Being at the El Embarcadero pier for the Observation Tower, Dave and I decided to take a ferry from there to Isla Mujeres, a small island about 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) northeast of Cancun. The island is some 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) long and 650 meters (2,130 ft) wide (from wikipedia). Isla Mujeres means Island of Women in English. The Spanish named it the Island of Women because when they first discovered the island in 1517, there were hundreds of statues of women along the beach. The statues were a gift to Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of love, fertility and the Moon. See the aerial view of the island below.
It was time to leave for Isla Mujeres. Right before boarding, a photographer took pictures of all the passengers. Later, on the way back, we bought it for $10. It was fairly inexpensive compared to the prices we paid for the other pictures. 🙂 Here is the picture.
We took the Ultra Mar ferry from El Embarcadero to Isla Mujeres. Roundtrip price was $17 per person. Ultra Mar offered typical outdoor/indoor seating. We preferred outdoor seating on the upper deck of the ferry. It was a beautiful sunny day and breeze on the deck felt really refreshing. We enjoyed the view of the Cancun shores and incredible turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea.
The view of the Barcelo Costa Resort from Ultra Mar ferry:
During our ferry ride we were serenaded by a Mariachi player.
The ferry took about 30 minutes to get there, then we started to really see the beautiful coast of Isla Mujeres.
The little town on Isla Mujeres (called Isla Mujeres Town) is tranquil and quiet compared to the busy city of Cancun. There are some cars here, but most people get around with small motorcycles, scooters, or golf carts, which are available for rent. The streets are very narrow except for the main road along the coast where the ferries dock.
There is some sightseeing on the Island such as Isla’s Maya ruins, the famous Shell house, a turtle farm and the Garrafon park. If you want to explore the marine life, there are options such as swimming with dolphins, or being able to work as a trainer for a day. Since we didn’t have enough time for sightseeing, Dave and I decided to relax on the beautiful North Beach (Playa Norte). While walking towards the beach, we were enjoying the scenery.
First things first, we stopped at the Jax Bar & Grill for lunch. Food was good, but the view from the restaurant was outstanding. See for yourself:
The main adventure at the restaurant was our first acquaintance with an iguana, which we got to feed from our hands. Later on we saw iguanas everywhere, but it made my day at that time. 🙂
Walking a few steps from the restaurant we were facing the most beautiful white powder sand of the North Beach of Isla Mujeres.
I bought a Mexican sombrero as a souvenier.
Transportation on the island of Isla Mujeres consists primarily of taxis, or golf carts and moped scooters.
On the way back to the ferry dock, Dave and I had the freshest coconut milk drink.
Another pretty beach of Isla Mujeres.
Our ferry arrived to the public beach Playa Tortugas in Cancun. It is a small beach with not too much of “beach life”. There is a few bars and a convenience store. The biggest attraction is probably the ferries leaving from here to Isla Mujeres and the bungee jumping tower.
The beach itself is calm, with shallow warm waters, which makes it a big draw for families.
Here is the place to buy the ferry tickets from Playa Tortugas to Isla Mujeres.
The colorful buses like this run at Cancun.
Back to the hotel.
The last picture just for fun. 🙂
