Isla Mujeres travel tips

Isla Mujeres is a small vacation paradise located only 13 kilometers from Cancún. On Isla Mujeres you can relax on the white, powder-soft beach, swim with whale sharks and drink cool cocktails. Life on the island takes place mainly in the north at Playa Norte (Playa los Cocos) and in Downtown, the largest island town. Downtown is where most of the hotels, restaurants, bars and stores are located. Here are some Isla Mujeres travel tips.

Playa Norte

The most popular beach on Isla Mujeres is Playa Norte, also called Playa los Cocos. Playa Norte is just under 300 meters long, has powder-soft white sand and shallow turquoise waters. There is always something going on at Playa Norte. Especially during the vacations and on weekends, when many locals from Cancún also vacation here.

Isla Mujeres travel tips: Downtown

Downtown is the only bigger place on Isla Mujeres and together with Playa Norte it forms the tourist center. Downtown has lots of restaurants, bars and stores. At the central square (Zócalo) parties with music and dance are celebrated every Saturday.

There are four central streets in the downtown. Most restaurants are located on Avenida Hidalgo and Avenida Guerrero. Here you are spoiled for choice: there are restaurants with Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and local Mexican cuisine, as well as various steak and seafood restaurants. Many bars play live music in the evening. From mariachi to folk and rock, you’ll find it all.

Swimming and snorkeling with whale sharks

If you are on Isla Mujeres during the whale shark season between mid-May and mid-September, don’t miss the chance to swim or snorkel with whale sharks. During this time, there are numerous whale sharks around Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy. Whale sharks grow up to 12 meters long and are plankton eaters. Therefore they are not dangerous for humans.

Diving in the Cave of the Sleeping Sharks

Around Isla Mujeres there are about 50 local diving sites, most of which can be reached in less than 25 minutes by boat. Among the most popular dive sites are the Cave of the Sleeping Sharks (bull sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks and tiger sharks), Manchones Reef (wrasses, boxfish, parrotfish, snappers), Media Luna (sea anemones, lobsters) and Bandera Reef (barracudas, lobsters, shrimp, moray eels).

Isla Mujeres travel tips: Parque Garrafón

Parque Garrafón (actually Parque Natural de Arrecifes Garrafón) is a huge adventure pool in the southwest of Isla Mujeres. Besides foreign tourists, many locals from Cancún also come here.

Parque Garrafón is located directly on the sea on the rocky coast. Highlights of the adventure pool include a coral reef for snorkeling (be sure to hold on to the rope when the waves are strong), a zip line that lets you fly over the cliffs at breakneck speed, and an infinity pool.