And now for the good stuff…
We spent over a month in Isla Mujeres. During that time, we had the opportunity to do some exploring of local restaurants, taco stands, beaches and activities. It was a tough job doing R&D on a tropical island, but I did it all to share the information with you, dear reader. If you are wondering what to do in Isla Mujeres while not breaking the bank, I am here for budget friendly travel options!
Getting to Isla Mujeres- if you are coming by plane into Cancun, you can grab an ADO bus at the airport to Puerto Juarez, Cancun. From there it is simple to catch a 20 minute ferry ride to Isla Mujeres. There are several ferries in operation. The Jetway cargo ferry is the cheapest option and provides the fewest amenities but hey, its only 20 minutes or so. Our favorite was the Ultramar service. It was a few pesos more but had a comfortable airconditioned cabin, clean restrooms and a little refreshment bar.
Beaches, so many beaches:
The Mexican beach club is a thing of beauty. Most only have a minimum amount you must spend on drinks and food to enjoy all of their amenities. If you are looking to keep to a budget, make sure you keep track of how much you are spending as it’s very easy to blow your budget when a friendly staff member warmly offers another margarita or cerveza.
Centro beaches:
Once you arrive off the ferry, you can head north to the hotel zone and the incredibly gorgeous Playa Norte. Playa Norte has white sand, turquoise water, swaying palm trees and is usually wall to wall people. There are loads of beach clubs with Green Demon being the most popular. Its beautiful and you should definitely see it but be prepared for a crowd. If you are swimming with little kids, hang a right at Playa Norte and go to the protected cove by Mia Reef resort. You can then stroll along the Caribbean side of the island, just know once you get past the cove, swimming is largely prohibited due to the dangerous currents on the Yucatan channel. It might look like a tatty red scrap of fabric on a stick, but you should know it means no swimming and respect it. This side of the island has very dangerous currents. If you decide you want calm waters, a lively beach scene and want to hang with the locals, make your way to Playa Centro on the Bahia. Plenty of beach clubs and vendors, sand and calm waters without the intense currents of the Caribbean side.
Punta Sur:
The south side of the island is less hurried than the North/Downtown area. There are plenty of beach clubs on the Bahia side of the island and you do seem to get far more amenities in Punta Sur as compared to Playa Norte. If I had to pick one it would be Kin Ha. There isn’t a real beach per se, access to the Bahia waters is via a dock but there are pools, kayaks, a swim up bar, free wifi, attentive service and that view!
Getting around:
Scooters, bicycles and Golf carts are the most popular way to get around the island and there are tons of rentadoras to choose from. At about $80 US for a full day rental, we opted for bicycles. Our marina had loaner bikes so we did not even have to haul our folding bikes out of the lazarette. Another option is the bus service. The buses run up and down the island at a regular interval and at around $2 USD a ticket or $9 USD for a day pass, its a cheap way to get around. Just remember that you are not only on Island times, but MEXICAN Island time so reality is the published schedules are more of a suggestion rather than an actual schedule. The buses leave the ferry terminal very regularly, it’s just getting a bus from Punta Sur or La Gloria that will require patience.
Taxis are plentiful on the island. If you are looking to save money, skip the shiny new taxis at the taxi stand Ferry terminal and look for a collectivo. You’ll know it by its well-worn exterior and additional passengers. This is the taxi service used by the locals. Yes, you will be one of 3-4 passengers, but I never spent more than 40-50 pesos for a collectivo. Private taxis can run triple or quadruple that amount.
Where to stay:
The hotels, resorts and rentals on the Island tend to be more expensive on the very North and South side. If you are looking for more budget friendly accommodations, look in the vicinity of mid island, Grand Salina or meterologico. We stayed on our boat at El Milagro Marina which is mid island on the Bahia. They have cute and comfortable rooms and villas for our land lubber friends. Skull’s Landing and Soggy Peso offer rooms but be advised each location has a bar on site so if you are looking for quiet, these are not for you. There are a ton of rental properties on the island for every budget imaginable. I’m refraining from suggesting others as again, we stayed on our boat so my experience is limited to the research done on behalf of a friend.
Coming up next on the blog, a favorite topic to warm my little cheffy heart
FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD!
