. We headed out into the beautiful blue waters just as the sun was making its ascent. Our first stop was a shipwreck. We swam around the top of the ship, noting all the fish swimming in and out of it. There were many different species, though the most notable to me were the pufferfish. In my mind, pufferfish are about the size of one of my hands, but these were much larger. The clear ocean waters meant we were able to see a plethora of ocean inhabitants.
After the shipwreck it was off to see two sets of sculptures that sit on the ocean floor, a coral reef, and a turtle habitat. We got lucky and spotted a turtle quickly swimming by us! Then it was back to the dock to disembark and shower. After showering, we headed back to our hotel to prepare for our excursion to Isla Mujeres.
Isla Mujeres Transportation
Since Isla Mujeres is an island, one must take a ferry to get to there. From Playa Caracol (along the hotel zone) over to the island, was a relaxing 30-minute ferry ride. Traveling through the beautiful blue waters of Bahia de Mujeres with the sun shining down was perfection! I read about the beautiful beaches of Isla Mujeres and was very excited to finally see them.
Isla Mujeres isn’t very car friendly, so renting a golf cart, bicycle or scooter is a good way to get around. We heard that you can get better rental prices inland from the ferry terminal, so that’s what we did. We walked inland and found a scooter rental shop, and were soon on our way scooting around the island!
Playa Norte
Our first stop was on the north east side of the island, at the Isla Mujeres sign.
After pictures at the sign and taking in the ocean view, we were off to the north, to Playa Norte. This beach is beautiful! I could stare at the white sands and turquoise waters for hours. After sitting on the beach for a bit, the water was calling my name. The water isn’t very deep and there is little tide, so it is a very calm environment. After about an hour and a half of beach time, we were off to explore more of the island.
We headed south down the main road on the west side of the island, stopping to take pictures of the amazing views. We stopped at the Isla Mujeres fish sign for pictures, and then again at Garrafón Reef Park. If we had arrived here earlier in the day, we would have entered the park. They offer snorkeling, kayaking, zip lining and more. However, since it was already afternoon, we didn’t have time to enjoy all it had to offer. So after a few pictures of the amazing view of the park, we continued on to Punta Sur.
Punta Sur
Punta Sur is the point at the southern end of Isla Mujeres. Rising 20 meters above sea level, there are cliffs on three sides. I spent quite a bit of time taking in the spectacular views. From watching the turquoise waters crash into the cliff rocks, to looking back across the bay to Cancún, I was mesmerized!
Along with the amazing views, Punta Sur is also home to a Mayan temple honoring Ixchel, the Goddess of the Moon. The sea air and time have led to some destruction of the temple, but it is still interesting to see more of the Mayan architecture. While Punta Sur is open to everyone, venturing to the very south of the park, where the temple is, does require an admission fee. I would highly recommend paying to enter the temple as the views are well worth the admission price.
The Road Back
After taking in the sites of Punta Sur, we decided to head back to the north end of the island via the main road on the east side. The southeast region is less developed and has more homes, as well as access to smaller beaches. Along this route we also came across a cemetery. It was very colorful, and had an amazing view!
From the cemetery, we continued north. Given that we had spent all day in the sun, we decided it was best to call it a day. Carefully navigating the many one-way roads on the interior of the island, we returned our scooter. We finished our time on the island with some refreshing soft serve ice cream on our walk back to the ferry building.
Isla Mujeres is gorgeous. I would love to go back and actually stay on the island for a night or two. There are many hotels on the island that range in price from $40 – $320 per night. Additionally there are several vacation rentals available throughout the island. While a hotel on Isla Mujeres is trickier to get to than a hotel on mainland Cancún, due to the ferry, the beauty of the island makes it well worth it!
Other Sites of Interest
Interested in learning about other sites to visit during a trip to Cancún? Check out my other blog posts on my time in the Yucatan Peninsula:
- Chichén Itzá – This pre-Columbian city, built by the Mayan people, is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
- Cenotes – These natural freshwater pools are fun to explore and a great way to escape the heat!
